~From My Heart & Valentine Decor~

This might be a lengthy post, but I wanted to share my heart!  

I think that the stupid devil and covid 

have been very BUSY making people 

SAD, 

DOWN, 

DEPRESSED, 

AND LONELY!

Even us who are children of God are suffering!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You see, I know, Because I just came through many days of suffering!

My back went out and for 2 weeks now, I would scream out in pain if 

I walked, stood, laid down, or sat.  

I have never had such constant BURNING back pain for so long in all my life. 

It felt like BACK LABOR for 14 days straight.  

I still can hardly stand up.

I can assure you, I didn't feel very encouraged 

or shouting happy during those days.

I was in soooo much excruciating pain that I could hardly pray, except, 

"DEAR JESUS, PLEASE HELP ME!"

There is a lot of PAIN everywhere we look!  

Lots of People are hurting!!!

There is FAR TOO MUCH self-murder now-a-days. :-(

The devil is deceiving people into thinking that that is the answer.

But it is the most Sad and selfish thing one can do, 

besides it is murder.

FIRST:

If you are not serving Jesus, 

I beg of you to call out to Him, 

ask Him to Forgive your sins, 

and become your Savior!!

You are Valuable TO JESUS and TO OTHERS!

I may not even know you, but I am BEGGING Jesus 

TO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT ARE DOWN HEARTED 

AND TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO THEM!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~I got These X & O letters on a 90% off Clearance years ago.  

The X was an aqua color.  

So, I painted it mint green to match the rest of my things.~

SECOND: 

If you are one of GOD'S Children, 

I encourage you to CRY OUT TO GOD 

and tell Him everything 

that you are going through!  

He already knows, but wants to hear it from you and wants to help you through it!

HE IS OUR H-O-P-E!!!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~Since it is still WINTER, I still wanted some lights up to make  

our home cheery.

So, I took my Christmas decor off of my Dining Room Tree, and 

made it a VALENTINE'S TREE, 

with some white trim and a sign that says, 

"I Love you!".~

~Here are 13 things that help encourage my heart! ~

1. First off, We need to take time with Jesus EACH DAY!  

2. Take the time to Read His Word! (I like to listen to His Word as well, while I am working around the house, driving down the road, or laying down resting, etc.)

3. Read a Good Devotional, Like Streams in the Dessert.

4. Pray!!  

(I would suggest that you get a blank journal, and write a list of people for which to pray!  

When you are discouraged, the devil will make it HARD TO PRAY!  

But, if you can have names in front of you, it will help you pray and you will be touching others through your prayers! 

Suggestions to write down for which to pray would be:  

Your Husband if you are married, Your Children, if you have some, Your Family, Your Extended Family, Your Pastors and families, Your Church, Your Conference President, Your camp meeting, Your Friends, Your Country, Your Leaders, Elderly people around you, Your Neighbors, Your Missionaries, IHC, etc.

5. We Need Each other!  Each Day I like to Text someone (or several someones) that I know may be going through a rough time to tell them I am praying for them.  It not only encourages them, but me as well.

6. Light a Candle.

7. Make a hot drink. 

(Some of my favorites are Coffee, Chai, a variety of Hot teas, Hot Chocolate.  You can add fun things like spray cool whip and chocolate syrup to some of them, or drink them plain.) 

8. Make some fun food or bake something special for your family, and bake enough to share with someone else. 

9. Set a pretty table, even using Fun paper plates. 

10. If you are feeling down, take a Hot shower, and dress up. Not staying in your Jammies, and getting dressed in a nice outfit, will boost your self-esteem.  

(I know, cause I had to stay in my Jammies for days, when my back was out. :-) 

11. Attend your church as often as you can, and stay close to your Church people.   (Obviously, I understand that there are those that are shut in and cannot attend.)

Getting plugged into your local church is Biblical. 

(Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

12. Help a neighbor.

13. PRAISE JESUS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!! 

I Even write down prayer requests ahead of time and then when God answers, I write down the date.  It surely is encouraging on those days when the devil tells you that God has no clue who you are!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

~On my Kitchen Island.  

I like to "SHOP MY HOUSE" for things with which to decorate.~

~I love these little birds from my friend Caro, from Argentina.~ 

~My simple DIY for above my Piano.~

~Kimberly wanted a canvas for her room.  

She found 2 for $5 at "5 and Below."  

She gave me the other canvas.  

I wanted something black and white above my piano.  So, I put all of these stickers on this white canvas..... 

~Then I painted over it with some black paint.  (I added more black paint after I took this pic.)....

~Then after the paint dried, I peeled off the hearts, and Voila...

~He stole my Heart, so I took His Last Name. :-) ~

~A MARY-SIZE MIRACLE~

~So, we had no CLUE that Mary has wanted glasses all of her life.  

She has been PRAYING That she could get glasses.   

We took her for an eye appointment, and it was looking like she might not need glasses.  

But then the doctor told us that he would put drops in her eyes, 

and that the drops sometimes reveal things that the computers don't.   

After he put the drops in her eyes, he told her she could go look at frames, 

in case she needed glasses.  

Mary was walking around looking at frames, while PRAYING SO HARD 

that Jesus would allow her to get glasses.  :-)

When he called us back in and took the last test, he said that she did need glasses!!!

Our Insurance paid for her to get 2 Fun pair. 

She is one HAPPY little girl.  

She said that she cannot stop smiling...

and that her face muscles hurt from 

smiling so much!  

God is Good!

~HEATHER~