Hello Y'all Happy December

Good evening Y'all.     Seems like it has been forever since I have been here to visit for a minute.      To say the least, it's been a long year.      We've all learned a lot.    I'm sure most of us wouldn't want to admit some of the things that we have learned about ourselves and others.    On the up side of that statement, I've learned that I'm a much better cook than I have given myself credit for being.    hahahaha      I think that's a good thing.    I learned that I really LOVE to bake bread from scratch.     In all honesty, I do use a bread machine, because my hands are not what they once were.      I can no longer knead the dough like it needs to be kneaded.       So my bread machine does that for me.       I can either bake the bread in the machine or take it out and make rolls and buns or just bake a big loaf in the oven.     I have started experimenting with the liquids in my breads and am loving the effects!!!!    One of my experiments is swapping out the water in most of my breads with pure pineapple juice, no sugar added, from canned pineapple.     It is absolutely delicious!!!!     And it uses something that might otherwise find itself down the drain.     I dehydrate canned pineapple to use in my kombucha.    That is a tea started from a scoby and starter tea.     I guess you could say that it is fermented.      The word "scoby" means "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast".     It is actually brewed for several days and then you can flavor it and let it brew for a few more days and then put it in the fridge.   If you do it right, it's fizzy like a soda and it's really good and it's also good for you because it is loaded with gut friendly bacteria.    It's good for your body.

I also started doing fermented veggies.     Those too, are really good for your gut health.      The ones I've done so far have been in a salt water brine.     I have fermented gingered carrots,  garlic asparagus (which I hated  hahaha), red onions and I recently started a jar of cabbage to make real sauerkraut.    That will be good.     The ginger carrots are delicious and the red onions will be too. 

On top of that, I have been dehydrating lots of veggies and fruits.     I'm going to start powdering a lot of my dehydrated veggies to put in other foods as an enhancer.     For the powdered veggies, 1 tablespoon equals 1 serving.     That is pretty awesome.     I can put it in all different things.     I can't wait to get  most of it ground up and then start using it.   

I will also be able to make some of my own seasoning mixes.     That will be fun to experiment with.    I have always been a bit adventurous when cooking and try this and try that.     Some things have been huge successes and some things have been flops.      I have always looked at flops as being a learning experience.      If I can learn from a flop, then it was a success.     So, I welcome all experiences.     Any experience can be used as a stepping tool.     Learn from a flop and push yourself even further when you have successes.     You just can't rest on your last best effort.    And you can't beat yourself up over your last worst flop.   Every day has got to be a day to stretch yourself to be better than your last worst flop and your last best effort.    

And just to share some insight on working with tweaking a recipe of any kind.   Keep good notes.    Work on only  one change at a time.     That way you can track what is a success and you will know exactly what you done.     If you go into a recipe and change 4 things at one time, you won't have any idea of what actually worked or what didn't work.     So keep meticulous records when experimenting with recipes or creating recipes.

Off of cooking now and on to something else.     As much as I enjoy SOME social media, I loathe and detest most of it anymore.     People have lost all respect for humanity and would invest more time and effort in a sick animal than they would in a human being.     If you don't believe that, just go to some of your social media and read.    It won't take you 25 seconds to find someone cutting someone else down, especially if they are cutting someone down for being a Christian.     I've got to where I pick my battles and if I see someone being cut down for being a Christian, I get involved.     I'm pretty thick skinned and I have been called everything in the book and a lot of things that even aren't in the book yet, so I'm ok with it.     I let them know that "I have been called worse things by people who thought they were much better than you" and that usually causes a whiplash.    But I will definitely stick up for a Christain being cut down by a bunch of heathen and I'll call them out on it.     And you know what, it works!!!  Bullies can't stand it when someone stands up to them.     Just this afternoon on one of the facebook groups I'm in, a lady got chewed up and spit out for posting an encouraging thought for the day.    People was saying that this is a weight loss group and if I wanted to hear about God, I would join a group about God.     I just spoke up and said that with each and every ounce I lose, I praise God!!!!     And I also said that it's ok for some to post and share all the evil  and immoral and amoral junk that they share and that I will start opposing that because it's very offensive and that I if I deny Christ, He will deny me.     And I also said that if you really want to get people riled up just mention the name of Jesus and that at the name of Jesus demons flee and lives are changed forever.     And you know what, that wasn't received well.   One person with a cartoon head even called me whack and that's when I told her that I had been called worse by people who thought they were better then you.     Her little sense and sensibilities didn't even know how to take that.

In all honesty, I was gonna go back and copy all I had posted just to have record of it and when I went to check it out, the whole message had been deleted.     I guess a moderator finally couldn't stand hearing the truth so the truth got deleted.   On the up side, the whole message thread got deleted and I'm ok with that.    I said I have learned to pick my battles and when someone is being picked on, YES, I will step in to stop it.    And you know what, I'm pretty sure that some of my comments helped get the whole message deleted and I'm good with that.    Just wish I had been quick to get a copy of my own words of testimony.   

But even at my age, it blows my mind that people don't care that they are going to hell.     While I will stand up to people that purposefully hurt others, I will still pray for God to make Himself real in the lives of those people before it's too late.    Just like all the madness surrounding this year with covid and next year.     People are showing just how little they actually care for their fellow human beings.    You know what, I don't like wearing masks.     I have anxiety and a couple other issues, BUT and I'll say it again BUT when I am out, I wear my mask!!!!!!      I don't care who you are, there is no reason to NOT wear a mask when anxiety is touted as the reason why some don't.     I'll bet if they was going to a ball game and had to wear a mask to get into the stadium or a concert or something of the like that THEY WANT to do, they would have their masks on quicker than a flash.     People don't want to be told what to do.     People have no respect for themselves, so they have no respect for any kind of authority.    What people have left out of the equation is that this is  HEALTH matter, not a political matter.     I do believe that the people of today are the most selfish, most evil minded, most ignorant of any generation that this planet has ever witnessed.     I used to say that there was hope.      This year has shown me there is no hope for humanity, only Jesus and most don't want to hear about to Him.     But then again, a lot of the people that claim to be a Christian are the very ones that are beating their chests and screaming about their rights.     There in is the conundrum for me.      I don't get it.     If you are a Christian, where is your love God and others.    That is what Jesus said the two commandments were.  To love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself.     If you love God and if you love your neighbor you'll do as the government is asking us to do.   Loving God means doing as the government as us to do for the health and safety of others BECAUSE even the most corrupt government on earth is ordained by God.     God created government and He told His people to live at peace and to honor the government, it's in scripture, read it and find out.     No, I don't like that bars and casinos have their doors open when the churches have been shut.     But on the other hand, churches should have closed their doors on their own volition and not be ordered by the government to close their doors.    Understand, these are MY opinions and I stand by them just as much as the crazies out rioting and burning towns and murdering people and beating their chests about their rights.   It's my right to speak some truth over the lies that have been told and still being told.

If the people that didn't want to wear the masks were the ones getting sick and dying, there might not be much of a loss, but it's people that have tried to do the right thing for all that is getting sick and dying.     I guess that doesn't sound real good for me to say something like that, but I guess it's just the fact that my husband and I have been doing all we can to stay safe and not make others sick and it's just getting to me a little.     I love my mother and I want to see as often as we can, so we don't go anywhere and have any contact with others so we can see her and know that we aren't taking the disease to her.    So, that's why we do what we do.     That's our motivation.      I would love to know the motivation behind all the hate that's going on out there.      Until someone can give me some firm answers, I will stick to the early conclusions that I have drawn.      People have evil hearts with evil intentions doing evil things.      That's what it boils down to.

The best I can say is that we will all answer for our deeds of commission and deeds of omission.     I can't answer for you and you can't answer for me.      But I can say that I tried to warn others and I tried to share the love of Christ with others.    I stood up and spoke truth when I had the opportunity.     I tried to share the gospel and lead others to Christ.     As of late, I've almost had a Jonah-Nineveh complex.  Jonah didn't want to tell the people of Nineveh about God, he wanted them to go to hell.      I don't want anyone to go to hell, but I can't make anyone want Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.    People stand up and thumb their noses at God and curse Him, and live like hellions and heathens and do all kinds of evil acts and evil deeds and then want to blame others for their behaviors!!!!      Or better yet, they say I was born this way.     It makes no difference what we say, we all have to answer for our sin.     And there are a lot of people who have heard about Christ and turned their back on Him.     It is clear then that they have sent themselves to an eternity in hell, God didn't do it, they did.

I feel like I live in a world of 2 year olds that all they want to do is cry kick and scream till someone pats them on the head and gives them a participation award.     It's time for real Christians to start acting like real Christians and even better than that, we can all act, we need to be living like real Christians and setting real examples and calling sin out for what it is, sin.     We don't want to this for fear of exposing our own sin.      We need to bring the darkness to light and get our lives straightened out with the help of Jesus, so we help point others to the light of freedom and forgiveness and life.     If you are a Christian and you have hidden sin, I challenge you to get that taken care of, bring it to light.     When we as Christians take it seriously then we can make a difference.     But if we are living with hidden sin and fear of exposure, then the world is going to stay like it is and get worse.     We either make a difference or we don't.      I want to make a difference.   What about you?    

Well, it's almost bed time and my fingers are worn to nub.   I hope you all have a wonderful night of refreshing rest and that you can share the love of Christ with someone you know.     I hope that December is the best month of your life to this point and that blessing abound.   And if you know Christ, blessing will abound for you.     Remember that  God loves you all and He made a way for you to be in a relationship with Him through the blood of Jesus at the foot of the Cross.    I love y'all too, hugs and blessing be to each one of you.   Goodnight!!!!

Are you lost or are you a Hypocrite????

Good morning Y'all!!!     It's been a while again, but I've been busy here lately.    Trying to stay busy is more like it, and I have been succeeding in that endeavor.     I think of my blog often, but feel I don't have much to share anymore.      Mostly I have started using it to write my feelings down for me and then I share it with y'all.     It seems my heart is full of mixed emotions and aches and longs to see our fellow beings, being a little more caring and compassionate.     More on that in a minute.

I hope and pray that wherever Y'all are that you are enjoying this beautiful day.  It is an amazing day to be alive.      This is a unique day in the life of this world.      Up to this particular day in history, there has never been another day quite like this one.      And tomorrow will be uniquely different from today.     So, while it is today, enjoy this day.     

The sun is shining in my neck of the woods, but it's still a wee bit chilly.      I don't remember how much I have said on here about my little greenhouse sitting on my deck, but it got way down below freezing this past weekend and a couple nights early in the week and it took out my pot of tomatoes and my pot of peppers which had blooms.      I would have had tiny peppers by now, but they are gone.      All I had to do was take them to the garage, but I really didn't think it would get cold enough to hurt them.     Was I ever wrong!!!!!      Well, I know that I can grow them, so I will start them early next year and get my starts ready to transplant as soon as the weather permits.      I have some fresno and shishito pepper seeds that I really to hope to be able to grow.      I love them both and will try to have both of them.   

I have been baking lots of bread this year.      Dehydrating lots of veggies and fruit also.      If you haven't done any dehydrating, I would encourage you to try it.     It is a wonderful way to preserve food, even for long term storage.     I have just started my hand in fermented foods.     I am loving that too.   I make kombucha on a weekly basis.    I also make my own yogurt.     I make fire cider every 3 or 4 months.      I also make elderberry syrup, which is so good to have on hand this time of year.    So, all of this keeps me busy and I am loving it.     I would encourage y'all to try any or all of these methods of food preservation or making some of your own foods, and also some of your own medicines.     You would be surprised how simple and easy some of it really is.  As I type this, I have lemons, mango, papaya, and pineapple in the dehydrator right now.      The lemons are good to put in hot teas.    I also use them in the making of my fire cider.     There is a lot to learn and a lot to do.     I look forward to adding more skill and knowledge to my skill sets.     Learning is a good thing no matter what age you are.      I am also trying to eat better and lose a little weight.     Story of my life.    So, there's that.    hahaha      We'll see how it goes.

There is something that has been on my mind as of late.     Look back at the title of this post.     Are you lost or are you a hypocrite???      Strange question I guess.      But it's one that needs to be addressed and I figured it was as good a time as any to pose my question here and then deal with it.     I know I'm not lost.    I got that settled over 40 years ago.     Jesus died on the cross for me, He rose again in 3 days, and He sits by the Father even now, continually covering me with love, mercy and grace.      I feel like I need to keep reminding myself that I belong to Him and NO ONE can change that fact, because this world is in a mess.     It is!!!!!    And we can't deny that anymore.      I'm not gonna quote scripture here today.     I just want to get something that I know for sure out there.      And this is it:   Jesus loved and loves the lost or as scripture puts it, "sinners", but He hated and hates hypocrites.     

So, who are the lost, or "sinners"?      They are those people who have not trusted in Christ as their Savior and Lord.     They have not accepted Him into their hearts and lives yet.    They maybe don't even know they need Him.     They are not necessarily "bad" people, just people without the influence of Jesus in their lives.     These are the people that Jesus has always loved.     Praise God for that!!!!!      Jesus dined with the "sinners" in the Bible.      Jesus loves them!!!   Again I say, Praise God for that, because He loves me!!!!       How can I say that?????      I can say that because I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.     That doesn't make me perfect.      It makes me a saved sinner.     As long as I'm in this bag of bones and flesh, I will still sin.     I know that, because I know me.      But with each sin, Jesus loves me thru it while I find my way back to the foot of the Cross.      You see, as long as I'm in this earth suit, I still have the ability to sin, even though I wish I didn't, but I do.     I struggle with my sin on a daily basis.     I struggle thru each day, realizing that I've let my Savior down again and again.    It truly breaks my heart, that I keep sinning.     But I'm so thankful and appreciative that Jesus keeps forgiving and covering  me with His love and mercy and grace each day.   And each day is another opportunity to praise Him and ask Him again, to help me be better today than I was yesterday.      If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you know all about my struggle.

Who are the hypocrites???      In short order, hypocrites are church people with a holier than thou attitude.      That my friend is who a hypocrite is.      Just so you know, Jesus despised the hypocrites of His day.     They were the church people of His day and they were jealous of Him to the point that they actually killed Him.    If you don't believe me, get your Bible out and look it up.    It's all there.     The hypocrites were always trying to trick Him or catch Him in a lie and always tried to use Old Testament Laws against Him.     They didn't get it.      They accused Him of all kinds of things.      It's all there, look it up.     Jesus despised the hypocrites.     The hypocrites put more faith in their own words and works than they did in Jesus and who He claimed to be.     Although these people had a form of being religious, they didn't know God.     Their people had long abandoned the word of God and believed that it was more important to wash their hands than to wash their hearts.     Everything that a church person done, was to be seen by everyone and they would make fun of people.     

There was one account where a lady put every thing she had in the coffers, and it didn't even make a sound when it hit the other money already given.   The hypocrites would put in their money so it would jingle and jangle till it landed and then gloat over how much they gave.     Understand, I am paraphrasing and making it simple to understand, but that's what happened.    Jesus told those people that the lady that gave everything gave more than the hypocrites.    She gave all she had which was a few cents, they gave a little of what they should have given and thought they had given much.   Jesus said the lady gave way more than they did, because she gave all and they gave just a pitiful little bit.

Basically, she gave her whole life.     She trusted Jesus with everything she had.      The hypocrites are wolves in sheeps clothing.     They want you to think they are everything and a piece of cake, where as they are actually imposters.     They live make-believe lives.      As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time.     We can NEVER fool God either.    

How does that fit todays world????     Easy.     If you claim to have Christ in your life, you will not be perfect, but you WILL have some compassion in your heart for others.     You just will.     If you don't have compassion for others, then very doubtful if you have Jesus in your heart.     People don't want to hear that.     They want to go to church, hear a sermon that doesn't apply to them, make fun of their neighbors,  make fun of any situation that would put them in the hot seat for their attitude towards others, plot and scheme of ways to get rid of people that will call them on their hypocrisy and make everyone else out to be the bad guys.     Does any of that sound familiar????     It does to me!!!!      The hypocrites of Jesus's day are the same today.     The church is full of hypocrites!!!      Why?     Because the church is made up of imperfect people.     But there also a lot of imposters that have been allowed to sneak in and gain a foothold.     Those are "wolves in sheep's clothing".     Those are the ones setting snares and traps  and literally tearing the kingdom of God down right before our very eyes.     It's painful to say it, but it's true.

Again, how does this apply to today???     If you have a facebook account or any other account with the various platforms on the internet, you can see people spewing forth all kinds of filth.     Participating in all kinds of filthy acts, immoral and disgusting acts.     There are people making fun of covid 19!!!  Calling it a hoax and every time someone says something about it, what they will say is that it has a 96 to 98 percent survival rate.      That my friend, is a statement right from the pits of hell being made by hypocrites in the church who are wolves in sheep's clothing!!!!!      If you don't have compassion for others, this is how you might feel.      

Another difference between "sinners" and hypocrites is this: most sinners have compassion for others, they just haven't found Jesus yet.    Hypocrites have no compassion for anyone.    Oh, they may act like they do, but in reality, if it doesn't benefit them, they won't have anything to do with it.  

If you want proof of what I'm saying, just watch your face book feed and see who says what.    If you pay close attention, you'll see a lot and it's pretty disgusting. especially when it comes from people that profess to be a christian but obviously having no form of godliness in their lives.     This is to call them out!!!     I have shared a couple of things recently on my face book page about it and you would be surprised at who DOES NOT acknowledge it.    I always have 3 or 4 long distant friends that will acknowledge it, but not the people in my life that I know personally or any of my own family.     So, what does that say?      I know people will look at this and think this is being hypocritical.    Maybe it is.    I just pray that if it is, God shows it to me, and I will do an addendum to this post and share what He will show me.     What I do know is this, I struggle every day when I see people that claim to be Christ followers, sharing what would be considered hurtful, hateful, critical posts on their face book pages.    I don't understand how a true Christian would be inclined to say something like "it only has a 2-4% death rate"!!!!!     It may be easy to say if you haven't lost someone to it.     Praise God, I haven't yet, but I have friends who have, and my heart bleeds a little bit every time I see this.    Because I know my friends will see others saying the same thing and it could not hurt any worse than a dagger to the heart.  People with true compassion and the love of Christ in their lives, could not be party to such heinous and hurtful and hateful words.  

There it is, in a nutshell!    Are you lost or are you a Hypocrite?     Only you can truly answer that, but let me remind us, that our actions show a whole lot more than we may think.     People are always watching.     You either make a good impression or a bad impression.     Remember that.     God loves us all, but He certainly doesn't love the way we act sometimes.     If you have compassion in your heart, please show it.     The world needs to see it.     The world needs to see godly people loving others.

Please forgive any typos in this, I just typed as the words came, and I did very little correction.  

I pray that you have a blessed day and that you will tell someone today that Jesus loves them.     I know He loves us and I love y'all.   hugs, mercy and grace be yours today, patty

Wet Rainy Sunday, But the Son still Shines!!!

Good Morning Beautiful Y'all!!!!!     It's looking like fall y'all.     hahahaha    It's cool wet damp sprizzly rainy morning here.     But, like the title of this post says, "The Son still Shines!!!!"     Isn't those shouting words to y'all's ears?        They sure are to mine.       We've had some pretty days and a couple of frosts within the last week and a half or so and the last frost being Friday night into Saturday morning.       Lots of trees are loaded with beautiful colors.      It is funny, one afternoon last week we got out and rode around close to home and was noticing the beautiful colors.     The next day, we had a dr appt to go to and the colors weren't there like they had been.     Then it finally hit us, there had been some heavy winds the night before and blew all the beautiful leaves down.     That's what happens.      We laughed at our forgetting for a minute or two about the winds the evening before.     Oh it wasn't a huge wind, but enough that it blew all the colored leaves down.

I planted a couple of fresno pepper seeds and a couple of yellow beefsteak tomatoes back in August and I have those in my greenhouse.      I'm just praying that they don't freeze before I get some peppers and green tomatoes at least.      I would love to get about a dozen or so green tomatoes so I can air fry them and put them in the freezer to have some with a meal every now and again.      The fresno peppers are hot, really hot, but they are oh so delicious.      There is a hint of sweet with the heat.    I also have a pot of ginger and a pot of garlic in there along with 3 trays of lettuce.       I sure hope I get to harvest a little bit from all of it before it gets too cold for it it all dies.

I have a reason for making a post today.      This is where I let off steam and not worry about what other people think or may say.     Since no one leaves any comments anymore, I don't have to worry about that.      You wanna know what I need to let steam off about?      

Well here goes:    I am so sick of every sermon that I hear or see, being turned into a covid 19 fest!!!!!    If you are a man or woman of God, preach the BIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!       Anyone with half sense and a second grade education knows that a "pandemic" doesn't end in 2 weeks!!!!       So called preachers are now standing in the pulpit and all their sermons are about is how our lives have been disrupted by this pandemic and we just need to get back to living.      Well, dead people aren't doing much living.      I know that if that person had a relationship with Christ, they ARE living the dream that we all have, and that is to be in the presence of our Savior.      

If the preachers are concerned about one thing, it needs to be saving souls, not about trying to stir up riots by talking about how this all a scam, a hoax, something not to fear, and blah blah blah!!!!!      If this is as good as it gets with the preaching I've been seeing here lately, then I just have to say that the pulpits are filled with wolves in sheeps clothing!!!!!       A lot of these preachers are sold out to BIG business and they want to keep the big donations coming in and they feel that's the way to keep the big bucks rolling in while the country is dealing with a pandemic.     I support the work of God, but I don't support the work of BIG churches who have forgotten the mission of the church and this is to lead the lost to Christ.      If you stand up in church and do everything you can to get your congregation to be as selfish as they possibly can and toss the masks and start spreading covid 19 madly and wildly, then you deserve to have the doors of your church nailed shut.     Notice I said, "your church", because obviously, it's not God's church!!!!!        

God gave each of us mind and free will.      What we are seeing is selfish free will taking place.        We are not seeing the love of God happening when people are being encouraged to throw out the masks and do what ever you want to do.     That is NOT Godly behavior!!!!!       That is worldly behavior!!!!!     I can't understand what has gotten into them.      Even the preachers stand behind their pulpits and beat their chests like a bunch of screaming apes!!!!      I don't get it.      I'm so over them and their NON GODLY messages they are spewing forth.   

I am a Christian.      I am a Christ Follower.       I am a follower of The Way.      That's it.      That's all.    Nothing else.      Call me sheep!!!!!      I am ok with that.    In fact, I'm more than OK with that term.    Because what I'm hearing coming from the pulpits is NOT Christ followers messages from the Bible.    They are disruptive, divisive, and derogatory to the Christ that I follow.       I know there are many that will disagree with what I'm saying, and that's ok.      Well, if you're ok with it, then I'm ok with it.     I have tried to share Jesus on my blog and will keep on doing so.     Just be aware that most of what is spewed forth from the pulpits is not of Jesus.     Just to be blunt, it is of the devil.     Disruption and confusion come the devil.

Just know that God loves us all.   He wants and expects us to use our brains for the of ourselves and others around us.     If we say we love our neighbors, then act like it and do it.    That's what Christians do!!!!!       For so long we have heard dribble coming from the pulpit and we haven't heard the Word of God!!!!!    It's time for us all to pick up our own Bibles and quit being spoon fed this worthless watered down useless mess coming from the pulpit.      It's time to stand up and tell them to sit down and shut until they actually have a message from God's Word and not the latest polling numbers.     

That's about as good as I can tell you.      Use your brain and love your neighbor enough to do what it takes to keep from making people sick, or not.      It's up to the individual, but our decisions tell loud and clear where out heart is.    Don't forget that.

I want to tell us all to remember that God loves us.      While I'm sure that God loves us, I'm also sure that He is waiting to see if we will start acting like we love Him.      If we do, then wearing a mask and trying to keep the spread of a pandemic will not be an issue for us.     If we love Him, we will do what it takes to help keep others healthy, when it depends on us to do so.      

Off my soap box now.      Have a blessed day and do remember that God does love us.     Even in the stench and rot of sin, He loves us.      He always has our best interests at heart and is waiting for us to run to Him for help.      He loves us!!!!!!     Be blessed and have a great rest of the day.    hugs and love, patty

Questions, again from March

Good afternoon Y'all!!!     I pray that this finds each of y'all happy and healthy as we are breezing on thru this year.      Wow, September just flew by and here we are almost the middle of October.    This year will be over before we know it.     I will be kinda ready for it to be over with, but certainly praying for a better 2021.     We'll have to wait and see what the year brings.     I just pray that God will have mercy on this planet and rid the world of this disease.      

Just a preface on what you are about to read.    This first appeared on my facebook page on the morning of October 13th, 2020.     Just in case someone reads it somewhere other than my facebook page or my blog, I want you to know that I am/was the author of this piece.    I know that it has been shared and I don't mind that, I just wish for others to know that it is my writing and not someone else.   Now, on with it.

Back on March 20th, 2020, when I was having time with the Lord, He impressed upon me a series of questions.     3 questions, as a matter of fact.      I wrote those questions down and have tried to be real with myself and answer those questions at least 3 times since the world changed.      Here are the 3 questions:

Thoughts for the day   March 20th, 2020

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal? 

2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal? 

3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

Those have been some powerful questions for me and really hard to answer at times.     These questions run thru my mind almost constantly.      I haven't been able to get them out of my mind.     He put those questions there for me for a reason.      As I struggle to answer them as honestly as I possibly can, I must say that it is hard!!!

For #1, I have to say that learning peoples true nature has been the hardest for me to deal with.     There have been many wolves in sheep's clothing exposed.      The expression "fake it till you make it" doesn't work with entering the kingdom of God.

For #2, I've always said that in all honesty, I know nothing of sacrifice.     I grew up in a time of abundance and luxury, face it, most of us did.       No, I've never had the best of anything, but that's not sacrifice, that's being petty.  

I've never had to go off to war for my country knowing that I may come home in a body bag like millions have.     That's sacrifice!!!       I've never got up and put on a uniform and walked out the door knowing that there's people on the streets that I'm charged to protect that value my life less than that of a sick stray dog.       That's sacrifice!!!       I've never walked into the hospital knowing that today may be the day that I walk out with the disease that will kill me like it has so many other drs and nurses, but it's my job and I have to do it.      That's sacrifice!!!       I've never gotten behind the wheel of a big truck hauling food and meds to other places across the country and wondering if today is the day that someone kills me because they are evil people with evil intentions doing evil things.     That's sacrifice!!!  

I could go on and on, but I won't.  Most people I know are just like me, they haven't sacrificed much for this country.     And for those that have, "thank you for your sacrifice" you have my utmost respect!!  

So I guess the greatest sacrifice that has been asked of me up to this point in my life has been to wear mask to help protect other people.      I haven't made excuses, I haven't beat my chest like a war drum screaming about my rights, I haven't been disrupting the lives of others, I haven't been claiming it's all a hoax.      I have been trying to do as the Lord has asked of me, to live as peaceably as I can with others, when it depends on me.       When I'm out, I wear my mask.      I haven't done a whole lot of shaming others for not wearing their masks.     I certainly could have done a whole lot more than I have, but I haven't.  

Those that have been complying with being asked to wear a mask have been called sheep.     And that my friend, is one of the highest compliments that could ever be said about me.      Jesus knows His followers and His followers know Him.     What about the wolves in sheep's clothing?  Well.......................what about them???

For #3, my biggest blessing thru this and on the other side has been and will continue to be my constant.        That has been knowing that God has been in control, God is in control, and God will continue to be in control.        For that, I can wake up each day, knowing that no matter what my day brings, God has ushered it in for me and has allowed me to be a part of His creation for another day.    I am of the mindset that God IS our only way thru this life.      He will make a way in a barren desert.    He will make a way thru the raging river.      He will provide shelter when mountains are falling down around us.      The "I Am" will provide and make a way!!

God IS, All IS Well!!!!

be blessed and have great rest of the day!!  hugs and love y'all!

I hope, as the afternoon fades into evening, that you and your loved ones are safe and secure in the knowledge that God will make a way.     He is the way maker!!!     He is pain breaker!!!!      He is the Great Physician.      He is the plumbline.      He is the truth!!!!     He is our everything!!    He is worth to be praised.      I pray that you have a blessed evening with a wonderful night of refreshing sleep and healing rest.     God is good and He loves us.    I love y'all too!!   be blessed, love and hugs, patty

What Happened to August?????

Good evening Y'all!!!    Can anyone tell me exactly where August went???    I know I didn't sleep thru it, because I don't sleep that well.    It just vanished, I haven't a clue where it went to.    I know some of y'all probably feel the same way.     We just have to keep praying that God will make everything right again.   I know He can.     I also know it's up to us to do our part.   What is our part?????    Putting Him first place in all the places we have kicked Him from!!!!   With number one being each and every individual heart.    We need to get back worshiping and praising Him on high!!!!    We need to get back to right living and we can only live right when He is number One in our lives.    It starts on an individual, personal basis.     My prayer is that the last third of this year is better than the first two thirds have been.    But.........can you imagine what this year would have been like without God at all???    I can't even wrap my brain around that thought.     But there are still plenty of people on this globe who go thru year after year without God in their lives.     

That is such a scary thought.    It makes my heart hurt for them.     To think that so many are sold out to the devil.     Some even know they are sold out to the devil and they don't care.     Some just don't know, but there others that do know, but don't care.     Such a tragedy.    If you don't believe me, watch the news sometimes, if you can stomach it.    That will prove what I just said.

What most people are missing is Jesus.     You can't legislate Him.     You can't mandate Him.     You can write Him into a new law.     You can't really take Him out of everything either.     Because where a Christian is, there He is.    So, whoever you are reading this, just know that there is HOPE and His name is Jesus.    

I have been busy with my deck garden and it's just about wrapped up for the season.   I still do have a ton of peppers coming in and I'm happy about that.    A few cucumber and fingerling eggplants, couple of bean plants and a small tomato.     That's about all that's left.   It's been a pretty good year for my deck garden.    My little greenhouse that I got back in January, the cover on it is shedding plastic.   It wasn't a good plastic.   It didn't stand up to the heat and uv of the sun.    My husband is going to get some greenhouse rated plastic and recover it.    Hopefully I can use it thru the winter or at least till it gets too cold to use it.    I don't  know, we'll have to wait and see.

It's been a trying last few months.    If you know people who are alone, reach out to them.     It's a difficult time.     We have a wonderful friend whose wife passed late last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and this has been really difficult on him.     I can't imagine.    I pray for all the hurting and lonely.    I pray for all the sick, for all the families who have lost loved ones and for all the people in the hospitals alone, by themselves, and have no family that can check in on them due to covid restrictions.   I have also prayed for my husband and I, that we stay healthy and don't end up having to go to the hospital.     I pray for God to keep us safe and healthy and help us to lean in to Him just a little closer when we feel weak or afraid.

Just don't hesitate to reach out to someone you know is hurting.     They will surely appreciate it.    Thank God everyday for your health and for the blessings He bestows upon you.     Always remember that He loves you and that He is in control of absolutely everything.   He knows what's happening.    He knows and He will take care of us.    To live is to serve Christ and to die is to be with Christ.     Paul said that in his writings.   Not necessarily in the words I used, but the train of thought is the same.    Either way, Paul looked at it as a win win situation.    I think we can too.    Most of us would say that we want more days on planet earth with our loved ones.    I know I do.   But I also know that every day I live brings me one day closer to being with Jesus.     If you know Him as your savior, then that is true for you too.   I just want to be found serving Him.     Whether it's thru my blog, online in some other way, or out in the community serving Him, I just want to be found serving Him.   I hope you do too.    

Always remember that God loves you so much He provided a free and clear way for you to be in right relationship with Him.     Jesus is that free and clear way!!!   And Jesus is the ONLY way!!!!    Do not be deceived into thinking there is some other way to God, there isn't.   I hope if you haven't accepted Christ as your savior that you will do just that before you close your eyes in sleep tonight.    What a magnificent gift waiting for you!!!!     I guess I'm gonna hop off here and fix a bite for supper.   I pray you all have a blessed evening and that you rest in sweet peace tonight and that tomorrow is the day God made just for you.    Be blessed and hugs and love, patty

July 20th, We are a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Which are you?

Good morning Y'all!!!!      Here we are July 20th, 2020, and I say, "Where has 2020 gone?"      "What has happened to our beloved world?"       It really saddens me this morning as I sit here contemplating the events of this year, up to this point in time.

Back on March 20th, I shared a quick little post, and I have reshared it a time or two since then in some other posts.     Guess what, I'm sharing it again.      If you read my blog, I want these questions to be at the forefront of your mind.   

This is it:  

Thoughts for the day   March 20th, 2020

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal?
2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?
3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

These are just 3 things to think about in the days ahead.    Think about these and come back here some time and share with me what your answer to these are.

In the days ahead, remember that God wants to be in right relationship with us and the only possible way for that to happen is for us to know His Son, Jesus Christ.     Think about that too. Now is the time. This is the day of salvation, there may be no other day and no other chance.    Today is the day we have. Remember God loves you and I do too. hugs, love, and blessings, patty

Exactly 4 months later, 1/3 of the year, and I'm still asking myself these questions.         What's funny, is just about every day the answer to those questions change a little.        One thing I know for sure, God is still in control and nothing, absolutely NOTHING happens without His knowledge.    There is much comfort in knowing this.

The enemy is rampant!!!    he is on the warpath of destruction because he knows his days are numbered and are swiftly slipping thru his grasp.    Friends, we haven't seen anything yet!!!    But........our hope is in the Lord!!    He hasn't failed us yet and He won't ever fail us!!!    That is something we can count on!!

But I want to look at the questions and answer those for myself and be able to see my response.    And my answers will be all inclusive of ALL the events that has happened since March 20th.      And it will be referring to the disease, rioting, murdering and what ever else I didn't just mention.    I just won't be calling it by name, but it will be all inclusive.

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal?

Well, it's sad to say, but I think my greatest lesson from this ordeal is that people that I have known all my life and friends alike have really disappointed me in their re-action to all this.    One of the saddest things is that the true nature of humanity has shown in a lot of people.    Sin has a way of showing up. Again, it just emphasizes the fact that we should ONLY look to Jesus for anything!!    When we look to and expect a certain behavior from others, we will be let down. Jesus never disappoints.

2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?

Let me preface my answer by saying that not many of us really know much about sacrifice.        The generation of the Great Depression and the World War 2 generations knew a lot about sacrifice and lots of generations before them.    The generations since have lived in abundance and haven't had to sacrifice much at all for anything, and that even goes for myself.        I don't know what sacrifice is all about myself.        I was reared by a father that worked to provide for his family and a momma that took care of the home front.    I was reared by parents who was not afraid to discipline their children.

With all that in mind, to this point, my greatest sacrifice has been not getting to see my Momma as much as I want to.    We have stayed away to try to prevent the spread of disease.    We have actually seen her 4 or 5 times over the last couple months, but with the disease kicking back up, we have slacked off again. I know it has been hard on her!!!        She loves her children and she loves seeing us and since February, she hasn't had access to her children, grand children and great grand children like she wants to have.

With all that said, if everyone, EVERYONE, would put a mask on, she could see her family. Nuff said on that.

3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

My biggest blessing has been the same all along.    That God is in control and that He goes before me setting my path for me to trod.    He calms my heart, He brings peace when there is no external peace. He has given me clarity when the world is all about confusion.    He helps me see things the way He sees it thru His gift of discernment.       He collects my tears as He wipes them from my face.    He is my fortress, my stronghold.    Growing nearer to my Heavenly Father is a great thing.


The answers to 1. and 2. may change again and again, but I feel rest assured that the answers to 3. will remain the same.    We've seen some pretty dark days in the recent past and those days are not done.    We have seen the exercise of sin throughout the land.    We have seen perversion at it's worst and it's just getting started.    We've seen people acting out of their greatest perversions and we haven't seen anything yet.

Yes, I know there are a lot of people out there that thinks this whole thing is a hoax.    There are also a lot of people out there that think believing in Jesus Christ is a hoax.    But if I live my life believing in Jesus Christ as I do and at the end of my days, it was hoax, then nothing lost.       I was kind to people and know that I tried to have a good heart that was respectful to everyone.       If on the other hand, I live my life thinking He is a hoax, and He turns out to be the real deal, then I just sent myself to hell.

How can I relate this to wearing a mask?    Well, let me preface this by saying that for all the health care workers having to wear these respirator masks for 8 to 12 and even more hours in a day, then God bless you all and I do pray for your protection and for your families protection.        Be careful of the info floating around on the internet, a lot of it is to get you to let your guard down and get sick and possibly die. It's not for your benefit!!

But for those of us who just want to get groceries, get out of the house and get a fast food fix, or go into the bank or the drug store, or just do some fun shopping, we can do some of things that can potentially expose others to the virus, by not wearing a mask, and you are living as if this is a hoax.      What if your behavior, and your behavior alone, killed your Momma, killed your children, killed your grand children?????    We don't have to wear a mask long enough to cause some of the problems that people are claiming.    Yeah, you may asthma, but if it was something you REALLY wanted to do and if it's something to keep YOU safe, that's a different story!!    We are hearing a LOT of excuses!!!!    That's all it is, excuses backed by the enemy himself.       Poor souls don't even know they are being used.    What we are seeing is ugly, sin stained hearts coming to the surface.    They can be hidden only so long.        You can talk about Jesus all day long on face book, but your actions speak louder than words.    You can go to church every sunday of the world and still be as lost as the needle in the haystack.        Like they say, standing in a garage doesn't make you a car either.        It boils down to sin.

There are a lot of people who want to say that those who do wear a mask are sheep.    Well, my friends, look in scripture and see what the word of God says about sheep.    Call me sheep any day, I will count it as one of the highest compliments anyone could ever gave me!!!!!!     The Shepherd knows His sheep!!!!        So, baa baa baa!!!    Yes, I'm a sheep and proud of it.

As for all the recent events being foreshadowing of things to come, like I said earlier, God knows what's happening.    I don't think He needs any of us fighting against what the back of the BOOK says is going to happen.    It will happen in His time and He tells us "to be ready for it!!!        He doesn't tell us to be out in the streets beating our chests like some kind of war drums and shaking a fist, like it really means anything anyway.    And burning our cities and other people livelihoods and creating confusion.       We already discussed where confusion fits in and it's of the enemy.    But what it does tell us is to live our lives as peaceably as we can, when it depends on us.    Standing out, shaking my fists, calling names, and cursing is not what God has called me to do.    If that's His calling on your life, then I suggest you ask Him for more discernment.    I suggest you channel whatever is causing your behavior to more constructive things.    Mow a neighbors yard, shop for groceries for an elderly friend, tend to a neighbors garden, go plant a small garden for a neighbor and help take care of it for them.       Do something constructive.    Tell someone they look beautiful.       Make someones day by opening a door. Do all these good things for others while wearing a mask.

The simple fact of the matter is this, if you claim to be a a Christ Follower, then your life should show it.      His kingdom was never about ruling planet earth.    His kingdom was all about living in the lives of those us who love Him and being with Him in His true domain.     Remember, in the Garden, when Peter pulled a sword and cut Malcus' ear off?     Jesus told Peter to put away the sword.      And........He healed that ear of Malcus!!!!!      I'll just imagine that Malcus remembered that the rest of his days!!! Truth be known, he may have even bragged about it a little.      He had a testimony, whether he knew it or not.

Thing of it is, we all have a testimony.    We don't look at lives, most of the time, as testimony, but if we love Jesus, then we are a walking testimony to the goodness of God in our lives.    The only reason Jesus hasn't already come back is because God is waiting for that one more soul to come to know Him. Just one more, just one more, just one more......................... You see, our God is a God of many opportunities, but those opportunities will be coming to an end some day.    I have no idea how soon it will be, but it will happen.    I just pray that just one more, and just one more, and just one more will keep on coming to know Him as Lord and Savior.

My testimony is that Jesus saved such a wretched sinner as I, knowing that I don't, didn't and will ever deserve it on my own.     The thing of it is, it's not based on how wretched I am, it's based on how wonderful, amazing, awesome and loving and trustworthy He is!!!       My Savior is the epitome of sacrifice!!!!!       He died in my place, all those years ago.     What is so sweet, is the fact that if I had been the only one to ever need His sacrifice, He would have done it just for me.      That is my testimony, He sacrificed Himself just for me.      He done the same thing for you!!!        It's only when we make it real for us that it becomes our testimony.      So, call me "sheep" and I will take that as an ultimate compliment.     I know my Shepherds voice and He knows mine.    Can you say the same?       I hope so.

So, this is my 4 month summary of the questions I asked myself back on March 20th, 2020.       Some of the answers may change over the next 4 months, I don't know.      But I will try to remember to revisit the questions again and see what has changed.     Until then, be the change that you want to see in the world.     One person can make a difference in your own world.      I pray that I am making a difference in my world.     I certainly try to.

That's all I have for now.    Blessings on you and those you love.      Do what you can to help others and protect others.    Be a light in an otherwise dark world.    Love those around you.     Show kindness to all people.    Let your heart, your beautiful heart that loves Jesus, be what others see in you.    Remember that God loves you and I do too.    Have a wonderful rest of the day and thank God for it. hugs, love and blessings, patty

Clenched fists or Open hands

I shared this on facebook a little while ago and thought I would share it here too.


this is what's on my mind this evening and thought I would jot down my thoughts.    these are just my thoughts, that's all.    but my thoughts can be dangerous for me sometimes and these were.    kinda made me take a second look at me. the images are everywhere.    oh, you may not even pay any attention to them now, we've seen them so much here lately. but when I see the images, I see something I don't like. what are the images?    if you have read this far, you may be curious. the images of the "upraised clenched fist".    when I see them, it almost makes me sick to my stomach. and I seen an image this afternoon and it just stuck.    I knew I would have to knuckle down and make sense out of why it just makes me sick.    like I said earlier, this is my assessment and I'm not asking for anyone's approval of my thoughts or comments either.

a little digging and this is what I learned about the upraised clenched fist. it signifies threat, rejection, arrogance, exclusion, refusal, ready to fight, anger and violence.    I think we've seen a lot of all of these traits in the last few weeks.    we've seen the clenched fists out in the streets committing heinous crimes.    I don't know about anyone else, but it has just about made me sick. sometimes, I would like to know how people could have so much hate on the inside of them.    then, I remember that at one point in time, I had just as much hate on the inside of me as the people we've seen of late, still have on the inside of them.

then a little more digging also showed me what the open hand means.    it means friendship, help, peace, sharing, humility, communication and connection. to be honest, that's something we've not seen a lot of these days.    that's what's missing these days. it's not missing because the church doors have been shut due to the pandemic.    the church is not the building.    the church is each of us who claim to know Him.    where I am, there is the church.    where you are, there is the church.    that is only true if you know Him.

when I think of an open hand, I actually think of 2 open hands.    the 2 open hands of my Savior that was nailed to the cross for my sins.    all of the sudden, that's when I realized why the clenched fist makes me sick.    go back up and read the traits of the clenched fist again. they have nothing in common with the open hands.    other than that fact that all open hands, were indeed clenched fists until they had an encounter with Him.

the open hands of my Savior had all the traits and so many more as described by the open hands.    I am so thankful for His open hands on my behalf.    if He would have had a clenched fist, life for all of us would be so different. the truth of the matter, my Savior had the choice to make; clenched fist or open hands.    after all, He was fully human and capable of making a decision opposite of what He made.    He had a choice.    He chose me.    He chose you.

so, I have a choice to make and I have chosen Him.    does that make me perfect?    laughably, absolutely not.    it makes me a sinner saved by the grace of open hands.    we all have a choice to make.    it's not easy being open handed all the time because people think you are weak and beat down among other things.    but at this point in my life, I could care less what people think about me and just pray that people start thinking more about Him.    when we take our eyes off the open and nail scarred hands of our Savior, it's easy to start to getting clench fisted and full of hate again.    my hearts desire for myself is that in all my activities from this moment on in my life, I pray that my Savior sees me living my life with open hands.    that is the choice that I make, and I will fully rely on Him.    we all have a choice to make.    I can only make my choice.    have a blessed evening, hugs and love, patty

What are you made of?

I wrote this last year on my birthday and shared it on facebook, but I don't think I shared it here. I hope you can relate to some of these things that has helped make me who I am.


Pigtails and pin curls.

Skinned knees and climbing trees.

Horse shoes and basketball.

Digging worms and fishing poles.

Bobby socks and new shoes.

Cornbread and fresh butter.

Badminton and backyard volleyball.

Puppies and kittens.

Gathering eggs and chasing chickens.

Ghost stories and lightening bugs.

Licking the beaters and washing dishes.

Hanging out clothes and bringing clothes in.

Sunshine and rainy days.

Biscuits and gravy.

Monopoly and card games.

Crayons and coloring books.

Paper dolls and barbie dolls.

Bb guns and squirt pistols.

Blackberries and chiggers.

Momma and Daddy.

Grandparents and cousins.

Yoyos and jacks.

Beans and potatoes.

June bugs and butterflies.

Mud pies and pea shooters.

Buttons and barrettes.

Bow and arrows and target practice.

Cuts and bee stings.

Chicken pox and mumps.

Popcorn balls and sorghum molasses.

Measles and Mercurochrome.

Neighbors and friends.

Guns and hair bows.

A little country and a lot of Jesus!!!!


God bless each and everyone of you and just know that He loves you all. hugs and love till next time, patty

A Beautiful Day

Good afternoon Lovely people.     I hope and pray that where ever you are on this planet, that you are having a beautiful day and that you recognize this is a day that Lord has made and He made it just for us!!!     Yes and Amen!!!!

I haven't done anything overly special today.    I planted seeds in my latest GreenStalk.   An upright planter with 4 tiers to fill full of wonderful veggies.    I just pray Gods blessings over my feeble efforts and I know if anything grows, it's because He heard my prayers.     I assure you I know nothing about gardening.    hahaha      But I do know that God is faithful. 

I worked on my yogurt that I started last night in Instant Pot.    I put it in the fridge to get it cooled down and now I have it in my flour sack cloth lined strainer basket, draining the whey from it to make greek yogurt.   It will be delicious!!!

I made a grocery order from Kroger and had that delivered a couple hours ago.    I have that out of the way till I make my Aldi order later on this week.     There's thing's I prefer from Kroger and things I prefer from Aldi.

I've been on face book quite a bit today responding to Happy Birthday wishes today.      While I'm not crazy about big celebrations, I do enjoy the quick responses and well wishes from family, friends, acquaintances and friends of family members and their well wishes.    That brings lots of joy.    Sharing old pictures and funny pictures and reminiscing of days gone by and a simpler time.

As I reflect on the years I've been on this planet, I have a lot to be thankful for.   And I am most thankful and grateful to God for every day of my life thus far and look with great anticipation to the days ahead.    I have no idea what they will bring.    I imagine there will be joy in the days ahead.    No doubt, there will be lots of fun and laughter.    I can just imagine, too, that there will pain and heart ache in the days ahead.     I have no idea what lay ahead.    One thing I do know for sure, God is already there!!!     He is working ahead of me.     He is designing my steps.     He is my plan keeper.    I don't know what the plans are, but He does.     So with that in my mind, I can face each day as they come and know that nothing is a surprise to God.

The days and times in which we live are unsettling to say the least.    As I struggle with all of it, my mind and heart easily slips from today to yester-year and thoughts of home, family, friends, brothers, parents, grandparents, home places, cousins, aunts and uncles and all those things oh so familiar, but some are long gone.   Those are things that make it home, no matter where you are.

I can pull out the picture albums and go right back to that little kid.     Quiet, shy, reserved, an observer,  hard, serious, a thinker, awkward, goofy, silly, but also someone who felt and still feels things deeply.  While this is going to sound silly and childish, when one of my seedlings in my little garden doesn't make it, I wonder what I done to kill it.     And that makes me sad.      In reality, it shouldn't, but it does.

So you can certainly understand why the events of the recent past are so unsettling.     I was reared to have respect for certain things.  Other people, people in authority, even titles of people deserved respect.     I didn't talk back to the elders around me.     If I done something that merited a spanking, I got it.     There wasn't anyone that would or could stop my Momma from dispensing correction, when correction was due.   You know what????     I am so thankful for that!!!!!    I'm so thankful that my Momma loved me and my 5 brothers enough to discipline us!!!      I truly am!!!      It breaks my heart to see people that I know who have not had one second of correction in their lives.     I really hate to say it, but what we see today is no discipline producing no discipline     That is such a hard thing to say, but it is truth.   

The Bible clearly states in several places and not necessarily in my words, but correction is a good thing and when correction is spared the child is spoiled.     That is true.     While I can't give you an example of Momma spanking me, I know she did.     I also know she spanked my brothers.    She spanked the children she kept while their parents worked.     If someone didn't want their child spanked, they found another babysitter.     My Momma would spank your child when necessary or you got another babysitter.   End of story.    hahaha   

I remember we would go to visit neighbors and friends back when we was all little.     When we was all in the car, my Momma would lay the law down to us about behaving.   She might even tell us before we got in the car, but she always TOLD us before hand.   More than likely, while visiting, she would never say a word, but she had a look and we all knew that LOOK.  When we had received that look, we knew we was in trouble when we got home, most of the time there wasn't a discussion.    We knew why we got the look, we was just praying she would forget that she had to use the look.     She never did.    We knew we would get our hide tanned and we did.     Fortunately for us, we were quick and easy learners.    It didn't happen often, but it did happen a time or two.    To the best of my knowledge, no one we ever visited when we was all young ever dreaded seeing us come to their house.     I don't reckon we ever had any critical words from neighbors, family and friends.    That is something that I'm proud of today!!!     But I can tell you there were some that came to our house and we dreaded to see them coming and was thrilled to see them leaving. 

As kids, we was always so happy when some of our cousins came to visit.     Didn't matter if they lived up the road or in other states, we was so excited to see them all.     They were taught to behave like we were.   I love all the memories that was made back then.    Time has passed and some of my cousins are no longer with us and that breaks my heart.    With the passage of time, as of right now on this day, my Momma is the last one living of her generation.     Daddy is gone and all my Aunts and Uncles on both sides of my family are now gone.    That is such a lonely thought, that my Momma is the last one standing.    I pray she has many more healthy years left in her.    I believe she does.     But I also know she is lonely.    While she still has lots of friends, there's just something different about family and she feels it.

My Momma worked harder than any other mother I know of anywhere.     She done without, so we could have school clothes.     She was always last on the list for anything.     Didn't make any difference what it was, she came last.     She put herself there.    She put herself last.     She has no regrets for anything she done for us.     She was always on our side.    She always wanted to see her children succeed.     She helped her children succeed. 

My Daddy worked all his life.    He was gone before sun up and home around 5 pm every day, just like clock work.    He provided for his family.     He taught his children about work and gave us all a work ethic that none can compare.    He worked.   That was his job.     He set an example.     That too, was his job.    He never called in sick.     He worked.     It's not easy providing for a household of 8.    If you think it is, go try it.     See how hard it is.     We took no government handouts.     They were available.    We took no government handouts.     No free lunches.     Nada.     Zilch.     He worked.    He set an example.     That's what some men done back then.   They worked.    They set an example.

Fast forward to today.     What are Momma's and Daddy's doing?     Rioting, killing, stealing, spitting on police officers, breaking things that's not theirs, collecting welfare, tearing down, destroying, taking, cursing, standing in hand out lines, being belligerent, hurting others, killing babies, screaming inequality.     They too are setting an example. 

Oh Lord God take control of this nation!!!    Please put a burden and desire in the hearts of ALL parents to do right by their children.     Please help them and all of us to see the error of our ways that comes from turning a deaf ear.     I pray that you put a miraculous end to the hate filled hearts.   I know you can Lord!!!    I know you can.     I feel the call of angels from heavens shore because I don't feel like I'm at home down here anymore.      I don't know that I can say that this ever felt like home, but it certainly feels less and less like home.    I am so thankful for the days behind me.    All of them, even the bad days and there have been plenty of bad days.     Every day I've lived to this day has helped make me the person I am today.     So, yes, I'm thankful for the days behind me.     I do look with great anticipation to the days ahead.     The days behind me showed me that God was there, so I know He will be in my days ahead.     I pray He will give me what is necessary to make it thru each day till He calls me home or till He calls us all home.     With His faithfulness in the past, I know He will be faithful in the future and that He is already there, making a way.    He is the Way Maker!!! 
So, today, I reminisce of days gone by and I look to the unknown days ahead.    But I do it all knowing that God has seen every day of my life to this day and He will be my guide and companion thru the days ahead.    He will count all my joys and laughs and happiness.    He will also catch and count all the tears that slip down cheeks.    Just as He has done in the past, so will He do in the days ahead.    My God is faithful!!   Me, not so much!!      But my God is!!!

I don't know what you think of today's blog.    This was just something I needed to write down for me and decided to share it with y'all.    I hope you all know my God and have a personal relationship with Him.    That would be a wonderful birthday present, just knowing that someone seen the God that I serve as someone they wanted to serve too.     Jesus made the way for us to be in relationship with God.    Jesus saved my soul.     Jesus made me whole.     He can do the same for you.    Acknowledge your sin, repent of your sin, ask Jesus to come into your life.   He will.   Then you will be in right relationship with God thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

I love you all.   As much I love all of you, just know that God loves you so much more than I ever could.     I pray you have a beautiful rest of the evening, a wonderful rest filled night and if you are blessed to wake in the morning, I pray you will give God glory for it!!!   hugs and love, patty

Where is your heart this morning?

Good morning Y'all!!!      I hope and pray that wherever Y'all are today that you know and feel the presence of the Lord today.     Just wanted to share what was on my heart this morning and I hope you can find some comfort in it.

Who wants a good read today?       If you do, grab your Bible and turn to 1 Peter 2 and read the whole chapter.       It tells us how we are to live in this world, that is not our permanent home.       We are sojourners just passing thru this land.       If you long for something different, just know, that's heaven calling.       "This world is not my home" keeps rushing thru my mind and below is a portion of that song.

""This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.""

There is also another beautiful hymn that keeps coming up too, "This is my Fathers world".     This is a portion of that song:

""This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hand the wonders wrought.""

I love the nature side of my Fathers world as described in this sweet hymn of faith, but not so much the side of humanity that we are seeing today. So, while I think of rocks and trees and skies and seas, I also hear the angels beckon me from heaven's open door and I don't feel at home here anymore.

I can't possibly be the only person with a heart that is longing for heaven, but I also long to see God's people do right by one another.

Anyway, this is where my heart was this morning. hugs and love to all and have a blessed day. patty

My Little Garden and a Loaf of Bread

Good evening everyone.    I hope and pray that wherever y'all are that you are enjoying this great evening.     We have had rain for a couple of days and just before it gets dark, the sun comes out.     It is a beautiful sight for sure.     Out in the distance I hear a wise old owl calling to it's tree mate.    When I go out on the deck to listen, it stops calling for it's sweetheart, but when I come back in, it start again.     I'm guessing they are shy and don't want anyone spying on them.    hahaha      Then in the front, right here in the living room, right outside the window where I set and am typing this blog post up, there is a little tree frog talking to me.    He used to be at the window where my husband sits and he is a little jealous that I have his little buddy at my window now.    He can just share with me.   hahaha     Isn't the sounds of nature just wonderful!!!   

Speaking of the sounds of nature, I can almost hear my little garden growing.     My garden is on the deck because I have allergies and being out in the grass and the like is very bad for me, so I started trying to figure out how I could have a little garden.   I had a few things in pots last year on the deck and I have more things this year.      It gets a little daunting trying to figure what will grow in pots and what won't.     I did order some seeds very early in the year, before the pandemic, and I got things that said they were small and good for container gardening.    Anyway, I also ordered a small green house.   My husband got it put up and then he put a wooden frame around it to hold and anchor it to the deck to help it stay put in storms.     It's not the prettiest thing in the neighborhood, but it's mine and I started a lot of seedlings in it after I got them out of the house.    When the weather finally warmed up, I got most of the pots and containers out of the greenhouse onto the deck.     I took a few pictures and wanted to share.     I had a friend who asked about my little garden and this is the only way I could show her pictures of it, so I hope y'all like the pics too.

This is a picture of my Tom Thumb Lemon Squash.  You can see the blossoms in full bloom.   The picture was made on the 24th of May I believe.    I can't remember, but there are squash the size of marbles now.     They will grow to the size of a lemon, thus the name.

This line of produce is the Lemon Squash, the next pot has my Tom Thumb Mini Tomatoes.     No blooms or buds yet, but they are really growing.    Next in the white pot are my Tom Thump Peas.    The bushes are really small and covered with blooms and I have already gotten several peas off them.   I have about 7 plants and just planted the seeds for more and they are above ground.     The next pot is the pot that has my Mini Zucchini Squash.    Should be about the size plant as the Lemon Yellow Squash.    I just got the seeds and got them in the pot.

 This is the other side of the greenhouse door and in the white pot is bush Yellow Wax Beans.    They are up about 2-3 inches as of this morning.     In the picture, there is nothing green, they popped up over night, literally.     The next small pot is one Tom Thumb Pea and I also sprinkled more lettuce seeds around it and those seeds have germinated.     The next white pot is more of the peas and I planted more seeds in it at the same time and those seed are up.    Apparently, the peas will put on a load of blooms and make peas and then they die, so I will keep planting seeds all summer and picking the peas for salads.    Next to that is my Micro Mini Bell peppers.   When the peppers are ready for picking, they will be about the size of a quarter or smaller.      In the next pot was a couple more peas and one was already spent, so I pulled it out and stuck in 2  more seeds and they are up too.

 This is on a shelf in the little greenhouse.   I had an empty ice cream box and filled it with dirt and stuck the root ends cut off of green onions in the soil and I've clipped the greens several times just for the blades to put in salads.    And then next to it is a tray that I got roasted chicken from Sam's Club in.     I saved the tray and put soil in it and sprinkle my mixed lettuce and I've got several clipping of lettuce from that tray.   I started to toss it out and sit it back on the shelf and in less than a week, it's ready to trim again.    So I'll keep it as long as it's growing lettuce.   I didn't figure it would do anything!!   Sure fooled me.   hahaha    Love it though.

 In the short pot in the front is another lettuce that I got in a Misfits Market Box and it had a root ball on it.    I clipped all the lettuce and stuck the root ball in the soil and it took off like a weed and I have cut it back 2 or 3 times already and it's ready again.    Beside it is a radish where I just stuck the top of the radish with the small greens on it in the soil and , who knew, it grew!!!!    hahaha     And beside the lettuce is more of the green onions that I just stuck the rooks in the soil and they grew more green and I just keep clipping them too, for salads.     The big tall palnter is a Green Stalk from greenstalkgarden.com out of Knoxville TN.     It is family owned and operated.    I seen someone talking about it and had seen some others earlier in the year and I liked the looks of these and the watering system they have.     It's a vertical planter.    I have lettuces and micro bell peppers, finger eggplants, golden beets, carrots and I did have some radishes, but they all died.  I ordered the 5 tier planter.    When we got it, it's tall for me to water.    So we made it 4 tiers tall and I ordered another 3 tier planter to stack and have 2 four tier vertical planters.    Off to the side, barely in the picture is the 5 tier and I have it filled and lettuces and mustards  and salad greens are in it, onions and chives too.   These tiers lock together and they have a unique watering system that waters each level equally.     It's a very nice system.    Each tier has 6 large pockets that you plant in.     You actually fill each tier with soil and put the gray water system on and then you stack them and you have access to the pockets and then the rest of the planter is for the root system to grow in.    I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more systems like this to grow in.

I also made some homemade yeast sandwich bread.      I've had a bread machine for a while and hadn't used it for some time and I figured now is as good a time as any to shake the dust off and bake bread.     I had forgotten how fantastic it is.    The picture under this one is actually the first picture and this is the second one.    It does everything, mixes, shapes, kneads, shapes, kneads, shapes and bakes.

This is actually the first picture as it's mixing the dough up initially.   You can see that it really does a nice job of mixing because there is nothing left on the sides when it's done with the mixing.

 Okay, another Lemon Squash picture.  They had several blooms on it, big and beautiful, now there are small squash about the size of marbles.    I want more pots to plant more of these!!!   hahaha

This is my final, baked bread.    It was quite lovely.    My pictures don't do it justice because it was a really beautiful color and I brushed it with butter when I took it form the pan.

This is the final product.    It was delicious.    It's perfect for sandwiches and also french toast.   I made french toast the second day and my word, it was the best I've ever made!!!     So, if you have a bread machine, get that puppy out of hiding and use it.    If you don't have one, look for one at a thrift store or Goodwill.    You can usually get them for around 5 to 10 dollars.    Or buy a new one, like I did back in 2006.    I'll call it vintage.    hahaha      I also have a sourdough started going and will be making some sourdough bread by the weekend.     I can't wait to try my hand at making sourdough english muffins.    I have the recipe, I'm just waiting for my starter to get ready.     

Well, this is my load of pictures for the time being.     Keep an eye peeled, you may be seeing more of my garden.    When I get my second planter, I'll take pictures of it too and share those.   Please forgive all the mistakes in my spelling and leaving words out altogether.    I do that frequently and will usually catch some of my mistakes later on and I try to correct them as I find them.

I hope you seen something that sparked an interest for you tonight.    If you did, share it with friend or neighbor.    Tell someone today, before you go to bed, that Jesus loves them.     Someone you know needs to hear it.    And, just in case you haven't heard it today, "Jesus Loves YOU!!!"     If you ask me how I know,  I can tell you that He wrote a whole book describing His great love for you and that book is called The Holy Bible.   It is the greatest love story ever written.    I pray that peace and contentment will be your head rest tonight and that you have a wonderful refreshing night of healing sleep.    I will certainly claim this for myself tonight and I hope you do too.     Always remember that God loves you, I do too.   Thank you for taking the time to visit with me for a spell.    Hope to see right back here real soon.    be blessed, hugs and love, patty