Home Sweet Home!
Proverbs 10:22 (KJV) The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
I hope that this week’s blog does not bore the readers, but will encourage you! If you have family that loves you, I hope that you know how fortunate you are. That you are richer than you even think! Yes, most families have disagreements, arguments and even right down feuds, but at the end of the day, this is what you’ve been blessed with. God has reason behind putting you into your family. Maybe you are to be the example of who He is and go and love the unlovely anyway regardless of all their little quirks! Have you taken a good look in the mirror lately, if so, surely you can see that God has such a sense of humor! Maybe he wants us to laugh and learn to be joyful. It is my opinion that your family is your first test! If you can get along with them, hey…you can get along with everyone else!
I am returning home from a 1300 mile round trip from Georgia, to Kentucky and Ohio to see as much family as I could in nine days. I have five sisters! With all of their individual families it is quite a large family when we all get together. The reunions with them were wonderful and the time spent was priceless. I feel when we get together that we honor our parents who have passed away, but are never too far away that we can’t feel them with us. I also feel that we do them proud as they were the glue that held us all together! Unfortunately, in this time we live in a lot of families do not get together unless a loved one has passed and they all show up for their funeral… That is why this visit was so sweet to me. It was visited because we wanted to visit, no sad circumstances but just a joyful time with family.
While I have gone from this sister’s home to this sister’s and yet again another sister’s home, it is amazing how much we all have in common. As I was welcomed in by my sister’s I realized how much of our parents was instilled in each of us. It would show in the way we prepared meals, or in the way we chose the décor for our homes. Everyone that I visited, of course, had a treasured memento displayed on their walls, or in a curio cabinet that at one time had belonged to our parents.
This visit “home” Vanceburg, Kentucky, was so sweet. I had not only spent time with my immediate family, sisters, their husbands, nephews, nieces, even new great nieces that I had never met until this trip, but I also was able to spend time with several of my Aunts on my Dad’s side of the family. I chuckle when I am with them because they are so full of life and seem to never age. They honored me by coming to my first book signing event that was held in my hometown! As one by one entered the doors of the Library’s community room, I was so overjoyed to see them. Each had stories to tell of times spent with my Dad and their parents which were my grandparents. I loved every second of it not only for my sake but for my two boys who was able to meet with their great aunts once again! Again the time was priceless!
After the trip and reunion in Kentucky, we drove further to Middletown, Ohio where one of my sisters and her husband live. Her two boys, my nephews, live there as well with their wives and children. My children are extremely close to her boys and their children so of course the visit with them was wonderful. We went to see the new home of one of the nephews, which was absolutely beautiful. Again I rejoiced as it is wonderful to see the Lord’s blessings being poured out from one generation to the next!
Finally, we arrived in Oberlin, Ohio to yet another sister’s home, which is pictured! This visit is always great as my sister and her husband host a huge “Hog Roasting” event that has turned into a family reunion/ friend fest of sorts. This made the 9th year I believe that they’ve had it at their own home. They rent huge tents and chairs, even a porta potty which we joke about, the whole shebang! It is a wonderful time of food and fellowship that people talk about throughout the whole year. They live out in the country with a lot of little towns surrounding them. I love to just drive through these small little towns. We see such uniquely built buildings that have stood the test of time and such beautiful old two-story homes. We love driving through the country and seeing all of the farms sown with soy beans and corn as far as your eye can see. If you look very carefully which we always do, there are herds of deer lined at the openings in the fields. We are always thrilled to see them. This year we saw several wild turkeys which made it even more exciting! My boys love it as they run around barefoot and stay up practically all night when they put the pig on to cook. They build a huge bon-fire and roast marsh mellows and hotdogs. Again the time spent with them is precious and even though we dread the 13 hour trip back home to Georgia, we love it!
I hope that this personal vacation blog did not bore you, but truly made you homesick to want to spend more time with your family. You are Rich! I hope that you value them as a treasure that you’ve been given and that if they don’t make the effort to be close, that maybe you will!
Home Sweet Home
6 AugMy Encouragment List!
14 Jul
As A Writer/Author, I wrote a list to remind me of why I write! I use this list as a tool of encouragement for those times that it seems that nobody is interested in what I have to say as a writer!
Free Promotion of My latest book “Tell the Enemy to Scat”
17 JunToday is Amazon is running a free promotion of my Ebook Tell the Enemy to Scat!
I hope that you will get it and be encouraged by it!
Opportunity!
13 JunOpportunity!
According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunity The following is the definition of opportunity.
OPPORTUNITY: a favorable juncture of circumstances refreshment2 : a good chance for advancement or progress
Today is a day of Opportunity! God’s favor is always allowing us favorable junctures of circumstances. With him there are always good chances for advancement or progress!
When I think of advancement, I picture a unit of soldiers advancing toward the enemy to take territory. The Lord intends for us to take territory in our own lives every day. He has a plan for our lives and as an army would have strategic plans for advancement so the Lord has the same for us. However, we must always look for the opportunities that present themselves each day.
I for one am guilty of wanting opportunities to fall into my lap, but honestly I am a firm believer that unless you’re willing to be a worker then opportunities will not come. For example, have you ever realized that when Jesus was doing his earthly ministry that he never called one disciple that wasn’t already busy doing some kind of work or job? Each one of the twelve disciples was either fishermen, a doctor, or tax collector etc….They all had taken advantage of natural opportunities in their lives. So when Jesus came along, they knew a great opportunity when they saw one!
Maybe you’ve been like me, you’ve taken advantage of opportunities but they seemed to not pan out for you the way you thought they should. So you have ended up embarrassed and felt as though you were a huge failure. But who says you’ve failed? I feel if you’ve learned anything from it, then it was not a failed opportunity! Do you know what I have found out? Even if it doesn’t turn out the way I have planned it, I would rather have tried and failed then to let the opportunity pass me by and wonder if I should have taken advantage of it!
I refer to the disciple Peter a lot in my own life as I can relate to him. When Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water, Peter saw an opportunity! 1. Matthew 14:28 – And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. Now the remaining disciples in the boat probably thought Peter was “crazy”, but Peter was bold and adventurous! Do you not realize that you have been put on this earth for a reason? You can make of your life what you want it to be. You may however, have to get out of your comfort zone or what you deem to be a safe place and do something different! You might have others in your life that think you’re a little “crazy” as well for getting out of the “boat”! Sometimes to completely take advantage of an opportunity it may take a bold step, but sometimes even the smallest steps toward an open door can make the most dramatic changes.
I am excited to know that every new day provides a new opportunity for something exciting to happen. That even now, I have an opportunity to stay where I am at, or choose advancement! I personally want to take advantage of every new opportunity to progress and go forward! This is what keeps my life exciting! This keeps me looking forward in expectation instead of looking back in regret!
I want to encourage you my friend, today is a new day, His mercies are renewed every morning, so what are we waiting for let’s take advantage of a new day filled with new opportunity!
Heartfelt Inspiration!
21 MayHeartfelt Inspiration!
People may ask me, why do you love to go to the ocean? I never have just a simple answer. I usually answer them with another question such as follows: Don’t you just love it when you can see something with your own eyes that inspires you?
The ocean’s great expanse overwhelms me every time I get a chance to go and stand on its wonderful sandy shores. As I stand there I become awestruck by the ever-changing hues of greens, blues, and grays! The beauty of the ocean is so breathtaking to me that I can’t help but think about the Lord! Although as a child of God we are to walk by faith and not by our senses, it is my opinion that the Lord created such wonderful things for us to see so that we are without excuse to know that He is! He is the creator of all that is! As I stand there gazing at the wonder of His creation, then I feel that I am even more a Believer in what He has done and will continue do to help me! After all, if He could create all of what my eyes behold, then surely He can create whatever I need Him to create for me!
All of my senses come alive when I stand at the ocean! I feel the gentle breezes as they brush gently across my face, but then more violently as the winds blow my long hair into a tangled mess. As I step down into the oceans warm water barely over my knees I feel the force of the waves as they buffet against me nearly knocking me down with the sheer power of them! I hear the roaring sounds as the ocean’s waves crash against the shoreline. I am amazed at the white caps of the waves as they peak from what seems like miles out to sea! My sense of smell is heightened as I breathe in the odor of seaweed, fish and salt. I can almost taste the salt upon my lips. My mind is charged with creative thoughts and my Spirit is lifted to a new height as I become inspired and moved with emotion! I try to compare the beauty and splendor of what I see with the Great Creator, but in my heart I know that it doesn’t or couldn’t began to compare to His Beauty. I become totally overwhelmed with His presence and feel a tear trickle down my cheek as I just stand in awesome wonder!
I’ve known His power as He has moved swiftly on my behalf to change circumstances to bless me. However, I stand in pure amazement as I suddenly realize what gentleness He must have toward mankind. When another wave roars toward me with such force and power, it causes me to have understanding of what restraint that He chooses toward us. He truly shows us His tenderness and compassion! He is more powerful than the force of all the waves, but gingerly touches us with His presence! My heart and soul has been refreshed as I peer out into the great vastness! I break out into a song of praise as I lift my voice, “How Great thou Art! How Great thou Art!”
Why sit here until we die?
14 MayWhy Sit Here Until we Die?
Have you ever felt as though you are sitting still in life? You have visions and dreams but do not know how to get from point A to point B without stepping totally out of your comfort zone! Or maybe you have been presented with challenges and because of fear of failure you’ve backed down? I have been there many times. However, one day I looked into my mirror at the person I was becoming and honestly I was not at all happy. I realized that I had settled for a lot less than what I was supposed to have had. Well with that realization, I saw clearly that in order for me to change, I was going to have to make some difficult decisions, which at the time were always “iffy” for me. You know how you talk with yourself, “Well if I do this, this could happen” or, “If I don’t do that, than that horrible thing could happen!” But, finally I had to realize that if I just stayed still, then I was going to be miserable and there was no one to blame but ME! I had wonderful dreams and visions of becoming a creative writer or artist, or speaker, but felt as though I were dying a little each day as I stayed seated in my discontent . I finally had a very serious talk with the Lord, and realized that He had been waiting for me to stop trusting myself and really wholeheartedly put my trust in him. The day came, when I stepped out for the first time, and with each step forward after that came such a freedom and joy!
II Kings 7:3 (KJV) And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4 If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
I simply love this story of the “Four Lepers.” They became so frustrated with their situation that finally one of them spoke up and asked the notorious question, “Why sit we here until we die?”
I had to ask myself that question that day when I glared into my mirror and saw a very unsatisfied, unfulfilled person whose dreams I thought had died because I kept putting them off. I could have tried to blame circumstance, or people for my lack of stepping forward, but I knew that it was the person looking back at me that made the decisions that put me where I was at. That was the day that I decided like the leprous men to go forward! I wasn’t going to look back anymore in regret, but move forward. You know all through the Bible, I only read where God lead his people forward. I don’t ever personally remember reading where He told them to back up! That day I stepped out of my comfort zone and let the Lord stretch me and mold me so that I could be used of him, but also so that I could be satisfied and fulfilled with myself! Have I fallen flat on my bootie after stepping out? Absolutely! However I didn’t stay there! I picked myself up, shook myself off, and simply took it as a lesson not to repeat that mistake again. My life now is an exciting adventure of day-to-day challenges that I can honestly say that I look forward to. I have just begun to tap into what the Lord has for me, and I am like a little kid at a candy store! I love my life and all of its new challenges!
I want to encourage you my dear friend, if you know that you’re supposed to be doing something or if you have a gift or talent that you’re not using, step out and trust God to help you. He has called us to Co-labor with him. He never intended for us to fly Solo through life. Let me tell you that one of your first and greatest challenges in stepping out of your comfort zone will be to simply trust the Lord that he knows what is best for you! I cheer you my friend, take the first step and begin your new exciting, fulfilling life’s adventure! You will not regret it!
Life’s Roller Coaster Rides!
24 AprLife’s ups and downs!
Sometimes do you ask if the roller coaster ride will ever stop? Maybe you’re like me where you’ve gone through so much in the past few years that you find yourself almost begging, please make it stop! I was hesitant at first to share this particular blog, as I am just going to be real and transparent with my emotions. However, my hope is that it will help someone to know that the Lord is with us, through the good and the bad times!
I am not one who lives in the past, however, I do know that what the Lord has done for us in the past, He will do again when we need him NOW! Below is a blog that I actually had written two years ago in April! I was going through some of my blogs and come across this one and decided to share it again as it is a story of victory and triumph regardless of all the horrible things that happened! I have found that God is the same in the best of times and through the worst of times! My hope again is that you will always find encouragement, whether you’ve made it to the other side of a trial or especially if you are presently going through an on slot of trails and trouble!
Blog from April 2012 Life’s Roller Coaster Ride!
I’ve honestly had one of those months, to where one minute, My stomach is up in my throat and I am swallowing hard to keep everything down, and the next minute I am screaming with my hands raised and full of cheers! So I have had to learn how to deal with all of the ups and downs, to keep it on an even keel so to speak. I personally know nothing else to do but to keep my eyes on the One who is gazing at me. When I turn my eyes upward and look full into the glorious face of the One who loves me regardless if I am having a good day or bad, I know that I can truly do all things.
This month started out so blessed for me, had great opportunities with my latest book to do several book signings which were good, and then BAM! Here the enemy came parading in like he owned the place. The enemy (Satan) dressed in an innocent looking outfit that landed my baby son down on all fours and knocked my whole family for a loop. My son was “accidentally knocked down” and suffered a broken leg. He is now sporting a dark blue cast from his foot to his thigh! Stomach up in my throat! As a Momma, nothing hurts you quiet so much as seeing your child be hurt, whether on purpose or by accident, you want to swoop down like some kind of wild, mad bird and pluck out the very eyes of the enemy! So, okay, we got my son all cast up and endured the first couple of nights of his pain until finally things modified a bit. He is adjusting to crutches, a little wheelchair the whole works.
He broke his leg on a Sunday, by Tuesday we’re breathing pretty easy working out all of the strange kinks that come with having a child broken. I began banging away on the computer to try to catch up on some writing, when BAM ! Here came my oldest son running into my room, screaming hysterically saying” Mom I cut my hand really bad!” Huge lump in my throat, need to breathe but just go into first aid Mom mode! I drag my son to the sink as his hand is bleeding profusely and I plunge his hand under the faucet to rinse off the blood so as to see if I honestly could see how bad it was cut. The blood kept coming and by this time he is nervously shaking all over and I am trying to console him, but at the same time asking the Lord, what in the world was I going to do as I have one son in a full leg cast and another bleeding! Do I call an ambulance or try to drag him myself to the hospital for stitches, when the most profound thing come flying out of my son’s mouth! “Lord, help me please!”
Suddenly like someone had slapped me back into reality, because truly the Lord is the most real thing I know, I got into agreement with my son. I just remember saying Lord your word says and took off on his words to me! Immediately, my Lord performed a miracle! My son’s hand or actually it turned out to be his finger immediately stopped bleeding and his finger had a thin scab instantly cover the cut! Yes I know that this sounds incredible, but I am telling the truth. He went from blood dripping down his arm and off his elbow, to scab on the finger instantly! Yay! We came down the roller coaster track with our arms raised high and screaming cheers to the One who knows how to take good care of us, especially in our times of desperation! As a mother, I felt desperate to get my child help and to remain calm which obviously at first I was failing miserably at doing, but then Thank GOD! Some of the training that we’ve been training our child with kicked in for him and Voila! GOD truly is an on time GOD that heard a cry from his little child!
Okay, so after all of that was over, we are clipping along pretty good beginning to really enjoy the ride as we are going into the next week! It was a beautiful Monday morning, the sun was shining and I had just talked with a friend on the telephone and tried to encourage them as they were going through some things that only GOD could help them with. I had no more hung up the phone, and rose up from my kitchen table when I heard something horrible. All of a sudden something happened that still makes me quake to think about. A huge tree, probably about 30 feet came crashing down on the roof of our side porch, on our RV and on my truck which was parked right in front of our house. I ran quickly to my children as they felt the entire house being shaken and heard the crash of the tree. They of course were terrified and so was I as we did not know if this was the only tree that was going to fall as we live in a jungle of sorts. Trees are everywhere. I never knew whether to get out of the house or to stay in it. I tried to calm us all down, and ran to call my husband and told him what has just happened. He dropped everything at his job and immediately began his trip home. I guess I had just hang up on him so abruptly without telling him that we were okay that the enemy played with his mind on his 9 mile trip that I’m sure seemed a horrific long journey. As he travelled, my husband kept trying to call us but his cell phone would not allow him to call. Before he had gotten home the tree shifted and again the sounds of crashing and a terrifying vibration rattled the whole house! It was a horrible experience that I would not wish upon anyone with the exception that we were all safe!
The tree was perfectly healthy and green, just very tall and we had been having winds for the past few days, so I suppose that just the constant twisting and turning of it was what made it fall, that and the fact that the enemy wanted to use it to try to place a spirit of fear in me and my children. We couldn’t deny the power of the Lord as we seen how the tree was practically laid down to prevent as much damage as possible. We could keep looking at the situation and say if it had not been for the RV it would have fallen directly into the kitchen area, if it had not been for the porch roof, again it would have destroyed the rest of the house etc. But what we knew for sure, was that if it had not been for the hand and the protection of GOD it could have been a disaster that I personally do not want to think about.
So the point of this whole blog this week, is to simply say this: Bad things happen to good people all of the time. It is how we let them affect us and how we respond to them that will count. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” is a quote that definitely applies here. I know that what the enemy meant for evil, my GOD, my Daddy has turned for my good! I will set my face like a flint and know that regardless of the ride that I am on in life, that My Daddy is ultimately the conductor! He knows all of the twist and turns, all the thrills and times that my stomach is going to catch in my throat, but through it all, He is with me and so I raise my arms and let out a cheer and praise Him with my whole heart! GOD is always a good GOD!
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Christine Gilliam Hornback
Authorartistmomof2 
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