Giveaway Winner Announcement!

 

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My deepest apologies for being a day late on announcing the winner of the giveaway of a package of all three of my dear friend Marilyn Moseley's books, along with one of her beautiful calendars! 

My Word for 2026, A New Year Giveaway, & I NEED YOUR HELP!

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H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R!

I would say that, out of all the country singers I grew up listening to with Mom and Dad and later with Kevin, there are about 10 to 15 who rise to the top as my favorites. One of those is Dan Seals. I absolutely love singing harmony with his voice, and one of my favorite songs by him is a deeply sad ballad called "All That Glitters," written by Dan Seals and Bob McDill. 

In the last part of the bridge, two lines say, 

Merry Christmas 2025 from Our Family to Yours!

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"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.' And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.' And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." Luke 2:1-20

I pray all is well with each one of you and your loved ones this Christmas! For those who are suffering from physical afflictions, who have lost loved ones and are missing their presence this year, and who are bearing up under heavy loads of sorrow and heartache—I want you to know I am praying for you. May the healing balm of Gilead wash over your hurting hearts and send the healing you so desperately need. May the Lord bless and be with you, meet your every need, and send special reminders of His great love for you.

Here is a follow-up video I recorded on prayer. I hope it will be a blessing!

And here are two very FUN videos Zach and I recorded this Christmas season. We had so much fun making cookies and special memories! 

I am so deeply grateful for every second God gives me with my dear husband and son. Every moment with them is beyond precious to me. As the year winds down, I am counting my every blessing. God has been far better to me than I will ever deserve, and today, I have never loved Him more. My family and I deeply appreciate having you in our lives and are so very grateful for your support and prayers. 

From our family to yours...

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S!!!

An Autumn Chat about Prayer

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Several months ago, the Lord began to lay it on my heart to start sharing the thoughts He gives me in video form on our rarely used Homespun Ministries channel. Today, I uploaded a video that corresponds with this recent blog post on prayer, and I wanted to share it with anyone who may be interested in watching.

Please Pray for Dan & Marilyn Moseley

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As some of you may have already heard, my dear longtime friend, Marilyn Moseley's husband, Dan, recently suffered a massive heart attack. You can read the details on Marilyn's blog by clicking here.

How I'm Praying These Days

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Prayer has been such an integral, vital part of my life for so many years. Jesus saved my soul when I was 10 years old in a revival meeting in Enid, OK, that I was attending with Mom, Dad, my Papaw, and the woman Papaw married a few years after my Mimmie died. I will never forget that night, how convicted I felt, how drawn I was to that altar of prayer, and how earnestly I poured out my little heart. From that moment until this, I have prayed countless prayers.

New Book Announcement, A Book Sale, A Tribute, & The Signs of the Times

 

New Book Announcement

Shortly after I published the book "Biblical Minimalism," the Lord began to lay it on my heart to write a correlating Bible Study Accompaniment Guide - a workbook with pointed questions to encourage readers to personalize the Scriptural truths in the book in a practical way, search their hearts and lives, identify problem areas, and find solutions in Scripture to correct, minimize, and eliminate all that is hindering them from living a holy life. 

"Just Throw it All on Me"

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I may be simple-minded. Perhaps I am dense. But sometimes it takes me a long time to truly comprehend the most basic things God wants me to see and understand. Often, it seems to take a grand epiphany for Him to get a point across to me. Then, once I get it, it stays with me forever and becomes something that steadies me in my walk with Him from then on. 

Homespun Devotions: Volume Three is Now Published!

 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
Psalm 150:1-6

This is the Psalm that resonates most with me tonight! A Psalm full of praises to our awesome God, in whom "we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:28

Homespun Devotions: Volume Three is now published,  and the Kindle version is available to purchase on Amazon! Lord willing, the paperback version will be available as soon as it has completed the review process—hopefully within the next day or so.

Order Here!

Remember when I asked you in this post to guess what was different about Volume Three, based on the book cover? Now that it is published, I can tell you the secret!

The Dangers of Dire Straits

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I was astonished to see how long this thought has been brewing in my mind and heart! I started a new blog post just now called "The Dangers of Dire Straits," and after I typed the words in the "title" line, it hit me, wait! Didn't I already start a blog post by this name? I started skimming down through my published and draft posts, and sure enough! There it was! A draft showing I worked on a devotional with this very title on 3/5/2024 at 11:56 PM! That is how long God has been dealing with me about this! 

"Letters from the Countryside" Giveaway Winner!

 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, 'Thy God reigneth!'"
Isaiah 52:7

Letters from the countryside!

Introducing—"Letters from the Countryside!"

 "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."
Proverbs 25:25

I long for the old days, don't you?

 As I observe the fast-paced rat race around me, my heart literally yearns for the days of Papaw, born in 1900, and Mimmie, born in 1905. Times were worlds apart simpler then. God and family were top priority. Meals cooked and placed on kitchen tables by the hands of loving mothers were the daily norm. Families gathered around those tables to pray, eat together, laugh, and share their hearts. It kept them close—to God and to each other. Home remedies were used for common ailments, in place of expensive trips to doctors' offices. Children were given daily chores and kept busy with wholesome ways to fill their days and spend their time. Neighbors helped one another, and no one felt alone or abandoned. Times were hard, but people were tough, and their faith in God enabled them to withstand trials and difficulties. Communities were strong because residents pulled together and weren't afraid of hard work.

If anyone else longs for those long-ago days and ways, you will certainly want to read on!

Gardening Giveaway Winner!

 "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth."
Psalm 104:14

I love this time of year when everything is blooming and gardens are planted! I believe gardens are important to God. After all, when He first created man, He placed him in a garden. That is where it all began!

What a blessing it was to offer the giveaway for four of Jacob's seedling gardening trays!

And now, for the name of the winner!

Book News, A Prayer Request, & A Gardener's GIVEAWAY!

 "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Song of Solomon 2:11,12

(I used this same Scripture passage in my second-to-the-last post, but I just love it so much, I decided to use it again!)

Spring has sprung here, but today, it is quite chilly and windy. The sun is out, though, and I have the door open and can feel the freshness of spring in the air! Oh, how I do praise God for allowing us to see another springtime! So many beautiful flowers are blooming, and I am so thankful He gives me eyesight to see them. He is so faithful and good! I love taking drives and seeing all the trees and plants coming to life again, after a long, hard winter.

We Have a Winner, and A Gardening Announcement!

 "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

A big CONGRATULATIONS
to 

An Introduction, A New Project, & A Giveaway!

 "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Song of Solomon 2:11,12

I pray all of you are doing well and enjoying the beautiful signs of springtime that are showing up everywhere!

Photo by Marilyn Moseley

Giveaway Winners Part 2 & A Bonus Winner!

 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
Psalm 19:7-10

If you haven't read this post, this one may not make sense! So, you may want to go back and do that now before reading on.😃

Giveaway Winners!

 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
Proverbs 16:24

~Giveaway Winners~

I didn't forget—I promise! The names were drawn yesterday for our notecard giveaway, but I haven't been able to confirm that one of them was a legitimate entry. The other four winners have been notified, but I didn't want to keep the rest of you waiting any longer. So, for now, I will announce four of the five winners. Drumroll, please......

My 2025 Word of the Year & A Giveaway!

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A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! I pray that your holidays were exceedingly blessed and that this greeting finds you in good health and much encouraged in your walk with Jesus! It is hard to imagine that we are now in 2025, and I don't recall living through a faster-moving year than 2024. It just felt like it flew by, and as hard as I tried to grasp onto the moments, they slipped through my hands like grains of sand. Time onward flows, and here we are, already 11 days into the new year, still pressing on, keeping the faith, and doing our utmost to follow Jesus as closely as we can. 

An Exciting Announcement!

When I began this blog on October 1, 2011, our son, Zach, was 10 years old. Through these years of blogging, you have read many stories about my husband, Kevin, Zach, and me. I've shared smiles and victories, and I've also told you about a small portion of some of the trials and heartaches we have encountered over the past 13 years.