Happy New Year!

I can't believe that 2008 is only a few hours away. Dan is working tonight and Kelly is out with friends, so here I am at home, just me and the doggies, Patch and Duke. :o)




We are supposed to get some snow tonight, 2-4 inches by morning. Then tomorrow, 1-2 inches. That's not too bad. I don't mind the snow, in fact I think it looks pretty. What I don't like is freezing rain, ice storms and dealing with that type of weather.
Today Dan and I went out for lunch at Cracker Barrel. I had grilled chicken tenderloins, green beans, coleslaw and cornbread. YUM! After we ate we did a bit of shopping in the gift shop. All of their Christmas items were 70% off, what a deal!
Bought two of these snowmen mugs.(trying to show you both sides of the mug).



I have been using my mug enjoying Chai tea all afternoon. :o)

Was going through some pics on my computer and thought I would show you the desk/makeup area Dan made for Kelly a couple months ago. Please ignore the messy closet that shows in the mirror! After that photo was taken Dan installed new mirrored closet doors for her.



Hope everyone is having a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

God bless

Indescribable Gift

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!~~2 Corthinthians 9:15

Christmas, my child, is love in action...When you love someone, you give to them, as God gives to us. The greatest gift He ever gave was the person of His Son, sent to us in human form so that we might know what God the Father is really like! Every time we give, it's Christmas~~Dale Evans Rogers

Here are some pics from our Christmas Day. I have tons, but will share a few.

Kelly helping Patch with his stocking.

My Mom holding my nephew Derek's little girl.

My Dad holding the sign we got him for his garage workshop.


Our Christmas Tree




I will honor Christmas in my heart to try to keep it all year long. ~~Charles Dickens

Blessings~
Pam

Again?

Well, here I am trying to simplify once again. I miss blogging, but right now I don't really want to take the time to work with html and uploading pics, etc. at Moore Country. So, for now I will do all of my blogging here. Hope you all don't get tired of me moving back and forth.

Hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! Ours was very nice. It was a happy time spent with family and friends. Of course we wish that Jeremy, Sabrina and Colton could of been with us. I do pray that next Christmas they can be here.

Here is a pic of Jeremy, Sabrina and Colton at Christmas time.



Here is a pic of Dan, me, Kelly, Randy and Chris on Christmas morning. We took this photo before going to my sister's house for the big family get together.



Take care everyone. I will be updating again soon.

~hugs~

Put Love to Work

Put Love to Work


"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

What do you do when you're facing a particularly stubborn problem? A problem that resists your every effort to solve it?

Put the power of love to work on it! The power of love is the greatest power in the universe. It's beyond defeat. It never fails (1 Cor. 13:8).

The Bible says God is love. So when you release love into a situation, you have released God into it. Think about that! When you start releasing love into a situation, Jesus becomes responsible for its success.

What is this love I'm talking about?

First Corinthians 13 tells us it's patient and kind. It's not jealous or haughty or conceited or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not touchy or resentful and it pays no attention to a suffered wrong.

Love rejoices when right and truth prevail and it bears up under anything and everything that comes. It's ever ready to believe the best of every person. Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening (The Amplified Bible).

The person who refuses to love is missing out on the very best God has to offer.

Don't you miss out on any of it. Release love every moment into every situation, every prayer and every thought until it totally consumes your life. It will strengthen you and cast out every fear that has robbed you of God's greater blessings. It will drive the devil out of your affairs and set you free from every torment of darkness.

Put love to work on the stubborn problems in your life. It's the one solution they'll never be able to resist.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 13

www.kcm.org

~Wordless Wednesday~

Gossip

This was on my desk calendar for yesterday, thought I would share...

Live so that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
~Will Rogers




Good, isn't it?

The Greatest Thing

The Greatest Thing


"Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest
of these is love" (I Corinthians 13:13 NIV).



Spiritual maturity isn't measured by how long you've been a Christian, or how much you know, or how often you go to church. Spiritual maturity is measured by the way you treat other people. It's measured by the love you allow to operate in you. Corinthians tells us that one characteristic of love is that it is not rude. That means, when we are walking in love, we treat other people with courtesy and respect. Are you courteous to other people? Are you kind to the person at the check-out counter that may be moving too slowly for you? Are you gentle when you are driving down the highway and someone cuts you off? Are you patient with your family and coworkers? These are all characteristics of love. The Bible tells us
that love is patient. It is kind. It does not envy; it is not proud. It is not rude. Love is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrong. Love never fails. Notice that these characteristics don't have anything to do with feelings. Love is a choice. You can choose to walk in love toward people even when you don't feel like it! Make the choice to do what is right. Choose today to show kindness and be courteous to others. Look for ways to cultivate the greatest thing in your life--love! As you do, you'll move forward into the life of blessing God has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for working in my life. Thank You for loving me so that I can show love to those around me. Keep me close to You, and help me be an instrument of love to those around me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries
www.joelosteen.com

31 Ways to Pray for Your Children

1 Salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2 Growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'" (2 Peter 3:18).

3 Love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4 Honesty and integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5 Self-control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6 A love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Psalm 19:10).

7 Justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 Mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).

9 Respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).

10 Strong, Biblical self-esteem " Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'" (Ephesians 2:10).

11 Faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Proverbs 3:3).

12 Courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

13 Purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).

14 Kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15 Generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 Peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).

17 Joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 Perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).

19 Humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).

20 Compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).

21 Responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).

22 Contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).

23 Faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 A servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 Hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

26 The willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).

27 A passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 Self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).

29 Prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).

30 Gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31 A heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).

By: Bob Hostetler

Splashes of Joy Reinvented

I love the name of this blog and I want to continue using it. I will post personal family type things on Moore Country. This blog will be used for more inspirational, spriritual things. :o)
I have been hearing a wonderful song on the radio. I think I need to buy this cd. Here are the lyrics.

How You Live by Point of Grace


Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress, use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

And have what you want, but want what you have
And don’t spend your life looking back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
‘Cause you won’t regret it
Looking back from where you have been
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children, dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night

Don’t run from the truth ’cause you can’t get away, no
Face it and you’ll be okay

(Chorus)

Oh, wherever you are and wherever you’ve been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
Even when you don’t think that you can
‘Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man

And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
‘Cause in the end, there’s nobody else

Blessings to all~

I moved!

You can catch me at my old webpage! Moore Country See you there!

~Women~

Got this in an email today.

One Flaw In Women

(you will see what it is in the end)

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have the compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Please pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to remind them just how amazing they are.

Blessings...

What We Feel

What We Feel Is Not Who We Are

Our emotional lives move up and down constantly. Sometimes we experience great mood: swings from excitement to depression, from joy to sorrow, from inner harmony to inner chaos. A little event, a word from someone, a disappointment in work, many things can trigger such mood swings. Mostly we have little control over these changes. It seems that they happen to us rather than being created by us.

Thus it is important to know that our emotional life is not the same as our spiritual life. Our spiritual life is the life of the Spirit of God within us. As we feel our emotions shift we must connect our spirits with the Spirit of God and remind ourselves that what we feel is not who we are. We are and remain, whatever our moods, God's beloved children.

~Henri Nouwen

~His Joy~

Experience His Joy
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. ~Habakkuk 3:18

God created us with the ability to laugh, so we must need to laugh. The Word says, "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing" (Proverbs 17:22). Jesus said that His joy would be in us so that we may experience His delight; He wants to fill our hearts with His gladness (see John 17:13). Jesus wants us to experience His joy, not just preach about it, or read books about it. He wants us to experiece His joy.
Joy greatly depends on how you view life, so if you need help getting your sense of humor back, ask God to show you the lighter side of life today. Don't hesitate to laugh when you suddenly feel joyful; you will quickly find that joy is very contagious.

Taken from Joyce Meyer's book, 'Starting Your Day Right'

Choose to Rejoice

Choose to Rejoice

Today's Scripture

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
(Psalm 118:24)



Joy is a tough word to pinpoint and define. Many people describe joy
as an emotion or a feeling that comes over you in a great and shining
moment. Sometimes joy is just the opposite of being angry, but
hopefully it's much more than that to you. Joy is not the same as
happiness, because joy is what God has put in your heart, while
happiness is a temporary mood that can come and go. The Bible talks
about the kind of overflowing joy that rises up from deep within your
heart because of what God has done for you. He keeps that spring full
and flowing, which is why you can choose to live in joy today,
tomorrow, and every day after. Joy like this is contagious, and the
world is looking for it.

A Prayer for Today

God, I choose joy today! Thank You for placing in my heart a deep well
of joy that I can draw from each day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

~Devotional by

Joel Osteen

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for:
1. Seatbelts
2. Central air conditioning
3. Clean laundry
4. Reading glasses
5. The US Postal Service

Hope your Thursday is going well!

~Wordless Wednesday~

Celebrate Your Marriage

Dan and I had an awesome time at the Celebrate Your Marriage Conference, May 21-22. It was held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. What a fabulous place! This our second year attending and we plan on attending next year as well. Christian speakers and authors Jay & Laura Laffoon are the hosts of this event and what a blessing they are to so many couples. I would highly recommend checking out their website and ministry.

We were entertained and enlightened by Anita Renfroe a wonderful lady, great Christian comedian! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! At the end of the conference we came home with many DVD's, books and CD's from Anita and Jay and Laura.
I think we came home with a few extra pounds as well from all of the delicious food!
You will find photos of our time at the conference and our stay at the Grand Hotel on my Flickr. Dan and I had a lovely room, with a balcony. We were very pleased.
God bless!

Desires

Ordering Our Desires

Desire is often talked about as something we ought to overcome. Still, being is desiring: our bodies, our minds, our hearts, and our souls are full of desires. Some are unruly, turbulent, and very distracting; some make us think deep thoughts and see great visions; some teach us how to love; and some keep us searching for God. Our desire for God is the desire that should guide all other desires. Otherwise our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls become one another's enemies and our inner lives become chaotic, leading us to despair and self-destruction.

Spiritual disciplines are not ways to eradicate all our desires but ways to order them so that they can serve one another and together serve God.

~Henri Nouwen

For Your Friends

Laying Down Your Life for Your Friends

Good Shepherds are willing to lay down their lives for their sheep (see John 10:11). As spiritual leaders walking in the footsteps of Jesus, we are called to lay down our lives for our people. This laying down might in special circumstances mean dying for others. But it means first of all making our own lives - our sorrows and joys, our despair and hope, our loneliness and experience of intimacy - available to others as sources of new life.

One of the greatest gifts we can give others is ourselves. We offer consolation and comfort, especially in moments of crisis, when we say: "Do not be afraid, I know what you are living and I am living it with you. You are not alone." Thus we become Christ-like shepherds.

~~Henri Nouwen