Category Archives: Our Husky

Meet Yuki, Our New Siberian! We’re in LOVE!!!

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Well…..our 2nd attempt at adopting a new Siberian Husky has been successful!!! Welcome to your forever home, our precious pure white, wolf-looking, almost 2 yr. old, Siberian/Malamute mix doggie!! George & I picked her up at the shelter…& then Casey came home from work to give & get love & kisses!  Her name was Everest, but Casey, gave her 3 other names:  “Maya,” which means water in Hebrew…”Yuki,” which means snow in Japanese…& “Siku,” which means ice in Alaskan.
We’ll call her “Yuki.”  We love her, she’s calm & well-behaved!! We’re all adjusting just fine!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess Who’s Turning Seven?!?!

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Yup, Our Precious Little Girl!!

(a.k.a. Our Crazy Siberian!)

This Is What They Look Like!!

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(Photo received through e-mail-photographer unknown)

When they’re puppies!!

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(Photo received through e-mail-photographer unknown)

When they have blue eyes!!

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When they’re caged!!

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When they’re giving love!!

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When they’re trying to sneak some Thanksgiving dinner!!

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When they’re definitely spoiled!!

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When they want, “More, Please!”

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When they’re part of the family now!!

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Just like another child!!

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When we can’t remember what life was like without her!!

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Even though she knows she runs the show around here!

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Hey, wait a minute…what’s that?!?!

That wasn’t here before!

Is it Christmas, already???

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And when they turn seven…

And they’ve had a big day!!

Happy Birthday, Crazy Girl!!

We love you soooo much!

Thank you for all the joy and love you give us!

We pray for your health!

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And thank you for taking such good care of us!!

Amen!

Family Christmas Photos!!

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Hey Everyone!

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Merry Christmas!

Welcome to our home!!

We’ll be in Longboat Key at the beach for Christmas to relax…

It’s been a busy “work/school/drama team, etc.” year so far!!

Here are some photos of Casey as Santa in our Christmas drama on Sunday at our church!!

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He’s not in the “Ho!  Ho! Ho!  Jolly Santa” character, yet!
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Oh, that’s better!!  Ha!

 

He had to learn the real meaning of Christmas…

 

Through the song…

“This Is Christmas”

By Kutless

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What is Christmas?!?”

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It’s all about a Savior wrapped in a manger!!

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What is Christmas??? 

Without Christ??

Also, some photos of our Pre-Christmas Italian Dinner…

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Hubby stirring the huge pot of sauce, meatballs, and boiled eggs I made!!

Yes, boiled eggs!

My Mom put everything in our sauce!!

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Yum!!!

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Dig in!!!

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And…add lots of Parmesan/Romano Cheese!!!

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Come on in and join us!!

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Don’t forget the Crazy Siberian!!!!

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Since we’ll be away on Christmas Day…

We opened presents early!!

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When did sneakers become toys?!?!

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Let’s read the Christmas story!!!

Luke 2

“…For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.

 And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth Peace, Good Will toward men…

 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds…

 And the shepherds returned, glorifying

and praising God

for all the things that they had heard and seen,

as it was told unto them….”

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The doggie wants to hear, too!!!

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Praying you and your family have a…

 

 

Very Blessed and Merry Christmas

 

 

And a…

 

 

Healthy and Happy New Year!!

 

 

Love!  Love!  Love!!

 

 

God Bless!!

 

 

From All Of Us!!

 

 

From Our House to Yours!

 

 

Love, Mom, Dad, Son, Dog, and Snake!!!

 

Amen!

Happy Birthday…Ya Little Rascal!

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“Happy Birthday, Mr. Hood!

Happy Birthday to you!

To make your Birthday turn out good!

I give this present to you!!

-Little Rascals-

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Hon,

I appreciate you because…

You pray to God for us!

You’re true-blue!

You gave me a beautiful son!

You love us!

You do all the yard work!

You take care of all the cars!

You call to complain to everyone who tries to rip us off!

You do all the grocery shopping!

You do all the cooking!

You take care of all the garbage/recycling!

You play golf with our son!

You take him to the shooting range!

You care about our safety!

You handle our cash outflow!

You lost weight for your health!

You love Siberian Huskies, even crazy ones like ours!

You’re independent enough to pack your own luggage!

You take charge in a crisis!

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Hey, Yo!

What more can we ask for???

We’re blessed!!

 We couldn’t live without you!!

All God’s Blessings for a Happy Birthday!!

And many, many more!!

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Love, your Gang!!

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Lets’ Eat!!!

Thank God, we finally found a good pizza place in Florida!!

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And mussels with good sauce!!

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Our prayer for you…

Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you    

and keep you;

the Lord make His Face shine on you    

and be gracious to you; 

the Lord turn His Face toward you    

and give you peace.”

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3 John 1:2

“…I pray that you may enjoy good health

and that all may go well with you,

even as your soul is getting along well.”

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Psalm 21:3

“You came to greet him with rich blessings   

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.”

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                         (Hand to Hand training-US Army-Ft Dix, NJ!  Ha!)

Psalm 21:6

“Surely You have granted him unending blessings   

and made him glad with the joy of Your Presence.”

Amen!

It’s A Pug’s Life!!

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My hairdresser is a Pug fanatic!!

Here are a few photos she took of her precious babies!!!

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“What’s with all this healthy food???

Where are all the tasty dog treats???”

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“Why does she have to take up the whole couch???

And where’s MY blanket???”

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“I just want to be left alone!!!

Is that too much to ask???”

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“I know…

I look really cute!!

But, they make my paws sweat!”

I just love her pugs!

This one is “Captain”

“Morgan,” her black Pug…

Didn’t wish to be photographed today!!

So let’s see if my Crazy Siberian…

Can be polite…

And say, “Hello!”

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Good girl!!

Thank you all for praying for my Crazy Siberian…

She’s feeling like her old-self again…

Crazy as ever!! 

Amen!

Exodus 23:25

“Worship the Lord your God,

and His blessing will be on your food and water.

I will take away sickness from among you…”

Thank you, Jesus!!

Don’t Stress Out!!

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Happy 4th of July!!

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Our Crazy Siberian and I are just chillin’ today!

While hubby’s watching the Yankee game…

And our son’s out of town…

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Our Precious Little Girl’s been feeling better lately…

And is actually letting me type this post!

Yipee!!

See?

She doesn’t look stressed out! 

Ha!

I received this e-mail this morning!

“A Great Lesson on Stress

(author unknown)

A young lady confidently walked around the room…

While leading and explaining stress management to an audience…

With a raised glass of water…

Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question…

“Half empty???

 Or half full???”

She fooled them all…

“How heavy is this glass of water?”

She inquired with a smile…

Answers that were called out…

 Ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz…

She replied…

“The absolute weight doesn’t matter…

It depends on how long I hold it…. 

If I hold it for a minute…

 That’s not a problem… 

If I hold it for an hour…

I’ll have an ache in my arm…. 

If I hold it for a day…

I’ll have to call an ambulance… 

In each case it’s the same weight…

But the longer I hold it…

The heavier it becomes!”

She continued…

“And that’s the way it is with stress… 

If we carry our burdens all the time…

 Sooner or later,

As the burden becomes increasingly heavy…

We won’t be able to carry on!”

Here’s where I strongly disagree…

With the rest of this…

 Worldly attitude!!

As she continues…

“As with the glass of water…

You have to put it down for a while…

And rest before holding it again…

When we’re refreshed…

We can carry on with the burden…

Holding stress longer…

And better each time practiced…

So, as early in the evening as you can…

Put all your burdens down… 

Don’t carry them through the evening…

 And into the night…

Pick them up tomorrow.”

But as a Christian,

I must say,

“Lay those burdens down at the feet of Jesus,

And NEVER pick them up again!!! 

Wake up refreshed!!”

Psalm 68:19

“Praise be to the Lord,

to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens.”

Matthew 6:34b

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me,

all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy

and My burden is light.”

Psalm 55:22

“Cast your cares on the Lord

and He will sustain you;

He will never let

the righteous be shaken.”

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on Him

because He cares for you.”

Psalm 121:1-2

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from

My help comes from the Lord,

 the Maker of Heaven and earth.”

I John 5:3

“In fact,

this is love for God:

to keep His commands.

And His commands are not burdensome,

Savor these verses…

Let’s NOT stress out!!

Give it ALL to God…

He can handle it…

And leave us stress-free!!

Amen!

When Did Going On Vacation Become So Difficult???

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Apparently…

When I became an adult…

With responsibilities…

A family…

A job…

A house…

And a dog!!

When we were children…

We just hopped in the car…

And we left!

Okay, so we are packed…

But, it was a rough road to get to this point!! 

This vacation has been planned well in advance…

I’ve been looking forward to it all year…

You know how much I love the beach…

You know how much I love to be at the beach…

To read, to write, to do whatever I feel like doing, or nothing at all!!

But, working part-time this year…

As much of a ministry opportunity as it was…

Has put quite a crimp in my retired lifestyle…

Where all my ministries were challenging…

But, I was a volunteer…

And the beauty of that is that I still had control over my time…

 I’m feeling drained…

I’m really stressed…

I just don’t feel like going on vacation right now…

That’s crazy, I know!!

Plus, my poor, precious Crazy Siberian has not been feeling well lately…

We certainly all love her deeply…

But, we’ve all lost sleep…

Lots of sleep…

We’ve all cleaned up pee, poop, and throw-up…

More times than we care to…

We’ve made multiple runs to the vet with her…

And she definitely, ridiculously, horridly hates the car ride to see the vet!

It’s exhausting!!

We now have a calendar on our kitchen counter…

Just for her…

So we can keep track of all the medicines she’s on…

It’s just like living with a newborn, needy baby…

Which I remember so well…

Or, an ornery, elderly person…

Which I also remember!!

Teaching was so crazy at the end of the year…

That I lost my cool…

And it ceased to be fun…

I had to apologize for my grouchiness to everyone…

There, and at home, too!

 I really just want to stay home…

And vegetate on the couch!

But, no…

Not me!

I decided to tackle the humongous job of cleaning my house from top to bottom!

Starting with the ceiling fans the day after school got out…

My son, the one actually cleaning those fans…

Was not elated!

Well, that’s as far as we got…

When I had to stop cleaning to start packing for this vacation…

While dealing with a sick dog…

I hate packing…

Why can’t all my “stuff” just be there when I get there…

And I don’t do well with unfinished jobs…

So I’ll be planning my next cleaning job…

The blinds and windows…

For when we get back from vacation!

Rats!

Why do I do this to myself?

Please tell me to stop!

Take a deep breath…

Count to ten…

And enjoy my blessings of a wonderful beach vacation…

With my wonderful family…

And the whole summer off from work!

Just tell me, Lord…

I’ll listen to You!!

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“My son, if you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you,

making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5

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“Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all comprehension,

will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

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Thank you, Lord!! 

Amen!

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“Blessings crown the head of the righteous…”

Proverbs 10:6

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I love the refrain of the old hymn:

“Count Your Many Blessings”

Count your blessings, name them one by one…
Count your blessings, see what God hath done…
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done!!

Hello! Welcome To Our Home!!

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Hi!  I’m The Crazy Siberian!

This my domain…

I’m in charge here!!

This year has really been quite chaotic!

This is my story and I’m sticking to it!!

 “For He will give His angels orders concerning you,

to protect you in all your ways.” 

Psalm 91:11

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Looks like they made this dining room table just for me to try to hide under!

They had to remove the oriental carpet under it recently,

Because when I was sick, I was messing up too many areas!

Sorry!!

“Fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds;

tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Teach them to your children,

talking about them when you sit at home

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up.” 

Deuteronomy 11:18, 19

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Hey, you’re not perfect either!!

Yeah, that’s right!

“I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for You alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8

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The Mom usually decorates this table for each holiday!

But, she’s working part-time this year, so…

These Easter decorations have been on this table since before March 31st!!

“By wisdom a house is built,   

and through understanding it is established;

through knowledge its rooms are filled   

with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24:3-4

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The Boy is ready for the battle…

I will cause My people and their homes

around My Holy hill to be a blessing.

And I will send showers, showers of blessings,

which will come just when they are needed.”

Ezekiel 34:26 

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But I want you to know that…

I won the Easter-Egg-Cracking War!!

“Unless the LORD builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Psalms 127:1

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They did not let me eat these!!  HUMPH!!!

“Now My eyes will be open [says the Lord] and My ears attentive

to the prayer that is made in this place.

For now I have chosen and consecrated this house

that My name may be there forever;

My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.”

2 Chronicles 7:15

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But, they do give me carrots!!

“And every day in the temple and at home

they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

Acts 5:42

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Everybody loves me!!

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock;

if any one hears My voice and opens the door,

I will come in to him and eat with him,

and he with Me.” 

Revelation 3:20

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I know it’s all about Jesus…He healed me when I was so sick!!

 “As for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

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Today…May 2nd…the Mom finally put the Easter decorations away!!

And the Dad and the Boy put the carpet back in place!

All was going well until I had an accident on the Family Room carpet!  UGH!

“Let not your hearts be troubled;

believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father’s house are many rooms;

if it were not so,

would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And when I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to Myself,

that where I am you may be also.”

John 14:1-3

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Here’s what the table looked like on Valentine’s Day!

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,

who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the LORD,

‘My refuge and my fortress;

my God, in whom I trust.'”

Psalms 91:1-2

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The Dad does a good job of arranging flowers, huh!?!?

For a retired cop!!  Ha!

 “Unless the Lord builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.” 

Psalm 127:1

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Valentine’s Lunch!! 

They did not invite me!!

“Do not forget to entertain strangers,

for by so doing some people have entertained angels

without knowing it.”

Hebrews 13:2

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Okay!!  Go home now…

it’s time for my peaceful afternoon nap!!

“I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8

No one’s home is perfect…

Lord help us!!

And heal!

Illuminating Blogger’s Award!

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Thank you!

I’ve been nominated by http://seasonsgirl.wordpress.com/ for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award!  It’s my first nomination…and I’m so excited and honored!  Seasonsgirl’s blog has been an inspiration to me since I started my blog in July last year.  Her posts are kind, gentle, and lovely…she honors God in all that she does!  I feel warm and fuzzy…welcomed and loved…when I read her posts…you’ll love her blog, too!

So thank you Seasonsgirl for reading, liking, and commenting on my posts…and for the nomination for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award!  I know we’d be great friends…if we ever meet in person…you could teach me all about your awesome life on a ranch!

I love all your photos, your life, your pets, and your animals!!

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So now the rules for the Illuminating Blogger Award…

The Rules:

Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you (see above)

Say a few words of gratitude on your blog and follow the link (see above)

Share a few words about yourself and pass on the award to 5 other bloggers

About Me!

Christian, Wife, Mother, Minister, Teacher, Drama Team Director, owner of a Crazy Siberian and a California King Snake…Italian from NJ living in FL with lots to say…who loves to serve the Lord with JOY, write-write-write, and take beautiful photos of God’s awesome scenery!!

Anything I do is a ministry to Jesus, so I pray you’re blessed by my blog…whether it’s a Scripture, my favorite contemporary Christian music, a kid’s Bible object lesson, teaching a life lesson, my photographs, or something humorous to get the outrageous JOY out of life that God meant for us to have!

I love sharing it all!!

Five Worthy Nominations For The Illuminating Blogger’s Award:

1.  I love author Bella Grace’s blog, http://walkingonwaterwithgrace.org/  Founder of Walking On Water Ministries, Walking On Water, or WOW…a ministry built on faith, hope, trust, and more importantly LOVE.

She loves the Lord, she’s my sister in the Lord…I feel loved when I read her posts, and also when she comments on mine!

2.  I love OverwhelmedByJoy, http://overwhelmedbyjoy.wordpress.com/about/  She’s a wife, mother, friend, and more…also a patient, who makes a conscious decision to choose joy, even though permanently disabled.  She’s a caretaker for her mother.  She chooses joy because this is the best option.  Because the other option. . . is not an option.

She’s so inspirational, wise, and caring…I love her blog!

3.  I love Adam J. Holland’s blog, http://unorthodoxepicure.com/  because he’s so opinionated, and makes me laugh, laugh, laugh every day…by making me think about everyday things in a funny way!

He doesn’t consider himself to be any quirkier than the next guy, but his family, friends and fellow bloggers disagree. He’s a chef, so his recipes are awesome!  Check it out!

4.  I love this new blog I just found…or maybe Kimmy found me! http://kimmyg01.wordpress.com/ Her blog includes spiritual topics that interest me…women’s ministry, Christianity, Christian living, and inspirational poetry…I’m lovin’ it!

5.  I love http://becomingcliche.wordpress.com/about/ because she talks about teaching topics that interest me!  She has a snake…and…ya gotta love her writing!!

She said, “Since my “About Me’ portion is getting more hits than my actual blog, I may as well not waste an opportunity.  I am a snake-keeping, thrift-store loving mother of three. I work as an educator in a zoo and do a bit of free-lance writing. My pet peeves include wet clothing buried in the hamper and little popcorn kernels that get stuck in my teeth. Most days, I have the attention span of a gnat!”  Check out her blog…you’ll have fun!!

I love all my blogging friends!  Thanks so much for making this a joyful journey for me!!  God Bless!!