HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Hello there blogger friend. Nice of you to stop by.
It's like a crisp Spring day today.  A few days ago while I was out driving and trying to relax, I remembered what the difference between a house and a home are.

I was about 35 years old when we moved from the Houston area to a small Kansas farming community after my husband went through a job lay-off.  This small community has roots for me because so many of my Dad's family lives and lived there for years.  I simply thought it would be a resting place for us until we upped and moved to where ever the next job would take us.  We ended up staying here for close to 3 and a half years.

It was at Church that I had heard about one of the elderly shut-ins that had an experience with an angel.  I was eager to talk to her and she was gracious to allow me to come to her home and visit.

It isn't a new thing for me to have a pity party.  I had plenty of material to use for a pity party.  I was upset coming from the Houston house that was a nice four bedroom brick house to the Kansas rental that was a two bedroom house with water damage that shook when our miniature dog pranced across the floor.

Now I will sound like a realtor... formal living room and dining room, 4 bedrooms each having walk in closets, master bedroom with private bath that had a over sized vanity, glassed in shower and separate deep jacuzzi tub, over sized family room with vaulted ceiling and bricked fireplace, kitchen with walk in pantry and eating area, detached over sized double car garage, fenced backyard on a third of an acre.  The small rental had two bedrooms for the five of us, so the family room would be converted into the boys bedroom.

When I visited with this sweet lady that had the experience with an angel, she listened to me as I shared about how we had ended up in this town.  I was telling her that we had sold our home and and and and and and...She politely intervened and said, "You didn't sell your home.  You sold your house.  Your home is where ever you hang your hat."

What she gently said spoke volumes to me.
A house can be blown away, swallowed by the earth, burnt to a crisp, washed apart, broken into, vandalized, foreclosed on, kicked out of, mildewed melt down, etc.  One's home is more personal and sacred.

Remember what Jesus said about going to prepare a place for us?

In the precious scriptures we can read about this in the Book of John
Chapter 14
verses 1-3

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God;
believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me (Jesus).
In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). 
If it were not so, I would have told you;
for I am going away to prepare a place for you.
And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

The way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.  He's our redeemer.
verse 6 goes on to say:
Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life;
no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

Earthly housing is necessary while we are here on planet earth.  But when the day comes that we take our last breath and pass into eternity we will no longer need the earthly house, building or body.  What we will need is a heavenly home that's in God.

Until that time, we have been given the opportunity to use God given talents to enhance and bless the lives of others.

Do you know the Master?
He can warm your heart.
He can warm your soul.
He can give you purpose and reason to live.
He can give you a place to call home.

Even though I was very upset  coming from a 4 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom rental, God had His hands all over us.  This rental property had a storage barn in the backyard to house the things we didn't have room for in the rental.  Though some of the stuff would get water damaged, it would further allow the fact to sink in that we can't take any of this stuff with us to the grave.  It all can be destroyed.  We need to have our priorities in order.
God first.

Who holds your heart in the palm of their hand?
Until next time, don't forget to pray.
Deanna

FABULOUS FOOD FOR FUN

Hello Blogland viewers! So glad you stopped by.

HALLELUJAH! It's HAPPENING.

Pictures posted on my Blog.

With the month of February honoring President's Day, I think of the George Washington story that I learned in school about him chopping down a cherry tree and saying he would not tell a lie...

To this day, I still don't know if this story is fact or fiction, myth or mystery.

I like cherry pie, don't you? Apple desserts are welcomed as well.

Fact is my fantastic daughter created this Apple Cake Dessert from apples she had actually hand picked earlier from a small country orchard. It not only looked tasty, it was!

With our kitchen slowly being remodeled, it's a miracle that she could produce something so good within a seriously challenging room to work in. This is fact and a mystery to me!

Beautifully stated and found in the Bible's book of Proverbs

Chapter 24

Verses 3 and 4

you will find this written:

(3) By wisdom a house is built,

and through understanding it is established;

(4) through knowledge its rooms are filled

with rare and beautiful treasures.

May your home be a haven to share your God given talents that you cultivate so you can shower others with love, food and fellowship. Beautifully decorated rooms, delicious food and warm fellowship is a superb recipe for making sweet memories.

God richly BLESS you in the here and now,

Deanna from the Kansas Flinthills

WORTHY TO BE PRAISED

Hello from the Kansas Flinthills...
The sky is cloudy and overcast today. I have been under the weather and didn't sleep well last night at all. Sure hoping that this week-end goes better.

I just read a blog posting that caused me to weep. A young married woman that's pregnant has had her husband walk out on her. He doesn't want the baby. This alone stirs up sadness in me.

You alone Lord are worthy to be praised. You are what is solid and unchanging.

A point in time took me back to finishing a two year Associates of Art Degree which took me 14 years to complete. I had put off the math and chemistry classes to the last. I remember carrying in my math book a thank you note from my Grandma's family thanking me for flowers for the funeral. I had wrote on the card 'She had a third grade education.' When I was struggling with the math, I'd look at this card that was being used as a book mark. Looking at this card gave me encouragement to toughen up and tough it out.

Grandma did not have an easy life. She married her step father's brother that was on the rebound from being rejected by another woman. Even the ring was for the other woman. As a child, Grandma had worked her step dad's fields like a dog. At 16, she was proposed to and married. 11 children would be created from this union. Grandpa died before I was ever born, so I didn't know him. He would drink and beat on my Grandmother.

Though she had so many children and little education, there was a time in her life she left her husband due to his drinking and such. Journeying with her young children from Canada back to Kansas. I remember thinking if Grandma could leave an abusive husband, then I could do the right thing when I had to concerning a very troubled marriage that I was suddenly in back in the 90's. Grandma was a Christian. I'm not sure what she prayed, but she'd pray. Her husband would come to her and they remained married until his death. He would change. He had too.

My Dad said that she would go to a cave and pray out loud. When World War 2 was in high gear, she'd pray in that cave. Though she was German herself, 2 of her boys served in the US Army against the Nazis.  

On the same day both sons returned home from the service coming from opposite sides of the world within one hour apart of each other. Can you imagine the rejoicing in her heart she must have had?

With out God giving me strength, I'm not sure where I'd be today. A huge work has been done in my marriage, but not without a price. My husband would change. He had too. To God be the Glory, great things He has done.

With so many marriages folding, God is the one that will strengthen us. He alone is worthy to be praised. He alone is worthy. I am terribly saddened by the trend that is going on with so many people leaving their marriages for whatever reasons. Sometimes it's not your fault as to why a spouse walks away.

Abandoned, betrayed, left to figure out what to do now...
May God strengthen you and show you the way to go.  

Beloved, may He heal you.
Deanna

Santa, The Tooth Fairy and Where Babies Come From

Thank you for taking time out from your busy day to take a peek at my blog and see what's happening here in Flint Hills.
We just finished celebrating Valentine's Day over the week-end with Valentine Cards, Chocolates and a Steak Dinner,  as I was reminiscing about days gone by.
In grade school or as some would call it elementary school, every year we'd have a Valentine Party where we'd exchange homemade or store bought cards with one another.
At home, I'd write the names on the back of the cards, place the cards in the envelopes and then address them.  Then place the sealed cards in each others card holders that we had carefully made the week before during Art.  It was always a contest to see who could create the most bee-u-ta-full card holder weither it be a decorated shoe box or a construction paper envelope with a heart shaped papered doily on the front of it. Anxiously waiting for the oohs and awes.  Peer pressure and acceptance was different then.
Sweet memories.  During the party, we were allowed to open each valentine, play games and have refreshments.  At the end of the school day, we'd take all the treasures home.  These were the days when Public Schools were into teaching the 3 r's of readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic.  We didn't have to worry about guns, knifes and drugs being brought in by students, no gangs and we could walk home for lunch.  Pleasant thoughts.  Ahhhh the innocence of youth.Now for Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Where Babies Come From.
During my childhood, I would learn that there was no Santa Claus. My oldest brother would tell me it was actually Mom and Dad placing the toys under the Christmas tree that we would discover on Christmas morning.  I remember being shocked when I heard this aweful truth!  I suspected that it was true when we went to a movie theatre for an afternoon matinee.  As we left the show, a petite woman dressed in a santa suit was handing out candy canes to the kids.  She almost fooled me until I saw her well groomed painted fingernails.  They were lovely to say the least, but when she said, "Ho.  Ho.  Ho." in a saprano voice through the white beard, it cinched the deal and santa was a fraud.  When I first heard that Santa wasn't real, I was concerned that next Christmas there wouldn't be any toys.  Man, was I delighted to see that the toys were there the next year.  Pleasant thoughts.

The Tooth Fairy was welcomed right along with Santa.  The first tooth I lost was when I was five.  Pretty neat placing the tooth under my bed pillow and wake up to a coin in its place.  When the Tooth Fairy stopped visiting it wasn't quite the shock as Santa not being real.
BUT THE BIGGEST SHOCK OF ALL was when my sister told me how babies were made.  She had gotten upset with two of her friends that were sisters that told her the truth about THAT.  She defended her stance on this by saying, "Huh uw...my mom told me that when she wanted a baby all she had to do was pray to God and He gave them to her!!!"  Then my sister broke the news to me..."Preachers do it, too!!!"  I don't know where we got the idea that the actual act was a dirty thing that only bad people did, but none the less when I heard Preachers do this, I was mortified.
I learned all of this out in the front yard beside the car that was parked by the curb.  Gutter trash?  No, I laugh now at how innocent we were.  I forgot to mention the Easter Bunny.

Of course by the fifth grade, we had that famous talk about the female body and what was going to happen to it.  My mother attended the movie that explained this biological event.  I remember sitting in the front seat of the car as we went home.  She asked me if I had any questions.  I couldn't think of any at the time.  That would come later and that's a whole different story.

There has been other shocking news through the years that greatly out did these childhood stories.  Only God has helped me process and deal with the ones that stunned me so badly I couldn't speak or pray.  I learned the hard way that He is the one that will comfort when you hurt beyond words.  No one else can quite do this.
Though we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so much is still a mystery.  Santa, the Tooth Fairy and how babies are made are all pleasant things to me.  I was so innocent and that's a good thing.  Sweet memories.

Now I know that Santa doesn't answer prayers.  The Tooth Fairy disappears after Grade School and the Stork drops babies off in the Cabbage Patch!

Til next time,
May the Good Lord Bless you real good.
Deanna from the Kansas Flint Hills

Too Much Conditioner

I washed and conditioned my hair today and it jogged my memory about excess hair conditioner. What do you do with all that hair conditioner that's not used up before the shampoo? I have often had a stash of it in the closet taking up much needed space.

I have a really bad habit of wanting to try new shampoos and of course I want the matching conditioner, but so many times I have gone through the entire bottle of shampoo and still have at least a half of bottle of conditioner. I don't necessarily buy another bottle of the same type of shampoo and I don't want to use the one type of conditioner with a different scented shampoo. So what's a woman to do?

Give the left over away.
Sell it at a garage sale.
Give it to a local thrift shop.
Put the left over in smaller bottles and give to some ministries.
Throw it away.
Or use for a different task.

A email friend of mine sent me a list of helpful hints and one of the tips was using the left over conditioner for shaving gel! Haven't tried this yet, but I will.

Have a great week-end.

God richly bless you.
May your home be a restful place that comforts your family
and restores your weary body.

Don't forget to pray,
Deanna from the Kansas Flinthills

ISN'T GOD GOOD

Dear Ones,
Hello from the Kansas Flinthills! If you were here today, you'd experience first hand the strong winds. They are really making themselves noticed. As a child I use to stand with my face facing the wind allowing the breeze to touch my skin. Today, you'd be hard pressed to catch your breath as the windy forces blast at your posture and tugs at your hair-in-place.

Such freedom the wind has.

What is it that the Bible says about the Holy Spirit in comparision with the wind, it blows as it wills?

John 3:8 The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Hallelujah...the Holy Spirit of God blows as it wills.
There are alot of Bible scripture references in the concordance about wind and winds.

Matthew 8:27, Mark 4:41, Luke 8:25
...even the winds and the sea obey Him (Jesus)!??

Isn't God good? You may be going through a terrible storm in your life and suddenly Jesus can say PEACE, BE STILL. This storm of life is lifted. Hush, you can hear the sound of a pin dropping.

There was a time in my young married life that I was in such pain and I wanted so badly to turn the hand of time backwards so as to stop what was going to happen. It isn't humanly possible to turn the human hand of time backwards. No matter how much you want to. No matter how hard you try.

Things happen and it may not be what you wanted to happen or what you asked to happen. The things can molest your soul and hurt very deeply.

But isn't God good? Yes, He is. Though you cannot change the fact that these horrible things have happened, it will be God that changes the meaning of what happened to you.

Til next time,
God Bless you real good.

Deanna

Since I Started Blogging

Hello out there in blogville.

I have been blogging close to 2 months as I inch along learning how to do this.

Today, my site grew a picture for the header.

Thanx to my sweet husband that set this up for me.

Even a picture popped up on one of my earlier post about wearing high heels.

This blogging thing is fun.

Like it alot.

Hope to continue placing pics on this blog.

One thing I have encountered while commenting on others blogs, is that there are those that are ready to take me on no matter how tastefully I have commented. 

There are plenty that are ready for a fight.

Ready to misunderstand the simplest and purest comment.

Touche.

I welcome the challenge.  It's mentally stimulating.

Also gets me back into the word of God.  Not a bad place to be.

If nothing else...I continue to learn about various personalities and how they tick.

Also, this is a great training ground on how to be more diplomatic. 

My daughter has said to me that I am like a strong cup of coffee.

Perhaps I should ask, "Do you want cream or sugar with that?"

"Regular or decaff?"

One of my dear elderly friends that I have had the blessing to get to know, often asked me during our long intimate female conversations, "Have you ever considered...?"

Worked like a charm.

Her gentle approach to stimulating thought was well received and entertained.

So to you dear ones that are ready to bite my head off and make whatever I gently commented about or asked questions about take on a different light than intended, seem threatening or offensive, I ask you this, 

"Have you ever considered?"

To God be the Glory great things He has done.

God richly bless you.

Deanna