Category Archives: Challenge

Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful

The Fall Tag

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The Fall Tag

I was nominated by T. R. Noble author of Peeking Beneath the Rock for the Fall Tag.  Peeking Beneath the Rock is one Noble’s two blogs.  Her other blog is the Inside Cup.  Noble is an amazing and inspirational writer.  Take a few minutes to enjoy her work.

As the winds draw closer to our window,

and the leaves begin to fall,

it’s a reminder we draw closer,

together is better after all.

-T. R. Noble

Maggie of   Dreaming of Guatemala created the Fall Tag to “spread joy during this crisp season of autumn.”  The goal is to draw people together to celebrate the joys fall brings us, and to remember what has it brought us in the past.

1. What’s your favorite fall outfit?

I love to wear sweaters, jeans and boots.

2. What is fall weather like where you live?

I live in Florida.  It is often warm during the majority of the autumn season.  We went swimming over the weekend because the temperatures are still in the 90s.  Tonight, there is a crisp breeze.  Usually by late October to early November we begin having some cooler weather at night.

3. Your favorite drink to have in the fall?

I enjoy warm apple cider, especially on cooler days.

4. Does your family have any fall traditions? If so, what are they?

When I was growing up my siblings and I went with my dad to chop wood for the winter.  He did the chopping, and we loaded and unloaded the wood.  The autumn season was a time for carving pumpkins and making pies.

5. What are some activities and events you enjoy going to in the fall months?

As a child, going to the County Fair was one of the most exciting events.  We enjoyed the carnival, but it was also a time to submit canning, needlework, farm animals cooking, and plants for local judging.  As a teenager it was a time for holding hands and cuddling on the Ferris Wheel. Romances budded on cool evenings at the fair.  Several years ago our County stopped having a fair.  However, the National Peanut Festival is only about 40 miles from where we live, which is an even larger national fair.

As a teenager and when my children were teenagers, we went to a marching festival, where our local school band participated with other bands.  As a teenager and adult I have enjoyed a local fall festival that features a parade, local talent, carnival foods, and homemade crafts for sale.

Many of the autumns of my life were spent at football games.  Also during the fall we decorate pumpkins for Halloween.   Children and teens enjoy hay rides, and our churches join together for a large Halloween Festival along a City street called “Trunk or Treat”.

6. What’s your favorite fall scented candle?

My favorite scent is Spiced Pumpkin during the fall.

7. Tell us about one of your favorite fall memories?

Last year my husband and I unplugged from our electronics and sat outside by a fire pit on a few different occasions.  It was nice to hold hands by the warm fire on cool evenings.

8. What are some fall movies you enjoy watching?

It’s a family tradition at our home to watch the Walton’s Homecoming after Dinner on Thanksgiving. I also enjoy watching E.T.

Usually I buy books that have an autumn setting during the season.  What better way to spend an evening than curled up by the fireplace with a good book.

9. What’s your favorite fall treat?

My favorite treat is s’mores!  I also like carmel apples, corn dogs, chili and peach cobbler.  I have a weakness for fall comfort foods.

10. If you celebrate Halloween, what is the best outfit you’ve worn?

When I was 10, the college student who lived next door was an art major.  He made the coolest paper-mache mask, scary and realistic.  He let me wear it in a Halloween parade.  I put on a ripped up sheet with ketchup for blood.  I won the scariest costume contest!  The prize was a $10 gift certificate to Radio Shack.  It might as well have been a million dollars.

My nominees are:

Cooking without Limits

Ramblings from Jewels

New England Garden and Thread

A Farm Girl’s Life

Writing to Freedom

Rules:

Put the tag badge and rules in your post.
Answer the 10 fall-related questions.
Tag at least 5 other bloggers to join in the fun!

Remember to take time to enjoy the season!

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Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Tell Me Something Good Monday – Embrace New Opportunities

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Always put your hope in God.  Hosea 12:6

Happy Monday!  It’s a glorious day in Florida, and a great time to share something good.  I tried two new things this past week.  Both were awesome.  I attended a Wednesday Bible Study, which is a great time to spend lunch.  It was a relaxed opportunity to learn more about God’s word.  Then, Saturday night my husband and I enjoyed a relaxed evening with our friends on the Church vestry, our priest and our bishop.  We had so much fun.  I think part of the joy came from unplugging our electronics for a couple of hours and just enjoying sitting outdoors with friends.  We also enjoyed Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning with our grandson.  Please share your good Monday morning stories.  It’s a great way to start the day and week.

Do  you ever struggle with Monday mornings?  Do you have trouble getting out of bed and going to work?  Do you wish your weekends would never end?  Do you sometimes feel more tired after the weekend?  Me too!  The good news is Mondays are full of new opportunities to share God’s love and make a difference in the world.  Think of all the ways you can make a difference in your boss’s life today!  By the way, it’s National Bosses  Day too!  Think of all the ways you can help the people who come into your life today.  They too are struggling with Mondays.  You might be the very person, who can change their life.  Isn’t that great!  Today, shine like a radiant light and watch the world change before your eyes.

Today, give thanks to God and make your Monday great!  God bless you.

 

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Christian Living, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

The Brotherhood of the World Award

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The Brotherhood of the World Award

I was nominated for the Brotherhood of the World Award by  Crystal’s site (Originally Country Living).  This is my first time receiving a nomination for this award and I am honored.  Thank you.  If you haven’t visited Crystal’s Site, I encourage you do so.  The recipes, stories and photography are amazing!

The rules for the Brotherhood of the World Award awards

  1.  Thank the bloggers who nominated you and link back to them.
  2. List the rules and display the badges on your blog.
  3. Answer the questions.
  4. Nominate other bloggers and notify them.
  5. Come up with questions for them to answer.

Questions for the Brotherhood of the World Award.  I am asking my nominees to answer the same questions.

1.  How do you find inspiration for your posts?

When I first started blogging, I tried to plan my blogs in advance.  That didn’t work out too well, though I didn’t realize it at first.  There were a couple of days I was running late and wrote my blog without much preparation.  Those were the days that I received the most comments and likes.  After a while I realized that those were the times I was listening to the Holy Spirit, not trying to plan everything out in advance.  So, I don’t do any preparations in advance other than my regular Bible study.  It is rare that I don’t have something I feel called to share.  On those rare occasions I pray and read my Bible.

2.  What do you like most about blogging?  I enjoy the feedback most.  There is nothing like reading a comment that a post came at the right time to someone.  I’m glad to be used by God.

3.  What is your biggest challenge as a blogger? Time.

4.  What motivates you to keep blogging?   I don’t want to miss an opportunity to help others for our sweet Lord.

5.  What do you do in your free time? I don’t have much, but I like to help others.  When I need a time out, I enjoy reading and watching movies.

6.  Who is the most important person in your life? My husband.

7.  What unexpected blessings has writing a blog brought you? New friends.

8.  Who would you want to read your blog that doesn’t?  Family and friends.

9.  What is your favorite blog post?  I don’t have a favorite.

10.  Are you currently working on a new project? What is it?  No, but I look forward to publishing my research in the future.

My Nominees

  1.  http://www.transformingwaters.wordpress.com

2.  http://www.pureglory.net

3. http://www.eternamenta.wordpress.com

4.  http://www.lynzrealcooking.com

5.  http://www.ordinarilyextraordinarymom.com

Congratulations and God bless you.

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Most Active Blog Award

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The Most A Time Blog Award

I am deeply honored to have been nominated for the Most Active  Blog Award by Vandana at Love Yourself.  If you have never visited her site, Vandana is a young, but very good writer.  The site promotes self-love and care.  As we all know, it is impossible to truly love others until you first love yourself,  if you haven’t visited Love Yourself, I hope you will do so today.  Thank you Vandana.

The Rules :

1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.

2. Nominate other bloggers and let the cycle continue.

My nominees for this award are:

1. When Women Inspire

2.  Elihu’s Corner

3.  Girly Christian

4.  Christian Sperka Photography

5.  Beckie Lindsey

Congratulations and God Bless You!

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Live and Teach with Christian Enthusiasm and Calmness

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All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.   2 Timothy 3:16

I hope your Saturday finds you well and full of God’s perfect peace and joy.

Have you ever encountered people who ridicule you because of your Christian beliefs?  Do you feel like you are persecuted when you witness to others?  Have you ever felt like your rights are infringed upon because of all the political correctness around you?  Do you feel pressured by other Christians?  As Christians we often want to share our experiences and teach others.    That is wonderful and what God wants!  I compare it to a football fan wanting to talk about sports.  Whatever you love just spews out of your mouth and life.  Just remember that we are not in a competition and we need to keep calm regardless of what we encounter.  I am the “chief passionate hothead”, so I have to work on being calm probably more than anybody.  If someone starts yelling, don’t get into a yelling match.  Think of how calm Jesus was in his life on earth.  Some people are interested, some are not, and for others, it may not be the right time.  You never know where another person’s life has taken them, or what has taken place before you speak to them.

In my own life I accepted Christ as my personal savior many years before I was baptized.  When we are children, our choices are often made by others, who may or may not understand.  Before I was baptized I had a huge amount of pressure on me at church, but I didn’t feel like I was free to discuss the situation and baptism was not an option the adults in my life were willing to allow.   God is good, and in time he helped me to work through this.  The same people who held me back have now turned some of their thoughts around.  It’s great to be enthusiastic, but also be calm, loving, and understanding.  God has a bigger plan than we can possibly understand.  He allows us to use our experiences to help others.

Today, live with God’s enthusiastic calmness.  God bless you.

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Spread the Love Friday – Show Kindness

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See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭

Happy Friday!  What does Friday mean to you?  For me Friday is a time for wrapping up unfinished business and looking forward to relaxation and fun.  Remember, when we can incorporate giving into our day, everything is enhanced.

Have you ever had someone mistreat you repeatedly?  Did you find it hard to turn the other cheek?  Were you tempted to just “show them”? The Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians 5:15 that we should avoid doing evil when we are treated with evil.  Instead, we are to treat all people good.  So, if you have a tendency to lash out, what can you do?  Here are a few suggestions to carry around with you for those special moments.

  1.  Take a deep breath and slowly count to fifty, while smiling.
  2. Walk away.
  3. Don’t engage in bad behavior. Instead, imagine how good you will feel standing next to God on judgement day.
  4. Think of something you can do to help someone and get your mind off what’s happening at that moment.
  5. Take a walk outside and enjoy God’s work.
  6. Be nice to the person, but break the habit of approaching this person in the same places or circumstances where you have been hurt previously.
  7. Do something nice for the person. You never know what’s going on in their life.

There are so many things you can say and do that I couldn’t possibly list them all.  Advanced planning helps with forming new behaviors.  The good news is you will be a better person.  The best news is others will learn from your behavior, like your children, staff, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances.  So, you can change the world one conflict at a time!  Isn’t that great!

I challenge you to change the world by showing kindness to everyone.  God bless you.

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Use Your Gifts to Change the World Wednesday – Pray and Help Others

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However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.  1 Peter 4:16

Happy Wednesday!  Recently there seems to be so much suffering on our minds.  Our hearts are heavy from stories related to natural disaster, mass shootings, politics and tragic deaths.  Often, though taking place in a distant destination, we have personal connections.  In our small county last week, we had a double murder suicide that was particularly hurtful to residents here.  The mother sent her two children, ages 5 and 7, to school and instructed them to say goodbye to their friends because they wouldn’t be returning.  The children were told that they would be leaving.  I’m sure they thought moving to another town.  That night the mother shot each child one at a time and then killed herself.  One child lived for a short time and was sent by helicopter to large hospital.  These types of stories are heart wrenching and all too common.

So, what can we do in situations like these?  As a Christian community we can donate money to the family for funeral expenses. Take food to the family.  Donate to a trusted fund for natural victims.  Give to local churches to help with homeless people and those living in poverty.  It is our duty to help the less fortunate, but helping others also helps us to cope.  Above all, we can and should pray.

This morning I challenge you to reach out and make a difference in our communities, country and world through prayer and giving.  God bless you.

Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful

Try Something New Tuesday – Call on God

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Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. Psalm 131:3

It’s Try Something New Tuesday!  Monday seemed like a blink in time.  I spent the day in the role of fire woman, putting out fires.  Whenever we spend all our time trying to fix life’s problems, it seems like we aren’t able to accomplish our daily tasks, but the truth is that is when we are able to help others the most.  I’m not saying that we don’t have to do our assignments at work and our chores at home, but sometimes the simple act of listening to someone who is in distress, or taking the time to show someone how to perform a particular task the right way really makes a difference in the attitudes of the people in our lives.  Sometimes it can save us time down the road.

Have you ever met someone who you wanted to help, but they just couldn’t get past a particular hang-up?  Do you have people who complain daily, but don’t seem to understand where the problem really lies, because it’s easier to blame others?  I have people in my life who fall into these categories, and from time-to-time I have been there.  Where do you draw the line between giving up all your time to their complaints and taking a step back?  I have been asking myself this question lately.  I think the answer is listen, pray, ask them to pray, and help them find ways to give back.   What I have seen is after a while, they stop complaining because what you are saying isn’t feeding into their drama.  You see when we have emotional pain, sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond ourselves.  When we are able to focus on something else, like helping others, we spend less time thinking about how pitiful our situation has become.

Today, turn to God and help others turn God’s way.  God bless you.

 

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Tell Me Something Good Monday – New Beginnings

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In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.  Psalm 71:1

Happy Monday!  My good news is I enjoyed a very restful weekend without studying.  I was able to do some things I enjoy and still had time and energy for house cleaning.  The only studying I did was for my Sunday School class, which was amazing, by the way!  We had about 15 in attendance, which is pretty good for a new class in a small church.  We enjoyed an awesome discussion.   I closed out the class and the class started discussion back up. I was a little concerned the class would be late for church.  Isn’t that great!

It gets better.  I’m excited about the week ahead.  New beginnings provide new opportunities to grow in God’s love.  To me Monday is like a second opportunity to get everything on my list checked off.  Plus, every Monday morning my staff shares weekend stories.  I love hearing the stories. Instead of dreading Monday, think of Monday as a new baby with so many opportunities ahead.

Do you ever feel like others don’t accept or respect you because you are a Christian?  Do you notice people stop talking when you walk up?  Do you feel like you have to lower your standards to fit in or be accepted by others?  I have certainly felt this way on many occasions.  I use to hate it when I walked up and people immediately stopped talking.  However, when I was included, I felt bad about myself.  I’ve decided they were really doing me a favor.  You never have to lower your Christian standards to be accepted.  Society often tells us we are wrong and need to adjust our values.  Have you ever heard the expression “give an inch, take a mile”?  That’s what happens over time.  Christians give into a societal demands, and society pushes its hand.  Christians need to listen, pray and stay strong.  Be a leader, not a follower!  Be strong in your beliefs and make others wonder why you are always so happy.  Sure, there will be some who will never accept you, but that’s okay.  You have God by your side!

 

Walk in God’s love with happiness in new beginnings!  God bless you!

Blessings, Challenge, Christian, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, God, happiness, Thankful, Uncategorized

Rest in His Prescence and Love

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This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭132:14‬

It’s a restful Saturday here in Florida.  I’m studying my Bible with Dominic, Freckles and Singer by my side and a warm cup of coffee.  I have a watchful eye on the storm as I recover from the adventures of the week.

Do you ever push, push and push some more to make it through the week?  I certainly do.  It’s great that we can push to meet deadlines when we need to.  However, when we don’t find rest from the physical, mental and emotional challenges we face, everyone and everything suffers.  The good news is God gives us rest, and when we rest in his presence, we can renew our focus on life.

Today, take time to rest your body and mind.  God bless you.