THE FIVE MINUTE RULE WITH GOD

     I received this GOD CHART in an e-mail the other day and since it only had the chapter and verse from the Bible, I decided to add the verses to it so I wouldn't have to look them up when I was reading. Some of the reference verses made sence to me and some of them didn't, but it still is a great read and it lets people know how much God loves them and takes care of them. He watches over us daily and sometimes we take him for granted. He blesses us so much that we should thank him everyday. Just look around and see all the things that he had given us. No one could ever thank him enough in our life time for all he has done. People write songs about him and glorify him but it still isn't enough. Please take time today for just 5 minuets to thank God for your life. Just 5 minutes isn't a very long time and yet if you make it a habit to spend 5 minutes with God everyday, you will see a difference. All he asked of us is 10 % and that includes your time. In 24 hours, we should give him 2 hours and 40 minutes a day, so we all fall short. Most people just visit church on Sunday and a few on Wednesday night so just try 5 minutes a day for a change. When you first wake up in the morning, take a minute to thank God for waking up today. At each meal, thank him and a minute at bedtime to thank him for the day. You will see that you really have time for God and all his blessings will begin to pour in and fill you with his love. He took time to make you and mold you in his image and I don't think 5 minutes is much time to give back. Then you will find that you have a little more time each day for GOD.

YOU SAY---GOD SAYS
You say: "It's impossible", God says: 'All things are possible'.
Luke 18:27- and He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with GOD.
You say "I'm too tired", God says: 'I will give you rest'.
Matthew 11:28-30- Come unto to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in eart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
You say "Nobody really loves me", God says 'I love you'.
John 3:16, John 3:34- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
You say: "I can't go on", God says 'My grace is sufficient'.
II Corinthians 12:7,9 & Psalm 91:15- But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.
You say: "I can't figure things out". God says 'I will direct your steps'.
Proverbs 3:5,6-Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
You say: "I can't do it", God says 'You can do all things'.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
You say: "I'm not able" God says 'I am able'.
II Corinthians 9:8- And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
You say "It's not worth it", God says 'It will be worth it'.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
You say: "I can't forgive mself" God says 'I forgive you'.
I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1-If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
You say: "I can't manage", God says 'I will supply all your needs'.
Philippians 4:19- But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
You say: "I'm afraid", God says 'I have not given you a spirit of fear'.
II Timothy 1:7-Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says 'Cast all your cares on ME'.
I Peter 5:7-Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
You say: "I'm not smart enough", God says 'I give you wisdom'.
I Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
You say: "I fell all alone" God says 'I will never leave you or forsake you'.
Hebrews 13:5-Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE.

God determines who walks into your life.....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.
Father, God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day. And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Please take five minutes today for GOD and he will pour out a blessing that you can't contain.

MEMORIAL FOR CONNIE CULBERSON

     A precious friend crossed over the river, that she sang about so often, this passed weekend. Connie Culberson. A wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and Christian person to just be around. Her husband sang a song titled "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" and that was Connie. Her sweet spirit could be felt just being around her. And her singing could lift you up to heaven. "I've never been this homesick before" or "The Anchor Holds" would send chills throught you and you knew that the Lord was in the house and was in her singing. She will be missed by her family and friends. The following are a couple of comments from her facebook page where everyone left messages for the family.

  "My sweet friend Connie Culberson
You fought a good fight with this battle of Cancer, but God saw fit to call you home today, I am so thankful he brought us together as close sisters in Christ. When you woke up and told Fay and Me that you would tell Mama hey for us I knew it would only be a matter of minutes before you went home to be with OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, Now you have your perfect healing, with a beautiful smile you went home, I will see you again one day, but until that day I will miss your smile,and will always remember the love you had for me, this is not a good bye my sweet friend it is I will see you later."
"My love and prayers go out to all. What an awesome lady my Connie has been. She sang like an angel, soared like an eagle through storms of life and marched as a mighty warrior! She was one of my blessings. So thankful God sent her and her family my way. Rest in peace, sweet Connie! And may ministering angels be with all of us who were left behind."

OBITUARY

Mrs. Connie Faye Smith Culberson, age 62 of Shannon, passed away Saturday morning at her home surrounded by her loving family.  She was born Dec. 3, 1949.

Connie was a lifelong resident of Floyd County and a 1967 graduate of Coosa High School. In 1981 she became a graduate from the Walker Technical Institute where she obtained her Associates Degree in Accounting. She was employed by Riverside Chevrolet in the accounting department. Connie was of the Baptist faith and served on the WMU at Eastview Baptist Church, Unity Baptist Church, and Bible Baptist Church. She is preceded in death by her father, Tip Minton Smith and a niece, Donna Maxwell of Forney, AL.
Survivors include her husband Jerry Thomas Culberson; her mother, Anna Kate Smith Justice; six sons, Kiley Smith, Jason Culberson, Jason Morris, Jeremy Culberson, Bryant Culberson, and Randy Randolph; two daughters, Jennifer Culberson and Katie Culberson; two sisters, Barbara Maxwell of Forney, AL. , and Christine Simpson of Gaylesville, AL. ; fourteen grandchildren and ten nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday August 21, 2012 at 11:00 AM from the Mt. Calvary Free Will Baptist Church with Jackie Culberson, Milford Williams, and David Blasengame officiating. Interment will follow in the Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery in Rome.
The family will receive friends Monday August 20, 2012 at Mt. Calvary Free Will Baptist Church in Shannon from 5:00 until 8:00 PM.

Lady Isabella Matilda of Mar, Countess of Carrick

When I started this journey many years ago, I never knew where it would take me. I met many cousins in the different areas of the United States and sent them numerous e-mails to stay in touch. But the most amazing fact that I found was a King. I had studed this person in History and had seen Braveheart many times but I thought that my line was no where near related to Royalty. One cousin who contacted me sent me knowledge that a distant cousin had traced our line through the Magruders back to Robert the Bruce. Well I did some googleing and started with Verlinda Magruder. She was the great grandmother of Martha Peyton Beall and Gen. Frederick Beall who are my third great grandparents. Verlinda was the daughter of Samuel Magruder and Sarah Beall. So this family of Bealls and Magruders married in the families for many generations.

     Verlinda's great grandmother was Lady Margaret Campbell of Perthshire, Scotland. Margaret's great grandmother was Lady Isabel Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Argyll. The Stewart line traces back to Sir Walter Stewart III of Scotland and Princess Margaret Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce. There are a lot more interesting facts between these generations. But one thing that I read about was Lady Isabella Matilda of Mar, Countess of Carrick. She was born in the year 1277 and died in 1296. Her Scottish Gaelic spelling is Iseabail. She was the first wife of Robert the Bruce and the grandmother of Robert II of Scotland, founder of the royal House of Stuart. She died before Robert was crowned King of Scots and never became queen. Robert mourned her death for over 5 years.

     She was the daughter of Domhnall I, Earl of Mar and Helen (or Ellen) of Wales (1246-1295), the illegitimate daughter of Llymelyn ab Lorwerth ("the Great")Prince of Wales; she had previously been the wife of Maol Cholouim II Earl of Fife. She was a wealthy woman in her own right. Her lands were most of the northeastern section of Inverness. Isabella spoke Gaelic and High English. She was an educated lady of medieval time. Her father was one of the seven guardians of Scotland who believed Robert Bruce to be the rightful King of Scotland. Despite the considerable risks, the Earl of Mar could foresee the advantage of the two families joining in marriage and bearing an heir to the throne, and the marriage of Isabella and Robert was arranged. Mar was the first to sign over the estates of his family to the Bruce.

     Isabella was married to Robert at the age of 18 and legend has it that they were much in love. Shortly after their marriage Isabella became pregnant. She had a healthy pregnancy but she died soon after giving birth to a daughter, Marjorie Bruce in 1296. Isabella is buried at Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire.

     Robert married his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh six years later. Isabella's daughter, Princess Marjorie (died 1316) married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and their son became Robert II of Scotland. From him descend the monarchs of the House of Stewart and the later royal families of the United Kingdom.

     Any reference to Isabella being taken prisoner by the English in 1306 I think is false. Robert's marriage to Elizabeth took place in 1302 so she is probably the one taken prisoner. Robert was born in 1274 and died in 1329.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_Mar

THE WOODEN BOWL

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, A year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and
four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. Buy the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the
boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. '

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note,

I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: A rainy day,the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a
'life.'

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I
usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a
friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

     This was an e-mail that I received today and I so enjoyed it that I wanted to add it to my blog. I am getting to a point in my life where I have to have a few things done for me that I can't do any more. Can't bend over and pick up things out of the floor. Hold on to the doors and walls when I walk through the house. My hearing is going and I have had eye surgery on my right eye and in the near future, will have it done on the left eye. In the mean time I take care about what I do and don't go outside without my cane. I have fallen to many times to go without it.
      The golden rule that I learned a long time ago"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This was on a banner in my school room just about everyday of my life. The bible say to honor thy father and thy mother that their days may be long on the land. Many people in this day and age forget who took care of them when they were growing up. Even animals take care of their young until they are able to fend for themselves.
     Don't forget the elderly. An old saying but it is so true. "There but for the grace of GOD go I." My former husband has always been an independent person and took care of himself. In the last couple of months, he health has deteriorated and he can't even walk. No one knows what the future holds for us. We may be in the same shoes as the man with the wooden bowl. My dad and step-mom were well taken care until the day they died. No one grumbled or complained about the spills they made or changing the bed linens. You say well that is embarrassing, but GOD provided the means for us to be able to fetch and carry for them until the end. There are no regrets. We miss them and would love to talk to them again but I know they are together again and watching over us and waiting for us to arrive and introduce us to the rest of the family that has gone on before us.

NOAH'S FLOOD

I woke up this morning to rain. Thank you Lord.

I wonder what it was like when the Lord told Noah that it was going to rain. It had never rained before. Just a mist watered everything on earth. I couldn't even calculate how many days before this rain. Everyone laughed at him about making a boat big enough to hold all the animals. I am sure before this time they had used small boats for fishing. But these were timy compared to the ark. And trying to catch all the animals couldn't have been easy. The Lord had a hand in this endeavor. I don't think Noah would have known where to find most of them. How would you go about it? From the jungles of Africa to the seas of the Atlantic and Pacific. You say, "why the ocean?" Some of these animals had to have land at some point in time. Polar bears and penquins need the land as well as the sea. When GOD spoke to the the animals, they all went to the ark They knew that they would be taken care of by the Lord.
But the point is that Noah did as GOD commanded him reguardless of what the people thought about him. How many time do we do as GOD commands, or do we even listen to Him. Do we pretend that we didn't hear or ignor all the signs as imagination. Sometimes it pay to heed the words of the Lord. It could save our lives.

Exerpt from "The Woman at the Well"

 I have just finished reading "The Woman at the Well" by Dale Evans. I read quite often and her book "Angel Unaware" was probably my favorite as it was about her daughter, Robin, who died. Most all her children were adopted yet Roy and Dale showed no difference in them. Even though they were from a famous family, they were raised in a Christian home.

The following is an excerpt from "The Woman at the Well"

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I was at my typewriter wondering what to do next, when all of a sudden my fingers started running over the keys. Please bear with me and my mistakes, because it has been so long. I am also getting senile! My grandchildren seem to think so, though I don't believe it for an instant. Rather with the end so near, I see things in a different perspective, I still see a future, and not a materialistic one-but a future that I will not have to struggle through, as I have in the past. I am quick to point out peoples' faults, but this is only because they take life as if it were going to last forever. There are times when my memory fails me, but I can still remember so much more! My eyesight is nearly gone, but I see more things now than I've ever seen before, and though I can't hear well I have heard what I should have heard-and when I could have done something about it. My fingers are not as nimble now, and only through other hands can my thoughts be conveyed. Yes, I am what you call old and aged, but soon I will once again be romping around. I may look like a dried-up old prune, and these wrinkles may tell a story, but I am so beautiful. It is too bad you do not understand, you feel sorry for me when I hobble across the street, or when your young men bump into me and spill my packages, You have even laughed at me in my good dress with that crooked little hat, but I feel no sorrow. If only you could have what I have! This young girl beside me knows nothing of what she will be or even what she wants to be when age permits her. Oh yes, she may outrun me, but unless she awakens, as so many others ought to, she will never outlive me, nor out go me. I have more energy to see the truth and have it revealed to me forever, but my body is decaying, as it must. All I have said is nothing, and yet it is everything. Look at me. You see an old woman. Look again, you see a young heart. A young soul! I have known sorrow, but comfort has always followed. NO, I really have not much to say; how I do ramble on about nothing! I am growing weaker with each word that pours from my mouth, and soon I will be gone. But I will keep watch and know that I must not interfere. I will be rooting for the blind to see!

WHEN TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME

I found this poem in a newspaper a few months ago and thought I would write it on my blog for everyone to see. It pertains to alot of people that we have lost and I can relate to it. I don't know the author so if anyone knows, please let me know.

"WHEN TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME"

When that tomorrow started without me-and I wasn't there to see-
and when the sun rose and found your eyes all filled with tears for me.
I wished so much you wouldn't have cried, the way ya'll did that day,
while thinking of the many things-we didn't get a chance to say.

I knew how much ya'll loved me just as much as I loved you,
and each time that you thought of me, I knew you would miss me too.
But when those tomorrows start without me-please try to understand
that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand,
and told me my place was ready, in Heaven far above
and that I'd have to leave behind all those I dearly loved.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye,
for all my life, I'd always thought I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for, so much left yet to do-
It seemed almost impossible that I was leaving all of you.

I thought of all the yesterdays-the good ones and the bad.
I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday just even for a while
I'd say good bye and kiss you all 'cause I wanted to see you smile.

But then I fully realized, that this could never be
for all our love and memories would have to take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things that I would miss tomorrow,
I thought of you and when I did, my heart just filled with sorrow.

But when I walked thru Heaven's gate, I felt so much at home,
then GOD looked down and smiled at me-from His beautiful golden throne.
He said, "This is eternity, and all I have promised you-
today your life on earth is past, and here life starts anew.

I promise you no tomorrows because a day here will always last
and since each day's the same, there's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful, so trusting and so true
though there were times you did some things you knew you shouldn't do.

But you have been forgiven and now at last you're free.
So wont you come and take my hand and share my life with me."
So when those tomorrows start without me-don't think we're so far apart-
all of you remember when you think of me, I'm right there in your heart