thehereandafter

As all of you might know I love a little snow! I drive my family crazy (and thank you Daddy for always playing along with me:) watching and reporting the weather if it forecasts any precip and temps anywhere around 35 degrees....I pray and wish for snow! And as the northeast was bracing for blizzard conditions God blessed us with a steady but light snowfall during the early morning hours of Saturday and into Saturday around lunch.    The Barnes’ estate looked beautiful dressed in a fresh blanket of snow white. Of course, we took pictures…Russell and I,  at 4 a.m. hanging out the front door, not wanting to disturb the beautiful white flakes that covered our front deck. And as the sun started to rise I couldn't keep myself from looking out the windows. The property and the trees, with it’s carpet of white, lumps of snow hanging to all the branches overhead, and the sprinkle of snow that falls from the heavens as the wind blows is a perfect picture only our Creator can paint. As

With the start of a new year comes lists of resolutions, renewed commitments, fresh outlooks, grand doses of resolve, a lot of reflection....most of us look at the new year as a fresh beginning, new start to change ways and put our best foot (feet) forward. On the internet there are tons of "bucket list" and setting "Goals" templates to print and fill in. We all want the coming year to be a little or a lot better than the past year....we want to grow and be better people...we want our relationships to improve, and we want prosperity and happiness....or more! This past year, in my life, I have attempted (and you see I used the word "attempted" as I have not mastered the following) to learn to simplify...to be more focused on others...to be restful in my spirit....to turn my face to God and empty myself to him...to praise God in all and every circumstance. It has been a real hard, it has been a test and I will not ask God to show me my report card becau

I have a smart phone with the weather app on it and when I open the app, up comes the latest story....RAIN. When I turn on the national news the big story is the RAIN. Upon waking in the morning my husband turns to me and states, that again today, it is RAINING! For the past week or so the weather has dominated the news and the lives of most of us. It has rained and rained and rained . Today, though, I was thinking about rain in a totally different way. The Lord brought this verse to me during my prayer time ..."Rain down, you heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it." Isaiah 45:8. God is commanding blessings to fall upon his people and he is beseeching his people....us...to willingly and gratefully receive them and to walk worthy of the blessings he rains upon us. What God is illustrating in these words are the righteousne