Mother's Day Evening

It's Saturday night...Mother's Day Eve...and it's finally raining!!  It's not a big thunder-boomer torrential rain, but a nice gentle rain that is exactly what we need to help refill Still Waters Pond and water the grass, trees, flowers and beyond... Praise God for the rain!!! We rejoice to finally see it coming down, and I hope it rains all night long!

I do a lot of this...yes, drink a cup of tea, but what I am focusing on is the verse on the cup:

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God." Job 37:14

I thought this tea bag had a rather profound statement also:

Yes, "In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous".  Aristotle recognized that there was something marvelous in nature, but I don't know if he fully recognized WHERE that marvelousness of nature came from...from our Creator God Almighty Himself! Yes, He created all of nature for us to enjoy and marvel at.  I do a LOT of that. For instance, this is kind of funny, but it's God's creatures doing what they do best...

Yesterday afternoon those pesky Muscovy Ducks were up on our back porch again, looking for the cats' food.  I've learned to try and make sure the ducks aren't around when I feed the cats, and I also have started staying out there with the cats for a few minutes while they eat so I can be sure they get to eat their food before the ducks show up.  So far it's working, and by the time the ducks show up the cats have finished their food so the ducks are beginning to realize there's nothing there for them.  

However, the Sand Hill Cranes also spend a lot of time in our yard looking for things to eat in the ground, and sometimes they find some extra bird seed or other tasty bits out there.  Yesterday while the cranes were out there foraging around, the duck found himself somewhat "trapped" on the back porch and unable to leave because the cranes were keeping a close watch on him.  If the duck jumped down on the ground, the cranes would chase him off immediately because they are protecting their "baby", young "Trumpet", who is just about ready to start flying any time now.  But still, the parents are very protective, and if you look at these pictures, you will see the duck walking across the porch looking for a way to get off the porch, and the crane is staying right up with him, blocking his exit from the porch to the yard.

Notice the head of the Crane following alongside the duck as he moves across the porch:

Do you see him? It was quite comical. The duck would move forward, and so would the crane.

He is keeping a very watchful eye on that duck!

Finally the duck has enough of it and just takes off and flies out over the cranes and out to the pond.

See him flying below? And also do you see young Trumpet there below?

So, once that duck is gone out to the pond, the Daddy Crane turns his attention to the other duck, who had managed to sneak off the porch down at the other end and was high-tailing it back out to the pond before the crane came after him!  Meanwhile, I was standing inside taking these pictures and cheering on the Cranes!  I love it when they manage to chase away the ducks, because really, they are the only ones the ducks seem to be afraid of. They pretty much ignore me and just wag their tail feathers at me. LOL.

Yes, God's creation is fun to watch.  We are thankful we have this opportunity.

Now, look who's here!  Yes, that's Lily Grace, and she's wearing her "I'm Mom's Favorite" t-shirt, which was a gift from a friend a few years ago when our sons each showed up with t-shirts saying the same thing. 

And you will notice that she is standing beside a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Not just any flowers, but these are special flowers to me...do you know what they are?

If you guessed "peonies", you are correct! Why are they so special you ask? Well, because peonies don't grow here in Florida, and I haven't seen them since we lived in Ohio many years ago.

Well, today we went to the "Deep Creek Farm" where they were having a farm market today, and there was a young couple there selling cut flowers and bouquets for Mother's Day, and they had these beautiful peonies! I couldn't believe my eyes!  Apparently they had ordered them from someplace up north to have them here, and well, I couldn't resist. 

I don't usually buy cut flowers, but this was something extra special to me and so I bought this Mother's Day bouquet gift for myself. 

I really can't begin to tell you how much I am enjoying this bouquet. It brought back such sweet memories from our time in Ohio so many years ago, and the special bouquet I made for my mother for Mother's Day. (click on that link for that story).   It didn't have any peonies in it because I think they were already done, but it was made up of lilacs and apple blossoms and tulips, and I mailed them to her in Florida from Ohio.  Of course they were mostly wilted by the time she got them, but she could still smell the lilacs and said they were so beautiful she cried.  Lilacs were her favorite flower, and they don't grow in Florida either.

And I actually bought myself another "Mother's Day" gift while there at the market.  It's okay, because hubby and I went shopping the other day to see if we could find something special for him to give me for Mother's Day, and we couldn't find anything at all.  (Instead HE ended up with two new shirts, which I told him we should put away and save until Father's Day! LOL)

But I saw this today and again, it just spoke to me and it was something that I really loved. It wasn't expensive at all. A lady makes this jewelry from some kind of poured acryllic material, and no two are ever the same.  

What do you see when you look at this?  I see a Mother and child, or perhaps the Madonna and Child...Mary and the baby Jesus. Either way, it just spoke to me and I loved it, so there you have it! 

Here is her card, in case you are interested in seeing what she makes. I guess she doesn't have a website, however, just an email and phone number. But she had so many beautiful necklaces and earrings and other things. And very inexpensive! I don't know how she does it!

So now tomorrow will be a sweet day with our kids here after church for lunch.  Normally Scott would probably grill some chicken or something so I don't have to cook, and Rose and Benton would bring extras...and they are bringing some of the dinner, but I am going to put some boneless pork ribs in the crock pot early in the morning so we don't have to grill because it may be raining tomorrow. We also picked up some fresh sweet corn today at the store, and so we will cook that and make a salad. It will be easy and fun and wonderful just having them here. That's the best gift to me of all.  

Mother's Day isn't always an easy day for many of us, I know that. There's no need to list the reasons why...we all know what they are...some may be very personal and even painful memories. To me, it is a day to honor all women, especially those who have had some hand in either raising us or encouraging us or have been a special part of our lives in one way or another.  

The Proverbs 31:10-31 "woman" is the ideal that we look up to, but many of us may feel like we come way short.  Of course the whole passage is great, but like I said, we may not all be able to reach those heights. These are a few select verses in that passage that speak to me as being goal-worthy.  Here they are:

10 "10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

17 17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

Whatever your current situation in life, whether you are a mother or wife, Aunt, or Grandmother, a daughter, sister or a dear friend...you are a blessing. Your life is so valuable to God and to everyone who knows you. Of all the things listed above, be that woman who fears the Lord. That is the most valuable goal we can have in this life, and if we do that, every other relationship will be as it should be.

Have a blessed and beautiful day my friend.

 

Tuesday 4- House and Home

 Good Morning!  Here it is Tuesday already, and time for another Tuesday 4!  But first, I wanted to thank you all for visiting with me yesterday on my Monday, Monday Post, HERE.  If you did visit yesterday, you will recall that one of the calendar pictures I shared (from the Teapot Calendar) talked about having some fresh homemade crusty bread and butter with tea.  Well...yesterday was a kind of cloudy and rainy day and after that subliminal suggestion was made into my brain, I just had to have some fresh homemade bread and butter.  And since today's meme is about our "House and Home", I thought I'd add this little delightful prologue.  

One of the special little appliances that  I have that I love a lot but don't use as often as I should is this Bread Machine: 

My parents gave this to me almost 25 years ago, and it still works perfectly...I just need to use it more often!

Of course it took all afternoon for it to complete this beautiful loaf of bread...

It sure smelled wonderfully delicious as it was going through all of the stages of mixing, rising, and then baking:

And since I had a late start, it was almost bedtime before the bread was baked and cooled enough to slice and eat...but I wasn't going to bed until I had some of that warm bread slathered with butter and spread with some strawberry jam. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if the strawberry jam had been homemade too...and if I could have some with YOU!  

And so with that mouth watering beginning to our day this morning, let us now continue with the real Tuesday 4 "House and Home" selection for today...

House and Home

Hello and welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4

Let's share our home secrets with one another. Maybe you have some ideas other ladies would love to hear about.

This picture reminds me of my mother's old Electrolux cannister vacuum sweeper! 

I remember using it many many times growing up.

1. What household tool or appliance do you rely on a lot?

That would be our Fuller Brush Electrostatic Sweeper:

It is quite handy when you don't want to pull out the big vacuum cleaner for a few crumbs or sand, or whatever. It will pick up dirt on hard floors as well as on carpet. I actually used to sell these for a living! I was once a "Fuller Brush Man"...well, Woman...and was even the District Manager for the western Ohio district many moons ago...I recruited and trained other salespeople how to sell these sweepers, along with all of the other great products. Yes, they are still in business, but I think they do more sales online than door to door these days. As a matter of fact, I just ordered another one of these sweepers for my son for his birthday...well, it's for Dixie Cottage...because we keep having to pull out the big vacuum cleaner to keep the floors clean after people come in with dirty shoes on the carpet...and this would be such a big help. Shhhh! don't tell him that's what he's getting for his birthday. I wouldn't want to spoil the "surprise". Ha ha. Actually, it's his own fault. He came in the other day with dirty shoes after being out in some mud somewhere, and tracked up the whole store.

 after we had just vacuumed. So that clinched it! This is what he's getting for his birthday! LOL. 

2. Which laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dish detergent work best for you?

I use All Free and Clear laundry detergent.  I am sensitive to a lot of fragrances have to stay away from most scented laundry soap or fabric softeners.  

I have recently started using these "fabric softener balls" in the dryer. These are the rubber kind and they just bounce around in the dryer with your clothes and somehow they make the clothes soft without chemicals. They help with the static cling too, but not quite as well as I'd like. Yet still, this is better than the chemicals that are in fabric softener sheets or liquid, and no annoying overpowering fragrances. The only problem is they keep getting caught up in a pants pocket or something and you have to play hide and go seek with them in every load of clothes. I am missing one ball somewhere...it may be under the couch or still stuck in someone's pants or shirt somewhere. LOL.

I use Dawn dish detergent. I love it. I use it for many things...like a degreaser on clothes before I throw them in the wash if we get a grease stain or tea stain on them.

I also use this dish washing wand to wash dishes with. We don't have a dishwasher and I find this very helpful to get into glasses, cups, pots and pans and everything, so I don't have get my hands in the water quite as much. 

And these "Super Eraser pads" are great. Like the Mr. Clean Magic erasers. They clean up pot marks on the white sink, and stains on the counter top, tea stains in the tea cups, etc.  They can be used for so many things and really work very well! I buy this brand at Dollar General.

3. What soap do you like to use? Where do you have soap in your home... bathroom, kitchen,

 shower?

I am so glad you asked.  This is the soap I use for my face and body (shower). I used to use Dove soap, but my face would break out every so often. I have never had that problem since I started using this goat milk soap. It is wonderful!!  We also sell this at Dixie Cottage, but I was first introduced to it at the flea market in Salt Springs when we lived there. The lady who makes this wonderful Goat Milk Soap lives in Salt Springs and had a booth at the Flea Market. She raises her own goats and makes this in her home.  After we moved away from there, I was making a trip down there (30 miles) every so often when I'd run out of soap to get more.  Then when Benton and Rose took over the Dixie Cottage Store in St. Augustine, they decided to carry this soap in the store, so I would get it from them.  And now that they've moved the store here to our hometown, our friend has decided to become one of our regular vendors and so we can keep supplied without having to travel! Yay! I love this soap, and lavender is my favorite fragrance. She has many other fragrances and also makes some lovely scented soy candles that we sell in the store.

She also crochets these scrubby face cloths...

(photo courtesy of Dixie Cottage)

The hand soap I like is a foaming hand soap from Bath and Body Works: Eucalyptus Mint. It's not too strong of a fragrance and has a fresh clean scent.  Although I must admit that at the moment I am out of it and I have refilled this with some Softsoap refill liquid soap and I had to add water to it and make it foamy in this dispenser bottle. I haven't been able to get to a B&BW store in a long time. I need to go restock. I guess I could order it online, huh? However, once again, I am very careful about what I buy from there as most of their fragrances are much too strong for me. This is practically the only one that I can use.

4. What is the secret to a clean home in your opinion?

Well, that's a good question. I am not the world's best housekeeper. I've gotten really lazy over the past few years.  I think the secret is to find a good housekeeper that doesn't charge too much! LOL. I'd be thrilled to find one that I could afford.  Truthfully, the secret is to keep at it and don't let it get away from you.  I try to keep up with dusting and cleaning the bathrooms on a regular basis. My hubby takes care of the vacuuming, but he's not real big on moving furniture and getting behind things and in the corners, etc. So every so often I have to get up my strength and energy and tackle those jobs, but I am not really physically able to do it very often. Once he sees that I mean business, he will help me...but it's one of those things that I find it's better not to nag about if you know what I mean...LOL. I'm thankful for any help I can get. And yes, he will help me...it's just not something he would think to do on his own.

Now that we are helping at Dixie Cottage almost every day (Tue-Sat) for at least half a day, I am having to restructure my home cleaning routines a bit. Maybe it will actually help me to be more organized. Retirement is wonderful, but I think I do stay up with things better when I have a regular routine.

This is probably the best example of a woman found in the Bible, known as the "Proverbs 31 Woman", or "The Virtuous Woman", or as in this version, "The Wife of Noble Character".  These characteristics are a beautiful description of what makes a good "housekeeper" and much much more...especially verse 30...

Proverbs 31:10-31 NIV

The Wife of Noble Character

10 A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

And so, there you have the Tuesday 4 meme for this week.  And now I must go have another slice of that wonderful homemade bread...maybe toasted along with an egg for breakfast before we head out to Dixie Cottage this morning.  Thankfully we are only working there until noon each day instead of all day. Our son and/or daughter in law come in for the afternoons...so we can still come home for lunch and take a nap! LOL!!

Thank you, Annie, for putting this together for us each week. I look forward to reading what everyone else has to say about this subject!  Have a blessed week!

Sermon Notes: "The Look", A Mother's Day Message

Our scripture reference for Mother's Day was...you guessed it...Proverbs 31:10-31...a Portrait of the Virtuous Woman...I wonder how many churches heard a sermon based on these sames verses today? I expect most of them! But to me, it never grows old.  This Proverbs Woman is a role model for women everywhere...not just mothers...not old women, or young women...but all women everywhere...regardless of culture and nationality!

Before I get started on the message, let me say that we do appreciate your continued prayers for our pastor.  He goes by the name, "A.C.", so if you would lift up a prayer for "A.C.", God will know exactly who you mean.  He is still battling a serious illness and stands in need of our prayers...so thank you again.

We were blessed to have our Mother's Day message given by our church chaplain's wife, who is also our music and worship leader. Her message was very personal and from the heart, and God was truly glorified in the words that were spoken to us.

Being the child of a father who was an alcoholic, and a mother who worked very hard to balance home, parenting, a full time job as a chef, being a Christian role model for her daughter...and Girl Scout leader on her only day off...our speaker today could share from personal experience about walking a fine line between living in fear (of her father) and feeling loved and protected.  Her mother had to be the tough disciplinarian as well as a tender and compassionate parent.  She often only had to give her child "The Look"...and we have all experienced that "look" from our parents, haven't we?..."The Look" that says, "you'd better straighten up right away or you know what could happen!"

In reading about the Proverbs 31 woman, we can imagine that she was a woman of no nonsense, and that she probably knew very well how to give "The Look" to her children when necessary.

In the early church, there were some excellent examples of women who could demonstrate very well the attributes of the Proverbs 31 woman.

In Acts 16:13-15 we find Lydia, a 

"seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God." (vs. 14) And the scriptures say that "The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul...and when she and her household were baptized; she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay."  And so she persuaded us." (vs. 15)  

Lydia was a businesswoman, possibly the head of her household...and it took great courage in that day to step forth and have her whole household baptized into faith in Jesus Christ...and then to actually follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the disciples.  But she was not afraid...and I have a feeling that Lydia was a role model for many women in her region and possibly led many others to Christ.  

Another marvelous example of a strong Christian "Proverbs 31" woman was Dorcas, also known as Tabitha.  We read in Acts 9:36, that Dorcas was a woman "full of good works and charitable deeds".  But Dorcas became very sick and died...and when Peter and the disciples came to Joppa, the people pleaded with him to come to see her.  (verses 37-43)  Peter did come and prayed for her, and literally raised her from the dead. Verse 42 says that "it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord."    What a powerful story! Here again is a woman who was well known for her good deeds, and God restored her life so that many were saved as a result.  I am certain that Dorcas went right back to doing her charitable deeds even more so after being touched by God in this miraculous way.

In Romans 16:1-2 we learn of another godly "Proverbs 31 Woman", Phoebe. Paul states the following: 

1. "I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,

2. that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; 

for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also."

Oh! to have such high recommendations given by the leaders of the Church...

Even Timothy's mother and grandmother received high marks from Paul...

II Timothy 1:4-5

"Greatly desiring to see you, (Timothy), being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,

when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also."

(Yes, even grandmothers have a powerful influence in the growth of faith of our grandchildren...)

But now we move to perhaps the finest example of a Proverbs 31 woman ever found...Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Jesus, The very Word of God (John 1:1-14), Who became flesh and dwelt among us...

Mary knew from the beginning how special her son Jesus was to the world...and yet, He was her son...and Mary was a very human mother.  We know she experienced fear...especially when she didn't know where Jesus was...read Luke 2:46-52, when 12 year old Jesus was nowhere among the travelers headed home from Jerusalem...and Mary and Joseph searched for him for three days...and we can imagine that they were getting pretty frantic.  When they finally found Jesus, He was sitting in the Temple, in the midst of the teachers (verse 46-47), both listening to them and asking them questions.  "And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers."

But His parents "were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." Can you imagine that Mary probably gave her Son "The Look"... I mean, Mary was a normal mother, filled with fear and anxiety for the safety of her Son, and then to find Him sitting there with the teachers in the Temple for three days while they had been searching so diligently for Him...and He was rather nonchalant about why they were so concerned..."Why did you seek Me? did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"  I can imagine  that "Look" Mary would have given Him would have been a look of exasperation mixed with relief and wonder...

Nevertheless,  the Bible says in verse 51-52:

"Then He (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Look back a moment to Luke 1:38...right after the angel had explained to Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a Son...and that He would be the Son of God...and even though Mary questioned how this could be, in verse 38 Mary said,

"Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word."

In Luke 1:50, in Mary's beautiful prophetic prayer she says, 

"And His (God's) mercy is on those who fear Him, from generation to generation."

Proverbs 31:30 says:

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

but a woman who FEARS the Lord, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 9:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"

There are also some unhealthy fears in life...our speaker had great fear of her alcoholic father. She could not respect him because of his outbursts of anger and rage, and she lived in fear of him. (However she did share that later in life she was able to forgive and love him).  However, with her mom, she did respect her, and because she knew her mother loved her, all she had to do was give her "the Look" when she had been disobedient, and she knew that "the Look" also said,

"I don't want you to do wrong. I love you so much...I want you to be safe...I would take all your pain if I could...but some things you need to learn the hard way in life...there are consequences to disobedience..."

This is the type of "fear" we should have for God...Jesus has given us these commandments in Matthew 22:37-39:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

God is watching us, and if we do wrong we do have to face the consequences for our sin, but when we ask forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive us ...and He is saying to us, "I love you so much that I gave the ultimate sacrifice for your sins...John 3:16 tells us 

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life..."

If our Mom said to do this, we'd better do it.

God gave us these commandments, and we should do them.

Those who don't know the Lord had better fear Him, because we will all have to face Him.

But when we know the amazing love of God, we have a desire to please Him and to pray for as many as possible to go to heaven....

So the question today is what kind of woman am I? Am I a woman who fears the Lord with a reverential fear....do I serve Him with all my heart?  I don't want God to have to give me "The Look" when I step out of line...but I am glad that He loves me enough, like my own mother did, to give me that LOOK of warning with love...because He does love me so much that He wants me to have everlasting life with Him...

During our closing communion time, the choir sang the following song, and as I knelt at the altar for a moment to pray, these words really gripped my heart:

VERSE 1 
You are beautiful beyond description 
Too marvelous for words 
Too wonderful for comprehension 
Like nothing ever seen or heard 
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom? 
Who can fathom the depth of Your love? 
You are beautiful beyond description 
Majesty, enthroned above 

CHORUS 
And I stand, I stand in awe of You 
I stand, I stand in awe of You 
Holy God, to whom all praise is due 
I stand in awe of You 

VERSE 2 
You are beautiful beyond description 
Yet God crushed You for my sin 
In agony and deep affliction 
Cut off that I might enter in 
Who can grasp such tender compassion? 
Who can fathom this mercy so free? 
You are beautiful beyond description 
Lamb of God who died for me 

CHORUS 
And I stand, I stand in awe of You 
I stand, I stand in awe of You 
Holy God, to whom all praise is due 
I stand in awe of You 

I want to be a woman who stands in awe of our marvelous of God...I want to be that woman "who fears the Lord..." and to know that when God gives me "The Look", it is a look of extreme, divine Love... a love that will never let me go no matter where I wander or even if I should forget His marvelous grace...just one look will bring me back into His open arms.  How about you?

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Sermon Notes from FUMC, Interlachen, FL, 5/13/2018 - Mother's Day