The Wings of Love

This month's positivity journal subject was really tough. Didn't know if I could find enough to fill the daily pages and I cried out to the Lord to help me. Am so thankful he did! 

Click here for the video

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Definitions:

Bummer Lambs  (Check out their music!)

Comfort = a state of physical ease & freedom from pain or constraint; the easing or alleviation of a person's feelings of grief or distress; a warm quilt; ease the grief or distress of, console (calm, cheer, soothe, support)

Compassion = is the desire to alleviate another's suffering: concern & care; kind-heartedness. 

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Sayings and Quotes:

"Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others." (Brene Brown)

"Hang around with loving, giving people. Their attitude and joy are contagious. And we need all the love we can get, don't we?" (Emilie Barnes)

"I am my own biggest critic. Before anyone else has criticized me, I have criticized myself. But for the rest of my life, I am going to be with me and I don't want to spend my life with someone who is always critical. So I am going to stop being my own critic. It's high time that I accept all the great things about me." (C. Joybell C.)

"In your Bible, underline verses that remind you of how much you're loved by God. Check back when you need to be reminded." (Emilie Barnes, 365 Things Every Woman Should Know)

"Is there a little girl inside of you who longs for a lovely time of childish imagination and "so big" manners? It could be that the mention of tea-time brings quieter memories - cups of amber liquid sipped in peaceful solitude on a big porch or friendly confidences shared over steaming cups. So many of my own special times of closeness have begun with putting a kettle on to boil and pulling out a tea tray." (Emilie Barnes, The Tea Lover's Devotional).

"Talk to yourself like someone you love." (Brene Brown) 

"The person in life that you will always be with the most, is yourself. Because even when you are with others, you are still with yourself, too! When you wake up in the morning, you are with yourself; laying in bed at night you are with yourself; walking down the street in sunlight, you are with yourself. What kind of person do you want to walk down the street with? What kind of person do you want to wake up in the morning with? What kind of person do you want to see at the end of the day before you fall asleep? Because that person is yourself, and it's your responsibility to be that person you want to be with. I know I want to spend my life with a person who knows how to let things go, who's not full of hate, who's able to smile and be carefree. So that's who I have to be." (C. Joybell C.) 

"We can only love others as much as we love ourselves." (Brene Brown)

You will never speak to anyone more than you speak to yourself in your head, so be kind to yourself. 

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Scripture:

Genesis 2:2-3 = By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Leviticus 19:18, 34; Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31, 33; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8 = Love your neighbor as yourself.

2 Kings 6:16-17 = "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see." then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Psalm 17:8 = Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. 

Psalm 23:7 = For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Psalm 36:7 = How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 51:10 = Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 55:6 = I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest."

Psalm 61:4 = I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 63:7 = Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

Psalm 91:1,2,4 = He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. . . He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 

Psalm 111:4 = He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.  

Psalm 119:41-42 = May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

Psalm 119:76a = May your unfailing love be my comfort. 

Proverbs 3:3 = Let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Proverb 12:25 = Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Isaiah 40:1, 11 = "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. . .He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. 

Isaiah 40:31 = But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

Ezekiel 36:26 = I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Matthew 23:37 = How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

2 Corinthians 1:3 = Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.

Ephesians 5:1-2 = Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Colossians 3:12 = Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 = We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

2 Timothy 1:7 = For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

1 John 3:1a = How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.

Jude 1-2 = To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ; mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance

Jude 20-21 = But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourself in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 

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Be Thankful! 

Gratitude Trivia: There are said to be two emoji's that represent gratitude - a classic smiley with rosy cheeks and sparkles.  

Build Your House on a Rock!

THIS MONTH'S THEME IS "HOME!"  

I apologize for being late. October was a hard and stressful month for us -- financially and personally with the death of certain expensive machines that we've come to depend on, needing new medical devices, and the sudden illness and death of a family member. Please be kind and extend grace. Thank you. 

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ACTIVITY:
The online Be the Light Bible Journaling Conference was GREAT!  It was packed with so much information and I learned a lot! Since I got a FREE pass, I took copious notes and put them and the printable hand-outs we received in a pink 3-ring binder notebook! smile! Thank you, God, for the opportunity to attend! Thank you, Dayspring, for contributing the prizes for the conference! Lonnie and Tracie Rollins were the host and hostess of this conference and Tracie has a lesson about a gratitude journal on their ministry website. Check it out! 

Here's Stephanie explaining what five products she uses to Bible Journal with during her interview workshop. She said she gets overwhelmed with too many choices and is basically a simple gal. 

I got really excited too, when I discovered a Sketch-noting Workshop given by Marsha Baker in the schedule of workshops given at the conference. It had to be a God-thing, because I had only made the decision a few days before that, that I needed some kind of organization when I took sermon notes because I couldn't find something in my notebook that I thought I had written down and nothing is more aggravating than not finding what you want. smile! Stephanie had inspired me to take sermon notes in the first place, but I think Sketch-noting will assist me in organizing my notes better! Thank you, Jesus, for good ideas! In addition, Marsha has 365 Days of Gratitude Journaling Prompts on her website -- if you want to find out more, click here! 

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CARDS: 

A Christmas Card sent to us by a Cindy cousin last year!!! I thought it was perfect for this theme as it has apartments on the front. Not everyone's homes are single dwelling cottages. Some prefer to live in apartments or condos. 

Sending a Little Sunshine Your Way (this card was attached to the back of a larger card front that my friend Karen Lange gave me a few months before she passed away and I  made it into a tag. It is inserted into a pocket which was taped into the journal as an insert with clear packing tape.)

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DEFINITIONS: 

Victory -- 1. to conquer, 2. overcome great trial, 3. emerge as champion. 

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POETRY:

Bless our house as we come and go.

Bless our home as the children grow.

Bless our family as they gather in.

Bless our home with love and friends. 

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May you always have. . .

Walls for the winds

A roof for the rain

Tea beside the fire

Laughter to cheer you

Those you love near you.

And all your heart might desire.

May joy and peace surround you,

Contentment latch your door,

And happiness be with you now

And bless you evermore!

(~ An Old Irish Blessing)

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The Little House is not too small

To shelter friends who come to call

Though low the roof and small its space

It holds the Lord's abounding grace,

And every simple room may be

Endowed with happy memory.

(~ Edgar Guest)

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HOLY SCRIPTURES:

Joshua 24:15c = As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 

1 Chronicles 16:43 = Then all the people left each for his own home, and David returned home to bless his family. 

Psalm 84:10 = Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God. . . 

Psalm 127:1a = Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Proverbs 24:3-4 = By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. 

Matthew 7:24-27 = Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash!

John 14:2 = In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Hebrews 3:4 = For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

1 Peter 2:4-5 = As you come to him, the living Stone -- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him -- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

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QUOTES:

"At Livia's indecisive silence, Shaw abandoned the subject and fastened his gaze on the tousled, heavily planted cottage garden ahead of them. Long banners of honeysuckle trailed over the garden fence, its fragrance making the air thick and sweet. Butterflies danced amid bright splotches of poppies and peonies. Beyond a plot of carrots, lettuce, radishes, a rose-covered archway led to a tiny glass-house that was shaded by a parasol-shaped sycamore." (Lisa Kleypas).

"Cottage of Content was better than the Palace of Cold Splendour, and that where love was, all was." (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield). 

"Everyone can identify with a fragrant garden, with beauty of sunset, with the quiet of nature, with a warm and cozy cottage." (Thomas Kinkade).

"Everyone needs a house to live in, but a supportive family is what builds a home." (Anthony Liccione). 

"For a man's house is his castle." (Sir Edward Coke, 1644.)

"It was all a cottage is supposed to be, small and snug, with a front porch, pink climbing roses, and lots of trees for shade." (Jeanne Birdsall).

"Home isn't where you're from. It's where you find light when all grows dark." (Pierce Brown.)

"Home is the nicest word there is." (Laura Ingalls Wilder). 

"Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home in God." (Henri Nouwen).

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." (Maya Angelou)

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." (Jane Austen). 

"The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies." (J. R. Miller, Home-Making.)

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SAYINGS: 

Bloom Where You Are Planted. 

Come on Home For the Holidays! (CrackerBarrel Restaurant's Silverware belly band)

Home is where I want to bee! 

Home is where your heart 💟 is!

Home, Sweet Home! 🏡

HOME: the story of who we are and a collection of all the things we love. 

Little by little, the bird makes its nest. 

Our house is just a LITTLE house. . . but GOD knows where we live! 

Shabby Chic Cottage

The first step to living the life that you want is leaving the life you don't want. 

There is no place like home!

. . . Until the Queen arrives! 

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SWEET MEMORIES:

Grandma's home

I was hired on as a pantry girl for Costello's Greenhouse Restaurant and worked there for over a year before being hired to work at a church camp in the center of Kansas the following summer. I remember helping to fix their signature Dirt Cake in glass pots with chocolate cake crumbs with a surprise in the middle and a flower and their yummy spinach and sour cream stuffed baked potatoes. The first thing they always had new kitchen help do was a test of sorts cause I managed to survive my first three days peeling and deveining cold boiled jumbo shrimp. They were first boiled in huge pots, drained, then pour into a barrel on ice, stuck into the walk-in frig to cool and then they were peeled/deveined for their popular cocktail shrimp appetizer. We always had supply of new hirelings to do that job cause it was a tedious one and you worked your whole shift on your feet. smile! 

I married my honey and began our new home together in May of 1982. We lived in an upstairs, downstairs 2 bedroom duplex in former navy housing. 

3 Feb 1993 = We were driving to church and our young son asked us about how he could become a Jesus boy. It was our privilege to pray with him as he asked Jesus to come into his heart so they could be friends. He was later baptized as a teenager. Made his daddy and mom so happy!

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VIDEO!

Thank God It's Friday!

Big Lot's - Grateful wreath

DIE-TO-SELF 

I just realized today that we don't diet - we make a lifestyle change and die-to-self -- less of what I want in the present that may have bad consequences down the line for me.  And to obtain good health -- emotionally, physically, and spiritually -  I practice self-control that God can help me with IF I let him give me wisdom and discernment about my food choices. I've begun a food YouTube playlist - the link to it is over on the side menu. I've been trying out some of the recipes, like the yummy sauce. YUM! And the holidays are coming up which is a difficult time of the year for many, including myself. Here's a video on how to wisely curb some those overwhelming sugar cravings. Good tips! 

1 Corinthians 10:31 = So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

And you have to try this recipe if you want "chocolate (carob) fudge" again! Oh, yum! Many of the new recipes I've been trying suggest using parchment paper instead of spray oil and since I'm thrifty, I've been looking for a substitute. I found one -- a silicone sheet to put down in your baking pans at the Dollar General. For this recipe, she suggests using an 8 x 8 inch baking pan to pour the cooked mixture into, so I folded the mat in half and pushed it down into a glass baking pan. It lifted out very easily after the "fudge" had hardened in the refrigerator and while it was in one hand, I put a plate over the carob fudge and flipped it onto the plate so I could cut it into squares. It went back into the baking dish to store in the frig as I have a lid for that dish. It's so GOOD!
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FEAR = I've dealt with fear all my life and have mentioned it in several of my posts. I've studied about it some and divide fear into three types - respectful fear (fear the Lord), survivor fear (don't touch the hot stove), and irrational fear (worry, phobias & nightmares). Most of my fears have fallen into the last category.

People tell me that I must not trust Jesus, but I do. I have more trust in him than I do this world, because I know that, thanks to Adam and Eve, there is ugly sin here because the devil tricked them. When I decided to follow Jesus, he never promised me that my life would be completely free from attacks by the wily one, the devil, and the devil is out to destroy my peace by any means necessary.  He knows that I chose to have a relationship with my friend Jesus when I was ten and the fight has been on ever since. However, Jesus did say he would be with me through it all -- the friend who just stands by. My Comforter and My Rock. 

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." ~ 1 Peter 5:8-9.

When I said, "My foot is slipping, your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. . . The Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge." ~ Psalm 94: 18-19, 22.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ~ Matthew 28:20b. 

And did you know, that the women who visited Jesus' tomb were afraid yet filled with joy? It says so in the Bible.

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ~ Matthew 28:8.  

Imagine that! 

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GOOD MEMORIES: 


 FAN's

Thank You, Girlfriend! 

GRATITUDE TOOLS

"How to be More Positive. . . Even on Bad Days" video by Milk and Honey Life.  I've added this video full of great tips to my "Gratitude Tools playlist, so if you need to watch it again, it's right there on my side menu for you! 

NEW HOLIDAY!

Among Milk and Honey's tips was a challenge - I don't know if I can do this, but I'm gonna try. She challenged us to speak only positive things for ONE day. Now she didn't say not to think of negative things, cause I'm sure they will pop up in my brain, but I'm to not let it past my lip gate, so I went to put it on my calendar and realized that this month had a great day to do that. A day that normally superstitious people take to heart - one day that crops up in the calendar once in a blue moon - Friday the 13th. This day though, is going to be my new holiday -- it's going to be my POSITIVITY AND PRAISE DAY! Won't that put a crimp in the devil's glee? 😁 And if I say an oops, then I'm going to forgive and give myself some grace, then start over. 

THANKFUL FOR JACK-IN-THE-BOX TOY!

Here's where I got the idea for managing my day - I pace my day. I drink while I'm sitting down. Eventually, I will have to get up and take care of business. Afterwards, I do whatever I need to accomplish that takes standing up -- like cooking, dishes, laundry, etc. When my legs poop out, then I go sit back down. It's actually amazing what I can accomplish by taking turns sitting and standing. Thank you, Jesus, for good ideas!  

GRATEFUL FOR FRIENDS = Thank you, Lord, for the sweet fellowship of godly friends!

"The Friend Who Just Stands By" poem by Bertye Young Williams.

MY HEART QUILT
By Dolores J. Rush, 2019

The friends of my heart are like a patchwork quilt
Gathered through sixty years of life; designed with love.
They are my dearest friends; I'm rich in memories
And we are drawn together by the Creator above.

"I AM" patiently wove the fabric of our lives,
And stitched us together with golden threads that endure
While challenges have added strength
To make our friendship secure.

God pieced our hearts together into blocks
Surrounded by his grace and care
And tied it through the batting of his comfort
Into a cozy coverlet we share.

He embroidered glimmering threads across the top
And sewed on elegant lace; binding us into one.
One group composed of created people,
Made beautiful by his son.

Yes, a patchwork of people, related by affinity
Some are women and some are men.
Warm treasure from heaven this quilt--
A legacy from him.

Thank you, Jesus!
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SCRIPTURES!

1 Samuel 16:7b = The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Proverbs 13:20a = He who walks with the wise grows wise. . . 

Proverbs 17:17 = A friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 18:24 = There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 

Proverbs 22:11 = One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. 

Proverbs 27:9 = Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 = Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. 

Philippians 4:1 = Therefore my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. 

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 = We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us." 

Hebrews 6:9-10a = "Though we speak like this, dear friends we are confident of better things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work. . . "


AND QUOTES:

A woman is born with her relatives; she picks out her friends for herself. 

"Be You! The world will adjust." (Karen Burchell).

Friends are the flowers in the Garden of Life!

"Friends remind us of the things we forgot to remember." (Stephanie Ackerman).  

"It is often said you're the product of the people you spend the most time with." (Travis Bradberry)

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't than to live my life as if there is no God and die to find out there is." (Albert Camus, French philosophy author who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1957). 

Many hands make a job light!

"People inspire you or they drain you -- pick them wisely." (Hans F. Hansen)

"We have been friends for a very long time; close and long distance, troubles, anxiety, fears, laughter, and hope. How could we not continue? (Julie L). 

When you search for ancestors -- you find great friends! 

MEMORIES:

Mom's girlfriends = she named me for one - Dolores; Alice, Anna Lou, Barb, Bea, Connie, Evelyn, Gladys, Gloria, Janet, Jeannette, June, Liz, Marsha, Mary, Ruth, Shirley

My maternal grandmother was my first friend. We were best buds and I corresponded with her during my growing up years. 

Playlist 

Youth for Christ in Kansas City, Kansas. 

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Good Friends
~ Author Unknown.

Fight for you.
Respect you.
Include you.
Encourage you.
Need you.
Delight you.
Stand by you. 

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Sisters of the Heart

~ Author Unknown

We share so much laughter

And bear each other's tears . . .

Our spiritual kinship

Will grow stronger each year . . .

We're not sisters by birth

But we've known from the start

God put us together to be

Sisters by Heart! 💖💖💖

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THINK Before You Speak

~ Author Unknown

T - Is it true?

H - Is it helpful?

I - Is it inspiring?

N - Is it necessary?

K - Is it kind? 

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Why We Need Best Friends

~ Author Unknown.

Because they laugh at the same stupid things we do.

Because they give us honest advice.

Because they will be there for us even if they're thousands of miles away.

Because they celebrate with us when we're at our best, but still love us at our worst.

God Bless Us Everyone!