A Very Special "win" from a Very Special Friend.

My very talented blog friend, Sunny, of Sunny's Studio, and Changing Lanes, recently had a drawing for a small 2 3/4" x 3 3/4" oil painting.   I have been amazed at Sunny's art and I left comments each and every day.  I WON!!!!  And, when my oil canvas arrived and I realized it was the manger scene above I was just so delighted!!! 

I have it sitting on the bookshelf in my living room, right in front of the small (6 3/4") antique books that belonged to my father.  Trust me, it will reside there each and every 365 days of the year!!!!

I absolutely was thrilled when I heard I'd won, and then when I opened that package and saw WHAT I'd won.  Thank you so very much Sunny.  I truly treasure it and your friendship.  

74th BIRTHDAY -

 I received such beautiful birthday cards from so many people.  The one's from my daughter, son, grand daughter, and 2 forever friends were so special they made me cry.

Marc & Aric attended church with us, which was a special gift to me, and then Marc took us all out to eat.  During lunch he said, "Oh, Mom I've got a little something and a card for you at the house." 

 Here is my little something !!!!  This beautiful sterling silver heart with a tear drop, in a beautiful jewel box with the poem.


Presented to me by my youngest son, Marc, for my 74th Birthday, December 25, 2011, 7months and 6 days after Suzette going to Heaven on May 19th at 11:30 pm.

The Reunion Heart

Since Heaven has become your home
I sometimes feel I’m so alone;
And though we now are far apart
You hold a big piece of my heart.

I never knew how much I’d grieve
When it was time for you to leave,
Or just how much my heart would ache
From that one fragment you would take.

God let’s this tender hole remain
Reminding me we’ll meet again,
And one day all the pain will cease
When He restores this missing piece.
He’ll turn to joy my every tear,
And when I wear this necklace near
It will become my simple way
To treasure our Reunion Day.

 As if that wasn't enough!!!!  You open the locket and inside, where the tear is on the outside is a little piece of "missing" heart.

Some things are beyond priceless----

My Suzette

This necklace

My thoughtful, loving son, Marc who gave it to me

My Jesus who paid the price

Heaven, with our Triune God, where she waits for us.

I am a mother most blessed!!!!!!!

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS & a bit more Chritmas

Several years ago Suzette started a tradition of us December birthday girls (Suzette the 13th - Jacque the 22nd - Jessica the 23rd - Susan the 25th)getting a manicure & pedicure and going out for lunch.  I continued the tradition this year by treating the 3 of us with just that on Jacque's BD the 22nd.  Jessica got a fancy leopard polish job (3 different colors), Jacque and I got the sparking  Christmas red.  Lunch was at a Mexican restaurant.

Then we came to the house to open packages.  I got my girls black t-shirts that read "Peace, Love, Joy" and matched one I got myself. 

Jacque's gifts from Jessica.  This beautiful scarf & a framed picture of them running the Susan B. Kohlman cancer race in Suzette's honor earlier this year.

Jessica's fancy Paula Dean red cookware from her mom, Jacque.

A pretty new black dress with gray and black cape over-up from Jacque.

The new entertainment base & 42" TV that Mickey & I treated ourselves with for our 2 birthdays (his November 24th and mine December 25th) and our Christmas gift to each other.  We purchased the base from Benny (who is in the furniture business).  We love it and it match's the bookcases, on each side, pretty well.

Picture of the Cherry-Go-Round - annual Christmas morning breakfast treat for our family each year for years and years (way back to the 60's!!!!)

Grandson Aric playing his latest game equipment and games prior to church Christmas Day.

Mr. & Mrs. Claus before heading out to worship the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas.

Loves of my life - grandson, Aric & youngest son, Marc.

David was down in the back and couldn't attend church with us.  Jacque had to work :o( 

Marc took us out to eat on Christmas Day so I wouldn't have to cook on my Birthday :o)  Neither one of us realized almost everything would be closed.  Mickey finally suggested calling Luby's, after we'd driven here and there just to find them closed.  They answered the phone and were open.  Yeah!!  We drove clear across town, and waited an hour in line but had a delightful meal, and of course the company was perfect for this mama.

My next post will be about my birthday gift from Marc.  It's so special it deserves it's own post.

Christmas this year - 2011

If you didn't get a Christmas card from us.....it's because we didn't do any this year!! If you came to our house, you did not see ANY Christmas decorations, inside or out, other than the Christmas cards we received from wonderful friends taped to the back of our front door!!

Mickey and I decided early on we were just not up to all that "stuff" this "first Christmas". This is the first time, in my 74 years,  that a special Christmas tree and MANY decorations have not been a part of it. 

But, we have just had one of the best, calmest, nicest Christmas and my birthday, on December 24th and 25th, that we have EVER had. The PEACE of Jesus has held and sustained us. The JOY of family and friends has blessed us. The HOPE of the New Year-2012, and what God has in store for us, thrills us. The LOVE all of you showed us helped make it so.

We celebrated Christmas at our youngest son's new, beautiful home and enjoyed most of our family being together, although the absence of Suzette (in Heaven) and Oksana (in another state) left a big hole.

 Oldest son, David, who just arrived from his fight from San Francisco, California with his Dad.

 Our 3 guys, David, Aric and Marc, just before we head out to enjoy the steak dinner from David at Logan's  Roadhouse. 
The tree and all the packages.

 The whole crew, the make shift table this year - next year will have a brand new dining room full of furniture.
Left side from front to back:  Oldest son, David - Youngest son, Marc - only Grandson and son of Marc, Aric - empty chair and photographer, father/grandfather/husband, Mickey - mom/grandmother,wife, Susan - son-in-love, Dave.  Right side back to front:  Son-in-love, Benny - Youngest daughter, Jacque - boy friend to Jessica, Aaron - oldest grandchild and daughter of Jacque, Jessica - room mate of Jessica - Julie.

David all dressed up and looking good.

 Box of goodies that arrived at our front door from David and California.

Blogger will not let me put this up under the first paragraph where I wanted it !!!!

My favorite 3 men watching the gifts being opened - David, Marc, Mickey. 

That's all folks.

Cherry-Go-Round

Adding requested picture of Cherry-Go-Round.

 Fresh out of the over.  You can also add a sugar glaze frosting, but I never do because we like the hot yeast taste with lots of real butter!!

Instead of making 2 rounds this year I made 2 have pieces out of the one.

In response to my fb post about having everything done and ready for our Christmas celebrating, except the Cherry-Go-Round that I make for Christmas morning each year, here is the recipe:

CHERRY-GO-ROUND

Scald 1 Cup milk - Stir in:  1/2 Cup sugar - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 stick margarine.  Let mixture stand until Lukewarm.

Dissolve 1 Package Yeast in 1/4 Cup warm water.  Add milk mixture, 1 egg, 2 Cups unsifted flour.  Beat till smooth - Add 2 more Cups unsifted flour. 

Cover and put in refrigerator - 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Cherry filling:  Blend 1/2 Cup brown sugar - 1/2 Cup flour - 1/2 Cup chopped pecans.

Roll dough in two (2) 14"x7" oblongs.

Spread with 1 1/2 Cups (1 can) drained red tart cherries & sugar mixture (I have also used the cherry pie filling can).

Roll up and seal edges - Form 2 rings on greased baking sheets.  Cut 2/3 through at 1" intervals - twist (this forms the wreath shaped rings). Cover - let rise in warm place until double - 1 hour.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Sorry I don't have a picture - but I haven't made them yet this year!!!!  I have been preparing these for MANY years for our Christmas mornings and especially to my son, Marc, it's not Christmas without the Cherry-Go-Rounds.  I did not fix them last year, due to Suzette being so ill, but I'm making them this year.  Marc & Aric will join us and be attending church with us.  I am so happy that Christmas falls on Sunday!!

If you fix them------let me know what you think.

MERRY CHRISTMAS how wonderful to celebrate our LORD and SAVIOR!!!!!

I AM AMAZED

I am amazed the way God works and moves in our lives.  I am amazed, as I look back over my life, and observe how my life has unfolded.  As I anticipate celebrating my 74th birthday, on Christmas Day, I AM AMAZED at where God has placed me and what He has me doing.

Little did I know, when I began Penless Writer, posting for the first time on January 21, 2007, where that little, simple step, of getting brave enough to step out into the mysterious world (to me!) of blogging, would lead.  I so well remember thinking, "Who in the world cares what an old 69 year old grandmother has to say?" 

Who would have thought - that over these 5 years I would have the pleasure and joy of meeting, in real life, 12 people who I never would have known except for meeting them through Penless Writer. 

Who would have thought - that I would have the joy of having blog friends Danny & Kathy Wright, and their children, Bethany & Daniel, actually spend 3 wonderful days with us at our little home in Coweta, Ok.

Who would have thought - that on May 13, 2008 God would stir me to begin a private prayer blog called Hearts in "1" Accord.

Who would have thought - that on November 11, 2011 God would lead me to take Hearts and convert it to a private fb group, that as of today has 48 members, scattered in various places, praying for the needs of others

Who would have thought - that Mickey & I would spend 6 months or more a year, traveling around the entire United States & Canada in an RV after he retired in 1996 until May, 2005.

Who would have thought - because of those travels, and falling in love with the small towns we visited, God would have us purchase a little  house in a little town 25 miles SE of Tulsa called Coweta in March, 1998.  By the way, that is pronounced CO-we-ta not COW-wet-a!!!

Who would have thought - that God would place us in a little church called Church on the Way that March, 1998  and Mickey would head up a food program in that church giving out groceries once a week to those in the Coweta area.

Who would have thought - when that church closed it's door, God would have us attend a small store front church, Our Finest Hour, and be involved and participate as they built a LARGE beautiful church on HW51 in Coweta. 

Who would have thought - that while at Our Finest Hour we became Care Leaders and serving in that capacity one of the people we would meet was a young mother with a small child in the hospital for 11 months.  That mother was the one who introduced me to her blog and encouraged me to start blogging!!!!

Who would have thought - that God would work on us for months about leaving Our Finest Hour and we fought it hard.  We knew He was telling us to go and we didn't know where.....but on a Wednesday night, December 23, 2005, we walked into the service, during the praise & worship, at Coweta Assembly of God and have been there ever since.  

Who would have thought - that in November, 2009 God would tell Mickey to start a feeding program once a week of preparing a meal for those who needed a noon meal called The King's Kitchen .  For 4 weeks that noon meal was prepared and NO ONE - ZERO came!! 

Who would have thought - that "failure" would be moved to taking in a wholesome meal each and every Tuesday to local shut-ins and the elderly.  The first King's Kitchen meal was delivered on February 9, 2010 and currently five 2 person delivery teams  deliver to around 50 people a week.

Who would have thought - that in January, 2009 I would be asked to join a small bible study at the home of a woman I didn't even know from our church.  At the first meeting, on the 12th, there were only 3 of us.  

Who would have thought - that the Klothes Kloset clothing ministry would begin from this group in September of that year.  That ministry is still going strong and still being manned by woman from this bible study.  We have ordered the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer and will begin our 3rd year of meeting every Monday morning, at Judy's home, on January 9th.

Who would have thought - that in March of this same year, 2009, another friend from church, Sandra,  would tell me she was beginning a bible study in her home on Tuesday evenings.  She lives 30 miles from me but I told her I'd come the first time just to support her.  After the first meeting I knew I was not going to miss these studies.  Thus was born 3rd Day Sisters.  I attended until she discontinued the latter part of 2010.

Who would have thought - that I would begin WOW Women (Woman of the Word) on January 18, 2011 and 4 of the 12 of us that began that evening were 3rd Day Sisters.  This group is growing strong.  We finished our 1st study, "Born for Battle" in
September and began our 2nd study, Crazy Love.

Who would have thought - that as we were waiting to began Crazy Love the Lord would put on my heart to invite my dear friend, Kathy, to participate with us in this study and be included in the private WOW Women fb group.  She did so on October 11th, reading along with us and commenting on the fb group.

Who would have thought - that since adding Kathy in October the Lord would have me add 3 more woman from afar:  Shari from another small Oklahoma town 160 miles away; Betty in Japan; & Karen in Alabama.  

Who would have thought!!!!  I don't know where God will lead and guide as I begin my 74th year of life and my 14th year in this little town of Coweta but one thing is for sure.......as long as I have breath in my lungs I will cling to HIM and HE will lead and direct me and  I WILL BE AMAZED because HE is an AMAZING GOD.

DECK OF CARDS

Deck of Cards

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.

The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.
As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?'
The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.'
The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.'
The soldier said, 'No, sir . You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,
I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.'
The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?'

ACE - You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

TWO - The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments

THREE - The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

FOUR - The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John ..

FIVE - The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

SIX - The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

SEVEN - The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

EIGHT - The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth..

NINE - The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

TEN - The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

JACK - The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

QUEEN - The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

KING  - The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.


When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.
There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.
The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'

Please take a minute right now and say a prayer for all the men and woman who are currently serving in the Military and are sacrificing to protect our nation.