Closed and Open Doors

Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.
Alexander Graham Bell

Blessed

Blessed
By: Rachael Lampa

I may never climb a mountain,
So I could see the word from there.
I may never ride the waves,
And taste the salty ocean air.
Or build a bridge,
That would last a hundred years.
But no matter where the road leads,
One thing is always clear....

(chorus)
I am blessed,
I am blessed,
From when I rise up in the morning,
'Till I lay my head to rest,
And I feel you near me,
You sooth me when I'm weary.
Oh, Lord,
For all the worst and all the best,
I am blessed.

All along the road less traveled,
I have crawled and I have run.
I have wandered through the winds and rains,
Until I found the sun.
But watching eyes,
Asked me why,
I walk this narrow way,
There may never be a reason,
For the hope I have today....

(chorus)

You've given me joy,
You've given me love,
You give me stength,
When I want to give up.
You came from heaven,
To rescue my soul.
You are the reason,
I know,
I know.

Holiday Time...

Well it's that time again when we start making plans for the holidays. For me, Thanksgiving will be awsome this year. The four of us and my sister, Cameo with her boys will be going to a cabin at Bass Lake Thursday and Friday. I will be off work Monday, Tuesday and Wensday to make the preparation and off to Bass Lake on Thursday morning. We will eat, sleep and be merry for two wonderful days.
Really, I dread the holidays. It's not a real happy time for me. Growing up in a home of step fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, it was never really family. My mother is on her 5th marriage, my dad is on his 3rd and my bio dad is not in my life at this time by his choosing and ,Grandma Miller's passing five years ago. So, the warm fuzzy feelings of the holidays were only known on those Christmas eves as a very young girl at my Grandma and Grandpa Cunnings' house. All my aunts, uncles and cousins on my Mom's side of the family, (The Wallace side didn't celebrate holidays), would gather at our grandparents house and we would all open presents. We would sing, eat and play with cousins all evening long. That was one of the few constants in our growing up.
Then came the divorce and here this year and there next. "You spent more time with this parent last year than you did me", or "oh no, another boyfriend or girlfriend and their kids to contend with."

Even through I am grown and have children of my one, I still struggle with the holidays. We haved always tried to satisfy all the "parents", in laws included, and Nate and the girls really enjoy going from place to place. I, on the other hand, would rather forget it was a holiday, but I put on the face and go on.
I wonder what it would be like to have those warm fuzzies, the feeling of belonging, being a family, and feeling important, special and cherished. I can feel all those things about my kids and hubby, but not myself. God is really working on me accepting that I am HIS daughter. A princess of the King. It's funny how I have told my girls those things and they are so presious. Still at 41, I still struggle with those feelings.
So I have to remember what the holidays really mean. To be thankful for God's blessings and for Christmas, for God's sacrifice so I might be saved. With that in persective, it's not so hard to endure....LOL
I'm not whinning or really complaining.It's the way it is, but God has been way to good to me to stop thanking Him and stop celebrating Truth, salvation and freedom from the world.
"Thank you Lord for being EVERYTHING that I need!!!!"

Painting

I have decided that painting my house was more work than I thought!!! The kitchen is done, and Nathan is doing the touch up work. My arms and hands are killing me!! I admire every person that makes painting houses a career! Wow!

Happy Birthday Julie and Ben!!!!

Today is Julie and Ben Binion's birthdays!!!
Julie's the best sister in law ever!!! Nathan has been blessed to have you as a sister and I a sister-in -law and a friend.
Ben, you have a special place in my heart always!!
Auntie and Uncle think the world of you!!!
Now off to the party!!!!

A PERFECT HEART

Words and Music by Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire
Arranged by Tom Fettke








Morning sun, light of creation;
Grassy fields, a velvet floor;
Silver clouds, a shimmering curtain, He’s designed a perfect world.
I’m amazed at His talents, stand in awe of One so great;
Now my soul begins to sing out to the source from which it came.

Bless the Lord who reigns in beauty;
Bless the Lord who reigns with wisdom and with power.
Bless the Lord who fills my life with so much love,
He can make a perfect heart

Bless the Lord who reigns in beauty;
Bless the Lord who reigns with wisdom and with power.
Bless the Lord who fills my life with so much love,
He can make a perfect heart.



© 1980, this arr. 2008 Makanume Music, Ooh’s and Ah’s Music, Bud John Songs (admin. By EMI CMG Publishing). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Just Thinking.....

I know that me thinking scares many, but it happens on occasion that something will tug on my heart a bit, and I "must needs" share.
This January it will be nine years since God brought Nathan and I back together and put our broken home back together again. Alot has happend in nine years, lots a tears, wonderment, doubt, fear, gains, losses, but here we are, still togehter, in the Church with our children. Thanks be to God for a miricle that only He could have done!!!!
We often look at the "big miricles" such as a visible healing or a unexplainable fincial blessing, something that just "awes" the masses. When we do this, we often miss that speical miricle God performed just for you and me. It may not make the front page of the Pentecostal Herold or Apostolic headlines, nonetheless, a miricle specially put together by the Maker.
No, my name is not a well known, and I do not come from any ranks in Pentecost. In fact I am first generation Apostlic, but God dosen't care about that, He cares about me, and what I hold dear, my family. We are not in the of ministry as one may consider relevent, but God restored our family for a purpose. To testify of HIS glory, HIS saving grace, HIS love for us, and that HE is a God of reconsiliation. He worked a miricle in our lives!!! We are living for God, our girls are living for God, and we are doing that togehter!!!!
We ARE miricles, all of us that know God and know the Truth of who HE is!!!!
May we never forget that you and I are miricles that only God could perform!!!! Just as the childrens song declares:
"I am a Promise, I am a Possiblity, I am a Promise with a captiol P, I am a great big bundle of Potenitaltiy. And if I'm listening, I can hear God's voice and I'm trying, I can make the right choice, cause I a Promise to be, anything HE wants me to be"........