Waiting on the truck

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


Friday afternoon we sat up at The Master's Hands waiting on our monthly truck to come in.  We were all in the coffee shop hanging out.  Talking, laughing and just enjoying each others company.  We see each other several times a week if not everyday.  But, we rarely get a chance to just fellowship with each other with no interruptions.  We have to take time to enjoy each others company.  It can't be all work, we have to take time to fellowship.  It recharges our batteries.  

Then on Saturday, Steven was close to a melt down most of the morning.  He had decided we needed to go to church and see everyone.  I am not sure why he thought everyone would be there a day early.  He really wanted to see Tami, Winnie, Bert and everybody else.  He was craving the fellowship he gets on Sunday morning.  He didn't want to wait, he wanted it now!  He calmed down after getting a nap and didn't ask for it anymore.  

Shouldn't we all be like that?  Maybe not the meltdown, but the craving of fellowship.  We need to crave being around other Christians and enjoying spending time with them.   We need to remember that we all belong to one body and to each other.  Romans 12:4-5 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Take Care and God Bless,
Sherri

Snow, snow and more snow

Matthew 18:10

For where two or three are gathered together in my name,bthere I am in the midst of them.

Well, once again we are looking out our windows and seeing snow.  Praying that it isn't enough to cancel school, but time will tell.  We have had more snow this winter than usual.  During the winter, I rarely believe that we are going to get the snowfall they call for.  It usually just passes us by and life goes on.  This winter though I prepare for it, because we have been getting slammed with most of what they say we will get.  Steven has been out of school so much, it is driving even him nuts.  

Then we also have The Master's Hands being closed when there is no school due to the weather.  So much so that we did stay open a couple of days just so we could get the food line run.  We had so many days off in December and January, it was unreal.  

I so miss being up at MH when we are closed.  It is wonderful to be around all of the people that come up not only to work, but just to visit and have coffee. (While typing that last line, I got the call.  No school tomorrow. )  I guess I will just have to hang out with my boy and my hubby.  Which in and of itself is nice.  

Fellowship at home is as important as church and other places we get together with fellow Christians.  It doesn't come by easy around here and I think I will like it.  Yep, I see a half way lazy day in my future tomorrow.

Take time to fellowship with those in your house and praise God together.  Remember you don't have to be with a bunch of Christians for God to be present.  But the more you are around the others, the more uplifted you will feel.  The more opportunity there will be for you to help others and they help you.

Take care and God Bless,

Sherri

Some Daddy and boy time.  Steven was helping Bryan with checking the tires and such on the truck and trailer.

Learn to count, please

An excerpt from What Does the Bible Say About That by Carolyn Larsen

Obedience-Time to Face the Facts

If you say you love God, but don't obey what you know he wants you to do, then your love may be only lip service.  God doesn't insist that you obey because he wants to run your life.  He want you to obey because obeying him helps you be a better person-more kind, fair, loving, and considerate. Obeying him means obeying others isn't an issue.  Obeying puts your love into action.


Today I am going to talk about my fear for the future of this community.  I remember working at Hardee's and having to figure out the change people got back.  Then actually counting it back to them.  Today, it is figured out for them with the computerized cash registers.  Yet, somehow in the past week, I have had three young people at three separate businesses mess up on my order.  I don't remember the specifics on the first, other than I had to point out they were giving me to much change.  The second one happened yesterday.  My order totaled $12.04 and I gave them $20.04 so I get $8 back, easy right?  Nope I got 13.55 back.  Then when I said something he took back a nickel.  I looked at the kid and said I thought it was $12.04.  He said oh thanks and took the rest of the change back.  I again said something to him and so he took everything back and looked at it again.  Finally, I got the right change back.  Today, I went to pay for an order and it didn't seem like I was charged enough.  They said that everything was on there.  When I got the receipt, they charged me for one cookie and not three.  I pointed this out to them and they said no problem just take it.  Seriously?  It is a good thing I am honest.  It makes me wonder how many people they have done this to that aren't honest. This is a scary thought how much the businesses could be losing due to this.  We are a small community, a real small community.  Not a 50,000 people community.  It is hard enough, let alone with people giving away money.  I would love to say that people who say they are Christians would be honest about this.  Unfortunately there are a lot of people who say they are Christians, but don't live it.  Which is why others who are honest have a problem with going to church with "Christians" who do this.  Please don't let those who pretend keep you from fellowshipping and worshipping God with true Christians.

Take care and God bless,
Sherri

Confusion

I just love when I go online to look up information on a problem.  One site says do this and then another site says the exact opposites.  I decided to go online tonight to try and find suggestions on what type of clothing is good and warm for people who have Fibromyalgia.  I was outside in this lovely weather unloading a truck of dairy products.  I all but froze myself.  The truckload was a blessing, but my fibromyalgia did not like it one bit.  I decided it was time to try and find warm clothing.  A cold literally hurts me.  So, I go on one website and it tells me to wear cotton and dark clothing.  Then I go to another one in it says don’t wear cotton and wear light clothing.  I guess I should know there’s no shortcut.  It always comes down to a matter of trial and error.  Of course after talking to a friend about Raynaud’s, I looked up info on it.  Guess what, I had all the symptoms of it too.  Getting older sucks and that I’m not confused about.

Fellowship brings blessings

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


Lately God has been laying on my heart about the importance of being with fellow Christians on a regular basis.  I am going to spend the next several weeks posting several blogs about it.  


As I am writing this, I have tears for a another wonderful, loving Christian man that God has called home. They aren't really tears of sadness, but of how much I will miss the blessing of being around him.  I rejoice that he knew God and is now with Him.   

It is so easy to bless others around you.  Even a smile can do the trick or a simple hello.  You will find that the more you think you are blessing others, that you are being blessed by them.  It is part of God's plan to help us grow in Him.  It part of why it is important to being in the midst of Christians on a regular basis.  God knows that we need to be blessed and to be filled time and time again with the godly love of others.  

It is truly amazing to see what God has in store for you if you just go and follow His voice.  God will not lead you into a place that He will not be by your side.  For some it is a task as simple as talking to a neighbor who needs an ear.  Where as others are called to go out and work with the homeless on the streets.  There are even those called to go out to other parts of the world to spread God's blessings.  Others of us travel the US spreading God's love.  

It doesn't matter how small or how big of a task God has set for you.  Every single task is just as important as the next.  God puts us where we can best be used.  He will lead us to be His vessel.  

It is like a lady that came in today to the food bank.  She had been in Friday and needed enough to get her through to Monday.  She thanked me for the items I gave her when she came in.  They were exactly what she was needing.  I told her that God has a way of making sure that happens.  

God will put you in situations that you are comfortable with and you know why you are there.  Other times, you will feel uneasy and have no clue what God was thinking.  Just remember to trust God and let His blessing run through you to others.

Take care and God bless,
Sherri


One of the things I love most is to hear and watch the geese as they migrate.  This picture was taken by my friend Bev at Red Hills State Park.

When life gives you lemons, count your blessings.

Psalm 103:2

Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits

The lemon list

uncontrolled depression

It is amazing when you type in symptoms into web md that it comes up being part of your depression.  There are things I never realized were connected to depression

A son with autism that enjoys screaming for no reason at all.  I got some strange looks when I was going through the bank drive through and Steven scream bloody murder for unknown reasons 

Fibromyalgia, with the cold weather and having to be outside some today the wind was literally hurting me

Not having enough time to get paperwork done

I know there are others, but I will stop there

The blessings list

I live in a country where I can get help that I need for my depression

A child that is 19 but still loves to hug his mom and tell me he loves me.  Also tonight, he fell as sleep early.

A loving husband, family, church family, spiritual family @ MH and friends

Not having enough time to get paperwork done-you have to love all the trucks God sends us to have product to give the people in this county.

My depression has been hitting me hard today.  So much, that I am going to finally listen to God and start therapy.  I have music therapy going right now.  A new Los Lonely Boys came out today, so I’m listening to it.  After that, I will find more soothing music to listen to. 

If you are reading this and you have depression that you’re not getting treated, please do not be like me.  I took too long to get on medication and much too long to decide on therapy.  I know that used easier said than done.  I will never forget all of the thoughts that went through my head before I started medication.  They are a lot of what is going through my head now.  God gave us medication and therapy to help us be stronger.  We have to remember that to many people misuse and abuse it.  We can’t let those negative connotations stop us from what we need to do.  Anybody who is reading this and has questions or need help getting started on the path to wellness please contact me. I am serious here, don't hesitate to contact me on Facebook or at one of the ways below.

mousehill7@gmail.com    Skype: mousehill7    

I pray that you all find the comfort and love you need in God.  Surround yourself with people who will uplift you and take your needs before God on your behalf.  They are out there; I will do what I can to help you find them.

Take Care and God Bless,

Sherri

Bloom where you are planted

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

This week has been a little bit of a strange one.  There have been times where I absolutely thought I couldn’t go on.  Then there were other times even though things were rough it was wonderful.  A lot of this week has been a blur and honestly I don’t remember a lot of details.  It was a busy week at The Master’s Hands.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Of course things can get really hectic at home with Steven.  But things have been wonderful overall.  Thursday night it was cold and windy and possibly even snowing.  And everything in my house was wonderful.  We all sat in a living room Steven on the computer, Bryan on the couch, and I was in the big purple chair.  We sat watching old Dukes episodes.  All I could think was how great of a life I have.  Bryan is gone a lot in the truck and Steven can make me want to pull my hair out.  But God has us right where we need to be and I have to trust in him.

Today was a little bit of a rough one.  But one filled with a lot of little blessings.  Steven helped heat up his pancakes in the microwave, helped with the laundry (without being asked to), then he helped load the dishwasher, and even picked up some around the house.  The most impressive thing, he did it without complaint.

Then tonight, Uncle Jeff and Jenn came over for supper.  We had a good time tonight and Steven got very very wound.  But, that happens with Uncle Jeff around, it has always been that way.  I would be worried if it didn't happen when Jeff was there.  It was great having family over; I think we need to have company more often.  Not too long after they left, Steven was ready for bed.  He had a long exciting day, not to mention a cranky one at times. 

Take care and God bless,

Sherri