Simple Joys Saturday

Just living the Simple Life, in the Country and deep woods of Georgia, I am following after Jan at
A Tapestry of Life, I love her blog, and you will too, always such interesting photos of life, the simple life she displays. So on this Simple Joys Saturday I am going to share with you some of my photos, of the simple life.

I find the simple things in life are best, I get more enjoyment from watching the sun set, than if I were at a fancy expensive museum. I love to watch the tide roll in, and see the big ships way out far. To me having a laid back simple life glorifies our lord, I do not think he intended us to be so hyper and uptight. I feel it causes many of our health problems. If we just trust in him, and just take one day at a time, we can see such glory in his creations. So like the old Clique "Stop and Smell the roses".

I truly have learned to do this, after many hurried moments, frustrations, falls and accidents, I have learned to slow down, to look around me, and to enjoy the simple things in life. To take one day at a time, and really enjoy it as I live it. Here some of my photos of living the simple and good life.

 
Here are the Sea Gulls off St Simon Island, just laid back sunning themself, we could learn much from the wild life around us. Oh yes this is my way of living simply and loving every minute of it. Be blessed and live simply, looking to God for your needs, and thanking him when he meets them.
 

Lots of Hugs and Blessings, Barbara

Fabulous Foto Friday

The wild Boar they killed out back, made lots of good sausage

This Is Our Fabulous Osprey, he is simply beautiful and is such a joy to watch.

There is nothing like living in the Country, and seeing all the wildlife that is here. Each day there is some new creature I see, I thank God for my senses to see and hear and all the wonderful things his hand has created.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
Our Creek in all her glory, with a white Heron sitting faithfully by, just waiting for the little shrimps and minnows to come by.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Huge Rattle Snake, with a squirrel inside

 

We have painted this table red, needs another coat, he has one chair green, want yellow, blue and

it is out by the pool so will look nice all different colors, I think, I am really getting bright in my old

age. Lots of hugs to all, have a great weekend.  Hugs, and blessings, Barbara

 

Thankful Thursday

Wow how much I have to be thankful for, this overflow of our house freezer for one, in a time when things are rough, my father owns the cattle on the hills, and he keeps our freezer full, we are on a limited income but my God always supples our need, yeppers just like he said in Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  I suggest you read this whole chapter, it will bless your socks off, and you can claim these wonderful promises from God for your very own.



I can remember a time when God supply all our needs, and this was before we were saved even, he loved us, he took care of us, and drew us close to him so we could experience salvation, oh my what a loving God we serve, and today I am thankful for all his hands have provided , for many many years he has taken care of me, and my needs, I have learned I can lean on him, I can trust him, I certainly have trusted him with my life, and I know he will take me to heaven to be with him one day, and in him I do put my faith.


What do you have to be thankful for today? Tell me, is it financial, spiritual, or just some little thing no one else knew about, and the hand of God provided.


Be blessed, be a blessing, and thank God from whom all blessings fall.


My Tribute


Verse 1
How can I say thanks
For the things You have done for me,
Things so undeserved,
Yet You gave to prove Your love for me.
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude.
All that I am and ever hope to be,
I owe it all to Thee.

Chorus
To God be the glory,
To God be the glory,
To God be the glory,
For the things He has done.
With His blood He has saved me,
With His power He has raised me,
To God be the glory,
For the things He has done.

Verse 2
Just let me live my life,
Let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee,
And if I gain any praise,
Let it go to Calvary.
With His blood He has saved me,
With His power He has raised me,
To God be the glory,
For the things He has done.


© 1971 Bud John Songs, Inc.
Words and Music by Andrae Crouch

I am gonna post some wonderful other things here I have to be thankful for, hope you enjoy my photos, and see the beauty in the things all around you.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These Are Baby Birds in a nest built in an old wash tub out back, see
their little yellow beaks and eyes above it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This old tractor bell is embedded into the tree, that has grown that
much since we hung it there.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First tomatoes one the vine this season

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Well That is enough for this time, have a wonderful Thankful Thursday: Lots of hugs and blessings, Barbara♥

~ Wednesday Wonderful Word ~

Shaped By God In Grace



Jeremiah 18: 1-3 "The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels."


Having read these few verses of scriptures, I would like to look briefly at three things that we see taking place, and see how they could be applied today.


First, we notice that when Jeremiah gets to the potter’s house, he sees the potter working at the wheel on an earthen vessel of clay. Imagine God as the potter and you and I are the vessel of clay being worked on. Now wouldn’t it be wonderful if God as the potter could shape us into the vessel he wants us to be, take us off the potter’s wheel and not have to put us back on the wheel for what we’ll call “touch ups?”
After Salvation, God as the potter was working at the wheel on us, He was changing us. As an earthen vessel, He dusted us off, He wiped off the dirt, and He worked on every crack and every chip, and turned us into a vessel of great value and beauty. When we first had the washing of our sin away, by the blood,  for a short time, we were just how God wants us to be…without a single crack or chip. No dust or dirt. No mars. When He applied the precious blood of His dear Son as we accepted Christ, that blood washed away not just a few or not just some of our sin, but every sin that we had committed and repented of up to that point in time. We were spotless without sin.
But as we all know that didn’t last very long, did it? As soon as the newness wore off ,  we began to gather dust and get dirty, we began to get chips and cracks and we all allowed ourselves to become marred once again:
That takes us to the second point.  It says that “the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter.” It does not say that the potter made a mistake or marred the vessel; it says that the vessel in the hand of the potter was marred. When God (our potter) cleans us up and shapes us, He intends for us to stay that way. But no, we jump off the potter’s wheel causing cracks and chips; we wallow around in the dust and dirt. We sin.

In 1 John 2:1a, we read, “My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not.” John likes to use that term, “My little children.” He uses it 9 times in 5 short chapters. It could be because children make a lot of mistakes. We expect them to, but we also expect them to learn from those mistakes and not make the same mistakes over and over.
We are not supposed to sin. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, (if we say we’re not marred) we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” In Romans 6:1-2 Paul says, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” “God forbid”. The entire verse of 1 John 2:1 is so comforting though, “My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous".


Thirdly, it says, “So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Isn’t it comforting to know that God (the potter) is constantly shaping us into what he wants us to be? Back in the days of Jeremiah, the potter was using water to work on the vessel of clay. As we allow ourselves to become cracked and chipped, as we collect dust and dirt, yes, as we sin, our potter applies the blood of our Advocate to every mar and flaw and reshapes us back into that vessel of great value and beauty. Fortunate for us, there’s an endless supply of that blood, because we learn in Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission.”


In closing, let me leave you with some scriptural descriptive adjectives of the blood our potter uses to cleanse us:
1.) In 1Peter...it’s called PRECIOUS blood
2.) In Matthew…it’s called INNOCENT blood
3.) In 1John…it’s called CLEANSING blood
4.) In Revelation…it’s called WASHING blood
5.) In Acts…it’s called PURCHASING blood
6.) In Ephesians…it’s called REDEEMING blood
7.) In Romans…it’s called JUSTIFING blood
8.) In Colossians…it’s called PEACEMAKING blood
9.) In Hebrews…it’s called SANCTIFYING blood
10.) In Matthew…it’s called NEW TESTAMENT blood


Lastly in 1Corinthians Jesus holding the cup calls it “My blood”

I hope you have enjoyed this wonderful word for today, yes He is the potter I am the clay, I sing that song, and everytime I sing it touches my heart deep within. Be blessed my friends, and let Jesus do that work in your life that needs be done.
Lots of Hugs and Blessings, Barbara♥

TASTY TUESDAY











POLYNESIAN PORK CHOPS

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup water
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained, reserving juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups hot cooked regular long-grain white rice
Sliced green onion

DIRECTIONS
1. Season the pork with the garlic powder.
2. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on both sides.
3. Add the onion, soup, water, pineapple juice, soy sauce and honey to the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Stir in the pineapple. Serve the pork and sauce with the rice and sprinkle with the green onion.

Cook snap peas as directed,   and I love white rice, perfect rice every time, 1 cup rice to two cups water, rice, salt, a tablespoon of butter, bring to boil and cover simmer about 15 mins until done, flake with a fork, perfect.

DESSERT (BLUEBERRY COBBLER)

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup white sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons white sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon


DIRECTIONS
Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish. Place the blueberries into the baking dish, and mix with vanilla and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of flour, then stir in the tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups of flour, baking powder, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Rub in the 5 tablespoons butter using your fingers, or cut in with a pastry blender until it is in small pieces. Make a well in the center, and quickly stir in the milk. Mix just until moistened. You should have a very thick batter, or very wet dough. You may need to add a splash more milk. Cover, and let batter rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spoon the batter over the blueberries, leaving only a few small holes for the berries to peek through. Mix together the cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar; sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown. A knife inserted into the topping should come out clean - of course there will be blueberry syrup on the knife. Let cool until just warm before serving. This can store in the refrigerator for 2 days.

These dishes are wonderful, proven, and so delicious, I hope you enjoy them.
My men are going out in the boat today, my eldest son is down visiting with us for a few days, so hope they catch a mess of  good fish today.  Me I will find some thing to do around here, always lots to do, and never enough time, so perhaps I can clean some closets out, and get my study in order, it is just too much stuff sitting around in here.
I was thinking about how good the lord is, and how he has blessed us, what a wonderful Saviour we serve, and how I really do appreciate all he does for us. I have to give a little scripture here, I never want to leave my lord out, and some times we are so guilty of that. Shame on me, I get busy and I get to rambling and I seem to forget who gives all the wonderful thoughts, the great abilities to cook these scrumptious meals I prepare, and who gives me the health to do all these things, yes God has been so very good to us, and let us live a comfortable and long life, I definitely am too old to die young now, lol to God be the glory. As I was reading this morning, I came across Job and what a wonderful and faithful servant he was. God sure let him suffer, and wow the faith he had. Oh that I have just a little of his faith, like Elisha said of Elijah, give me a double portion of what he had, I ask for just a little of the faith Job had. These verses I picked are about taste, and you can see how important taste was to God, he give much mention in his word about taste, in fact it occurs 22 times in 21 verses in the KJV.

Job 6:6 "Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?"
Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

In Luke Jesus tells us that many will not eat at his supper, he is referring to the marriage supper of the Lamb, it is only for those who have been saved, bought with the blood of Christ, sad but we will be the only ones sitting with Jesus, and supping with him, Oh praise God, he came to me, and I made myself ready, thank you lord.
Now my friends I hope you have a wonderful day, and that God blesses you real good.
Lots of Hugs, Barbara♥

Magnificent Monday

Well  I am thinking on old times, and new times, and wondering what to write about today on my blog.

Have you ever seen and read this book, it is an amazing book, so filled with love, if you have never read it, find a copy and do read it. It truly blessed my heart, and the saying is forever..

I'll Love you Forever

I'll Like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be

It really sees a mother and the life long love she has for her child. When the mother got older, One day she called up her son and said, You'd better come see me because I'm very sick  and old.

Her son same and when he came in the door she tried to sing the song:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always...

But she just could not finish because she was too sick.

So the son went to his mother, picked her up in his arms

and rocked her back and forth, and he sang this song;

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

My Mommy you'll be.

It is so touching, I just loved it the first time I read it, and it still brings tears to my eyes. Yes such a bond between mother and child, nothing can ever break it. Okay enough sentimental thinking for now, back to reality.

We had a wonderful weekend, and oh my we picked 7 gallons of Blueberries, they are so delicious too, just amazes me how God has planted all these wonderful berries for our enjoyment.  We bagged them and got them in the freezer, so I should have enough to last all year.

Now Lookie here at all we picked, not complete with photos.

Hope you all have a wonderful Magnificent Monday, God bless you and keep you. Lots of hugs Barbara♥

* Set Apart Sunday *

CALLED TO BE HOLY IN AN UNHOLY WORLD



1 Corinthians 1:2 “ Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: ”


If the God Who has made us, has also called us to Himself, to set us apart to live holy in an unholy world, then that call will be extended and experienced in a context of a safety consistent with God’s nature and character.  Description of the Church.

CHURCH – prepositional prefix ek plus the verb kaleo = ekklesia = to be called out (of).


SANCTIFIED and HOLY – variations of the adjective hagiois = holy, set apart, consecrated.


May we all strive to be holy, to live a separated life from the world,  so others can see Jesus in us, we are a speaking vessel, in human form, for our lord, we have his written word, but we are to speak it to all we meet, may we see this day Holy, and may we worship our lord in a holy manner.

Praise be to the lord for his is worthy, we worship a very holy God, who cannot look on sin, so when we have unconfessed sin in our life, it breaks the bond of fellowship with the lord. I have prayed for you this morning, and prayed especially for our Jenny, how I miss her, her word of wisdom and her attitude of grace, and love for our lord. Pray for her when you think of her.


Have a very blessed Sunday as you go off to serve him in your local place of worship, may you lift up your voice, sing unto the lord, he loves you to sing to him, try it some time if you have not.
Love you all lots, talk to you later. Be blessed and do be a blessing.
Hugs, Barbara♥