Happier!

Funny title, but it is true!  Plus, there was an app advertised on Facebook yesterday with the same title.  So of course I had to check it out.  It's really a sweet little social app where you can read what is making other people happy, along with posting your own happy moments.  I must have spent a good 15 minutes just reading uplifting and positive comments and personal stories.  With all the cynisism and negativity that surrounds us daily through the media and other social sites, this is such a breath of fresh air.  

There is an online course that will help you become a more positive person associated with the Happier app.  Of course there is a fee for that, but the app itself is free.  And I love free!  

Check it out!  It's simple!  Here's a screenshot...

Easy peeesy.  Nice to have that little icon on your phone to remind you, even if you don't make a status update.

One more thing I found on Facebook this  morning that really hit home.  Yet another reason I am 'Happier'.

And all God's people say AMEN!

Blessings,

Karen 

New Year 2014

Happy New Year!  And to all that read this, may you find happiness and contentment in the coming year.  I wanted to start off with a snippet from a love letter from my Heavenly Father...

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!... Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

Isn't that awesome?  He writes the most wonderful things, many of which I have forgotten or yet to discover!

The year 2013 was full of all sorts of 'stuff'.  There was lots of good stuff, and there was lots of bad stuff.  When it came to the bad stuff, this child of God was making some very unwise decisions and harboring some very self-destructive emotions and thoughts.  UGH.  I would like to take it all back (wouldn't we all?), but if that would be the case I would not be sitting here today feeling a sense of peace and having hope.  This has been a very hard journey; emotionally, physically and spiritually.  All of which obviously needed some repairs.

God has a way about Him.  I couldn't understand why the challenges were there, why the tension was getting higher, why this wasn't working and that wasn't helping, what in the world was going on?  ....  I just couldn't see past my own nose.  God knew, and He chose to let me struggle until the exact moment when He knew I was totally broken to reveal the answers.  He knew I had lessons to learn, and they wouldn't GET learned if I didn't struggle.  Yes, He knows me pretty well.  

This isn't to say that now that the 'light' is back on, there won't be further life struggles or disappointments.  But I want to make 2014 a year to consciously make the effort to make each DAY special, each PERSON I meet feel accepted and loved, and never take things for granted.  Life here on earth just doesn't hold any guarantees.

Like the verse says "I'm doing a new thing", let's start celebrating with a large iced coffee.  Sounds rather small, but to me this is a HUGE treat.  Plus it's homemade.  :)

There is a Cornish hen involved with this, too.  Don't forget, my husband's hobby is being a chef!  

Shall we make 2014 a year of daily celebrations and fun?  Why not!  There is SO very much to be thankful for, and many many people to hug, make laugh, honor, and love.

Today is going to be one of probably MANY days I'm going to say thank you for blessing this world with coffee, Lord........ 

Sing it, Frank!  Get this year started with a jolt!!!

Peace and love.....
Karen 

The Perfect Number 7

I wanted to mark today as "Year Number Seven", seven years since we lost our son, Tyler. It is amazing how God can give us such peace with such a simple thing as a number. Nothing can ever take the place of Ty, nor do we want anything to. But I believe God has put this on my heart today to just give that little extra calm to my life and my memories. Thanksgiving is usually very hard on my heart, but this year was a Thanksgiving to truly be THANKFUL for - family... and all of them surrounding us and letting us love them and laugh with them.

Tyler's marker reads '777', and not by our doing. It was what was offered. But in a tragic time, it was a sign of peace to us.

In Scripture, we are given many instances of God's use of the number seven. It's perfectness.

Look at the BibleWheel.com has to say about the number seven:

1. God marked the Bible with the Number Seven because it is the fulness of God's revelation!

2. God marked the Bible with the Number Seven because it is His Oath! His Promise! His Covenant!

3. The phrase seven times is used frequently in Scripture to mark the work of God. The Levitcal Priests were told to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice seven times, Joshua was ordered to march around Jericho seven times, and Namaan was told to wash in the Jordan seven times to be cleansed of leprosy.

4. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

5. Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

6. Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7. Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and herested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

The following is from Bible-History.com (more examples):

The Number 7

The number 7 perhaps speaks of perfection or completeness. God's complete provision in His dealings with men.

Some examples:

7 days make a complete week

7 colors make a perfect spectrum

7 great land masses form a complete earth

7 notes make a perfect scale

7 great bodies of water form a complete ocean

There were the 7 days of creation as well as many other examples throughout the Scriptures:

Zech 3:9 For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,' says the LORD of hosts, `And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Rev 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

To the Jew every 7th day was a Sabbath.

Every 7th year was a Sabbatical year.

After the 7th Sabbatical year was the year of Jubilee.

Every 7th month was holy and had 3 feasts.

There were 7 weeks between Passover and Pentecost.

The Passover feast lasted 7 days.

The feast of Tabernacles lasted 7 days.

At Passover 14 lambs (7 twice) were offered daily.

At Tabernacles 14 lambs (7 twice) and 70 bullocks were offered.

At Pentecost 7 lambs were offered.

The time of mourning the dead was fixed to 7 days.

and so on...

Seven continues to have symbolic prominence in the New Testament, with Jesus telling Peter that it is not enough that he forgive the brother who had sinned against him seven times, but "seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). Seven is also the number of Greek-speaking Christians appointed by the Twelve Apostles in Acts 6:3.

The New Testament concludes in a "great surge of sevens, with heptads, explicit and implicit, tumbling forth from many verses."

In the Book of Revelation there were:

The 7 letters to the 7 Churches.

The 7 Seal Judgements

The 7 Trumpet Judgements

The 7 Bowl Judgements

The 7 Golden Lampstands

The 7 Stars

The 7 Angels

The 7 Spirits of God

The Lamb with 7 Horns and 7 Eyes.

The 7 Lamps of Fire

The 7 Thunders

The Fiery Red Dragon with 7 heads and 7 Crowns.

The Leopard-Like Beast with 7 heads.

The Scarlet-Colored Beast with 7 heads.

The 7 Mountains

The 7 Kings

Now you all have a little insight into why the number seven means something to us today. It is the way things are to be, whether is it be pleasant or not.

But there is peace.

While You Were Sleeping

I hear him finally sleeping and undisturbed. He has slept so lightly the last 4 days and wakes to the slightest noise. So I will grab these few moments to tell his story.

My dear one only wanted to see a friend and shoot some pool on his way home from a practice session that ended early. All of which he did. One never knows though who you might meet while playing pool, hence the introduction of an anonymous pool player. After playing for an hour or two and visiting with his dear friend, he decides it's time to come home where he belongs. Anonymous pool player asks for a ride and after hearing the destination, my guy in his white hat knows it's on his way home and says, "Of course! No problem." One mile into the ride, it was lights out; cold cocked in the eye, wallet stolen, and woke up over two hours later in his car that had been parked at a closed gas station. Mind you, my man only has sight in one eye, and that was the one selected as the lights out switch. Keys were left in the car, briefcase still there, nothing else was gone except the money he had collected from working for the band. His kindness had turned into a nightmare for him.

How do people do this? What clicks in their heads to even have the thought come to them? Plus we are not that young anymore - why target an old guy?

I only write so facts be known. The world loves to embellish. But we have a God who loves us and he's taking care of things. We have been given the gift of choice; we are God's children, not his puppets. Wanted to say that because of all the "Why would God allow this to happen?" questions. This was the guy in the black hat's choice. And what we do with that happening and tragedy is OUR choice. And we choose to thank the Lord for my husband's life, family and close friends, the doctors, nurses and detectives.

We pray for the one who did this, as to what could be so awful in his own life that this was his choice. God knows. It is not for us to necessarily understand, and to be honest have been told not to even try.

We are still Bill & Karen, we are still the goofy couple with weird quirks. But nothing will hold us back from helping others or trying to do for those less fortunate. WE are fortunate, and blessed.