Through The Years

Well, April Fool’s Day is here again. I have had some issues with this day for the last eight years. Through the years, many tricks were played on me. Some were funny, some were terrifying, some were mean, some were played on me by my students and friends. However, April 1, 2014 was the only one that broke my heart and changed my life.

Clyde left his earthly home, and joined Our Heavenly Father for eternity. It is truly a bittersweet memory. I am truly thankful that my sweet and precious knight in shiny armor doesn’t have to suffer any more pain, but I miss him more than words can say! The doctors called it “a widow maker”. That phrase does not adequately describe the situation it creates! I am not just a widow; I am a wife whose husband waits on the other side.

I can remember many times when he waited for me: When he retired, he waited patiently for me while I worked late most days. He never complained, and he often did something that would warm my heart! I need to write a book about all my memories of him. I treasure those memories, and they continue to lift me up and keep me going!

Thank YOU, Heavenly Father, for allowing Clyde and me to share our hearts and lives for over 51 wonderful years! Thank You for the children, grandchildren, family, friends, and blessings you showered on us! Especially, Thank YOU for loving and watching over us! Until we meet again for eternity, I will imagine you are waiting with a smile and open arms! I sure do miss your hugs!

“I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When I taught Eighth Grade and High School students, I used journal entries to get my students to share their thoughts and ideas with me. I would tell my students to write themselves a letter about what they were experiencing (feelings, mistakes, upsetting conversations, misunderstandings, anything that was bothering them). Then I told them to put it in a drawer or a place where no one else would see it. Leave it there for long enough that they no longer thought about the writing.

I would do this myself, and when I found it sometime later, I was amazed at the fact that not only my feelings were changed but also, by my doing that, I had not hurt anyone else’s feelings. It helped me tremendously and resulted in better and calmer relationships! It is like a “cooling down” period and no one else has to know! Now, I talk to God. He always listens and makes me feel better.

I have often heard from former students who used this technique to deal with life, and I am amazed at some of the stories they share. Almost without exception, the results are always positive. How much better relationships can be when we resist instant reactions and let a little time soften our responses. Fewer misunderstandings and less stress from anger can be the result.

In the same way, writing about the success we experience can make those precious moments and memories more meaningful and enriching. We learn to cherish the memories and experiences while lessening the misunderstandings and broken feelings. Talking to Our Heavenly Father about what is happening in our lives is a blessing for us and a wonderful way to celebrate our Father God.

Please pray for me and all God’s Children, as I am praying for you.

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:1-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I have often pondered how Our Heavenly Father could continue to LOVE and CARE for us even after we make so many mistakes and disappoint HIM. As an educator, I always took my mission seriously. I wanted everyone GOD put in my path to know HIM and HIS Love and Grace. Of course, with the rules and regulations that surround those in the roles of educators, some things had to be visual and not spoken. However, I have always believed I could walk the walk even if I could not talk the talk.

God made me a person who loves and cares for others. Even though I grew up in the years of segregation, I never saw the color of a person’s skin. That is the absolute truth and nothing but the truth! My heart hurts when I see anyone being mistreated. I have always tried to treat others like I wanted to be treated. My constant prayer is that I have never caused anyone to experience a feeling of not being “good enough.”

In The Lord’s Prayer, HIS Words say it perfectly:

“And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:2-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We should each pray this prayer and take it seriously! Honor and obey God’s Will; Look to God for all our needs; Forgive others and ourselves; and Stay away from temptations and evil. Our Heavenly Father is always Present!

Please pray for me as I am praying for each of you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬‬:‭34‬ NIV)

Have you ever been the victim of criticism you felt was unjustified? I believe we have all found ourselves in this situation at some point. I know I have. We say something to someone and it is not taken as we intended. As an educator, I always tried to be careful of the words that exited my mouth because I never wanted to disappoint or harm those whom God placed in my path. I am so tender hearted, I will cry easily.

As God continuously told us not to worry and to trust HIM, I truly believe HIM. Why would HE waste HIS precious time telling us if HE did not want us to blindly accept HIS WORDS and Believe HIM?

When I hear criticism, I stop and think, “Okay, what is true?” Most often, the criticism has been given without any prompting from the person to whom it is given. Also, the result is a response that certainly is unexpected. One example is a lack of participation in a program or project or someone being offended. The most important thing I consider is does the criticism have the ability to change anything for God’s Kingdom. If it doesn’t, maybe it should be left unsaid.

I wonder how often we lose people in our relationships because of careless criticism that hurts or harms an individual. We all belong to each other, and our concern needs to be on each of us to have faith and trust our Heavenly Father to judge us because HE IS JUST! He sees and knows everything.

Please pray for me as I am praying for you!

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (‭‭James‬ ‭1‬‬:‭12‬ NIV)

The deeper I get in God’s Word, the more I fall in love with my Heavenly Father. The very first man I loved was my earthly daddy. He was such a kind, loving, and gentle man. In his eyes, I could do no wrong. He was always in my corner. I never wanted to disappoint him.

At a very young child, I attended church with my grandmother, daddy’s mother. She introduced me to my Heavenly Father. Let me tell you the truth about HIM. He is strict! He gave me HIS Word and HE has always been with me. I never wanted to disappoint HIM, and I tried, throughout my life to make HIM proud of me! I made many mistakes and definitely was not a perfect daughter, but HE Loved me anyway. I would fall, and HE would be there to help me back on my journey through life. God never gave up on me. The MOST precious thing is HE IS BIG, and HE LOVES Everyone the same as HE Loves ME.

As I have matured, and I learned about JESUS, I began to realize JUST how much God’s Love and Grace meant. I cannot imagine my life without Jesus! Jesus was/is Perfect! He never sinned! However, God’s Will was for his ONLY SON to die on that old rugged cross to redeem me/us from my/our sins and give me/us eternity with GOD and JESUS. Please forgive me because I am not yelling at you, but I cannot emphasize how important this reality is. It is Life with God and Jesus versus death without Their Love. I have, also, learned how vital it is for us to share the Good News with everyone, especially our precious children!

The more I lean on and cling to God’s Promises, the more I realize just how much HE Loves HIS children! I can understand a little better how sad HE IS when I fail HIM. I previously thought some of the things that GOD allowed or caused were rather harsh, but I believe He was justified in His decisions! HE has the whole world in his hands.

Please pray for me, as I am praying for you! Just remember, there is nothing like our Heavenly Father’s Love 💕

“For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NIV

“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Something that bothers me so badly is I keep seeing people post on social media how they are terrified, or scared? Well.. what are you scared of exactly? War? Because that’s happening. School shootings? Because that’s happening. Pipeline? That’s been happening. Terrorism? Definitely alive and well. Going broke due to health insurance? Mm yes. Corruption throughout the system? Already there. Police officers being murdered? Yep, that’s happening. Bullying? Check. Loss of jobs? We’ve got that on lock. A tanking economy. Yep. Being discriminated against for your religion, political views, sexual orientation, race? That’s been going on. Rape, murder, violence, riots.. all going on and has been.
Therefore, what are you scared of that is not already happening basically everywhere? This is a PEOPLE problem. We all need to reevaluate ourselves. Maybe America is a little too scared and a little too easily offended about EVERYTHING!!!
Quit being scared, crying around, offended by everything.. step up and do your part as an American, no, as a human being. Treat others with respect, help and encourage one another, raise your kids right, tell the truth, be a contributing member of society. Make sure our hands are clean, that’s our job. Our world will be a better place if we all decide to give our best and turn back to God.
WE NEED GOD BACK IN AMERICA!! 🙏🏻🇺🇸

Pray for our churches, our people, our families and friends, our enemies, America, and all who are being persecuted. Pray for me, as I am praying for you!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.””
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When we start on a journey, it is always a good thing to have plans. The most important item is to know where we are going or our destination and purpose. The second one is to prepare our hearts and minds. Our journey is a closer relationship with God through Lent. Our purpose is to understand the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the importance of this miracle.

I have been listening to a podcast Bible in a year, and this is my second time doing this. One thing I have learned is that finding time to be with God gets easier as I commit myself to my desire to know God and to love Him and seek His Will for me. He is Faithful, Loving, and my constant Companion!

After watching our Ash Wednesday Service on YouTube, I felt the need to say how wonderful it was that Pastor Larry invited our youth to participate in the most sacred communion of our church. Our youth are the future of our church. Without them we will not exist. We need to do everything we can to promote and provide for our youth ministry. I am in constant prayer for our youth and our church. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I have not been present in person. However, I have never stopped loving and praying for our congregation. I love my church and everyone who attends the services or listens and watches the services. Each and every person is absolutely precious and important. Please join me in my prayers and support of Lake Park United Methodist Church! We Love Jesus, and most importantly Jesus Loves Us!

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”. Deuteronomy‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just a closer walk with my Heavenly Father is the desire of my heart. I want to honor and praise HIM with every breath I take! For over seventy-eight years, He has been my ever present Daddy, and HE has protected me, guided me, forgiven me, provided for me, and listened to my constant grumbles, gripes, and complaints! The most precious thing is He ALWAYS LOVED me unconditionally through everything! What an awesome and amazing FATHER!!

The most important quality of Our Heavenly Father is that HE offers the same opportunity to every single person. His Love is BIG and plentiful enough to include all who will praise Him and follow His Commandments!

As I look back over the years I have been living, I think about the loss of friends, family, and opportunities! I realize I have missed out on many occasions I could have been a blessing to others! The opportunities to be a witness for Our Heavenly Father are plentiful, but I have to seize them and actually do HIS Will. As each day passes, opportunities also pass too quickly! I have to BE busy with My Father’s Plans and take every single step with an ulterior motive: Share God’s Amazing Blessings and News with those whom I meet. My closer relationship with Jesus has to become My Closer Walk with My Heavenly Father! I invite each of you to join me. You definitely won’t be sorry and may find the WALK will change your life!

Please pray for me, as I am praying for you!

“While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.””
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our Heavenly Father provides His Angels to help us on our journey through this life. Many times during my life, I have felt a presence who was not seen or heard but truly with me. God knows everything, past, present, and future. He gave us the ability to make choices. If we are in total communication with Him, we can trust that HE will always be with us. He will not leave us!

The Angels of Our Heavenly Father come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and with abilities that can minister to our needs. Angels can catch you unaware and provide a peace that passes understanding! Many of my students, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers I have encountered were God’s Way of giving me love, strength, and the will to continue on my journey. I truly believe every individual we meet contributes to who we are and who we become. I have been richly blessed and am thankful for all the Angels I have met and interacted with during my life.

Please, as you go through your days, when you are frustrated, uncertain, and challenged, thank God for everything, even the disturbing moments, because Our Heavenly Father is always with us. He goes before us, with us, and behind us, and LOVES us unconditionally!

Please pray for me, as I am praying for each of you.