If I could just touch the hem of His garment

Have you ever had an issue you are dealing with and don't know which way to turn? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you weren't sure what steps to take. How many times in our lives do we face uncertainty, whether it be a personal situation, a health problem, concerns about family or friends, the loss of a loved one. The obstacles we face in our daily lives are many and sometimes they seem like they are insurmountable. You don't know which way to turn or what to do.

As Christians, we profess our faith and talk about God's goodness and grace. But how do we react when we are put to the test? Do we stand strong, firmly holding on to God's unchanging hand? Or do we fall apart with stress and worry. I've heard it said so many times, "Let go and let God." But do we heed this advice.

No, we struggle and worry. We contemplate the situation and try to come up with our own answers. We need to be more like the woman with the issue of blood. She had such great faith that she believed if she could just touch the hem of Jesus's garment, she would be healed. Such a short story in the bible, such a large lesson in faith. She did not worry about what she should do. She didn't contemplate the alternatives and look for her own solution. She KNEW that one touch of our precious Savior would heal her affliction and make us whole. With all the people crowded around and all the commotion going on, she took that one step of faith. She reached down and touched His robe. With all the distractions, one would think He wouldn't even know she was there. But he immediately said, "Who touched me?" That one simple act changed her life. Her faith made her whole.

As we go into this new year, I pray that God will bring this story to my mind many times. I want to develop a faith so strong that no matter what I face, I know I just have to touch the hem of His garment and He will provide a way.

God is great, God is good

God is great, God is good. And we thank Him for our food. By His hands, we are fed. Give us Lord our daily bread. How basic, how simple, how forgotten. I don't know about you, but I feel like my God is always there to listen to my small requests, my simple thanks. It doesn't take words of granduer, eloguently spoken in a crisp, beautiful voice. It just takes a little child-like belief and a little thank you to have him help in your daily lives. My favorite bible verse will always be, Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." It doesn't get any simpler than that. May He watch over you and bless you today and always.

Make mine motivational

Coffee, espresso, lattes. They are all the rage. Everyone is drinking Red Bull and Shotz Energy. At any given coffee house or restaurant, you will hear "Make mine black" "Cream and sugar please" "A vanilla cafe latte, please." Everyone is wanting that daily boost, that spurt of adrenaline to get them going. That extra "oomph" to make it through the day. Never having been a coffee drinker and staying clear of caffiene, I'm not sure what the hype is all about. Personally, I would rather read something inspirational or talk to people who are high on life to get my day going. Or simply look at a lovely photo. This is one I took yesterday when the sun came out. It is standing in my yard looking up the road.

I love starting my day with a positive attitude and a reflection on how good life is. Billy Graham said it best, “I can tell you that God is alive because I talked to him this morning.”

What a much better way to start the day!

Neighbors

A picture paints a thousand words. These birds are the type that are hanging around outside my window this year. I put up two new bird feeders and it has been fantastic the colors I've seen. They don't stay long enough for me to snap their picture so I've had to rely on the Internet for photos, but you will see what I get to enjoy every day.

Play things of yesteryear

I was thinking last night about the toys that were favorites in my family when we were growing up. With one sister and two brothers, we had a lot of favorites. As I was thinking, I noticed many of the things that we loved are still favorites today, while others have fallen by the wayside. Here are just some of the things I remember: Barbie Baby dolls Matchbox cars Little green Army men Cowboy guns and holsters Marbles Mr. Potato Head Slinky Silly Putty Yo Yo's Jacks Jump ropes Chinese Jump Ropes Tinker Toys Lincoln Logs And the list could go on from there. I remember my kids playing with many of the same toys and now I'm buying some of these items for my grandkids. My children grew up in the age of Hello Kitty, CareBears, My Little Pony, WWF Wrestlers, Hot Wheels, He Man and Skeletor, Transformers and GoBots, Strawberry Shortcake and Smurfs. Just stop sometime and think about the favorite toys you had and what joy they brought to you. I can still sit out on the patio on a sunny day and play jacks. I'm still good at it to. I can go all the way to my "tensies" without missing any. The only thing that has changed is somebody better be standing by to help me get UP off the patio when I'm done. Oh the joys of getting old.

The week in review

Monday - Cold and snowy Tuesday - Cold and snowy Wednesday - Cold and snowy Thursday - Even colder and the snow started really sticking good Friday - Even colder and even more snow Saturday - Bitterly cold and still lots of snow Sunday - Still bitterly cold and still ice and snow hanging around That is the week in review. I see a pattern emerging. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow and the sheer beauty of a world bathed in white. It's the bitter cold that I am not so fond of. But, I would not change my four seasons for anything. I cannot imagine living where it is warm and beautiful every day with there being no changes to notice. I love winter and enjoy snuggling in on those cold nights. By the time winter is almost over, I'm ready for spring days with gentle breezes blowing, flowers popping through the ground. Then I start looking forward to summer. Summer sun beating down on your skin. The bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Picnics and cookouts, beach trips and get-togethers. Catching lightning bugs with the kids and simply enjoying the outdoors. Then we start "feeling" fall in the air. The leaves begin to change, the temperatures start to cool. School starts and pumpkins start showing up on porches and yards. Ghosts and skeletons rattle around the streets searching for candy. Next thing you know, it's Thanksgiving and there is so much good food. Turkey and dressing, kids and grandbabies gathered around the old oak table. Christmas is just around the corner and the joy bells start ringing. Then we hit the long month of January and get winter again. You gotta just love it.

C-O-U-N-T-R-Y

What describes who you are? I'm a wife, a mother, a mamaw, a daughter, Daddy's girl, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a co-worker. I'm Baptist. I'm Southern. I'm country. You know what makes someone a mother, a wife, etc. You know my religion makes me baptist and my birth makes me southern. But what makes me country? What part of my "make-up" determines that I am a country girl? It's the way I was raised. It's a lifestyle as well as a state of mind. These are just some of the things I love about being country....

• Fresh clothes out on the line
• Going barefoot in the summer
• Spending time in the yard with Daddy (yes, that's me when I was 2 1/2. I was so skinny Mom had to pin my panties up with a diaper pin in the back. See where Shelby gets her curls)
• Singing along with the radio to the latest country hits
• Eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn on the cob with cake and peaches for dessert.
• Always having cats and dogs that were outside pets
• Old metal lawn furniture
• Long walks in the woods on summer days
• Dirt roads
• Family values
• Believing in God and going to church
• Amazing Grace
• The red, white and blue
• Finding joy in the small things: a bird setting at my feeder munching on the seeds, the pair of eagles who live across the river soaring side by side over the river to scoop out fish, spending a day doing nothing but whatever hits me at the moment

To sum it up, being country is a feeling of peace, a contentment with your lot in life. It's find the good in the things around you. It's an enjoyment of life.