HELLO FRIENDS

WE WILL BE GONE TILL THE 8TH AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN.

IN THE MEANTIME, FEEL FREE TO BROWSE THROUGH THESE POSTS,
AND I HOPE YOU ARE BLESSED BY WHAT YOU SEE AND READ.

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES FOR YOU.







BLESSINGS AND SMILES

BARBARA JEAN

God Whispers

God Whispers


Listen Carefully



"Be still and know that I am God.
Ps 46:10

Blessings on your day.

barbara jean

Gifts That Money Can't Buy
by Pat Simmons
Dec.12, 1979

Love is a very important gift.
Some people can't have the gift of love.
Love is a very good gift.
I love people and people love me.
I love my mom and my Mom loves me.
I love my sister and she loves me.
I have a gift that money can't buy.
I have the gift of making friends.
My gift is handy because i make friends almost every place I go.
I like my gift. It is a very important gift.
It is a very very good gift.

I have a gift.
It is a very very important gift.
It is the gift I will never die.
I will never die because i have the gift of everlasting life.
It is the very very best gift you can have.

I give gifts too.
I like to be giving the gift of joy.
The gift of joy is a very very good gift.

He got an A! and Good job! on this paper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our son wrote this.
I am very proud of him.
Then, and now.

He is a kind and caring person.

He is not currently walking with the Lord.

That breaks a Mother's heart.

Please pray for him when you think of it.

Blessings

barbara jean

KEEP IT SHORT

I am learning something when it comes to communicating with my fella.

When I'm talking to my fella, keep it short.

Here is the story:

I invited a friend to go to a sale with me, but had not heard back from her.
While out on my morning walk, and realizing it is a barn sale,
and there may be tons of stuff, and I might need help,
I called my sweet fella to see if he would go if my friend could not.


This was our conversation:
The usual hellos, then...

me "If Sally can't go to the sale with me, will you go?"
His response. "yes".
me "OK thanks"

Then our usual goodbyes, and back to my walk.

'that was short and sweet.'

My normal conversation would have been more like like this:

"Hon, I invited Sally to go to a garage sale with me, but i haven't heard back from her yet and I know you don't really like to go to garage sales, and maybe you have something else you want to do, but this is a barn sale, and it might be really big, and I might need help carrying some stuff, and I would really appreciate it if you would just think about going with me if i don't hear back from her and we wouldn't be gone along time and if you want to watch football or something we could arrange it around the game.
What do you think?"

Ever had that kind of conversation with your guy?
A continuous run-on sentence?
Probably with more information than needed.

Well, I have, many a time.
( although i will say this was a bit of an exaggeration) =0)

What I have learned now is that he quit listening after the first few words, and
had no clue what I was talking about by the time I got done.

So, short, and to the point, that's my point.

Give it a try.
Just ask the question.
Let him think about it.

Then, be sweet, no matter what the answer is.

Blessings,
barbara jean

WORD FOR TODAY

Scott and i do crossword puzzles together.
Sometimes they have these 'fill in the word' that are
foreign words that we have no clue what they are.

We usually just try to fill in everything around them,
and hope it will fill itself in.
Sometimes it does, sometimes not.

When we finally get it, using whatever means we need to to finish the puzzle,
we still have no clue what it means.
So of course we have to look it up.

Today's phrase:

Ora Pro Nobis

When we looked it up,
it is Latin for

PRAY FOR US!

Wouldn't that make a great sign?
And a great conversation starter?

Hugs and blessings,

Ora Pro Nobis

Barbara Jean

My Morning Walks With God

I was almost home today before i found my treasure.

Can you see it??


Foraging around under the tree??

Can you see it now??

Yes. It's a squirrel.
They always bring a smile to my face.

This one knew I was there, but just kept foraging.

Eating a bit, storing a bit.
Getting nourishment, for now, and for later.

Made me think about God's word.

Am I searing for it?
Searching for nourishment from it?
For now?
And storing it in my heart for later?

Being alert to what is around me,
am I moving forward with the task at hand?

Blessings on your day.

Barbara jean

My Morning Walks With God

Good morning.

I saw this little 'treasure' (above) while i was walking this morning.
What does it look like to you?
Reminds me of one of those puppets.
You know, like Oscar the grouch or something?
Just made me smile.
I guess maybe I'm weird, that i can see a puppet smile
in a chestnut shell.

Well, I guess that is just how I see things in life.


Instead of just a bunch of geese,
I see safety in numbers.
I see apprehension and fear where there should be none.
I see how they always stick together,
and that they never wander far from the others.


I see whichever way one went,
they all followed.
What do you see?
Which one of the geese are you?
Are you the leader?
Do you stay close so you are not alone?
So you feel safe?
Do you feel threatened when there is no need?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And what about this dog?

Every time i walk on the road that goes by his house,
he barks and barks at me.
He paces up and down the fence,
barking the whole time.

He seems mean, scary, even ferocious .

Is he really?
Or is that just his outer behavior,
what he uses to keep others away?
Is it how he has been trained?

Is he just protecting his space? His home?
Himself?
Is he really mean, or is he afraid,
so he puts up a big mean show so no one knows?

When what he really wants is someone to scratch his belly,
and play with him?

How do we come across?
Are we wearing ourselves out pacing back and forth in life?

Do we seem mean?
scary?
When maybe we are just unsure of ourselves,
and do not know how to let others in?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just some thoughts to ponder.

Blessings on your Monday.

barbara jean

Walking Fast With Jesus???

On the last half of my walk this morning,
I suddenly noticed i was walking at a very fast pace.
Now, it is OK to walk at a fast pace,
after all, this is my quiet time with God, and my exercise for the day.

But I suddenly thought,
"If i were walking side by side with Jesus,
holding His hand,
would i be walking so fast?
Would i be racing along dragging Him behind me?"

Then I pictured, as i have many times before,
my little girl self, walking next to Him,
holding His hand.
I am usually about 8 years old,
with my red, curly hair,
wearing a white blouse, and a red and black plaid skirt,
with my skinny little legs with black
and white shoes, and little socks
rolled down 1 turn at the ankles.

I always see this picture from the back.
Jesus must be 10 feet tall in this picture,
but though my small self is holding his hand,
nothing is out of proportion.
No long arms, no having to stand on my tip toes to reach His hand,
no straining to hang on,
just a comfortable holding on and a quiet stroll along.

(If i could sketch, i would do that picture,
only in black and white, instead of color.
I don't know why.)

My pace slowed upon seeing that picture.

Then i pondered.

Can you even imagine that Jesus rushed or raced to get anywhere?
When you see Him in your minds eye,
do you see Him racing or rushing?
Flying helter skelter from one appointment to another?
Wishing someone would quit talking to Him so He could get to the next appointment?
Thinking of His own life, rather than theirs?

Or do you see Him, like I did in that moment,
with a certain calmness about Him.
An assurance that whatever the Father called
Him to do that day would get done.

A 'strolling' through life with a peace
that we have hard time grabbing on to?

So, as I pondered, my pace slowed,
and for a few moments, i walked quietly,
safe and peaceful, in His loving hands.

Lord, help me walk in the peace of Your presence today.
Help me to take time to listen, to care,
more about someone elses life than my own.

Blessings

barbara jean

Continued Prayers Please

Thank you to those of you who have been praying.

My folks got here OK.
Several episodes with my Dad on the way,
and he did not recognize my brother when they got here.

please pray for a quick adjustment to the changes of being here.

Thank you for helping me carry this load.

Blessings
barbara jean

Prayer Please

My parents are on their way up from Arizona to live here.
My brother is driving the u haul up,
and Mom is driving their van.

Please pray for their safety for the trip,
and also that my Dad will not have any
'episodes' with his dementia on the way.

And even more, I would ask that they will
transition well here, and it will not be
overwhelming and confusing for my Dad.

(Dad does not do well in the gloomy Oregon weather,
and they will be living with my brother and his wife for awhile.
A very big change since they have been by themselves forever).

Thank you all so much.

Blessings

barbara Jean