Vacuuming

A friend of mine came over this morning with her teenage son and she had him vacuum the house for me while we visited. If you ever know someone who has had surgery, this is a really nice thing to do for them. My floors were getting really gross looking, so even though he was not as compulsive about vacuuming in straight lines as I would be, it is so nice to that they are clean again.

Random Acts of Email

I received this in an email at work this week from someone I do not know:

When God closes a door, He opens a window... but at times He shuts both, worry not for he would tear down the roof... so His blessings could overflow. Good Luck and have a nice Day!!

I have been reading it all week and being blessed by it and waiting for the roof to come tearing off!

Panties!

Oh Happy Day!

I went to Target this morning for a battery for my pedometer (which I didn't find) and I cruised by the underwear section to see if by any chance they had any of my favorite panties. I didn't think they would because I haven't been able to find them in about a year and they are not available online. THEY HAD THEM! Yippee! I bought 8 packages of 3 so I have 24 new Gilligan & O'Malley Cotton Hipsters. I am so thrilled. I love these panties - the openings of the slightest banding that doesn't give me panty lines, they are lowrise so no worries about them being seen when I sit and, best of all, they do not crawl.

Praise the Lord for New Panties!

Tithing

There was a study guide in my bible reading today on Tithing. Sugar Pop and I have been tithing for several years now (after a bible study in our Sunday school class). It was hard to increase are giving at first because sometimes it was a struggle financially to just give the smaller amount. However, since we started tithing it has never been a problem. The money has always been there. Of course, that is always the first check I write with each paycheck, so there is not an opportunity for it to get spent any where else.

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! ~ Malachi 3:8-10

Our old pastor used to ask, "Would you rather live with 100% of your money under the curse or 90% under the blessing of God?" 90% with God's blessing is definitely better!

Regret

From the Life Lesson in my daily reading:

He encouraged all to work faithfully without procrastinating...Some days never come. And the price of practicality is sometimes higher than extravagance. But the rewards of risky love are always greater than its cost. Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write the letter. Make the apology. Take the trip. Purchase the gift. Do it. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret.

Often times I will be debating doing something in my mind (usually when I am trying to decide whether to go visit someone in the hospital, go to a funeral, stopping by a relative's when I am close), and to help myself decide I ask this question, "Will I regret doing it or not doing it?" Usually, the answer is that I would regret not doing it. So, I take the time and make the visit and I am always blessed by it.

Valentine's Day

Every once in a great while a cardinal will come to my bird feeder. He has never stayed long enough for me to get a picture, but today, he did. What a great Valentine from God.

Peaches

You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "care-full," you find yourselves cared for. ~ Matthew 5:7 (The Message)

This is part of my weekly "Memorize the Message" verse. When I read it, it reminded me of something that happened this summer. I had just started a new "Keep in Touch" healthy habit and Sugar Pop and I had gone out to eat. I saw a man at the restaurant who reminded me of my dad's cousin who had passed away 4 years ago. I thought to myself that I should call his wife to say hello sometime. I wrote her name down on our receipt (because I knew I would forget). The next day I am sitting on home, working on bills and find the receipt with her name on it (yes, I had forgotten). I looked up her number and called her. We visited for a little bit and then she asked if I would like some fresh peaches. Heck Yeah! So, I went over to her house and picked peaches and we had a nice visit. Here I was trying to be a blessing (being "care-full") and I ended up being blessed (cared for) with the most AWESOME tasting peaches I had had in years.

I have four bags of peaches in the freezer. I think I will pull one out today to enjoy and give her a call to thank her again for the treat.