Abba's Girl

A loved one forgot to pay her phone bill, I tried to pay it by phone and online. The phone company's record of the last 4 digits of her SSN does not match what is printed on her SSN card. I suspect the phone company has her deceased husband's SSN on file. I wanted to shout to no one in particular, all I want to do is PAY her bill!!!! Technology is a wonderful thing, but at times I want to ditch it for a simple cabin in the woods or a hut on the beach with a few modern conveniences.  You know, be a hermit until I emerge to have my hair colored. I often wonder if the smart appliances and smartphones add to our quality of life, or are they an equivalent to a butter churn in the long run? We have grown used to high-speed Internet, high-speed trains in a few countries, zapping coffee in the microwave to warm it. We don't wait often these days unless we are holding for a government agency. Do we have the same attitude concerning answered prayer? I prayed it 5 minutes ag...

Rodeo Houston begins next week, 20 days of rodeos, livestock shows, carnival, shopping, and every food you can imagine fried and served on a stick!  Over a million people will attend the livestock show and or rodeo. Big money will be raised at the livestock auctions for college scholarships.  It is fun to see the children dressed in western wear. They are so cute in their hats and boots, usually with cotton candy in 1 hand and their other hand held tightly by a family member. Have you ever thought about the Lord holding your hand? John 10:27-29 (NKJV) tells us: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.   And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.   My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch  them  out of My Father’s hand. Jesus tells us we cannot be snatched out of our Heavenly Father's hand. We may loosen our grip,...

Well over 25 years ago I had 2 jobs, office job by ay 9a-4p, ballet and pointe teacher by night 6p-9:30p 4 nights a week. After a few months of working this schedule, I dropped the ball with housework and my husband hired a maid to come once a week. Her name was Lupe. She arrived after dropping her children off at school and worked until it was time to pick them up in the afternoon. She would walk in with a big smile on her face and say Good Morning, Mrs. Harper and I would tell her to call me Annette, have a great day, your money is on the table and I was out the door for work. She cleaned my house for years, yet I barely knew her, I knew other people she worked for the other days of the week, but I did not know her. Then one weekend I saw her in a restaurant, she joined me and we discussed everything under the sun including the Lord. We discussed the Bible, talked about Christian books, and prayer. That day a friendship was born. I am the richer for it. She was married to a natur...

This afternoon while most Americans will be watching the pre-game shows and the Super Bowl, I hope to be pulling weeds and planting flowers. My flower beds are almost a blank canvas due to the snow in December and January's ice storm. The Larkspur, most Snapdragon, and Pansies survived the ice, everything else in the flower beds died. Yet somehow, weeds are rebounding and have emerged from the soil with vigor. One variety is Galian Aparine, also called Sticky Weed and my favorite name Velcro Weed. It sticks to my gloves, blouse, and pants. If I ignore it, it will grow and throw seeds which I will be forced to pick off one by one from my shoes, shoelaces, pants, and shirt. The seeds stick with more gusto than the weed. I plan on pulling every last sprout I can find while they are only 1/2 inch tall. I can't help but think of the parable of the sower talking about flowers, weeds, and seeds. The soil in my flower beds is good soil. I hope the "soil" of my heart is good...

We've all said things in the heat of the moment we wish we could take back. We all have at least 1 memory of unkind words spoken to us. The ripple effects of hateful words are enormous.  I was taken aback today by a rude comment left on a YouTube video. I thought this would not be an acceptable comment at a dinner party in person, why did the woman think it was acceptable to type?  Have you ever found yourself on the verge of typing a stinging comment on a social media platform? If so, have you examined what caused you to have the nasty thought and or desire to express it? At times, I am amazed at nasty thoughts (sinful thoughts) that pop into my head about people, at my age, I am successful at keeping the thoughts to myself. I shudder to think back at the "truth" I shared with people in my teens, 20's, and 30's. My excuse for cruel words was it was the truth and they deserved to hear it.  I do repent and pray when I have sinful thoughts about a person or ...

My husband celebrated the new year with the flu, in an attempt to outdo him, I celebrated the new year with pneumonia. We gaze adoringly at one another over Kleenex boxes. January is almost to the 1/2 way point and I am behind "schedule" already! My Christmas decorations are not boxed up and in the closet, items to donate to Salvation Army are not boxed up and ready to go, and I am several days behind in a reading through the Bible in 90 days plan. However...I am ahead in the weight loss category! (There is always a bright side.) Time passes so quickly, we do not have the luxury of wasting it, yet I do. That is a habit I hope to break this year. Another habit I want to break is online shopping for items which are available in my area. All those cardboard boxes in our landfills! For years we wanted stores in our area, they open 5 minutes away, we buy online. Our local stores employ local people, online giants do not employ people from my community. I have a few more goals, b...

2017 you were a long hard year, filled with death and destruction. Texas was the recipient of a hurricane which devasted a wide swath of the State and when the winds died down, the rain seemed never-ending. Then a few weeks later - a horrifying church shooting in Sutherland Springs. Recovery from the hurricane continues, many are still in tents and RVs, many are living in gutted homes, I am sure there are a huge # of FEMA trailers along Harvey's path as well. The people of Sutherland Springs continue to recover. Please continue to pray for them as well as Harvey victims.  I noticed out of town news reporters were astounded by the love demonstrated during Harvey as ordinary citizens rescued people who needed rescue. We had little looting compared to other locations ravaged by hurricanes. People were kind and loving, taking strangers into their homes for the night, for a week, for 3 months.  Generous Facebook friends sent money, Walmart gift cards, and coats to be distribu...