The Outstanding Blogger Award 7.16.2020

“Let all the earth fear the Lord:
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
– Psalm 33:8 KJV

How outstanding YOU ARE, dear Lord! How continuously thoughtful You are of me! You pursue me, You encourage me, You build me up, and You love me with a never ending love. You leave me standing in awe of You, and I am enamored to be in Your presence! ❤

Thank You for pouring a little more of Your favor on YOUR blog! It has always been Yours! Thank You or sharing a little more love so that I may keep sharing it with others! Bless the one whom You used to pour out that favor! Stu of Something to Stu Over nominated me for The Outstanding Blogger Award! Bless him, his family, and his ministry, Lord! Shower him with a little more favor that glorifies the skies with Your love! Shower his family! And shower his ministry! Hug him tight, Lord! Let know You’re there with him! ❤

Thank you, Stu! May God richly bless you for your thoughtfulness. Thank you for allowing Him to pour a little reminder of His favor, and a little reminder of His great love all over this blog, and the WordPress Community! Please know I am praying for your ministry, and praise God that you are willing to keep reaching out and ministering to those who are trapped in the addictions of pornography! So many souls and families are being torn apart. Thank you for following God’s calling in your life. 
Thank you again for the kind nomination! 🙂
Me and God love you, Brother! ❤

Here are the rules/guidelines:

1. Provide the link to the creator’s original award post.
(very important: see why in step 5)
2. Answer the questions provided.
3. Create 7 unique questions.
4. Nominate 10 bloggers. Ensure that they are aware of their nomination.
Neither the award’s creator, nor the blogger that nominated you, can be nominated.
5. At the end of 2020, every blog that ping-backs the creator’s original post will be entered to win the 2020 Outstanding Blogger Award!
This award was created by Colton Beckwith.

Stu’s Questions For Me:

1. What is your favorite clothing to wear that unfortunately does not look good on you? (Color wise, etc)
God, there are a lot of things that do not look good on me, but I will say jeans because they only look strange now being as big as I am, and are way too uncomfortable which defeats the purpose of jeans. 🙂

2. Why do you blog? Is it so you can minister in the lives of others, you just enjoy writing, a calling from God, or another reason?
Lord, first and foremost I write to talk to You. When I am not writing, I feel like I am suffocating. I cannot breathe! When I am writing, I am talking heart to heart with You, and sometimes through Your whispers and clear commands I write to encourage or share with others! Everyone needs to know how much You love them! ❤

3. Mask or no mask? Don’t worry about what others think or say, please give your honest opinion and why…
Lord, I wear a mask for several reasons which all fall up under obeying you by…
being a law abiding citizen, taking care of the vessel You have given me, using the wisdom YOU have given me, following the doctor’s advice (while also loving him and his family as I do myself because they are my neighbor), to be thoughtful of others as we love one another, for the accountability in my responsibility to look after my 86 yr old stepdad and the rest of my family to the best of my ability, and to do as You command in keeping a vow once it is said as we vowed to stay home and stay safe on behalf of the medical community that is sacrificing their time, lives, and families to fight for ours. 

4. What is your favorite book of all time?
That one’s easy, Lord. Your Holy Bible! Preferably the King James Version. ❤

5. What childhood memory bring an immediate smile to your face?
Fighting with my little brother. Charlie was just 10 months younger than me, and we used to fight all the time. We would start off play fighting and one would hit too hard, so the other would get so mad and hit harder. The other would laugh until hit too hard. We would both laugh about it later. 🙂 Lord, I know You don’t like fighting, and praise Your name we grew out of it. 🙂  I miss him, Father. I know He is with You and has been the last 13 years, but I miss him. Hug him for me! ❤

6. Do you see God’s Handiwork everywhere? In people, nature and objects…
Absolutely! I think hymns like
This Is My Father’s World,
I Sing The Mighty Power of God,
Come Thou Fount,
How Great Thou Art,
and so many more sing it so incredibly well! ❤

7. Which band, not singer, has influenced you the most?
Oh wow. This is a doozy, Lord. I have personally known and met so many bands… local bands, popular bands, famous bands, amateur bands… working with them, entertaining them, even dating a few. While music had too much negative influence over my life when I was younger, I actually had no one particular band influence me. The same is with bands now. I may love their music, but the bands themselves have no fluence on my  life whatsoever. Even if it someone’s music I really like, You know Yourself I just don’t do concerts or anything personal, other than the friendships I have with different people who just happen to be in bands. 

Nominees:

Anabael of Lebana’s Journey
Caz of Invisibly Me
Anjali of Positive Side of the Coin
Karen of A Couple of Stars and a Happy Face
God’s Child of 30 Minutes In The Life Of A Teenager
Mike of Through The Scriptures
Nitin of Daily Bible Bytes For You
Cindy of Real Christian Women
Jacquie of Joy Cottage
Mindy of A Word With Mindy
Alicia of For His Purpose

Questions For The Nominees:

1. Do you know how much God loves you?
2. Has your blog changed in any way since COVID-19 arrived?
3. Do you have a bible verse for today?
4. Have you lost anyone to COVID?
5. Have you been sick with COVID?
6. Do you have a favorite hymn?
7. What do you find outstanding about God?
   (I stand in awe of His ability to pursue every single one of us… at the same time! 🙂 )

Congratulations to all of the nominees. Please do not feel obligated to participate. If you do, no rush. Do as God leads you! And send me a link please! I would loved to read your post! God loves you! 🙂

My New Journal With You, Note 2

**Verses are inserted exactly where God had them placed in my new journal at the bottom of each page. I love how personal He is! ❤ **

Good early morning, Lord. How are you doing, Father? How sad You must be to see us fighting so much. If we just loved one another, how much easier life would be, and we would glorify Your name so much the greater… maybe even make You smile.
I pray that I make You smile sometimes. Just to hear Your name makes me smile. Just to think on You. You are THE reason to smile! Thank You for when You let Your Light shine through me. It feels so good inside, and feels good to see it ignite others. If they knew You and Your heart, they would smile. If they know how much You loved them, they would smile so deeply inside that they would have no room for anger, hatred, vengeance, and selfishness. They would want to spend day and night telling You how much they love You.

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
– Ephesians 4:32 KJV

If they knew Your love, they would want to spend every breath telling the world how much they are loved by the Greatest Love of all. They would want to see You smile, and be so glad to share Your smile with others.
Thank You for the hope in Your name, the hope in knowing You, the hope in knowing Your love, and the hope in knowing You love me! ❤ 🙂

I love You, Father God! ❤

I love You, Sweet Jesus! ❤

I love You, Holy Spirit! ❤

” For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
– Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

The Love of God
– hymn lyrics by Frederick Martin Lehman

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award 6.4.2020

“But there is a spirit in man:
and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”
– Job 32:8 KJV

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV

Oh Dear Lord, what a beautiful thought! Ideal Inspiration! That is what You are, and what Your Holy Word is! The most ideal inspiration I have ever known! Your love is an ideal inspiration, and I am grateful to know it, to feel it, to share it!
Both verses of the bible that have the word inspiration bring the glory back to YOU!
YOU inspire the spirit of man to understand. YOU inspired the disciples to write Your doctrine that we call the Holy Bible! And I easily believe because YOU inspire me every day, all day, throughout the day and night! ❤
So You can imagine how delightfully surprised and deeply touched I am that You would think of me when You whispered to Rising Star of Ideal Inspiration Blog to nominate me for the Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award. A beautiful idea! A majestic picture! A thoughtful gesture from one of Your children to encourage and share with others. Thank You for Rising Star‘s heart. Bless him and his blog, Dear Lord. Let him know how much You love him. May He be ever inspired by the most Ideal love ever… found in You! In Jesus ideal and inspiring name, Amen! ❤
Thank you, Rising Star, for your thoughtfulness in the nomination for Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award. A great opportunity to love one another, to encourage one another, and to uplift one another. May the Lord bless you and your blog, and continue to inspire you every hour! He delights in you! He loves you!

“Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award” is an unofficial award for the bloggers doing wonderful work on their blogs. It’s also important because it really reflects the good impact we can have on other people’s lives and adding values to their lives. Awards are important for the inspiration, to get success and to inspire our fellow bloggers and especially newbie’s to make them future “Stars“.

This award was introduced by Rising Star from “It’s all about inspiration”, So don’t miss to provide a link back to his blog Ideal Inspiration Blog

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who has nominated you and provide a link back to his/her blog.
2. Answer their questions.
3. Nominate up to 9 other bloggers and ask them 5 new questions. (maybe you’ll see your name down)
4. Notify the nominees through their blog by visiting and commenting on their blog.
5. List the rules and display the “Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award” logo.
6. Provide the link to the Award creator, Rising Star from Ideal inspiration. Ideal Inspiration Blog.

Rising Star’s Questions For Me:

1. What inspired you to start a blog?
   It was a place to go talk with God one on one privately. At one point, He led me to encourage a friend by doing a challenge on her blog. At the same time, I followed His lead to trust Him in opening the settings of my FB and WP to Public. I’ve had to go back to Private on my FB, but so far so good on WP. (Praise His Holy name). So many would respond how they were encouraged or needed something I would post. It is HIM they have seen. His Love! So I make every effort to proclaim two things. (A) That Gail Loves God! (B) ❤ And to tell them God Loves You! 🙂
2. What inspires you to write?
   The Love of God ❤
3. Who is your ideal person?
   The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit in One ❤
4. How long do you think you will blog?
   As long as the Lord allows
5. What else you do along with blogging?
   Write poetry (gaillovesgodspoetry) and encourage others

Nominees:

God’s Child of 30 Minutes in the Life of a Teenager
Dr. Nitin Yeshwant Dhupdale of Daily Bible Bytes for You
Alicia of For His Purpose
Holly of Cat Care Solutions
TR of Inside Cup
Johnnatta of My Father’s Symphony
Melissa of Melissa McLaughlin
Wendi of Simply Chronically Ill
Jenna Marie of Marked By Love
Caz of Invisibly Me
Amanda of Sufficient Grace Outreach
Mindy of A Word With Mindy

My Questions for the Nominees:

1. Do you know how much God loves you?
2. How does God inspire you?
3. Do you have a song that inspires you?
4. What is the theme for your blog?
5. Who inspired you growing up?

Nominees, please do not feel obligated to participate. If you do, no worries on rushing. Do as God gives you! I just wanted you to know that God uses you to inspire me, and I treasure seeing Him inspire you! God loves you each one! You inspire Him!

Congratulations Dr. Nitin Yeshwant Dhupdale (aka Bible Blogger of Daily Bible Bytes for You) on being awarded your “Master of Applied Science in Spatial Analysis in Public Health from Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.” 🙂

Beginning a New Journal With You

**Verses are inserted exactly where God had them placed in my new journal at the bottom of each page. I love how personal He is! ❤ **

Lord, finally. A moment to sit and catch my breath with You. Thank You for a moment of putting everything aside… the phone, the TV, the news, the many distractions to come between You and me.
Talking with You though is not work. It’s like breathing to move my pen in conversation with You. It reminds me I have not been writing any poetry for you lately. It’s already June and I’m ashamed to say I’m not sure if I have written anything to You, or for You this year. Have I? I think I at least wrote one or two. I will have to look. (After checking gaillovesgodspoetry, I see I have written at least 8 so far this year! 🙂 PTL!) And I certainly need to write You some. I want to! I love telling the world how wonderful and faithful Your love is, and how much I am absolutely smitten with You because of it. You deserve every word of praise and testimony! ❤
So much has me distracted lately…

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
– Philippians 4:6 KJV

because of so much going on in our world. It’s nothing You are unaware of. You have forewarned us all of this in Your Holy Word, and those of us who read it know this is not even the beginning of worse things yet to come. These are the tribulations You tell us we will have in this world, but to be of good cheer because You have overcome the world.
Help me to be of good cheer. Help me to praise You even amid the chaos. Help my pen to declare Your omnipotence that will let nothing happen without Your knowing about it… in knowing You are the Judge of mercy and justice. Your omnipresence assures us that You are with us, looking out for us, and caring about those things that we care about. Your omniscience is very aware of every injustice, of every hurting soul, of every plea to love one another, and of every soul troubled with fear and anger. You haven’t forgotten one soul still suffering…

” Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 
– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV

from this Coronavirus, nor those who have lost loved ones to it, nor the many souls fighting to save these lives. You are more than aware of every position of authority that is overwhelmed with so much responsibility to govern and guide us through this virus, these protests, the rioting, the broken economy, the broken chains of supply, and so much more all while trying to take care of their own families.
It amazes me, God, just how selfish and self-centered we still are despite just weeks ago we were so horrified and lost to be rendered helpless to a virus that was taking life all over the world and in our own backyards, a virus that doctors did not even know how to fight. They were losing their own battles. We vowed to do our part to stay home and not overwhelm the hospitals. And just weeks later we care more about…

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
– Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

proving we have a right to gamble with our lives only to serve the almighty dollar. We are choosing to serve mammon, and casting aside the safety and lives of our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and those trying so hard to save us from ourselves. And to make it worse, we are using You for an excuse to do it. But Your word clearly states we cannot serve God and mammon because we will love one and hate the other. We can’t even see the altar we are keeping lit with incense for a golden calf. What a foul odor we are putting into Your nostrils. Have mercy on us, God. Help us to put that fire out, to brake down that altar, and to kneel at Your altar, trusting You in that if we do that which is right You will provide. Help us not to be bound by thinking we are right in our own eyes. Help us to Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus in this wilderness, on the mountains, in the valleys, and wherever You lead us. Help us to see YOU ARE there.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
– Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

Help us to know You are fighting FOR US, and that You are always faithful to provide. Help us to be taking from each of these days what You have for us. Help us not to be led by those who use Your name to invoke evil among Your children. Let Your light shine through the darkness trying to snuff out our light, and help us to shine so bright for You that we cannot cause our flame to even flicker, so that it does not go out. Let the warmth of Your light be our comfort. And may the world feel it so personally that it becomes their strength as well.
We love You, Father God! Thank You for this moment! I pray for my boys

(L-R) Anthoni and David at David’s High School Graduation

and all of my family and friends, my blogging community, the missionaries, and the world community. ❤
In Jesus mighty and powerful name I pray. Amen.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
– Psalm 37:4 KJV

 

Random Acts of Kindness Award 8.15.18

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:
and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
Praise ye the Lord.
– Psalm 117:2 KJV

Random Acts of Kindness… This describes Your love towards us all day long, Father. And here You share another one with me through Stu of Something to Stu Over as he has nominated me for the Random Acts of Kindness Award.This is a completely new award for me, and it seems like a very nice gesture among a community that is one huge random act of kindness… and many times very intentional kindness. Stu is a brother in Christ who not only displays the kindness of Romans 12:10...

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love;
in honour preferring one another”
– Romans 12:10 KJV

but shares the kindness of Colossians 3:12 with those who struggle with addictions.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God,
holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering”
– Colossians 3:12 KJV

Thank you, Stu, for your thoughtful random act of kindness in the nomination. May the Lord continue to bless you and your ministries. God loves you!

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The award was created by Mws R Writings
Random Acts of Kindness Award/KA

 Random Acts Of Kindness Award, RAKA

This award is given to anyone you think shows kindness to another blogger or writer or to the community here on WordPress.
If you know someone who has shown you or anyone else an act of kindness please nominate them for this award.
I believe that any act of kindness no matter how small can significantly impact another’s life. So I feel it is great to acknowledge those who practice kindness.

The rules are simple.

1- Tell who you nominate and why.

2- Copy and share the picture that shows the award, posted above.

3- Share a paragraph of something that impacted your own life in the way of receiving kindness or how you extended kindness to someone else.

For instance, ” I once was waiting in a drive thru line for 20 minutes. I was in a hurry but the line did not move much, it felt like. My day was getting worse by the moment. When I got up to the drive thru window, the cashier said someone had paid for my meal already. That really made my day a lot better.”

4- Nominate anyone or share to your own page. If you so choose to Participate. Tag or pingback to the original person who nominated you, or the original post. https://mwsrwritings.com/2018/07/30/random-acts-of-kindness-award-ka/

 Don’t forget to COPY THE RULES ON YOUR POST!

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An act of kindness that was shown to me that comes to mind was when I was 13 years old. I was attending a school for troubled kids and one of my teachers took interest in me, asking me to clean her house each week. While she taught me a strong work ethic, doing a job right the first time, and paid me for my work… she would have me take several breaks just to talk with me. She would ask me questions and become so broken for me, literally crying. I would have no idea why she was crying. She would try to explain to me why, and then cry even more because of inability to see why she was crying… because I saw things she was broken for as normal. She would either fix me something for lunch or take us out, but refused to let me use my money.
Her compassion was what would cause me to pause and think about what she was saying because it felt odd for someone to cry for me. It was her many acts of kindnesses in that one act of kindness that would help me to open my eyes a little at a time to life… even if it took awhile. To this day, when I’m having a hard day or wish I had someone in my corner the Lord allows me to think on Mrs. C. She constantly included me in her life and her family until her dying day, and had set me and her daughter to continue to be good friends. And we were good friends until the day she died as well.

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My Nominees:

Lovely A of Discovering Your Happiness
Lovely A was the first person You had me speaking with in the Word Press Community. You used her 21 Day Self Care Challenge to help me while I was tying to help/work with my doctors and specialists. She was so encouraging, motivating, kind… definitely kind! She became my Croatian-Australian Sister in Christ! She helps so many others in the same way. It’s just who You have made her to be! 🙂 Thank You, Lord. Bless her!

Fatima of Splendor in Embers
My dearest Fatima was how You led me to open my settings to Public, as You had me already doing her 30 Truth Aspects Challenge to encourage her. I have known that dear heart since she was in preschool with my little dear heart. She has always been random acts of kindness… the sweetest heart. Here You had led me to encourage her, but she was encouraging me every step of the way. That’s so You God! Bless her, Lord!

Hayley of Red Letters
Along came my Brummie Sister, and You made my day with her friendship! I love her singing voice… not only is it tender and beautiful, but she has such a heart for Your! You use her music to draw me into close fellowship with You! My favorite one of hers is still Know You. ❤ Thank You for blessing me with my Brummie family in Christ!

Lene of Song of Virgnity
For years I struggled to get down my testimony as You have been urging me to do. I had been told my testimony was “too inappropriate.” Lene invited me to write my testimony Love of My Life – I Am His Song on her blog. I prayed about it hard, especially because her blog celebrates and encourages choosing Christ first through abstinence, and she does it with a loving and nonjudgmental heart.

There are soooo many more, but I went with the first few You gave me on Word Press when You had me go from private to public settings. I pray that You would encourage anyone else who wants to do this challenge, to considered themselves tagged. They’re it!

Thank you to everyone of you have ever blessed me through random acts of kindness, and continue to do so time and time again! Thank you for letting God shine through you!

God loves you!

“NEW” Series, #6 The Entertainer Blogger Award 1.22.18

The Entertainer Blogger Award! Lord, You have given me yet ANOTHER BRAND NEW AWARD!! 🙂 You amaze me! Daze me! And make life so delightfully Cray-zay! 😉 Even You delight in giving Your people joy! And oh boy! Do I ever love this part of our story!
I always tell people in the middle of a crisis or hardship, “That’s just God keeping us entertained. He loves to keep things adventurous for us. Don’t ever tell Him you’re bored!” 😉 LOL

It also makes me think of Your word that tells us,
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: 
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
 – Hebrews 13:10 KJV

Thank you, Lovely Anita! For the nomination of The Entertainer Blogger Award! I can absolutely see why these awards first come your way over on Discovering Your Happiness! Entertaining is bringing happiness… joy… encouragement… and this you do with the love the Lord sends your way first! Even those hardships you have endured are like the great tragedies or intense dramas that either give the viewer their much needed escape, or the very resource of validation and comforting reality that they are not alone, and certainly not forgotten. Instead they find the friend with a lending ear, the much needed wisdom, the sympathetic tenderness, or the online life coach that allows one to glean from the screen. All of this from pouring your own heart out on your keyboard. And then… awards come. 🙂

Those who are grateful for your honest journey send a thank you… and a smile! I thank you for sharing your special treasures. I know I praise the Lord a lot for you because He first uses you to pour so much of that encouragement into me! It’s hard sometimes for others to remember or even know that I too struggle with anxiety and the darkness of depression, as you well know from the earlier posts in the self care challenge. It can be hard for me to be personal. So I keep my focus on keeping it all about Him.

The Lord always seems to know when to whisper in my ear, “I love your heart, and your faithful praises. But now they need to hear what I have done for you. That’s what a testimony is. Then He whispers in your ear! ❤ And I get to do my favorite thing…. give to others… the same love that God pours out on you and me!
Having said that… onto the questions and nominations! 🙂 The word entertainer easily makes me think on many of our friends! Me and God love you! ❤

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The Rules:
Thank the person who nominated you (add a link to their blog)
Add the rules, so others can follow
Answer the questions that have been asked
Nominate a handful of entertaining bloggers
Display the photo also in your blog

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Nominees:
Hayley, God uses your music to allow me to linger in His Holy presence. Exactly where I want to be! 🙂 “Know Me” is still my favorite! ❤

Frank, Your poetry can be such a playful story… quite amusing.

Anthoni, I love visiting “Dwayne’s Diner” and “All Cheerful and Rosie.” They’re so funny! But of course KEB and her brother will always be my favorites! Children usually are! ❤

Caralyn, I love just spending a day with you. There’s always something going on… and it comes with pictures. I can’t wait to see the ones on the upcoming wedding in India!

Stephen and Fionnuala, You and the family are far more entertaining than current family programs. I love reading about your genuine faith along the way. Faults and all!

Lene, I love your straight up humor, and your sharing your life in Japan with us. I loved all the pics from Grandpa’s visit. I can’t wait to see how things turn out for Joy and Liz!

Paleeza,, I appreciate your including us in your new life of marriage, while still working on finishing up your degree in Psychology, yet being vulnerable and honest enough to share your struggles with your anxiety. You have such a fun personality! Loved the sweaters!

Caz, You probably have no idea how much of an encouragement you are to me. Your honesty, your attitude, your determination despite all the challenges. Trust me. I glean! God never promised a perfect life, a peaceful life, or even what we would call a decent life, but He does promise is His presence and His love. Even perfect health could never provide what those two promises alone do! ❤ Thank you for just being you!

Elan, Your photography is stunning! Of all of the photography pages on WordPress, yours is my favorite! ❤ I love to just browse what God has gifted you!

Lize, I love the combination of your beautiful artwork and haikus!

Sayer, How patient you have been with me to constantly share such kind words despite the fact that I mistyped your site name more than once, for so long before I noticed. You never said anything or got mad! How forgiving! I love your passion for your quills, inks, papers, stories, community. Lord willing, your faith in a pen being able to improve my penmanship leaves me hopeful!

Andrea, I love keeping up with what’s going with your class, you and the hubby, and all of that wonderful wit and wisdom!

Karen! How you make me smile! You are named perfectly! Of course I am nominating you!! 🙂 I love hearing about your kiddos, and your family as well.

Paula, I love trying to read as much of your page in your language first to see how far I get. Thanks for introducing me to the translator widget. I use it for anyone visiting my page. And thank you for introducing me to the flying story. 

Joseph, Oh my what a vocabulary you have!! Table 41 is so entertaining! You’re the 1st one that I thought of with the word entertainer! I’m looking forward to Table 41 being printed to read at home with my son. He loves acting out on or cutting up with each descriptive word in a story. It will be so much fun! I wish you had it available as an audio file!

There are so many more of you! I haven’t even got to the faith based, staying in the word studying, sharing verses ones. But that’s because I do those more often… and will again! I am actually loving thanking each of you, so I will continue in future posts… without leaving homework. 😉

So… the 5 questions we will share briefly. You can either answer them also, skip, or even post below in comments as some do, picking what you would like to answer. Sorry for making this one so long. It’s FAR from entertaining, but well deserved for each one to be thanked and encouraged to know that God has gifted you, uses you, and loves you!

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The 10 Questions:
WHY DID YOU START A BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE?
To spend some alone time talking with God (before I went public)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?
The Holy Bible! ❤

WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST?
Disappointing my Jesus 😦

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD AT THE MALL?
A Dairy Queen Blizzard (I love when they flip it upside down!) 🙂

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PASTIME?
Reading God’s word and listening to sermons

Congratulations on your Entertainer Blogger Award!
You make me and God smile! 🙂

“NEW” Series, #5 Awesome Blogger Award 1.19.18

 

God, You are so AWESOME!! And there are some who agree with me! I know because I try to make sure to never leave You out… to always include You… to keep You first above everyone and everything… including me…including this blog… including IN this blog… YOUR blog. In doing so, You have whispered my name into Lovely A’s ear yet again! Another NEW award! So when that award says Awesome Blogger Award, she is saying YOU are an awesome blogger! And You ARE! So You know what that makes me think of!

🙂 Awesome God by Rich Mullins

Thank you, too, In The Name of Jesus on YouTube, for making this video and for your heart in making it available for everyone! If only more people were as thoughtful of freely sharing the gifts God gives us, especially in regards to His Word and His love! ❤

Thank you, My dear Miss Lovely of Discovering Your Happiness, for nominating me for the Awesome Blogger Award! Our God is so awesome and He deserves ALL His praise! You are helping me to let Him know just how awesome we think He is, and allowing me to tell the world! And You know our God… He loves it when we share… and keep passing on the love ❤ … and happiness. 😉 That’s our God! He’s so awesome like that! ❤

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The Award Maker:
The award was created by Maggie at Dreaming of Guatemala who stated:

‘This is an award for the absolutely wonderful writers all across the blogging world. They have beautiful blogs, are kind and lovely, and always find a way to add happiness and laughter to the lives of their readers. That is what truly defines an awesome blogger.”

The Rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you
• Tag it under #awesomebloggeraward in the Reader
• Answer the questions your nominator gave you
• Nominate at least 5 awesome bloggers
• Give your nominees 10 new questions to answer
• Let your nominees know that they’ve been nominated

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My Questions:

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
A “World Tour” of my friends, starting in Australia 😉

What is your biggest accomplishment?
Asking Jesus to be my Savior

What is the most amazing blog you’ve ever come across?
ONE of SEVERAL amazing blogS is Song of Virginity by Lene in Japan! Her site celebrates living a life of purity for God, whether it be as a virgin or a life restored, regardless of age. I am humbled that God would allow my testimony Love of My Life – I am His Song to be added alongside others. The Love Story From the Bible is my favorite page on that site. You will be blessed if you read it.

Chocolate or Lollies?
Both 😉

What is the nicest thing you’ve done for someone?
Prayed for them!

How do you stay positive?
Praying to the Holy Spirit and praising His Holy Name! ❤

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
A lady named Molly saw me kneeling at the alter, waiting for my mom who was praying there to accept Jesus. Molly came to ask me if I knew who Jesus was. I am so glad she did! I followed her advice and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to come live inside my heart as my Savior! Thank you, Molly! I can’t wait until I get to heaven to thank you in person some day! I get to think on you and thank the Lord for you every time someone asks me how I met Jesus! ❤ I hope I get to watch you lay “that crown”at His feet! ❤

What’s one book you’d always recommend and why?
The Holy Bible (the King James Version is my preference, but is not the only one God can be found in). The most important message is in that book… God loves you! John 3:16 tells you why. Choose Him! Choose Life! 🙂
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
heavenly hash 😉

What is your dream job?
To do whatever God asks of me… if that includes continuing to write how wonderfully in love with Him I am, and sharing with others what makes Him so wonderful, and how wonderfully in love HE is with THEM… Praise His Wonderful Name! ❤

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My Nominees:
Hayley of Red Letters
Lene of Song of Virginity
Hiraa of Hiraa Chaudry
Anabel of Lebana’s Journal
Abbey of An Anonymous Escape From Life
Harotian Essentials

Congratulations to the nominees! May God bless you! Please do not feel obligated to participate. If you do, no rush! Do it in your time, in your way! I just wanted you to know you and your blog are an awesome! God thinks you’re awesome too! He loves you!

Congratulations on your own awesome nomination too, Miss Lovely and Awesome A!!

“NEW” Series, #4 Brotherhood of the World Bloggers’ Award 1.18.18

How exciting and adventurous You are dear Lord! A NEW kind of blogger award… Brotherhood of the World Bloggers’ Award! And how exciting to see Lovely A of Discovering Your Happiness receive hers! You, the Great Physician, knew she could use a pick me up at a time that she has been so sick that she had to take some time away from her blog. Practicing what she teaches, she took some down time, focused on her health, and just allowed herself to de-stress. What a great example she is to her self care theme. Thank You for being with her, Lord. I pray continued healing for her, and for all the things You know she needs prayer for!

Thank you, Lovely Anita, for allowing God to use you to nominate me for the Brotherhood of the World Bloggers’ Award too!
You put a smile on my face! 🙂 Me and God love you! ❤The Rules:

 

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and post a link to his/her blog.
• List the rules of the award and post a picture of the award.
• Answer the questions from your nominator.
• Nominate 10 other bloggers and be sure to let them know.
• Write a list of questions for your nominees to answer

My Questions:

• Where in the world are you based? North Carolina (USA)
• What made you get into blogging? Journaling with God, challenges with friends
• Summer or Winter? Summer
• What makes you the happiest? God ❤
• If you had to eat one food forever, what would it be? spaghetti 🙂
• If you had one super power, what would it be? never sinning
• If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? For everyone to know how much God loves them, and for them to love God just as much ❤
• What are some of your 2018 goals? Following God, Choosing Life, Looking Up
• Airplane holiday or Boat Cruise? Airplane holiday
• America or Europe holiday? Europe

My Nominees:
Oaken Reed
Almighty God the Beginning and the End
Blacker the Berry
Invisibly Me
Red Letters
Not Easily Broken
The Godly Chic Diaries
Wrestling with Faith – Dancing with Jesus
loshame
Moonlight Psychology

Praise the Lord for each one of you! Congratulations on your nomination for the Brotherhood of the World Bloggers’ Award! May you each continue to reach out in community and brotherhood on WordPress and around the world! God has so many children, and loves each one… including you! ❤

Thank you again and congrats to Lovely A of Discovering Your Happiness!
Me and God love you too! ❤

PS… OOPS! I forgot 10 questions for the nominees. Please feel free to answer the ones given to me above… or simply skip. Whichever you prefer! 🙂

“NEW” Series, #3 Graduating

Lord, You have made me a new graduate! 🙂 Praise Your Holy name! You helped me to complete the Diabetes Prevention Class that my regular doctor referred me for last year.

 

It was a new program through our local hospital. Our group was literally the first class. We were given very nice scales, a pedometer, food journals, and a large binder with paperwork for the classes we had once a month.

 

 

Most importantly and most valuable, we were given a personal dietitian coach that saw us on scheduled appointments, scheduled phone calls,  and made us welcome to call them any time. “Lacey” was my coach. She showed compassion in sharing her advice, mercy in rearranging phone calls, and patience in listening to me ramble on. God definitely made her the most valuable encouragement from this program.

“Thank you, “Lacey!” I am grateful to God for you! Praying for you! God loves you!”

You helped me to attend each class! This can be challenging with four of us sharing a vehicle, and my unreliable health. You allowed me to learn more on food labels, food journals, better eating habits, better food choices, realistic goals, my liquid intake, and even not being so hard on myself. During this program, You helped our whole family develop better eating habits and better choices. And I still have my binder to refer to for the information that we learned along the way.

 

 

Along the way, I learned my skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch too was not helping my body at all. It was challenging getting used to eating so early, especially since I don’t really like most breakfast foods. The majority of it is greasy. Cereal was how I began my day. I learned to pay better attention to a menu when we had to eat out. I learned you can order an individual egg by itself… and did. My most eye opening information for myself was learning that I do not drink enough liquid. Oh yeah, I was drinking more water than anything else, but whatever I drank I nursed it.

Lastly is that piece of paper…..

This piece of paper is validation that I do care about my health… that I am dedicated to working hard on preventing my body from developing diabetes. My doctors can know that I am not just laying around. While I would love to show it to each of my doctors, it is enough for me to know for myself that I actually finished something… by following You, and trusting you with what seemed pointless.

❤ THANK YOU, LORD! MY GREAT PHYSICIAN! ❤

“NEW” Series, #2 Music Playlist

How lovely You are, Lord, to give us such delights as music! You allowed music through fellow believers, and even dear friends. Coming into Christmas You already had friends sharing music and videos that became favorites. This is new in many ways because for quite a few years now music has just been… music. Even if I happened to love or enjoy something, it was just that moment. I didn’t have the time or desire to feel anything to take with me.  But You have renewed a joy and a comfort in music.

How perfect is the message in Hayley’s song “Called By Love” by Red Letters. You used a dear friend to remind me that when the devil tries to tell me I have no right to listen to or sing with Your music that I am called by love to worship You. I need to worship You to keep my strength up against the one who hates me to have any… especially in You!

You used my dear friend Aney to introduce me to “The True Love of God” by The Church of Almighty God to remind me the “It’s [Your] tender words that water and nourish me to grow up. It’s [Your] stern words that encourage me to stand up again.” That is the truth of Your love. The music lifts my spirit with its light beat.

You surprised me with a new favorite video “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North. You used Life With Jesus to introduce me to this reminder that I am more than the choices that I have made because I have been remade. It’s not about what I have done, but about what You have done for me. It’s not about how I feel, but what You felt to forgive me, and how You felt to make me loved.

“All The Way in Your Company” by The Church of Almighty God was so cute, and so me and You. The video story and message is a theme song for us. It is a great theme song for our Walking the Walk journey! I would love to be able to run, but as long as I am walking with You, whether on the Parkway, the ball field, running errands, or the days that will leave me in my bed. If I am with You, I am exactly where I need to be!

You used Hayley again to remind me with “He Has Freed Us” by RedLetters that [You] will carry us through every trial in life, that [Your] love is perfect, and [Your] ways are right. [You] have freed us.

And oh how You continue to amaze me through Hayley even more! When she told me of her song “I Choose Life” by RedLetters after she read my post Choose Life as a theme for this year, I was so excitedly in awe of You! You had used Deuteronomy 30:19-20 to inspire her, myself, and so many others at the same time. I will ever be so grateful for Your bringing Hayley into my life, and for allowing me to hear Caralyn’s podcast on A Jew & A Gentile Walk Into a Bar… Mitzvah. I am eagerly awaiting Hayley’s CD. 🙂

I can’t remember how You brought me to “Sleeping At Last” by Saturn. It’s not even Christian music. But You had me pay attention to the message. “How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist.” It was You and me again… more You speaking to me. So I listen… again and again… and again. ❤

So then You give me “Old Church Choir” by Zach Williams. I LOVE this song. You help me get to a place where I put aside all the noise and voices in my head, and just enjoy You! You let me know that when I do that…“There ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy!” Praise Your Holy name! This is definitely a motivating and strengthening song, all wrapped up in a delightful joy! ❤

Lastly, You used Kristi Ann to just steal my heart again. “Still” by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. How do I never stop falling in love with You!! You know that all I need is to be still and know that You are parting waters, and moving mountains that I don’t even see. All You need is for me to be still. ❤

So this is the playlist You have given me. I love that You think of me, and whisper my name into someone’s ear. I am grateful You give us music. Thank You for renewing music for me! Thank You for reminding me of the weapon it is against the very one who hates me spending that quality time with You. I look forward to whatever You bring my way. As long as You are there… I’m ready.

“Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.” – Psalm 33:3

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” – Psalm 40:3 

“NEW” Series, #1 Walking the Walk

“and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,
This is the way, walk ye in it,
when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
 – Isaiah 30:21 KJV

Ok, Lord. It’s time to begin our new journey of walking through this new year. You had me to choose this path that You allowed Lovely A of Discovering Your Happiness to create in her post Walking the Walk. As she says, “Walking is such a great thing for the mind but I also think walking for a purpose is a good idea.” And that’s exactly what this walk is all about… an intentional walk following You wherever You lead for the purpose of growing closer to You every step of the way, knowing that in each step You have a purpose for me in that particular walk. I am eager to join You in each walk.

There are 50 different walks to look forward to enjoying with You. The first one Colour Walk has me using a camera to capture some colors and making a photo collage. I have been mindful of this, but with the frigid temps and the problems that I mentioned in “NEW” Series #1, Introduction, the best that I could do was this photo hanging on the wall at lymphedema therapy.

My Alcatel smartphone camera did not do a good job of holding the rich colors, but I will have to learn to make it work, or know why it will not. This will have to do until You allow me that walk where You have rich colors waiting on me, Lovely A, and all those who will witness the walk with us, as they journey alongside.

As You assign and provide each walk… I will walk, photograph, note, color, or whatever is on the list, and will be sure to blog about it along our Walking the Walk journey. Thank You for giving me yet another special way to spend time with Lovely Anita, and Lord willing, encourage her in her own walk with You. I know You love her so much! Thank You for using her 21 Days Self Care Challenge last year to teach me, encourage me, motivate me, and help me to really be more mindful of this temple You have given me. Bless her Lord for every time You used her. ❤

“NEW” Series, Introduction

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
 – Isaiah 43:19 KJV

Lord, here we are… finally getting around to this “NEW” series You whispered into my ear in December to begin in January. Not necessarily to celebrate a New Year or as a resolution. But to give glory to You for new things… new blessings that You have sent my way… and will be sending yet. I have so much to thank You for… including this new year of life. Thank You for helping me to Choose Life and to continue to Look Up. ❤

Just coming into this week was challenging. On New Year’s Eve, unpredicted layers of black ice froze the roads over so quickly that the roads looked normal and clear. Though cars and people were unable to drive or walk without accidents, the radar was showing nothing. Two tractor trailers jackknifed making it 7 hours before my brother, brother-in-law, and family friend got off the local interstate. During that time, when the car idled the heat did not work. After getting off and getting gas, the car wouldn’t go into gear from idling in the cold so long. It took another 4 or 5 hours to get a tow and home.

During that time, our heat went out. We have propane heat, and a wood stove for back up, but the furnace stopped and we ran out of wood and coal. It took the week to get the furnace working, the ice out of the gas tank regulator, some wood and coal for the stove, as well as get the hot water back. So many souls You sent. And that stranger that said, “It’s a God thing. Don’t ask questions.” May You bless each one so richly!

During this whole time, You had so many WordPress friends praying and sending encouraging messages when they didn’t even know what was going on. How much their prayers were needed… and heard… and answered! Thank You for each one!

So what has the new year brought so far? New challenges, of course! Anyone who thinks they will be without struggles, falls, challenges (of a negative nature), or no problems at all are setting themselves up for that inevitable discouragement that follows an unrealistic outlook. But it also brought new reasons to pray, to exercise faith, to witness to strangers, to meet new fellow believers, to see that there are still people who do good.

Thank You for fixing the furnace, hot water heater, gas regulator, for wood and coal, names of reliable sources for the future, new friends, and a renewed sense of family seeing things through together. Thank You for safety. Thank You for the driver who towed family off the roads. I have so many praises to give You that I’m sure I’ll fail to remember them all. Likewise, I have many people to pray over. But I can trust You with each prayer and praise. Your answered prayers and mercies are new every morning.

I also trust You to help me remember those things that You had laid on my heart to include in this “NEW” Series. It’s not to be just January. Your newness in our lives is ongoing. Whenever You lead, I will thank and praise. So let’s get started because as the song says, “I’ve got so much to thank [You] for.” ❤