It's Been A While

Yep, it's has been quite a while since I have written anything in my blog.  Since my last blog...I have had a birthday.  I am now the speed limit on most rural roads.  Yes, I turned 55 on March 7th.  Physically I feel 55 or older.  My back is giving me fits (especially this past week), my eyesight is not what it use to be, I can't remember a darn thing and my skin is beginning to look like one of those Chinese Pug dogs.  But in my own mind I am still young.  I still love doing some of the things I did as a child.  I love to play on a swing.  I kick my old legs as fast as I can to try and get the swing as high as it will go, I still love the smell of a newly opened box of crayola crayons and to color in a big coloring book,  I still enjoy a good game of Hide-n-Seek, Mother-May-I and Ring-Around-The-Roses.  Yes, the old saying is "You're only as old as you feel".  Well.....mentally I still feel 10 years old and I hope that never changes!!!        

Rainy Days

I love rainy days.  There is just something about them that is so relaxing.  It has been raining all day.  The sound of it hitting the roof and bouncing off the windows is like music to my ears.  Being in a warm cozy house, eating comfort foods, reading a book, watching a movie or just doing nothing takes on a whole new meaning when it's raining.  It's just different somehow.  Thank you God for rainy days.  You send one just when I need it.

HOSEA 6:3    -    Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared 
                             as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain
                             unto the earth.           

Not Much Happening

It's Monday afternoon, 5:23 p.m. and not much happening here on the old homefront.  Had a pretty busy weekend.  We sung at 2 different churches.  Saturday night in Clayton, Ga. at Carver's Chapel Baptist and Sunday night at Blue Valley Baptist in Highlands, N.C.   I really enjoyed both singings but it seems that on Mondays after our busy weekends I always feel at little jet-lagged.  I went back to bed after I got my granddaughter up and off to school.  I slept until 12:30.  Now that is not good because I didn't get around to all the things that I needed to get done today.  Tommy says not to worry about it that things will get done sooner or later.  I wish I had his attitude about it.  I look around my house and I see dirty dishes, dirty laundry, unmade bed, an inch of dust covering everything, etc.......it drives me nuts.  Why do I let it bother me?  No one but us will see my dirty house.  We are not expecting company and probably no one is going to drop by....so why worry?  I'm not sure why but when my house is in a state of total disaray then my mind is in total disaray.  Alot of you will have no idea what I'm talking about but then some of you do.  I believe it is called OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and I do believe that I have a slight case of it.  So even tho I would rather sit right here in my recliner and play Word Drop on facebook, I am going to get my lazy butt up and tackle my housework so my mind will be a ease.


PROVERBS 31:31   -   Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Eyes - The Mirror To Your Soul

Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?  I'm not talking about a glance to see if your makeup is smeared or your hair is out of place.  I'm talking about really LOOKING at yourself.  Well I did last night.  As I was washing my face with Dove soap and then slathering on Ponds cold cream, I looked and I did not like what I saw.  At first all I saw was grey hair, wrinkles, age spots, a big nose and lots of rolls of fat.  My mind was pointing all those things out to me and I did not like them one bit.  I really wanted to just look away, turn out the light and go crawl under the covers never to show my face again to the outside world but I remember hearing on TV about this experiment about really looking at yourself in a mirror with your heart not your mind.  I was determined to stand there and look until I could see myself with my heart.  It took quite a few minutes but as I stood there looking, it finally came to me.  God doesn't look at the outside person, He looks on the inside so it doesn't  matter what you or anybody else thinks about your outer appearence.  I looked deep into my eyes until I saw the very depths of my soul.  This body of mine is just a vessel for my soul to live in.  So from now on I am going to try and concentrate on the spiritual being that lives inside of me.  If I feed my soul through prayer, daily bible reading and going to church then my physical body is going to be ok.  As I kept looking I realized that I actually am a pretty good person.  I love my Lord, I love my family, I love my friends, I love my neighbor and I try to help the less fortunate.  And that's all that really matters.  So from now on I will try and love myself  for whom I am.  Me Sandra.  Created by God in His likeness.


GENESIS 1:27   -   So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.


     

What I Did Today

                                                            What I Did Today
                                               written by: Sandra Harper  1/19/11

You asked me what I did today,
I wiped a tear, I stopped and played.
I attended a tea party for four,
I had one cup then asked for more.
I read a storybook or two,
I even kissed a few boo boo's.
I danced until I was out of breath,
My bosom a pillow for a small head to rest.
I wiped off chocolate from a dirty face,
I ran pretty fast but lost a race.
I giggled until I almost wet my pants,
My heart was melted with one small glance.
You see my three granddaughters came to visit today,
I'll cherish each moment is all I can say!


ECCLESIASTES 3:1    -    To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
                                               
                                       

Finding A Bargain

With the price of groceries, gas and just about everything you need to live going up, I am ready to get serious about finding bargains.  I am going to start comparing prices at different stores and start clipping coupons.  I've used coupons in the past and actually saved a lot of money but I got lazy and quit doing it.  No more laziness.  I'm going to have so many coupons that the store clerks will hate to see me coming.  Tommy and I visited Kmart today and saved lots of money.  We took advantage of their clearence items and also the Christmas items that were 90% off regular price.  We got lots of toys and games regular priced at $24.99 for $3.00.  After it was all said and done we got $196.00 worth of stuff for $35.28.  We saved $164.72.  My new nicknames will be.... Mrs. Thrifty, Lady Cheap or Sandra-Saves-Alot.

ROMANS  8:31   What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us?

Loving The Snow

We got about 6 inches of snow 2 days ago and there is still alot of it on the ground.  I have enjoyed every minute of it.  I don't mind being snowed in.  Our driveway is still frozen solid so we have not left the house
since Sunday morning.  No, I do not have cabin fever.  I can always find something to do inside....cook, eat, sleep, watch movies, puzzles, computer games, laundry, clean house, etc.   And I have also enjoyed my time outside...taking pictures, going for walks and just looking at the snow-covered earth.  Everything is so quiet and peaceful.  It gives me such a good feeling inside.  I am so glad that God created snow.  I am reminded that when we accept Him as our Saviour, He cleans our hearts as white as the snow.  It's a cleansing that only He can do.

ISAIAH 1:18    -  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Snow Prediction For The South

Snow Prediction For The South   -   It's all over the news.  We are suppose to get heavy snow starting in the early hours of Monday morning.  All I can say is..... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!!
A lot of you are saying that I must be crazy, we do not want snow.  I love snow and I think the best part of it is the anticipation.  I feel like I did when I was a kid just waiting for the first snowflake to fall and getting up early to peek out the window to get my first glimpse of our snow-covered yard and trees. It's like you've woke up in a different world.  Everything is peaceful and calming. And yep, I've been known to toss a few snowballs and make a snowman in my old age.   Nothing like having a fire in the fireplace, roasting marshmallows, reading a good book, working on a zig saw puzzle, cooking on the woodstove... all while the snow is gently falling and covering the earth.
I do worry about all my family and friends that won't have heat if the power goes out.  If it does just come on over to my house.  We heat with wood and I have a gas oven and I've stocked up with lots of food.  I promise you that by the time you leave, you will also love a nice snowy day!

Job 37:6    -    For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

Busy Day

Busy Day   -   As of around 4:00 today all signs of Christmas have been removed from my house.  I'm talking about decorations not Christ Himself.  I would never remove Him from my home.  The tree is down and all ornaments packed away.  All five large bins of decorations are once again packed and put away in closets.  My Christmas village, singing stuffed animals, nativity scene, wreaths, etc.... have all been put away until Christmas 2011.  What a job!  Every year I say that I'm only going to put up the tree and then every year I give in and drag everything out once again.  I suppose if it were just Tommy and I, a tree would be sufficient but now that we have grandbabies it's a whole different story.  They so love rearranging my Christmas village, pushing the buttons on all the singing stuffed animals and stacking and unstacking all my Christmas nesting dolls.  So next Christmas I'm sure I'll do it all again.  Not only did we have to deChristmastize the house, it was also laundry day and Tommy's guitar student's were coming.  Now laundry is a different story.  How can two people ( 3 counting Fallyn's school clothes)
dirty so many clothes, towels and washcloths?  In my fantasy world I would win the lottery, move to a deserted island where the temperature stayed above 75 degrees and never wear clothes again.  Oh, and I would have Angelina Jolie's body, but that's another fantasy in itself. 
    Guess I better get back to the real world and go fold that last load of towels !!!


ISAIAH 61:10     -    I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

    We've all heard the saying "kids say the darnest things."  Well my two oldest granddaughters are no exceptions.  They are constantly surprising me with words that come out of their mouths.
    I would like to share three recent conversations that I had with my 5 year old granddaughter, Fallyn.
They all took place at bedtime.

About 2 months ago  (right after bedtime story & prayers)
Fallyn:  "Grandmama if you're not dead when I die, will you put flowers on my grave?"
Grandmama:  Yes I will Fallyn but I don't think you are going to die before me."
Fallyn:  "I might."
Grandmama:  "Why do you think you might die before me?
Fallyn:  "Because I might get stabbed."
Grandmama:  "You're not going to get stabbed."
Fallyn:  "I might.  There's lots of bad and mean people in the world and one might stab me."
Grandmama:  "Fallyn, I promise that me and your Poppy and your mommy and daddy will never let any bad people get close enough to you to stab you."
Fallyn:  "OK Grandma, I love you."


This past Monday night (during bedtime story)
Fallyn:  "Grandma, you really need to wear a bra to bed."
    Sure enough, I looked down and both of  "the girls" had escaped from the top of my gown.  I guess they were distracting her from the bedtime story.


Last night (after story & prayers - right on the verge of falling asleep)
Fallyn:  "Grandmama, my heart's not pumping."
Grandmama:  "Yes it is Fallyn."
Fallyn:  "I don't feel it so it's not pumping."
Grandmama:  "Yes it is.  If your heart's not pumping you would be dead.  You die if your heart quits   pumping."
Fallyn:  "Well I guess God is not ready for me to live in Heaven because He is keeping me alive even if my heart is not pumping."
Grandmama:  "I'm glad He's keeping you alive."
Fallyn:  "Me to Grandma, I love you."
Grandmama:  "I love you more."
Fallyn:  "I love you most!"

     Kids gotta love em' !!!!!   :)   :)   :)

Matthew 19:14   -    But Jesus said,  Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 

Getting Back On A Schedule

My butt is dragging!!!!   After being on Christmas Holiday schedule, my body is having a hard time adjusting to once again getting up at 6:30 a.m.   Over the holidays Tommy and I would stay up til wee hours of the morning and then we would sleep as late as we wanted to.  Now that school has started back, our granddaughter Fallyn is staying with us at night so I have to get her up , feed her breakfast, help her to get dressed, fix her hair and then drive her to school.  My inner body clock is still on vacation so for the past two nights I haven't been able to go to sleep until around 3 a.m. and everytime I sit down during the day I fall asleep. Now I know why they say to always go to bed around the same time and get up at the same time.  I need sleep and lots of it.  I do not function very well on just 3 to 4 hours. 

I was  reading my Bible this afternoon and I was reading  EPHESIANS : Chapter 4.  Verse 23 really popped out at me so I did some studying and read some commentary on this verse. 
The verse reads:  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
This is what one of the commentaries said: 
   In Corinthians 14:15 Paul says he prays both "with the spirit AND with the understanding."  This shows us the absolute necessity of joining our spirit and mind as one.  The mind is the most difficult part of us to bring into harmony with Christ.  The mind has been subject to all kinds of information since childhood and constantly feeds on that information.  Even when converted, it is usually the first to laspe away from the spiritual, and therefore must be constantly RENEWED in the spirit by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
  This is so true.  Many times a day the devil will bring up things in my mind and I have to fight a spiritual warfare.  I have to constantly say "Get behind me satan or better yet, get under my feet where you belong because greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world."
   

Quiet Day

  It has been a very quiet and peaceful day.  After all the excitment from Christmas and bringing in the New Year, Tommy and I chose to spend this Sunday at home just relaxing.  I know some of you are saying "It's Sunday you should have gone to church"  but sometimes we just need to take time to slow down and give our body and spirit a time to rejuvinate.  You don't always have to be in church to spend time with God.  There is nothing better than going into your private prayer closet, wherever that may be and talking things over with Him.  No distractions, just you and your Saviour.  Starting next week we will once again be traveling and ministering through song and testimony.  I am so looking forward to see where God will allow us to minister and experience all the things He has in store for me in 2011.  "Open the doors Lord and I will walk thru!"

Matthew 37&38
  38.  Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the  labourers are few;
  39.  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest. 
 

 

A Day Late

Happy New Year!   -    I know it's no longer New Year's Day but we had game night at my house tonight and the last of the gamers left at 12:45 a.m.  It is now 1:30 a.m. and I will try to stay awake to write something down.
   
New Year Resolutions   -   I'm not going to make any resolutions.  I never keep them so instead I will try to do my best at everything I undertake to do in 2011.  I will do my best at being a wife, a mom, a grandmama, a mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law, a sister, an aunt, a gospel singer and a friend.  I'm human so I'm sure I will fail in many ways but just remember I'm doing the best that I can do.  I look back on 2010 and I recall many fond memories.  Time goes by so quickly.  I hope that in 2011 that I will slow down and enjoy each and every moment. 

Black-Eyed Peas & Collards   -  Yep, I ate my share of peas and greens today just as I have on every New Year's Day in the past.  I should be rolling in money. The only people getting rich are the ones selling the peas & collards.  So why do we keep this tradition going?   One thing I know for sure is that us Southerners love peas, collards and cornbread. We will just keep eating them whether it brings us riches or not.
Isn't it bad luck to leave your Christmas tree up past New Year's Eve.  Well... mine is still up so I guess I just
cancelled out any good fortune that eating the peas and collards was going to bring me.  Wait it is raining and maybe rain tomorrow.  I will go and find me a rainbow and get the pot of gold at the end of it.  All my problems solved. 

Each blog I will close with words from the Bible. (King James Version)
Romans 6:4  -  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.