When we bought this property were not living here yet, my brother told me we had a beautiful rose bush. I looked forward to seeing it. Now, I have seen it bloom 6 times. Each time more pretty. Each year I trim it back and last year, I even started another one growing in our back yard so I can see it from the back of our house instead of it being behind my brother's house.

After the big plant had finished for the year, I trimmed it back and while doing so saw this one rose. I call it my Apostle Paul Rose. "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." I Corin. 15:8

Here is a photo of the first bloom on the new plant. It is several times bigger now and had two flowers.

God bless you and I hope you have a rosy day!!

"Jesus included me, yes, He included me,
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me;
Jesus included me, yes, He included me,
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me."
(song by: Johnson Oatman, Jr. 1909)

John 17: 20 "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"

John 20:29  "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Matthew 12:21  "And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."
I'm so glad the HE included me!!

Way back, long time ago, when I was a young woman ... The USA got its sugar from Cuba. Something happened between the two countries and the price went up high .... so high we, as a young couple, could not afford it.So, we started cutting back, just a little at first, then increasing the amount that we left out of our tea until there was no sugar.
For many years we have drank unsweetened tea. People wondered how we were going to handle that when we retired and moved to the South. But, thankfully, many others have joined our ranks!
This week we stopped at a fast food to eat. I got unsweetened tea, but when it was time for the refill, the woman was busy (and it was behind the counter) so I went to the self-serve and filled my still half full container with ice and added just a mite of sweet tea, just to experiment. That little bit messed up the whole cupful! I sipped on it until I got home and filled it again with my unsweetened tea, but it still was too sweet for me.


Amazing what a little bit .....

My husband I read the Bible through last year. It was his first time reading it all in one year and I was happy for him because I remember my first time reading it in a year. Previously, we had read it together and it took us over 2 years to read it.


I found  many years ago, that if I read 4 pages a day, I can read my Bible through in a year. Then I marked the months along the way at the top of the pages so I know if I get behind and can catch up.


This year, I want to read the New Testament with a Bible study book so I can see what else there is to see and learn more. I wondered how many chapters I needed to read a day or whatever to finish in one year. There are 260 chapters so, I don't have to read a whole chapter a day, but can take my time and study.


I got the following from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible


Chapters

• There are 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 chapters in the New Testament. This gives a total of 1,189 chapters (on average, 18 per book).

A friend posted to my facebook page, today, a photo of a butterfly scene. I went to the fb page of its origin and here is the link ... if you want to see a lot of butterfly photos.
https://www.facebook.com/lavenderlace
I also updated my web page: http://belindajo.com/

While doing family research today, I cam across this title for a woman. Wondering what it is, I looked it up in an online dictionary. I dared not do a general search, not knowing what I would find!

feme covert   — n    law  a married woman

 [C16: from Anglo-French: a covered woman, one protected by marriage] *

I think the meaning is special in the light that we are protected when we honor and obey our husbands as they honor and obey God. Of course, we honor and obey God, also, but I was thinking of the umbrella of protection.

Ephesians 5:22-25 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

Colossians 3:17-19 " And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."


* ref: Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

Links for my movies I made about my novels on my Facebook page:

Beyond The Mountains     

Silent Love

My Precious Jewel

The Lure of Alaska

Last month, my neighbor said she had a story idea for me and would tell me later. In the mean time, I wrote a sketch/ rough draft of a story. Today, I saw her again and she told me her idea. It was the same as I had written! But, with a special little twist. I told her 'thank you and that was a reinforcement from God that I was meant to write that story!'

New Book Signing scheduled!

That looks like a spam message, but it is not. Click on the link to read about my next book signing!

None of us want problems, but sometimes problems happen. In those times, we may pray for God to take the problem away from us. However, God uses those problems to help us grow in Him and / or reach out to others. This is a devotion I read today in the book, "Streams in the Desert" Vol 1. Mrs. Charles Cowman lists it as a tract that encouraged her. (bja)

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

[ok, I was reading about copyrights today (for my writings) and from my understanding, we are not supposed to post others' works on our web sites. So..... here is a link to the devotion.

Streams in the Desert - January 9

Perhaps they got permission to post them. :)

Mrs. Charles Cowman compiled these devotions after caring for her sick/dying husband. They were missionaries to the Asian peoples. Her name was Lettie, by the way.

Streams in the Desert

Lettie B. Cowman at GoodReads.

Slave buying

I am researching my family tree and for my next novel and came across this item today:


.... Well, I looked at the front of the book and there is a copyright thing about not posting it in any form ....


But, anyway someone bought a slave on Sunday for $.50 and is in trouble because they broke the Sabbath.

It made me think: What about all the crazy laws or rules we have today?! Look at this one.

What was the wrong done? buying the slave? buying the slave for only $.50? or buying the slave on the Sabbath? And where was the person who sold the slave on the Sabbath?

just my thoughts, BJA

Christmas Cards

During the years, I have sent Christmas cards. Each year, I would think we could not afford it or did not have the time, but I wanted to keep up the tradition and considered it part of a Christmas gift to me. I enjoyed doing that and keeping in touch with our family and friends.
For the last few years, it has been a struggle to keep up that job ... and I am afraid it has become a job to me more than fun. Not because I don't want to do it, for I do. But, I am tired so much of the time, I feel I must give it up.
I have been limiting the cards I send out each year. Last year I down-sized our list to only friends who do not have email or on Facebook. So, this year I am making myself do so again.
Going on that quote I got from a book a long time ago, "What I can do is what I can do and what I can do is enough"*, I have to stick to this decision.
So, Merry Christmas to my friends one and all on the internet! God bless you and please, God, help us to remember the true reason for the season is JESUS!

* from the book: Women Who Do Too Much: How to Stop Doing It All and Start Enjoying Your Life by: Patricia Sprinkle

Tunnel of Love

AKA  Kissing in the car wash.

When we go through the car wash, my husband leans over and kisses me. Recently, his mother was staying with us and I had let her ride in the front seat. When we drove up to the car wash, I thought, 'bummer!'. So, I got out my cell phone and sent him a text him with 'hug and kiss'. He liked that. Not as much as the kiss in the car wash, but you make do with what life gives you! That was definitely worth the 20 cents it cost to send and receive it!!