Job 4:8 : Even as I have seen, they that plan iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Be not deceived, my friends, you will reap what you sow. If a farmer plants a seed of corn, he expects a harvest of corn. And if a man plants a seed of love and kindness, then surely that will be returned unto him. But if you sow seeds of discord among your brethren, then that is surely what will be returned to you. For what a man sows, that is what he will reap. If you spend your life trying to ruin a person’s reputation and speaking lies about them, then know that the same ill will you speak of others will come back to you, and you will be dealt with in the same manner in which you have treated others.

Do not sow seeds of discord, but sow seeds of kindness and love to your fellowman. Reap a bountiful harvest of love and goodwill.

Sring is almost officially here and I sincerely hope that you get ample opportunity to enjoy it. God has created a wonderful world to explore and it’s beauty still astounds me. Amid all of the turmoil and stress of daily life, I hope you find the time to be alone with the creater of the universe and spend some time with Him enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

In Deuteronomy 5:16 of the King James Bible, God tells us: Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

What a promise! If we will just be good to our parents and show them honour, things will be go well for us and we will live a long life. How easy is that? It is usually very easy to be good to your parents. It may not always be easy to show them the honour and respect they deserve, but this Bible promise tells us it is well worth our time.

Of course parents have a responsibility to be good and nurturing toward their children also. But even if they aren’t, children still have a responsibility to honour their parents. And it can be difficult at times, but if we honour this principal, God will honour his promise to us.

If we can not master this simple chain of command in our lives, how can we ever grow in other areas? How could we possibly respect the authority of officers and those in charge of our lives if we can’t even respect the authority of those that were first put in charge of our lives? You will only have one chance of this in your lifetime; don’t mess it up, my friends!

Proverbs 29:2 in the King James Version of the Bible tells us: When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

This reign of authority is true whether you are talking about the country and our rulers, or just the chain of authority in your work place. No matter whose authority you must adhere to, if it is God inspired and just, you will be much more happy and content. But woe unto us if that authority is wicked and unjust!!

There is a chain of command that we must honor; and sometimes it is not to our advantage. But if we continue to honor and uphold our end, then God is faithful and just in seeing that we are rewarded for our faithfulness. Let us continue that good race of faith until we are justly rewarded!!!

As February comes to a close, it is time to say good by to winter, and to welcome spring.

We welcome you spring, even if it is still a little shy of it. Although winter still has its grip on part of the country, you are most welcome any time you want to show up. We welcome you with open arms!!

Here we are in the middle of February already; but the winter can not go fast enough for me. I have had more than enough snow and ice to last me for quite a while. As a matter of fact, we were dumped with another two to three inches last night depending, of course, on your location. The higher elevations always tend to get more snow. There has been some snow lying on the ground where I live since November.

But the sun is shining today and it is a beautiful, although still cold, day. Spring is just around the corner, as evidenced by the arrival of the birds making their migration back. When the birds come back home, you know spring is almost here. Sometimes I wish I could travel with those birds on their annual migration. And when it was spring time once again, then I too, would return home.

The snow is beautiful and makes for some lovely scenery, but when you must weather the elements, it makes for some treacherous days at times. Not to mention just the daily grind of sweeping off the walk ways and all of the shoveling that needs to be done. And if your car is outside, you have to deal with “unearthing it” to be able to be on your way. It does make for more work and it takes a little more time in your daily commute.

But spring is just around the corner and the winter of 2010-2011 will soon just be another memory.

Happy memories to you my friends!

Welcome to February and Ground Hog Day! I suspect we will get 6 more weeks of winter no matter if  that little furry fellow sees his shadow or not here in the mountains. And the “Woolly Mammoth” from Saltville, Va. has already predicted 6 more weeks of winter.

I think I am in good company for wishing for an early spring; but the weather forecast isn’t too promising for the next few days or so…. So get out your seed catalogs and do a little day dreaming until then. Spring surely will arrive soon!!

Recently one of the girls I work  with came in with such a big smile on her face that I just had to ask, “What is that smile all about?” 

To which she replied, ” That is one of the things that I can’t discuss with you, Shelia, because then you would be disappointed in me.”

I had to smile at the humility in that statement. Yes, we all tend to disappoint those we care about from time to time. It has been so since the beginning of time itself. To err is human….

But it is when we feel that deep sorrow that comes from hurting someone we care about and the humiliation that comes with it, that we can empathize with those who cause us hurt. And it is much easier to forgive them when we know that we may need their forgiveness sometime in the future.

Forgiveness is neither easy to get or give, but as humans, we must try to make the effort. Let us all try to be more earnest and sincere in our forgiveness and to give it more generously.

How I love that old saying for how true it is; whether you are talking about the weather or life in general, this principal applies. No matter the situation–this too will pass….

The cold and snow has finally made it’s way out for the time being, and the sun is shining once more. It is still very cold, but the sun gives you a warm feeling nonetheless.

Many of us are longing for spring, and it will be here shortly. And it will most certainly be welcomed here in Tennessee and  Virginia where we have had unusually cold temperatures and not much relief from snowfall. Of course the kids are loving it, and there is much beauty to be found.

Wishing you warm hearts and warm homes wherever you are!!!

As we head into another new year, we start looking back on the previous year and evaluate what kind of year we have had. Unfortunately for most of us, the outlook wasn’t as well as we would have liked. Most of us are still struggling to “keep our heads above water” so to speak. And most of us have “cut back about as much as we can”. A lot of people have come up with alternative ways to save money and been open to things they may have never tried in the past. And still “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer”.

With stricter regulations like we have found in the TSA this past year, and many other organizations, it brings to mind a famous saying by Benjamin Franklin, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” We must always be mindful of what it has cost us to have the liberties we have enjoyed.

I surely hope that 2011 will bring us more peace and prosperity, but unfortunately it looks as if we are just getting started and we may see some perilous times ahead of us.

I do wish for all of you dear readers a very prosperous and happy year ahead!!