Tuesday 4: "What Do You Think?"

Writing Happy Things

 

What Do You Think?

Annie came up with some provocative and interesting questions for us to answer this week. I will attempt to do my best to give appropriate answers from my own personal perspective. If you wish to join in and share your thoughts, you can link up over at the Tuesday 4 link up HERE

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. It's so nice to have you here.

Let's talk about you this week. Let others know your feelings and convictions. Give some advice and some wisdom. And remember to visit the other contributors to get to know them and find out their opinions too!

1. What do you believe the purpose of life is?

HERE (click on link) is a list of Scripture verses that give us an idea of what God's purpose for our existence is.  There are so many that I can't list or quote them all for you here, but I will share a couple that stand out to me:

Micah 6:8 NKJV

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?"

Psalm 145:1-3

I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

Matthew 22:36-40 NKJV

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 12:1 NKJV

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

2. How do you handle stress ? What do you recommend to others who are stressed out?

"If you long for a mind at rest, and a heart that cannot harden...

go find a gate that opens wide into a secret garden."

Yes, to relieve stress, go find a quiet place to sit and rest and watch God's beautiful creation around you. Talk to the animals...listen to the birds singing, sing hymns of praise and glorify God...and soon the stress will go away...

The Sand Hill Crane Family came to visit while I was sitting in the Memorial/Secret Garden...

Also, this sweet little Dove of Peace came and followed me around while I was watering the plants and filling the birdbath.

I guarantee this to be a stress reliever...

3. What enjoyable things do you wish you could do more often? How would it improve your life?

Spending time with my family is one of the greatest things I love to do. I am blessed with these special people in my life, and more...this was on Sunday afternoon...and it truly blessed my heart to be with these guys...our two sons and our grandson, who is the son of our other son who is in heaven.  Also our daughter in law and granddaughter in law to be were here and we had a belated "Cinco de Mayo" taco dinner! 

Being with good friends, family, and maybe doing some traveling to beautiful places in our country...that is something I truly love and would love to do more of...

How would it improve my life? Well,  I believe having happy times with loved ones and visiting beautiful places releases the tension in our bodies and helps us to feel much better about life in general. I am a people person and enjoy interaction with like minded and interesting and funny people.

4. Do you believe in God? Why or why not?

Yes, I believe in God... The Apostle's Creed sums it up pretty well:

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;

He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting."

Psalm 19 NKJV

1The 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.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 8

1 "O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth,

Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen—

Even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air,

And the fish of the sea

That pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth!"

Ephesians 5:1-3 NKJV

5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

I hope these verses help to sum up how and what I believe about God and also about our purpose in life.  I believe that I am here on this earth to serve God and to let my life be a testimony of His marvelous grace and love.  There can be no greater purpose.  I may not always succeed at this, but hopefully even when I fail, Christ shines forth in the midst of my failures.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

Hello dear friends! It's Thursday evening already...time sure flies when you're having fun! LOL. Not that I'm having that much fun, but the time is still flying! 

Today I am thankful that while time may be flying, I'm not a bug flying out there over Still Waters Pond today.  I don't know if you can see it or not in this picture, but there is a spider web stretched from the trees on the right to a pine tree on the left that is out of the picture, and it looks like someone is riding a zip line down the spider web "rope".   Look carefully and see if you can see it.

Can't see it? Well maybe these close ups will help you get a better idea of what is going on out there:

Yes, that is the same spider web, and on the left is a captured leaf. On the right is a captured Cicada.

I am afraid he is not able to zip line out of that web. He's caught pretty tightly, and spin and twirl though he might, he cannot release himself from the web.

I felt sorry for him, but there was nothing I could do for him. The spider knows his business well, and this web was too high for me to reach anyway.

I'm afraid that cicada won't be doing much singing tonight.

Sometimes we need to be careful where and how high we fly, lest we be caught in a "spider's web".

Well, let's see on a brighter note, today we had the day free as one of Ben and Rose's friends was "minding the store" for the day. She comes every other week for one day to give them a break, and now it gives us a break too.  We did pop in for a few minutes to see how she was doing because we were in the neighborhood, and things were going quite well! God has been blessing our little store, and we are very thankful indeed.

I also got a much needed haircut today, but it is a bit shorter than I expected, so no photo for you! LOL. Even my hubby said when I came out to the car, "I thought you weren't going to get it cut that short again!", and I said, "We were so busy chatting away that I didn't pay attention to what she was doing, and apparently neither did she..."  But the good thing about a bad haircut is that in a couple of weeks you won't know the difference. LOL. And besides, what was I going to do? Ask her to put it back? LOL.

So today there was a little excitement in our neighborhood...I've mentioned before that the empty lot across from us has been being prepared for some time for a new house to be put on it. Apparently there used to be a home there many years ago, as there is still the foundation for a porch and a driveway and the well and septic already installed. (actually we are on city water).  I've been hoping and praying for a nice new house with a nice new family/couple... And today we were excited to see that something was finally happening!

Well, can you imagine my disappointment when I looked out there and saw this being moved onto that lot?   That is not a new house!  That is a very old house!  And it needs a good cleaning! (That's dirt and leaves on the roof, not rust, thank goodness). My heart sank.  Our neighborhood is mostly an older manufactured home community, and there are plenty of old manufactured homes in here already...why would they bring in another??? 

I know there is a real affordable housing shortage in our land right now, and the price of homes has gone up astronomically in the past few months. Perhaps this is all someone can afford.  I'm not sure if there is already an owner for this particular house. I think it's someone putting it on the lot to sell. All I can say is I pray they clean it up and perhaps do a total rehab on it before they sell it.  

And I have to check my attitude. I've been praying for some new good neighbors.

Perhaps the people who end up living here will be the best neighbors I ever had.

And besides, once they got the house in place, it is mostly hidden behind that magnolia tree!

(btw, isn't the sky beautiful?)

Once they get the skirting in place and pressure wash it and pretty it up with some shrubs, etc., it will make a lovely home for someone.

This is the back side of it:

So will you please pray with me for our new neighbors? And also please pray for me to have a good attitude and make the most of this situation. 

Our neighborhood is a mixture of retired folks like us and a lot of younger families too.  We bought our home here because of the affordable price, the proximity to shopping and doctors and our kids and church...and this view out our back door:

Still Waters Pond...on a very cloudy evening tonight...waiting for the rain to start

And here are the clouds overhead...

Kind of interesting and beautiful in their own way, don't you agree?   

Yes, if we look for it, there is beauty all around us. It's all in the eyes of the beholder...and the attitude of the heart. 

Here's some verses from Psalm 145 that we've been reading this week during our morning devotions. I need to concentrate more on the greatness of our God and His love shown to us who are so unworthy.  I am so thankful for His compassion...and that He is slow to anger and great in mercy. May I have that same kind of compassion as I reach out to those around me and extend His love to them...

1 "I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable."

8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy.

9 The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works.

"14 The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them."

Amen.

The rains finally came, and this is how it looks out there on Still Waters Pond right now. The frogs and peepers are singing their songs. All is well and we are thankful and blessed.

Good Night and God bless you all!

 

"The Eyes of All" - Updated

 Interesting, this was originally posted on July 3, 2011...and here we are on  July 2, 2017.  So much has happened since then, but nothing has changed in the thoughts expressed in the words of this particular post.  God's Word is eternal, always the same... and yet fresh and new every day.  I would like to add to these previous thoughts that our nation is in need of our prayers even more than ever this Independence Day. 

May God hear our prayers and guide our nation back to the truth.

Amen.

 Original Post: 7/3/2011:  (with a few new pictures from 2017)

(current picture June 2017)

"The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."  Psalm 145:15-16

Does anyone recognize these verses above as being a part of a table grace?  Back when I was a child, my grandparents, who happened to be Lutheran, always quoted this portion of scripture within their table grace before any meal.  The only other part I remember is "Come Lord Jesus, Be our Guest....and something something...be blest..."  I don't remember the rest of the words.  If you remember this, or have heard it all put together as a table blessing, would you please fill in the blanks for me?  I would be most grateful!  All of the members of that generation have now passed on, and I don't know if any of our generation carried on that particular tradition.  I hate to see old family traditions lost in the shuffle from one generation to the other...

In previous verses of this same Psalm, King David says that

"One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.  I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness.  They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness."  (Psalm 145:4-7)

Speaking of table blessings, and other kinds of blessings in general...it is good to remind ourselves and each other about the blessings of the Lord each day.  That is one of the main reasons I am writing this blog.  I know I sometimes stray on to more personal or whimsical topics, but hopefully the reader will always see the truth of God's goodness and glory intertwined throughout each story or message.  If you have not felt His presence, or if you have not caught a glimpse of my Savior throughout these little vignettes of my life, then I must apologize for not doing my job.

Sunset 7-1-2017

Yes, I believe it is my job to talk about the "glorious splendor" of God's majesty, and to speak of the "might of Your (God's) awesome acts."  I don't sing as much as I used to, (some people may say, "Thank God"), but within my heart there is always ringing a melody of praise to our Lord.  When I behold the sunrise, or the sunset, or a magnificent thundercloud

June 30, 2017

...or view upon a placid lake, or a rushing mighty river...a field of wildflowers or stalks of corn, a misty meadow, or a towering snow-capped mountain...an eagle in flight, or an owl perched in silent seclusion,

My Barred Owl Friend -  2011

 a hummingbird humming about my flowers,

Male Ruby Throated Hummingbird - June, 2017

or an ant scurrying about his anthill...no matter how magnificent or how humble, I must stop and say,

"I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.  Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable."  (Psalm 145:1-3)

I would like to add, on the eve (almost) of Independence Day, I thank my Lord and God for this great nation, and the marvelous country into which I was so blessed to be born.  I didn't have anything to do with that...it was totally God's plan for my life...and I just want to praise Him for this great privilege. 

"America, America, God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!" Amen!!

Deer - July 2, 2017

Our Flag, 7/2/17

A Blog About Nothing? No, That's Not True

It seems as though I should be writing something...but I can't figure out what it is.  That is how my mind has been working (or not working) here lately.  Lots of thoughts go round and round and yet they don't appear to come out here...(Remember the little song, "The music goes round and round, whoa oh oh oh oh oh, and it comes out here"?)  (Tommy Dorsey days...before our time)

Yeah...that should tell you something...my brain is stuck in gear and it keeps going round and round...but nothing happens...So...this may just be a blog about nothing!  Remember the Jerry Seinfeld show...they said it started out as a "show about nothing"...and look what a hit it became!  So maybe there's hope for me yet!

Maybe I just need to get back to my "roots"...

and write about what I know...

This was the Psalm we read this morning in our devotions, and this is what I know best:  

Psalm 145 (portions thereof)

1.  I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2.  Every day I will bless You, 

and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3.  Great is the Lord,

and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

4.  One generation shall praise 

Your works to another,

and shall declare Your mighty acts.

5.  I will meditate on the glorious splendor

of Your majesty,

and on Your wondrous works."

Yes, this is where I need to be...back to my roots...God's Word...where it all began... and every day, regardless of what other stuff may seem to be so important out there in blogland...I need to remember that my first order of business is to glorify God through the pages of this blog...to meditate  "on the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works."  

There are plenty of blogs out there on every topic under the sun...and that's quite all right.  I sometimes dabble in other things too...and like to tell about it...but if I get too far away from my base...God's Word...I begin to falter and lose my focus.  Thankfully:

14.  "The Lord upholds all who fall,

and raises up all who are bowed down.

15.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

and You give them their food in due season.

16.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire

of every living thing."

21.  My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,

and all flesh shall bless His Holy Name

forever and ever."

You know, we have an awesome privilege here in "blogland"...to be able to declare God's "mighty acts"...and to "speak of the might of God's awesome acts."    I fear that someday someone may try to take this wonderful privilege away from us...and before that happens, I want to do my part to

11.  "They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,

and talk of Your power...

12.  To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,

and the glorious majesty of His kingdom."

I hope you agree...this is what it's all about.

It's not  a blog about nothing at all!

It's about the most important thing in the universe!

13.  "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and Your dominion endures throughout all generations."

Praise God!!!

Amen!

(Pictures from around my neck of the woods, some from last year's deer families and also some from this year...they are just getting started...so hopefully there will be more to come!)

You know you've been away too long when you can't remember your password...

Psalm 145:1-3 "I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.  Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable."


This has to be the longest I've ever stayed away from writing on my blog...and I had to retry my password twice before I could log on...not a good sign.  I posted a picture of my sweet little "Baby Elva" on facebook sitting at my computer keyboard, and someone suggested that maybe she should update my blog for me....I took that as a hint to get back at it quick! 

So here I am...and what do I have to say?  I am not too sure at this point. It has been a very stressful start of the new year for me...both at work and at home...nothing earth shattering, but just a lot of adjustments and pressures that I am finding more difficult to cope with at this "old age".  However, this reminder to get back to my writing has helped me remember the goals that I had set for myself last year around this time...primarily that I would make an honest effort to write something uplifting, encouraging and praiseworthy every day.  Just like the Psalmist above, "I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever....Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever." 

It is already the 8th day of the New Year, and I am just getting around to it...

Lord, please forgive me!  Help me to get back on the right track immediately...and keep me there so I will not go astray in my thoughts and meditations of You.  Even when my body is weak and my mind is weary, open my eyes, my ears, my heart, and cause me to focus my attention on You.  Then I know I will have the words that You desire me to share with others...and You will give me the purpose I need to keep moving forward.  Thank you, Lord, for not giving up on me.  Amen.

"The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every  living thing."  Psalm 145:14-16

What new goals and "resolutions" have you made for this year?  How are you doing so far?
It's a good time to take stock of ourselves and think about the areas in which we need to improve...and then ask God to begin the work.  Don't try to do it alone...Let God be your guide and support team...He will never fail you.

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.  The Lord preserves all who love Him...but all the wicked He will destroy.  My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever." Psalm 145:18-21

Looking forward to hearing from each of you this year...I know that God has great plans for all of us.  Now, let's just get moving!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!