This song by Chris Rice really ministers to my heart, I've loved it for years. It's such a truthful reminder, let us consider the words to this beautiful song...
It's donned on me that the evening that our little dog probably was in trouble, or somewhere he shouldn't have been, I was distracted and very, very upset by a most calculating, prying individual who was upsetting one of my loved ones. We've all seen their likes. It's very upsetting the amount of energy they took from me that afternoon. This song brings things home and how we must keep things focused on our loved ones in our own home. Every day is a journal page what will we compose?
Speaking of calculating people, there's a lot going on in this big world and perhaps in our little worlds, much like it was that evening and night our little Peanut went missing. Let's make sure and give our love and energies and care to those in our homes or even outside our homes who we really care about, it could be one of our children, young or old, our precious fur angels who need our attention as in my situation that evening. Let's be careful not to be distracted by those who cause trouble or even troubling news. There are people and situations who are used by the enemy and we must recognize it. They will steal our Joy, steal our time, and they will distract us from those in our own homes. Some of it is inevitable but let's try hard to carry on in calmness, and do the next thing as Elisabeth Elliott said. I'm preaching to myself too!
Many of us are in those sandwich years, our generation could be called the Sandwich Generation. We have elderly parents and have younger sons and daughters too, and grandchildren. So. We must carry on on the strong wings of prayer! There are times I have to look up to the Lord and say...Oh God, you're going to have to help me with this one!
Now, I must say I'm a firm believer in keeping up with viable news on the radio etc. those who share my values. My father was a city councilman, I grew up with political pamphlets etc. in our home, but I know when to turn it off even if it's a viable source. I get my information to educate myself and when it repeats or becomes a bit much, I know it's enough.
One thing that will help greatly with news coming in is to make things prayer points, we can cast our cares on Him and He gives that Peace. God wins, if you read Revelations it is rather eye opening to how He works things. He wins.
When I do find my mind going to things that are not peaceful thoughts and could cause worry, I sing and sometimes I raise my hands to the Lord ....Holy, holy, holy........Lord God Almighty....Early in the morning our song will rise to thee!....Holy thou art holy.....merciful and mighty....God in creation, blessed trinity... It just scoots those bad thoughts away! *HERE* is one version by Keith Green in entirety.
In the natural end of things...I believe if God's children would pay attention to real facts, those presented by true believers, get with the Lord and have a tiddle of discernment to what is up we wouldn't be in this lousy mess. It's hard for people to have any discernment when they are filling their minds with tv programs or movies that have things in it that God hates. It dulls their senses and then throw in the artificial sweeteners and junk they eat etc. that dull their minds, it's a disaster and this is in the churches too. I've never seen such a twisted up mess, people calling good, evil and evil, good.
We all have little governments in our home, let's keep our homes an atmosphere of praise and have a sweet spirit and smile, don't be a sour puss, our kids do not need that, our grown kids do not need that, our husbands do not need that and it's okay to ask our husbands to smile a bit too. We'll be eating out and I look at a table with a family and the children look like good kids and I look at the parents and they seem so sullen and no fun at all to be around, and even rude, I saw the father pass the waiter as he left and just coldly hands the tip to waiter, moving as if the waiter was almost invisible as if the man was giving a snobbish hat-tip. They probably just came from church, the kids were wearing matching Christian tshirts.
Let's love others, I mean really love others, showing care right in our own home and outside the home. I see people who are very right-on in what they say but aren't all that nice, it's a bit like what Corinthians says about being a clanging cymbal eh?
It's been a difficult time, losing little Peanut, I miss that little baby dearly but God comforts and helps me, He even sends surprises and Gifts my way. He'll do the same for you too, we can ask Him to.
Speaking of loving others, I so appreciate the loving and kind comments that were made on my last blog about our little Peanut. Those comments touched my heart deeply and mean the world. Thank you so much.
I recently heard this quote by Ann Frank
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
This is a little garden banner I bought in remembrance of little Peanut.
A little garden statue I came across, I thought this was so sweet.
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So, in my garden under one of the Lilac trees I have a little memorial for little Peanut and all of our precious pets who have crossed over to the other side, I'm sure I've shared about the middle aged man who was in the nursing home for physical care I met who was greeted by all of his pets when he had crossed over to Heaven before the paramedics brought him back. Yes, it's true. We can't argue with a testimony.
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I hope you all are doing well, we have quite a lot going on here, a wedding being planned as my oldest daughter is getting married and it should be quite a nice affair. It will be small and intimate but a nice affair. I actually have been working on, designing and sewing a classic styled ballet length mother of the bride dress and it's totally the Lord how He has guided me on that. The fabric is a rather slippery lining type fabric with a slight sheen in an eggplant-plum color, very vintage I think.
It also looks like we just moved in, we had new flooring installed the week before we lost our little Peanut and every nook and cranny was emptied into my living area. I'm trying to just go through one box at a time, it needed to be done but all at one time is a bit much for me. I divide my days into segments, cooking time, creating time, reading time and unloading a box time... When I don't get done what I set out to do, when I have unexpected calls...I just end my day saying to myself: "I did the best I could."
We watched the movie: The Book Thief and I'm listening also to the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack in my kitchen...The movie is beautiful....It's not a happy-go-lucky movie by any means as it takes place during Hitler's rein. It has plenty of poignant and even sweet parts though. I loved her adopted father, he reminds me of my step daddy. What those people went through, but the very ending is so touching and the movie is so very poignant to me. The young girl, Liesl reminds me of our youngest, she looked very, very much the same when she was that age. It's remarkable.
Another movie I was watching in glimpses yesterday on a Christian station was The Yearling (1946)...Oh my. I can hardly watch that movie but there was a part playing that I had never seen before. The two precious, sweet, sweet little boys were talking before they went to sleep, one sweet little boy was telling the other about the clouds and asks....Do you ever watch the clouds? There are angels behind the clouds, I just know it!
There is joy in quiet meditation and prayer--in simply talking with the Heavenly Father about anything and everything each day. And in knowing that He hears and he cares. Author unkown
All creatures have something visible and invisible. The visible is weak; the invisible is strong and alive. This (the invisible) seeks to get through to human understanding because human beings do not see it. And yet these invisible realities are forces in the workings of the Holy Spirit. -Hildegard of Bingen
In closing, my husband reminds to not be in fear, he knows a lot of people are going through a lot of changes right now, God has not given us a spirit of fear. Just keep your eyes on Him and He will give you the Peace that passes all understanding.
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Peanut and Liesl....We didn't do anything mommy...
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Gracie our large Black Mouth Curr Hound laying next to the little box where little Peanut lay. You see....Gracie used to think she was his mommy...She really did, she thought he was her little baby too.
The little box where little Peanut lay. 
I made this little marker and flower arrangement for his little burial place. 
. Two of his favorite toys of late. He would pounce up on the couch with the squeaky ball...He would get little stuffed animals and run and squeak the little squeaker shaking it something mighty.
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