Was it a little tricky yesterday?
I just couldn’t resist this one! It is the “star” ceiling at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Ga. This room was so cool!! 
I could’ve stayed “star gazing” all day in his room! So fun!
Hope to see you again next week! 😉
I thought it was cool that this came up in my “Facebook Memories” today, and I am, now today, just a few from having 300 followers. 😉 Thank you to all who have taken the time read, “like” and follow my blog. 😊
I know I posted a note of thanks just a few weeks ago for the 100 likes on my blog; however, tonight, I’d like to say THANK YOU for the 100+ followers (102 as of this posting) of my blog! Having just started this in June, my original goal was 100 followers in a year; so, having received 100+ in only 3 months, I just stand amazed, and I am very humbled. I just want to say, “Thank you” from the depths of my heart! Thank you for your kind words, your encouraging notes and your simple approval “clicks.” You inspire me to extend my goals, to blog more consistently and to believe that I might just have something worth reading out there. Thank you. ❤
Hi there! 🙂 It’s Friday; so, I hope you’re ready for another new angle!
Remember, the answer will be posted here tomorrow! Enjoy! 😊
I read this article the other day, and it really hit home…
18 Things That Are Hard to Explain to Third World Country Friends
Please, know I’m not bragging at all, but I have to say, I consider myself an incredibly blessed person. God has blessed our family so much that, many times, I am simply overwhelmed to tears because of the favor and blessings we have. Please understand, I’m not going to be one of those “prosperity preachers” who claim you will always have favor, you will always be blessed if you just do (blank) and (blank). No, you don’t give to get.
That’s not how God works, but He does honor obedience. He does give wisdom, and when you walk in it, you find blessings. He does honor prayers when you diligently seek Him, and, sometimes, He simply blesses; so you can, in turn, bless another. I can’t tell you all the reasons our family is blessed; I’m sure I could write another post on that later, and I won’t tell you that I’ve never gone through sufferings and pain. That, too, can be saved for another post…and another, and another… but all I am saying is I count myself a very blessed woman.
With that being noted, I really try to keep a grateful heart at all times, and I guess I do pretty good most of the times, but there are moments in life when I forget to be thankful. I forget to remember there are greater struggles in this life than the ones I am facing. There are people in this world who do not know from where their next meal will come, or even, if it will come. There are those who don’t even have a roof over their head, much, much less, an abundance of stuff that they’re needing to throw out!
I read this article the other day, and what the author described reminded me, again, of how very blessed I am…
Each of our family members sleep in their own beds every night.
When I’m hungry, I simply walk over to our refrigerator and decide what I’d like to eat.
When I’m cold, I put on a jacket, cover up with a blanket, or turn the heat up.
When I’m hot, I pour a glass of ice water, go outside and feel the cool breeze, or in the summertime, go stick my feet in a creek or waterfall.
Both of our boys have all the clothes they need, food they can eat, and even too much of material things they want.
When I want to go to the store, I simply jump in my car and drive over to the nearest store.
If we want to travel, we drive the car, fly in a plane, rent a boat, or ride in a train.
I take all the pictures my heart desires on my little smartphone and download them onto a “cloud” program to be retrieved at a later time.
When I want to share with the world what’s going on in mine, I simply sit here at my desk and begin to type, clicking the little blue button when I am finished.
When compared to our daily lives in America, these things I’ve listed seem like little, meaningless things, things that we each take for granted. Yet when compared to the daily lives of those from a third world country who don’t even live at the level of poverty, these simple things seem monumental. We all have something for which to be grateful. We all have someone for whom we can be thankful.
Can we take a few moments today to remember what and who those might be?
Appreciate the things you have. They are just things, and we should never be obsessive nor materialistic; yet, we can acknowledge the ease those things bring to our lives. We can enjoy them and not take them for granted.
Cherish those whom you have in your life. You never know which moment may be the last. Never let the sun go down on your wrath, and never let a moment to be cherished be one forgotten. Live. Love. Laugh, and remember what and who is most important. ❤
Today, I would like to dedicate this Ode to a man who has always been very special in my life, and who will always hold a special place in my heart; even though, I had to say goodbye to him 13 years ago…my grandfather, aka Pa”T”.
Although, it has been 13 years ago (October 6), it feels like forever since I held his strong hands and kissed his cheek. My heart still yearns to see him again. My ears long to hear him say, “I love you, baby.” My arms still desire to wrap around his big ol’ frame and receive a great big bear hug from him. I miss him so much. Time doesn’t erase the pain; it just makes the pain tolerable to live through.
You see, Pa”T” was not just my grandfather, he was like a Daddy to me, the only dad I really knew until my mom married my step-dad when I was 12. Pa”T” always looked out for me. He always made sure I was doing ok in school, at home, at church; wherever I was, he wanted to make sure I had everything I needed or even wanted.
He was always proud of me, and he always wanted me near. He taught me how to listen to a good story (and he could tell some great ones!), catch and clean fish (well, at least how to watch them get cleaned! ha!), how to take care of my money and even how to act around strangers. He taught me how a man should treat a woman, and how he shouldn’t. He even taught me how to pay bills by buying my first car and then sending me a check each month to deposit into my own checking account so that I could send off the payment.
He loved going on an adventure, exploring a new town, finding a new experience, and never met a stranger. Often, my grandmother and I would go in a mall or plaza to shop for a while, and we’d always come out to find he had made a new friend. He would proceed to introduce us to this person and tell you some of the most interesting things about them, as if, he had known them for a very long time. He liked meeting all sorts of people, but he had standards of character. He didn’t care for rude, hateful, lazy or user-type people. He believed in hard work and earning your own keep. He believed a man should provide for his family, and a wife should love and take care of her babies; yet, he didn’t believe so much in tradition that he would look down on a couple whose momma had to go to work either, just so long as those babies were taken care of!
He sure loved his “little buddy!” (2001 – Pa”T” and JGrizz)
I’ll never forget the moment he met Joey. We were all kind of nervous, because he could “size someone up” real fast, and if he didn’t like my new love, it sure would be hard for me to continue to like him and stay with him, not because Pa”T” would be hateful to him, but because I cared so much what he would think and say. He shook Joey’s hand, looked him eye to eye, and said, “Well, he sure looks like a fine, upstanding, young man.” At that moment, I knew I had a keeper, and years later, I realized these two men are so much alike. 😉
He was a real man’s man, a “John Wayne” kind of man… Well, I won’t be redundant for those of you who might have already read my post about him last year…If you’d like, you can read more about him in Bigger than Life. I hope you enjoy…
Today is his birthday, and if I were able, I would say, “Happy Bday in heaven, Pa”T”! I know you’re having a blast, and you’re probably telling somebody a good ol’ tale today. I love you, and I miss you so much. Life just isn’t the same without you!! Thank you for all the love you gave, character you taught and wisdom you passed along. You didn’t miss much, and for that, I am so grateful. I am, also, so thankful that I’ll get to see you again one day…and I sure hope it’s sooner than later! 😉 “
![IMG_3800[1]](https://thegrizzlegrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/img_38001.jpg)
I always felt safe and secure in his arms. (1990 – me and my little cousin)
Why do babies die too soon?
Why do mothers get cancer?
Why do fathers die tragically?
Why do friends hate and kill?
Why do the innocent suffer?
Sometimes, my heart asks the hard questions, the kind of questions that don’t have easy answers to find. Sometimes, my mind scrambles to understand why evil can be so prevalent in a world in which God made and in people whom God created. Sometimes, life just seems unfair, unruly and undesirable.
Often, I wonder why innocent children are taught to carry guns and strap bombs on themselves to kill people of another religion and race. Often, I wonder why this one is healed of sickness and disease and another says goodbye. Often, I wonder why one family can be so blessed and another can be left so desolate.
In all of this questioning, I have found some answers to be true…
We live in a fallen world, and we’re not home (in heaven) yet. This life we live is not perfect, and we become fools when we believe it should be. There are evil men (and women) in our culture today, and their only intent is to wreak havoc wherever they can.
Sometimes, people are in the wrong places at the wrong times. Sometimes, people are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Sometimes, people aren’t doing what they should.
There are laws of the land which, just simply, must be followed, like “Gravity is real, and if you think you’ll jump from that building and remain unharmed, you’re just wrong.” There are, also, spiritual laws which, again, if you desire a better life, must be followed. Even if you’re not a believer, you can see that ‘reaping what you sow’ comes to pass. As in, “If you think you can spend all that money and not go into debt, and not owe many people in return, you are just fooling yourself!”
There are some things that just “are what they are,” and there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s some things that are just sin, and sin will never bring about good things in the long run. There’s some things from which we must learn lessons in order to grow and mature beyond where we are, and there are some accidents and “freakish happenings” which just happen for no apparent rhyme or reason.
I don’t have answers to all the why’s, how’s, and when’s, and I would never try to presume that I do; however, I can tell you this: I know a God who does know all answers and so much more. I know He is faithful and true. I know He loves us, and I know He cares about every little or big thing we face. I know He is there when we need Him, and He can carry us through the storm when we can’t carry ourselves.
How do I know this, you might ask? I know this, because I believe. I know this, because I believe His Word to be true. I know this because of my personal relationship with Him. I know this because of the changes I have seen, not only in my own life but, also, in the lives of so many with whom I’ve come into contact. I know this because of the miracles He has done in my life, and not only in my life, but in the lives of my family, my friends and, even, in people I barely know.
I know He is God. He is faithful. He is true, and He loves me and you. Does this mean, somehow, that my life is never, or will never, be touched by pain, grief or aguish. NO! Just because I believe in a loving God does not mean I will never experience something bad. I’ve seen and experienced plenty of things I wished I hadn’t, and I’m sure that I will experience more in my lifetime. That’s just life, living in an imperfect world with imperfect people. Even Jesus, the Son of God, experienced heartache, pain, suffering and, also, death. By no means, am I better than He! Sometimes, life is just not going to be what we expected it to be, but that doesn’t make Him any less of a perfect God, any less of a living God! It just makes us human and living in a human world.
So, will I always have more questions than I have answers, well, I hope so. Questions make us search our hearts, search down in our souls. Questions make us seek for deeper meaning. Questions make us seek for a higher purpose, an understanding beyond our own.
The Bible says…
Luke 11:9-10, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”
*Note: I do not own nor do I possess this picture. Found it by simple Google search. Directed to http://achurchofchrist.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Questions-of-the-Heart-300×259.jpg
I sit here this morning with a heart overflowing with gratitude. We had a housewarming shower yesterday, from our church family, and they really just “blessed our socks off!” I told my husband last night that I almost feel guilty by how much they blessed us!
I have just been in amazement lately by how much God has blessed us. I am just overwhelmed, and my heart is full. It’s not because of “stuff” that I have received, it’s more because I know it’s God blessing. It just seems that He has been pouring out blessings for our family recently.
For example, this house to which we just recently moved. I’ve told people, time and again, it’s as if God just took a checklist of all the things we desired in a home, added a few desires we didn’t even think about, and said, “Here ya go.” I mean, seriously, we have a WATERFALL in our backyard!! Not one we built ourselves, one that is formed by natural rock with a little creek running over it! If anyone knows us, they know that had to be God to provide that kind of beauty in our very own backyard!
Another example, I had a truck that I absolutely loved. It was really hard to decide to sell, but we decided, in order to lessen our monthly cash outflow, we’d go ahead and sell it. It was an item that car dealerships were really looking for, and we came across a really sweet deal. So, now, we are without one car payment, and I’m driving a Cadillac!! Yeah, I know, that’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
These are just two of the many blessings we have received lately. I am just simply in awe of my God. Some would try to argue that it’s just circumstantial or, even, coincidental, but I’d have to disagree. I believe in a God who is the Creator of the universe, the Creator of my being, and the author of time and space. He is a God who loves us enough to send His only Son to die for our sins. He is a God that cares about the world’s greatest catastrophe and the smallest sparrow that falls from a tree. He’s just a good God, and I’m so thankful I serve Him.
Do you know Who I’m talking about? If you don’t, I encourage you to meet Him and get to know Him on a personal level. I promise you, He won’t disappoint you, and He will never let you down! 😉
John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
How did it go yesterday??
That was a sea shell. I’m sorry I have forgotten the exact name of it, but I saw it at the Fernbank Science Center near Atlanta, Ga. I though it was so cool! Here’s two more angles of it…
Another Friday means another New Angle! I hope you have fun with this one! 🙂 
Remember to check back here tomorrow for the answer!
Again, I just want to take a quick second to apologize for my delay in this weekly post! I was just, simply, a day behind in my scheduling and writing! Thank you for your gracious understanding. 😊
My Ode this week definitely must be about Fall. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Fall in Georgia! It is the season for beautiful fall colors, yummy dessert combinations, pumpkins, hay rides, bonfires, apple pickin’ and, all around, lots of fun! 
I also love this season, because I get to wear all my most comfy and most favorite clothes…long sleeves, vests, overshirts, jackets, sweatshirts, boots! Fall is the season when you can add layers and layer, and make your own decisions as to when to shed a layer if the weather gets a little to warm in the middle of the day (thankfully, this only happens a in the beginning of the season!) The daytime temps start around 76-78, leveling off around 70, when the season is in full swing. The evenings begin in the low 60s, and level off around 40. Ahhh, the wonderful temperatures of Fall!
So, I hope you have a wonderful day today, and I hope, wherever you are, you’re enjoying some beautiful autumn days. “Happy Fall y’all!” 😉🍁🍂
Scripture Musings
There was a girl who got through the day with routines, laughter. and some memes...chores, laughs, smiles, and some cats...food, naps, plus coffee too...then yoga for the win... a warm bath, some books, and You Tube📺-hdtj💜
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