Patti, Your Life is a Prayer

Today I am reblogging a post that I wrote about a very special lady. Patti is my sister, and I have been extremely blessed to have her in my life. Her life was never easy, however, that did not stop her from accomplishing great things. Through all her struggles, she has never lost her zest for life or her faith in God. Please read about her life as a quadriplegic, and how she touched so many lives.

somebodylovesmeblog

Patti at 12 years of age

This last weekend, I was blessed with some ‘one on one’ time with my oldest sister, Patti.  We usually get to visit only once or twice a year, being that she lives in Ohio, and I am in Virginia.  My mom has been living with my husband and me for over ten years now, so naturally all our visits with Patti are always together, as a family.

For some reason, I felt compelled to see my sister, and spend time with her alone.  There was no question in my mind…I needed her.  Just like I did throughout my childhood, and then as I grew to adulthood.

So, let me tell you a little about Patti.  She was a beautiful and feisty young girl, who now describes herself as a tomboy who loved climbing trees and neighborhood roofs.  To be honest, she was a little mischievous.

That very sweet and…

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On your deathbed {what will matter?}

What is REALLY important? Some words to bless and enlighten…

We live in a world of “here and now” and sometimes we forget that there is a bigger picture.

A greater purpose.

A specific reason for every single beat of our heart.

We focus so much on the external, temporary things of life and get caught up in worldly pursuits that we forget the reason why.

Why we woke up this morning.

Why we do the things we do every day.

Why we chase certain dreams and desires.

And sometimes all it takes is stepping back for a mere moment to remind yourself of what this life is really about.

We are always on the go, rushing forward into our future and sometimes we need to remember to take a minute to stop and pause.

To reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.

To think about the priorities and pursuits of our life.

And decide whether they are…

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~Selfless, Not Selfish~

What an eye opening reminder!

Peace of My Heart

I have a confession to make, the last couple of weeks I have been incredibly selfish.  I had completely shut my eyes to the needs of those around me and solely focused on that which affected me and my family.  I am ashamed to admit that I had the attitude of “what about me (us)?”

What about our financial needs?

What about my physical aches and pains?

What about my kids struggles?

And the worst of all, what about what I want?

The sad thing is that I didn’t even realize I had become so consumed with self until our Pastor prayed a prayer yesterday.  Now, I knew I wasn’t myself.  I had been feeling grumpy and agitated, impatient and just mean and I couldn’t figure out why.  Now I know, my focus was on my circumstances instead of on God.  I was behaving like a child with my hands…

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Your Place or Mine?

Do you live in bondage and fear, or are you free in Christ? The choice is yours…

Just Ask Tina

A while back, I’d heard about a comment made by a person who was feeling extremely discouraged about some pretty heavy duty things that were going on in his life. His comment was this –

“I don’t even feel like praying anymore because it seems like when I do, things just get worse.”

Having been through (and still going through) some pretty tough and challenging situations myself, I felt really badly for this guy.

As I sat pondering his words and, to tell you truth, identifying with them myself, I suddenly got a vision.

Yes, a vision. Hold on, now, go with me…

In my vision, I was in a house – my house – where I was busily going about my normal, daily routine of cleaning, tidying up, etc.

Nestled high up in a corner of the living room ceiling was a big hornet’s nest which had been there…

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How the Poor Live

What does it mean to be richly blessed? Don’t miss this post…it will fill your heart.

Morning Story and Dilbert

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to…

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Rituals and Reminders

What an awesome way to stay close to God all day! Simple reminders all through a “normal” day.

Get A Grip!

Tina has a way of touching my heart with true wisdom disguised as shared life stories. Thanks Tina…for your willingness to be God’s vessel!

Just Ask Tina

When I was a little girl, my dad lived on a lake. And while I admit that I don’t make it a habit of swimming in lakes these days – particularly because of the prevalence of alligators in Florida – it’s something I very much looked forward to on my weekends at my dad’s house.

One Sunday, Daddy said my sister, Jerri, and I could go swimming after church. As soon as we got home, we scampered into the house to change into our bathing suits while Daddy moseyed out to the bank and sat down, taking off his church shoes (a/k/a cowboy boots) and socks as he waited for us to come out.

We darted out of the house and raced through the yard and down toward the water, jumping in with a splash. Daddy looked on with a smile as we giggled and frolicked in the cool water…

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Saturate Me ~ Wanting More of God

Just wanted to share a beautiful prayer with you!

Heavenly Raindrops

Humbly,
I submit
To Your cleansing.
My life,
I surrender.
Forgive Me,
  Make my heart brand new.

Quietly,
I listen
  For Your voice.
My spirit,
I yield.
Fill me,
Help me follow You.

Suddenly,
I discover
Your presence.
My desires,
I relinquish.
  Saturateme,
That I resemble You.

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
John 3:30

For similar posts, see Heavenly Images

Sue Nash/2013

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God Is Still Right!

Just wanted to share this wonderful post with you…such a powerful, simple Truth!

maryhallrayford

“There is a way that seems right unto men, but that way leads to death” (Proverbs 16:25 Paraphrased)

No matter what men/women do or what office they hold, they are still–men–fallible human beings.

Those men/women are not God and God will not uphold those who proclaim what He has said is wrong to be right.

For anyone who can oppose God and see nothing wrong–be very afraid–of the chaos that is bound to reign. Men/women are fickle and are constantly changing their minds, but God is and always will be a constant in our lives and He shall have the final say.

“If my people, who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then would I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal the land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 Paraphrased).

 

Father, in the name of Jesus–hear the cries of those…

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Life and Death – Part 4: Embracing Death

Thought provoking and very relevant to the culture of today…

The Dynamic Force

Part 3 Yesterday

How are we getting on so far – I am sure we are not lost but this is a sizable task that we have taken on here – best put on your hard-hats and steel toe-cap boots for the rest of this series.

We asked:

If you divided this planet in two, took all the bad things that exist and that happen, all the evil and darkness, and put them on one side so that the other side was only good – which side would you want to live on?

So, hands up for the good side – I am sure that’s pretty much everyone. Let’s just see how many still have their hands up by the end of this page.

As we have said since that initial question, we are talking about splitting are actual hearts and minds here; the evil as well as the good…

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