What are you doing for Him?

Has anyone ever done something for you that you have remembered it your entire life?

Recently my Mom told me she had added a new friend to her Facebook list, Rodney, a guy she'd known since elementary school. He emailed her and told her he remembered her and their time in school together. He also shared a memory he had of her.

To find out about Rodney's memory, please go over to Laced With Grace today to read the rest of this devotional called "What are you doing for Him?"

Have a day of blessings!

Book #38: The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Gary Chapman

You may be familiar with Gary Chapman as he wrote the popular book The Five Love Languages. I have read another one of his books called The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted as well as The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted Bible Study.

I enjoyed reading these together and appreciated how they complimented each other. I didn’t find the study guide to be just a repeat of the book, which is often the case I’ve found with books/study guides. They went together but with new information and stories. One thing I really liked about the Bible study was looking up the answers to the questions in the Bible. Some of the verses are included in the text but some you have to look up yourself. It seems many times in other Bible studies a Bible reference is made and then the answer is given. The reader has to think and come up with his own answers in this study, which I liked. I found the questions to be appropriate and thought provoking.

Topics covered include forgiveness, positive response to anger, sexual fulfillment, money, listening, agreeing, and prayer.

I enjoy Chapman’s writing style because it is easy to read and has stories from real couples related to each topic. It is easy to relate to him and understand the points he makes for marriage.

I highly recommend this book and study guide for you. It would be great to do as a husband and wife or with a small group.

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Random

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is a link to last week's post.

Since today is the fifth Tuesday of the month we'll have a special question (not related to the themes of the other four Tuesdays).


This week's question: Share something special you do in the fall or a special fall memory.



My answer: I love seeing the fall decorations on porches and businesses. One tradition I like is to pick a pumpkin each year. It sits on the porch and then we have fun carving it together.

Have a day of blessings!

Book review: How God Makes Babies by Jim Burns

How God Makes Babies (for 6-9 year olds) is another book in the Pure Foundations series. You can read my review on God Made Your Body for 3-5 year olds in the previous post.

This book is similar to God Made Your Body but written with a little more detail for older children. It goes into detail about babies from conception through birth.

I enjoyed the photographs in this book as well. One part I liked was the discussion about “private parts” and the importance of not letting anyone touch those parts except for a doctor checkup or parents helping in a bath.

As in the other book, I felt all the wording/phrases weren’t completely appropriate to share with those in the 6-9 year old age range. I’ve not had a child those ages yet but from my experiences as a teacher it seems like a pretty big age spread.

This is another book where I will let you decide for yourself if this is appropriate for your family and your children.

Have a day of blessings!

Book review: God Made Your Body by Jim Burns

A new series called Pure Foundations is being released by Bethany House Publishers. One of the books is God Made Your Body, which is said to be for children ages 3-5.

I totally agree with the author that as parents we need to provide “values-centered sex education at home.” This is important and maybe never more important than it is now with all the conflicting information our children will hear in the world. This book is to be used by parents as a way to introduce children to the idea that God created their body and begin laying the foundation of the basics of sexuality. According to the book, one of the goals of this series is to help the child develop trust in their parents so they will want to talk about these issues when they’re older.

There were some things I really liked about this book. I enjoyed the photographs in this book. A variety of children and families were used as well as some diagrams. I liked that questions were asked related to the text, like “What are you good at doing?” These type questions help engage the children in the text they are hearing.

What I didn’t like was some of the word choice used by this author. As it begins talking about babies, it says how “mommy and daddy come together in a special way called making love.” I don’t really think this is necessary to share with 3-5 year olds. My philosophy has been to not give more information than is needed. There is no point in my opinion to overwhelm a child with terms and phrases, especially at this preschool age.

I will say you will have to decide for yourself if you think this book will be appropriate for your family and children. The post above this one is for the next book in this series.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers: Week #39

This week's verse is another one about the words we say. It is Proverbs 21:23--

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."

Please share prayer requests this week and join me in praying for these requests too.

~ Orion. His MRI last week showed the tumor to not have any significant changes at this time and they plan to do 5 more radiation treatments then wean him off the steroids.

~ Rachel, Kristi's daughter.

~ Michele and her family.

~ Denise.

~ family whose twins died. I received this request in an email this week. A couple who'd previously lost twins late in pregnancy found their 2 year old twin sons had died in the night due to air conditioning/heating system malfunction. So tragic.

There are many others I've read about this week. There is power in prayer. I'm so thankful we can talk to our Father about these needs.

Thanks for stopping by today. I plan to post some book reviews this week as I'm finishing up some books. Also I'll have a Laced with Grace devotional on Wednesday. I look forward to visiting you this week.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: Simplicity

Join us at Women Taking A Stand today for Thankful Thursday.

Laurie has chosen simplicity for today's theme. One of the definitions of simplicity is: "freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts." Sometimes I hear people say "back in the good ol' days...." We have so much going on in our lives on a daily basis. I think it would do us all good to take some time frequently to step away from it all, take a break from the busy rush of life and live a more simple life. We miss out in the rush that we fail to notice the simple...things like a baby's smile, the circles made by rain dropping in a puddle, and the sounds of the wind through the tall grass.

What are you thankful for today? I'm thankful for...

~ my sweet, loving husband. I went to the dentist this week and found out I have to have some work done on my teeth. After I left I went straight to my husband's office. He immediately comforted me and hugged me. I'm so thankful he knew exactly what I needed at that moment.

~ my sweet boy who is such a hard worker.

~ nice cool fall weather.

~ enjoying an audio book. It's been fun to listen to as I've been driving around. It is my first time to listen to a book and I wasn't sure I'd like it. But it's been great!

~ those who protect us and our country.

Have a day of blessings!

Unexpected delays

I'm sitting in traffic as I type. I have been here over an hour now, trying to get the few hundred yards to my exit to get home. I wonder what those in the vehicles around me are thinking and feeling. Are they mad? Are they late for an important meeting? Is anyone sick and needing to get home to rest? Probably someone was going to have lunch with a friend and they won't make it. I'm so glad I didn't tell Caleb I'd eat lunch with him today as I'd considered.

I have talked to my husband. He found out there was an accident claiming the lives of three people, plus others with injuries.

Why am I sitting here? I had the thought as I headed towards home that I'd be home by 11 today. It's now 12:37. I made a stop at the grocery store for my husband. I'd gone to the store yesterday, but I'd missed Grapenuts that he'd written on my list. Since I was in town I stopped by to pick them up for him. I can't help but think maybe I didn't see it on my list yesterday so I wouldn't be involved in the accident today. (Later I found out it was up the interstate a bit more than I would have traveled. Still I know God had a reason for me to be sitting there. That hasn't happened to me in a long time and I don't think ever when I've been by myself.)

What attitude do you have when you face unexpected delays in life? This goes back to the idea that we have a choice about our attitudes. So I sit and wait. I've listened to my audio CD of Karen Kingsbury's Take One, balanced the checkbook, and read some from another book.

Join me in saying a prayer for the families of those who lost their lives.

PS: I got home and it's 12:55. I did get home by 1. Thank you God.

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian home keepers (September)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another as Christian home keepers. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.


Here is a link to the answer to last week's question.

Today's question: Today is the first day of fall! Do you decorate your house for fall? What special things do you do in your home to give it a touch of fall?

My answer: I have a few decorations I put out but not many. I enjoy finding new little things to hang or sit on the counter. I have painted wooden fall leaves that I hang. I have some pumpkins too that I sit out. I want to get a little scarecrow for the door. I love to see the cute fall decorations out in the stores.

I look forward to your ideas.

Have a day of blessings!

Weekend and Wordle

(Created using Wordle)

I saw a word cloud on Debbie's over at Heart Choices so I copied her and did one also! I played around on the wordle site in the summer during my continuing ed course, and it's fun to see the different creations it makes using your blog or whatever words you give it.

I hope you've had a nice weekend. We were at home mostly. The boys went to a train show on Saturday. Caleb was our little chef and made us a very interesting appetizer to go with our supper Saturday evening. It had chocolate syrup, peanut butter, saltine crackers, Goldfish, and
"nips" (which are little bite-size Cheese Its that he calls nips). He wouldn't eat any of it. He served it to us with supper. It was tasty!

Sunday at church the sermon was on "Attitude" and the passage from Philippians 2. Something that stuck out to me was that we have a choice about the attitude we have. I am going to remember that this week! We got to have lunch with my aunt and cousin. It was nice to see them.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus...." Philippians 2:5

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers: Week #38

This week's memory verse is Proverbs 21:21--

"He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor."

~ Maxey family in the loss of their daughter, Annette, this past week. They had another daughter, Madeline, who died in 2004.

~ Continued prayers for Orion. Pray for his parents as they continue to be on an emotional roller coaster. It seems they see a little bit of progress in one area and then a decline in another area. Pray for Orion's brother and sister as well as they are having to be separated from their parents right now as they are at the hospital with Orion.

~ Kristi's daughter, Rachel.

~ friend Jeana.

~ Christine, Debbie's sister, as she recovers from her surgery. Pray for her eye sight.

~ my friend Pamela had a friend pass away recently. She was a young mother. Pray for her children and husband.

~ our country. I was directed to this blog post (Thanks, Christy). I did not know this was happening. Read it for yourself and see how our country needs Christians to pray.

I'm joining in to share these prayer requests on Spiritual Sundays today.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: His Masterpiece

We are at Women Taking a Stand today for Thankful Thursday if you'd like to join us. Laurie chose the theme of "God's Masterpiece" for us today.

Isn't it wonderful to think each of us matters to God? He cares for us and created each of us to be a beautiful masterpiece. During our family Bible lesson time, we are talking about God our Creator. It is just amazing to think how God made Adam using the dust and then breathed life into him. My simple mind just can't fathom. Caleb said when he gets to Heaven he wants to see how God does that! I think that would be pretty amazing if we could see a glimpse of what that was like when Adam was created!

Thinking of the theme of masterpiece, I'm also thankful for new life. Our niece Avery arrived last Thursday evening. We're all thankful for her safe arrival! It is always amazing to me to see a new little one and know that it was God's design for us to start as little babies. His plan is perfect!

This week I'm also thankful for...

~ my husband's knowledge and being able to share his knowledge in his work. He had a couple presentations to do this week. I'm proud of him!

~ our sweet son being "dominated" (nominated) at school. He came home excited because the principal called him on stage, he was recognized for good hall behavior. They are focusing on respect this week and he said that is what it was for. We're proud of him!

~ sweet blogging friends who pray for me! Thanks so much!

~ rain. Last weekend was rainy here. It was wonderful to have rain. Caleb loved getting out his rain coat and rain boots. He doesn't get to wear them for real rain very often. (He likes to pretend often though!)

~ my Mom coming over. She cleaned our bathrooms for us (she mentioned this in an email and I took her up on her offer), made us dessert and left it for us to enjoy, and cared for Caleb when he got sick in the night over the weekend.

What are you giving thanks for today? Be thankful!

"The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

Have a day of blessings!

September: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

You may have seen on other blogs or sites that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The gold ribbon below is one that stays in my sidebar. I got it from fellow blogger Christy. Take a minute to visit her blog and read her her story of how cancer forever changed the life of her and her family.

It seems more and more I hear of children battling cancer. My hearts go out to these families. I don't know what all they are facing, but I want to come along beside them and support and encourage anyway I can.


Here are some names of a few children you can pray for today that are battling cancer: Anderson, Kate, Clayton, Orion, Elizabeth, Jaime, Isaiah


Also remember the families of these children who are now cancer free in Heaven: Cheyenne, Catie, Jordyn, Amy



You can find out more about Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by visiting CureSearch



Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian parents (September)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another as Christian parents. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is a link to the answer to last week's question. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Today's question: Share a funny story about your child or a child in your life.

My answer: Caleb is always doing things that bring a smile to my face and make me laugh. One thing he's done was make mud. After school he had out his crayons and tablet. I looked at what he was doing and it was a brown and black odd shape. Then he went to cut it out and stuck it on the floor. He told me don't step in the mud! Then he made another mud puddle to put by the door so Daddy would step into it on the way home. I love his creative.

I look forward to getting some laughs at the funny things your children have done!

Also, click on the link above for your chance to win a copy of Max Lucado's new book "Fearless" at Laced With Grace. I totally meant to post about this sooner and forgot to do it over the weekend! Hurry and go over to see how you can win before it's too late!

Have a day of blessings!

The Beauty of Jesus

Sunday morning we sang a song called "Let the Beauty of Jesus." I did find the lyrics on a site if you aren't familiar with this song (You'll have to scroll down, the titles are in blue in alphabetical order.) as well as some information about it's composer. I will paste the lyrics here too.

When I was looking online for the lyrics, I found some articles about the song that raised the question "what is the beauty of Jesus?" What makes Him beautiful? This song is not talking about physical beauty we see on the outside. In I Peter we see we are to follow Christ's example. Some of the things I think of that describe Him include selfless, compassionate, servant, patient, and forgiving. I challenge you to make your own list of words that describe the beauty of Jesus. Focus on these attributes this week in your life so others will see the beauty of Jesus in you.

I thought this song would be good to focus on at the beginning of the week. What can I do this week to let the beauty of Jesus be seen in my life? I hope it will cause you to stop and think as well what you can do to show that beauty to others.

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." I Peter 2:21

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers: Week #37

This week's verse is Proverbs 21:13.

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."

Do you have any prayer requests this week? I've seen several lately through other blogs of families who really need prayer. Today I'm going to focus my prayers on personal praises. Please share any requests or praises you may have in the comments too.

~ safe arrival of our new niece Avery on Thursday, September 10.

~ wonderful rain we have been receiving here.

~ the adjustment Caleb has made in going to school.

Have a day of blessings!

Remember...

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday: Undeserved Kindness

It's time again for Thankful Thursday! I hope you're having a good day. The week has felt fast for me and Tuesday I thought it was Monday because of the holiday. Join us for Thankful Thursday this month at Women Taking a Stand.

Our theme today is undeserved kindness. How long has it been since you did something for someone as a surprise to them, maybe without them even knowing who did it? I've been on both the receiving and giving end of such surprises. It is so fun to brighten someone's day. What's fun about it is that it doesn't even have to be giving something big. It can be something as simple as waiting the extra couple of seconds to hold open a door for someone who has their hands full. I've had some of these passed on to me this week...one that comes to mind is a pretty bookmark in the mail from a friend. Try to find ways today to surprise people with kindness.



This week I'm thankful for...




~ my sweet husband coming home with roses. Here is a picture for you. He knew I was frustrated and disappointed about some things. I told him his calling me had helped, he didn't have to get me flowers. But it was really sweet! The little sign hanging on the wall in the background of this picture says "Happiness is being married to your best friend." It always makes me smile when I see it because it's true.





~ my little fire fighter! The other day after school he got into his "full gear" and full fire fighter mode. I have missed having him playing through the house when he's at school, and I just loved hearing and seeing him play fire fighter. Here are his pants pushed down around his boots (like real fire fighters do) as he is "sleeping" waiting for the alarm to ring.

~ cooler weather. Maybe I said this last week but we had a nice cool breeze this afternoon that felt just wonderful! It makes me excited for fall.

~ comfort the Lord gives. Last week's Thankful Thursday was about "slow down." Tonight our family Bible lesson was about God resting on the 7th day. This afternoon as I was reading a devotional book it was also about rest.

~ food to eat. My heart has been touched by seeing the faces of those who come to the food pantry for food. They can come once a month so it is a new group each week. I'm thankful for programs to assist those who need it and thankful that our family has food to eat.


"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." Genesis 2:2

Be thankful!

Have a day of blessings!

As long as it is called Today: Christian wives/husbands (September)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another as Christian wives and husbands. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is a link to the answer to last week's question. I loved reading about your favorite hymns!

Today's question: Share a reason you are thankful for your spouse. Type it here and then maybe you can even share it with him/her and brighten his/her day!

My answer: Thank you, sweetie, for all the little things you do every day to make me smile. All those things really do make a big difference. I'm blessed to be your wife!

(Be sure to check out my review of Max Lucado's new book also in the previous post!)

Have a day of blessings!

2009 Book #38: Fearless by Max Lucado

One of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, has a new book from Thomas Nelson publishers called Fearless. This release is perfect for the uncertainty and worries plaguing so many today. Each chapter focuses on a different fear we face in life. Some of these include fear of not mattering, fear of disappointing God, fear of not protecting my kids, fear of violence, fear of life’s final moments, and fear that God is not real.

The fears we face in this life are real. This book is a wonderful reminder, however, that through Christ we do not need to be afraid. Did you know that of the 125 imperatives of Christ in the Gospels that “21 urge us to ‘not be afraid’ or ‘not fear’ or ‘have courage’ or ‘take heart’ or ‘be of good cheer’ (page 10)? This is encouraging! I cannot say just how much I enjoyed this book and the timely message shared. One thing I appreciated was the relevant Bible verse at the beginning of each chapter. I highly recommend that you buy it and read it for yourself.

Another resource is a booklet called Imagine Your Life Without Fear. This wonderful resource would be nice to give to those needing encouraging word.

The website is also an additional resource to go along with this book.

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and also in me...I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." John 14:1, 3 NLT

Have a day of blessings!

2009 Book #37: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist is an enjoyable historical fiction novel. The setting is 1860s in Seattle.

Anna Ivey leaves her home and heads West, signing on to be a cook. Joe Denton has signed a contract with Asa Mercer for a bride. His land is at stake if he doesn't get a bride within the time frame set by the judge. Mercer delivers Anna who has only agreed to be a cook. One might think Anna will agree to be Joe's bride, but she will not budge on her position against marriage. Will Joe be able to find a bride before it’s too late and he loves his beloved land?

This is the first book I read by this author, and I enjoyed it. I found it interesting that actual events were used to create the story. I have read many Christian books and found some of the details in this one to be a bit much. There were no inappropriate scenes but a couple times I felt like too much was said regarding Joe’s thoughts towards Anna. The setting, characters, and story were all entertaining and it is well written in my opinion.

Have a day of blessings!

Proverbs & Prayers Week #36

This week's verse is Proverbs 21:3

"To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

Please remember the following people in prayer. Also leave your prayer requests in the comments or email me.

~ Michele and family as they have moved.

~ Rachel, Kristi's daughter. (see button on sidebar)

~ Orion...he is having surgery this week to put in a feeding tube.

~ still waiting on my BIL/SIL's baby to arrive. Maybe this week.

Have a day of blessings!

Dark clouds and sunshine Part 2

On Wednesday I talked about the importance of not complaining. You can read that post by clicking here if you would like. Today I'd like to talk about why it's important that we aren't complainers.

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:12-16

Did you catch that? Right after Paul says not to complain we find the phrase SO THAT. This phrase should make you go back and reread what you just read and put it all together. The reason we need to not complain is "so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation."

It's not hard to look around and see we live in a crooked and depraved generation. By not complaining we are doing one thing that makes us different from the world...one thing to be a little more like Jesus wants us to be. We can be shining stars to those around us. If we complain and gripe just as much as the person behind us in the line at the supermarket, are we really being any different? Maybe the people around us would take notice if we chose positive words to speak to the cashier instead of the normal complaints.

This reminds me that you never know who is watching or who is listening to your murmurings and complaints. I'd much rather have a kind word or be humming to myself as I go about my business than to have a scowl on my face and murmurings on my lips that someone else notices.

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by today!

Thankful Thursday: Slow Down

Our hostess for Thankful Thursday this month is Laurie at Women Taking a Stand. She has chosen slow down for the theme today. And what perfect timing that is! I have had a full busy day and I'm thankful now to just stop and reflect on my blessings.

We live in a busy world. People are always on the go and connected. Too often I think we forget we need to just stop and rest. Even God rested after six days of creation. On the seventh day He rested. We also read in the Bible how Jesus would go off to a quiet place by Himself. We need to follow these examples and rest.

What are you thankful for today? Here are some of the things I'm giving thanks for today...

~ my husband's support. He has always been supportive of me and that is just an amazing, wonderful thing to me. I am thankful to know he is behind me cheering me on in the things I do.

~ my sweet son's excitement over books. We got to to to a book sale after school one day and he was so excited. We stopped first for some ice cream at Chick fil a and he told the girl in the play area, "we're going to a book sale after this." I loved how excited he was about getting more books!!

~ being able to continue to be at home. I have been thinking about this all week about what a blessing it is to be able to be here. There are just no words to express my thankfulness at this blessing.

~ the cooler weather. I love the cool breeze I've been feeling in the mornings.

~ making it through several "firsts" the past couple of weeks with Caleb in school. We are both adjusting well to our new schedule, I'm thankful for that.

Have a blessed day of thankfulness! I will leave you with this verse I saw on Debra's blog Wednesday night. God bless you!

"But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.

17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Psalm 59:16, 17

Dark clouds and sunshine

How many times a day do you hear the people around you complaining? We complain about the weather because it is too hot and too dry but if it rains we complain that it’s raining too much. We complain about our coworkers because they aren’t doing their jobs like we think they should. We complain about our children because they talk too much. We complain about our spouses because they come home to relax on the couch after work instead of taking out the trash or feeding the dog the minute they come in the door. We complain about the price of gas. We complain about the poor service we receive while eating out. Pregnant women complain about being pregnant. Women complain about men, men complain about women.

If we look to God’s Word, we can find many references to complaining. Other words used for “complaining,” depending on the translation you use, are grumbling or murmuring. What does the Word say about complaining? We know the Israelites complained many times. It didn’t please God to hear their complaints, and we shouldn't be complainers either.

In Philippians 2:14, it says “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

Do you notice when you complain or just when other people do it and it gets on your nerves? How do you feel when complaining? You’re probably not cheerful and in a good mood. It feels dark and dreary to be around someone who is always complaining about everything.

As Christians we need to be careful that whatever we find ourselves doing we aren’t complaining. Instead we need to be thankful and speak positive words. Be thankful for the rain because the earth is dry. Be thankful you have a job. Be thankful you have ears to hear your children speak. Be thankful your spouse provides for your family. Be thankful you have a vehicle to fill with gas. Be thankful you have money to enjoy eating out and consider maybe the waitress would rather be at home with her family instead of at a second job to make ends meet for the month. Be thankful for the child you are carrying and the precious gift God has given you.
If you look for ways to give thanks instead of complain, you will have a better outlook and a better day. Also you'll be spreading some sunshine to those around you instead of being a dark cloud over their day.

Come back on Friday (tomorrow is Thankful Thursday!) for the reason it’s important for us not to complain.

As long as it is called Today: Christian women/men (September)

Welcome to "As long as it is called Today" as we encourage one another as Christians. I hope you will join me each week on Tuesdays as we encourage each other in our daily lives as Christians, spouses, parents, and home keepers.

Here is a link to last week's post.

Today's question: What is your favorite hymn and why?

My answer: I have many favorites but one in particular is "Because He Lives." This song encourages me every time we sing it. I don't know how many times we've sung this on a Sunday morning, and it touched me and brought peace to my heart to know that I don't have to worry about what's happening tomorrow or next week because HE lives.

I look forward to reading your answers to this question! Thanks for participating!