Five Minute Friday and Thank Thursday and Friday Foto Friends

Five Minute Friday is where we are given a prompt and you write for five minutes in your blog and then go here to link up.  Why not join us this week?


This week's prompt:  Blessing

I thought on this word for a bit and one of the things that came into my mind is the old hymn that says "Count Your Blessings,  name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done."  I think this is so important as christians. We can get so busy in life and forget all the wonderful things God has done for us. Little things and great big things. God is always blessing us. The reason I think it's important to remember these blessings is because we can become so wrapped up in the problems of everyday life and easily become very negative. And who wants to be around someone who is very negative all the time?  But if we remember His blessings we tend to be more joyous and positive. I don't know about you, but I much prefer to be around someone who has joy.  So consider count your blessings today and see if you don't find some extra joy.

End of prompt.



 But I want to tell you about this. On most Thursdays I participate in Thankful Thursday. That's where we deliberately try to be thankful. We write some things we are thankful for that week and then link up here. It's so encouraging to do this and then to read what others are thankful for.  I missed out on it yesterday, so I'm going to add mine right here. Rebecca won't mind if I'm late. I know she'd love to have you join her too.



Some things I'm thankful for this week:

-  the beautiful weather we've had and the time to take walks with our dog in the evenings. We've walked about a mile each night this week.  Here are some pictures from those walks.

Shadow walking

Another beautiful evening

Lucy

Beautiful evening

Walking with Lucy

-  time to read about David in my morning devotions this week. I so want to be more like David. God said he was a man after His own heart. I want to be after God's heart too.

-  pictures and videos of my grandson. Since they live so far away I'm so thankful my daughter sends me pics and videos so much. I also love the video chats with them too.

Supposed to be taking a nap (I don't think he looks the least bit sleepy)

-  co-workers who are willing to help me learn the new software system we have at work and never seem to get aggravated at me for asking so many questions.

I'm also linking up with Friday Foto Friends here. where we show pictures from our week.  You can join in there too.

Here are a couple more pictures from my week.

Mexican for lunch with hubby on Sunday after church

Colton eating (or wearing) an ice cream cone.

Thank you God for your many blessings.

Cathy

Fine Minute Friday: Steady

It's time for Five Minute Friday where we are given a prompt and have five minutes to write about it. You can go here to join up with FMF if you'd like.

Today's prompt is:  Steady

Steady as she goes (keep on at the same speed and the same direction)
Steady rain (just a nice even rain, not a downpour)
Going Steady ( dating relationship commitment to one person)

Steady is a nice word. I like having a steady friend, someone who I can count on. Someone who will be there when I need to talk or vent or cry. But no matter how steady a friend they may be, they can't always be there. No one could be there last year when I had to go through those surgery room doors to have a mastectomy. Not even my husband.

But you know there is one friend who can be (and was) with me all the time no matter what and that is Jesus. Not only can He be with me, He promised He would never leave me. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. No one is more steady than He is. Thank you Jesus!

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

I know it's really late but I still want to be intentionally thankful at least for a couple of things. Things I am thankful for this week:

Hubby making dinner without even being asked. Spaghetti and it was delicious 😋

Spending time with hubby's family on Father's Day. And hubby hearing from both girls. They are so blessed to have a dad like him and we are blessed to have them.

Good weather the last 3 evenings where it cooled down enough to be able to take a really pleasant walk with the dog.

So what are you thankful for this week? Click here to join in.

Cathy

Five Minute Friday: Worth

It's time for Five Minute Friday where we are given a prompt and have five minutes to write about it. You can go here to join up with FMF if you'd like.


This week's  prompt:  Worth

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:29-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do you ever wonder if you're worth anything?  I know I can really get down on myself when I mess up or do something wrong and I just feel so bad. But when we feel like that we should turn to Jesus. I mean, look at that verse above. It talks about God taking care of the sparrows who aren't worth much. If He cares for them we know He will care for us. John 3:16 tells us that He loves us so much, He sent His only son to die for us. I don't know why He loves us that much, but He must. I mean I wouldn't send my child to die for the world. So when I get down on myself, I need to remember God loves me and thinks I'm worth it.

That's my five minutes.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

Time spent with hubby:  Things have been so busy lately, but I sure appreciate any little bit of time we can be together.  Seems we're not getting home most nights recently until 9-10 at night.  Twice we've picked up breakfast in the drive-thru and just sat in a parking lot an ate together for a couple minutes before work.  Just any time together is good and I'm thankful for it.

Heard from both my girls this week.  That is always a good thing.  Kelli sent her daddy and me a simple little picture that reminded her of home and it says "This is my happy place."  I thought that was so sweet.  Kerri sends me pictures and videos of Colton almost daily.  I look so forward to those.  The usually at least once a week we do a video call.  I love my girls and am so thankful for them.

I'm thankful for the time we spent with Tracy's family on Sunday.  We'll hopefully be doing it again this weekend for Father's Day.

What are you thankful for?  You can tell me in the comments or you can make your own post and join up with Rebecca and Thankful Thursday right here.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. The Hodgepodge lands on June 14th this week, Flag Day in the US of A. Do you fly your country's flag at
home? Sometimes, often, or every single day? Have you ever visited the city of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)? Did you make a point of seeing The Betsy Ross House? Have you ever made a trip to Baltimore? If so, was Fort McHenry on your itinerary? (where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star Spangled Banner)
Yes, we do fly the flag here most of the summer. No I've never been to Philadelphia nor Baltimore.  However I do hope to someday go to both and see both of those historic places.

2. Red flag or white flag? Which have you encountered most recently? Explain.

I would hope I woyld choose the white flag more often. I want to be a person of peace whenever possible.

3. Are you a stay in the car listen to the end of a song kind of person? What kind of person is that?

Depends on the song. If I really love it I'll sit there especially if I haven't heard it for awhile.

4. What are some of the traits or qualities you think a good dad possesses? In other words, what makes a good dad? What's an expression you associate with your father?

Unconditional love, patience, encouragement, good sense of humor. I can't think of a particular expression. But when I think of my father I think of music. My father lived the hymns and Southern Gospel music. He was always singing and or listening to it. Even when his dementia was getting pretty bad! He still knew the words to those songs. He taught me to love them well also.

5. What's one rule you always disagreed with while growing up? Is that rule somehow still part of your adult life? Is that a good or bad thing?
Can't think of a thing. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Heading into work now. Today we'll be training all day on a brand new software system. Hope I'm not getting too old to learn it. Guess I'll find out soon. 😊

My Weekend

Nothing much to tell about this weekend. It was mostly quiet. I got a new Kindle last week and I spent quite a bit of time reading. I enjoyed that so much. It's not particularly interesting to write about, but it was good. We did get to have a quick lunch with our youngest. However, she did not bring the baby. 😔  But it was so good to see and talk with her. We had 2 good services on Sunday and in between met Tracy's family for lunch. We sat there for a couple hours just visiting and talking. So good to be with them.

Not much else to report and no pictures to share. But so blessed by God.

Cathy

Five Minute Friday - Expect

Five Minute Friday Prompt:  expect

What do you expect out of life?  Do you expect good or bad?  Or do you have expectations at all, but rather just face it as it comes. Sometimes I think I can be pretty negative and expect the worst to happen in life. I worry and fret and then it doesn't happen and I've wasted all that time worrying for nothing.

I prefer to spend my time expecting good things and let God worry about the negative things. I mean, why not?  Will my worrying and expecting bad things to happen change a thing?  No.  I don't think so. So why not leave the worry up to God (I promise, He's not going to lose any sleep).  Jesus, I choose to expect you to be with me always and take care of me in the You know is best.

Five Minute Friday is where you get a prompt and you write for 5 minutes on that topic.  If you'd like to participate this week, just click here.

Cathy

Five Minute Friday - Friday Foto Friends - Skywatch Friday

Five Minute Friday:  

Go here if you'd like to participate in Five Minute Friday.  FMF is where you write for 5 minutes about the prompt.  Come on it's fun.

Prompt:  Future

Would you like to know the future?  I don't think I would.  If I knew what my future holds, I'd probably be scared to death or I might just give up.  However, living day to day you just face it as it comes.  Besides, I know who holds tomorrow, and He'll let me know what I need to know, when I need to know it.  He already knows what that future is and He knows what I need to do.  If something bad is going to happen, I don't really want to know.  If something good is going to happen, it might take away some of the joy if I knew ahead it was going to happen.  See, sometimes surprises are really nice and fun.  God, I trust you to know the future and guide me and let me know what I need to know when I need to know it.  One thing I do know abut the future is that God has won and the Devil has lost!!  That's good enough for me.

Friday Foto Friends:

Go here if you'd like to participate in Friday Foto Friends.

Here are a few of the pictures we've taken in the last few weeks.

Beautiful Sunset while at a rest area.

Loved this little bird.  Practicing with zoom on hubby's new camera.

Goat at Young's Jersey Dairy Farm

I think the neighbor's dog got in trouble for this.  lol

I love big clouds and bright blue skies.

SkyWatch Friday:

Click here if you'd like to participate in SkyWatch Friday.

Love the great big clouds and it seems you can see forever.

Thankful Thursday

Things I am thankful for today:

I took off work last week and hubby and I took several day trips. We had so much fun and I feel so blessed to get this time together. One day we took a drive down to Kentucky and sat in a viewing area at the Covington/Cincinnati airport and just watched the planes coming and going. We've always had a fascination with planes. Hubby has an app that would tell us where the planes were coming from and where they were going. Then we just drove around and explored the area. Here are some pictures from Kentucky looking across the Ohio River into Rising Sun, Indiana.

Another day we took his parents and we drove up to Holmes County, Ohio and visited Amish Country. We had a nice lunch and did some shopping and got some Amish made cheese and took some pictures. It was such a fun day.  Below are some pictures from Amish Country.

Of course, then last Thursday we took a drive up to see Kerri and the grand baby. We had so much fun. I'm telling you that baby is growing like a weed. Here are some pictures from our trip.

I just feel so blessed by God.

Tell me about some of your blessings. You can do it in the comments or write your own Thankful Thursday post and click the button above to link in with Thankful Thursday.

Cathy