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Cha-Cha-Changes Becoming Your Strange

1/31/2019

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A long time ago one of Mom's teachers told her, "If you want to write effectively about something you must write about what you know".

We have talked about that one, and have come to the conclusion that her teacher was partially right, but sometimes we can effectively write about our hopes and our dreams as well.

Everyone's different, some people adapt to change like fish to water.  Others not so much.  Mom falls into the latter category.

About 3 years she was forced to make some significant changes to her lifestyle.  Watching her making the necessary changes,( like exercising )was similar to watching an edge of your seat suspense movie.  You never know if the heroine is going to end up dying, or make it to the end of the show until the last frame of the film.  LOL

Throughout Mom's journey I've constantly told her, "Mom, you can do this, all you have to do is your best, no matter how small it may be.  Just do it one step at a time, and one day at a time".  Now you don't know my Mom like I do, and when she's telling you she can't do something, you're truly risking your life to suggest anything different.  Being the brave Dachshund I am, I've risked my life disagreeing with Mom a few times.

Change is hard, it takes dedication and motivation.  It takes being able to have faith in yourself and God; believing in the substance of things you don't see in the physical realm.  I want to repeat that part one more time.   Faith is the belief in the substance of things you don't see in the physical realm.

How do you get that kind of faith?  Through constant, sincere communication with God.  Mom prayed a lot, and often, that God would help her walk one more lap, one more day, one more month.  Until she no longer has to ask Him to help her.  She now thanks Him that He's given her the abilities it requires to control her health issues.  Her prayer for help became a prayer of thanksgiving.

Exercise was as foreign to Mom as speaking Chinese.  That's why everyone who knows my Mom just about falls into a pile when they hear that she walks 4 miles a day  (1 mile on an incline) does 1/2 hour of aerobics  every day, and 20 pushups every other day, at 60 years old.  Exercise truly was as foreign to my Mother as speaking Chinese.  Trust me when I tell you, She Became her Strange.  (With a LOT of help from God).

Mom's had to change in a few other areas too.  She's never been one to go it alone.  Some people are natural followers and are happiest following a crowd.  You know that saying that Mom's always ask their kids, "Well would you follow so and so off a cliff".  Thinking of course my child wouldn't do that.  Well metaphorically my Mom's done that for most of her adult life when it comes to following her friends to different churches.

Now at the ripe old age of 60 Mom can emphatically tell you God didn't make you to follow your friends to church, to follow your pastor, to follow your Mom, Dad or Auntie to church.  God made you to follow Him where ever He leads you.

If God uses your health to tell you to get up and start exercising, listen and start exercising.  Your health and your relationship with God are precious things.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
 
We encourage you to become your strange and be your change.  Let go of the old and become something new.  Follow God  with whatever, or where ever He leads you to change.  It doesn't have to be your health or following others rather than God. You know where He's asked you to change.   Lisa Nichols says, "The reason people won't become who they want (or change) is because they're too attached to who they've been." Lets not let that be us.    Be your Change.  It's a glorious experience.

Isaiah 43:19  (NIV)
 
19  See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
 
Love, Molly and my Mom
 


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What's in Your Cup

1/16/2019

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For the sake of clarity I'd like to state that, " This will always be my blog".  Sometimes Mom will share a post and sometimes it'll be me. :-) (but it's always my blog ~,^  Got that Mom)

Today it's my turn. You all remember how my life started.  I helped my folks find their heartbeat after their other Dachshund went to rainbow bridge.

God had a hand in picking out the family I was to go to.  I didn't know it yet but I was going to have a few health challenges.  Our Heavenly Father knew he needed a family that was willing to pray without ceasing that I'd make it through some of what was coming my way.  Enter stage right my Mom and Dad.

They don't say Hindsight's 20/20 for nothin' do they?  My folks had been out of church for many years.  Honestly they had no plans of going back.  (That's too long of a story to get into today, LOL)  This didn't mean they didn't believe in God or prayer....As I became more and more sick, Mom and Dad started praying more and more.  Fast forward a couple of years, and a lot of prayers and my tummy issues are all over.

There's a bit of a respite in our frequent visits to the vets, until the folks notice an extreme decline in my vision.  Off to the vets we go for another serious diagnosis of SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) and a strong possibility of permanent, irreversible blindness.

Once again looking back I can see My Heavenly Father at work in my folks life.  There were many tears, a lot of prayers, undeniable faith, (as they'd already seen Him heal my tummy) and finally a trip to the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolina's, Animal Eye Care Center.  To be honest my diagnosis was rather grim, but Mom and Dad's faith was strong.  I began an experimental treatment that along with prayer and dedicated care from my parents as well as my doctors restored part of my vision.

My point in going through all this is to say our God is faithful.  He used me a sick pup to restore my parents love and faith in Him.  There was never one time that Mom didn't blog about the miracles God did in my life.  She's never had a problem in sharing what He did for me.  Even all my doctors to this day say that me having my vision is truly a miracle.

I guess my going through my health problems was preparation for some of the challenges my Mom was going to experience.  Sometimes it's a lot easier to have faith for others than it is to have faith for yourself.

Mom's health declined and declined a few more times.  Being from strong NC country stock she put her shoulder to the wheel and kept on going, until she couldn't.  Yups the old gal ended up housebound for a few years, but always prayed that things would get better.  One day Mom prayed that if she could simply  get her blood sugar lower and hit 150 lbs she'd go back to church.

You know what; God answered that prayer.  God is good all the time...Mom's been going to church ever since.

We're not going to say there haven't been set backs, there have.  We're also not going to say some days haven't been a struggle.  They have.  Mom has always been a bit of an anxious person, and after all her health issues she developed a depression problem as well.  Not long after returning to church her social and general anxiety problems got the best of her and she went on medication to control these issues.

Our Father has a plan for all His children's lives and He will use whatever is necessary to bring His plans to fruition. I and my health issues were what was necessary in my family's life.  I'm in I dare say, the best home for me as I have no tummy issues. I can see, and I'm very well taken care of.  Mom has lost a ton of weight, she's reversed her Diabetes , her anxiety and depression are no longer an issue in her life and she walks 4 miles a day.  So you see sometimes our hard times can bring us to our very  best that we can be.

Psalm 30:5

weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

We all have been through hard times...It's a part of life isn't it?  With everything we go through our question is, " Do we have anything left in our hearts/cups to offer someone else who may be going through something worse than we are"?

There's an inspirational story that we see on FB every now and then.  Mom and I'd like to share it with you.  Let us set the stage if we may, "You're in a crowd of people drinking a cup of coffee and someone from behind jostles your arm.


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"You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and shoves you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee?
 
"Well because someone bumped into me, of course!"
 
Wrong answer.
 
You spilled the coffee because, coffee was in the cup.
 
If tea had been in it, you would have spilled tea.
 
Whatever is inside the cup is what will come out.
 
Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), whatever is inside of you will come out. It's easy to fake it until you get rattled.
 
So we have to ask ourselves....what's in my cup?
 
When life gets tough, what spills over?
Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility?
 
Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and actions?
 
You choose!


We'll be the first to say, our cup hasn't always been filled with the fruits of His Holy Spirit, but Mom and I have a new prayer this year; Should someone, or something  bump into us, our desire is for Jesus to spill out and touch others hearts.

Love,

Molly and my Mom

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Prayers for a Different New Years

1/1/2019

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It was around 4:00 pm New Years eve and the folks had stopped into the grocery store to pick up a few things for lunch on New Years.  As Mom was heading into the express check out aisle she accidentally cut off a disheveled man of undetermined age getting into the same line.  Apologizing, Mom told him" Please excuse her, " and stepped back so he could get ahead of her and Dad.

The man said, "Thank-you and wished them a Happy New Years".  This was all my Mom needed as she's the "chatty sort". " Wishing him a Happy New Years she said she hoped 2019 would be a better year than 2018 had been".

This comment of Mom's was all the prompting this disheveled man needed to unleash a heartbreaking tale of his mother dying this year, his family disowning him and how he no longer had any "true friends" now that his mother was dead.

After a few seconds of silence as Mom let this sink in, she told the man, "I don't need to know your name, as my Heavenly Father knows you.  I will pray for you".  At this he replied, "My name is James". James paid for his groceries, he'd mentioned earlier, "he was going home preparing a few snacks and watching TV until the New Year came in".

As James was walking away, Mom felt the tiniest nudge to go after him and ask if he'd like her to pray with him there .  Maybe had she done that James would have invited Christ into his heart then he would know in his heart of hearts that he was no longer truly alone.
 
Matthew 28:20

20  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
Psalm 27:10

10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

When we are lost in our own grief it's very difficult to see past our pain, and to be completely honest we never really get over the loss of a loved one; it changes us.  Now after many years of Mom's parents being dead Mom can see the truth behind the quote,

"If God can take away something you never imagined losing, He can replace it with something you never imagined having."

Mom will never know what would have happened in James life, had she obeyed that tiny nudge.  She does know what will happen the next time she feels that tiny prompting to ask someone if they'd like her to pray with them.

Lets all remember  Paul Coelho's quote, "The world is changed by your example, not your opinion."

The apostle Paul pretty much said the same thing in Ephesians 5:1

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Our prayer this year is to be a different sort of person, more sensitive to hearing our Heavenly Fathers voice and more sensitive to those around us. We truly pray that with our flickering flame a fire will begin and the world becomes ablaze with the love of Christ and changed by His children following His example.
 
Happy New Years,

Molly and my Mom


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The Spirit of Christmas

12/6/2018

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We have been thinking about Christmas here, which led Mom and I to having a conversation about the spirit behind the first Christmas.

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

We see this example once again here:

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Genesis 22

We both agreed this is the true spirit behind the Christmas season, being willing to sacrifice your most precious and loved child that others lives might come to have life more abundantly.Every year our family read the story of Christ's birth at Christmas time.  It's been a family tradition for as long as Mom and Dad have been together.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25

This is a perfect example of God using the everyday people of this earth to bring about the incredible and extraordinary  Abraham's faith in believing God would provide a sacrifice in place of his son, and his obedience solidified God's promise that all nations would be blessed by His saving grace and His willingness to sacrifice His only Son Jesus Christ; that we all might experience the blessings of His transforming love through Abraham and his descendants, as well as Mary and Joseph's great faith in trusting that God was going to accomplish something greater in the sacrifice of His and their son Jesus.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Luke 2:1-14

(1)"We live in a world full of God’s blessings, which can include unparalleled freedom and even great material wealth. As we enjoy these blessings, we often forget the value of Jesus Christ in our lives. It’s easy to think we are self-reliant in meeting our needs and living the “good life.”

Yet I want to encourage us today to return to our first love this holiday season. Perhaps we need a gentle reminder as we enter this month of December to try not to get so busy we forget to worship the One the season is about. Give God the worship that is due Him. Knowing the story of Jesus Christ is not nearly as important as discovering how that story can, and has, transformed our lives. I want to focus on thanking God and praising Him for all He’s done. Let’s all worship Him with our whole being this Christmas. He is worthy of the praises of His people. He deserves our heartfelt worship.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to come in order that He might provide the pathway to You, for me and all those who trust in Him. Thank You for the multitude of blessings You have given to me over the course of my life. Please gently nudge me and remind me if I start to get so busy that I forgot to honor and worship You with my thoughts, words or actions. You are the reason for the focus of this season, and I want to remember that throughout this month. I worship You, Lord, for You are holy, powerful, restoring and the source of my very life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen".
 
Wishing you all  the Love, Peace and Joy of Christ that lasts you all year long.
Molly and my Mom

Resources
(1) Proverbs  31 Ministries Dec. 5, 2018 Too Busy to Worship  Dr. Tony Evans

We loved this A capella version of Mary Did You Know



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Brighter Day

10/26/2018

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In our previous post we mentioned Mom learning a few new tricks, like God answering her prayers in the most simple of ways by having her Dr. suggest a Rx. for her anxiety issues.

(Duhhhh) LOL Honestly though, we're certain there's others out there that have thought surely my prayers are going to be answered in a Red Sea or Burning Bush moment only to get handed a prescription to be filled by your local pharmacist (or something equally simple).  Goes to prove God moves in miraculous ways doesn't it?

We thought and thought about what we'd like share in this blog.  Mom and I decided we'd just like to encourage anyone who's prayed over the same issue for absolutely years to not give up praying and waiting on God's perfect time.

I've watched Mom struggle with her anxiety and fears for years.  I'm the one she's talked to when she felt her fist pound the unyielding doors of heaven, and feel like God never heard her pleas for help.

If we were with you now sitting across from you at the kitchen table, Mom would take your hand and tell you to not give up, keep praying, keep bringing your request to God, and keep the faith.  We understand how discouraging it can be to watch the years go by and your prayers remain unanswered.

Luke 11: 7-9

…7And the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9So I tell you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  (We'd interject here in God's time)

God sees more than we ever can ever imagine in our lives, and He knows the perfect time for events to occur and our prayers to be answered.  Mom will probably never know why it took 20 years for her anxiety problem to be resolved and her prayers answered, but that's ok.  We understand that all things work to the good of those that love Christ.

God is faithful to keep His word.  We see this time and time again in the bible.  The Israelites were overwhelmed with disappointment and discouraged.  Nothing was as they imagined it would be after they returned from Babylonian exile.
(Zechariah 1:14-17)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

Over and over again these very words are repeated in the Bible.  God understands when we become discouraged.  He made us, we are indeed the work of His hand.  There is nothing in our thoughts or hearts that can be hidden from Him, and He understands our flagging faith.

500 years pass before the Israelites see Zechariah's prophesy come true.  Gods time is not our time.  He keeps His promises, we have to keep the faith through the sunshine, the rain, and the passing years.

You may not feel like God hears your prayers, or that your prayers are going to be answered.  We'd like to remind you of this verse in

Ecclesiastes 3:1

"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." The two words here--season and time--imply duration and a point in time. Because everything has a season, nothing (at least on earth) lasts forever. God has appointed a "season" for everything. Seasons have beginnings and endings. They last, but not too long. (1)

These seasons may seem to last forever in our eyes, remember

2 Peter 3:8–9 reads:

‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
 
Be encouraged God isn't a respecter of persons.  If He answered Mom's prayer after 20 years, He'll be faithful to answer yours too.

Love and Peace,

Molly and my Mom
 
References
 (1) God's Time


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Old Dogs New Tricks

10/17/2018

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Now that I'm getting older Mom's for some reason decided I need to learn a couple of new tricks.  ??  She says it's to keep me sharp and focused.  I say she simply wants to frustrate and confuse me.  (We've yet to reach a common ground on this debate)

At 8 years old I'm not as quick either mentally or physically as I was as a young pup, but I'm willing to try and make my Mom happy.  Yes I get confused at times, and we have to go over my tricks for several days before I truly get them down pat, but isn't this the case in all our lives?

Moreover, Mom's no longer a spring chicken, and on that note she's having to learn a few new tricks as well.  (BOL)  I love when life has my Mom wearing the shoe on the other foot, what about you guys?

Sometimes God sets our parents on a new path...

Isaiah 43:19

"Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

During one of our chats Mom and I talked about this scripture but she didn't really think it applied to her.  She thought it was simply a quote that applied to someone else.  I grinned my little Doxie grin and decided to let the old Mom see for herself.  (I being the wise little Dachshund that I am Knew this totally applied to my Mom).

Since our chat and the Mom voicing her opinion that this bible quote applied to someone else several new things have happened in our families lives.  The main thing is one personally for Mom.

Joining a new church with new people simply stirred up all her old anxieties. For those of you not familiar with some of the symptoms of an anxiety disorder you won't understand how crowds, new places, new people or unexpected situations can make you feel as if a metal band is tightening around your chest, or your neck feels so indescribably tight you think it might snap into.  Possibly you're so stressed you don't realize you've just been short with someone or that you're coming across impatient.  

For many, many years Mom's suffered from anxiety to the point that it's affected several areas in her life.  Mom found comfort in her routines, avoiding crowds, and enjoying a quiet life here in the country.

For the past few years her Dr. had suggested Mom go on medication to control her anxieties.  Thinking this wasn't a "Godly or Christian " solution she kept trying to control her stress and emotions with supplements , diet and exercise, all the while praying that God would help her with her fears.

We here at our house are not unfamiliar with Gods amazing mercies and grace.  In Mom's particular life I believe we've shared about her being housebound for a few years due to her diabetes, and God helping her to get her A1C down to 5.7 and her subsequently regaining her life.  This was all well and good as Mom understands hard work and dedication.

We pups accept things a lot easier than our humans do.  We understand that for the most part our people want what's best for us, and we completely trust them to take care of our needs.  We don't expect them to do it "Our way".

Here's the part that Mom's had a few problems with throughout her lifetime, and I think other people might as well.

People expect God to follow the plans they have for Him answering their prayers.

During one of our chats "I said.  Mom maybe you've been expecting God to help you with your anxiety the way YOU wanted Him to.  Maybe He answered your prayer all those years ago when your Dr. suggested you go on Anxiety Medication".

 Are any of you guilty of this same thing?  Do you pray and pray for God to help you with a problem and then not see His response because you're expecting Him to answer you the way you want Him to?  Gods ways are not our ways.  I understand this more fully now than I did before.  He's not always going to send us a burning bush or a lightning bolt.  Sometimes He simply has our Dr. suggest we take a medication for our problem.

This is the thing dear friends, God's plans for you are never late, they are always right on time and they are exactly what you need.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Philippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

So with that thought in her mind Mom emailed her Dr. and asked that she fill her Rx. for the Anxiety meds.

Let me say this again Gods plans for you are never late, they're always right on time and He's faithful to continue the good work He began in you.  Because He chose YOU to be His bride.  Remember this means He's your bridegroom.  He loves you with an undying love, and His every desire is for your good.  He will be with you every step of the way through every obstacle that is in your life.

I want you to know that Dad and I could tell a difference in Mom the very first day she took her first dose of medicine, and she's gotten better every day since.  Mom even shared she could feel the difference.  She tried to explain how she felt after starting her med.s and the best way she could put it was, "Her mind was now quiet and she's felt more at peace."  

We need to share with you all the importance of letting go of the idea of your prayers being answered  in the way you may expect them to be answered, and realizing sometimes your answer is something as simple as the Dr. suggesting a prescription (or something every bit as simple).

God is never finished with completing the good work He's begun in his children, regardless to how old they may be.  Mom's 60 years old and still learning this one.


Revelation 21:5

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Love and Peace,

Molly and my Mom



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What Determines Greatness

10/3/2018

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Mom and I saw a cartoon on Twitter that gave us reason to pause and reflect a bit.  The quote was, "Your greatness is not what you have, but what you give".

Luke 3-11
And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
 
We dogs can totally relate to this as we are simply born givers.  We give our people our company, loyalty, time love and devotion.

This is difficult for some people to do.  Which is a sad thing, because they will never understand the concept of the more you give away, the more you receive.

It honestly doesn't matter what you give it could be money, your time, a kind word, a hug.  Anything that could help another is something that can be given.


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Luke 6-38

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back."

Friends life is short, and for some it's very hard.  We encourage you to look around you as you go about your daily lives, if you see an opportunity to do another person a kindness don't let it pass you by.

The person who seems down, give them a kind word or a smile.  The mother whose children are crying in the grocery store line, who's about to run to the car for the change due on her grocery bill, pay it for her.

Giving  doesn't have to be a huge donation to your favorite charity, (though it can be) giving is also the random little kindnesses that you can do in the moment that are huge to the person you've done them for.

A little kindness can go a long way, and we truly agree, "Your greatness is not determined by what you have, but what you give away".

Love and Peace,

Molly and my Mom


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Birthdays and Hurricanes

9/12/2018

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This has been a week of surprises at our house.  The first one happened when Mom realized she'd forgotten my Birthday.  Yups the old gal is slipping, and I told her as much.  The second was when we all became aware that the hurricane was actually going to affect us here in our little part of N.C.

So as fate would have it one major event cancelled out the other.  Seeing as how I can't stop nature from taking its course my Birthday has taken a backseat to Mother Nature's seasonal temper tantrums.

Hurricane season is surely getting started with a bang this year.  That being said we've gotten as ready as we can.  I have plenty of kibble and medications.  The folks have topped off the cars with gas and have gotten fuel for the generator; not to mention all the groceries they've stocked up on.  Mom has printed out phone numbers to local shelters; as well as church deacons who are opening their homes to members who may need a place to stay.  The way southerns prepare for weather events is material for comedians punch lines.


There are times in our lives, when after we've done all we know to do to prepare for different situations our heavenly Father tells us to simply stand firm. The God who spoke all of creation into being knows every single hair on his children's heads.  He even knows when a single sparrow falls to the ground.

We don't want to give the impression we're not worried about the upcoming Hurricane, of course we are.  What we are saying is the Father we serve knows us, knows our vulnerabilities, our fears and is the creator of all, even this storm.
 
Mark 4:35-41

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

He is the peace and quiet in the eye of this Hurricane.  Everything in life is an opportunity to see Gods grace in action.

Me personally I'm praying Mom and Dad remember the promise they made about me having a Big Birthday Celebration after the storm.

Now that I'm 8 years old it's been 3 years since we found out I was losing my eyesight due to SARDS.  My folks and I have never forgotten the miracle God did in answering our prayers that I would regain my sight. Three years later and I can still see. I think I have a lot to celebrate!

Stay safe and know we're keeping everyone in the storm's path in our thoughts and prayers.

Love, and Peace

Molly and my Mom





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Knowing My Parents Voice

9/5/2018

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As a little pup after my folks brought me home it took me a while to recognize their voices.  I loved my pawrents dearly and always wanted to be near them, but I still needed to learn (hear) recognize their voice.

After a while when one of them called me I could tell you exactly if it was my Mom or Dad.  By the tone of their voice I knew if I should immediately stop what I was doing and run to them, or if I had a few more minutes to sniff through the hedge growth.

You all know what I mean.  :-)  We have loving parents who want what's best for us and do their best to teach us the things we need to know to be safe and happy pups on this earth.  It all goes with being their children (in a sense).  (I know I think of my humans as my Mom and Dad and to be honest they consider me their little girl).

Our humans have the same sort of relationship with their heavenly Father.  They need to recognize His voice just as we needed to learn our folks voices.

I'm certain Gods noticed my Mom being a bit hard of hearing at times.  Luckily He's a patient loving God who knows some of our people need to keep going through the same lessons a few times before they get it.

John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

This is where my Mom is in her relationship with her Heavenly Father.  She's learning to hear (recognize His voice and to follow Him).

Mom has a long ways to go, but there are some very simple things she's learned.  God wants her to know Him and to know His voice.  The best way to do that is the same way we pups got to know our pawrents and learned their voice.  By spending time with Him.  Reading His word and committing it to memory, by praying, giving thanks for all He'd done in our lives, and taking her concerns to Him in prayer.  Mom has learned to just sit quietly a few min. and simply enjoy His presence during their time together.

A dogs purpose is to be a companion to our humans.  To fill an void in their lives, to bring them a sense of joy and happiness that we pups seem perfect at doing.  God made our people to worship Him, learn of Him and to follow Him.  When they do this He fills a void in their hearts that is effortlessly filled by Him.

As we mentioned earlier at times Mom has proven herself to be hearing impaired, due to this she's had to go through a few things more than once before she's caught on to maybe she wasn't listening for Gods voice.

Sometimes we have to pause in our busy lives, take a breath and observe what is going on around us to discern what really is Gods voice.

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire

 [e]a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

” 1 Kings 19:11-13
 
The only way our hoomans will ever be able to know what is  Gods voice, is to take the time to know Him and have a personal relationship with Him.  Just as we took the time to get to know our folks and have a real, loving, personal relationship with them.

Love and Peace,

Molly and my Mom



3 Comments

Thankful for Thursdays

8/30/2018

3 Comments

 
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We always enjoy being a part of Brains Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.  I always have something to be thankful for.  I'm a lucky girl and I know it.

Before Mom and I sat down to write this blog we had a chat about the things we're thankful for.  We're blessed, and on our Thankful for Thursdays we slow down, take a moment to think and appreciate what we have.

The moments are the things that Mom and I are realizing we need to start appreciating.  With all the rushing here and going there, we don't spend as much time thinking about and living in the moments as we should.  We end up missing out on the truly special things in life.

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Relaxing in the sunshine, watching the hawks dance in the blue Carolina sky, or simply sitting on the deck listening to the cicadas and owls in the woods.  Moments that can't be recaptured because our hoomans have spent their lives rushing from one appointment or engagement to another.

Life is what we have while we're here on this earth.  Enjoy your moments with the ones you love while you have them.  Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Rather than having regrets, make some moments to treasure.  The little moments are the most special.  Take a walk to the stream take off your socks and shoes stick your feet in the cool running water of the brook.  Then again it doesn't  really matter what you do, as long as you cherish the moments with the ones you love.

We pups are all about living in the moment though so I told Mom I was going to help her start appreciating our moments in life.  We spend a lot of time during the fall and winter hiking through our forest and fields.  Mom and I enjoy our moments in the quiet of the deep woods.  We'll sit and listen to the sounds of nature, watching  for deer or fox.

1 Thessalonians 5

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This one has been a challenge for us this week as the thermostat on the AC went out.  So Mom and I have come to the conclusion that we're thankful that we can still Manually turn on the air conditioner and we'll be really Thankful when the repair man gets here to replace it.  (This goes back to Mom and I's somewhat pessimistic opinion, "Be thankful for what you have as things could always be worse").

Cherish your moments with your loved ones dear friends.  Let's take a page from our dogs book and learn to live in the moment and not worry so much about tomorrow or yesterday.

Love and Peace,

Molly and my Mom



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Oh yeah, I"m really thankful that I'm such a spoiled girl that I can play with my balls once or twice get spit on them then refuse to play with them ever again. I'll make Mom and Dad get me a new ball out of the wrapper to play with.  (Though by the looks of this dog shaming picture my subjects may be planning a revolt. )

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