A Path To Joy

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 
Psalm 16:11

       

Today was a good day. 

Although I had to wait outside in the truck while Jeff did the shopping, it was a beautiful drive north where we get our weekly groceries! 

Once home and after putting the items away, I spoke with our youngest on the phone for awhile..mostly about God and science..two of our favorite subjects.

Did you know that according to the world's leading scientists at CERN: "We should not exist."?

It's true..

Link to article here:

Well, if you understand the basics of matter vs. anti-matter and you believe in our Creator..you can understand the concept of just how fragile this existence is, and how  God the Father who (as Spirit) and Christ (as Son)  being the epiphany of the perfect union between matter and anti-matter. And without the confines of time and space..Well, as the Word declares "ALL things are possible through Jesus Christ our Lord!

And they are right to an extent..We shouldn't be here..we shouldn't exist..if not for the absolute will of the Creator, it is impossible.

So, as I was talking on the phone, I was saying how much I wanted to take a walk out there in the glorious nature that surrounds us..and then I was reminded that cancer is not the only physical problem that I have to deal with..My wonky back went out.

So the above photo was the best I can do for today..It was taken from where I sit here at the computer as I write this..

Ah well,

I'm still grateful for this pretty day!

And that is all that matters..gratitude for the blessings that we are given.

Because, after all..We shouldn't even be here.

No fear

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

The cancer is back, Dear friends.
I will know more next week.
Please continue to pray that there was no more spread.
The tumor was very tiny (9mm)..
It was about an inch and half deep down inside..so just
the fact that i even found it was a miracle.
God is in control.

Needing Prayer

I'm sitting here on this beautiful Monday, just looking out the window. I am alone..but I'm not alone.

The Lord is with me.

The enemy tries to convince me otherwise. He is a liar.

I have been complaining to my doctors about pain in my right forearm for nearly a year now. I was told it was tendenitis.

When I did not get improvement over time, I asked for an x-ray. It showed nothing abnormal.
My doctor did not investigate further. (He seems too busy these days).

A few weeks ago I started experiencing pain in my right shoulder blade radiating down into that forearm again.

I went to my surgeon.
I went alone..(I did not expect anything but an ultrasound that day.)

He removed a small tumor.
it was sitting right on the nerve that caused the forearm pain all these months.

I must wait now for the results from pathology.
I should know by Wednsday.

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

Your prayers are welcomed!

~Blessings & Love~
and always remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

*NOTICE*
I am not able to reply to your comments on this blog for some reason. I have reported this to Blogger, but haven't heard anything back.
If I can, I will reply to you via your own blog, or email.
Thanks~ Lisa 💜

Don't Dread on Me!

Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.
Isaiah 8:12

We may not know what our future holds, but we know WHO holds our future!

 I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.
Jeremiah 29:11

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

Just a few thoughts to brighten your day!

~Blessings & Love~
And always remember,
we are...
~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Predicting the future..Not.

I just got home from a few days  spent with my two oldest daughters. We had a really nice time. 

I was out of state on the 23rd of September when many well-meaning Christians were expecting the rapture to occur on that day. Obviously we are still here.. ( Or are we?... 😲 .. lol) 

I am not going to get into the specifics of that except to say that hopefully every time this sort of thing happens (and it happens pretty often) it causes us to at least take a moment in order to listen more carefully to The Lord, to examine and re-examine our walk with him..and then to decide that we do believe his word to be true even when we don't always understand it, or we get it wrong. 

Finally, we must remember that whatever happens (or doesn't happen) is all according to HIS plan, NOT ours!

Just as I am not about to try to predict when any Biblical prophecy will come to pass..I am also not going to try to predict what the future of this blog will be. It had always been something I felt led by God to do.

Today I felt led to write this post. 

Tomorrow I may not be.

I am still trying to keep up with Face Book..without much success I'm afraid!

Today my computer is working pretty well..I cannot presume that it will tomorrow, lol!

I hope to find something to write about again very soon though.

So, I will sign off on this post wishing all who may stop by here for a visit will find some enjoyment in whatever I write.

~Blessings & Love~

and always remember,

we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Heartbroken

Sasha passed from this life on Wednesday, April 19th 

She was at home and surrounded by her Mama and Daddy and brother, Buddy.

I'm sorry I did not let you all know sooner..It is just so painful (still).

She would have been 14 in June.

She really loved the snow!

We told her it was time to go run with Emma in heaven, and that Jesus would take good care of her until we get there.

Emma and Sasha about ten years ago

~Blessings & Love~

          ~Lisa~

Attainable Goals for 2017

It's been a long, strange winter here in Northern Michigan.
But the song of the red-winged blackbird has returned once again, bringing the message of hope and renewal that spring always brings to the earth.

I have resolved once and for all to never make New Year resolutions again. 😄 
Instead I have made a list of achievable goals for the year.
Among these goals are:
*Go back to church. 
I attended church today for the first time in several months. You know you've been gone too long when the pastor forgets your name!
I also finally got my computer repaired two days ago. It took them a whole ten minutes to replace the faulty Power Supply Unit; so I thought today would be a good day to get started on another goal....drum-roll....

*Get back into blogging regularly!

In fact, some of my other goals can be used in blogging, such as:

*Practice kindness and mercy toward others.
*Write more often, but using less words. (challenging for me)
*Slow down and do things with more thought and care.
*Be more organized.
*Focus more on relationships, not material possessions.
Of course I must be able to balance the time spent online in order to achieve the last goal ...
*Keep house neater, cleaner, and more organized.
 I have been practicing this for a couple of weeks now, and am finding that with a little organizing and decluttering, this is becoming easier every day.

Well, that wraps this post up for today.
Thanks for visiting me here!

~Blessings & Love~
and remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

~Lisa~

PRAYER FOR JERUSALEM AND FOR THE USA

Dear Abba,

I lift up your Holy nation, Israel, and your Holy city, Jerusalem.
Protect your people, and make them to stand firm in the knowledge of your promises.
I pray that you would remind them of your everlasting covenant concerning the land that you have given them.
I pray also, for a hedge of protection to be placed around Donald Trump and his family and staff..That you would have his heart guarded against deception and to have his heart set upon Israel continuously, so that America will be called a blessed nation under God once again!
May any resolution from the UN to divide your holy city be cut down, and any effort or attempt by Iran or any other nation to attack your people, Israel, be turned back upon their own heads!
Finally, Abba, may your people who are called by your name humble themselves and pray, and seek your face, and turn from their wicked ways that you might forgive us our sin, and heal our land!
In Jesus, I ask...~Amen~

Mama-Mia and Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Meet Mama-Mia..Our new kitty adopted from our local shelter.
Her time was running out and when I saw her online, I just knew she was for me!

At just two years old, she is a big kitty that just loves to cuddle with everyone.
This is an answer to my prayer of more than three years ago when I got sick and really wanted a cat to snuggle with, and she is the cuddliest little thing I've ever met!!
It took me this long to work up the courage to step into that shelter for the first time in over thirteen years.
(Which is when I adopted Sasha)
I'm so glad I did this..

The dogs both love her!
It's weird, but she acts as though she's always been a part of our family.

I also think she makes a great birthday gift to Buddy who just turned seven today!

Happy Birthday Bud!

 ~BLESSINGS AND LOVE~
     & remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~

Oh DEER!

When a fast food chain starts placing venison (deer) on their menu..It is NOT a good thing!

I'm not even gonna name the restaurant, since I don't want to freely advertise this..But most of you probably already know anyway.
Opening day of deer hunting is a big thing up North where we live.
And yes, we do have venison in our freezer still from last season as I write this..
The reason I am not happy about this is because, as an eater of venison, I am able to enjoy the meat because I know that the person who harvested my deer did so with responsibility and even compassion. I know that she lived within her herd and grazed on the land that our friend owns which consists of several wooded acres as well as thousands of surrounding farm fields here in Northern Michigan.
Not one season have I failed to first thank the Creator for this provision and then thank the deer for her sacrifice.
So..why shouldn't the folks who do not or cannot hunt be able to partake in a venison sandwich at a fast food restaurant? Well, my answer is pretty simple.
For the same reason I have given up eating beef, pork and chicken. *I am not always successful in avoiding these foods however, but am working on it. I am also in the process of eliminating dairy from my diet..This is actually easier for me because of awesome products such as almond and cashew milks.
I can no longer eat those animals knowing that (many times) their sacrifice came about from having to exist in a very cruel and abusive industry where their flesh means big money, and they are  treated as just a product for mass consumption. Living in cramped holding stalls or cages unable to see daylight in many cases, and in order to get good and fat, unable to run around and feel the earth beneath their feet and graze with their herds the way God intended.
I am not trying to start a debate here..just telling the facts of what our consumer-driven fast food chains have to do in order to satisfy the wants of their customer in a way that is cost effective for their industry.
I think many people would agree that it is pretty awesome to watch wild deer as they peacefully graze in a field or leap through the wild landscapes like they do so here in the great state of Michigan and elsewhere..their white tail flagging as they retreat into the forests.
I enjoy watching the small family of four deer that like to hang around our front yard picking through acorns that have fallen, or pulling down branches of the cedar pines that grow in our swamp and nourish them throughout the cold winter months.

This..

NOT THIS!
Now, this fast food chain might say they have sourced their venison from some distant place where the animals are grass fed etc..But the truth of the matter is that may be the case for now while they are introducing this new product to their customers, just to see if there will be a demand for it or not..But once they discover how people do enjoy eating venison (like we have for millennia) and that they are making lots of money selling the product..then I'm sure the dollars will follow the demand like everything else..and they will have no shortage of 'sources' to draw from in order to keep the cash flowing!
I would expect many people will be excited about profiting from this new industry and our government would likely allow farms to raise deer in areas where they are plentiful like right here in Northern Michigan as well as all over the USA.
I would also expect to stop seeing the deer in the wild anymore before long.
If you doubt what I'm saying here..then let me tell you..The fast food restaurant that just introduced this item on the menu in six states on Halloween day, is already boasting that it was a total success as the sandwich completely sold out on the first day.Just some 'food for thought'!

~BLESSINGS & LOVE~
And remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~