Mattie's vacation to South Carolina and Georgia

Well, I finally got my self together and took the drive
down south, had a wonderful time. first went to my
son Garry's home in Duncan, SC then to my grandson
Mikes home in Akin SC where my daughter Jan and her
husband met me.
then on to Douglas ville Ga. then back to Duncan SC.
then back to Virginia Beach to see my grandson Raymond
and his sweet little family.
I am ready to go again. Soon I hope. I love driving out
on the road.
God's country is so beautiful to look at. Country roads
are so serene and peaceful and relaxing.
While at my friend's home and at my son's home, I cooked
up a big pot of chicken and dumplings. They insisted on
serving them right from the pot. yummmmm good.
God bless everyone who reads this blog. please read
and apply. Love you all

God's mountain
This is the picture that was suppose to be with the blog. Hope
it will show up in this one.
love you all.

"God's mountain"

How beautiful is the mountain of God? Here we see the beautiful colores
of His creation. He made all things and he was pleased with everything
he made. Look at these beautiful colores and remember what God
said in Matthew 6: starting with verse 24 through 34,
God is saying to us to trust one Master, Him.

He talks about the birds and how he cares for them and then he
goes to the lilies of the field, how they grow and yet they don't toil
nor work to be beautiful, they just are beautiful, in fact, he says
that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like these lilies.

If God clothed these beautiful lilies who do not work, how much more
will he take care of his children whom he sent his only Son to die
for us? Think about this.
In verse 33 he says to "Seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness and all of the above will be given you."

I have lived a very hard life over the years and I even went hungry
as a child, not my mother's fault, she was hungry too.
The experience, not only being hungry myself but seeing my darling
mother hungry also and my siblings. I didn't know God then but
over the years he has taught me that I can totally trust in Him because
he is the one who really cares for me. How blessed can I be!!!!! he wants
me to be hungry for Him. thats a good hungry.

Got any rivers you think are un-crossible, got any mountains you
you think you can't climb
Got anything you think is impossible, just trust God he is the one who can.
This is a little corus I use to sing in hard times, I have forgotten the words
so if any one reads this blog and knows the words I would appreciate your
help, thank you.
As I think of this corus I remember the mountains I have had to climb in my
life, my mountain was and is not beautiful but when God is in the climb it becomes
beautiful, and possible to do . I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his
work on the cross for me to make it possible for me to live with him forever in
Eternity. What an awesome God we have!!!!!
May God bless each one who reads this and know God made YOU beautiful too.
He made it possible for you to have eternal life, go get it and grow it, its beautiful!!!!!

"SMILES"

The smiles on my Mother and husband's face are gone now as they
are deceased. I enjoyed seeing them smile and laugh so hardy.

This is a picture of my Mother, my son Garry and his dad Ray.
My son Garry was always making my mother smile, he is good at
making everyone smile. He smiles still today because he is alive.
He makes the best of every minute count. He hates idle time and
feels he must fill every minute with something, not just anything
but the good things that will count. I am thankful he made my
mother and his dad smile for now we have the memory of them
smiling on pictures. Thank you Garry for making my mother and
your dad smile. Thank you for making me smile even when I don't
feel like.

Life is too Short not to fill it with the things of God, and make it
count.
Garry, you have made me proud for what you do with your life.
you have challenges like all of us but I am pleased with how you
make yours count. The world should smile more.I love you son.

"Who is watching you?"

In the Bible, Daniel and his friends set an example of being who you are in the Lord
and not being afraid. As I read this story about Daniel, I am reminded what I went
through many times myself. That story a little down the line.

In Daniel chapter 3: tells us about Nebuchadnezzar who made a golden image
and called out every one to come to the dedication of the image which he had
set up.
Then a loud noise was heard saying,"to you it is commanded O people nations and
languages, at the time you hear the music of all kind of instruments playing, you
fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and who
ever does not fall down and worship will be cast into the fiery furnace."

Daniel and his friends refused to fall down and worship the idol, and certain people
came and told the king that Daniel and his friends did not follow orders.
The king had them brought to him and told them himself; if they fall down to worship
the image he had set up then; well:! but if they didn't worship then they would be cast
into the furnace at the same hour, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Daniel and his friends answered with: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us out of your hand o king. but if not, be it known unto you, o king, that we will not
serve you gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.

Just as some one was watching Daniel and his friends to see what they would do, so some one
is always watching us today. I was watched for over a year by someone as to how I lived.
I remember while working in Portsmouth Hospital in New Hampshire, I experienced a
situation and the Lord gave me such boldness and I was not afraid.

There was this orderly who use to work in the emergency room, I had not seen him for over a year
or so, and one day he came to the emergency room for care for himself, he had lost a leg to diabetes
They brought him to the surgical floor where I worked.
He recognized me and ask me if I was going to be his nurse for the shift. I told him yes. he ask
me to come to his room when I finished my work. I did and he started telling how he had watched me
for over a year just waiting for me to make a mistake so he would feel better about himself,
he was not a christian and was jealous of me

because I always seemed so happy, he said he hated me, 1) because he thought I hated him
because I was from the south and he was black, I can tell you that I set him straight on that.
My mother taught me that God made us all and color was not an issue. I told him that.
He said he use to hate me but now he loved me because I was true to who I was, I didn't go
out with the gang of nurses to bars after work, I went home and fell on my knees and prayed
for the people I had on my prayer list.

He told me about his life and ask me how he could be saved. That night he surrendered himself to
Jesus. I got criticized by other nurses for witnessing and they tried to get me in trouble but it didn't
work, what did work is that this gentleman was saved and God rewarded us both, This man is most
likely with Jesus right now, God protected me from the cruelty of the nurses and God blessed me
with love from my Patience's and other nurses, those two who tried to get me in trouble was the
ones disciplined. God is faithful and watches over us. We should always be careful not to be a stumbling
block for others, we are not perfect, I can surely attest to that but God forgives and we are to continue
being a light that shines for Jesus. As the head nurse talked to me that night about this, I can't tell you
the strength I felt, Jesus was all in me and around me. I was not afraid then and I am not afraid now.
He gave her such sweetness in her talk with me.
Only Jesus can save. He is the only one who gives Eternal Life.

"Getting up in the morning"

Did you know that getting up in the morning should be a joy? That means we are still alive.

Being alive means we can do something for someone else or tell someone else something

good.

Here is a story about two men in the same hospital room. The one by the wall could not get out of bed, he had to lay on his back all day long. The man by the window could sit up an hour a day to help drain his lungs. The man by the window would spend that hour describing to the other man what he saw and heard.

Out side was beautiful; birds singing, ducks swimming in the lake, beautiful flowers planted along the lake and around the trees and a beautiful rose garden just off to the left. A fountain near the lake drew birds to bathe and the perfect grass all freshly cut.

One day the man by the window died and the man by the wall ask if he could be moved by the window. The nurse moved him and he ask her: Where is all the beauty the other fellow told me about? there is nothing but a wall to look at.

The nurse told him that the man was blind and deaf, he could only see through his mind and imagine what the birds sound like.

It would be good if all of us could have the attitude of the blind man. He saw so much more than the eye can see. The blind man saw beauty and the one who could see only saw a dull wall.

God says that we walk by faith and not by sight. God spoke as though the things were already present. That man's faith made him see more clearly what things are. Oh ye of little faith.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God did for us what no other can do. Our Salvation is in Jesus alone.

"Trip to Siberia Russia"

Back in 1999, I took a trip on the flying hospital to Moscow and Siberia Russia.
It was a medical trip for which I worked in the eye glass clinic.
This picture was a write up of the work I did.
Yvonne Korobeinikooa was unsure of the treatment he was about to receive from the
flying hospital medical clinic. He was 76 years of age and needed glasses but there in
Siberia they were expensive. The article says: "When his turn came, a smiling
volunteer named Mattie Harper greeted him. Mattie gave him a reading test and fitted him with a pair of reading glasses.

The next day, being so impressed by the service he received, Yvonne again stood in line with his
wife, Nina. That day Nina received also reading glasses.
The couple was so thankful that they brought a home -cooked meal to Mattie at the team's
hotel that evening.

Now what this article did not say is that; these two old folks walked a mile or so in the snow
to bring me this supper. I was surprised!!! I took my interpreter Irina to be with me so
I could understand all the words these beautiful people had to say.
They were thankful for the bibles I gave them. You see, since this was a medical trip we
were not to witness to anyone, but of course we won more souls to Jesus and gave out
more bibles than they could count. It was an amazing trip.

Our reading chart was made up of John 3:16, on one side was English and the other side was Russian.
They would start reading the chart and then I would see them look above that verse and below that
verse, they were taking in all of it. After we got the glasses they needed I ask them if they had a bible
and if they said no, I would give them one and you would think I had given them a million dollars or
life itself.

We are so blessed to have so many bibles here in America and many of us have 10 or so in our
home. The Russians' I met had none. We have the freedom to have them and read them and yet we
don't, what is wrong with us? Everyone needs to take at least one mission trip and see how poor
other countries are. God loves them so much, and they love God. They love us too, its our
governments that don't see eye to eye, a prison guard told me that himself.
I still hear from Irina, in fact I just received a sweet e-mail from her this morning telling me
about her family and life in Russia./Siberia. I hope to visit her and also another interpreter Julia
some day before I get too old to travel. Both live in Siberia and I hear from both of them and they are
precious.
They also love Jesus.

'THIS OLD HOUSE'

This is the old house in Slocomb Ala, I was raised in, thats me standing there.
This picture was taken in 1985; This is the front of the house; it had a porch, a
porch swing and chairs and steps. you can see there were two places of entrance,
to the left was our living room and Mother and Dad's bedroom, the same in one.
to the right was all the children's bed room, all of us. The kitchen was adjoined to
Mother and Dad's bed room/living room, bathroom was "OUT SIDE'
The large field was behind the house and the picture of my Mother at age 37.

We were share croppers, that means we do all the work and give more than half to the
man who owns the farm and lives in a big house.
Dad died in 1947 and left my Mother with 7 children at home, two were married and
living other places.
We worked like slaves and the children,me and my siblings were paid a nickel a day and
my darling Mother was paid maybe 25 cents a day. I am not kidding, this is true.

I was nine years old when Dad died and had never been to school, my dad died Aug.
1947 and I was to turn 10 in December. School started in September and Mother put
me in school, my dad would not let me go while he was living and the State did not require
making him let us go.

I started to school at nine almost ten years of age. Spent one day in first grade, ha ha see
how smart I was!!!!? The problem is that I was much bigger and taller than all the 6 years olds so
next day I went to 2nd grade, had no idea what it was all about. I got my first and last spanking
that very day. Why? "you say" Because the teacher put spelling words on the board and let us copy it down
then she erased the board and gave us a test after we were suppose to put away our copies.
I had no idea what to do so I kept my copy and of course as she called out the words I would pretend
I was writing them, of course she knew what I was doing. When recess came she kept me in and
let me have it. It took me some time before I understood what I did.

No one would play with me because I didn't look like they all did, I didn't have shoes or nice dresses
to wear, in fact my mother made my dresses out of flour sacks. Yep, that was a long, long time ago.
The kids were very cruel to me. I was very sad but some how handled it, but of course I was in school only about 3 weeks out of the year because of having to work in the fields.
There were two girls who later took some time with me because they saw how others were treating me.
I will never forget their names, Betty Smith and Nina Roach. Those girls will always be etched in my
mind.
One day one of the girls gave me a small new testament and the teacher taught us John 1:1 In the beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
You see how people can influence you life even at a small age. That's why its so important to look
for the needy, like I was. I think that was a beginning of a change for me.

Look at my Mother's picture here, she was a slave but took care of us and loved us and
taught her children how to love, to work hard and not to complain. I never heard her
complain. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever known. She was the best!!!
She went home to be with the Lord at age 87 back in 1998 January.
I was on a mission trip to Ukraine and Russia during that time. A very sad time.
I did get home in time for her funeral. 63 of her children, grand children, great grands and
probably great great grand children. We loved her more than life itself.
My son Garry did the funeral, he is a minister, her favorite song was:'Going Home"
On her tomb stone we put" "Gone Home."
My Mother had humer even though she suffered so much hardship in life. She left her
children, grandchildren and etc. a legecy for which lives on in us. We love her.
She has a life with Jesus now forever. she has Eternal life, Go get yours.
Eternal life is throught God's Son, Jesus.

"JUST HANGING AROUND"

A few years back, I remember reading this short story about: A world renound sharp
shooter, who came to a small town and while driving by this home he saw a tree with a perfect circle and a perfect bulls eye. He was amazed at this perfection and wanted to see
who it was and how he did it.
He talked to the man asking him how he did it.
Oh chucks the man said; it was no trouble, I shot the arrow and then drew a circle around
it.

Question: Is that what we are doing with our life? shooting the arrow and then drowing a circle around it? Just hanging around waiting for life to give us something. Aiming and then drawing the circle around it to make it look like we really did something and we're
really good at it. Hanging around and living aimless lives! The story ended with:
Aim high and stop shooting at the ground.
I must seek the Lord's way and run for the goal.

Abraham, by faith looked for a city which had foundations, whoes builder and maker is
God. Heb. 11:10

Moses, by faith refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God,than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Heb.11: 24
Joseph said; "Choose you this day who you will serve, as for me and my house we will serve
the Lord. Joshua, 24:15

Jesus came that we might have life, John 10:10
What will be your aim to day, hang around and live an aimless life or will
you follow some of these examples of the Bible? Make a goal and shoot for it.

Seeing Yourself the right way

Growing up, I didn't attend church, I didn't have friends, only my siblings. Being a country girl I didn't have knowledge of the big city. I knew how to be only one person. Me!!! I didn't know me until one day I was looking up to the sky, the clouds looked like clabered milk, OK, so you don't know what clabered milk is. Mother use to milk the cow and some of the milk she would leave out so it would sour a little and in doing so it would clabered, it was very good eating with corn bread.

It wasn't the clouds but what I experienced. The clouds were to get my attention most likely,

For the first time I came to know that I was a person, God revealed that to me, I felt his Spirit, though I didn't know about his Spirit or even himself. God wasn't talked about in our house. I didn't know God existed. Needless to say, I didn't know how to deal with my feelings so I went on my way. I didn't have anyone to talk to about my feelings, guess I didn't know I should talk to someone, I was only a child. After that, I would take the old sears catalog we got through the mail and cut out paper dolls, people from the pages, I cut a mom, dad and children, I would make a place in the sand to hold up the family I had cut out. That was my doll playing. I remember saying to the dolls, to the daddy, when I marry it will be forever, now no one had ever talked about divorce or anything else so I don't know where that came from unless God put it in my heart, I was only about 7 or 8 years old at this time, but I remember it well.

When my husband Ray and I got married in 1954, he had to teach me a lot of things, I still didn't have God in my life. I did start to church and hear about God even got baptised.but I didn't take him serious. At church I met people who were different from me, they would tell me about these book I could read that would tell me how to!!!! How to do this and that. How to books. How to act like a different person, well, I can tell you that; time I got through reading the different books I didn't know who I was. I was so mixed up in my mind that I didn't recognize myself. Those books didn't help me, they only confused me. You see everyone has a different way of handling things. I was young and foolish with no education and was taking these books as the gospel. The one book I should have been reading was the Bible, Oh, these books had the color of the gospel but they were not the gospel.

God dealt with me but I didn't listen. I was miserable and couldn't think of anything but running away from what ever it was bothering me. I ran and ran and ran, I would push away the Spirit or what ever it was until I wasn't bothered by it anymore. God just went away for a little while and thank God it was just a little while.

God couldn't get me any other way so he gave me a dream that showed me where I was in life.

I was totally lost, walking in darkness, in fact I was trapped, with only one way to escape. In my dream I had lived my last hope, I was on the top of our house with an ocean of black tire rolling like an ocean toward me, I choose to get on top of the roof instead of run. in that dream I was trapped for ever and there were no place to go. The black tire was a warning, my sin was great even though I was a good girl, a good wife, good mother, just good all the way around. That didn't help me, I was still lost and couldn't see the way.

I saw where I was, I knew I couldn't change me or anyone else, I had to let Jesus change me, he was my only way to be salvaged. He is life and light, He is the Way, the Truth and the life. No man can come to the Father but by Him. I thank my Lord and my God, my Savior Jesus Christ for saving me. Some of you might have that same problem, if you do, allow Jesus to lighten your way, Eternal life is forever. Where will you spend Eternity? I love you all. Go find the real life, Eternal Life. Just remember, God looks on the heart, man looks on the outer side of you. The only way to see yourself the right way is in and through Jesus Christ.

Again, I don't have all the stops and goes of writing, since I didn't get a high school education but I do hope you can read between the lines and hear my heart.

Resolve the old issue.

Before I say too much, I want to testify something that will go with this lesson.

There was a time when I had to resolve an issue that was eating at my very soul, destroying my very life and I was not coping very well. I talked to my pastor's wife and she told me I had to resolve this issue or it would continue to eat me alive. I was tired of this issue, I couldn't get rid of it. Finally, I did what the pastor's wife told me I had to do. I got down on my knees and started the process of asking for help from Jesus to resolve this issue. It was a person who had hurt me terribly, My life was falling apart, my emotions drained, tears were so many I could fill a river.

That night, I started praying, I knew this person had two names and the one name who hurt me, I literally hated, I had never felt hate, resentment or anything bad in my heart till now. I folded my hands down on my knees and started praying. Father please help me forgive this person, and I used the other name, not the one that hurt me, that way it was easier, so I started, but before I could get very far, Jesus stopped me and said,in my spirit. "that is not the name that hurt you". Father, do I have to use that other name? Yes, I was told. I tried and tried to say that name, it took me some time before I actually did; but finally it came out and when it did, I felt freedom start to flow through me, I was being set free from this but I knew there would be more to learn, like Jesus reminded me that this person's soul was just as important to him as mine is. He made her just like he made me, there is no difference. We both are sinners. I was saved and she was not, This was the only difference.This was going to start restoring my soul, I also started praying for this person, and later by the grace of God talked with her, The Holy Spirit kept me from thinking of the hurt, in the end she told me what a blessing I had been to her. Mercy me!!!!

David, had an issue, he listened to Nathan tell the story about a rich man who had it all yet he took the ewe lamb from the poor man., When David finished listening to the story he was very angry and posted his on punishment. Then Nathan told him, "thou art the man". and David

repented and said, "I have sinned against the Lord". You can read the story in 2 Samuel 12, David had taken the wife of one of the soldiers who was at war.

We cannot hide sin in our life, God knows everything we do. Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden tried to cover their sins with fig leaves but God could see right through them.

I had to come clean with that sin of unforgiving, and get rid of the root of bitterness, hatred and all that was eating my life away. I have had many things come my way in life even after that where people did me wrong and I did them wrong; but I found the peace of God in repenting of my wrong, yep, with my head down low I faced this issues but my heart was lifted by the Holy Spirit, and gave me new hope.

You see, so many of my dreams of life was broken and torn apart, I suffered over all that for many years, but now I believe God has restored what the locus ate,, Praise God he is faithful. I am justified by faith and have peace with God. We have to step out on a limb, swallow our pride and make it right with God and realize: We are no better than anyone else, we are all loved by our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ, who came for us all that we might have Eternal Life. Go find it in Jesus Christ.

God and Me. Today is a new day.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalms 23

Now that I have a shepherd to lead me I feel safe and secure. He feeds and waters me, restores what the life has robbed me of, he gives back joy, peace, assurance.

I don't have to be afraid of life as I walk through dark places where I cannot see my way.God goes before me and protects me, he leads me in the way which is righteous. He shows his love toward me in the very presence of my enemies. I don't have to fear them for I am running over with God's blessings. His Holy Spirit fills me to the brim and I am satisfied. Because of his goodness and mercies toward me I am followed by them and am safe and secure for the rest of my life.

Only by His Grace, I can say this because he has saved me by his grace, I have faith in Him. He is the only one to be trusted with my soul, his love for me has been shown over and over. He spoke his words that he loves me but he didn't just say it, he acted on it. He not only came to save me but gave me abundant life. He says that: The evil one comes to steal, kill and destroy but he came to give life and to give it more abundantly. That is Eternal Life that he is speaking of and the abundant life is the joy of what he gives us to take care of us while we are here plus play time, fun time. He gives it all.

He says, Whosoever will may come, its not his will for any one to perish(die) but that all would repent of their sins and come to Him.

Out side of Jesus, I have no life, he is my breath, my everything. Everyone has eternal life but where will your eternal life be: with Jesus in heaven or the devil in hell? they both are very real. Life gives and takes. God gives and the devil takes. I can truly say that I have a giving God who wants the very best for me, People say that love is a choice but the bible says that God commands love. He lays to love one another. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, other words, our whole being. Love your neighbor as yourself. Who is your neighbor? any one who needs you. no matter where they live or who they are. He also said that He commended his love toward us while we were yet sinners. How great a love he has toward us.

And Jesus has no favorites!!!!!!!!!

Jesus, you have given a brand new day,Your mercies are new every morning,You are the great creator of heaven and earth and everything in them and there is nothing new under the sun. Without you nothing was made that was made. You were in the beginning with God, you are the true light who came into the world, you were in the world and the world didn't know you , you came to your own and they didn't receive you, but those who did you gave the right to be your children even to those who believed on your name. who was born: not of blood, nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man but born of God. born of you, not of corruptible but of incorruptible.Thank you Jesus. I pray for all would who will read this that they're hearts would turn completely to you. live the abundent life with you.

I just want to add here that: I only have a 6th grad education and at age 54 I got my GED. Thats a general education deploma, I may not know all the stops and goes of writing but just read it the way I wrote it and maybe you can get some sense out of it. I love you all.

Thanks everyone for your prayers.

I told the sweet little Doctor who did my surgery this morning that: I am in her hands and she is in God's hands. I had prayed for her to have God's wisdom and knowledge, since he knows how to do everything. I was the helpless patience. She, the Doctor is a 34 year old female and sweet. I am so thankful to have found such a caring and passionate Doctor,

From what I understand, instead of a bunch of cyst like she thought was there, she found only one but a large and long one, she took it along with the duck out and hopefully the test will come back negative. In five days I will know.

Thanks to everyone for praying for me.

"Girls gone Wild"

This past June was a wonderful time for me. My best friend of fifty years, Nancy Eggler
Her daughter Darlene, her daughter in law Shelly, Shelly's best friend, My lovely
daughter Jan and me, all went for a little best friend reunion. We went to a beautiful
Resort in Harrisonburg Virginia about a 4 hour drive from here. We had the best time
in the world, walking, talking, sharing,
We even had church on Sunday morning right in the resort apartment, every one had a duty, we selected one as the preacher, which was Shelly, one did the Lord's supper, Darlene did that and did a marvelous job, one led the singing, I think I was in charge of that, one in charge of prayer, My lovely daughter did that, one in charge of taking up the offering. Teri did that. Nancy, well she just prayed and prayed and prayed. Wonderful!!
Then we prayed and ask the Lord what we should do with the offering. In prayer it was revealed to us a young woman that could use it back in Virginia Beach, a lady from Pakistan. She was so thrilled and thankful she didn't know what to say. So you can see that even at a resort and girls gone wild can be a blessing to others.
It was a great time and I love these girls, Nancy and my children have grown up so much, now, her daughter is 55 and mine is 54, they to were friends growing up.

The Lord can take what we have and use it. The Lord ask Moses "What is that in your hand" Moses said "A rod" God told him to throw it down on the ground and when
he did, it became a serpent, God told him to take it by the tail and pick it up and when
he picked it up it became a rod again. God says we can do anything with him but apart from
him we can do nothing. We crazy girls worshiped God that day just six of us, it was great.

These pictures are precious to me, my best friend Nancy is to the right then me, Shelly,
Darlene, Nancy's daughter and my Jan in the hot tub.
The other picture is of My friend Nancy and myself, the other picture are of
our daughters, Darlene on right and my daughter Jan on the left. They are precious
to us.
God gives us the joy of our Salvation, which is a gift from Him.
Go and enjoy life, its too short not to.

Correction

This picture is not my 2nd cousin Gail and husband John as I stated in my last blog.
This is: my first cousin Emily and her husband Phillip, which lives in
Alabama.

The 2nd picture is not a correction but an add on to the picture,
In this 2nd picture is my first cousin Drayton Robinette and the brother of Emily, his four children and Drayton and Emily's Mother, my Aunt Addie My mother's sister. She is sitting in the chair. She is no longer with us neither is Drayton's daughter. I will get to meet Emily and Drayton, along with his other sister Crissie and Gail and the rest of the cousins at our cousin Reunion in Alabama in April 2010, looking forward to it.

Have a great day and enjoy the life God gives us.

Important Family Relationships

As I blog this today, I am thinking of all of my family, the family has grown so much, the new generations are coming in now and the old is going out. As I look at these pictures, the first one is me on the left 9 years of age, my darling and beautiful Mother and my siblings, Center, Mother, left, me, right, sister Pearl, below me is brother Jack,front of him is sister Frances, right to her is brother Allen, and below him is brother Bill, brother Larry was just a baby.
Five of these are gone from this world and can't be called, e-mailed, or visited, in this picture, only my brother Bill and me are still here. Oh, how time gets away from us. It is so important to be in touch with family, make time, just a little time maybe, but take the time to contact each other often.

In the second picture are my three beautiful, darling children with their spouses, along with me. this was on my 70th birthday. My children threw me a little family 70th birthday and was going to cook me my favorite, Eggplant pamajon, well that is probably spelt wrong but sure you get my favorite. Well, I was so excited that they were going to actually cook this for me and my mouth watered all day and I couldn't wait. We were going to eat at five pm, five pm came and went so finally I ask my daughter about dinner and she said it would be ready soon,, I told her,"No one is in the kitchen and nothing is going on" She told me it would be ready, Moral of the story is: They didn't know how to cook this dish so they did the next best thing. They took me to an Italian restaurant and I got my favorite. Thank you kids. It was a memorable occasion for me.

Next picture is our family together at Mother's funeral, it was a sad time for Mother was gone but we
did what I know our Mother would have wanted us to do, and that was, to enjoy our family time. I put
her along with this picture so she could be with us. This dress she is wearing is one I gave her a long
time ago. I should have picked a different dress for her but she was a pro and didn't say anything
about if she liked it or not. Even if she didn't, she would not have said, that's the kind of lovely person
she was, our feelings was spared and she kept them inside. She was a lovely woman and I love her so much
she made us kids who we are, showing us love and honor and respectability. As far as I know, everyone
in this picture are still around except the five I mentioned.

The last picture is my nine grandchildren with me. They are older now, since the older one is 35
and the youngest is 21, they too are growing up and the next generation is coming behind them, since
in August I will have 6 great grandchildren.
Please family, lets stay in touch with each other. Life is too short, and one day one of us will be
gone and it will be too late to say I love you. Don't miss the opportunity.

I love all of you my dear family. I have cousins I have just gotten in contact with and you better
believe I am going to exercise my love by being in touch with them.

Let me say this also. Being a pest is not bad when love is involved.
Its sad to feel one of us is a pest to even one of our beautiful family members.
God gave family if we can't exercise that blessing then we don't deserve one.
The Bible tells us to love one another. We can be there for one another by pray and a sweet short phone call
or sweet e-mail or face book, hey there are so many ways out there to be in touch. Don't throw it away.
Love is an action word.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY

Here are a couple of pictures of my cousins on my Mother's side. This is my 2nd cousin
Gail and her husband John, they live in Micanopy, Florida, the next picture is my first cousin
Drayton and his children, they live in Panama city Florida. Drayton', Crissie and Emily are
children of my Mother's sister Aunt Addie. I don't have pictures of Crissie
and her sister Emily, they have not sent me one yet.
We are having a family reunion in April, which they have been having every year but since
we were not in contact with each other, I missed the other reunions but this one I can't wait to go.
I have not seen my cousins since we were kids and it is going to be a complete joy seeing them after all these years, I only regret that our Mothers' can't be here to see all of this.
As I get more pictures I will post them for family to me is precious. Thank you Cousins for being my family. Can't wait to see you.

"ROOT"

I just got back from the eye doctor and had a small cyst taken off the bottom eye led.

He had taken it off once before but it came back.

That reminds me of when I use to work in the yard pulling out weeds and poison vines and etc.

I would always try pulling the roots out so they wouldn't come back but somehow I would miss some of the time or just cut off the top leaving the root, but not thinking that way. I guess I figured by cutting off the toop, they would be out of sight and out of mind. What I ddn't figure on is, soon or later there they would be again and for sure they were. So the doctor said he got the root so hopefully it won't come back.

I am having surgery on July 31st to have some cyst taken out of my body, please pray for me that they will get the root also. Thank you.

With that I would like to explaine about the root, good and bad. The bad root is like a weed, poison ivey, or anything you don't want growing in your yard or like a root of a cyst or something else bad growing in your body. Root of bitterness,,wrong attitudes. The root is below the survice and cannot be seen. Its a base that holds a thing in place and the thing grows from it. It draws water and moisture from the ground to feed the thing growing from it. There are many examples I could use but I will only use this for now. The important things is this:

If you dont' get the root it will come back to hount you, Since it is the life of the thing that grows from it. Bad Root.

Now the good root is of course beautiful flowers, veggies, fruits, trees and good attitude, and the best of all is Jesus the Root. He is the vine, we are the branches and withut him we can do nothing.. He is the root that gives water and moisture to our spiritual lives, Life is in him, just as the physical root gives life to physical Jesus gives life to spiritual. He tells us to be rooted and grounded in love. Ephesians 3:17

Now go enjoy eternal life

Now lets look a good root. Of course I am talking about "Jesus" the Root.

The Wonderful memories

This picture reminds me of yeaster years, what a wonderful memory I have of my husband Ray Harper and me, we were just sixteen and nineteen with so much to learn.
I remember when I met him, he had already told his foot ball friends that he was going to marry me, but of course I didn't know him, had never seen him so I didn't know that information until after we were married. he set up the blind date with a friend of mine which he also knew.

We got married thirteen day from the day we met. It was certainly a strange world for me for I knew nothing of marriage, I learned very fast, things I never knew but my husband was learning also. We grew up together since we were so young. I remember when we got married on May 15th 1954 we went to the Floridian hotel in Tallahasse Fl. five dollars a night it cost us. We couldn't even get into the place for that today. It was a new experience for the both of us.
We didn't know that we should talk about certain things before we got married, we just got married and let it all happen. It makes it harder when you don't talk about marriage and relationships, babies and etc. but we didn't know to do that. We didn't know what relationships was, at least I didn't, I didn't know you called it relationship, I called it marriage,we developed a relationship later which is like putting the cart before the horse. My husband made $35.00 every two weeks so we didn't have much of a honey moon, one night, thats all we could afford.

Those are precious memories for me and mean so much to me. He was a wonderful guy and I
learned to love him so very much. God was so good to me when he gave Billy Ray Harper to me.

 

 

July 21, 2009

"PURITY"

A little boy was playing in the mud when he dicided to dress up his window. He took mud and smeared it all over it. When his mother saw what he had done, she made him clean it.

He cleaned the mud from the outside of the window but the window was still dirty. You see

there were hand prints all over the inside of the window.

Thats how we try to clean our selves. We work real hard on the outside to make ourselves look good but on the inside is still dirty and thats where the problem is. Our hand prints are all over the window, our hearts. Matthew, 23:25-26 tells us how the Pharisees, did it.

"Woe to you scribes and pharisees, hyporites! You clean the outside of the cup but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulegence, first clean the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." The next few verses tells them how they look. They appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

The bible says that, "men look on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart" We can't dress up Christianity, My grandson Daniel bleieves in authentic, meaning, genuine, real. I like that about my Daniel, he is real. Thank you Daniel.

I am not preaching to you, I have learned a lot over the years by reading God's word and he tells us how to live, Remember in my other blog I told you He is the way the truth and the life, we can only know the way by following him, His word tell us how. so read it and learn. We can not find the way ourselves. For by grace we are saved through faith, not of works.

God and find joy in eternal life.

"WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT" 2 corinthians,5:7

At church yesterday the pastor was talking about the spies who were sent to Cannan to check out the land and bring a report as to how is the land. 12 people was sent, a leader from each tribe of Israel. The land they were scouting out was the land God had given them.

When they went to spy out the land they were to look for the good that was there, the fruits and its abundance of milk and honey. When they came back to report on the land they brought a proof of God's promises, "A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY". God had already told them it was good: Only two people saw good, the ten others saw gianst, bigger than themselves, they saw themselves as grasshoppers and thought the people they called giants saw them that way also. They all saw the fruit but the ten focused on the giants, the walls, and the things that would keep them from giving a good report and encouraging the others.

You see, God had already given the land long ago, all these people had to do was to go take it. when we put out sights on what we see rather than what God said then surely we will be defeated.

Calab and Joshua stood up for what God promised. Numbers:14:8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us; a land flowing with milk and honey. verse 9 Only don't rebel against the Lord and don't fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence has left them and the Lord is with us: so dont' fear. you see, this land was prepared for them, everything they would need was there. They wouldn't let Faith lead them.

When we walk by faith instead of fear and sight,we can take what God has given us. What has God given you today? What giant do you see that is holding you from going and doing what God wants you to do. Has he given you a land to take today?

The Isrealites complained all the time of wanting to go back to Egypt where God had delivered them from slavery, they let the least little thing defeat them while walking through the desert. Ok, maybe the desert would make us feel bad at times too, but the drive to carry on is the vision of the promise God had given us. So why do we keep going back in to our old ways?

We have own desert to walk in today but the vision of eternal life, living in the very presents with God one day when we leave this world is a vision that gives power and energy to keep going and walking with God and listening to what he says. Read chapters 13 and 14 of Numbers,

We should not allow giants to intimate is,

Here is a saying from Barbard Johnson, I don't know her but this is good.

"Faith is what makes the uplook good, the outlook bright, the inlook favorable, and the future glorious". I know that as long as I remember to confess, rejoice, and lean on Christ, I can sing, "To God Be the Glory"--- and hit every note. Liz Curtis Higgs.

Go today and vision the promise land flowing with milk and honey and walking in the presents of Jesus every moment of the rest of your life, Eternal life.

"SLOWLY LEARNING"

I learned Yesterday that I never get too old to learn. yesterday I was ask to drive to Richmond Virginia to pick up my son in law, Richmond is almost 79 miles from where I live. My son in law couldn't get into Norfolk, but he could get into Richmond.

When my grandson called and ask me to do this I told him I was afraid I'd get lost or couldn't get there, then I started thinking what I have told many others in my life time. Don't be afraid, if you don't try then you'll never know if you can succed or not. So with that I sat out to Richmond asking God to be my guide and proctor. I got there in flying colors, infact my son in law said he was impressed when he saw me driving up the arrival ramp, so was I a little, but thankful to my wonderful Father in heaven who is always faithful and who has taken care of me over the years.

In Proverbs 3: 5-6 instructs us what to do to be safe and to walk in the right direction. With that I was using my GPS, while thanking God for showing me the way I got to thinking, well you are using the GPS,but then I was not going to let the devil get away with that, making me think that it was the GPS that was getting me there, NO!!!! I quickly realized that God gave the instrument to be a helper to me, that was his gift to me, and if I didn't have the GPS, he would surely have given me another device to help me. We can't see the many things God gives us to help us along the way in life because we are looking for the material way, our way. I got to talking to God then and he let me see that, that is what happens with his children, We have the way to go, the way is clear but we are looking for other ways to go, but Jesus made it blain in his word when he said in John: 14:6 : "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, No man comes to the Father but by me." In the 5th verse, Thomas, one of the disciples said to Jesus."We don't know where you go and how can we know the way. verse 6 answers it clearly.

I am glad I take the risk of stepping out and doing things at my almost 72 years, because it is stepping out on faith and when I do that my faith just gets stronger and my dependence in on God. That is great, now go walk with Jesus and get joy of Eternal Life.