Passing On To Eternity?

Sister Pam and I attended the UK women's basketball game last night. After initially looking like the LadyCats were gonna blow the MTSU team out of Memorial Coliseum, it turned out to be a really exciting game. I think I went to school with the little Snowden standout's grandfather at Paris High School. Still seeking confirmation on that. Anyway, they were behind as much as ten points and fought their way back to a really impressive win. I can't wait to check out their standings in the national rankings.

Like I've said, I am so enjoying the Christmas music. Last night I heard Jars of Clay singing a really familiar Christmas Carol on K-Love. Unfortunately, I missed hearing the first line and could not place the title. Finally, I was able to look it up in my church hymnal. It was "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear". I don't think I had heard or sang it yet this season. It's definitely a keeper as Christmas Carols go.

I hope you have a great, safe New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Things will remain rather quiet around here, save for that big game coming up of Cardinal Red vs Big Blue. It's gonna be a real battle as the first UK vs UofL at the new arena in Louisville. GO BIG BLUE!!!

I'm always saddened this time of year to see the individuals who have passed on during the year. Sadly, the traditional family we tried to exemplify has lost a mom and dad as Barbara Billingsly of Leave It To Beaver and Tom Bosley of Happy Days have passed away. I always enjoyed the movie, A League of Their Own. They filmed parts of it in Evansville, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky while we lived there. The character, Dorothy, upon who the movie was based, also died in 2010. There were many politicians, celebrities, sports figures and other notable individuals. I always wonder which ones of these folks in the spotlight had the opportunity to accept their savior, Jesus Christ, and thereby assuring them of eternal life. It will be interesting to know someday.

I hope this new year brings me closer to my family members and my friends and neighbors. I hope to continue using all the means God has given me and placed at my disposal to share the wonderful story of His plan for us, each and every one of us. I will be very sad, indeed, if when I arrive in heaven, I don't see all the family and friends I spent time with while here on earth. So, I'm gonna try to use Him as my example and be the best reflection of Him that I can be. I will also try to not impose myself on anyone who chooses not to hear. He did give us free will, after all. I can only be the best example I can be of His amazing love and hope that I can share a small part of the wonderful mystery that is our Lord, our God, and our Savior.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, I hope to see you in 2011..........................really, I do. luv, Susan

HANGING ON

Wow, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, as well as a memorable Christmas season. I'm still enjoying this special time of year. Even though I did not find the time to retrieve my favorite creche, I am still enjoying the three nativity sets I managed to have displayed with their white lights. I'm also continuing to have my tree lit in the evenings, as well as any other Christmas-time lighting that never fails to help in rekindling that wonderful, magical Christmas feeling. I may be one of the few individuals who actually has my own little stash of colored lights in a glass brick, that I keep available all year long. In fact, this year those lights finally went out, and I had to shop around to replace them. Not to fear, I was able to purchase half price colored lights yesterday and replaced them last night.

I'm also hanging onto my special music about the mysterious manger birth some two thousand years ago. I'll keep listening to the wonderful Christmas Message channel that Dish offers as long as it's available. I especially enjoy hearing songs from Steven Curtis Chapman. I am going to use my Christmas money to buy a book written by his wife that I recently saw on Wal-Mart's book shelf. It was so painful to hear that this giving family had a tragic accident occur a couple years ago, when their older son accidentally backed over his little sister while driving their family SUV. Why do bad things happen to good people? I believe their story will inspire many. His songs through the years have been such an inspiration to those who hear them. On more than one occasion I have given one of his cd's to friends who have lost children. It was so sad and ironic to know that he and his family were going through the indescribable pain of losing a child. Thankfully, their faith in God was strong, and they have managed to come through these difficult years. I'm looking forward to hearing the family share their story tomorrow on Good Morning America.

Well, I have a mountain of laundry to tackle today. It's not surprising that washing clothes does not make the top of my Christmas activity list this time of the year.

My sister and brother in law wanted to remind me that they saw something in yesterdays paper that made them think of me. Seems that humming can help prevent sinus infections. Evidentally, I hum a lot of the songs that I listen to on the radio and my TV music channels. I just consider it part of my wanting to be in some form of constant prayer and most of the songs that stick with me are lifting up praises to Him through humming. And, by the way, I've never had a sinus infection.

I hope you're hanging on to the amazing spirit of Christmas. Have a warm, wonderful and safe day. luv, Susan

Three Days Before Christmas

It is now three days before Christmas. I will be making one more trip into town to finish up my shopping. The decorating is enough to lift my spirits, as I so enjoy white lights and greenery throughout the house and colored lights on my tree. The tree doesn't have any ornaments yet, but in the evening it sure looks pretty all lit up. I still haven't managed to find my Precious Moments figurines, but, as long as they're out on Christmas Eve, I'll be happy. I did get all but one card sent and I baked cookies and put presents in their boxes yesterday. Today, after some shopping, it'll be cookie decorating and present wrapping.

I've often told Mark that he is sometimes like a bull in a china shop. He again demonstrated that the other day when I was away for a time. He was a real sweetie and washed the dishes that I hadn't managed to finish the night before. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken into consideration the little merry miniature nativity figures in the window above the sink. Somehow, he managed to take out the entire display. He did try to put it back together, it was a real mess, to say the least. I found the little shepherd boy in the dish drainer with the clean dishes. And when I finally got all the dishes put away, there was Mary in the drain trap under the dish drainer. Not exactly the place for the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I was thankful for the help with the dishes and the little figures are plastic, so no harm done.

The doggies were creating a real commotion yesterday while I tried to get some things accomplished. All five were barking hysterically out the front window. When I finally went to see the reason for the outburst, I was startled to see five turkeys in the driveway in front of the house. They appeared to be frozen in place, standing in a straight line, equal distances from one another. After they eventually broke their formation, I herded the five dogs away from the windows and into the basement. I didn't see where the turkeys went, but later when we went out for a break, I saw all their really strange tracks left in the snow.

I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family over these next several days. I hope to visit friends in Paris to deliver cookies. I still need to take cards to some of my neighbors and it will be wonderful to spend time with the kids as well as the rest of the family come Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

These past several days have been really difficult for so many. The holiday season is wonderful, but life's problems continue and many times seem amplified during these hectic days. I'm praying for peace and joy for all throughout this season. I only hope life's challenges don't interfere with the specialness of the celebration of Christ's birth. He came into this world for each and everyone of us. When we find ourself in troubling circumstances, remember His wonderful name, Emmanuel, which means God is with us. He is. Ask Him for the strength and support to get through.

Three days left before Christmas, I better get busy. Have a wonderful, safe day, luv, Susan

SHORT PEOPLE

We knew this last snow was coming and it did not disappoint. There is a fresh, new blanket of snow covering the ground outside. The doggies and I had the previous snow cover pretty scarred up with our repeated trips to the mailbox and all, so it's nice that we have a pristine new cover. The trees don't look nearly as pretty as they did previously, when they were covered with the snow clinging to their upper extremities. Nor, do they look like they did yesterday, when I drove to town. Then, because of the extreme cold, all the trees sparkled and appeared jewel-like. It was amazing to see. Today, they just look bare, but the ground is white. It still looks like a winter wonderland in Central Kentucky.

I will finish my decorating today. I have two more nativities to put out. I did two yesterday. The first was a gift from Mark's parents. It's been displayed each Christmas season on the dining room hutch for countless years. The second is a Merry Minature display that I always place near my kitchen sink. Both are surrounded by greenery and little white lights. I'll put the creche my neighbors gave me on the mantle this year. That's breaking with the previous tradition of music boxes and bears that always adorned my mantle, but I'm trying to simplify here. The last nativity is the little pastel hand-painted pewter Precious Moments figures I bought when we lived in New England. It really is precious to me and it'll probably be placed somewhere close to the open family Bible. Still a little unsure about where. I'll want to be able to see it throughout the day, but won't want to worry about the figures getting knocked over. I'll figure it out.

I'll complete my decorating with the Christmas tree. After years and years of getting real trees, I opted to go with a hand me down artificial tree from my mom. I did all the time consuming decorating last year with lots and lots of colored lights. After Christmas, I then moved it into a back bedroom and put a big plastic bag over it. I can't wait to see it relit in the great room this year.

Why do the media have to keep saying that we, who still have shopping to do, have waited til the last minute. Waiting til Christmas Eve is last minute. A week to go makes perfect sense to me. I consider myself on schedule, thank you.

The UpperRoom reading today was about Zacchaeus, which is found in Luke 19:1-10. It was always such a fun story to share with small children. We always enjoyed singing the song about the wee little man. The writer compares fellow Christians along our way as the trees that some of us use to see Jesus, similar to Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree. It's a beautiful analogy and I can think of many friends and family who have been there showing me Jesus through the years through their kindness, compassion and love. I only hope I do the same.

It also comes to mind that Zacchaeus was short. We all fall short of what God wants us to be. God did not send Jesus into the world for the righteous people, but for those of us who don't quite measure up. It was the lost and the uninformed of His love that God sent His Son. He came for me and you. He came for us, all. Thank you, God, for loving us so much that you gave us, the most precious gift of all, our savior.

This is a special time of year. I'm going to dwell on Christ's birth in a manger today and everyday this special season. You have a wonderful day, stay safe and warm, luv, Susan

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

It is another frigid, snow covered day in Central Kentucky. Even though we don't expect any additional precipitation today, the four or so inches out there will probably stick around, as we continue to be in the deep freeze. Schools in the area are canceled and our little country church hasn't had services for two weeks. But, it is beautiful and I've been able to do a little catching up due to the fact that I am unable to do my usual trips to town. Yes, I even put away the Thanksgiving decorations yesterday, as well as the Halloween stuff that never left the big "fall decorations" box. I really look forward to arranging some of my nativities today in their various locations about the house.

I didn't expect to venture out yesterday beyond the mailbox by the road, however, the dogs had different ideas. Because the gate was left wide open yesterday morning, it was too much of a temptation for our newest dog to do some holiday visiting. I really wasn't in a mood to share Christmas cheer with the neighbors, but I did venture out, always keeping Pudge in sight. We managed to leave our footsteps in the snow across several yards before I convinced him to stop long enough to swoop him into my arms. Riff and Roy, also decided to make their way down the road, and we all ventured back home together. The four horses were having their breakfast across the road and kept a close eye on us as we paraded up then back down the road.

I'd like to say that lessons were learned from that early morning outing, but, I actually got in an extra workout when Pudge decided to head out again later in the afternoon. I'm happy to say that Riff and Roy were safely snug in the basement this second time. I don't expect any repeats today, our hill, going up and down repeatedly, became quite the challenge. Like I said, I did, indeed, get a good workout.

Kentucky played one of it's most storied rivals Saturday. If you've spent most of your days in Central Kentucky, you have no idea what the rivalry between Indiana and Kentucky means. Because we lived 21 years in a community on the Ohio River, we got to experience the IU/UK feud first hand. This borderline battle was made even more fierce because of the personality of the biggest bully of all college sports, Bobby Knight. I find it quite amusing that we now have our own Knight, and Bobby has been out of the picture for this duel for quite sometime now. It was a good game, it had a really nice ending for us Wildcat faithful. It was especially fun, knowing that I had family at the game. Unlike football, it's a rarity for us to make it to the basketball games.

So, I have finally begun to chip away at my Christmas activity list. I've finished my cards and have even started my shopping. I can't fault my family for wanting to give so many gifts for Christmas. After all, that's what Christmas is all about. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) I hope you have a wonderful, warm and safe day today. luv, Susan

Getting In The CHRISTmas Spirit

What a beautiful morning it is outside!! The sun is shining on what is left of the snow, and it just sparkles. We are going to have a little mini heatwave today as the temps skyrocket up to 32 degrees. These past few days have had us in a deep freeze. Unfortunately, for me, the five white fuzzies can go out and simply enjoy their limited freedom and not freeze off their furry little bottoms. I, however, put on many layers and still feel like I'm gonna start breaking off extremities, I'm so frozen. It's especially nice when all five fuzzies go out, do their business and are ready to come right back into the warm house....yes!

I am feeling so spoiled this morning. Our satellite TV has a new Christmas music channel and it is playing the most wonderful songs about Jesus and the story of His birth. I've always loved the country Christmas songs about the true meaning of Christmas and, of course, all the Christmas Carols, but I'm really getting spoiled hearing so many beautiful songs describing that mysterious holy day when our Savior first came into our world. I've also been listening to the local K-Love station in our area. I think it's 89.9 and it plays these beautiful, inspirational songs as well. I highly recommend your checking out either of these to help you get into the true spirit of Christmas.

My mom and dad went to Nashville recently and were able to attend a taping of the RFD channel's program, Larry's Diner. It was fun seeing them in the "diner" with my sister and brother-in-law. It was especially nice to see my dad presented with a Navy belt buckle in honor of his military service. Also, while in Nashville, my mom and sister went to see the taping of CMA's Christmas special, the day after this year's CMA Awards. That program was aired while we were in Florida, so I recorded it and was pleasantly pleased when I watched it night before last. Thank you Country Music for bringing such wonderful, seasonal music to prime time TV.

Well, I'm still doing my Christmas cards and getting my other lists together. Maybe I'll take down the Thanksgiving decorations today. Give me a break, I didn't put them up til two hours before Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, I have mentioned before that I am a procrastinator, so I just have to enjoy things sometimes a little later than most.

Yes, it is a wonderful day. We in the Big Blue Nation were able to watch a really good game last night, after several missteps this past week or so. I didn't even know Tyler Hansborough had a brother, yikes!! How many other former foe clones will we face this year, are there any little Laetner's out there? Anyway, life is good for the Big Blue right now. You have a great day and get in the Christmas spirit. luv, Susan

Winter Wonderland

Good Tuesday morning! It's been over a week since I've blogged. Mark and I went south to visit his parents in Florida. The weather was hot and sunny, in the eighties most of our visit. It was wonderful to be able to walk the two doggies that accompanied us each day we were there. We so enjoy visiting with Mark's family in Florida when we can. I still struggle with the geographical distances between us and family members who I wish were closer......just a fact of life.

The temperatures did drop the day before we left and I understand that Florida crops are now in jeopardy due to the unexpected extreme cold they're now dealing with. I hope there is no major loss of that wonderful produce for which Florida is so well known. We came away with grapefruit, oranges and lemons and look forward to enjoying them the coming weeks.

It has been an adjustment getting back to Kentucky just in time for winter to lay a beautiful blanket of snow over the entire area. Normally, I can spot my little white pooches out running about the yard. Now, however, they are creatively camouflaged with white on white. I'm just glad they enjoy the snow and get their exercise outside, even when I'm waiting patiently from a much warmer window location inside.

And, yes, it is oh so much closer to Christmas, now that we're back from our Florida getaway. Please don't tell me how much shopping you've accomplished, or about your completed Christmas decorating and all your other holiday accomplishments. Today, I'll be taking down the Thanksgiving decorations and starting on my list of Christmas cards and our Christmas gift giving list. I'm still trying to dwell on the true meaning of the season and trying not to get stressed out over what all there is yet to do, even though I know it's a lot.

I picked up a Rick Warren book at Wal-Mart yesterday to help remind me about what to truly focus on this season. As the author of The Purpose Driven Life, I know I can count on him to help guide me through the season, just as The Purpose Driven Life helps guide me through my life.

On the news this morning, I see that Elizabeth Edwards is nearing the end of her journey here on earth. She has had to face so much adversity during her time here, I hope she has a strong faith in God as she nears this inevitable transition. Before the recent political campaign with her husband and his eventual fall from grace, due to his poor choices, they were faced with their most difficult challenge in their lives, the loss of a child. I am convinced this is the absolute hardest experience one can face in life. Seeing it second hand, I can only imagine the pain it must be each and every day, after losing a baby, whether it is an infant or an adult. God knows the pain all too well, as He lost His son on the cross. It couldn't have been any less painful for Him, than it is for any of us, when this unbearable loss comes into our lives. It is only through His wonderful promise of eternal life, through His son, that we are able to overcome such pain and know that we will see our cherished children again in heaven. I pray that Elizabeth knows this for a fact and that she is getting ever so close to reuniting with, not only her lost son, but also, the son of God as well.

I think I mentioned before that there are now four horses in the field across the street from our house. The two newer horses really perk up and pay attention when they see me come and go. I enjoy hollering and waving to them whenever I'm at the end of the driveway. I'm afraid I got carried away yesterday when I had the dogs out for a break. The horses came ambling across the field, as if in a parade. As they paraded across the field, they picked up speed and Riff and Roy went nuts. They ran across the front of the yard keeping in step with the horses across the road. Well, they didn't stop at the end of our yard and found their way through the fence at the neighbors driveway and continued over, across the road into the field. I'm sure the horses were delighted to experience their antics. I, however, was not amused and got the other three little white fuzzies into the house. By the time I ran back out, Riff and Roy were sitting by the driveway gate, not looking forward to their inevitable scolding. Thankfully, everyone got back safe and sound. I hope the horses enjoyed the excitement caused by the troublesome twosome.

I look forward to putting together my cards and dwelling on the reason for the season today. Between the snow covered landscape outside and the warmth of the fireplace inside, I won't have any trouble getting into the holiday spirit. I hope you find the holiday spirit as well. If you still haven't got it, it can be found in Luke 2:8-20 for starters. You have a great day. luv, Susan

Be Thankful Always

The holidays are here!! I always want to be ready, but I never am. I enjoy life at a slow pace and this time of year, if you do that, you'll find yourself totally blindsided come the 25th. So, I need to amp things up a notch and try to get in gear for all that is to come.

Okay, Thanksgiving, I can't even begin to list each and everything in my life for which I am thankful, so I'll sum it up briefly in generalities. At the top of the list is He, who sacrificed His earthly existence for me and all His children. Coming in next is family, friends and health. I've got to add little fuzzy white dogs and their health, as well. After that, it is just all the wonderful opportunities I am given each and everyday. Opportunities to see His love all around me and opportunities to show His love through my contact with others. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

More, specifically, I am so thankful for the extra left hand lane on I75 between Lexington and Georgetown. I had never even noticed it before, but it sure came in handy Monday when headed home. As I was passing traffic on the far left, the car I was passing decided to pull over into my lane, also to pass. I can't even imagine what would have occurred had that lane before the barrier not been there. I'm also thankful that the temperatures were cool yesterday and last night, since a gallon of milk was forgotten in the floorboard of the back seat of my car.

And, finally, I am so thankful to have God's word each and every day, and for daily devotionals made so available by publications like the UpperRoom. Today's takes me to 2 Thessalonians, chapter 5. We are urged to be encouraging, helpful, patient and kind. Verse 16 continues with: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Amen to that.

One more thing, I am especially thankful to have found a copy of Brad Paisley's Christmas CD. I've been wanting to nab one since my sister told me he had one out last year. Well, I found a copy yesterday, so I look forward to listening to it soon.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and family. I'm gonna get busy so I'll be somewhat ready come tomorrow. Be safe and have a great day, luv, Susan

Over Fifty? Here's a Reminder for You

I haven't had anything to eat yet today, and it's around four o'clock. It has been two very different and sometime difficult days for me. After hitting the big 5-0 four years ago, I've been constantly reminded that I need to get some medical procedures done. Well, I felt pretty good about not having to have one of them done, cause Mark hadn't yet and he was two years older than I am. I couldn't believe it last year when he asked for a colonoscopy for Christmas. Seems one of his younger friends had one and ,good thing, because they removed some suspicious looking polyps. (Polyps are what can turn cancerous in the colon.) So, Mark had his done and had one little polyp removed and got a clean bill of colon health. Since then, Mark, my family, my insurance company and my doctor have all reminded me that I should get it done.

So, it was scheduled during Mark's week off for hunting season. Yesterday was the day to prep and today was the procedure. Everything went well. Glad to have that all over and done with. As you have to limit your diet to liquids the day before, and nothing at all to eat or drink, after midnight, I still haven't wanted anything solid as of yet. I couldn't wait, however, to come home and have my morning, rather, afternoon tea. That was around 3:00, so I should be ready to eat soon.

While I'm resting, I decided to watch CMT. Usually, it's my beloved country music videos, but as luck would have it, I watched Extreme Home Makeover. I remember really liking this show when it first came out, but just haven't taken the time to watch it regularly. I think I'll start recording it on CMT and watch it when there's nothing good on television to watch. It's really a great show. I like reality TV when it brings out the best in people. This is one of those.

Yesterday I watched some CMT and they had on their top five videos of the week. It was so refreshing to see those five videos and the artists. I remember seeing Miranda Lambert singing the first really "uncrazy jealous girlfriend" that she did. It's called "The House That Built Me". The first time I heard it, I just loved it. The song is so relate-able for everyone who has real sentimental sensitivities about their hometown, their family and their memories of both. I just knew she had to have written it, it was so close to her own story, and seeing the house in the video, they actually had her own home videos in, what looked like the same house...how cool. Well, when I heard it was written by someone else, that was disappointing; but when I heard her tell the story of how the song was first given to her fiance, Blake Shelton, that led to hearing the rest of the story.

He let her listen to it, and she fell in love with it. She told Blake that it sounded like her story. So, he gave her the song to record, she did, and now it's on the list of top forty country songs of the decade. Guess it struck a nerve with lots of folks. Anyway, turns out, it is "her song", just written by someone else.

The other top five videos of the week on CMT included Carrie Underwood's, Mama's Song, and a new song by Lady Antebellum, Hello World. I've fallen in love with both of these videos and songs. Yes, I fall in love with a lot of country songs. I believe if you're a strong Christian, or any Christian for that matter, you will eventually be drawn to country music. The majority of it is Christian music after all, give it a try, if you're not already a fan, like me.

Enough from me. My son is visiting. He is out in the woods hunting with Mark. I've heard a couple shots, so something is going on out there. I don't have a problem with the hunting because I know these deer are overpopulated and they live wonderful free lives right up until they become venison. Mark only hunts for what we will eat during the year. Besides, I think cows and calves can be just as cute and beautiful as deer and fawns.

I hope my family did well saying goodbye to my Great Aunt Faye and celebrating her life, in Illinois. We still have lots of my grandma's younger half brothers and sisters, but she was nearly grown when the second family for my great grandpa began. Faye was the only one left from his first family, who could really tell us about when they were little. It's nice to know we can reminisce, "when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory." That's from a country gospel song.

I hope you have, or had, a great day. I actually did. My five doggies are keeping me company and Mark's gonna fix supper for us all....I hope. Take care and stay safe.....luv, Susan

HE IS GOOD

It is raining outside this morning. Really gray and gloomy out there. I hope Mark is enjoying his hunting. This is definitely a challenging time for me as the dogs like to spend their time out in the yard each morning, but their instincts of sniffing out a deer's scent and alerting everyone within miles of their skills can cause friction in our household. So, we are laying low in the house, trying to be quiet, as the hunter awaits his prey in the woods out back.

You'd have to be disconnected from the world not to know the big news this morning, as the excitement has been building in the press now for days. William and Kate Middleton are engaged!! Thank goodness, we just can't wait, can we?

Takes me back to the early eighties when his dad got engaged to that shy young thing, Diana, that wouldn't even keep her head erect during publicity ops. I remember watching their wedding, as did the rest of the world apparently, what pageantry and pomp it was. But my most vivid memory is of when Prince William was born, because my little son was born just four days before. I still have the newspaper with Dustin's birth announcement buried in the hospital news. The arrival of William is on the front page. Congratulations to William and Kate. May they have the happiness in their marriage that his parents never had.

Saturday was the perfect day for a football game at Commonwealth Stadium. Too bad that we fell short of a sell out game. It was not the senior sendoff that I had hoped for, but, when the win/loss record is close to 50/50, I guess having over 60,000 Big Blue faithful show up, is actually quite good. I am just so happy that this team has been competitive with each team we've met this year, save Florida. I will really miss the fun and fellowship we've experienced at each of the home games. I am constantly delighted at the opportunities to reconnect with old friends and strengthen relationships with new friends at the gameday activities.

How crazy has Dancing With The Stars been this year? I've been amazed following the back stories of each participant. I was really sad when Curt Warner was eliminated. He was the front runner for Christian fans of the show. I was always impressed with his openness to pray with his partner each week and often describe himself as a Christian dad, how refreshing from a superstar athlete.

On a personal note, I am sad this week as we lost the last living link to my Grandma Pope, my mom's mom. Her baby sister, Faye, passed away in her nineties on Sunday morning. I used to love visiting her, when possible, and hear the stories she had to tell of when she and my grandma were little on their farm. Living away from family has always been hard.

I would so love to travel to Illinois to be with the family. Prior commitments, I'm afraid, are keeping me in Central Kentucky. My thoughts and prayers will be with them Wednesday and Thursday.

I've got to mention that today's UpperRoom reading today was a refreshing reminder for me. It recalled the wonderful story of Jesus, Mary and Martha found in Luke 10. As Jesus is visiting their home, meeting with followers, Martha is so busy taking care of all the details involved in having a houseful of company. Her little sister, Mary, is simply sitting at her Master's feet, listening intently to all he has to say. When Martha can stand no more, she approaches them and blurts out that Mary should be helping her with all this work. But, Jesus simply replies, "Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her." Wow, thank you, Lord, for reminding us that all the stuff that we get so wrapped up in around us, is really not important at all compared to what You have to teach us. I'm constantly trying to remind myself and those around me that we should spend more time taking care of those things that Jesus tried to tell us were important, our relationships, rather loving one another, than the things of the world that weigh us down and steal our time and energy.

I hope I can remember to weigh my choices today between the really important priorities of my life and those things that won't matter in the end.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful day today. Thank God for the rain that we've needed for sometime. He is good. luv, Susan

My Hero...........JESUS

I've been watching the Country Music Awards program for many years. It seems every year Brad Paisley is nominated for the biggest and most coveted award of all, Entertainer of the Year. He's also nominated for male vocalist of the year. Well, he often wins Male Vocalist, and never wins Entertainer of the Year. Even the fan poll last night, suggested that it would be Keith Urban, the Australian who would most likely receive Entertainer of the Year.

Well, when they had Gwyneth Paltrow begin her performance, I decided to take the dogs for their final outing of the night. I pushed the little red record button and headed to bed. After all, I hate staying up so late, to simply be disappointed again with the night's final award. With Blake Shelton snagging the Male Vocalist award, it appeared that Brad might be going home empty handed.

Well, I hope I didn't wake anyone this morning as I watched the last 18 minutes of last night's program. When Tim McGraw announced Brad Paisley as Entertainer of the Year, a scream of celebration lift my body. How wonderful, for Brad to finally get the recognition for putting his all into every performance for his fans. Woohooooo, Go Brad!!!

This mornings UpperRoom features an awesome scripture, Hebrews 12: 1-3. The most memorable words within it for me are: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus". What a perfect way to live our lives, always placing Him as our inspiration and our ultimate goal. We are reminded in this scripture that as we are running our race, He is waiting at the finish line for those of us who persevere and finish.

The UpperRoom writer uses Christ's face as the motivation and incentive to continue his efforts towards the ultimate finish line. One of my favorite songs, When I Get Where I'm Going, also mentions "when I see my Maker's face". The song's writer also describes his heaven as he reunites with his grandfather and tells him how he's missed him every minute since he left. How wonderful our heaven will be. I, too, look so forward to seeing my grandparents and loved ones when my time comes. In the meantime, we will run with perseverance, as we strive to do His work on earth.

Well, it is certainly going to be one more gorgeous day here in Central Kentucky. I don't know why we're being so blessed with this amazing weather, but I am so going to get out there and enjoy it. Oh, and did I mention that in Brad Paisley's acceptance speech how he thanked the man who he attributes his entire career to, his grandfather, who he mentions in one of his best songs, When I Get Where I'm Going.

Have a great day, I know I will. luv, Susan

November, Really?

What a beautiful, sunny morning it is today. Hard to believe that is is over a week into November, a month I usually consider to be described in hues of brown and gray. It is so bright outside this morning that the sun reflecting off the front windows of the house is actually casting light on the dark side of the trees in the yard. Amazing! It's been a while since the doggies and I have walked, but today looks like the perfect opportunity to head up the hill.

The UpperRoom reading this morning really took me back a couple years. The story is about an Israelite servant girl who tells a prominent general how to heal himself of leprosy. How does she know what he is to do for this healing is not revealed, however, he eventually follows her advice and does what she suggests. The healing does take place and the story continues.

The UpperRoom writer points out that when dire circumstances come our way, it is up to us, not to ask "Why Me?", but to ask "How can I do God's work in this circumstance?". This is a really difficult concept to adopt in our lives, especially when those difficult times come. I have been so blessed to not have those painful situations as part of my immediate family, yet, I have been oh so close to many an excruciatingly difficult and tragic experience for close loved ones.

I can even say that I have felt like the servant girl in this Old Testament story, when I was led to recommend others in pain, to what I felt would be their ultimate path to healing. Sadly, the advice was not always taken. Sometimes, even the most faithful followers can miss the path to spiritual peace, when confronted with life's most difficult circumstances.

I will continue my prayers for all my friends and loved ones in especially painful and challenging trials. I will also pray that they ask God to show them how they can use these difficulties to further His kingdom through their experiences.

Wednesday night will be the Country Music Awards show. I look forward to seeing Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood as they host for their third year. God has actually used both of these gifted artists in so many ways. I personally, have been given His message through their songs on more than one occasion.

Did you see the Bluegrass Stakes race on Saturday with Zenyatta and Blame? Because Zenyatta was a filly, going for a historic win, I was really hesitant to watch. I have painful memories of Eight Belles in the Derby and there's always the awful story of Ruffian and her last race against Foolish Pleasure. Both these talented fillies died following breakdowns during or immediately following their last race. It was really difficult to see if Zenyatta would win her 20th start. I only prayed that every horse entered would cross the finish line and that no horse would go down. Thankfully, that was the case, even though Zenyatta was beaten by a head by a Claiborne Farm horse from Paris. I hadn't even been aware that I had a neighbor in the race. My parent's home is adjacent to the storied horse farm where Secretariat lived out his life after his triple crown. Way to go Blame. I'm so happy to know both these horses will now retire to live out their days in comfort and security.

It will be such a beautiful day today and the next three days, it seems. We want to spend much of it outdoors. I hope you can do the same....have a wonderful and safe day. luv, Susan

Happy Birthday, Mark

It was a special treat for me this morning watching Good Morning America, as Brad Paisley was being interviewed and also performed. Of course, he was also part of Robin Robert's special last night, which was really fun to watch. It is always so nice to see even more of someone that you admire and respect, especially when they continue to reinforce those feelings with what they do and say. Brad never disappoints. He is such a wonderful role model for Christian entertainers and celebrities.

Today is Mark's birthday. He is turning the age that represents the year of my birth, as I am currently the age of the year of his birth. I have a lot to do today, so this will have to be short. The weather outside looks awesome with the sun shining, even though I know it is getting a bit crisp. Last night as I was driving out the driveway, I heard something across the way and watched a buck as it bounded off into the woods. It's really awesome to be able to see things like that on a daily basis. I'm on the outlook for my bluebirds to come back and hopefully, use the birdbath. It was always a favorite experience to watch several of them take turns getting their splashing and shaking done, usually one at a time, while the others waited around in the trees for their turn. That was in Henderson, so far here , they haven't seemed to catch onto the birdbath out back. I'm still waiting. But, thankfully, I have had several sightings of them in recent weeks, so I know they're still around.

It's going to be a busy weekend coming up, with a home football game and activities at church. We're already packing boxes to send overseas for Samaritan's Purse, one of Franklin Graham's ministries. I hope I'll get to take the dogs for some walks. I'm also planning a walk around our country block to collect cans and also to invite neighbors to church. This can be accomplished only if I have a friend and neighbor go with me. I hope it works out!! Last week we took part in a walk for Habitat for Humanity downtown Georgetown. It was amazing to see what lies just to the side of the main streets. This is really a beautiful town.

I am currently reading a book by former Buffalo Bill's quarterback Jim Kelly's wife, Jill Kelly. I spotted it a couple weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I hope to share more about their story at a later date. In the meantime, I hope you have a great day and enjoy this beautiful fall weather. I better start preparing for the birthday boy. Take care, luv, Susan

He Is In Control

Well, it's Election Day and I'm sitting here trying to review the issues and each candidate's stance concerning them. Remember, I am a procrastinator, after all.

But, before that, I needed to do my daily devotional, so I got the new UpperRoom. Since it comes out every two months, I am a day behind, since I was in too big a hurry yesterday to locate the new one I brought home from church weeks ago. Well, I found it and was reminded how close Christmas actually is. The cover depicts Mary and baby Jesus. How wonderful to know it's time to prepare for the annual celebration of the earthly arrival of our Lord and Savior.

My morning ritual before while driving to my volunteer job is to listen to Brad Paisley's CD that includes a really moving and mesmerizing song that I first heard when it was introduced on youtube. A dear friend sent it to me as she was moved by seeing it. This particular video was taken from the movie, Passion of the Christ. Many outtakes are edited together to show Jesus and Mary on the day of the crucifixion. It is excruciatingly painful to see Him and His mother as they endure this awful day.

The music put to this video is a song, rather a kind of conversational song between Mary and Jesus about a mother's pain seeing this unfold, yet the necessity of these unchangeable events. This haunting melody and simple lyrics gives me the state of mind and heart to start my day as I drive to town. The title is "New Again" and I just feel better knowing that I'm about to do my part of loving and serving, the message that He left for us, as he made everything new again through his sacrifice.

Back to the UpperRoom. I love seeing the manger scene, especially when all the animals are included. But this is quite different, as it is simply Mary cuddling her new baby, as any new mom would. Almost unnoticeable is the shadow that falls upon the otherwise, brightly lit picture. Yes, it's the shadow of the cross falling across the embrace of mother and son. We can never forget the cross when we are celebrating the birth! I always set one of the nails given me by a former youth pastor next to one of my Christmas nativities. The impending sacrifice must never be forgotten during our celebrations of his birth.

As I prepare to vote to put politicians in power, I am reminded by this cover art interpretation, that it was those in power who killed Jesus on the cross. It was Jesus who gave us the awesome example of giving himself for others; feeding, healing and teaching us to love and serve one another. I hope I can find some candidates who I feel are trying to do just that through their platforms.

I will continue to ask God for the wisdom and guidance and the discernment to make these decisions. But, primarily, I will rest in the comfort and peace of knowing that ultimately, God is in control. I hope you have a great day, luv, Susan

Horsing Around

If I remember correctly, I mentioned something about blowing winds last time. Well, they sure did blow here at our house. The powerful winds took down many branches from a dead oak tree in the woods behind the house. This tree had previously been hit by lightening, witnessed by Mark. The branches were then blown into the back yard and also onto our roof, thus taking down our satellite dish. When I got home from Lexington on Tuesday, it was quite the mess out back.

Thankfully, our satellite guy was out the next day to get us back in touch with the world. Mark and I experienced being out of the loop, so to speak, as we had no Good Morning America, The View, or the evening news to let us know the latest news. I even had to call my sister to find out who got voted off of Dancing With The Stars, thankfully, Curt Warner did not.

I'm still in the dark as to where Sam Champion is or what is going on with his family. They asked for prayers yesterday on GMA, but I don't think they were specific as to why. He's one of my favorite TV personalities, so I'm concerned.

I did, however, finally finish my latest book, The Horse That God Built, by Lawrence Scanlan. I bought it with birthday money last year, along with several others including, The Glass House, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Anne Rice's first book about Jesus's life and another about Pete Maravich, one of my sports idols. I've always had an interest in Secretariat, being from Paris, Kentucky, where he was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm. My parents home is adjacent to the farm and I thought I'd eventually get to see him while he was there. I never did.

I think I started reading the Secretariat book last year, but then got distracted, and put it down. I picked it up again when I heard of the movie coming out, so that was my motivation to start reading it again. I finished it last night, so I'm now looking forward to going to see the movie. I hope I make it before it's too late. I previously put off going to see Avatar and was bailed out when they decided to rerelease it back to the theaters. And from looking at today's paper, I see I have missed the Horse Mania event as well. I really wanted to take a tour of Lexington and see all the horses, but, alas, they are being removed and relocated as I type. That's the downside of being a procrastinator.

Because of our temporary satellite blackout, I also avoided seeing the national evening news coverage of the assault prior to the Rand/Conway debates. Not only was this a Kentucky embarrassment, but I also understand the guy being charged is from my home town. I may have known a relative of his, not sure at this point.

The only tidbit of advice I have this morning is to read, if you get the chance, the story of Secretariat by Lawrence Scanlan. It focuses on the relationship between the horse and his groom, Eddie Sweat. I hope the movie brings out the importance of this relationship, but I hardly think it does. I was enlightened by so much of what goes on in the racing industry. The writer did his research in Ocala, Florida; Lexington, Kentucky; Belmont Race Track, New, York; and Secretariat's birthplace in Virginia. It was really a well documented and well told story. I hope to visit Claiborne Farm sometime in the future to see where Secretariat was buried. Hopefully, sooner than later.

I've got a lot going on these next several days, so I better get going. I've had the dogs out a lot this past week, but not for any walks. Even though today is supposed to be some twenty degrees cooler than yesterday's perfect weather, I hope to get out and walk all five. I hope you get out today as well, have a great one, luv, Susan

Blowing Winds

After experiencing day after day of dry, sunny, unseasonably warm days, something is blowing our way. We hope it's rain. Hopefully, it won't be anything violent. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about Kentucky politics. After blowing through the Commonwealth for weeks now, last night the most hotly contested race turned just that, violent. I'm embarrassed to see that Kentucky political supporters of an unnamed candidate physically assaulted an opposing candidate's backer. Regrettably, this all made the national news this morning. The majority of Kentuckians are sick and tired of all these negative ads and are having a hard time making sound, political decisions because of all this negativity by campaigns on both sides. We know that college behavior should be ignored as irrelevant to today's races. I just pray that God will give us the wisdom to make the best decisions when election day comes.

I've been having continued health issues of a periodontal nature. Simply speaking, I've had gum surgery this past week. It hasn't been pleasant and I'm hoping and praying for positive results ahead. This, however, did not prevent me from attending the last UK game, which was really painful to witness. Many UK fans simply headed for the exits when things went from bad to worse in the third quarter. We remaining fans kept the faith as there were real attempts at coming back. We will hope for a more competitive game in Starkville this Saturday. Go Big Blue!!!

This mornings UpperRoom was a favorite, familiar devotional, the story of the prodigal son. This son takes his inheritance early and goes off and foolishly squanders it. When he realizes that he is at rock bottom, wanting to eat even the pigs' meal for sustenance, he makes the decision to return home. He is willing to become a hired servant to his father, knowing that he has become unworthy of his former position of a devoted and loved son. He approaches his father with a fully repentant heart, asking for forgiveness and mercy. Remarkably, the father welcomes him home with open arms and restores him, with celebration, to his "rightful" place.

This is a wonderful story and parallels how God will welcome us back into his loving arms after we have gone astray and ignored his loving guidance in our lives. The best part is that it is so true. As long as we are repentant and ask for forgiveness for our sins, it doesn't matter how long we have strayed from Him, He is just so thrilled to have us back, He celebrates our return!

If you haven't read this story in a while, it is found in Luke, chapter fifteen. Many of us can relate to the older brother in the story. He, who has always done everything exactly right, is not feeling very much like partying over his little brother's return. I hope we will see the return of the "lost sheep" as God does and party on.

I'm not sure what to expect in today's weather, but I do know that God is in control of it and everything else. So, I know it will be a great day. I hope you have a great day and stay safe no matter which way the wind is blowing. luv, Susan

God's Blessings

I realize that I haven't blogged in quite some time. So, I'm gonna try to do a quick update and try to follow through with a couple of blogs each week. I think there's over a hundred previous blogs still on this site, if you're interested in my views or stories from the past couple of years. I especially recommend the story about Mark's Thorn.

First and foremost, I am a Christian. I live a really blessed life. I seek God's will for my life everyday. He is awesome how he uses so many different venues to get my attention and show me the way He has for my life and how I'm to follow through.

Currently, my husband, Mark and I are emptynesters, with two adult children, who are both game fully employed and living not too far from us. So, we are able to see them regularly. We love that.

After living in Henderson, Kentucky for 21 years, we have resided in Georgetown, Kentucky now for almost three years. We are so blessed to have a wonderful church and church family close by. We've nurtured relationships with them and other neighbors. Country living has always been our preference.

Also, thankfully, my sisters and parents live close by as well. After over thirty years, having family close is a true blessing. God is good!!

I keep busy with church activities, family, volunteering at a super place called the Amen House, and caring for five dogs. Yes, five!! I started simply with one, Taffy, who I was given by my Aunt Linda in Illinois, after our little cocker spaniel, Twinkles passed away. Taffy was always a wonderful little pet, but as she got older, I thought it would be best to breed her so there would be the possibility of having one of her future puppies available if and when I lost her. We bred her with another malti-poo named Duncan. I was able to give the two puppies to Duncan's owners and also to my cousin, who needed a little dog. After we learned that Duncan was fixed.....I thought we'd try again with another dog. Hence, we ended up getting Pepper, a little Maltese, six years Taffy's junior.

Taffy and Pepper really hit it off and had four litters of puppies. With God's guidance I found wonderful homes for most of the puppies. However, through the years, I have received three of them back. I figured, they were ultimately my responsibility, so, in addition to Taffy and Pepper, I also have Riff, Roy and Pudge. I've got my hands full, but I really enjoy this little family of fuzzy white companions.

I will continue to ask God to give me guidance each day so I can serve Him by serving others and loving everyone on my path. I am constantly reminded each day that He is always with us. We can seek his guidance through prayer, Bible reading and study, church attendance, fellowship with other Christians and always being open to His showing us our way.

I hope you have a beautiful fall day, as it looks like we're having here in Central Kentucky. I'll try my best to continue my messages on a regular basis. God Bless and take care. luv, Susan

Morning Mercies

It's been a while since I've blogged. Mostly I just don't make the time to sit down at the computer, but I do have another excuse. Lightning hit a tree just into the woods and off the corner of our deck. Mark was under the deck at the time and actually saw it hit. I was upstairs in the kitchen and saw the extremely bright flash and heard the tremendous crack as it hit. I thought that the power would go out, but it didn't. I did, however, lose the internet connection to my desktop computer and have not been able to reestablish it. So, I am now working on my laptop, something I'm a little less familiar with when blogging.

I hope you are enjoying this perfect weather of the past two days. After, what seemed, weeks of heat and humidity, it has now become cooler, dryer, yet still sunny and warm. Our morning walk was wonderful. The first thing I noticed was an indigo bunting that flew past us and perched on the side of the road. I always enjoy seeing them, not only because they're a beautiful shade of turquoise, but also because they remind me of my friend, Lynn, who passed away five years ago of cancer. She was enjoying hummingbirds so much, I told her she needed a finch feeder as well, to see the colorful array of finches. She didn't remember ever seeing the indigo buntings, so I told her to always watch closely when a bird crossed her path on the road during her walks. The very next day, my phone rang and Lynn was ecstatic because she had just seen her first Indigo Bunting on her walk. It was fun sharing that with her.

Also on our walk, I was enjoying the fragrance of the Mimosa trees along the way. It takes me right back to Fort Worth, Texas, where I spent three years of my early years. Our Mimosa tree in the front yard made the perfect climbing tree. My first real friend, Richard, and I had more games of airplanes taking off from the branches of that tree. I also enjoyed my first encounters with hummingbirds there.

If you know much about me, you also know I enjoy bluebirds and currently have a pair nesting in a box on our property that are working on their second brood. We are so blessed to be able to watch them as they go about their business, tending to their young and not so young. Mark and I have also spotted some orioles in the yard and hope to see more of them in the coming weeks.

I've had a familiar hymn going through my head of late. It's called Great Is Thy Faithfulness and comes from Lamentations 3:22,23. This is one of my favorite passages for many reasons. In fact, I enjoy starting at 3:22 and continuing through verse 26. It reads: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, " The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

There's so many reasons to love these words. Some of my reasons include the mention of morning mercies. God promises us new mercies every morning. I always remind myself when I get down late in the day that morning will bring new blessings and grace from God, so just get to sleep and look forward to what God will bring in the morning.

I'm also a procrastinator and twice in this passage it mentions waiting for God. I can really enjoy waiting for God to open a door or close a door, letting me know what direction I am to go. That's so much better than trying to figure it out on my own. I'm also comforted by knowing that God is good to me because my hope is in Him and I am daily seeking Him in my life. Today I saw him in the birds and trees on my walk.

I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Remember all the servicemen and their families around the world who are responsible for our independence. Have a great day, luv, Susan

LISTEN UP

Wow, has it ever been beautiful out of late. I've been feeling especially blessed because, not only do I have juvenile bluebirds from the first brood earlier in the Spring, but mama and papa bluebird are now working on brood #2. That's real excitement for me. I'm especially looking forward to when they finally discover the birdbath in the back and teach the juveniles how to bathe. Yesterday, a daddy cardinal was feeding his juveniles and they were geting baths for their first time.

Walking was nice this morning. Barry, who bares his teeth at us, the beagle was again a problem, but I don't let it ruin our walk. We just have to get by him and take a few minutes to catch our breath before continuing on our way. We have one less horse in the field across the street. Mark mentioned that he saw the horse trailor go by, so I'm not surprised to only have two to enjoy across the road.

Taffy looks rather ridiculous these days. She refused to quit licking her incisions as they healed. I only kept her wrapped for a week or so, and now she is on antibiotics to take care of infections. She also has a lovely E-collar as they call it, referring to an Elizabethean type collar. Others refer to it as a cone. So for the next week or so, Taffy will be my little conehead.

I'm still watching over my gardens and flower pots. Thankfully, not a lot of weeds, but I do need to get down around the zuchini, yellow squash and cucumbers and start some pulling. I discussed Jesus' parable of the weeds found in Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43 with my Bible study group at church. It's actually harder to understand than I first realized. Whereas, in the Parable of the Sower, Jesus is sowing the word of God, which is represented by the wheat. He explains what happens when we receive it. It is up to us to manage our heart and attitude upon recieving His word and allowing it to flourish, thereby eventually producing fruit and a harvest.

The Parable of the Sower also has Jesus sowing the good seed, but there is also an enemy sowing a bad seed, which grows up as weeds among the wheat. Rather than pull up the weeds, it is recommended that the weeds and wheat are allowed to grow side by side until the harvest. At that time, the weeds are picked, bundled and thrown into the fire and the wheat is then harvested and placed in the barn.

I was troubled in the explanation that the devil was planting seeds that became evil people, not to be redeemed. However, after discussions at church, I believe that the devil plants the seeds of sin in our hearts, as Jesus plants the seed of God's word. We can allow both to grow, but it is up to how we choose to live our lives as to which will flourish and be ready to be picked at the time of the harvest. I hope we all try to refuse to be tempted to nurture those seeds of sin in our lives. Allow yourself to simply care for the wonderful word of God that teaches us to love God, love one another and treat everyone as you'd want to be treated.

My hope is that you have the ears to hear what God is telling us. Verses 41-43 of Matthew says: "The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

I'm going outside to enjoy this beautiful time of year. The days are still getting longer and will continue that trend until the first day of summer actually arrives. You have a great day, stay safe and enjoy every minute of these nice long days. luv, Susan

GOOD DIRT

I just looked at the calendar and a song popped into my head. "It was the third of June another hot and humid summer day......I was out chopping cotton and my brother was baling hay...." is running through my head. Not sure if the words are correct or not, but I think it's Bobby Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe". The last time I remember hearing it on the radio, the announcer actually noted her birthday by wishing him a happy birthday. Guess that means I'm getting old when things like that happens. Let me know the right words, if you know I've got it wrong, cause I know it doesn't sound quite right.

Anyway, it is hot and humid out there on this third of June. We got our walks in early enough to enjoy them and I have my clothesline filled with wet towels. Thank goodness for cool mornings and air conditioning. We again had our friend, the beagle at the top of the hill, but Riff and Roy are starting to figure out that all the barking and pulling only makes them exhausted, and I think the beagle is beginning to think the same. I sure hope so. I prefer nice quiet uneventful walks where I can enjoy the occasional deer wandering out into view.

This week I've been enjoying discussions Mark has had with some of our friends and neighbors. The big topic of discussion this time of year has been dirt. It actually sounds funny hearing them compare their dirt, how much they got, how they like it and how much they've paid for it. But, then as we've brought home several bags of
"good dirt" from the store for our vegetable garden and some of the potted plants, even I realize how important "good dirt" is for growing the flowers, trees, shrubs and vegetables we all enjoy so much.

It's not surprising that Jesus used the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23 to teach his disciples about the word of God. Rather than discussing buying good dirt, Jesus chose to compare God's word to the seeds sown by the farmer and the outcome when the seeds failed to land in good soil. The seeds inadvertently landed on the garden path, where they were snatched by birds; on rocky soil, where they withered and died; and among weeds where they were choked out and died. Jesus further explains that man's attitude upon receiving the word of God can compare to each of these scenarios. When one hears the message and fails to understand it, Satan can simply snatch it away; when one hears the message and receives it, yet doesn't let it root, it withers and dies; and when one hears it, receives it, but lets the worries of everyday life and distractions of wealth prevent the further growth of the seed, it too, is choked out and dies.

Jesus makes it clear to his disciples that the seed that falls on good soil is the one that receives the nurturing and nourishment needed to see it to full growth and future fruition. When we make our attitude and heart welcoming to the word of God, we can be sure to grow spiritually and eventually bear the fruit that God intended of us.

I've been enjoying the purple petunia's and the blue hydrangea's that are, so far, surviving my limited gardening skills. Hopefully, the "good dirt" will help overcome my lack of a green thumb.

I hope your gardens and flowers are blooming and producing all that you have in mind for your summer season. I'll continue with the gardening tips next time when I share Jesus' story of the weeds. Take care, stay safe and have a great day, luv, Susan

SUMMER'S HERE........thanks, James

"Summer's here, I'm glad of that....got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.....it's my favorite time of the year and I'm glad that it's here." Well, it's really only late May, but you wouldn't know it by being outdoors. It feels like we're in the middle of summer. I can't claim the first line, it's from a favorite James Taylor song. Because summer has always been my favorite season, I really like the song. It has been such a beautiful day. Took Riff and Roy for a walk up our big hill and then took Taffy and Pepper for a walk the other direction. We went early enough to be shaded by the overhanging trees and there was a nice breeze. Again, I got my upperbody workout thanks to the beagle at the top of the hill. Thankfully, he didn't follow us, baring his teeth, as far as he did yesterday, but nonetheless, Roy still managed to scrape his little pads raw and I have his bloodstains on my top to prove it. You can try to imagine how much strength and effort it takes to hold back two little five pound malti-poos, when they are bound and determined to take on a ferocious beagle, or any dog for that matter.

Our past weekend was also nice. I was fortunate to spot the activity at the bluebird house Saturday morning and noticed that a baby bluebird was poking his head out while mama and papa bluebird are in trees around the house trying to coax him out. I'd love to say that I witnessed the first flight of at least one of the babies, but I didn't. Instead, I saw the parents feeding another baby in a nearby tree, while they were at their coaxing. Sunday I didn't see any bluebirds in the yard, but today I've seen the mama and papa coming down and getting insects for the babies in the trees. I'll report when I get a look at them through binoculars....if I'm able to.

In Henderson, we actually got to see and video three babies making their first flight from their box. Another time, when the birds didn't seem like they'd ever come out, Dustin went back and actually lifted the box lid and came back and reported that the babybirds were sitting on their sofa watching TV and didn't want to come out. That line from him told me a lot about how he felt about leaving home, I guess. My little babies have been out of the nest now for almost ten and eight years now. Time does fly, yes it does.

I read the review of the Alan Jackson concert in the paper. I would have loved to see him and the opener, Josh Turner. They both have some special, spiritual Christian songs that I love. They both also have some rowdy songs that I love, as well. Unfortunately, the Rupp Arena crowd, or a few of the concert goers,managed to get drunk and rowdy and obviously did not appreciate these types of songs. Good thing I wasn't there, I would have just been sick hearing drunks yell up at the stage for Chatahoochee, while he was playing Sissy's Song and others. I hope to get a chance to see both performers some day.

It was fun meeting with a couple of my highschool friends yesterday evening. We make the opportunity available for those in our class, so we can restore and continue the wonderful bonds we have had through the years, some of us since first grade.

My Wednesday night Bible study group is starting a new book. Our last two have been by author, Max Lucado, so we figured we would stay with what we enjoy. Our new book, Fearless, is his latest. I was especially pleased for it to be chosen because my primary physician recommended it to me. He knows my problems with anxieties and thought it would be a good read for me. He's gained my trust this past year, as he's really understanding of my faith in God and has prayed with and for me while addressing my physical ailments.

As this continues to be a beautiful week, I hope you are enjoying these days as much as I am. God blesses us in so many ways throughout each and every day. I hope you take note of and enjoy all the blessings that God sends your way. Stay safe and have a great day, luv, Susan

THE VINE - WAIT ON THE LORD

Our weather in central Kentucky couldn't be more perfect than it is this morning. It's sunny and slightly cool, but warming up fast. It was wonderful to be able to take Riff and Roy for their walk. I haven't been walking much because Taffy hasn't been up to it. Last week, I took her in to be spayed and also remove a mass she's had for a while. I knew the mass was harmless because she had it removed before in Henderson and it's grown back, as the vet said it would if she had any more puppies. Well, she did have more puppies and the mass grew back and at ten years old she is still so healthy and activ, that if I didn't do something she would probably have more puppies in the future. I would really enjoy that, but have been advised that by ten she probably shouldn't, so that was the decision. Not only has she not been able to be really active due to her stitiches, but I don't like leaving her alone too much, so finally being able to leave her alone with Pepper for a bit and take the boys for a walk was a delight.......that is until the beagle up the hill decided to attack us, but it all worked out. I just got an upperbody work out as well as the walk.

When I was little we lived in Fort Worth, Texas. We had a Mimosa tree that I loved and used to climb in and watch the little hummingbirds. We also had some sort of dwarf wysteria tree. I loved the clumps of lavendar flowers that looked about like grapes that hung down below the branches. It attracted huge bees, but I never had any problems with them. I just really loved that little tree.

Years later, I noticed the beautiful wysteria vine that grew behind my grandma and grandpa's house in Illinois. We would all sit out back and be surrounded by the vines and the beautiful lavendar clusters. It also provided the shade for us to enjoy the back patio and each other's company without getting hot out there. My mom and sister were smart enough to get some of the beans from the plant at the right time and they also have the wysteria vines taking over fences and decks at their houses. I kept saying I wanted one, but never got around to actually getting the beans planted, etc.

Moving here to Georgetown, to this house that seemed made for us, I started noticing some wysteria shrubs and what appeared to be trees and vines around the area. It reminded me how much I had always wanted one of these plants. I looked around at some plant places and asked about them, but still didn't get any.

Well, as Gomer used to say,"Surprise, Surprise, Surprise". This morning when I went out to get the paper, I happened to notice a cluster of lavender flowers over at the side of our lot. I couldn't believe my eyes as I spied the vine climbing up several trees and intertwining between them and up into them, and yes, at the upper portion were the beautiful, familiar grapelike clusters of lavendar flowers. I was and am simply amazed!!! I didn't have to do a thing! I feel so blessed that God planted this beautiful vine for me years ago, and it is right here and now for me to enjoy and feel blessed by Him. How true that if we wait on the Lord, we will, indeed, be blessed by Him.

I had to look up The Vine and the Branches in my Bible to just remind myself of the true vine in our lives. There in John 15:1-17 is the story of Jesus, the true vine and God, His Father, is the gardener. There's so much to learn in this story, but bottom line is, we have to stay connected to the vine. How do we do that? It takes a daily act of prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other Christians, and a continual life of worshipping God.

I did finally finish The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. But, I'm still working on many of the suggestions in the final chapters. I hope you have a great day today and spy the many blessings God has in store for you. Stay safe, luv, Susan

ACCEPTING YOUR MISSION

We have gotten all dried out here in Scott County. The first time we looked at the house on this road, we noticed the "Flooding Possible" sign right away. Everytime we had heavy rains, we always expected to see flooding, but never had these past two years. Well, Sunday was the first time. As most all of Kentucky and Tennessee experienced torrential downpours for extended periods of time, we could hear water rushing down the hill at the edge of our yard. In the morning, Mark could not wait to get out and explore the situation. He said he could have put his canoe on the rapids coming down the hill as it washed over our driveway and out into the road and field across the way. Our closed gate had collected all kinds of debris as the water rushed through. I guess the entire road was flooded all the way up to and including the road that leads out to Cynthiana Road. Church was cancelled and we experienced our first flood. Guess the sign was right. Fortunately for us, we had no damage, just a very interesting morning seeing all the water. It was high at 6:00and had gone down considerably by 10:00.

I mentioned last month how much I enjoyed the blooming trees. The redbuds were particularly noticeable. This month it is the Black Locust trees. They have clusters of white flowers that hang down from the very top branches. They are so visible looking out across the tops of the trees from the roadside. We are lucky to have quite a few of them in our yard and they are so fragrant. It is wonderful while it lasts to to just breathe it all in, it's just so sweet an aroma.

I am currently trying to tend to some blue hydrangea's and some purple petunia's now that the lilacs have lost their blooms. How sad to lose them. I'm also trying to figure out what to plant behind the daffodil's and tulips that are no more. I'm looking into lilies and iris. As for vegetables, it's a slow start with my yellow squash, zuchini and cucumbers. I think we need a few tomato plants as well.

I put up the oriole feeder weeks ago, but no luck seeing one of them yet. However, I put up the hummingbird feeder with the same mixture of one part sugar to four parts boiling water and have already seen our first little hummer. Now I need to buy some more suet cakes for the woodpeckers, because one of them has been visiting the hummingbird feeder since his suet cakes are missing. With the finch feeder out there, we had our first indigo bunting with the goldfinch. The bluebirds are busy coming and going from their house, they're always my favorites.

I continue to make progress in my Purpose Driven Life book. The first four purposes are really easy to work toward. They include loving God, being a part of his family, becoming more like Jesus and serving Him by serving others. I hope we all work at these daily in our lives. The last one is a little harder, but probably, one of the most important. It is our mission, which is telling others about God.

It is so important to God that it is mentioned in each of the four Gospels as well as the follow up chapter, Acts. The first time it's mentioned, it's called the Great Commission and states, "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples". In Mark, Jesus says, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation". In Luke, we read "...repentance and forgieness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations". John writes, Jesus said "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And finally in the book of Acts, Jesus tells all his disciples "you will receive the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses.....to the ends of the earth". God made it clear that he didn't just want some of his created people to know about Him and our Savior, Jesus. He wanted all people of the world to hear this Good News. The disciples got the ball rolling and it is now our turn to keep it going.

Rick Warren expresses it as your ministry being your service to believers and your mission as your service to unbelievers. I hope we can all have the passion for our fellow earth dwellers to be active at both our ministry and our mission.

It has been such a beautiful day in this area. I was able to take the two boys, Riff and Roy for their walks, but it seemed a bit warm to take the old folks, Taffy and Pepper. We'll hopefully get another walk in as the evening air cools off a bit.

We're planning a wonderful Mother's Day. I hope you all enjoy a beautiful time spent with family on Sunday as well. Have a great day and stay safe, luv, Susan

FAVORITE THINGS

I'm home today, trying to keep warm. It's cold and damp outside. I believe that's a good thing because we had been in need of rain. Well, I can't take the dogs for a walk and no reason to do laundry, so thought I'd spend some time on the computer. I think most people who know me know that I'm a procrastinator. I'm also a very slow reader. I just finished a book I started back in March about John, the Apostle. It was an amazing book about how he came to write the gospel John and Revelation in the Bible. It doesn't say much about 1 John, 2 John and 3 John other than a brief mention of them at the end. Evidentally, the same guys who wrote the Left Behind series, have also written at least four books called the Jesus Chronicles. They are about the writing of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Now, I think I'll check out the others, hopefully from the bookmobile or the library.

I'm also making it through The Purpose Driven Life. The third purpose is serving others. I really enjoy doing this in my life. In order to serve others, we have to make ourselves available and always be on the look out for opportunities to serve. I was so saddened to hear about the latest example of human coldness. I'm sure everyone saw the news footage of the man who intervened in a mugging and was stabbed, then left to die on the sidewalk in Queens, while many simply passed by. He gave his life trying to save a life, although no one was willing to get help to him. I simply don't understand how so many people can be so hardened.

UK sports are on my mind a lot lately. How crazy has recruiting been since all our star freshmen and Patrick Patterson have announced their departures? One high school junior, even at the expense of Louisville and Rick Pitino. I would really like to have teams like the Unforgettables or the Comeback Cats of 1998, but I'll not complain when Kentucky basketball is exciting and fun again. Michelle Obama's brother, who is a college basketball coach, even when comparing taking a coaching job to his brother-in-law's accepting the nomination to run for president, said, "Hey, if Kentucky called me, you can bet that I wouldn't turn it down". That was nice to hear on national television. I hope everyone in North Carolina heard it.

I've been impressed with all the new recruits, but none has impressed me more than the kid that was featured in the Sunday paper. Zachery Lipson is going to be a freshman manager for the basketball team. He has faced a lifetime of struggles, but his never say die attitude and his positive outlook can't help but be beneficial to our team and our university. His comment,"I feel like the Lord is calling me to go there and be of service", speaks volumes to me. I'm reminded of the blind trumpet plater for UofL that is such an inspiration to all who hear him speak.

UK football is also gearing up. Saturday was the blue and white game. The decision to go was a toss up as rain was predicted all day. Unbelieveably, the morning was sunny before clouds did move in. Figuring maybe we could see some of it, we chanced going. It was wonderful to be back at Commonwealth Stadium. We watched the entire scrimmage before heading for our cars. Rain did not start til everyone was driving out of the parking lot. Thank you God, for that and so much more.

I hope you are enjoying your interests as much as I've been enjoying Kentucky sports. April is always a special month for me, especially enjoyable when I have the opportunity to enjoy lilacs and bluebirds. I've been so blessed to have them both this year. May you be blessed with all your favorite things as well. Be safe and have a wonderful day, luv, Susan

HAPPY EARTH DAY

It is Earth Day today and I hope everyone is trying to do their part on a daily basis to help preserve the natural beauty and the life giving resources of our planet. I was reading the article in Saturday's Lexington paper about Matthew Sleeth, a former ER doctor who is now preaching nationally about the Biblical implications of taking care of our world. I especially took notice because this former ER doctor was from Maine, where he worked at emergency rooms along the Maine coast.

Our family tries to make it to an island off the coast of Maine every year, as this is where Mark's dad was born and raised. Evidentally, this doctor's two children had been attending or planned to attend college at Asbury Seminary, which is in our area. Not only has this man and his family simplified their life, they have written books about how others can love God by loving each other. At the heart of this is being aware that our actions may jeopardize our neighbors lives by polluting the air and water around us. How better to love our neighbors than by helping to insure we all have clean air and water.

As Earth Day progresses today, I hope we all consider how we can each contribute to keeping this world as beautiful and resourceful as God made it for us. I wondered myself how well I do while I was driving up and down Southland Drive in Lexington yesterday looking for a recycling place for the three bags of glass that I've had in my car since Monday. I hope to encourage recycling at my church and where I volunteer. As these places are maintained by Christians, they should be examples of caring for God's creation.

I was also pleased that this family has no dryer, all clothes are hung to dry. I've always tried to utilize this idea and hope others will as well. There was also an article about that in the paper. Maybe it'll catch on as a "new" trend.

Spring continues to keep this area alive with flowers and blooming trees. Mark relocated some iris from the woods last fall to rock enclosed flower beds he made at our mailbox and driveway. I wondered if they would actually bloom this year. I've been greatly delighted and impressed with the beautiful purple blooms that we now have out front.

I'm also happy that I made a trip to Whole Foods in Lexington, because I've been wanting some blue hydrangea's, and they had them right out front. However, contrary to a tip from a friend, you can't take recycling there, they have recycling bins for their instore refuse, only. Hence, my trip looking for a recycler on Soutland Drive. Also, the recycling in Paris closes at 5:00, not one second later, I learned on Monday.

I hope to drop off my bags of glass the next time I visit Paris, unfortunately Georgetown does not have the capability to handle glass at this time. I hope you have all the recycling facilities available to you and use them faithfully. Have a wonderful Spring day and stay safe, luv, Susan

A LIGHT UPON OUR PATH

My hope for you is that your area is popping out with Spring colors as much as here in Central Kentucky. Ohmigosh, it is so beautiful around here with the redbuds, cherry trees, dogwoods, lilacs and I could go on and on. I have a hard time watching the road to town because the trees are so colorful and beautiful. It's not hard to understand why my birthday present was a blooming cherry tree.

I got so many wonderful birthday greetings by phone, card and computer for my birthday. It's always good to hear from friends and family, especially those I don't hear from very often. One call was from a dear friend in my former prayer group. She was thinking of me, not only due to my birthday, but also because of a Bible verse. It was actually the daily verse in the Upperroom several days ago. It's Psalm 119:105 and says: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It's easy to see why it's one of my favorites.

During our prayer group years back, my friend had shared with us that she was having trouble with fear of being alone and fear of night. I shared, not only the verse, but the hymn based on the verse because the words express that when we are afraid or alone, we can know that God is right beside us. When I left Henderson, I made going away presents for my prayer partners that had the verse on them.

I was again reminded of the verse watching the news this week. A little girl had wandered from her home to explore in the Florida wilderness. She was missing for four days before a member of her church felt God directing him to find her. Keep in mind that the family, the church, and so many were praying for her to be found. This man felt God telling him to go toward the sunlight, and eventually it led him right to her. What a miraculous story! The little girl was unharmed and had been praying to be found.

When we put our trust in God and let Him be our guiding light, good things can happen. Jesus was the light, the way and we can follow him by doing exactly what God has instructed us to do in His word. Our Bible holds the secret to living our lives the most optimal way they can be lived.

I hope your day is filled with sunlight and you can enjoy this season of renewal, revival and resurrection. Have a safe and wonderful day, luv, Susan

SEASONS COME AND GO

Wow, what the weather has been doing around here! In the past couple weeks spring arrived with all the blooming trees and beautiful flowers, then summer came right behind it, as we had days in the eighties that were hot and sunny. However, it seems that now the temperatures are going to plunge tonight into the thirties, so guess we're almost back to winter. What do they say about Kentucky weather, and just about anywhere else you go? If you don't like it, just wait, cause it'll change. Well, it has certainly been doing that of late.

I hope you and your family had as nice an Easter day as we did. It was one of the nicest days we've had for Easter in years. It seems we're usually trying to put up with cold, frigid breezes while having egg hunts outside or, due to rain, trying to hide eggs inside, or just calling the egg hunt off altogether. This year was just too beautiful not to be outdoors, so we did have the egg hunt. Please don't ask how old the little children were. We did have one four year old, the rest can all be considered legal adults in any state. My sisters and I evidentally don't want our kids to grow up.

It was especially nice having family from Illinois. We really enjoyed my mom's brother,his wife, daughter and her family in Lexington for a visit. It was a really special day. It started with a sunrise service over at church. That's usually teeth chattering when we are outside, at that time of day, but this year, it was really enjoyable watching the sun come up over the hill behind the church and seeing it shine across the way on a cow covered hill. We are, after all, way out in the country.

I'd like to say that I've been walking every day and have finished my book, The Purpose Driven Life. However, due to procrastination and poor time management, my walks have been few and I'm only on chapter 25 of 40 of my book. This is giving me an opportunity to spend more time thinking about discipleship, the third purpose, which is becoming more like Christ. There is so much to this, but it can be made easier to understand when you stop thinking selfishly and start thinking about the needs of others. That is what Jesus always did. I've often pointed out that the movie, Groundhog Day, shows this in such a humorous and sincere way. I'll mention that again next February 2.

In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying whatever season with which you've been blessed. God gave us all the seasons, so we know they're all good, even when we may not appreciate them. Have a safe and wonderful day. luv, Susan

If I Have Not Love, I Have Nothing

Mark and I just got back from a trip to Florida. We took Dustin and two of the dogs, the older two, Taffy and Pepper. It was a good trip. We always enjoy geting down to see Mark's parents and his brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Judy, and their three kids. It's always difficult living so far away from family. But, it was a nice trip and Mark got to go out fishing on the ocean a couple times and I was able to walk the dogs in a warm and sunny climate.

It's also good to be back home, get reunited with Riff and Roy and spend time with my family here in Kentucky. It was exciting following the Kentucky Wildcats these past weeks, too bad it had to end the way it did. We could really tell that UK was simply not meant to win their game against the Mountaineers. It didn't seem that they could muster up their A game, or their B or C game either. We can be thankful, as fans, that we had a successful season and were able to enjoy so many exciting games and entertaining players. I think we have a pretty special guy as the coach as well. I would love for the college players to come and spend their four years, but in the present climate of college basketball, if you want to win National Championships, I guess you need to get some of the players who are not gonna stay very long. It would be wonderful if they did. In the meantime, I'll be watching the women's team tonight and rooting them on against the Oklahoma Sooner squad. The Lady Cats looked good against Nebraska the other night. I hope they continue to do well.

My sister lost a very dear friend last Sunday. It was so sudden and unexpected, I know the family is still having problems coming to terms with her absence. However, because she was such a wonderful and faithful Christian, we all know she is in heaven where we all hope to be one day and again see that beautiful, cheerful, and special friend again.

Because of my procrastination, I am only on Chapter 23 in my Purpose Driven Life book. After learning overall why we're here, for God's purposes; and the first purpose of our life, pleasing God; and the second purpose, being part of God's family; now I am reading about the third purpose, becoming more like Christ, our ultimate role model.

Rick Warren directs us to four places in the Bible where Jesus' character is revealed to us. Jesus relates a followers traits during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. The Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12, beginning, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", illustrate some wonderful traits we are to have. Peter's list of characteristics of an effective and productive life in 2 Peter 1:5-8 stresses seeking faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in increasing measure. Also, the chapter of love, written by Paul, and recited at so many weddings, is so valuable to read. It is 1 Corinthians 13. You may be familiar with the beginning, "Love is patient, kind, etc.", and the end, "These three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love."

The last suggested reading to reveal a Christian's character is the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. I have this written on a glass light in my kitchen. It states: "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. We can see many traits repeated in these scriptures, especially love. Because after all, that's what Jesus was all about, loving God and loving each other.

I hope you are enjoying this week leading up to Easter. Time for the doggies to go out. Have a great day, luv, Susan

Temporary Home

Spring has decided to wait a bit before it makes it's complete arrival. Last Tuesday was so nice, but cooler temps and cloudy skies have mostly prevailed since then. My four furry friends have managed to bring in their muddy paws and this place is really going to need a good cleaning soon.

If you've been watching UK play this past week, you have seen some amazing basketball. I remember years back when we were in Rhode Island, I watched a Bobby Knight coached Indiana team, with Steve Alford, win a game in the closing seconds. I honestly didn't understand how they came back and won it like that. Well, if you watched the SEC Championship game, it was the same kind of situation. I truly believed that there was no way the cats could come back from five down with so little time remaining. I'm glad to have the ability to record and rewind the final minutes and seconds of the game or I wouldn't have believed the outcome of that game. It was absolutely unbelieveable. If you watch SportsCenter, it did indeed make the top play of championship week.

I will definitely be watching the cats as they begin play on Thursday in New Orleans. I hope they do well.

As I make my way through the forty chapters of The Purpose Driven Life, I'm always wondering what is best to share with my friends. This morning as I sat at the computer, Carrie Underwood came on CMT singing her latest music video. It's called Temporary Home. It's a beautiful song and follows circumstances of a foster child, a homeless single mom and a hospitalized elderly man. They are all experiencing the idea of their present surroundings being only temporary.

Rick Warren explains this beautifully in his book and calls it our temporary assignment in this world. We, as Christians, must continually remind ourselves that this is not our home, we are "citizens of heaven" and that is our ultimate goal. But while here, we have those five purposes to remember. There are many places in the Bible that stress this fleeting inhabitance of earth to us. I especially like how Paul says it in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal". When we understand and belive this, we no longer have to fear anything we face on this earth.

I'm enjoying all the little critters out back this morning. Squirrels, chipmunks and many birds are feasting at the many feeders Mark has kept filled out back. I hope you will enjoy all that God blesses you with today. Stay safe and have a wonderful day, luv, Susan

THE RAIN MUST FALL

Tuesday was a beaautiful day, today, not so great. Early this morning, the sun was coming out and it looked pretty good, but as I went out to get the paper, little drops began to fall and a dark threatening sky appeared in the west accompanied by a roll of thunder. So, it has been raining off and on. I actually needed an umbrella when I strolled down the hill to the mailbox. But, I know the rain is neccesary for all the plants and trees that will be budding and blooming soon. I'll especially look forward to seeing my new October Glory Maple tree start to bud new leaves.

March is a fun month again, this year. Last year was difficult for us, the Kentucky basketball faithful. This year, we get to enjoy a possible run at the SEC Tournament Championship, after clinching the regular season crown. We also hope to make a real impact at the NCAA Tournament. We are constantly reminded of how young and inexperienced our team is, so anything can happen. But, we are hoping for good things ahead.

I'm still reading through my Purpose Driven Life book, though I'm not nearly as disciplined, as to say I'm actually reading a chapter each day. But, I do hope to get through the forty chapters by Easter. After discovering my supreme goal as bringing glory to God, this book helps me to break down how to do this through five purposes. They are revealed in the Bible and highlighted in Rick Warren's book as worshiping God, loving others, becoming Christ-like, serving one another and telling others about Him. I just finished the second five chapters which helped explain to me how to worship God by pleasing him. Noah's life is a wonderful example of how to do that. He was able to "make God smile" by doing the following: loving God, trusting God, obeying God, praising God and using God given abilities. These are all forms of worship when they are done for God's glory.

I will strive to do these things by keeping them always in my mind and heart. I hope you have a great day today and I look forward to better weather and opportunities to get out again for daily walks soon. luv, Susan