BeBlessed

Race Wars

2015-03-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have been silent for a while now about the issues in Ferguson Mo. and the continued race wars that have ensued in this country. I can keep silent no longer. I may offend some of my friends with my opinions but then this blog is about my opinions so read at your own risk. I am to conservative to be a liberal and to liberal to be a conservative, this is why I am an independent voter. I am an independent thinker after all.

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the issue of skin color. I am not black, I am not white, I am not yellow. I am pink. I know there are other "pinkies" out there, after all it comes from my mothers side of the family. Often times I hear, " looks like someone got to much sun." My response is "Nope, I'm just pink.". I never thought of judging others by the color of their skin. I am in the major minority after all. How many pinks do you know?

I keep hearing all this nonsense about race. We are all the human race no matter whether we are black, white, brown, yellow, red or pink. Everyone seems to be upset that white cops killed black man or that black man killed white cops.. The bigger tragedy is that people are killing people. We were created to love one another. Killing each other, what ever the justification, is still killing. Taking lives because of the color of skin makes no sense to me. To have that much anger in a persons soul against an entire group is so sad to me.

God graced us with his forgiveness. Why can't we forgive others?? He created us all in his image to love and care for one another. We are instructed to forgive others as He has forgiven us. Why is this concept so difficult for people? We were commanded to not kill, not envy and not lie to each other. Why is this concept so difficult for people? We are here to bring peace to the world, to be in charge, to share the burdens of others and relieve the suffering. Instead we cause suffering.

I just don't get it. Hate, anger, rage and violence to a whole group of people is just insane to me.

Be Blessed my friends and spread love and peace.

Cathy A Hayes

Forgiveness

2014-02-06T07:53:00.002-08:00

At 3am this morning my brother received a call from his ex-wife. She was stranded in the snow and the cold. Her car just quit running on the busiest street in our city.

He immediately jumped up, got bundled and walked to her location to help.Although their divorce was many years ago they still count on each other when they need someone reliable in the middle of the night. That is a thing of beauty for me to see. They will probably never get back together but they will always remain close.

In loo of payment she gave him a box of doughnuts to bring back to the house. (now here is where my morning became interesting)

My two male cats tried to get the doughnuts at the same time and erupted into a full blow cat fight. Fur, claws and teeth were all that you could see as this ball half grey and half yellow went rolling around the house. They traveled from the kitchen to the dining room and down the hall. Eventually they made it to my bedroom and we were able to break them apart. One hid under the bed and the other ran for cover in the dining room.

Not ten minutes later the yellow one was on my bed licking his wounds. The grey one came in very slowly and they began to "coo" and "trill" at each other, they way cats do when they don't want humans to listen. Soon both cats were on my bed licking each others wounds and purring. What was recently a "fight ball" had become a cuddle of love.

I wish all people could be as quick to forgive after a fight as these two cats. I don't know if I'd be as quick to trust someone that just hurt me to bandage my wounds or bandage the wounds of someone I hurt.

Although early, this morning was full of love and forgiveness. Praise be to God.

I am blessed that my spiritual teaching often comes from my family and fur family.

Be Blessed my friends

Cathy Hayes

pocket dial

2013-11-23T06:40:00.002-08:00

The story goes like this:
Whenever one of my kids says "God" or "Jesus" in an upset manner I respond with "Amen, What are we praying for?" This response has broken the bad habit of most of my children.

One day my youngest daughter was sitting close to me but texting a friend. She received a message and said "Oh God". I responded in my usual "Amen, What are we praying for?". She responded in the usual teenage snit, " Praying that you are not so annoying". I bowed my head and started a longer prayer. " Dear Lord, Please don't let me be...." then I stopped and said to her." Wait, I like being annoying". I looked up and said. "Sorry God, Pocket dial, we'll talk later." My daughter and I had a good laugh about it, but it got me to thinking..... How many times do people pocket dial God? Does he get annoyed with all those people calling on him and not finishing the conversation?

I think he is just glad that we still call on him for the minor instances in life that are frustrating. God is involved in the little things of everyday life and I believe this is where we find Him. Daily joys and daily frustrations are our connection to the Holy Spirit and our opportunities to get closer to God. We shouldn't be worried about asking God for help with the miss placed items, dropped calls, spilled milk...etc... He is God after all, and is everywhere all the time, just waiting for us to connect to Him.

Be Blessed
Cathy A Hayes

I didn't find Jesus

2013-11-22T07:52:00.001-08:00

Someone once asked me "when did you find Jesus?" My response was " I didn't find Jesus, He found me.I was the one that was lost, not Him".

There was so much more to the story but they didn't give me time to elaborate.

You see, Jesus was with me when I was young, He brought me closer to God through the Holy Spirit. For a while it was The Trinity and Me.

Then as I grew older and in my rebel stage I thought I could do it all with out them. I made bad mistakes and hung out with sinners. Yet Jesus didn't give up on me. He was there at every corner, sometimes just shaking his finger and saying "tsk tsk tsk". He chased me down like a lost sheep in a pack of wolves. I ran and hid and tried to do things that Jesus would not have approved. Yet Jesus did not give up on me. I fell into the trapping of the world. Yet Jesus did not give up.

Finally I decided that if God had that much interest in me, if Jesus took me that serious, and if the Holy Spirit never left my side, I might as well let them in. I was making a mess of things on my own anyway.

Now it's the Trinity and me, hanging out and spreading The Word their way.

I think my friend, the better question is "Where were you when Jesus found you?"

Cathy A Hayes

TYG ( Thank You God)

2013-11-21T08:16:00.002-08:00

Today as I was washing the dirty dishes I found myself so very grateful.

As I dipped my hands in the warm sudsy water I praised God for hot and cold running water. Many people even in the United States aren't given that luxury. The cold wind was blowing outside and I was warm and safe inside, another reason to give thanks.

I thought about all the food I have and the Grace of God that I did have more than enough for me and my family.
I thought of the friends or "Angels in Disguise" that have brought me food when they didn't know I needed it. I thought of all the people who have been fed in my kitchen, the hungry,the homeless, the guests, and the family members who are now "Chillin' with Jesus".
I thought of the people that have cooked in my kitchen or helped cook meals.
I thought of the love and laughter during meals.
I am so Blessed to have so many dirty dishes!
Cathy A Hayes

My Collection

2013-11-20T10:12:00.001-08:00

Many people I know collect things, little figures or pictures or items that they like to have around. My sister it's stamps. My mother collects swans. Lots of people collect items that might have value someday. They usually have "prized possession" that they display for guests to admire and keep the rest in some safe hidden place to prevent the items from being lost or stolen.

I collect joys.

My collection is massive! I have great big ones, like giving birth to a child, or having a child graduate high school. ( I have 2 of the latter on back order to be delivered in a couple of years) I have little tiny ones, like kittens purring on my lap. I have ones that someone gave me, like a lunch with a good friend. The best part is no one can take them from me,when I share them they multiply, and when I go to Heaven I can share them with Jesus!

I still remember my first joy! My sister and I were playing on the couch with dolls my mother made out of corduroy and yarn. That was the first time I laughed so hard tears rolled down my face and my tummy hurt.

So the next time you see me smiling or giggling or laughing just know that I am adding to my collection.

Be Blessed
Cathy A Hayes

My Prayer

2013-11-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
I must ask you for your forgiveness. I have let you down and for that I am truly sorry.

You gave me a gift that I have not used in a long time. Like the inheritance that was buried and not invested or the light that was covered under the basket and not allowed to shine, I did not use the talent you gave me. You are the potter and I am the clay. You created a vessel that I put on a shelf.

My excuses are not good. The truth is that the inheritance was too great, the light to bright and the vessel to precious to use. I was overwhelmed by Your Grace and felt unworthy.

You have far more faith in me than I have in myself. I realize now I must put my faith in You and use what you have given me. I must invest the talent, shine the light and use the vessel for your purpose.

I only ask that you forgive me for procrastinating, and give me the confidence to continue spreading Your Glory. In Jesus name I pray...

I have been Blessed
Amen

Step 5: Celebrate

2012-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Step 5: Celebrate

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July. We celebrated the birth of our nation. Some people celebrated family and friends, while others celebrated the fireworks. There were picnics, canoe trips, swimming pools, sunshine and laughter. The entire country was making noise and cheering for the USA. Even if the political views were different and the social economic backgrounds were different, everyone celebrated.

We celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates. We should approach every day with this much cheer. God has given us many blessings and we should rejoice daily.

The other day I was telling my friend about something wonderful God had done for me. At the end of my story I clapped my hands and giggled “Yay God” (mimicking a pre-teen show the younger children watched when they were pre-teens) She laughed and said she never thought of cheering God. I cheer God whenever I see something amazing and know that only with His hands could this thing happen.

I read a story about a man that gave such a display of outwardly verbal celebration for a sunset that his neighbors came out to see what was going on. Wouldn’t it be great if instead of hearing people yell at each other for things done wrong, we hear people shouting words of praise to God for things gone right?
Be Blessed and Celebrate!
Cathy Hayes

Step Four: Remember

2012-07-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

Step Four is about remembering your past:
As you age people will come and go in your life. The ebb and flow of love from friends will match the tides of time. Some people will always be part of your life and continue being important throughout the years, while others will flow in quickly and ebb out just as fast.

I went to a high school reunion this weekend. It wasn't mine and I only knew three other people that were there. This "anonymity" gave me the opportunity to watch the people and imagine the social dynamics as they might have been 30 years ago. The class president still has a strong presence and holds command of the crowd with a warm sense of leadership. The cheerleader still looked good and obviously took her health serious over the years. The guys that ran around taking pictures during school for the yearbook were still chronicling life on film.The party guys are the first ones at the bar and the loudest conversations.Since I didn't know any of these people this weekend I was able to develop and idea of who they were by who they are now.

I wonder how much of our personality changes over time or are we who we always were? I never really knew how people saw me when I was young. Those that knew me well might have a different opinion of me from those that didn't know me as well. I never felt like I was part of any clique or group, but I never felt unwanted or unaccepted by any of them either. Today I see myself as getting along well with most types of people. I traveled a lot when I was in my twenties and realized back then that people are the same where ever you go. I have always cherished the people in my life because I knew that someday our paths would no longer cross. I wrote a poem about it back in middle school. I don't have that poem now and don't remember the whole thing only this part:

Friends are like the new fallen snow
Shining like diamonds when present in your day
But soon melt away.
Making room for more to know
'77- poems book

I still think this holds true. We are blessed by the people we knew and should cherish the memories of our walk together no matter how brief.

Be Blessed- Cathy Hayes

NVC- July2012

2012-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

The July entry for the NVC Messenger:

Storms

During the month of July I am always reminded of a story told to me each summer since I can remember. It is a story about a young couple, four girls and an expectant wife. They were a farming family in 1945. She was busy raising the 4 daughters, the youngest just a baby and he was a hardworking farmer.
She saw the storm clouds roll in from her kitchen window and the funnel start to lower. She rushed to get her baby girls in the shelter in time. She called out to her husband and waited to see if he was coming to the shelter. They didn’t make it in time.

The pregnant woman was thrown, all 4 girls were tossed around, and the husband could not be seen. By the time the neighbors arrived to help it was too late. 3 little lives were whisked away with the storm winds. The baby was tossed about but survived. The woman was injured but barely, the husband was in very serious condition and they weren’t sure he’d make it.

The man survived. The woman and unborn child survived. The baby girl survived, she needed braces on her legs for many years but she made it. The family rebuilt. They tried to farm again but it was too much for him. They opened a small café along a quiet highway and began a new life.

He walked with a cane from that day on. He held his head high and always had a smile for anyone he met. It was easy to tell that each time he leaned on the cane he was leaning on the Lord. He carried around the kind of joy in his heart that only comes from knowing how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken away. Whenever anyone would ask him “ how are you?” he would answer, “ I woke up this morning, that’s a good start”.

She was a strong woman, the kind of strength that only results in overcoming insurmountable odds and having the resolve to push forward no matter what happens. She was known for making the most beautiful birthday cakes and wedding cakes for the people in the county. She would put so much love and care into her work; I often wondered if, when she made those cakes if she thought about her three little girls, and the weddings she would never see.

They taught me an important lesson in life. No matter what storms rage in our lives and no matter how devastated and tragic the result, with God’s help we can rebuild and move on. I will always be so grateful to God that my family had the courage to overcome the storm.
Cathy Hayes

NVC-June 2012

2012-06-29T12:07:00.002-07:00

This is the June entry for NVC Messenger

God Changes Everything

As we approach the change this month from Spring into Summer I was thinking about how everything God touches changes. The buds become blossoms, the eggs hatch into songbirds, grass grows, trees fill out and become green. What a wonderful world we live in to witness all the changes God creates. Nothing is ever the same.

But we as humans are creatures of habit. We like consistency. We worry when things change, and we feel like we have no control over the changes. The truth is that we do not control the changes, God is in ultimate control and He changes everything. This is perhaps the most fundamental difference between the human ego and the Holy Spirit. Our ego tells us that we have control over changes, our choices and free will give us power. How easily we forget that God has the power and will make the changes to fit His will. He makes the cocoon turn into butterflies and makes the tides rise and fall, He makes the sun shine and the rainbows in the sky. We need to relax and give our egos a break. Let God change our world each and every day because His changes are always beautiful, perfect and at the right moment in time.

Be Blessed my friends with all the changes this season.

Cathy A Hayes

NVC -May 2012

2012-06-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

The church newsletter had asked that I write something for the month of May to be in the New Visions Community Messenger. This was May's entry:

It's About Time

We are all given the same number of hours in a day. We all have the same number of days in a week, weeks in a year and years in a decade.

How often do we wish for more time. More time to do things we want to do. But if we are given more time we tend to waste it. I witness so many people wasting hours staring at electronic boxes, just sitting and doing nothing with the gift of time they were given, yet still complaining that there isn't enough time.

We spend time shopping. We waste time watching tv. We use time like a commodity. We try to put more things into our time so we can waste time elsewhere. We eat while driving, text while walking, eat while watching movies, make phone calls while people stand near us waiting for our attention. We rush ourselves so that we can have more time to waste.

My thought is why don't we GIVE time away? Donate time to those who need it. Sometimes just being there near someone and giving them our attention is all it takes to show God's Love. When was the last time you gave to someone? Just sat across from someone looked them in the eye and asked how they were, and waited for the reply? As our world changes to more technology we are losing the face-to-face contact that makes being human a joy. How can it be possible to pass the Peace of Christ if we don't even pass a glance at each other?

I say "put down the remote, shut off the cell phone, turn off the computer, Put dinner on the table and look your family in the eye and smile". Count the time you give to someone as a blessing.

Be Blessed my friends.

Cathy A Hayes

Step Three: Kindness

2012-06-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Showing kindness to people that are strangers is a great way to boost your own spirit.
Open the door for someone whose hands are full, let someone go in front of you in line at the store, just any simple act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's day. A small act on your part can have a big impact on your day. You don't have to be annoying about it, just pass a little peace.

Sometimes letting someone do some small act of kindness is important to them. Just say "Thank You" and smile. I am thinking of your sister wanting to bring you a drink, just say yes and thanks, let her be kind. You will teach her so much about herself.

Give compliments when they are sincere. Don't add the "I" statements. Just give the compliment.
For example: you -" I noticed you've lost weight"
friend- " Thanks, I lost 40 lbs"
you- ~~" I've been trying to...........~~ scratch that. Just give them a nod and a smile, let them know the hard work paid off and that you are happy for them. It's so easy to try to turn the conversation back to oneself instead of letting it be about another.

Be kind to animals. Rescue the snake that got in under the door, or the bee that terrorized your sister. If some poor creature is suffering in the heat bring it water. You don't have to hang around and make it a pet just help one of Gods lesser creatures.

You will be amazed at how good you feel inside after showing a little kindness.Remember that feeling and carry it with you. Call upon that feeling during times of stress.
Be Blessed.
Cathy Hayes

Steps that were missed

2012-06-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

I must, once again, ask you to forgive my absence from writing. Circumstances arose that I thought would not fit into our journey as I had planned. Then after some thought I realized that the distractions of life were, in fact, part of that very journey.

So I missed writing about the steps that we should be taking together. I didn't write about the end of the school year, your graduation from high school ( of which I am very proud). I didn't write about the end of the after school program or the friends that had moved away. I didn't write about the illness that plagues a family member or the family dynamics that changed. I wanted to keep this simple and list the steps in the books I was reading. It occurs to me now that all that happens in life are all part of that walk with God that we both want.

Step two:
Foundation:
You need to start your spiritual journey with a good belief structure. Like building a house, you must start with a strong foundation. I have a strong foundation in my Christian beliefs. I believe in One True God, a creator of earth, Heaven and all that exists. I believe in Jesus the Messiah, God incarnate walking with mankind to teach. I believe in the resurrection of Jesus, that he died and rose again to walk among his followers. I believe in the Holy Spirit, as it touches our lives and brings us closer to God.

I know that you were raised in the Catholic Church. Your father wanted you to have that foundation. My son, we have spoken on this many times and I know you can easily find where your core beliefs exist.

Search in your soul for the answers to where you want to start building . Find your foundation.
Be Blessed my son.
Cathy Hayes

Step 1: Awareness

2012-03-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

The first step is to become aware of your spirit.
The human experience is comprised of three parts Body Mind and Spirit. The Body houses the mind and spirit both.

Typically the mind is in control or at our conscience level. Some refer to this as the Ego or Self. This part of us is what operates our thoughts of daily living.

The Spirit typically resides in our sub-conscience. This is the part of us that takes and instant like or dislike to a situation without cause or reason. When you somehow "just know" something is wrong or right. This is what we are trying to bring to the conscience level and then build up from there. All through out the Bible it talks about living in Spirit and not of this world. This is what they are talking about. Living with the Spirit and not a "flesh" or "world" or in other words the ego.

You need to become aware of where your spirit is as we start the journey so you know how far you have to go. Find a quiet place where there are no distractions and relax. See how you are feeling and thinking in that moment. Are you at peace, do you feel joy, are you relaxed or are you feeling like life isn't fair, feeling depressed, sad or bored. Wherever you are this is the starting point of your journey. It's okay to feel and experience the negative emotions. They are part of you as a whole. Feel them and recognize them.

This is where the one book says to start a chart or graph of some kind. Something to help you track you progress. There will be "up" days and "down" days. I choose to journal my journey here on my blog but you may choose what you have learned in Statistics class to monitor your progress. This is totally up to your own discretion as to how you want to log your process.

Today my Spirit is full of Joy and Gratitude.

Step One: Awareness

2012-03-28T09:27:00.001-07:00

You need to be aware of your spirit. There are three parts to the human experience.
Mind Body and Spirit. The three are connected for the whole. We are focusing on Spirit but I hear that when one is strong the others follow suit.

Let's Get Started!

2012-03-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

First my dear son you need to be aware of a few things:

Forget what you have heard about God being vengeful and vindictive. Some of what you have heard would lead you to believe that God only loves certain people. This is so far from the truth. God is Love. Whatever is good is of God. Whenever someone says they love you they are saying God is with you. God sits at the throne in Heaven and in Heaven there is no negative emotions. It is impossible for God to be anything more than love.

so lets talk about love for a minute.
There are many forms of earthly love.

The love of a parent for a child. This love is unconditional. If a parent truly loves their child they will not forsake them. Whether the child is born deformed, disabled, or if the child grows to make bad decisions the parent will always love the child.

The love of a child for its parent. This love comes from a sense of security and trust. A knowledge the child has that no matter what happens they will always be cared for.

The love of a man and woman. This should not be confused with lust. When one persons whole desire is to make the other happy. That is love. Not a fear of making the other angry but a willingness to make the other person happy. ( you may learn this lesson the hard way, so many of us do)

Christian love. The love of God. This transcends all other types of love. It is unconditional, it gives security and it is a willingness to make others happy. This is the kind of Love God has for you. and the kind of love you need to share with others.

Come and Join Us

2012-03-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

The other day my son noticed some books on my coffee table that I had just received. One was about raising spiritual awareness and the other was about contemplative spirituality. He had asked me to take notes on what I read and let him read them. This is the format that I have chosen for the notes to my son.

I will be writing to him specifically, but I invite anyone willing to go on this spiritual journey with us to read along. Feel free to leave comments if I forget anything, if you have questions ( I am learning along the way and don't pretend to know everything) or if you disagree, other opinions are always welcome.

You will notice a strong Christian sentiment because that is where my heart lies. I believe in God the great creator of all that was, is, or will be. I believe in Jesus that died and rose again. I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Some of my learning is not necessarily Christian based but it is so easy for me to see One True God in everything.
Come along and join us in our spiritual journey and Be Blessed

A note to my son.

2012-03-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

I have begun

New Years Resolutions

2011-12-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

I have heard a lot of people making New Years resolutions lately. One thing I noticed is they all want "less".

Eat less
smoke less
drink less
weigh less
gossip less
less government
less spending
etc.etc.etc.

I think we should be asking "more". More of ourselves. Doing more for God.
more prayer
more time with God
more for the homeless
more for the hungry
more for the elderly
more for the children

I think this year I want to ask more of myself. What more can I do?

I resolve to speak of God and Jesus more.
I resolve to do more for my fellow human.
I resolve to let God use me more.
I resolve to listen more to the hurt.
I resolve to make this year less about me and more about humanity. This year I am going to do more to help those who have less.

Be Blessed my friends and prepare the way of the Lord. Do more!

Is it really over?

2011-12-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

A friend on face book posted this status:

" Praise God Christmas is over, Now back to normal life"

I thought this was funny, but I don't think my friend was joking.

Yes, by all means, Praise God for everything! But, my dear friend ,Christmas is not over. Oh sure the trees are coming down, the leftovers are almost gone, the paper is cleaned up and the carpets can be vacuumed once again, but Christmas is not over.

What were we celebrating? a fat man in a red suit? the demise of our credit card balance? No.

We were celebrating Christ Jesus the Lord coming to walk among mankind and show us the truth,the light and the way. This is not a once a year celebration, but an ongoing way of life! To live as Christ taught us, to accept Jesus as our savior, these are not just for the 25th of December. If Sunday was the only time this year you went to church then you are sadly missing out on the GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!

What a great opportunity to teach the children about our dear savior and his birth!

Be Blessed my friends and Merry Christmas! (everyday)

New Years

2011-12-09T09:32:00.001-08:00

what makes a bad word a bad word ??

2011-12-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

One of the teens in our church youth group posted this question today on face book. My immediate response was to tell her that if you wouldn't use the word in front of the pastor at church it is a "bad" word.

I got to thinking .
Watching commercials on TV and listening to the radio, what used to be considered "bad" words are now everyday words. I remember George Carlin had a list of 7 things you can't say on TV. That was always a good rule to follow. If they can't say them on TV or the radio station bleeps them then they are "bad" words. Now that list has changed to but a few. I have heard church officials use some of the 7 in the church building. I have heard parents and grand parents use some of the 7 when talking to the youth. I have heard lyrics in a song that plays on the radio that 10 yrs ago would have been bleeped. I have watched even Disney characters use words that were on Carlin's list. It's considered a "bad" word if it offends the listener, but what offends one person does not necessarily offend another. I always thought foul language showed ignorance and was used to end an argument that you weren't winning.

Has the society changed so much in just a few decades that now anything is okay to say? Is there no longer a need for a verbal filter when in "polite company"?

Just my thought for the day. Jesus said the tongue was sharper than the sword. He warned against saying things to hurt others.

Snow!

2011-12-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

Long story made short.

I had the gas shut off at my house in the summer time and had no heat. I couldn't pay the bill. As the calendar ticked away the months I still could not turn it back on. I had requested help but most agencies that help with that sort of energy assistance wouldn't be able to help until November. We would heat water on the stove for baths but as far as heating the house we were at God's Mercy. Some dear friends had loaned us space heaters but here in my part of the world it can get very cold. I would pray each night for God to help me keep my family warm this fall and winter. Each day when I woke the forecast would be for 65-70 and sunny.

My family started teasing me that it was because of my prayers that the weather was so nice this past October and November. I'd like to think they were partially right. God helped keep my family warm, in His way. I had finally gotten the agencies to work together and have the gas heat turned back on. I had warned my family that 14 days from the day I stopped praying for heat and started giving thanks for the agencies that helped, it would snow.

14 days from the day / hour that I had my heat turned back on.. Guess what!? SNOW!!!
and it was a beautiful snow, the trees were flocked with a gentle white blanket. The flakes were large and beautiful falling gently to the ground. I felt like I lived in a snow globe.

God had blessed me with the warm fall weather and again to say "your welcome" He blessed me with a beautiful snowfall.

What a great and merciful God!

Falling Leaves

2011-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

I only have one tree in my yard but somehow my yard has more leaves than the rest of the block. I had been asked if this bothers me. It doesn't and this is why.

I sent a couple of young adults out to rake the leaves that had fallen from the trees.

When the pile in the back was about 4 feet tall I heard the young lady give out a yelp and the young man laugh. I looked out my window in time to see him toss her small frame into the pile and throw a handful of gold and brown in her hair. I watched as they playfully enjoyed the leaves like small children.

When the pile reached 5 and a half feet tall two teenage boys (13) asked if they could jump in the pile. I gladly said yes. I watched as they took turns diving in from the top of the stump. They yelled and laughed so hard! They would take turns making the pile tall again and jumping in.

( for some reason that song from Steven Curtis Chapman kept running through my head)

"♫♪’m diving in, I’m going deep in over
my head, I want to be
Cought in the rush, lost in the flow,
in over my head, I want to go♫♪"

I really wanted to go and jump in too! I was remembering the year before when I did dive in with the neighborhood children. I remembered once when my two oldest were small and we played in the leaves an entire afternoon! I remembered the youngest ones picking leaves out of their scarves. I remembered gallons of hot chocolate being poured and trays of cookies being eaten,still outside in the cold and darkness, not wanting the fun to end.

Oh, How Blessed I am, to be the yard that gets all the leaves!