Aunt Pickle's Blog

Have you ever really listened to the lyrics of "Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns? 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121: 1&2 God does not want bad things for us but, because of free will, we have the choice to live a life that will throw us bad events. When bad events happen to us, something small- like my car breaking down on the side of the road for no good reason or something huge- like the main office of your business burning down in the middle of the night, He's there. God calls us to praise Him always. When we find out that it's only going to cost $62 to fix the problem of the car which died on the side of the road it's easy to praise Him. When we find out our best friend's cancer has been surgically removed, it's easy to praise Him. When we find out that we're going to get a raise, it's easy to praise Him. When we find ...

Psalms 37:3-4 HCSB 3  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4  Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart I have struggled with giving all my thoughts to God and being faithful in His timing. When I struggle with it I remember these verses. Actually, they're hanging up at my desk, see.... When I'm having a bad day or feel like I'm floundering I remember the promises given in Psalms and then I remember my Grampie telling me to just trust in the Lord with all my heart. I think he had read these verses before... LOL I hope these are as encouraging to you as they are to me.  I'm gonna tell you something that I've only told about 3 people. I have always known what God has had in store for me but, for some silly human reason, I haven't done anything about it. Often I would feel sorry for myself and "cry" to God asking Him why "so-and-so" had this and that but...

Facebook... you have become my methamphetamine! Seriously! I think about you too often. I'd like to think that it's all my friends of whom I'm thinking but I know it's just that stupid news feed.  For no real reason I checked my friends' list the other day... 400! 400 friends! How in the world is that possible?? I really should weed it down. I know not all 400 people really care about what I'm doing on a daily basis. In fact, I know that to be true. Instead of checking Facebook a million times a day, I'm going to occupy my time with other things. One of them being this blog. I don't think this will happen every single day but I will update it more often. Maybe this will become my addiction... will that be so bad? I don't think so because there could be some good come from it! Here is my FB filler for the day... I think it's fantastically perfect for what I'm trying to accomplish here.... Ephesians 2:1-9 HCSB 1  And you were dead i...

Philippians 3:8-11 HCSB 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ-the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 [My goal] is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. Holy cow! How have I never heard what this passage is saying? Read it again, I'll wait.................... Now go back and read it a third time! Do you hear what Paul is saying? Do you really? I didn't until Francis Chan gave me his insight in "Crazy Love.... Overwhelmed by a relentless God". Paul is telling the Phillipians that he is giving up the way of his las...

I don't understand how I can give you my heart I don't understand how I can give you my soul I don't understand how you can tell me you love my heart I don't understand how you can tell me you love my soul. I don't understand how I can dream about you today I don't understand how I can dream about you tomorrow I don't understand how you dream about me today I don't understand how you stop dreaming about me tomorrow I don't understand how I love you today I don't understand how I love you tomorrow I don't understand how you love me today I don't understand how you don't love me tomorrow I don't understand how I put everything aside I don't understand how I put you ahead I don't understand how you put me aside I don't understand how you put her ahead I don't understand how I hurt you I do understand how you hurt me I don't understand how I love you I do understand how you didn't love m...

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to have coffee with a long time friend. I found it interesting the things I thought I knew about her. We have "known" each other for about 15 years. We started working together just as I was leaving the area to live in Freeport. We reconnected when she was my boss at my part-time job. I always felt we had a special connection when she was my boss. I respected her then and even more now. She reminded me that it is important to spend time with those we love. When I left the coffee shop I vowed to myself that I am going to do this more often. Don't just say "we should get coffee sometime" but say "when are you free to get coffee?". Yesterday was proof that I love the people in my world and I want to get to know them even better than I know them now. I encourage you to open that door to your heart. Call your friend and say, "hey, when are you free?". You'll be so glad you did! ...

Acts 5: 1-11 (English Standard Version via www.biblegateway.com) "Ananias and Sapphira 1)But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2)and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3)But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4)While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5)When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6)The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 7)After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8)And Peter said to her, "Tell m...