Tag: God is good

March 6, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Hey there everyone!

It’s been a little while since I’ve been able to work on any new posts, other than recipes and meal plans, but I do have some drafts that I will try to get published soon. Life has been busy, so very busy, but so very good also. I can’t say how thankful I am for the blessings that God continues to pour out on me and my family.

I have been trying to savor every moment here lately. Storing up some wonderful memories for when I may have trying times to come in the future. Not only that but also for future trips down memory lane. Now is the time to stop and cherish these moments instead of wishing I had later on.

My kids are all growing so fast and learning so much. I have been trying to just spend as much time with them as I can and encourage them in their daily adventures. Momma is still square dancing, and I say this with a big grin on my face, and loving it! We have still been doing our rock painting and the kids are loving that. They are really enjoying church here lately too. School is going well for the most part. I haven’t been posting a lot to my Instagram lately as I have had to devote more one on one time to the two girls who are learning multiplication, division, and working on lots of word problems. While the boys are still so very interested in dinosaurs!

Well, I probably need to finish this up as I am trying to multitask while making dinner. We are having Chicken Stir-Fry, Chinese Fried Rice with Veggies, egg rolls, and steamed veggies with Japanese White Sauce. Oh my does it smell good in here right now. The stir-fry was a bag mix that I got from my Sam’s Club grocery trip (I will do a post here shortly on that) as were the egg rolls and the frozen veggies.

Let me tell you all that I am still recuperating from that shopping trip! It was well worth it though as I was able to get the majority of the groceries we need for the whole month. Talk about planning! I was so out routine that it seemed to take me forever to get that grocery list and trip planned out.

I’ll check back in with everyone soon. Gotta go call the kids in for supper!

I pray that you all have a very prosperous and blessed week!

A Close Call

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

It started with a 5am text. I wasn’t expecting it at all but it was a good thing I got it. (I have thanked my friend time and time again for that little message.)

After responding to the text I was unable to go back to sleep so I got up and went about my normal morning routines. When I came to the kitchen for a cup of coffee I noticed a smell. The smell of electrical wires that had gotten way too hot. It was a scary smell indeed and it triggered me to go into emergency mode.

I quickly made my way to the laundry room where the smell was the strongest. I suspected the freezer may have been malfunctioning but it seemed fine. I worked my around the room touching and checking everything in there. When I got to the breaker box it was HOT!

I immediately opened the door and went to cut the power off. Once the house was dark I called for my dad to come to the house. Fortunately  it doesn’t take him but 5 minutes or less to get here. My mind was racing while I waited for him and I had our evacuation procedures in my head and ready to sound the alarm, if needed.  Thankfully though I had caught it in time.

We were able to get the problem fixed and haven’t had any issues since. It was definitely a scary event that still comes to mind every now and then. I was so thankful that God had used my friend to send me that text so that I would be up and ready for what I was about to deal with.

After the event I thanked God for sparing us and for giving us more time together. We hear a lot about house fires and such. A fire is such a devastating event for families to deal with. Often times you lose all of your worldly possessions. It wasn’t the loss of possessions that scared me though. The thought of how fast a fire can spread terrified me and I was glad to know that we did have an evacuation plan and that we had practiced it.

I encourage everyone to not only thank God today for your family and friends but also to let them know how much they mean to you. Also please consider making an evacuation plan for your family and practice it in case of an emergency.

February 12, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these posts but I have thought about doing one several times. I’ve got several drafts saved but it seems that I just can’t find the time to work on them or I’ve lost the idea when I go back to it.

Let’s see, where to start? Well, we’ve been busy with school work and just normal everyday life activities. We’ve also joined a rock painting group and the kids are having a blast painting rocks, hiding rocks, and finding rocks. (I may try to do a post later on about some of our activities with the rock painting.) I’ve tried to post some of our activities on Instagram and on our Facebook pages. I’ve also started a Facebook page for this blog.

I have been going to the square dance classes every week and having a blast! It is so nice just to get out of the house and be around some other ‘grown ups’ every now and then. The dancing is a lot of fun too but the fellowship is wonderful.

I just absolutely love square dancing! Yes, I have two left feet sometimes and I mess up on the calls but I have so much fun. I just can’t stop smiling when I’m dancing or watching others dance. Have I mentioned the outfits? They are so beautiful too! Gosh, I just don’t think there is anything about square dancing that I don’t really like at all.

I know it’s not for everyone but we all need to find something that we can enjoy. This just happens to be something that I really enjoy right now. It makes my heart happy which could be why I can’t stop smiling! Be forewarned as I may do a post, or two, on square dancing later on.

Can I just say also that God works in mysterious ways? I want to thank anyone and everyone who has prayed for myself and my family. I have been so blessed and His blessings continue to pour out on my family and me in so many different ways. It is a joy to see how He comes through time and time again.

I am also reminded of how important it is to remember that He will provide us with what we need in His perfect timing, not ours. I’m smiling as I type this because I am still in a state of awe at what He has done in my life this past week. All I can say is that my heart has been smiling and that smile has been visible on my face all week long!

When we think something is impossible He will prove that everything is possible when you hand it over to Him. He knows the desires of our hearts and He knows what we need before we even ask. When He takes something from us He will replace it with something so much better. Every trial and heartache that we go through is to prepare us for something that is yet to come. He is molding us and shaping us into the person He wants us to be. He is so good to us!

So please, if you have a problem, a need, or just something that you desire don’t be afraid to hand it over to God, no matter how impossible it may seem. Let Him have control over it and let Him be the one to decide what to do or how to do it. You will be amazed at what happens when you release your worries and cares.

 

 

 

 

Would The Real Boaz Please Stand Up?

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I’ve been reading a lot about Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. It is one of the most beautiful love stories told in the Bible. It shows how God can use the most tragic of circumstances, the poorest of the poor, and the most humblest people to fulfill His great plans. It shows God’s power and control of our lives, even when we don’t understand what is going on in our lives.

For me, this really hits home. No, I haven’t been widowed, but I am alone. I have been transplanted to a place where I knew almost no one but I am not struggling to get by on a daily basis. Or am I? I do have my struggles but I don’t think they would ever compare to the struggles that Ruth and Naomi faced. Nor do I ever feel that I would be worthy of the blessings that were bestowed upon them.

I do however have hope that there is one out there for me. My ‘Boaz’, if you will. Over the past few months I have met a few men that displayed the character traits of Boaz. I am not talking about men who were rich landowners as I rarely ask about a person’s occupation or income. I am talking about men of integrity and faith. Men that are genuinely kind and give without expecting anything in return. Men that I would consider to be of good moral character and who I would trust to lead my family.

Time and time again I have been let down. There have been various reasons, sometimes they get tired of keeping up the false front, sometimes I may have been to blame in some ways. I know that feelings of rejection can creep up from hurts I’ve had before and affect the way I feel. I do have a hard time trusting people when I’ve opened up my heart to them and they use my weaknesses against me. This is not what my real Boaz would do, he would never want to hurt me or see me hurt. He would want to guard my heart and wipe my tears, not be the cause for them. I still have faith and hope that God is working and I will keep waiting and praying for this man.

I try to pray daily for him even though I don’t know who he is, where he is, or what he is doing. What am I praying for? I pray that he will love God more than anything else and that he will pursue his relationship with God above everything else. I am praying for his health, safety, and protection. I am praying that God will work in his life to help him develop the traits and character qualities, like humility and integrity, that will bring honor and glory to God. I pray that God will guide him to be the leader that I will need him to be. I pray that God will teach him how to love, unconditionally, as he will need to accept my children unconditionally if he is truly my Boaz. I pray that he is successful in whatever he sets his mind to and that God will bring him peace and rest after his hard work. I pray that he is surrounded by friends and family that support him.

I also try to pray that God will shape me and mold me into the person that my Boaz will need me to be. I want to be ready for whenever he comes my way. I pray that God will teach me to be a good help meet. I pray that God will help me to develop the qualities that he will need from me so that I can support and encourage him. I pray that I will be the love of his life, and he will be mine also. I pray that God will give me wisdom and discernment in the choices I am making now that may affect my future. I pray for the strength to overcome any weaknesses I have and that they can be turned into strengths. I pray that I will learn to love unconditionally and accept him for who he is. I pray that God will heal my heart from my past relationships and not allow those feelings to creep into future relationships.

 

God knows me better than I know myself. He knows my needs and my wants. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He knows my likes and my dislikes. He knows what I need and when I need it. He shows me glimpses of traits and qualities that my Boaz will have and He gives me hope and encouragement. I trust that He will bring my Boaz along in His perfect timing according to His will and plan for me.

I pray for patience and faith while I am in this state of waiting. I am not actively searching for My Boaz because I know that God will put me where I need to be for him to find me. Who knows maybe he has already found me and God is still working on us before He opens ours eyes to see the plan He has in store for us?

Gratitude With Grace

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Did you know that the word gratitude comes from the word ‘gratus’ which also gives us the word grace?  I didn’t know this until recently but I know that they sure do go hand in hand. It is hard to have one without the other.

I know life can get you down. We can fall into a pit of despair and have pity party after pity party when we think of all the bad things that have happened to us. It is OK to be upset or feel sad when something bad happens. We need to feel it and get over it. We have to make the conscious choice to get over it.

If we don’t then we get stuck in the negativity of everyday life. We will start to look for things to be upset with or to complain about. Complaining to everyone who will listen helps us to feel justified in feeling the way we feel. But it also keeps us from seeing the blessings that are all around us.

So your car broke down and you were late for work because you had to wait for a tow truck. Instead of looking at it in a negative way try to be thankful, the tow truck driver is. He needed that call to pay for his daughter’s dental appointment. It is also possible that delay  could’ve saved you from an accident down the road.

When we dwell on the negatives it is sinful. It is something that Satan wants to keep us from experiencing the grace of God. The bible tells us to give thanks for everything. It doesn’t say to give thanks for the things we perceive as good, or just when we get what we want. We need to give thanks even when it’s hard to understand why something has happened.

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am constantly reminding myself that I am only seeing a small part of the big plan that God has in mind for my life. Maybe, just maybe, He needs to use these inconveniences to help me change my course or to keep me from tripping and falling into sin. I always try to remember that when He says ‘No’ to something that I’ve asked for it is usually because He has something much better in store for me down the road.

Just thinking about that gets me excited! I mean most of the times I am asking for something that seems really wonderful at the moment. Yes, I feel a little disappointment when it doesn’t happen but then curiosity takes hold. I have to wonder what could possibly be better than what I had in mind? I get a little anxious but I know that God only wants the best for me and He will reveal His plan in His time. He feels the same about each of His children.

I know how hard it is to feel grateful when you are sitting on the side of the road in a car that just won’t go but try to give thanks in every situation and every circumstance that you find yourself in. So the next time you find yourself complaining or throwing a pity party try to think of something to be thankful for. It will get easier the more you do it and before you know it your whole attitude will turn around and you will be so much happier. Your eyes will be opened to the blessings of God’s grace that surround you each and every day.

When we obey our Lord then we are showing Him our gratitude for the grace He has shown to us. Just think about how you feel when someone thanks you for something that you’ve done. It pleases God the same way when we thank Him for the many ways He has blessed our lives.