What Does Love Mean to 4-8 Year Olds? Part 2

Happy Sunday y'all.  Here are 5 more quotes from 4-8 years old about the meaning of love.  If you didn't see the first post you can click here to read their cute comments.    And the pictures....well the first is a goody filled matchbox I created for a Valentine swap last year.  The other 2 are of aprons that I created that have that Valentine feel.   I hope you enjoy them.

• "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared.  I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.  He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."                                                                                                               Cindy - Age 8      

 

•  "My mommy loves me more than anybody.  You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."                            

                                Clare - Age 6

 

• "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." 

                                  Elaine - Age 5

 

• "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

                               Chris - Age 7

• "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

                              Mary Ann - age 4

Wishing you all love and joy.  Big hugs....Tracy :)

Every Flower Is Proof of Gods Gifts

I look around and see the blossoms in my unkempt garden and realize that even though I can't keep up, God can.  His miracles keep coming.  He never falters.  He is always there.  He gives us all we need.  

Yes he gives us opportunities to build on.  He shows us that the beauty is there.  He's done the hard part....He is the Creator!   We are equipped with at minimum the basics, we each have some talent, something to give or share.  He gave me these reminders in these flowers. 

Although I haven't been putting in the effort to increase the blooms or to tend them and turn them into a beautiful garden, he has shown me that he's still they're waiting for me.  His love is exactly the same.  I can tend to it, desire to grow in it, nurture it by searching for him and reading his word each day.   

Thank you Dear Lord for not forgetting me!

I hope ya'll enjoy the flowers that he's provided.  Love and Hugs to you all......Tracy :)

Welcome to the very first MIRACLE MONDAYS

Welcome to the very first post in a new series called MIRACLE MONDAYS. First I’d like to thank you for stopping by. I’ve had this idea on my mind for years. Way before I knew anything about blogging. I love to hear of others miracles. Big miracles, little miracles, it doesn’t really matter and why should it? Aren’t all miracles huge? I believe there are miracles happening every day, all over the world. It’s funny, we have every kind of news media there is, the newspaper, television news -the local news, the national news and stations dedicated to nothing but news, we even have satellite radio with just news shows. We hear every sensational news story there is. Oh sometimes they throw in a feel good piece here and there but it’s very limited. And I for one refuse to believe that there aren’t miracles waiting to be told. Maybe people don’t talk about them because they don’t want to come across as fanatical or crazy. Maybe the news doesn’t share them because they can’t be substantiated. Well I would rather look on the bright side. I’d prefer to think that most people who are interested in miracles and our Lord want to share their blessing with others and not just someone wanting to write fiction. So I’m appealing to you my friends. Do you have a miracle to share? Do you know someone who shared a miracle with you that you would like to pass along? Big miracles are wonderful but isn’t it the little everyday miracles that keep us going, that remind us of God’s goodness, his ever presence. Those of you that follow Debra’s blog ~ a day in the life, have already heard me share this miracle so please bare with me. Since this is the first in the series I thought I would share my biggest miracle with you. It’s one of those in your face miracles. One of those that is irrefutable to me. The one that God said “Never doubt my love for you, I’m always listening”. I believe it was about 15 years ago Ty (my son and only child) and I were living in an apartment community. I used to work in the office but wasn’t any longer employed by them. I was hanging wall paper as a contractor for them at this point. My own hours, it was perfect for me at the time. Neil and I were on a break. I started spending a lot of time studying the word and spending time in prayer with the Lord. The more I spent time seeking him, the more I enjoyed reading the bible. The more sense it started to make. I seemed to be absorbing it, instead of just reading the words and trying to hurry through. For those of you who don’t know me, let me tell you I have always been late. Late everywhere. It’s not that I don’t respect other peoples time, this has just always been a big issue for me. Just like my dad who my mother said would be late for his own funeral. The reason I’m telling you this is to give you an idea of how much I was sincerely seeking the Lord. Whenever I would wake up late or be running late for church, I would speak out loud that nothing was going to stop me from getting up and going on to church. I basically would rebuke the devil. I was feeling good and very content at this point. Oh’ a little background. I have battled depression for a long time. Similar to bi-polar, kind of an up and down thing. Well working my own hours was perfect at this time. I was trying to find peace with myself being without Neil. Every other day or three, I drove out to the beach in the mornings and stayed for 2 to 3 hours. Got a great tan that year, ha-ha. I took my bible and would spend most of that time in prayer. For me the beach or water in general has always brought me peace and relaxation. One day I said to the Lord “Father, I know this sounds crazy, I don’t have the money and don’t see me ever being able to afford a home on the water but Lord it brings me such peace, it calms my high strung nerves so much. Please father I pray that someday, somehow I might be able to live on the water so I can enjoy the beauty and peace of it, I have no earthy idea how but this I ask”. Now, even as I’m saying this I’m thinking to myself this is crazy, you don’t ask and have things drop in your lap. But somehow this didn’t feel wrong. I even remember believing that all things are possible in his name and speaking that. This wasn’t asked for in the text of I’d like a pretty house, new clothes, a fancy car. This was truly about seeking relief and peace. I'd better get on with this story. Is everyone still with me? Within 2 weeks of asking this (maybe even less) I got a call from an apartment community needing an assistant manger. I was hired. That same week I called another very nice apartment community about doing wall paper for them on the side. A few days later I went to meet the maintenance Manager (really big apt comm.) He told me he'd be happy to hire me to do their wallpaper but asked would I be interested in applying for assistance manager there. The apt complex just got bought and they were hiring all new staff. The next day I met the manager and she and I hit it off immediately. She said the job was mine if I wanted it. She then asked would I like to live on sight because she had her own place and wouldn’t be living on the property. Of course I said yes. Free rent!!!! That was a miracle right there. But don’t think that was it, oh no! The manager had a leasing agent show me around. She told me about what the manager might offer me to move into. I was told no one that worked there had ever had a river view apt. These were the most expensive. Well God had something else in mind. This manager offered me the only river view apartment available. 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1600 square feet with a fabulous view! Can you believe that? Then she said take a look at the carpet samples and we’ll put in what ever color you choose. A day later she told me that they would re-tile both of my baths including the master walk in shower. And she had all my appliances refinished. Oh’ my Lord you can’t imagine how my head was swimming. I wanted to shout to everyone what the Lord had done. He hadn’t just given me a better life, he had actually heard me and exceeded my dreams. Here I was with a new job, a better salary, a bonus on all leases that any agent made, a HUGE new apartment on the RIVER, free cable t.v. I was already so blessed. Well that wasn’t the end of it. Neil and I did get back together. While we were separated he rented out the house he was living in and moved to a condo at the beach. So of course when we got back together, here I was on the water again. The beach can you believe it. What I didn’t see possible God did. The beach condo was just a year stay, while waiting for the renters to leave a house he had bought years ago and had been renting out. This house was on the river. A 1920’s cottage that he had done some remodeling to and then moved to a new house which was where I first knew him from. We moved back to the cottage. We call it the Campbell House (Campbell Ave). We have totally knocked out tons of walls, built on, bricked the exterior, new roof, new kitchen and on and on. Unfortunately we are still working on it, and probably will be for the rest of our lives – ha-ha. But my point is ~ that prayer to my father was over 15 years ago. Within three weeks of that prayer I was living on the water and have moved 3 times and each time was to a place one the water. I have never been off the water since. I know in my heart that was an astounding miracle! I was blessed to have seen the grace of God. He knew my heart and answered my prayer. I was an emotional wreck when I made that prayer and feeling so lost. The Lord did this to show me that he had never left me and was always listening to me. I had been suffering so much after the deaths of my parents. I had felt orphaned, he showed me I was not. Please if you have a miracle or someone else miracle that you could share please do. I love the small miracles as much as the big ones. Maybe you’ve had a friend show up at the perfect time, maybe God’s answered your prayer or perhaps you’ve just felt the grace of God. In this time of so much turmoil and financial hardships your story could give hope to someone else. Let’s pass on some good news. We can never have to much of that. Next week I hope to link up with McLinkey so you can share your stories. And my sweet friend Sarah from Gypsy Mermaid Life has offered to create a button for me. I hope that you’ll check back and maybe put the button on your side bar to share the news. Thanks to everyone for reading my long post. May God bless each of you this week in all you do. Love…..Tracy :)