I love watching the sky!

I always wonder when the day will come that God unfolds the Heavens and declares His beauty...

Revealing the wonderment of Heaven and our home to come!

When Jesus will take HOME those who are His!!!

Every eye will behold Him....

Every knee will bow and declare Him Lord of all!

Every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord!

Jesus....

There is no greater name that whereby men can be saved!

Do you know Him???

I don't mean do you know ABOUT Him....BUT

DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW HIM????????

Is He YOUR Savior????

If not, ask Him right now - and He will come into your heart and you too will live with Him forever!

Without Him.....we will perish forever!

Wilson Painting....the recreation of a company....

More work toward the Wilson Painting website is underway!  I sure wish I knew what I was doing....

Meanwhile, I'm gathering information to put it together....and trying to recreate the company's forms. 

 No more using Excel for our templates.  Just too crazy!  I found some good ones in Word that will suffice until we can come up with a new logo.

Now I need to find a way to total my columns...hmmmm!  QuickBooks or possibly a Database may be necessary in the very near future!  I guess I'll be playing with Access too!  Nothing like play...err...WORK!

Blessings to you today...and too all of yours!

My mother's birthday.....A Day Remembered....

I sure miss my mother.  I caught myself getting angry that she died at times - wanting to tell her, "Didn't you realize this was forever?"  It feels like forever.....but I do know that I WILL see her again some day!  For her - it's only been a moment!  After all....1000 years is as one day with the Lord.....

Heaven is timeless!

Meanwhile though......

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you always!

I miss you even more!!!

Some day....we will be all together once again!  What a day of rejoicing that will be!













ENCOURAGEMENT: P.U.S.H.
Some things are just worth sharing....and this is one of them!!!  MADE ME STOP AND THINK!!!

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might...
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!
'You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved.' Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.
Satan said, 'Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.' That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
'Lord,' he said, 'I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?'
The Lord responded compassionately, 'My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done.
Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.
But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.
Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be Obedient and to push and to exercise your Faith and trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.'
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him.
By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who moves the Mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong..........................Just P.U.S.H.
When the job gets you down.....................................Just P.U.S.H.
When people don't do as you think they should..........Just P.U.S.H.
When your money is 'gone' and the bills are due.........Just P.U.S.H.
When people just don't understand you .....................Just P.U.S.H.
P = Pray
U = Until
S = Something
H = Happens
Pass this on to all your loved ones and friends who may need it; they may get it just in time. 'Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.'
Friends are like quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. May God Bless You.
Just Hold ON!!! P.U.S.H!

America's Decline...the Loss of a democracy!

I am completely dumb-founded that  in the matter of a few short months - an individual can completely and entirely unravel our nation's constitution and democratic system and push through a government controlled health care legislation that is unwanted by the majority of the United States citizens!

What ever happened to We the People???????

HillGal wrote:  I think Maxine got it right:

"Let me get this straight. We're going to be gifted with a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke."
What could possibly go wrong?
There are enough countless articles buzzing around on the Internet at the moment - and I'm not going to write another one......but I, for one, along with countless others in our country are completely disgusted in the direction our country is headed!  Socialized government run manditory healthcare???  We are fast becoming  a socialist country???....FAR TOO much governement - and now the IRS will have the POWER to levy our accounts and properties if we don't have a "government approved" healthcare!  Sadly, we are fast losing our freedom that we have worked so hard to attain!  From demoracy to dictatorship!!!!! 
The end of the end times are fast coming to a close?  Absolutely!
I truly think that Armegeddon is just around the corner! 
Meanwhile, however, we cannot remain silent any longer!!!
***

Profound Messages! The Truth of the Gospel...

http://www.longhollow.com/messages


I have no better words to say - except that you've missed some blessings if  you've missed these messages!

So good are they - that I have to listen again - and again - and again....simple but profound truths from scripture to tell us how we are to live as Christ - being servants - instead of being served.

PeRSniCkITY....Snickers!

Yep...that's my aged kitty cat!  I think she is about 15 years old now....I am still not quite sure.
She is getting a tad difficult and cantankerous in her old age!  She only wants to be petted if it's HER idea!  Silly cat!  Still though....she's my little house buddy!

Basking in the beauty of God and His handiwork!!!

I know that I've said this before...but I'll say it again - and again - and again....The sunsets here are spectacular!!!  There are never 2 sunsets alike....and I love to watch them from our back porch!  I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing them!  It's one of God's gifts to feast our eyes upon and I love it!!!

Storage Unit Broken into and Robbed

Thieves really get on my nerves!
Steve was headed out of town today but needed to stop at our storage unit to pick up some things before heading out.  When he arrived - he discovered that our lock had been cut off and our belongings were stolen.
Among the items were my beautiful ornate marble top double bathroom vanity, our new washer and dryer set, a framing nail gun, and our 5 horse powered garden tiller!  It makes me sick!

I did call our insurance company and our homeowners insurance will cover some of the cost to replace it.

Still though - I am bummed about my bathroom vanity.  We had plans of putting in an additional guest bathroom.  I found the vanity one day - and have not found another like it since.  It was so beautiful - a one-of-a-kind!

This one posted is not neary as ornate and beautiful!  I sure hope I can find another one similar to what I had!!!

It reminded me what the scripture says....

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves break in and steal!  Rather - store up for yourselves treasures in heaven......

Yes...thieves do break in and steal!  I hope their conscience will get the better of them!!!

CONVICTION of conscience....and NO PEACE.............and these thieves won't be able to rest at night until they get their hearts right!!!!

Amazing Sunsets...God's Awesome Handiwork!!!

Soo beautiful!!! I don't think there are words to describe the glorious sunsets that we can see from our back porch.  I am never ceased to be amazed at God's handiwork!

Pictures don't do them justice!!!

Remnants of our Yoshino Cherry Tree

Just an empty spot and a hole that still needs to be filled up!  My Yoshino Cherry tree!!!!!!!! 

I planted it near our redbud so that white and purple colors in the springtime would be accently nicely with the neighbor's Forcythia bush located directly across the street!

I guess I'll have to plant another one some day now!

Breezeway damage: THE AFTERMATH

                                                                         Repairing after the damage in hopes to make it at least presentable - I planted some low growing evergreen and a gardenia bush.  Pinebark mulch helped to cover up all the dirt and bare ground!  It looked better - but never will be like it was before she destroyed the landscaping!

The damages were extensive!  The landcape RAPED down to nothing left but dirt!  No mulch, no plants...just heaped up rocks!  I wanted to cry!

She buried the pond - but left no dirt under the broken stone bridge making it unsafe.  I had to finish it by adding 2 more 40# bags of topsoil.  It feels pretty secure now.

ALL my PHLOX are gone too!  It won't be very beautiful there this spring!  It's all so sad!

Why would someone do this?????!!!!!

BEFORE all the damage took place....lush bushes swayed in the breezeway...making an inviting welcome! 

Comparison: Before and After the damage.....It sickens me!!!

Landscaping: BEFORE Pictures

What's missing???

I couldn't believe it when I compiled a list of all the items missing from my landscaping.  LOTS of sweat and elboe grease went into planting everything - and within a few short months, our previous tenants destroyed years of hard work!!!  I still DO NOT understand how anyone could do that!  Here is a listing of the items cut down and removed completely!
Back Yard:
20' Birch tree
10' Redbud Tree
20' Red Maple Tree
5 ' Rose of Sharon Bush
4 @ 4' Heavenly bamboo berry bushes
4' Lilac bush
Day Lilies (Too many to count!)
4' White Snowball bush
5' Pink Weigela bush
5' Red Weigela bush
3' Pink Crape Myrtle dwarf bush
7' Pink Crape Myrtle tree
6' Ornamental Japanese Maple Tree
4 knockout Rosebushes (they did relocate these and placed them on the side of the yard)
Not to mention all the grass that NO LONGER exists!!!
Front & Side Yards:
3 Crape Myrtle bushes (THE ONLY ONES we gave permission to remove!)
2 large arborvitaes
20' River birch tree  (Topped and partially cut down - which ruined the look of it)
10' Yoshino cherry Tree
Knockout Rose bush
Day Lilies
Purple perennials (I forgot their names)
Lilies...lots of lilies
Breezeway:
2 large 6' holly bushes
Knockout Rosebush
15' Red Dogwood Tree (Pruned was more like - wacked it - making it look ugly!!

She also pulled out of the ground in the front:  BlueSpruce Pine tree - and an ornamental pine tree.  Both of which we tried to transplant - but didn't survive!

The Front yard Rock Garden is ugly and the rocks have all fallen out of place.  Most of the perennials and ROSES have been removed as well!!!  I worked so hard to make it beautiful!!!  It's all so sad!

I haven't even begun to figure the cost of replacement!  Just to purchase them was costly - but they had all matured making them worth more money!  To replace what I did have - well...let's just say that I cannot afford to do that!!!

Salvaging what's left of our rental home's back yard!

I am disgusted.  I have other thoughts and choice words - but I'll not spout them off.  However, I am trying to salvage what's left of our landscaping at our rental house.  The previous tenant destroyed all our landscaping and my heart aches at the sight!
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF WHAT'S DONE.....It STILL has such a LONG way to go!!!

Appliance treasure hunt....A TOTAL Waste of Time!!!

Ha ha!  Well.... not exactly a treasure in the hunt for a stove for our rental apartment - but I found an ad on Craigslist and called about the stove she had for sale.  The picture looked good!  I asked her if it was clean and fairly new.  Her response was a most definate, "Yes!".

I met my son Josh at the Walmart and with GPS in hand, along with the address that took us out to the country - we were ready to pick up this stove and deliver it to my rental house.  However, when we arrived at the destination - we still couldn't see where to go!  There were no clear markings or addresses on this country road.  So, I called the woman back and she told me to look for a gravel driveway and it would take me back to the house!
Well....after finding the driveway...we were scared to drive on it!  The road was very narrow and steep, the gravel too big to really drive on without tremendously being jolted...but we persevered!

By the time we drove up the steep bumpy road that seemed to go on forever - we finally found the house - and definatley NOT visible from the road!  I never would have attempted the drive with my car.  It was bad enough with my son's truck!
Long story short....we found the house and found the stove - to my horror!!!!  It was situated outside exposed to the elements, filthy and filled with tons of grease in the oven and under the burner coils on the top!  I declined and we left!  WHEW!  That was quite an adventure that Josh and I will be laughing about for a LONG while!  The lady wanted premium dollar for it - but there is NO WAY anyone in their right mind would buy such a heap of junk.....and filthy to boot!!!  Yuk!
I ended up going to Home Depot and found one on sale WITH warranty and the delivery was FREE!  I like FREE.....and the fact that I don't have to lift and move it.   

Ever have one of THOSE days???!!!

Sooo behind on blogging

I feel so bad that I have let so much time pass without any new entries to my blog.  Life has had its ups and downs - and getting ready for new tenants for our rental house has taken much of my time.  Where to begin???
We worked up the lease and met with our new tenants to go over the lease and sign it.  A few days later, they called to say that they couldn't handle the smell of the carpets.  So we met them at the house - and after pulling back the carpets - we discovered that the previous tenants' dogs destroyed the carpets. (NEVER AGAIN...NO DOGS...NO CATS!!!).  After a series of estimates and window shopping, (well...sort of) we went through Home Depot and ordered the new carpets to be installed - going with their installers.  12 months - no interest......on my Home Depot card.  At least we can make payments instead of in one lump sum!  Shew....things are difficult right now!

I've been working very hard on the exterior of the house to straighten up the landscaping.  I'm enormously disgusted at the mess the previous tenants left me!  The only words I have to say to somewhat describe the disaster is that they raped my landscaping, cutting down TREES, shrubs, bushes, plants and flowers.  They managed to destroy our landcaped yard in a few short months what we worked on for years!!!  I'm afraid to see the pool....but time will tell when we open it again.  I'm just sick!!!  Why a RENTER would feel they had the RIGHT to do anything at all - as if it belonged to them - is beyond me!

But even more items to be fixed is their blatant disregard about the gas pipes they had installed for their gas dryers and gas stove, which angered me with fury!  It does NOT meet codes and was very unsafe!  The gas pipes had to be disconnected and the floors repaired. (Still yet to do).

We also learned that the gas logs in the fireplace are obsolete - and the valve under the house is broken - so it had to be disconnected too - and we will have to replace them before the fall this year.

Then the arborvitaes, (3 in all) planted by the apartment side of the house must be removed as they are too close to the gas vent - and potentially a fire threat.  Blaaa...the work never ends!  Hopefully they can be transplanted and planted back on the other side of the yard in hopes to create a privacy barrier!

I mulched a good part of the breezeway and back yard next to the house.  It looks much better than it did.

The smell in the house is much better now that the old carpet and padding have been removed and the new carpet has been installed!  I suspect that their dogs must have marked their territory by peeing on every corner and square inch of the house.  We replaced all but the apartment carpet and it needs to be replaced soon as well.  I can only hope that the new tenants won't insist on it right now - as it's all we could do to accomplish what we did!  Talk about stretching our dollars!!! We also mopped and sanitized all the floors before the new was installed.  The new tenant said that he came over and vacuumed very good with his Kirby too - to help remove most of the dust and dirt.  Whew!  It's been quite a task.

We still need to have an inspection of the electrical outlets in the entire house!  Our previous tenant thought that the electrical outlets were upside down.  We lived there with them for years - but oh well - anyway...she proceeded to rewire them herself!  Ahhhhh!  I really think - it is a mixed blessing that they are no longer our tenants.

Ok ok...I have said way more than a mouthful....so I'll stop complaining now.