FaiTH friDAy

Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.   ~Matthew 9:22

I receive Christ Notes daily bible verses by email and their Weekly Wisdom as well. The above verse was in my work inbox before I even started my day yesterday. I have not been able to get it off my mind since. I don't want to say that I can't figure out why, because I mean its the Word so of course it should affect me that way. If we are all honest with ourselves though I think that not every verse gives us an astounding effect the moment we read it. Or at least its that way to me. I'm not afraid to be honest-God knows my thoughts and heart . :) However, this verse just pulled my heart and hasn't let go. Its as if God hand delivered it to me yesterday to read. You know what I decided? He did! :)

What made me do a "Faith Friday" post? Well, I loved this verse so much and it healed me from the week that I had been having up to that point and I thought that perhaps 1 other person may benefit how I did. But truly I realized this verse is in Matthew, the very book I had been reading when I was actively trying to do my Bible in 90 Days plan! Yep...trying...past tense. I have failed that plan and found out at this time its way to many minutes of bible reading for me to do in one day. I've been wanting to do a plan though because like anything, a plan can turn this into a habit which means then reading the bible daily will just fall into place as part of my typical day! This verse made me realize that I should have remembered this was part of Matthew...or does it just mean that this verse affected me far differently now than when I read it a few months back? Perhaps thats the lesson God intended....no matter how often we see His Word or we see and hear him in our lives, the message will always be handcrafted for what we need at that exact moment in time.

~Many Blessings this Friday :)

(photograph from: http://www.cowboypoetry.com/photowk57.htm by: Lorrie Faith Merritt www.faithbyphotography.com)

Green Beers & St. Patricks Day-memories of learning from my dad on enjoying LiFe

Yummm!!! Today is a day for happiness and enjoyment I've decided! Leave it to the Irish. ;) I've had my share of bumps and bruises this year and even as of recently. Many recent changes in my life have signaled big changes ahead. Those changes have brought some emotions I was not expecting. Not bad emotions, just....emotions! :) The only St. Patricks day I guess I really even "celebrated" was one that could not be beat and boy am I glad for those now!

The day was a beautiful March day...back in 2005. I was much younger back then ;), hips weren't filled with pain, back was missing a few permament big ol' bumps, and I was LeArNiNg each and every day! Not only was I LearNinG...I was LiViNg! Why, I was working at our Cattle growing lot right beside my father....just a bit past the 1 year mark of his Stage IV non small cell lung cancer diagnosis! Boy were we living. Rather than plague ourselves with the WHYS of someone so healthy and never smoked caught a "smokers disease", we just got to work! We lived life no differently than before...well a little differently. No more afternoon snickers bars for my dad (aka Cowboy's Lunch) with my mom's new strict no-sugar diet, otherwise what I referred to as the no-fun diet! ;) It also meant that a special trip to "The Mining Company" after the end of a LONG & WINNDDY day at the growing lot meant my dad didn't feel much like a green beer! Never saw my folks drink much when we were little anyways, so no surprise that St. Paddy's day didn't send him into tailspins for a Beer when he's taking Chemo, Radiation, and Ranch work all in stride! Nope, in fact I am pretty sure his 2005 St. Patricks day Green Beer, came in the form of a short glass Vodka Cranberry. The question of that evening was, "Do you think your mother will be more upset of the sugar in the vodka or the sugar in the cranberry juice?"

Tonight I won't be enjoying a green beer or a vodka cranberry with my best friend, but I know he will be right there with me, smiling down and still chuckling with me over the liTTle things in LiFe we all were able to find humor and EnJoYmEnt in! Dad, tonight my cranberry vodka will be ordered just for you....I love you :)

~ToP 10 ReASonS I shOUld get to MoVe to TexAS~

10) I'm Republican

9) I love me some beef brisket sandwiches

8) I'm single

7) I'm a single FeMaLe

6) Not opposed to succession

5) Built for the WIND-40 mph winds are just a light breeze

4) I have good taste in music

3) I'm used to being the minority

2)I'm just CRAzY enough to fit right in

1) I have the perfect hair to "JACK it to JESUS"