Three or More..... Canine Caballeros!

Jumping In! Three or More....of what? Share it today. What do you have 3 or more of in your home or your life that you would be delighted to share with others today? Here's your link.

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

It has been SO hot the last couple of weeks. We are definitely in the latter "Dog Days" of summer as the end of August approaches quickly. School has started up again. The big yellow school buses have once again begun rumbling down the street early in the mornings. It brings anticipation for the cooler days and evenings of Fall and then the crisp, "see your breath" mornings of white winters. As I was going through my photo files, I came across this video clip, and decided to share it today in honor of my THREE CANINE family members. They are affectionately known as the Three Amigos, the Three Stooges, the Three Caballeros, or the Three Musketeers at any given time, depending on what they are doing! They are all three males and all around the same age...going on 6! All rescues. All wonderful companions making up a part of the fabric of our family and home. We love them. So here is a breath of fresh air from this incessant heat, visions of the change to come in seasons. And just a part of today's THREE or MORE in my life to share with you! Blessings. Oh!....The stars of this wintry scene are Gideon, Rob Roy, and Kobe.

Monday Musings....

This past weekend was a Good Weekend. I was freed of pet sitting duties. I was able to tackle some "hanging projects." Friday night as I lay down to recharge and sleep, I set my goals. Not too many, just ones I thought were doable...weather permitting.

Mission accomplished. The yard got attacked with a vengeance. It was hot and heavy duty work trimming, weeding, clearing, and Hubby did a lot of shovel work. It feels good. My partner in diligence said I wore him out, but he sure did good!

All of our vehicles got vacuumed and washed and any necessary maintenance work done.
One of those tasks was unexpected on Friday evening! On his way home, Kurt's clutch went out on this faithful old Toyota truck. I had to go out and pick him up and then he and his loyal assistant Jonny went back, as soon as he had gotten some food in himself, flashlight in hand, to replace it in the parking lot of a gas station. Bless his heart. HE did it.!! God is good.

We finally heard from our Marine. He had been in training in Virginia for two weeks and we had not heard a peep. No Phones allowed. They were the first battalion ever to spend the entire two weeks out in the field at the training location. Justin said it was a good two weeks. He continues to relish his training and calling. For this, I am grateful. We miss our honorable son. He is constantly on our mind and on the edge of our hearts. We pray mightily for him. God bless them all.

My dear husband is treading some familiar waters today, though he has not visited them in a while. He has a job interview. Just this fact alone seems to show that the job market is finally, slowly starting to open up a little more. It is fully committed to the Lord. The moment rests in His hands, His plans for us, and His Divine Will. It is an opportunity, Kurt and I both feel and acknowledge...for God to use Kurt to shine, to give honor and glory to Christ as he talks and visits with these people. The outcome of that time is laid at God's feet. Every day we live for God. Every person we come into contact with provides a chance to be light in a world crying out in darkness.

We do not need to live for ourselves. It's not about us. This is our reality in this lifetime. When we fully "get that", our whole life mission and calling become clear.
God wants us simply to be....one who follows fast and hard after the One whom we love best.

So, who do you love best in this world? That's what you need to identify and get a grip on. It will change everything. Who are you most intimate with in your everyday happenings? Whom do you always turn to FIRST to tell your joys to? your heartfelt pains to? your fears and most scary thoughts to? That will be who you tend to follow after.

Living in this world in these times can become scary if we dwell on the "in-your- face" realities that sometimes are shouting a little too closely, right on the edge of our comfort zone,almost stepping over the border into our courtyard of safety. It makes our hearts speed up when we wonder what tomorrow will bring.

God is our Strength. He is our Rock. He is our Faithful One, who will never leave us, when all others have disappeared. This is the Rope of Faith we cling to, when we look out, hanging on for all we are worth, searching the horizon for help!

Look UP! God is there. Let your eyes of faith lock into His eyes of Love looking down at you. Remember His promises for you.

"This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

My mind races through my musings today...this Monday. I know that this life is hard. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I know that this life is fleeting. It is a small, small dot on the long ever-stretching line of eternity. We cannot give up.

I know this life is GOOD! Because God is still in it. He has not left, not turned away...not once. The Lord God, Creator of the Heavens and this Earth is on His watch, ever in control, all things happening under His careful and loving care.

I praise Him today for this truth. I praise Him today for giving me the FAITH to know that this is my reality. God is faithful and true, unchanging, yesterday, today, and forever. He is unshakable. He is unstoppable. He is God and God alone. And this God is OUR GOD!!

Praise God today for Who He Is. And take heart, be recharged that this is your reality. He is with you until the end of this age.
Courage! Live Strong in this fact. You are fully equipped and capable. You are a warrior of heaven and for God. You will see and experience victory...and in the meantime...God is taking care of you.

Blessings!

The One who gives Courage and Confidence

Well...this is kind of one of those "pain in the rear" subjects....literally.
Wednesday evening, I went to a new client's house to start a dogsitting contract. The dogs were a Senior miniature Schnauzer, and a larger Standard Schnauzer. Right after I got in the back door and was setting my stuff on the island counter, I got a chomp right on the right cheek, and I don't mean my face! Talk about surprise!
Luckily it wasn't a grab and hold latch, just a grab and release nip. But IT HURT!
I proceeded to handle the situation in the best manner I knew to do with all the information I have read, learned, and had experience with. Needless to say, because the dog got the bite in, and she knew it, I thought it wise to turn the situation over to another sitter to try it, and not return.

That is only the second dog that has ever gotten a hold of me, so I am always a little shocked, humbled, and maybe even humiliated. :-) It kind of sets you back a little bit and you have to deal with it immediately in your mind, if it is what you do as a job.



As I entered into a new job the very next evening with unfamiliar dogs, I could feel the "unsettled feeling" of approaching the work. Four dogs this time, and all barking insanely in a pen. (just pack style - normal) But the unease was there, and I didn't like it. Animals can also sense this in a human to a degree, so one always has to exude confidence and the alpha role from the beginning.

I know when you fall, you always need to get right back up in the saddle and tackle your fears. I had done so, walking into a new sitting situation, and felt the discomfort that the saddle just might could turn sideways on me and leave me riding off-kilter. (I know this from when my sister and I had a horse in high school days.)

It made me think of how if there had been someone else there with me during the bite episode, and in the following new situation, how much more comfortable I would have been. It just helps to have a "helper, partner, comforter, buddy"....does it not??

This is true in life. We all need someone we trust. Someone who is there for us when the going gets tough, and the work gets downright stressful and dirty. That is what good friends are for. That is why every Marine always has a "buddy" with him to watch his back. That is why God made marriage.

That is why God gave us the Holy Spirit! He knew. We would have extremely hard days in this walk where we would need that helper to give us support, to calm us down, to cheer us on, to provide the shoulder to cry on. He knew.

So be thankful for that friend who is always there on the other end of the phone to let you vent. Be grateful for that God-assigned spouse who is your "best of all best friends" sticking with you through the for better-for worst's of life. Be grateful for the buddy you may have who is watching out for you at work, in the neighborhood, on the battlefield, on the road, in the dorm, at home....

And thank God that He is always with us, having promised never to leave us, words of security, peace, and confidence that He is with us to the end of the Age.

That sets the saddle straight. That lets me know I will not fall off. I have Someone Who is with me. He is holding me in the palm of His hand. I can give away my fears. He will take them. I can free-fall with good faith into the confidence He assures me He will give.

That is a good thought for this Friday. A Good Friday thought. I like that. "Good Friday" is really what my life rests on.
Christ died on the cross for me that day, and then rose again 3 days later. I am secure forever because of that.

God is good ...All the time....God is good.
Courage!

I Can Only Imagine...

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (I Cor. 2:9)


Today I have been struck afresh of the deep deep gratitude, or is it joy, or is it confidence....knowing that when I leave this earth, my life is not over. It will be the beginning of my new life, my predestined life, my life forever with my Father and Jesus my Savior, my Hero, my Redeemer, my Lover of my Soul.

Life will be as God originally intended. No longer waiting for what was supposed to be... to get back to what it should be. I can't wait.

The feeling I experience comes from within somewhere... my core? my gut? the part where my soul is resting. It is this part of me, when I feel this "feeling" arising from it, that I know is coming from the REAL me. It is what I am. AS C. S. Lewis put it. "I don't have a soul. I AM A SOUL. I have a body."

It's like an emotion that is not to be explained or understood, yet it is there. Every once in a while we get a taste of it, slowly coming over our entire being, rising up to connect with our brain. Our mental computer up there tries to process that feeling and combine with our psyche to deliver what emotion it is that we are feeling. But it's not quite like any other emotion. Anybody else ever feel that way?

In experiencing this again this morning, I believe this to be the "eternal me", the soul that makes me who I am, a creature made by God, to live for Him and enjoy Him. It is the Holy Spirit in me, united with me, who has been there.... dwelled in Heaven!... letting me feel that longing to go home. And it is not of this world, not originating from any source in this life here. Thus it is just a taste. A "spiritual-emotional" glimpse of what is to come. The Holy Spirit, my comforter and defender with me in battle here, sets loose a small, small drop of that feeling of what Heaven is like.

And it envelops the entire being. For just a moment. And that feeling, that emotion, that taste is what makes me SURE, along with God's promises, that there is something way beyond what we know here. It is beyond our imaginations. It is beyond our experiences. It is our home. It is where we as children of God will reside... forever.

I am so looking forward to being there. I am so glad for the assurance, the undeniable faith that God has given that we have a FUTURE and it will be with Him, and it will be unbelievably awesome. Blow-your-socks-off Holy Living as God meant us to have with Him. That joy will be incredible. Can't you just relish the thought?

God is good. His Word is truth. His promises are sure. He is with us. Now...Today..
We are not abandoned until death comes. We were not left orphans. God is with us, in our core, where our true identity is, our soul. The Holy Spirit dwells with us.

Every once in a blue moon, when you get a feeling that is inexpressible, and unexplainable, consider this. The Holy Spirit may have just let loose a drop of that Heavenly Joy for you to get a foretaste of what's to come. Hang onto that!
Live your days with that assurance - that this life is just a moment, a blink of an eye. Heaven is our destination. It is our home.
In the meantime.... be a good ambassador for your HOME country. :-)

Look forward to your homecoming with Jesus Christ your Brother and Savior, when He will greet you with the words, "Welcome Home!", and you will be standing in the arms of the Lord, forever changed, forever secure, forever glorified, fully sanctified.

Based on this small drop of joy, this glimpse of Heaven revealed to my soul...
I Can Only Imagine.


Linking up with:
http://theinspiredroom.net/2009/08/21/2-year-blogaversary-faints-a-big-thank-you/
to share a moment of being renewed by a taste of Glory!
Blessings,

Tuesday Photo Time Capsule dedicated to my Hubby

"Any Man Can Be a Father, but it Takes Someone Special to be a Dad."

“A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.” -Unknown


“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” -David O. McKay

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” -Jim Valvano

“Many men can make a fortune, but very few can build a family.” -J.S. Bryan

“My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.’” -Harmon Killebrew

You will find that if you really try to be a father, your child will meet you halfway. ~Robert Brault

So glad you are back home and God works all things together for good, even jobs that separate.

1...2...3...4...reasons I love you. Such wonderful kids...

Ordinary Miracles....

"Ordinary Miracle"

Sarah McLachlan


It's not that unusual

When everything is beautiful

It's just another Ordinary miracle today.



The sky knows when it's time to snow

Don't need to teach a seed to grow

It's just another Ordinary miracle today.



Life is like a gift, they say

Wrapped up for you everyday

Open up, and find a way

To give some of your own.



Isn't it remarkable?

Like every time a raindrop falls

It's just another Ordinary miracle today.



The birds in winter have their fling

And always make it home by spring

It's just another Ordinary miracle today.



When you wake up everyday

Please don't throw your dreams away

Hold them close to your heart.



'Cause we are all a part

Of the ordinary miracle......



Do you want to see a miracle?

It seems so exceptional

That things work out after all.



It's just another Ordinary miracle today

The sun comes out and shines so bright

And disappears again at night

It's just another Ordinary miracle today



It's just another Ordinary miracle today....



Miracles are not always large and grand happenings that are unexplainable, defying logic and science. Miracles are occurring around us every day in numerous ways, and many times...they go unnoticed. I like the song above, sung by Sarah McLachlan in the attached video below.

When the sun rises right on time, every single day, and sets again in the evening, do you ever stop and think of the perfect order of the times that are set in your life, so consistently and unchanging....? It's a miracle, maybe ordinary because it just gets taken for granted, but it IS a miracle.


When you plant a seed in the black dirt and begin to see the green pushing through, and you watch the progress by the day, do you think to yourself, that a miracle is occurring? From a small seed placed in the ground, something beautiful and maybe delicious is formed...How did this happen? It's a miracle, maybe ordinary because it gets taken for granted, but it IS a miracle.

When it gets cold and you see all of the flocks of birds high in the sky flying past your yard on their way to a warmer destination, do you ever wonder how they know which way to go, how they know where the climate will be suitable for them, how they can navigate their way back when the season changes? It's a miracle, maybe ordinary because it gets taken for granted, but it IS a miracle.


Isn't it amazing that from the sky above, we can receive raindrops to water our world, hailstones that can damage our plants and crops, snow that can bring such blinding whiteness to a once colorless wintry grey landscape?.... and lightning, brilliant streaks of power thrust down from the heavens able to start fires, take life, and yet filled with ingredients that infuse elements into the soil that make it rich for the plants that grow from it, that also give us food we need to live?....

Do you ever stop and ponder the wonder of that?.... It's a miracle, maybe ordinary because it gets taken for granted, but it IS a miracle.


Are you struck in awe by the miracle we have to procreate? The love and passion of a man and a woman, sacred in its own right, endowed by God, to create life, microscopic in its beginning, and it grows into another human being, green-housed and protected and nurtured perfectly in its womb-environment?... We get to share in the miracle of seeing a new life created and formed, just as God performed in Eden, in those first days of time on this earth He created. It's a miracle, maybe ordinary because it gets taken for granted, but IT IS A MIRACLE!



And so...as the song says...when you wake up everyday, DON'T THROW YOUR DREAMS AWAY! Hold them close to your heart. For out of our hearts come the issues of life. And our Lord is right smack in the middle of those dreams. He loves us. He knows our desires. He knows our hearts. He knows our dreams. This....people, is a miracle.



Give your heart, your dreams, your everyday life to Him, because He gave them to you first, whether you acknowledge or notice or ponder that fact or not. Every day is a miracle. Life is a gift from God. It has it's trials, it's joys, it's traumas, and it's many twists and turns....but life IS a miracle.

The ordinary miracles are really extraordinary....if you stop and consider...how it all works out after all....and God is with us every step of the way...and all things are working under the power of His hand and His plans.



God is good...all the time.... God is good.

Ponder today the everyday miracles, the ordinary ones, that you have forgotten to notice lately, and be reminded how extraordinary this life really is.

Blessings,

MET MONDAY

It's Metamorphosis Monday over at Susan's. Lots of cute ideas and neat creativity by a lot of women.

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Remember this little redo earlier? A frame became a little table tray?



It has morphed again. It is now wall decor for the doggie corner! Just added a black lab magnet from my refrigerator!



Where it had originally rested in the living room on the coffee table, I placed an old salvaged window frame (grabbed from a neighbor) and made more "shadow-box" display underneath to put some pretties.




This wall in the kitchen behind the table had a small metamorphosis. I have been slowly adding small splashes of red into my predominately blue, white, and yellow kitchen.




It started with this...



And now...after just moving different items from one wall to another, it looks like this... which brings out the red in the loverly kitty print in that location.




Always fun...

check out lots of other changes at Susan's blog.

Blessings,