IT'S JUST A DREAM, JUST A DREAM

Have you ever had an experience where you just knew something wonderful was about to happen, then lo and behold, you woke up. Woke up to an OVER-ACTIVE IMAGINATION.
Well, how did you find out it was Over-Active? Let's put it this way, would you go to a prom and sit for the whole night,just because no one asked you to dance? Would you take a trip to a distant city just to spend the time alone, because you didn't know anyone there? Would you go to an expensive restaurant, order dinner; coaktails for one? You see, there is something about this life, it was just meant to have at least two players. Even the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:1, TWO ARE MUCH BETTER THAN ONE.
Problem is, if the time is not right, if the formula for encountering your Other half, is not calculated, you are in the soup. You are just out of luck. OK, then what do you do? In answer to this question, and the one asked at the beginning of this text, YOU SHAKE YOURSELF,THANK GOD YOU DID NOT MAKE A TOTAL FOOL OF YOURSELF, AND MOVE ON. My point is this, although some of us may never realize the deepest desire of our heart in this life, at least we know there is a God Who knows best. He has already promised us Abundant Life. Keep your heart in tuned with what He has said , knowing He is the Author of Life. Be still, and Know He is God. Wait on Him, be of good courage, and wait on the Lord..and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

IT'S A SET UP!

Today, after working , shopping, ironing, and all the other tasks one encounters as a daily routine, I was introduced to a brand new experience. To begin with, I'd like to say, my mom always made sure we had a fresh vegetables with our meal; and at the very least, she'd pop open a couple of frozen vegetables from the freezer. She'd spruce it up and Va-La, good as good can be. Well, I must confess, I did not do that. Instead, I reached for a can of seasoned greens I'd put to the side to have with my meal. Usually did this on one of my busy days. Mom always taught me that dinner should always consist of a starch, a vegetable and then your meat or fish. Anyway, there I was, had my fish, my potatoes, and now I was ready to add the final touch, my green vegetable. Well, after opening my treasure, ( seasoned collards), I hurriedly began to dump the contents, ready to warm it up, when to my horror, I was pouring out baked beans instead of greens. Yep, that's right. Don't know about you, but that was a first for me. Couldn't believe my eyes. Now you know that's a mess. DECEIVED by an undercover can of Beans; I felt jipped, cheated, shortchanged by an imposture. Then I began to wander if even the beans were safe. I've had many experiences, but this was a first. What did I do? While recovering from shock, a flash of anger passing through me, Something inside prompted me to play it cool; THIS WAS A SET-UP. A set-up, you say. Yes. With all that you and I have to endure within a 24 hour period, I do believe that there are times when The Master allows some very trying things to occur in our lives, just so that we can see our own reaction. Even though I did not like what had occurred, time was against me. It was too late to go back out and get what I thought I already had. So, I stood there with two choices; ramp and rage, or just go without what I really wanted. OK, in spite of my disappointment, I decided to let the matter go. That's just about how life is at times. You just have to make these instant decisions and let God handle the results. I believe, in this, He is glorified. In this life, as short as it is, we are afforded many opportunities to Know the One Who Cares for us more than we care for ourselves. Have you stopped to see whether or not what you've been going through was A SET UP? These are Experiences, Especially tailored, so that you can get to know Him.

MOTHER PLEEZE !

Hello, thought I'd go ahead an create another post while I'm here. Thought about Mothers' Day coming up, and wanted to add my two cents to the mix. My mother is still a very impressionable person. God created her for me and me for her. Somehow, I must admit, if it had not been for my moms' sternness, I would probably be on Skid-Row by now. But, this person, speaking of my mother, raised me to be Independent, Trustworthy, and Consistent. "Other people may give up on you, but never ever, give up on yourself" she'd tell me. In no way was I molded to be anything else but a Success. I believe she was my Cheerleader, Mentor, Guardian, Step-mother...(Yes, that's what I said, Step-mother.) Let me explain. Back in the Day, a step-mom was usually known as being bold, a little mean, and somewhat partial. (I'll say that most step-moms are OK.) Well, there were times when my mom was so tough with me, I actually thought I was adopted. Then one day, while looking in the mirror, I saw her face looking back at me. Well, what could I say? Never noticed this before, but God created me to look a whole lot like the very person I felt alienated to. Stopped me right in my tracks. Now, remember, I am not trying to tickle your ears, or let's say, your intelligence. I'm simply telling you the truth. At any rate, as I grew older, my mom became mellow with time. Shocking to me, but true. Now, I can hardly get a word out of her. She just gives me that 'WELL DONE' look. 'MY WORK IS FINISHED', look. You know, kind of like A MOM'S look of pure Wisdom. Her work is done, and she's satisfied with the results. Never pampered, never spoiled, never petted, not hard boiled...JUST ME, THAT'S WHO I AM.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM. I LOVE YOU!

HUGS

COUNT THE COST

GUESS WHAT; I TRIED SOMETHING BRAND NEW TODAY. ACTUALLY FORMED A LETTER TO A FRIEND I HADN'T SEEN IN AGES. A FRIEND WHOSE PRESENCE I SENSE DAY BY DAY. SOMETIMES I WONDER WHY WE ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE OTHER PERSON TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE? WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF? ARE WE TOO PROUD TO REACH OUT, OR ARE WE JUST STUCK IN A RUT. YOU SAY, “WHY CHANGE THINGS WHEN I FEEL SO SAFE”. SAFE FROM WHAT? SAFE FROM CHANGE, SAFE FROM OTHER PEOPLE, OR SAFE FROM YOURSELF? OH, I KNOW, SAFE IS BETTER THAN SORRY. SAYS WHO? WE GET ONE SHOT AT THIS THING CALLED ‘LIFE IN THE FLESH’, AND THEN MAKE THE MISTAKE OF WALKING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHADOW.” WELL, AT LEAST MAYBE THEY’LL LIKE ME”, YOU SAY. I SAY, WHO CARES. NOW, LET ME GET BACK TO THE POINT, BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE I’M COMING FROM.
FIRST, I THOUGHT OF WHAT I WOULD SAY IF I WERE FACE TO FACE WITH THIS PERSON. THEN I STARTED TYPING MY LETTER LIKE A PIANO PLAYER KNOWS HIS KEYS. THE LETTER WAS SHORT, IT WAS NICE, AND IT WAS REAL. NOT A WORD RETURNED TO ME EMPTY. IT WAS LIKE, TRUTH MEETING UP WITH TRUTH. THAT'S ME, FREE TO EXPERIENCE, FREE TO GROW.
PSALM 42:1 AS THE HART PANTETH AFTER THE WATER BROOKS, SO PANTETH MY SOUL AFTER THEE, O GOD.

WHAT'S GOING ON ?

What are you Spreading? Are you spreading Germs, Gossip,Hope,or Love? Most people will boast about how careful they are not to spread Germs. Wash my hands before I eat; visit my doctor regularly; flu shots are up to date; always sure to

disinfect my work area ( and everybody else's). So I know I'm not spreading germs! What about Gossip? Do you Tolerate it? Same difference. Now, let's move on to something positive, like Hope. When was the last time you spread some Hope? Maybe gave a child some Hope when he or she just couldn't get that math problem. Or that man on the street who bothers you for change. Or maybe that elderly person whose no longer able to walk fast, or keeps asking you to repeat yourself. Everyone, no matter what the age, can sure use some Hope. We need to spread this. I know Someone Who specializes in Spreading Hope to the Hopeless. It's no wonder most people prefer not to read the Bible. It has a way of getting us to see how helpless we are when it comes to pleasing God. (Yet, He willingly offers Help to all who will believe and receive.) But wait a minute. Don't stop there. We need to move on the Greatest attribute of all, LOVE. You see, when you have Love and Spread Love, it takes care of all the rest. We need to stop trying to do things on our own, and turn to the Only Person Who is able to Spread the One Thing that make a person whole. I know He can do this because that's Who He Is. IJohn4:16... GOD IS LOVE. In Matt. 15, The Master teaches us about those things that are important. (Matt. 15:2) Pharisees where spying on those who were not washing their hands before a meal. Then Matt. 15:17-20 The Master tells it like it is.....(paraphrased)..Things that go into the mouth, passes to the stomach and is illuminated. But those things that come out of a person's mouth, come from the Heart and that is what defiles him or her. Ex. evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, thefts, slanders, etc. These things harm the person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not harm him. Let's go out and start Spreading some Hope and lots of Love today.

WHAT ARE YOU GAZING AT ?

I have learned that, whatever gets your attention, gets you. (K. Kuhlman).This could be a good thing, or not so good. Could be something that causes you anguish or gives you joy. Maybe it threatens lose, or promises gain. Whatever the Attention Getter, don't just stand there gazing, make your move. If this circumstance is FOR YOU, great. But, on the other hand, if it threatens your well-being in any way, or causes you to kneel at the alter of helplessness, TURN YOUR BACK ON IT, and you'll turn things around in your favor.
Look away from the world and it's shallow projections, and face the Oceans Depth of Eternal Love, Promotion, and Acceptance. Now, if you're really serious about changing your view, take a look at what happened to Hezekiah. He looked away from his situation and simply FACED THE WALL.

Isiah 38:1-5 (verse 5) "Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. "

ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF SUPERWOMAN

YES, IT'S ME, AND I'M IN LOVE AGAIN:
Yea, Yea, the ole love bug got me a few days ago. At first I wasn't sure what was happening. Lately, I had this desire to listen to some of my favorite Oldie's from back in the Day. It was like, I'm walking along, minding my business, when Love came and Hit me in the Eye, ......SLAM, BAM, ALAKAZAM... straight from the clear blue sky. (Well, the song goes something like that). I mean, I'm just coming awake to the fact that my love life has been on hold for at least 3-4 years, and I never had a clue.
OK, here's my story. Girl meets Boy; Girl leaves Boy; Girl thinks about Boy. That's it. Why does she leave him? Probably out of fear of lost. Why does she continue to think about him? Probably wondering about what could have been. Why is she now writing about him? Probably because Love walked in and shook her out of a Deep Walking Sleep. Make Since? Well, really, that's not my goal. My goal is to show you that we do not have all the answers. Doesn't mean you should suddenly go out and do anything. Simply means, one can experience love, look at it, thank God for it, and move on. Alright, guess it's OK to say "I LOVE YOU DANNY AND I MISS YOU A LOT."

IT'S TIME TO AGREE WITH LIFE !

Most of us begin our day with a Silent NO. "I won't do this or that ever again". Or, "I'm not speaking to that person who hurt me; or, I won't go back to that church; or "There's just no hope, I keep making the same mistakes over and over again". [You can insert whatever it is your saying NO to.] Of cause there are many things you're suppose to say NO to. On the contrary, I'm speaking about changing your mind and saying YES to Life. This is always the Right thing to do. There is a TRUST factor here. There's a FAITH factor here. Think about it, The Book of Hebrews states,(Hebrews 11:6) 'Without Faith, it is impossible to please God'.
Disappointments hurt, but we must begin to look at these as Appointments allowed by God.
When you take these experiences, these feelings, and hand them over to Him, things will begin to work together for your good. (Romans 8:28) Turn your LIFE over to the Lord, and you will not be disappointed. The only thing that lies between you and what God has for you, is TIME; the one thing everyone needs. Give that to God as well, and He will give HIMSELF to you. TIME in exchange for ETERNITY. Sounds like a deal to me. :-) Go on, let Life work on your behalf.

KEEP LOOKING UP

Just as the Farmer uses Manure to Fertilize the Soil,
God uses Adversity to Enrich the Soul.
Does the Farmer Analyze Fertilizer? NO! He Uses it to Produce Growth.
Do you Unpack your problems? STOP! Let God Use them to Create New Life.

I Corinthians 1:27-29
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.
28. and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,
29. that no man should boast before God.

TIME TO BE STILL

There is a Bible Scripture that says, 'Be Still, and Know that I AM God'. (Psalm 46:10). In other words, the way I see it, the only way we can KNOW God is through stillness, quietness, resignation. He is the Sum Total of all things. No matter what has threatened you, or caused you anguish, it is nothing compared to His Presence. Be still, stop, look, listen...Then , accept the victory He's given you.

Be Blessed.

THE GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE

This morning, I heard one of my favorite sounds; Birds, Chirping their Melody of Love. They are calling us to attention. ' LOVE IS IN THE AIR, SPRING IS IN THE AIR, GOD IS IN THE AIR. FEEL; THINK; LISTEN.

The Birds are sending this Message: Be the kind of person God wants you to be; They declare A day, (this day), Implement your dreams; They are proof that we are given another chance to be thankful, thankful for the Blessing of life; Today is all that is promised, all that we can be sure of. Please Handle With Care.

Love Val