Blog Posts - The Adventures of a Truly Blessed Woman

Praise Day 351: Today I praise God for Christmas Plays and Car Wash Places!

12/20/2012

Here is a pic of Tanner performing in his schools Christmas play! I am so thankful for my precious grandchildren and each ones unique personalities and talents! Tanner has always done such a wonderful job performing in front of other people! Today the kids sang several songs......and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! I have been blessed to see each of his plays and events that he has at school.....and that is one of the biggest praises that I love and look forward to! After the play......we went to the car wash and gave me beautiful car a nice bath with tender loving care from the workers who help! It was a blessed day......and I am thankful!!!

Praise Day 350: Today I praise God for my washer and dryer!

12/18/2012

Today as I was working on laundry, I was reminded of the days when it was not quite so simple. We have always had a washer and dryer, but the condition was not always wonderful. I will never forget the day that Bud and Carolyn blessed Chris and I with a brand new washer and dryer! That was an incredible day. When we moved into our new house, the laundry room was in the basement....not exactly convenient.....but I had one! I always remember thinking, (especially when I got behind and took the big stuff with the other stuff to the laundry matt and got it done all at once), I really wish I had a triple loader at home! Then.......years later.......I got one! Well, not a triple loader.......but a beautiful front loader that held anything and everything I had! I just was thinking.....in Honduras.....they use concrete washboards in a big ole concrete sinky thingy! Chelsea actually used one when she was there for 3 months......and it was so funny! I praise God for my washer and dryer......no matter what kind I have!!!

Praise Day 349: Today I praise God for CHRISTmas Cards!

12/17/2012

Today when we checked the mail, there were several CHRISTmas Cards! It is so encouraging to get cards that lift up the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Getting the cards with beautiful pictures and incredible scripture is a joy and a wonderful reminder that the birth of Jesus is the most incredible miracle performed! It is sad that Christmas has become so commercialized and often brings out the greediness that can come from deep within our hearts. Although it may not seem like it.....less, well.....it is more! The more we get, the more we expect, the more we expect, the more we are let down when we don't get what we expect. Is this really what Christmas is supposed to be about? Wow, I seem to have gotten off track, but I have to say that God has really shown me over the years what Christmas is really about! Christmas is about Jesus first and foremost! The beautiful, miraculous virgin birth with God as His Father! Christmas is about LOVE! Love for Jesus.....love for mankind.....love of family......love in every way, for God loved us so much that He sent His Son! Christmas is about family......not just family giving presence and eating together.......but about family and their love of God and their love for each other! Christmas.......well......it is just flat out about Christ, after all, it is CHRISTmas! I am so blessed with friends and f

Praise Day 348: Today I praise God for a very special photo shoot!

12/16/2012

Today God blessed me with a photo shoot that was with and old friend from High School and her very special family!!! My praise today really revolves around how incredibly God works. I know that a lot of times, FB has been a tool that brings about anger, hurt and pain, however I have found in my case that the majority of what I use it for......has been such a great blessing from God! If it had not been for the way God has used it for me, I would probably never reconnected with this precious woman of God! We have connected of several different levels....one of them being our connection to Mercy Ministries......although for different reasons, it was one more thing we found in common! She so graciously contacted me about doing a Christmas photo shoot with her family......and extended family and I have to tell you......I had a blast! It was so nice to meet everyone, and to look through the lens of my camera and feel the precious hearts that I saw through the lens. I was nervous because indoor pics are not my specialty, but she had faith that God would guide and direct me as I took the pics! I am so privileged to have reconnected with people from my past and I pray that they will see the work God has done in my heart........and the love that I have for them and so many others! God is so incredibly precise in everything He does and sometimes for a season things don't always make sense......but eventually His plan starts fitting together and making sense! I know He has put us together for a reason.......and I can't wait to see how God is going to place all these pieces together for HIS Glory! I am soooooooooo blessed!!! May God bless you greatly today!!!!

Praise Day 347: Today I praise God for two things.......people who are willing to lay down their lives for their brothers........and consequences of sin that lead to redemption!

12/15/2012

I am sitting her with my fingers on the keyboard just trying to think of how to start this Praise. I wanted to put a picture that would leave you with a peaceful feeling, and this was the first one I found as I looked in my files. I could not read what it said, but as I enlarged it, I could only sit here in awe knowing that this was chosen by God......not by me! The picture itself brings peace to my heart as I contemplate what to write about the first part of my praise. I re-posted a story today about a young teacher who hid her children in closets in her classroom and told the gunman that they were somewhere else......he then shot her, but her kids were safe. The principal of the school dove at him trying to stop him from hurting anyone, but she was shot and died as well. These were two of the wonderful people who gave their lives trying to protect the children. They laid down their lives for their brother........and it was just second nature to them, I am pretty sure they responded without even considering the possible consequence because there was no other option but to do what is right, honorable and true! It is times like these that you see the best and worst of people. I praise God for their love.......and for their sacrifice! The next part of my praise falls perfectly into the scripture on the picture! Tonight I went to go visit a young man in jail that I have known since he was very young. Due to some bad decisions, he will be headed to prison for two years. We talked about many things, but the one thing that gave me hope was him telling me that he did what he did for money because growing up he had none........then through illegal activity he had more than he ever could have imagined.......and now he has none..........BUT, after learning some very had life lessons......he would rather have no money than to have money and pay the price for what it does to you! This showed me that there is hope......he wants to follow the ways of the Lord and he wants to turn things around........and yet in the past the money was running his life through his decisions. I heard the shame in his voice and I saw it in his eyes. I hope that the one thing he took away from this visit was that God is a God of redemption! I told him that getting caught was actually a gift because it is through the consequences that we can truly find redemption! It is through the pain and shame of sin that has been realized and dealt with (in the Lord) that our testimony starts to be built. The beautiful scars are reminders of Gods perfect grace that we get freely because of HIS sacrifice! I will continue to pray for my young friend and I don't want to share his name with you at this time, but I will ask you to pray for this friend of our family! Pray for Gods protection as he goes into the Prison system.....pray for true repentance and realization of Gods love, grace and peace! Pray that He will find healing for addiction and that one day he will be able to share with others what he has learned! I am so thankful that I got to visit him before he goes away for a while.....my heart is broken, but it is also hopeful that God will transform his very precious life! What a MIGHTY GOD

Praise Day 346: Today I praise God for the time I got to spend with Chelsea Bell!

12/14/2012

Today was a wonderfully blessed day that I got to spend with Chelsea Bell. Chelsea has been a part of our lives now for just over three years and she is a blessing to us. First we went to Stonecrest Mall and took some cute Christmas pics of Chelsea for her Christmas Cards. Devon was with us and he was excited to see some of the Christmas decorations.......and especially the train! We then dropped Devon to his dad and proceeded to McDonalds to eat and use the internet to order the cards. We had quite the blast as we ate, talked, edited, created and ordered cards from Sams. After we were done we went on over to Sams to pic up the cards.......only to find out that the order went through......but had not gone through to the Sams there yet. We had fun as we killed time in Sams......way too many great things to look at! After the pics were done we came on home and she went back to her house. All this to say........God has truly given me so many great friends......young and old! Chelsea Bell, like so many other younguns, is like one of my own.......and I love it that God has blessed me with so many! It feels so good to laugh and to have such a fun day! I am thankful for the beauty of friendship, and for the joy that ensues when you allow it to! I praise God for loving us so much that He provides me with days like to day! (p.s. and mom and dad are here visiting.....that makes my day complete!)

Praise Day 345: Today I praise God for the ability to brag on my baby girl who has worked so hard in college and is making a big difference there!

12/13/2012

So if you read my FB post today about Chelseas grades, you may already know what I am going to say, but for me it bears repeating......I am one proud momma.....not just of Chelsea, but all my younguns! Today is my day to brag on Chelsea though! Here is what I wrote: So proud of Chelsea Stacy! She made 4 A's and 2 B's with an overall 3.667 grade average for the semester.....and she is also officially now....a Junior!!!! She has worked so hard and Chris and I are so proud of her and her efforts! Her overall GPA from Freshman year to now is a 3.652!

Now......who would not be proud as punch?!!! If this is not praise worthy....I don't know what is! I honestly have to say that after all we have gone through with her, I can honestly say that I never thought she would make it to this point.......BUT GOD!!!!! God is incredible and He created this INCREDIBLE young woman in His image......and for that I am thankful

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Praise Day 344: Today I praise God for being able to go back to Church after being gone for so long!

12/12/2012

Due to the fact that we have been traveling and doing things with our grandchildren, we have not been able to go to church. It is a strange feeling not being in church and I surely have missed my wonderful friends! Devon and I went to dinner at church and he woofed down some yummy spaghetti! He then went to class and I stayed and cleaned up after the dinner. God gives me such peace as I do what He wants me to do. I was so tired, yet so blessed! I really enjoy getting to commune with my friends

Praise Day 343: Today I praise God for Kleenex!

12/11/2012

Hehehe.......another strange praise, but think about life without Kleenex! If you read yesterdays Day of Praise, then you will know why I am so thankful for Kleenex! These little sheets of softness are so wonderful when you need to dry your eyes and blow your nose. They are even more wonderful when you have a young one around who needs to blow his nose so that you don't have to use your shirt! Some types of toilet paper is a decent substitute......but paper towels are misery! Shirt sleeves work, but that is just plum gross! I wonder what they used back in the days of Jesus......have you ever wondered that? Hankies are ok, but after a while they get kinda gross too depending on how bad you need them! This goes to show that there is ALWAYS something to praise God for.....even if it is a Kleenex!

Praise Day 342: Today I praise God for revelation, inspiration, and freedom!

12/10/2012

This is going to be one of those praises where I am going to have to share in generalities, but the message should come across. As anyone who is human knows, words spoken can seem to have many different meanings depending on who spoke them, how they meant them, and how they were perceived. There are times that what we meant when we spoke something was misinterpreted because of things like preconceived notions, assumptions made from past experiences, missing pieces in the equation, desires........and any number of other factors. Satan is really good at muddling intentions and causing misinterpretations through these factors. Pride can often find its place in the mix and create an even greater problem. It is at this point that no matter what WE do........we can't fix it and often manage to mess it up even more while trying to do good. As I get older in life, God has given me a revelation........of how I have managed to do ALL of this! Many times I have misinterpreted.......and I have been misinterpreted! I often try to fix things and in the process manage to make a greater mess than I ever expected.......but never on purpose! I have such a great sense of right and wrong.........fair and unfair..........and one heck of a protective nature. When I love, I love hard and deep, and when I hurt......I hurt even deeper........and when I protect, I do it with all of my being. God has been doing a deep work in my life and He has used different types of inspiration as I have been trying to find the balance in it all and find healing and forgiveness in my heart. First, He reveals things in scripture that often I have read, but never really saw what He was saying......that is until it became relevant in my life. Sometimes, He uses these inspirations that show up on Face Book.......just at the right time! Sometimes, He sends just the right person with just the right words that come from the Lord.............and sometimes.........He comes in the silence with His still small voice, and that is often the hardest one to hear because it is not often that I am totally silent.......just ask those voices in my head......hehehehe!!!! The hard one is that sometimes He brings conflict to a head that has to be dealt with or it will stifle your walk with Him and your usefulness to others for Him! (This is my least favorite method! There is always crying and brokenness involved!) Now the great part of all this is the freedom that comes when I realize what God is teaching me, showing me, and revealing to me! You see, God wants us........designed us to live a life like that of Christ when we are Christians (little Christs). When we live outside of a life that is to be lived like Christ, we WILL experience pain, suffering, and overall misery! God has freedom for us.......the question is, are we willing to take it? I pray that God will continue to work in my life and that He will reveal truth, reveal those things that are hidden that cause pain, and reveal His grace and peace! I pray for healing of hearts and minds and healing of relationships! I pray that He will change what needs changing, humble what needs humbling, and break those things that need breaking! I want my life to be a life lived for Him and His purpose! I want to ask forgiveness for my trespasses and yet I will not apologize for doing Gods Will. I am not ashamed of doing what He has called me to do, but I am ashamed for being blinded by my own hurt and not seeing what His Will is at times! If there is anything you take from this, I want it to be: I am an imperfect, highly flawed, overly emotional...........lover of my Lord! I fail Him daily and daily He NEVER fails me! If I hurt you.......it is NOT intentional! If I offend you because of my faith in my God, then I pray that you find Him and see the beauty and grace of His forgiveness that I have! My heart longs to see ALL find freedom in Him! I know this was a strange day of praise........but this is what God has shown me.