Good morning lovely ladies! How are you? It's almost the weekend! I'm not sure how Halloween will be around here yet. It is our first one here in Blue Earth. We really haven't had many trick-or-treaters anywhere we've lived over the past several years. There are two kids who live in the apartments here and houses all around, plus a fairly large apartment complex right across the street, so we'll see. Not wanting to buy too much candy, but the leftovers (if any) can go right to PK's office.  He doesn't eat them, but he likes to give them out! I'm not into Halloween, but I like to see the kids dressed up. I'm also not sure how many will be out because of the Covid issue and all the mandates.

The last two days I've had a couple of blessings... right outside my window! Yesterday I was gazing out our bedroom window and something caught my eye. It was a bright, red cardinal. So pretty. And then this morning I saw a white-tailed deer run across the backyard. It's such an awesome view out the back, looking towards the trees and the river. It brought to my mind when we sit at my parent's house and look out their huge windows onto a woodsy area. We often see deer, bunnies, and even turkeys!  It's that time of year when they're busy preparing for the cold months ahead.

So, what are you planning for this weekend? We have our bedroom furniture arriving this morning (finally) after ordering it back in August. Ha! I'm sure it's a Covid delay. I think we're going to be blaming Covid for a LOT of things for quite awhile yet. I'm looking forward to having some drawers to put our clothes in again.  And tomorrow, we're going shopping in Mankato for groceries and I'm pretty sure we'll make a stop at Hobby Lobby too. It would almost seem wrong not to! I need to buy yarn for another grandson's baby blanket. The date will be here before we know it. Only about 11 weeks until our daughter-in-law's due date! Other than that, just taking it easy and church on Sunday.

Worship

The song today speaks about the trials and hardships of this life, but also encourages us that our final destination is Heaven's "golden shore!" Have a FUN FRIDAY and a great weekend ladies!  And don't forget to turn your clocks back! 

CityAlight, "Christ Is Mine Forevermore"

music.youtube.com/watch?v=roQovDZeAWE&list=RDAMVMroQovDZeAWE

Good morning ladies! Are you still out there? Haha! It seems like it's been quite awhile. How are you? We are nearing the end of October already! Whaaattt?? Whew! I will never catch up with the way that time races on. We will get an extra hour this weekend as we "Fall back," but I really don't do well with time changes as I get older. How about you? It seems like it takes longer to adjust than it used to. And the Holidays are quickly approaching! My husband was talking about Advent services yesterday and I couldn't believe it.

I couldn't remember where I left off with our story, but we arrived home from vacation last week with our grandson in tow. So much fun! We did a lot of fun things with him, one of which was to make a snowman...yes, we have had several inches of snow already. He went home yesterday so it is very quiet here. Today I am planning to clean up the apartment a bit, finish unpacking, catch up with a few people, and make a hotdish for dinner. Oh, and Molly needs a bath. What are you doing today?

Devotion

This devotion gives us a great reminder that real winning is in the journey... how we live each day. Have a WINNING WEDNESDAY ladies!

"Winning"
CBN Ministries, Gene Markland

It was the beginning of eighth grade. It was a time full of promise and anticipation of a new school year in a new school. A classmate in gym class invited me to try out for the community league basketball team. I agreed and went to practice. Throughout the season I worked hard at having fun and learning the fine points of the game.

Our team performed well enough through the season to earn a place in the final playoff game for the city championship. We faced a team that was known to be bigger, stronger, and faster than all the others. We played our hearts out and scored toe-to-toe with our opponents. In the final seconds of the game, I stood center court as my teammate, Al, threw the ball overhand all the way down court, over my head, to swish the basket. The buzzer sounded as the ball went through the net. The place went wild as we won the city championship with an exciting Hollywood movie ending.

Next, I joined the high school football team in the midst of a long losing streak. I found that whether you win or lose the big game, playing the game, doing your best, and finishing the season is what real winning is all about.

We read in the Bible where the Apostle Paul wrote,

“... anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5 NIV)

Playing the game well, as a well-lived life, brings a winning reward in itself. There is a saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” In today’s culture, that sentiment has seemingly become “old school,” as winning at any cost (including the cost of one’s integrity) has become everything.

Again, let’s look at the Apostle Paul, whom we respect as one of the greatest Apostles and writers in the New Testament. We know that his was a life of: 

“purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings.” (2 Timothy 3:10-11)

Yet when he was facing execution he wrote,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day...” (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV)

Most of us would consider a man facing execution a loser. But because of the life he led, fulfilling his calling from God, he was actually a winner! As we live our lives we may also experience hardships, trials, persecution, and loss. But if we will keep our hand in the hand of God and do our best to live according to His will, then we too are winners.

If we will take a moment each day, and just look around, we will see the glorious winning in everyday life. The winning is in the journey. The glory of everyday life holds for you the mystery of happiness and the victory of winning. As a believer of Jesus Christ, a crown of righteousness is laid up for you in heaven. Now that’s winning!

​Hi ladies! I hope and pray that you had a refreshing weekend. If not, then let's do our best to begin this new week looking to the LORD and the wonderful things He has for us.  Well, we finally made it to Minneopa State Park. Yay! And it was the perfect day! There are two parts to the park. One side of the road is home to a bison range and has acres of land set apart for hundreds of bison. Out of those hundreds though, we didn't see even one! I guess it wasn't their day to be out socializing. We did learn some things about the animals, due to a channel you could put on in your car as you drove through. You can't get out, of course; apparently they are very dangerous and have killed more people than any other animal. After doing that, we drove across the road to the waterfall park and it was so beautiful! We took a lot of pictures and let Molly run around and sniff things to her heart's content! We even saw one of the elders from our previous church. It was great to catch up with him. After the park we had some lunch and spent a little time at Hobby Lobby. You just have to do that when you can. It's not just down the street anymore. What a fun day!

Yesterday was a great service at church and some meaningful fellowship time afterwards. What were you ladies up to? Just to let you know in advance, we are leaving this week (Thursday) for a vacation. It seems that we've been gone a lot, but it's been for family weddings. We will be gone for a week and are going to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We are planning to relax in the natural hot springs while we're there. So, I will miss a few days of sending out the devotions.

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Devotion

Great perspective today. Let the words of this devotion encourage you to "embrace" times of resistance because they will ultimately make you stronger. Rely on God during those tough times, because He is holding us up. Have a MEANINGFUL MONDAY ladies! 

"Embracing Resistance"
CBN Ministries, Gene Markland

One afternoon while running an errand near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, I decided to go an extra block and take a peek at the ocean. The air was cold, in the 40s, and cloudy, with a slight drizzle. It was a typical off-season day. The boardwalk was deserted. So with my pick of the benches, I sat on a choice one, stretched out my legs, stuck my hands in my jacket pockets, and looked out over the water.
It was windy and the rough waves crashed ashore making that unmistakable sound of the sea. Looking up at the seagulls flying, I noticed the drizzle had stopped. So I decided to enjoy the fresh sea air for a while, and maybe even get a little inspiration from the nature God created. 

Sitting there in the cold, my attention was drawn to a seagull flying above the boardwalk, about 10 feet in front and above me. Hovering perfectly still, his wings gave a slight flutter as he faced the strong wind. 

At first, I felt sorry for him as he was getting nowhere in this wind. But by facing that wind, he was kept aloft by its force. For a few moments, he opened his wings without flapping them and remained stationary, directly in front of me, suspended in mid-air. 

As I observed this remarkable sight, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “I’m not keeping you back, I’m keeping you up.” 

Maybe like me, you can relate to that seagull. Have you ever felt stuck in your life? Seemingly held back and not going forward? The Lord let me know that He’s not holding us back; He’s holding us up. 

As I pondered that thought and watched the seagull closely, I realized that if the seagull had flown away from the wind, he would have been blown down to earth. But by facing the resistance of the wind, with a slight flutter of his wings, he was lifted up. So when resistance comes against you, if you face it, put your nose into the wind and flap your wings. You’ll be lifted up and not cast down. Resistance will lift you higher!

“... You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind.” (Psalm 104:3, NLT)

When you pursue your goals and dreams in life, at some point you will inevitably encounter resistance. Think of King David in the Bible. He was chosen to be King as a young man, but the current King Saul put unrelenting pressure on him by trying to destroy him. Through the years of persecution from King Saul, David honed his skill as a guerrilla fighter, a strong leader of men, and a man of character and honor. Resistance lifted him to become the King he had been chosen to be.

Think of the early church. Great persecution came against the early church. Many were martyred for refusing to deny Christ and many had to flee for their lives. But this unrelenting pressure of persecution caused the church to become firm in the faith and spread far and wide in order to survive. Resistance lifted the church throughout the known world in 300 years, becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire.

If you turn from resistance and run, it will smash you to the ground. You’ll be crushed and your flight, as well as your dreams, will be over. So instead of looking at the winds of resistance as something formidably holding you back, look at it as something God is using to hold you up and make you strong. Embrace resistance, and it will raise you to the heights you dream of reaching! 

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

Good morning ladies! I'm a little bit later today because I had a virtual doctor appointment. It was actually nice to do, for a couple of reasons. First, I didn't have to leave the house!  Also, since we've moved about 2 1/2 hours from the Cities, I haven't found a new doctor, so this way I could do the appointment through my clinic that I've been at. Also, I had some good news, or at least some helpful information. She thinks that my sore throat is tied to the Shogren's that I have. Because of my dryness and lack of fully functioning saliva glands, the acid in the food I'm eating is causing the pain in the back of my throat. She's sending a list of the dietary "culprits" for me to avoid. Also, a new OTC antacid. So, what a relief! Help is coming!

What are your plans for this beautiful weekend?  We are finally doing our trip to Minneopa State Park tomorrow for the Fall colors.  It's going to be about 70 degrees and sunny. Perfect! I will post some pictures next week. I would also LOVE to see more of YOUR Fall pictures if you're into that sort of thing.

WORSHIP

I still like this song a lot. Here's a different version. Have a FANTASTIC FRIDAY!

"Waymaker," by Levistance

Well, good morning lovely ladies! I hope you had a good night's sleep and are doing well. I'm starting to feel better and I think I'm sleeping better too. Are you ready for a new day? When I took Molly out for a walk this morning, there were streaks of pink and orange across the clouds. So beautiful! I have to confess that I don't always enjoy having to change out of my pajamas to take the dog out first thing (usually my husband's job), but once I'm out there, the mornings are so refreshing. Always worth it. It reminds me of years ago when I would go out first thing in the morning to walk or jog. Good way to get the day started. At least I'm walking again every afternoon with Molly.  This one is usually my shift and we're up to about 30 minutes a day now. She's usually pooped by the time we get home! 

My husband gets home this afternoon. He said it's been a great time connecting with people at the district conference. I just have my usual things to do around here today. How about you?

Devotion

Today's devotion mentions a concept I've never heard of, but it's so true. Is there anything holding you captive today? Let it go! Have a WINNING WEDNESDAY ladies!

"Elephant String"
CBN Ministries, Gene Markland

I remember reading about how they train young elephants in India. The trainer would tie one of their hind legs to a tree with a thick rope. Naturally, the elephant, feeling bound by the rope, would try to break free. Eventually, he realizes that his attempts are useless and gradually gets accustomed to being held captive.

As the elephant ages, his restriction of movement will modify his behavior until even a simple string will be sufficient to keep him captive without resistance. The elephant could easily break the string but has convinced himself that the restraining force of the rope is greater than his own strength. So he gives up in defeat.

For many people, past events are like elephant strings. Mistakes, failures, sin, or tragedy which once bound us like thick rope, still hold us captive to the past. If we would only look again, try again, we would find that it is only string that binds us. We have the power, through Christ Jesus, to easily break free. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NLT)

When you find yourself in one of life’s ruts, stop, look down at the string that holds you, and break free. Even when we receive forgiveness for past sin in our life, often we are not so quick to forgive ourself. The sin is forgiven but we allow the guilt to remain.

That string of guilt will hold us back from a deeper relationship with God. So forgive yourself, break the string of guilt and shame for God has removed the rope long ago!
We all have failures and make mistakes in our lives. Learn from them, yes, but don’t allow a string of failures or a string of mistakes to hold you. Break free! Try again! You can do it!

Sin can become an old habit. If you lose the struggle to fight it, you can feel hopelessly bound. This is no way to live, so break free from the string of habitual sin. The Bible says,

“... let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

Rip off those strings and be free in Christ! Freedom from guilt is yours.

There are times in every life when we experience tragedy. The loss of a loved one or a relationship, even the loss of a job can have a debilitating effect on us. We can become so bound by the triple threaded rope of grief, sorrow, and regret that, like the elephant, we become accustomed to being held captive. Efforts to break free may seem fruitless and pointless.

But remember that there is hope in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“... I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)

So try again! Press forward! Move ahead with your hopes and dreams. Break that elephant string!

Good morning ladies! How are you? How was your weekend? It's a breezy, but lovely day here and the week ahead looks absolutely perfect. All sunny!! Probably our last stretch of warm weather and I will take it! It ended up being a quiet weekend for me because I came down with something, I think a cold. We did get out for a little drive on Friday evening, however, because we wanted to see a town in Iowa that we've heard about. I know that sounds like a lot, but the state line is just eight miles from here. When you're out driving with nothing but corn fields and farm land though, eight miles can seem long, haha! It ended up being totally worth it for me though, because I saw my first eagle. We passed a tree that was bare and I was looking up at it because there was something very large near the top. At first I thought it was a plastic bag that had attached itself to a branch, but as I looked more, I could tell it was an eagle. So excited! I took pictures, but of course, I didn't have my camera. Bummer. Anyway, it was super neat to see.

Devotion

Do you ever feel like you're always facing challenging circumstances in your life? Sometimes it seems like we can just make it through something tough, and then another "something" comes up. Today's devotion encourages us that God is always working in us to make us more like Him. The last verse has been a comfort for me for years, and the promise of it got me through a very dark time in my life. Be encouraged today! Have a MARVELOUS MONDAY ladies!

"What Now, Lord?"
CBN Ministries, Belinda Elliott

It happened as I was driving home one night. You’ve probably experienced it before. The Holy Spirit points out something in your life that needs to go, and you know it’s the start of a season of spiritual growth.

I wish I could say I responded with excitement, looking forward to what God wanted to do in my life. But I didn’t.

Instead I threw my hands up in exasperation and groaned, What now, Lord?

It may sound slightly irreverent, but I felt like I’d already come through a series of these spiritual “growth spurts,” and I was tiring of the routine.

In the last year and a half I had emerged from a dark night of the soul experience in which God had led me to deal with bitterness and resentment that had taken hold in my heart. Prior to that, He had brought me through a season of testing through which He taught me to trust Him more. And before that, He had taken me through a season of forgiving painful offenses (and offenders) from the past.

Bitterness, trust, unforgiveness, what could be next? I wondered.

I felt like I’d been through the wringer and had finally come to a place where the hard part was all over.

Apparently not.

Can’t I have a break, Lord? I asked, thinking back to the spring breaks I enjoyed in college. For a short time, there were no tests, studying, or homework, just relaxation and fun. Having an extended period like that during which I could just “coast” spiritually would be nice.

Not gonna happen.

Okay, that’s not the exact words that the Lord used, but it sums up what He said. He taught me an important lesson that day.

As long as we are still on earth, God is still working on us. We will never reach the point where we can say we are finished until we get to Heaven where our transformation will be complete.

I don’t know who first penned the popular saying, “God loves you where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there,” but that person was right. The Bible describes it as a pruning process where God shapes our hearts and our attitudes to bear spiritual fruit for him.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:1-2 NIV).

We don’t have to dread this process. It is simply God wanting to make us more like Him. Having the Holy Spirit point out our faults may not feel good, but Scripture tells us that God’s discipline is a sign of His love for us.

"My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in" (Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV).

The Lord encouraged me that day that though I’m not always where He wants me to be spiritually, He still loves me right where I am. Day by day He is shaping my heart and my character to match His.

That night I decided to embrace the work that God wants to do in my life, even when it means working through the hard stuff. Instead of asking, "What now, Lord?" in frustration, I’ll respond with an eager "What’s next, Lord?" because I want more than anything to be like Him.

If God is putting His finger on an area of your heart that He wants to work on, don’t resist. Allow Him unhindered access as He works in your life.

And on those days when you feel like you have jumped over one spiritual hurdle only to slam face-first into the next one, remember that we are all a work in progress.

We can be encouraged by the same promise that Paul used to encourage the early Christians at Philippi.

"... he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NIV).

Good morning ladies! First of all, thank you for your responses the last several days. They were very encouraging to me. It's always good to hear from you. Well, we woke up to what really feels like the start of Winter with frost on everything and that 'thing' about actually having to put a coat on to take Molly out. Brrr! Today's high will only be around 50 degrees. We decided to do our Minneopa State Park color trip next week instead of today for several reasons. The main reason is that we looked up the webpage last night and they said that the colors are still only at about 10-25% and the second thing is that later next week it will be back up close to 70 degrees again. I think that we'll enjoy ourselves much more if we aren't shivering the whole time. So, today I will maybe take a few pictures around here because some of the maple trees are just so beautiful!

Oh, by the way, I finally got that apple pie made yesterday! So fulfilling. And tasty! What do you ladies have planned for this weekend?

Worship

Today I wanted to give you something a bit different to listen to. I think it's only fair to share a variety of music since we all have our favorite styles and there's a LOT to choose from. Since we are all unique, we also worship in different ways and some styles just help us connect more than others. Anyway, my husband suggested this one for today and most of you know his favorite genre is southern gospel. Six years ago we went to the annual Southern Gospel Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Even though it's not necessarily my favorite type of music, I tell you, the worship was phenomenal! And so uplifting! There's just something about being in the setting. So, enjoy this one today ladies and have a great weekend and a FABULOUS FRIDAY!!!

p.s. be sure to turn it up LOUD for those brilliant southern gospel endings!!

"God Has Provided a Lamb" by the Mark Trammell Quartet

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KKNqfeFzNvw&feature=share
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