A TREASURE

God, your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. — Deuteronomy 7:6 (MSG) Cherished by God, chosen by God, selected for Himself, spoken of as a personal treasure by the King of Kings! This pearl of truth, this mention in the holy book, that God chose me, that He plucked me from the beach of all of creation, to be cherished as His beloved treasure --- is to have confidence in my immeasurable worth. Unable to hide in the sand of shame, my Father, my Lord, uncovered me and lifted me up as His prized possession. Trembling with awe, fear and respect, He comforted me and whispered truth into my soul. That I am His child and that I am the focus of His love, and that I can rely on the ever presence of the Holy Spirit to intercede in prayer for me, to go before me, to open doors, and give me the power to overcome the temptations of this world. Special gifts have been bestowed upon me, and the Holy Spirit assures that I am included in His mighty plans, that I am acceptable in our Father's sight. My true value is unquestionable as I am His. Once I surrendered my life to His Son Jesus as my Lord, nothing else was required, asked or expected of me to earn His unfailing love, or to receive the annointing of the Holy Spirit. To gain a greater understanding of His wisdom, His love, His purpose for my highly regarded life, He gives me His Word, the treasure of my soul. In it I find His sincere repeated encouragement, that I ASK for whatever I need, and to BELEIVE that He is able to satisfy and supply me abundantly. "My beloved, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and under
standing. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones." Proverbs 2 (MSG) "Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect My counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right—if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, Believe Me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God." Can you see the oak tree within the acorn? Walking by faith, not by sight, is to trust confidently that whatever my need is, my God is able to do for me what no other can do. With faith the size of a mustard seed, when I say I am trusting God, that means I believe in His Word, His doctrine, His existence, His character, His love. Who made all seeds? Who formed the clouds and caused them to rain? Who made planet earth and placed it just close enough to the sun that it would cause growth, not destruction by fire? Having faith in God is to refuse to doubt that a GIANT oak doth grow from an acorn, and that all that is good came from our heavenly Father.
"But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God." Matthew 21:21

AMAZING AHA

As if a faceless guardian angel stands above me, pouring glorious thoughts and ideas over me, the overflow runs through my fingertips as I peck out a post. Being aware that I have much to learn before I can be my best as a writer, tis a great gift the Holy Spirit has annointed me with. This glorious gift allows me to be the servant of my unlimited Master. To have the AMAZING AHA --- that I give Him great pleasure as a willful participant in His utmost highest plan --- thrills me to humility. In the next decade I shall allow my writing skill to be sharpened by taking a writers course online. Easily and with great appreciation do I surrender to be the instrument that paints word pictures as I am fed and led. Capturing the essence of an encounter, the color of a character, the beauty of a blossoming thought is my blessed calling. Hours upon hours of seeking photos that enhance wisdom, prose and scripture has stretched my imagination and widened my mind to the size of a canvas that matches the sky. Travelling to a beautiful landscape with a cast of extra ordinary people, then writing their characters into short stories has given me such deep satisfaction...which merely echoes a hearty HALLELUIAH, and it's about time --- from the One who gives all gifts! Thank You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for Your patience, kindness, mercy and generosity! The colors, the beauty, the expressions, the amazing scenes HAVE indeed delighted my soul to overflow with tidbits and rambling samplings for years now. These treasured logs are my legacy of love and I thrive as an unknown author, on a world wide published blog! Your ways are not our ways Lord. Using the world wide web to reach, teach and bring understanding of how great Thou art --- through word art! You Rock, You Reign, and You rain color as You weave a good and steady stock of truth through the light of Your Word - My sacred reminder of who has always loved first. HERE I AM LORD, use me! What wonders You have shown me, and to Jesus all praise is due! Thank You for loving, uncovering, filling, guiding and preparing me to play the part You have given me. I need You Father, I love You Jesus, and I thank You Holy Spirit. I ask for Your wisdom, and invite the discipline. AMEN

GIFTS from HEAVEN

"Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, who sent his glorious arm of power..." Isaiah 63:11 Can you FEEL the presence of the Holy Spirit without education? Do miracles still occur? Can a child age 4 have a vision from God before she can read? Akiane Kramarik is now 12 years old but she started painting visions of God at the age of 4. Without a painting lesson, we can then believe her talent was assigned by the Holy Spirit. Her Mother was an atheist so God was never discussed in her home. She really had never been taught anything about the Father, Son, Holy Spirit or the bible. Akiane had visions and told her Mom she has visited heaven numerous times. She gives God the glory for her talent. Our Father, Son, Holy Spirit used this child to draw parents to Himself, and reveal to us He is among us. TRUTH: People hardly remember what you say, but they always remember how you made them FEEL. How does magnificent art make you feel? Music? Pause now and consider how the presence of God makes us FEEL? Our soul is imprinted with words of truth. Akiane's parents witheld any thoughts about God - but Akiane was able to FEEL safe in the presence of the UNSEEN Holy Spirit. Comforted by the invisible person of the Holy Spirit, he chose to bring wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and show Akiane heaven. He guided her, and gifted her with a talent to paint what she saw. God's word says "Now for each one the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." I Corinthians 12:7-11. And in the book of Acts 13:2 "While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Clearly, the Holy Spirit gifted this child with the ability to paint for the good of all. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts of wisdom, faith, knowledge, prophecy, tongues, just as he determines. What is your spiritual gift? Are you using it to bless others? Halleluiah! The Holy Spirit, a person sent to us from God:
The Spirit of the Lord.....
brings abundance (Isaiah 32:15)
carries out God's word (Isaiah 34:16)
is the Master Counselor (Isaiah 40:13)
sent Isaiah to prophesy (Isaiah 48:16)
Through the Spirit, God's true children will thrive (Ish 44:3)
The spirit of the Lord brings wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2)

FRAME the VISION

"Lift up NOW your eyes and look from the place from where you are" In other words God was instructing Abraham to get a vision of where he wants to be. (Gen 13) And God asked Jeremiah "More over the word of the Lord came to me saying 'Jeremiah, what do you see?'" God does not want me to stay where I am, as I am. With my indwelt Holy Spirit leading, I should be able to look back at 2010 and shout WOW! Look at what the Lord has done since last Christmas. "Write the vision and make it plain on paper - for vision is yet for an appointed time!" Habbakuk 2:2 --- When opportunity presents itself, it is too late to prepare! The time is NOW to get ready to enter the VISION you have been given. My vision is to be of service, to make a difference in the lives of people who live in Mexico. So before I travelled to Ajijic, Mexico on December 25, 2009 - photo's and video's of the area were saved on this blog site. Once I had a dream board where I cut pictures out and pasted things I wanted. One was to someday have a new home built and choose my colors, and another was to be a published author. My plan to travel to Ajijic and investigate the purchase of a retirement home, did not include the possibility of building a new home. God knows my heart and He did not forget my dream! The map I ordered of Mexico arrived in the mail and I began hanging photo's of Lake Chapala at work and at home. From Thanksgiving 2009 through Christmas eve 2009 ....... I thought about what God has in store for me. Perhaps write a mini-book in Spanish and give it away in Mexico someday? Then I ordered the Babylon product to translate what I write into Spanish, and I signed up for some group classes at church to surround myself with people of faith. My task is to write one hour per day and picture myself in Mexico, speaking with a Spanish interpreter to an excited youthful audience about God's plan to use the willing for His purposes. ABBA FATHER thank you for your unknown but certain plans to prosper me! AMEN

TRUTH ON FIRE

"Powerful!" When was the last time someone used the word IGNITED, LIT UP or ON FIRE to describe you? God put His Holy Spirit in us so we could experience His power. Power over darkness, temptation, and above world knowledge. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to become the people of God we need to be, to accomplish the mission God has called us to do. We cannot be effective without the person of the Holy Spirit. "And I (Jesus, the Son) will ask the Father (One God), and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. (Holy Spirit) The world cannot accept HIM, because it neither sees HIM nor knows HIM." John 14:16-17 The Holy Spirit in the Word of God is described as a person, not smoke, mirrors or an invisible force ---but, as a person "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." -- On Oct 17th, 1931, a few days before he was imprisoned, Mahatma spoke at London's Kingsley Hall. Gandhi called it "My Spiritual Message". Gandhi opens with: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything, I feel it though I do not see it. It is this unseen power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses. It transcends the senses." --- The Holy Spirit defies all science. As a person, the Holy Spirit has emotions - we are directed not to grieve, or insult the Holy Spirit. Attributes of God ascribed to the Holy Spirit...He has intellect, he has a will, he is eternal, he creates, he is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere. WOW, the Spirit of TRUTH has a burning desire to be known-felt-and accepted by YOU! --- "Come to me, all who are weary."The Comforter comforts when we hurt. The divine Counselor sent by God, instructs, guides and teaches us. The Holy Spirit is everywhere we are and he reminds us of the what Jesus has to say.."Judge not, and to love thyself as we are loved, and to love others the same....unconditionally. AMEN

LOVE LETS GO

To let go does NOT mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is NOT to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is NOT to enable, but it does allow others to learn the consequences of their choices.
To let go is NOT to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is NOT to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is NOT to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is NOT to fix,
but to be supportive. - To let go is NOT to judge, but it frees another to fully BE the human they choose to be...
while you FEEL the JOY of issuing kindness, grace, understanding and EQUANIMITY.
To let go is NOT to arrange all the outcomes,
it allows others to affect their own destinies.
To let go is NOT to regret the past, letting go of the past allows you to rejoice in the struggle, and appreciate the rainbows that only appear in the rain...giving rise for new and glorious hope for the future.
To let go is NOT to expect others to meet my desires,
but letting go gives me FREEDOM to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in the moment, in my NOW and be AWED by God's plan for me.
To let go is NOT to criticize or regulate anybody,
but it gives me a pause, a season to focus on, and be GLAD for what I am becoming.
To let go is NOT to try to change or blame another,
it's to take responsibility, learn, grow and become who God designed me to be.
To let go is NOT to nag, scold or argue, to let go of criticizing gives me TIME
to search out my shortcomings,
confess them, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal and uproot what works against my highest good.
To let go IS to ADMIT powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go IS to fear less ---
and love more.
To let go and to let God, IS to experience peace.
Author Anonymous

Puppy Peeps

BOW WOW WOW! --- It is a great day to get outside and run! Please, please, please - let us run buck wild and chase the ducks, sniff the flowers and get delirious together! I am so excited my whole body is squirming - LET'S JUST GET OUT THERE without a map or plan! I want to please you, and make you smile! I cannot wag my tongue and say how glad I am to go outside to romp with you, but I want you to know that my wagging tail is my expression of love for you! I catch your emotional drift! Ancestoral family shot of BOSWELL ICABOD JUNIOR, III Whatever you cook smells great and I am so truly thankful! Life is grand cause of the fun furry friend VARIETY! Okay, you worked all day, it is time to play with me! Go ahead, put your paw in my mouth! Any day is a good day if you get to muse over a bowl of warm and cuddly puppies! A favorite peep is a loyal and loving puppy!

THE BEST EVER

DO NOT PANIC ABOUT YOUR FUTURE! THIS DAY IS THE BEST EVER! THIS TIME IS THE BEST EVER! Do not worry that ye won’t get what ye want -- or that ye will lose what ye have, whether it is a job, a mate, respect or serenity! Look in the mirror and laugh! Knowing the truth, ye can establish personal peace with a smiling heart as the JOY abiding deep within ye has nothing to do with accomplishment, acceptance of others or money! Halleluiah! Prepare yourself, with dreams, dress up in duds that shift a serious thought to a new funny way of perceiving! The state of the world economy has never been in a better place to allow people to grow emotionally and spiritually. The world has never been in a better place for people to learn how to love themselves and others more. The world has never done so much to teach us that our reality is only an illusion and we can change it anytime that we want. By changing how ye think, see and perceive, the calm reaction shall bless those who fret. A deep and profound joy about thy experiences in the past and in the future, a small shift in attitude and perspective doth deliver happiness regardless of circumstance! No matter what is happening THINK this truth: “This is the best ever!” A great metaphor for the differences in how people think was found in the humor of "The Cat and Dog Diaries" Day 1034 of Cat captivity. I almost succeeded in injuring my captor today by cleverly circling his feet as he walked down the stairs. He tripped and was seriously hurt but does not suspect I was trying to cripple him so that I could flee. My freedom was so close! He is such an idiot…” The Dog’s diary read: "My master came home after being gone for two days. It was the best ever! He gave me some canned dog food while he ate steak. It was the best ever! We went for a walk for the first time in a week. It was the best ever!” We can react to life’s experiences as a kitty victim or in doggie gratitude. We can view life as a series of cat calamities or a series of puppy blessings. When a flood of bad news comes, get your flippers on! The only difference in a disaster and a miracle is the person perceiving it. We view experiences as good or bad. They are neither. Experiences are neutral, how we perceive them makes them good or bad. The truth is that there is no difference between good or bad, only how our ego perceives our experiences. Make a dog difference in someone's life today and wag your tain in glee, no matter the circumstance! The greatest cause of suffering is our desire that our life be different. We don’t like what we have; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. The problem is that if we are trapped into a thinking pattern that we don’t like what we have, we will be frustrated, feeling captured by whassup, stuck in sorrow? Your choice to be like a cat trained to meow and whine about captivity....Or we can choose to think like a loving, loyal dog that “this is the best ever,” and as we smile and wag our tails, we will always be living with an attitude of gratitude, no matter what we have. The reason panic sets in when we think we are miserable is because it is a physio reaction to perceived threat. When we feel threatened because we are not getting what we want when we want it, we stop breathing. When we stop inhaling, the brain begins to behave differently than when we breathe properly.When oxygen ceases to flow to the brain, the frontal lobe/cerebral cortex stops functioning. This is the center for reasoning and rational thought. When it shuts down, we start using the rear of the brain, the animal response center, otherwise known as the reptilian brain. There are only two responses available, fight or flight. That is why anger or fear arises when we think thoughts of victim consciousness. The solution for this is to breathe. When we inject oxygen back into our brain, our reasoning center turns back on and we can realize we have panicked over something that is not real. We can then consciously choose whether to be a victim or recognize the situation for the opportunity for happiness it brings. If we lose our job, we can either be a victim, like the metaphorical cat, or we can say “this is the best ever,” like the metaphorical dog. We can lie down and die or recognize that we have the opportunity to do something else for a living. Another way to look at panic, anxiety or worry is to understand that it is our reaction to behavior contrary to our basic programming. We are born with certain instinctive traits sociologists can document through studies of small children. It is our natural instinct to share, to help others, and to play. When we get away from these behaviors, we have a built in alarm system that informs us that we have strayed from our basic programming. This alarm system takes the form of anxiety, worry and fear. So when you feel these feelings, simply understand that you are acting contrary to your human programming. When you COME IN CONTACT with an angry, worried cat, walk away, wag your tail, look for someone to play catch a happy thought with! Just like when your computer reacts contrary to it’s programming, you get a large “ERROR” message....anxiety and fear is a programmed response that you can choose to WALK away from! When we feel like a victim or life is unfair, this is a message that we have to get back to our basic programming, which is to share, help others and play. When we do this the anxiety program will stop and we can get back to a happy life. So relax, no one gets out of here alive. How we live our lives determines how we live after we transition to our next experience. Do you want to go out as a victim or as someone who enjoyed their life no matter what? It makes a difference, not only in this life but also in our life after death. So remember, if you get what you want, “this is the best ever!” If you don’t get what you want, “this is the best ever!” It is a dogs life, BE HAPPY!

DEEP GRADITUDE

Today I am greatful for: MUSIC
THE SUN
LAUGHTER
HOPE
COLOR
FASHION
NATURE
LOVE
ART
GOOD JOB
GOD
ANGELS
MY FAMILY
MY HOME in USA, MY CASA in Chapala, MY FRIENDS now, MY co-workers and for the enduring patience, kindness, understanding, and acceptance of those who know me and delight in my compulsive personality! My ability to see, hear and speak the truth. My awesome siblings and faith filled friends. I am blessed to have been born of such a unique madre... the orignial Momma Mia, and Auntie Mame! Mi madre has a passion and whimsy that matches Lucille Ball! At age 80 she still amazes me with her quest to seek, uncover and delight in all there is is love! My understanding of God. My aptitude for doubting and being proved wrong. My ability to communicate and encourage others. For my sista Mary who lives in Carefree, Arizona. Her life is a constant inspiration to make a wish list, to never doubt, and to be ever confident in who I am. For traffic control on the ground and in the air. For the amazing design of my body. For the ability and sacred blessing of being a mother. For my son Jason who makes me laugh, for his heart of gold, for his love of animals, for his loyalty to his friends. For the authors, singers, song writers who bless me. For the talent and time taken to construct the roads I travel. Adequate funds to pay my debts. A great job with ample opportunity to learn. For the gift and design of comfortable shoes. For my vision of a glorious future. For my hermano Captain Benito in Loreto who is my hero, my best friend, the one who inspired me to retire in Mexico, in a spot that fills my soul! For the wind, rain, fog, snow, sunshine and blue skies. For the free gift of grace, mercy and JOY that is ever present within me. For a mind that thinks and reasons. For the promises of God and that He is faithful. For traffic jams that teach me patience. For farm laborers and truck drivers who bring me food. For store clerks, bank tellers, and waiters who serve me. For diva girlfriends who include me, giggle, garden and love to shop!For the smiles, hugs and laughter shared. For all emotions and for cleansing tears. For the desire to serve and encourage others. For the desire to be obedient to the ways, wonders and words of God. For the acceptance and understanding of others. For the ability to make decisions and change my mind. For the TRUTH that sets me free to KNOW that NOTHING can separate me from the love of God and the passionate desires of my soul to live joyfully!

New Decade Moon

It was awesome! Did you look up on New Years Eve 12-31-09? Over Lake Chapala, outside with Grace, we both looked up and saw a huge full moon with a gigantic halo around it!