Wordfilled Wednesday - John 4:14

Wordless Wednesday - Chocolate

Another "Wordless Wednesday" on the "5 minutes for mom"-Website! Go check it out!

Be still Sunday

Flashback Friday - Cartoons

"You know, they just don’t make cartoons like they used to. This week let’s
flashback to a few of our favorite childhood cartoons. What did you watch?"

That is so true! Oh how much fun I had with the question today! When I was little I loved, loved my cartoons, wish my daughter could watch those from way back when, instead of "Sponge Bob" and such. I tried to look up vidoes to all of the ones I used to watch, also to see if they played the same cartoons in the states, because I grew up in Germany. Looking them up made me feel like it was yesterday, and I felt again how and what I felt back then, sympathising with and feeling for the main caracters.

My favorites were "The care bears", "The Smurfs", "Flintstones" and "Adventures of the gummi bears" by Disney. To pretty much all of them I could add some videos, but that would be a little too much. It seems like I watched a lot of TV, but I guess I have to consider the time span. Here a couple videos of cartoons I also watched.

"Maya the Bee"

"David the Gnome"

Other ones I didn't find in English. They were japanese cartoons, which came out at that time and became very popular. There were so many of them, and really good ones too! I loved that version of "Heidi","Little women", "The yearling" and "Little Princess Sara". And when I was twelve I used to watch "Mila Superstar", a cartoon about a girl playing professional volley ball.

Wordfilled Wednesday

Be still Sunday

"My husband rocks" Fridays - Positive

Katy is having a "My husband rocks" Fridays - Giveaway! To learn how to participate click here!

Dickie is probably the most positive person I know. He truly is a "glass-half-full-person" and sees things from the positive side. Whenever a difficult situation arises he makes the best out of it and doesn't stick his head in the sand. Hardly ever does he worry and fret over things.

But not only does he master tough situations very well, he also sees the good in other people. He gets along with pretty much anybody, because he focuses on the positive traits of others and has the wonderful ability to take and accept them as they are. Which is very good for me, otherwise he probably couldn't put up with me ;). That's why my husband rocks.

Flashback Friday - Moving out

"There comes a time in all of our lives when we have a moment where we know it
is time to break out on our own. For some it happens early, for others it
happens a little later in life. This week I thought it would be fun to flashback
to that time. How old were you when you finally moved out of your parent’s
house? What were you feeling? Where did you go?"

It seems like I have moved many times, but yet I didn't. When I was twenty I got my own apartment, but it was in the same house my mother lived in. So I am not sure that counts.

The first time I really, really moved out it was 23, married and mother of a daughter. And let me tell you that was quite a move, because I moved from Germany to Texas with my husband. His time in the Army was up and with that his time in Germany. I never wanted to move away in the first place, but because hubby really wanted to go back to the states for a few years we made a compromise. We would move to the US for a couple of years, and then come back to Germany.

Well, I was a new mom, Caitlin was only 3.5 month old when we moved. Dickie had gone 2.5 month before us (when our daughter was four weeks old), to prepare a home and everything else for us. It was so, so hard. I cried a lot during that time and it was the worst emotional roller coaster I have ever been on. Because of course I wanted to be with my sweetheart, but yet, didn't want to leave my family and my live in Germany. I felt so torn and was pretty scared, because I had never been to the states except for one visit.

What helped a little was that we left all of our furniture and household goods in the apartment we had lived in, which belonged to my mom. So whenever I wanted to come visit I had a full equipped and furnished place to stay. But of course it didn't take away the homesickness. Now that I am back here in Germany, living in our old apartment, there are a couple of things I miss, besides my hubby of course. It was also a great experience for me and made me grow in a lot of ways. I have also received the greatest gift of all while I lived away: a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To read more about that journey, click here.

Know & Tell Friday - Animal Edition

Kayren is hosting again this week, go on over to her Blog to check out her and other participants answers.

Question 1: What dog do you most resemble?

LOL! That's a funny question. I think I resemble a Mix. And if it's right what people say, that you get the dog you most look alike I look like a Golden Retriever - Cooker Spaniel - Mix.

Question 2: What is your favorite zoo animal?

This question I would have to answer with Elephant. Please don't ask me why, these animals just have always fascinated me. They are so calm, huge and yet, so gentle.

Question 3: What zoo animal reminds you most of yourself?

I am sitting here thinking and thinking, but I can't come up with one. Maybe the monkey. LOL! It also depends on the mood I am in, I guess.

Question 4: Do you have any pets? If so, how many, what kind, and what are their names? If not, would you like one?

Growing up we have always had pets in our family. Cats, dogs, Ginny-pigs, rabbits, birds. Right now the ones that really belong to me are a cat (White Persian), her name is Ms. Whitey, a dog (Golden Retriever - Cooker Spaniel - Mix), her name is Summer. And two budgerigars.

Question 5: Have you ever ridden a horse?

Yes, I have. Never had a horse that I owned, but I had horses that I took care of and rode. When I started a different school when I was sixteen I couldn't go no more and I quite, but I would love to start again. It is so much fun.

Question 6: Have you ever milked a cow?

Yes, I have. Tried at least. Wasn't too productive. Don't really remember how old I was and where though.

Question 7: Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

LOL! What a silly question. Coming up with an answer wasn't so easy though. But here my thoughts: The rain isn't as hot as the water in the washing machine. If you wash it on cold your wool-clothes usually don't shrink.

Show & Tell Friday - First feeding

My new niece had her first feeding of solid baby food last week and I thought I would share some pictures with you. She had carrots. That brings up memories!

Fruit of the Spirit Friday

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5: 22-23

A Common Thread

One characteristic that plays a major role toward producing biblical joy is common to all the Beatitudes. Each contains a measure of self-denial, of selflessness. When considered with contrasting verses, a clear picture of another source of joy emerges. One of Job's friends tells him, "Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth, that the triumphing [rejoicing] of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?" (Job 20:4-5). Solomon adds, "Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly" (Proverbs 15:21).

These Scriptures indicate causes that produce opposite effects. Self-denial done with the purpose of serving God and fellow man produces sustained blessing, one that carries on into the Kingdom of God for all eternity. Meanwhile, pursuing self-centered pleasure will indeed produce joy. The longest it can possibly last is to the grave, but the Bible implies that it will be much shorter because evil—and self-centeredness is evil—has the devastating proclivity of devouring its perpetrators.

This is undoubtedly why the proverb warns us to use our understanding to walk uprightly. This agrees with Paul's instruction in Ephesians 5:15-20:

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the
time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what
the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation;
but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

"Joy" does not appear in this passage, but Paul's purpose is to instruct us how to produce the sustained sense of well-being that should mark a Christian's life. When a person feels good about life, about who and what he is, what he is doing with his life and where it is headed, a sense of joy is always present. Paul's instructions are timeless in producing this.

"Walk circumspectly" indicates keeping the commandments. Paul advises us to make the most profitable use of our time, considering the state of this world. He warns us not to be foolish, and always to consider, search for and focus upon the purpose God is working out. Then in verse 18 he makes an interesting contrast that directly involves producing the joy that should accompany the life of anyone heeding these instructions.

The verse contains a play on words. It is no accident that alcohol is associated with "Spirit." Paul's counsel is not to seek joy in the sensuous, self-centered, worldly ways that produce dissipation or debauchery, but rather to be filled with the Spirit, singing and meditating on God's Word as we give thanks in all circumstances. This formula is guaranteed to produce a sustained sense of well-being because it removes the natural self-seeking from our lives and replaces it with a God-centered way of glorifying Him. This allows joy to be the fruit, the blessing of the Almighty, rather than the direct object of our pursuit.

Excerpted from here!

'Fess up Friday

This week I have been worrying a lot about the future and how I will do and organize my life and work. I found myself lying in bed thinking and fretting about these things, but also other "what ifs" and imaginary problems that could occur.

It's usually so not myself to think about unhatched eggs, even though my husband would tell you different. I know it's not pleasing to God, and I so want to give it all to him and for him to take these dark thoughts away and transform them into something productive.

26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:26-27

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own. Matthew 6:33-34

Wordfilled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday - First solids

Another "Wordless Wednesday" on the "5 minutes for mom"-Website! Go check it out!