Good Day for Marrying You ...Blessings on Vev and Eli!!!

This is my new favorite song.  

It played at Vev and Eli's wedding among happy tears and much joy and happiness.  And it was a good day, a very good day!

I pray blessings and love and happiness on this beautiful couple, on our "other" daughter Vevila Covington!  and Her Prince Charming Eli!  

May God grant you years and years of love, laughter, and fun like this song embraces.  May the soundtrack for your life be beautiful and varied and filled with songs that your hearts can dance to!!!  
May sorrow stay far from your door but joy be a welcomed guest!
May your hearts stay turned toward each other as they were on this your first day as 
Mr. and Mrs.
May you always remember the one who placed you together and may you run to Him when troubles come a knockin'. 
God bless and keep this marriage, in Jesus name!

Here are the words...
Good Day for Marrying You

Baby, the sun is shinin'
Dogwoods are comin' in bloom
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you
I'll call my mama and daddy
Baby, you call yours too
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you

I know you by now, which means I know what you're thinking 'bout
Your friends (they keep askin')
About us (with everyday passin')
It's time this fairy tale came true

Baby, the sun is shining
Dogwoods are comin' in bloom
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you
I'll call my mama and daddy
Baby, you call yours too
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you

We got all we need
I'll find a ring if you'll find a shaded tree
My friends (they're all buzzin')
Word's out (everyone's comin')
Better tell 'em to bring a picture too

Baby, the sun is shining
Dogwoods are comin' in bloom
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you
I'll call my mama and daddy
Baby, you call yours too
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you

It's good day, it's about to get better
Every dream is about to come true
No reason to wait, we got the weather
We just need our "do's"

Baby, the sun is shining
Dogwoods are comin' in bloom
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you
I'll call my mama and daddy
Baby, you call yours too
Put on your white dress
Yeah 'cause, oh baby, it's a good day for marrying you

Did You Know God has a Knack?

My friend a while ago had told me about how her and her husband found old furniture and refinished and then sold it.  Restoring, repurposing it.  A little side business.  Well I was talking to her just the other day and we started to discuss their side job.  

She told me, "It is a fun thing to do, hunting down the old piece and restoring it. My husband has a real knack for seeing what can become of something that looks like it ought to be thrown out."   

Something jumped out at me.  It actually brought tears.  This is what God does.  So many of us at times may have looked like we should have been thrown out.  Other people may have looked at the mess we had made of our lives and shook their heads saying we were worthless or useless or hopeless.  We may have even pronounced that verdict on ourselves.  But our amazing heavenly Father had a knack of seeing what could become of us.  I don't know about you but he rescued me.  

Recently our church was collecting Christian books to take to the jail ministry.  A precious couple in our church has faithfully had services at the jail for years.  Many people would look at the people in the jail and see that many of them return over and over.  And they declare them in perhaps different words, something to be thrown out.  But God sees more.

The Bible holds many example: 

 Rahab was a harlot and she got in the lineage of Jesus.  

 David was an adulterer and murdered.  He became a man after God's own heart. 

 Noah got drunk.  But he is known and loved by every child that's heard his story. 

 Peter had a terrible temper and wasn't loyal when it counted. But God used him mightly in the beginnings of the church.  

The Samaritan Woman was divorced numerous times and was living with a man when she met Jesus. And her story of faith is still being told today.  

Jesus is portrayed as a shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 sheep, going out seeking the one lost lamb.  

Are you a lost lamb?  Do you feel worthless?  A mess? A mistake? Do you see no way out?  Do you believe the lies the enemy whispers to you?  The Lord doesn't.  If you will accept His help He will give you beauty for ashes.  He will do like the old song says:  He will make something beautiful of your life.  My friend and her husband take the broken old piece of furniture and they remove the ugly surface and they sand it down.  They apply an oil that coaxes the hidden beauty out of the piece.  Let God do that for you.  His son Jesus died to bring you salvation and healing and beauty.  He loves you right where you are.  He knows what you are to become.  He has a good plan for your life.  A hope and a future. 

Who Does God Say You Are?

If I ran up to you and asked "Who does God say you are?"   What would first come to mind?  Would you feel condemned?  or loved?  Would good things bubble up in your  mind or would your sins bubble up?  The Bible says:  What a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7a)    A song churches sang back in the 90's said: Whose report do you believe?  I believe the report of the Lord!  

Do we know what God says about us?  Do we know His report about us?  Here are some of the things He says of us:  We are loved!  We are blessed!  We are saved (if you have asked Him to forgive you and be Lord of your life)!  We are his children!  We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!  We are growing in Him!  We belong to Him!  We are free! We are beautiful!  We are called beloved!  We are joint heirs with Jesus!  We are overcomers!  We are mighty in Christ!  We are cherished!  We are called Beloved!  We new creatures in Christ! 

We are this and so much more.  And yet we don't walk in this.  We get our eyes on our own little world, our own physical sight not on the big picture. We need to see us through His eyes.  We don't KNOW who we are or who He is.   Let me encourage you today to open your eyes and look up.  Get to know God more through prayer and Bible study.  Then you can know who you are.  Google a search on Who I am in Christ.  And then meditate on these things.  Review, rehearse these truths until they get down inside of you.  And when the enemy of our souls whispers: you are a failure,  you are ugly, you are a loser, you are wrong, you are never going to change, you are always going to be poor,   you are fat, you are whatever sin you struggle with....etc, etc.  When this happens if you have studied and put deep in your heart the truth. Then the Word  inside you will rise up and Shout:  NO NO NO  I Am..... what God says I am.   I can do what God says I can!  Because I belong to Him!  I abide in Him and He abides in me and devil you can move on down the road.  I KNOW who I am.  I am BELOVED, FORGIVEN, HEALED, FREE, BEAUTIFUL, BECOMING, SANCTIFIED, RIGHTEOUS, PEACEFUL, BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE, 

The Peter Show

I have a boy on my bus who has a lot of issues.  One day I had to tell him this isn't the Peter Show! (Named changed because of privacy laws). He is so used to being in control everywhere he goes.  He throws fits and has outburst when things don't go his way.  He wants all the attention.  He wants it his way, right now!  He does at times stomp on the floor in anger, lash out, scream etc. He has a melt down often.  All because he wants "his way".

 I got to thinking about this.  How many Christians are this way?  Do we want control?  Do we want "our" way?  Are we angry because things aren't going the way we want?  Do we go around and around, insisting on trying again a way that doesn't work?  Are we like Peter insisting on the "Donna Show"  or insert your name the  "         Show"?  Really we need to have each day be the Jesus Show.  

We also have been taught another thing at my job.  If a child has his hand gripped around something like the handle to hold to go up the stairs to get on the bus, we have a method to loosen his grip.  You "peal" his or her hand off the object.  You start with the pinky finger and work up to the pointer finger than the thumb.   You start with the weakest and "peal" the grip till its broken free.   Maybe this is what we need to have done.  We need to let the Lord "peal" our hands off the control lever of our lives.  Maybe we have to let him start with the little things and work up to totally letting go of our need to control what we really can't control anyway.  

It's funny and sad that we believe we have real control of our lives.  Like Peter who thinks he controls the world, we think we control our corner of the world.  Peter is, I think, ten.  I imagine he has been in control since he first threw a fit as an infant.  It's been the "Peter Show" that long.   How long has it been your show instead of the Jesus Show?   When, oh when, will we let him peal our tight grip free?   You know Peter just wants peace and freedom to live happily.   We can only have happiness, joy, peace when we let the Prince of Peace have control.  Peter has been in control badly for about 10 years with terrible results.  How long have you been in control?  5 years?  10 years? 20 years?  How long will you choose to stomp your foot and scream and yell "It's not fair!"?
 
I've started the process toward freedom but I have areas I'm still learning how to let Jesus control and Donna to just rest and follow His lead.  I hope you will join me in the journey of the "Jesus Show" today. Just like its the best thing for Peter to not be in control.  It's the best thing for us to not be in control.  Really!

Springbreak

Springbreak

 

Lovely, lovely springbreak!!!  It is at these times I love my

job.  Most people don't get 2 weeks off in the spring.  I DO!  Yay me!  

Hey the Bible says to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Right?  So rejoice with me today.  And I will rejoice with you some time.  

Random Loveliness

My friend Jeanie was sharing random thoughts on her blog and at the end she asked what random loveliness had her readers been enjoying.  This prompted the following response from me. (I did add a few more for here)  These are some of the loveliness I've enjoyed lately.  

Our middle daughter Carla moved back in and I’m so enjoying her cause I know it won’t last long.  I’m enjoying her sweetness and her presence.  She is such a beautiful person inside as well as outside. She is creative, funny, did I mention beautiful?  I love this season while it's here.  

Bekki, who is 5, and I made a diaper cake for a cousin’s little one. Bekki decided what it needed was the orange feather she had drawn. That sounded okay but it also had brown monkey stickers with red hearts on them and a touch of purple on it. So the color scheme was a challenge. We used multi-colored cupcake ribbons and dotted ribbons with orange netting to cover all. Colors were out of my comfort zone but my sweet Bekki loved it. Hope the cousin's mom does too.

We had a snow day! Who doesn’t love a snow day? Pay without having to go to work and time to play.. Carla and Bekki being here  were the icing on the cake or snow on the roof? lol  Of course a snow day in Tennessee requires a lot less snow than I imagine Colorado does. What a fun day!

And Jack's cooing when Mandi calls.  Wish I could capture these days.  I'm storing up the memories of him at this age.

I’m reading through the Bible too but after umpteen times of only getting through the first books. I started last summer with Deuteronomy and in the NT, Acts.  I read Acts than read chronologically the rest of the NT circling back to Matthew. I’m now in I Chronicles. Goodness the Kings and Chronicles were like drudging through mud. Blood, wars, killings etc. Sorry Lord but Yuck! But what I've loved is that right in the midst of the gore there will be a bright spot of the Lord’s faithfulness or a person will be a follower of God after maybe 3 generations of his family were truly terrible unfaithful people. I’m enjoying it overall.

There is a free magazine box at the allergist office. This week there was some lovely magazines and some very neat catalogs. I love that there are catalogs of clothes or home products that I would never have seen if some sweet soul hadn't left them there. I do need to bring some of them back though. So easy to accumulate too many.

And last Saturday Paul and I had to go down to the charming little town where we pay our property taxes and had a sweet relaxing day. The best part it was unplanned it just kind of unfolded.  A gift from God after 2 hard weeks.  We went to a down home, small town cafe/diner. We had never been there since the current owners had started running it.  All the people were looking at us like “who is that?” We live on the edge of our county and go to the main city in the next county for most of our living so we were strangers. Than we went thrifting at a perfectly delightful little shop. i bought 3 journals for $2.  And afterward ice cream at the pharmacy.They have a whole little old fashioned place with little stools to sit on.  It was the girls second day.  She had never made a sundae.  They used what they called wet walnuts.  I had never heard of them.  Very delicious.   It is such a pretty 
little town. Gainesboro

Oh one more. Carla and Paul’s impromptu tiny concert. Okay, one or two songs. Carla on guitar and Paul on harmonica. So pretty. Thrilled my soul. See Carla is very shy about her guitar playing. She doesn't know I sometimes listen in the hallway to her singing and playing. I’m praying God removes this shyness and her gifts will make room for her. So the concert was so lovely.

Those were some of the random loveliness's  I have had this week.  What about you?  What random loveliness has come to you lately?  

JADED!

Buffaloes!  There is a field near me that has buffaloes in it.  There is even a white one.  I have been driving by them for 15 plus years.  I remember when I first saw them.  I was so excited.  I couldn't wait to show my girls.  It made me smile every time I passed them.  I wanted to stop and take a picture but I haven't.  I wondered why the owner had them and if they were happy in that field. It seemed a little small.  Did they have enough room?    You know buffaloes roaming and all.  Yes, I thought a lot about them, than.

But I've grown accustomed to them now.  They are old hat.  Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.
OH NO!  I've become JADED!  No longer excited.  No longer want to share the joy of them.  Yawn!

As I was thinking about them I thought, Have I become that same way about Christmas?  Don't get me wrong I'm the type that listens to Christmas songs in July but....  This year has been so busy and I'm so behind.  I feel a little over it.  Counting the days till its over.  Lord forgive me.  Than I have to ask myself, Why?  I think I know before I get the word out of my mouth.  I'm not focusing on Him.  Jesus!  Yes, I'm still showing up and praying each day having a lovely time of fellowship.  But I've been looking at all the trappings of Christmas;  the hustle and bustle, the shopping, the stress of getting the "right" gift etc.  Not stopping and looking at the wonder, the joy, the pureness of the love that came to the world that first Christmas.   I've become JADED!  Looking at Christmas but missing the true spirit, the true meaning.

I'm going to stop and breathe and enjoy!  Going to enjoy the joy!  I may even take another look at the buffaloes and the wonder of them and the wonder of their creator who sent His son for me!

Love of Boxes and a side trip into my thoughts.

Boxes. I have this love of boxes. Don't know why. But I love them. Cute little ones, shoe boxes, paper mache boxes, those photo boxes in the stores, Mary Englbrett boxes, plain brown boxes, fancy boxes, refrigerator boxes (do you know the things you can make from one of those babies?  Keeps the little ones busy for hours).  Any and all boxes. Every kind. The lovely one my sister in law gave me with the beautiful music box in it.  Boxes, lovely boxes.

 I wonder if there is some deep psychological reason for this.  Some drama from my childhood?  Some need to have things in order?  Which I surely don't.   Some strange need to put everything in a box?  in a category?  What darkness lies behind it?

Nope... I'm not going there.  I am just leaving that alone for now.  Maybe sometime I will exam it. But for now  I'm going to just continue to love my boxes and the sweet joy I find in them.

Do you have a love of something particular?  Tell me about it.  I don't want to be the only one.

Jabber Jabber

  My brother always seemed to get a kick out of my jabbering about this or that when I was little and as I grew.  Really even now I can sometimes see that slow grin come on his face as I jabber on about something that is exciting to me.  Lately it's our grand-kids we talk about and smile.  As I have always wanted to be a writer words and thoughts have always been buzzing around in my head.  At church recently we had this couple that came and talked about the differences in men and women.  He said what Paul has convinced me is true though I can't for the life of me understand it, that men actually have moments when they are thinking nothing!  Nothing!  I just don't get it.  I can wake in the middle of the night and my mind is having a gabfest with itself.  Just like words, phrases, and thoughts have always been with me.  It seems almost like Paul has always been with me.

We now both work on the same bus.  He is the driver and I'm the attendant. Now all the girls have flown the nest so it is just us here at home   We are together 24-7.  We talk a lot....talk, talk, talk.  We share ideas from books, he tells me what people say on facebook.  I tell him what one of our daughters has said or one of my friends.  We discuss what the minister preached or what someone he listened to preached about or a blog one of us has read. We talk about my hobbies or his.  Or he tells me how he has figured out how to fix something that has broken around the house or on the car.  Or we ask each other to listen to what the other has wrote.  And we always talk about the grandbaby and what cute thing she has said or done lately. And we always end with "She's a good girl, Poppa(or Nonna, depending who is talking)".

I was thinking yesterday how much this reminds me of when we were first dating.  We were 17 and 18. We were dreamers.  We were young and idealistic. We talked on the phone for hours and hours.  We talked on our dates for hours.  We talked and talked and talked.  It made me smile to think that all these years later after almost 38 years we still like to exchange ideas, share thoughts, work out solutions by talking and listening to each other.  We had some rough spots along the way.  Part of the problem at those spots was a lack of talking and listening.  But overall we have made it and we are still crazy (about each other) after all these years.

I said all that to say to my unmarried readers.  If you don't enjoy listening to your gal or guy now and if they don't seem to listen to you, if you don't think of sharing with them first when something interesting happens in your day.  You might want to re-evaluate your situation.  Thirty-eight years with someone, if you make it that long, who doesn't listen to you or who you don't want to listen to, is a long, long, time.  If their eyes glaze over when you just begin to mention something you are passionate about now, you might want to throw that fish back in the sea now and move on.

And while I have your ear, don't remake yourself for someone else.  People change like a chameleon to be with someone. Then they marry and when they get tired of pretending and relax and be themselves, they are surprised to find they have nothing in common.  Be yourself. Be the person God made you to be and than you will attract someone who likes you and likes enough of the same things to have something to talk about.  And if they really like you they will care enough to listen to what excites you even if they are not that interested in it.

For instance, my brother loves all things automotive.  My sister-in-law knows lots about cars because he has talked about them through the years and she has listened.  Me?  I may have been a motown fan only all my life if I hadn't learned about music from Paul. Because it's important to him I now know enough about different styles and kinds of music to talk with him about it.  And even randomly to impress him with my knowledge.  Which makes us both smile.  You want to still make each other smile thirty-eight years from now, don't you?  Than you have to be willing to jabber with each other about the mundane, the little stuff, the big stuff lots of stuff. And listen!  Don't forget to really listen.  You might just learn something.  You might have fun.

Passion

My heart has heard you say, 
"Come and talk with me." 
      And my heart responds, 
       "Lord I am coming." 


^{Psalms 27:8} NLT

Coconut Pie Blessing

I LOVE Coconut pie.  From the flaky crust to the sweet filling,  rich with goodness, that makes your mouth smile, to the piled high light brown meringue to the toasted coconut on top.   I love every bite of it.  Makes my mouth water to think about it. YUMMY !!!

Today I pray that God will bless your life that way.  A delicious foundation (crust) with many layers of goodness.  Filled with sweetnesswith a taste you love  (filling).  Covered with richness of blessings and fun (Meringue).  And even more topped off with glimpses of his great love for you  surprising you with the deepness of flavor that knowing He loves you adds (toasted coconut pieces) .

And it's not a diet pie.  No deprivation in God's blessings.  Whole goodness.  No fake flavors or ingredients.  That is what the enemy gives.  Actually he deprives.  God blesses fully, abundantly.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10: 10 (Amplified version)

Be blessed dear reader.  Be Coconut Pie Blessed!

King of the Universe

There is a song called: "Now I Sing" by Pocket Full of Rocks. One line in it says..."But they just don't know what it's like to have the King of the universe hold your hand".
Doesn't it amaze you that the King of the universe is aware of you. He sees you. He loves you. He loves me. That blows me away. I am continually trying to wrap my mind around it, around the wonder of it. How many people are there in the world? Thousands? Millions? More? And God sees us, each of us? And he cares about us. I guess he isn't restricted like we are. I can barely remember last week much less all the people in all the countries, all the people in each little corner of the world. Someone in an apartment in the slums of Calcutta. Another person in a village in Africa. A politician in Washington. A fisherman on the ocean. A child in Los Angeles, a grandfather in Columbia. Whoever. wherever. God sees each of us. And he has a plan for our lives. The Bible says he doesn't have evil thoughts toward us but a hope and a future. How astounding! The being who crafted the mountains, the inner workings of the system of a tree, the colors in a rainbow, the sweetness of a new born baby, the rolling thunder, the intricacies of a snow flake. The one who made all that and more has a plan for you! A plan for me! And for our children and the people you will meet today. And the people on the other side of the world. And the checker at Walmart, and the lonely souls in the nursing homes, and the forgotten prisoner and the star on the movie screen, and the wannabes and the has beens. All of us and each of us. Because yes he has a plan for the world but he also has a plan for each individual.
He has given us grace. His unmerited favor. It's a paradox. We are each His favorite. But we can only enjoy and revel in that, if we embrace what seems impossible. Because we look at it from a human view instead of from a God view. He is God. So much more than we can fully understand and if he can know each one of us, be aware of each one of us that populate this planet. Is it a stretch to believe he can have a plan for each of us and that we can each be his favorite? I don't think so. My heart doesn't think so. That is why I LOVE this song and it makes me want to sing and dance. Why it thrills me to think about what it says......





Now I Sing by Pocket Full of Rocks...

Let the world say that I'm crazy, let the world call me a fool
But they just don't know what I've found in You, my precious jewel
Let the world say that I've lost my mind and that I have no ground to stand
But they just don't know what it's like
to have the King of the universe hold your hand

So I sing, we dance before You Lord
I sing, we dance before You Lord
I can't help but sing, we dance before You Lord
Lord I sing, we dance before You Lord

Let the world say that I'm crazy, let the world call me a fool
But they just don't know what I've found in You, my precious jewel
Let the world say that I've lost my mind
and that I have no ground to stand
But they just don't know what it's like
to have the king of the universe hold Your hand

(Chorus)

So let the world say I can't dance,
that I've got no rhythm at all
They say that You can't even two-step,
if You tried You'd trip and fall
And there are many ballerinas
with much more grace than me
But I tell ya, I'm God's favorite,
He's got eyes only for me

(Chorus)