Author Archives: Marie

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About Marie

Happily married to the same awesome guy for many years. Love God, reading, cats, and travel. Avid crafter especially counted cross stitch and crochet.

No Carry-on Allowed

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Butch often says powerful things in his short posts. This is not exception! Enjoy it and pop over to his blog to see what else he has to say.

Butch Dean's avatarWordsmith's Desk

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Life for many becomes an opportunity to accumulate wealth and material possessions. There is nothing wrong with having things and being well off. The problem sets in when they become more important to you than anything else. It’s not money, but the love of money that is defined as evil. It’s not the possessions, but the priority one places on them.

When death comes and it is time to depart this life, keep this in mind; you take no baggage with you…no carry-on is allowed.

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Joy

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God so loved the world...

Quote by Paul Thigpen in Discipleship Journal

I remember coming home one afternoon to discover that the kitchen I had worked so hard to clean only a few hours before was now a terrible wreck.  My young daughter had obviously been busy “cooking,” and the ingredients were scattered, along with dirty bowls and utensils, across the counters and floor.  I was not happy with the situation.

Then, as I looked a little more closely at the mess, I spied a tiny note on the table, clumsily written and smeared with chocolaty fingerprints.  The message was short–“I’m makin sumthin 4 you, Dad”–and it was signed, “Your Angel.”

In the midst of that disarray, and despite my irritation, joy suddenly sprang up in my heart, sweet and pure.  My attention had been redirected from the problem to the little girl I loved.  As I encountered her in that brief note, I delighted in her.  With her simple goodness in focus, I could take pleasure in seeing her hand at work in a situation that seemed otherwise disastrous.

It is so important, especially during this busy Season, to remember that those handmade gifts, given from the heart, are much more valuable than anything else we receive.

Enjoy your gifts this year!

Marie

Book Review: The Littlest Christmas Kitten

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For many years I have collected Children’s Books with cat themes.  When the opportunity was given to review a book in this genre I jumped at the chance and was not disappointed.

Christmas Kitten

The Littlest Christmas Kitten by Leona Novy Jackson and illustrated by Kelly Dupre is a delightful, sweet little tale that purred into my cat loving heart.  It tells us that cats especially kittens, have curious hearts and sometimes that leads to getting lost.  So like us, but in the finding there is usually more to the story.  The Christmas Story is told in its huge simplicity, reminding us that there is more than presents, parties and decorations, to this special holiday.

The illustrations are an extension of the words and depict the charming expectation of the animals on that very special night.  Kelly Dupre catches the expressions of the animals perfectly.   Whether worried, afraid, curious, frightened, or happy the prints easily show what the people and animals were thinking and feeling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little tale and am delighted to have it in my ‘cat’ collection.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book for review by Snaptail Press through BookCrash and receive no other remuneration.

A Satisfied Spirit Is Encouraging

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Encouragement is an interesting word to break apart.  ‘En’ as a prefix usually gives the root more emphasis, ‘ment’ as the suffix gives action to the word, and the root of this one is courage.  My definition of the word courage is doing something I know I can’t do alone, requiring dependence on God and on others for the event or moment.  So how does that work out in my life?  Glad you asked 🙂

sunflower fieldWhen I am overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 61:2  David knew the solution to those times he had more on his plate than he could handle himself.  In other words…Let go and let God!

 

When you're feeling discouraged...Many, and I do mean many, years ago a friend gave me this little snippet from one of her magazines.   Never stop being encouraging even though you’re not getting any credit.

 

 

sunflower fieldIf discouragement is plaguing you try to identify the root of it.  Is it about wants, needs, haves, have-nots…  Is it about yourself, others, the world…  Can you do anything about it?  Does it require a change of behavior or attitude?

 

 

Do Not FearPray about it!  God will lead you to the answer and the solution.  He does not want His children to  be fearful or discouraged.  I find it interesting that the command ‘Do not fear’ is found 365 times in the Word.  One for every day of the year.

 

 

 

 

“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on God.”
(2 Corinthians 1:9, NLT)

Keep on keeping on!

 

Faith’s Fragrance

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perfumeBut thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Have you ever thought about having a spiritual aroma?  Our perfume smells like Christ to God.  I know what Christ smells like, I think.  He is the scent of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  That’s what God smells!

So, if we are fragrant with the knowledge of Him in every place, then, others can smell that on us.  It’s like meeting someone who is exuding the nicest perfume you’ve ever encountered.  When that happens to me I know I’m going to like that person and want what she has.  In the same way other’s will want what we have when we are ‘wearing the fragrance’ of God.

This little story explains this concept very well.  It was written by Dr. Chris Edwardson, from Dallas, Oregon, in the Pentecostal Evangel:

One day a judge came to my office.  I asked him what he was really in for because his leg cast didn’t need to be checked.

He said, “I just thought maybe you could give me a reason to live.”  He broke down and cried.  I led him to the Lord.

I asked him what prompted him to tell me that.  He said, “When you walked into the room, I saw something in your eyes that told me you had what I wanted.  Something told me you knew the answer to life.  I look in men’s faces all day long, judging the truth.  I could see that you believed with all your heart that what you were telling me was true.  It was enough to convince me I needed it.

My prayer is that our Faith Fragrance is so powerful it can’t be missed by anyone!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie