tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54064150608844031232024-03-05T18:54:53.175-05:00Heart-to-Heart Photos and ExpressionsJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.comBlogger608125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-27558073953792473482023-12-17T19:01:00.001-05:002023-12-17T19:01:48.735-05:00The GiftThroughout
the year, I listen carefully while talking with family and friends. When they
say, “I’d love to have…”, I take note of that. Doing so, along with listing those
ideas in places I’m sure to see them, helps me choose gifts loved ones will
enjoy receiving on a special occasion.As
I reflect on gift-giving, several Scripture passages come to mind. One of my
favorites is found in the third Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-73942738775406010072023-06-18T00:11:00.002-04:002023-06-18T00:11:20.517-04:00Happy Father's DayHappy Father's Day to all the dads who provide a good and godly examplefor their children. Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-69365250809167277602023-05-27T22:12:00.003-04:002023-05-27T22:12:47.166-04:00Honoring the FallenMemorial Day…a day to pay tribute to and mourn those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. As one person pointed out, it is not a celebration but rather a day of solemn contemplation as we consider the vast numbers of men and women who bravely went off to war and never came home. We thank God for their willingness to serve our country. We, along with their families, mourn Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-14464495756959975702023-05-16T21:09:00.002-04:002023-05-16T23:11:42.310-04:00Sing On!When I colored the 4" x 6" card that's pictured here, the words Oh, sing to the Lord reminded me of my sweet Mama. From childhood on, I remember that many times throughout the day Mama either sang softly or hummed her favorite Gospel songs as she did household chores, crocheted, or quilted. Even as Alzheimer's eroded her memory, she still hummed many of her favorite hymns. Their words Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-80702202040527975382023-04-08T00:22:00.000-04:002023-04-08T00:22:42.653-04:00Jesus, the Ever-Living One Jesus, the Ever-Living OneBefore He made the heavens and the earth,Before angelic hosts announced His birth,Before His public ministry began,Jesus was central to the Father's plan.He came. He loved and served. And then He died.His shed blood did our forgiveness provide.Victorious, He arose to life anew,To give life to sinners like me and you.Because our Savior lives eternally, So shallJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-39056709564794434092023-03-26T01:12:00.002-04:002023-03-26T01:12:45.865-04:00BluebirdsSeveral weeks ago, a friend gave my husband and me a bluebird house made of cedar. He fastened it to a post in our backyard. One recent afternoon when I paused to look in that direction, I saw a bluebird fluttering around the opening and then alighting on the top of the post. I hurried to tell my husband what I'd seen. He grinned. "I guess that means you want me to remove a window Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-12103850770878682012023-03-15T20:47:00.007-04:002023-03-16T09:29:29.095-04:00Blessings Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.—-James 1:17, NKJVJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-34649060049341008002023-02-22T21:21:00.000-05:002023-02-22T21:21:16.276-05:00Don't Give Up! Tears filled my eyes as I watched a video a
friend had sent me of her one-year-old grandson, who was teetering and
tottering as he walked a short distance across a room in his house. I admired
his determination to walk on feet and legs that weren’t accustomed to standing
and walking.Unsteady though he was, he was laser-focused
on making it to an area that contained some of his toys. That Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-60722213498287005582023-02-15T01:36:00.001-05:002023-02-15T01:40:45.845-05:00The Mind-boggling Love of GodSometimes we hear a truth that is mind-boggling, don’t we? For example, according to John 1:12, everyone who has received Christ has been given the right, the privilege, of becoming children of God. Imagine that! We are children of the Almighty God. Children of the One who made heaven and earth and sustains everyone and everything. Children of the One who loves and cares for us far better than Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-13313077734968754522023-01-16T13:07:00.000-05:002023-01-16T13:07:18.504-05:00New BeginningsNote: I wrote the gist of the following in my journal in December 1997. However, the message remains true and applicable to us today.
As I reflect on all that happened last year, I also look toward the New Year and wonder what it will hold. None of us knows what's ahead, not even in the next hour. But I take comfort in this sentence I read in a little booklet as I waited for an Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-68941650373398051002023-01-08T22:16:00.000-05:002023-01-08T22:16:16.319-05:00God Is Still in Charge! My heart was heavy as 2022 came to an end. I was thinking about so many dear ones who have problems that are heartbreaking and have no obvious solution. But as my husband and I traveled toward a friend's house on New Year’s Eve, we noticed the sky was a vivid orange near the horizon, making it appear as if a fire raged behind the trees.My eyes filled with happy tears at the awesome sight Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-2644176496459294112022-12-14T17:00:00.011-05:002022-12-14T17:02:55.416-05:00‘Tis the SeasonThe theme for a meeting I attended recently was ‘Tis the Season.Those words come from Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly, a Christmas carol written in 1881. However, the phrase ‘Tis the Season didn’t begin appearing in magazines and newspapers until the 1970s. Now, that phrase is used throughout the year, as in ‘Tis the season for spring cleaning. Or ‘Tis the season for flu and Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-50918585669801151612022-12-07T21:00:00.002-05:002022-12-13T11:19:10.498-05:00On the Way!An online merchant sends me a notification that my order has been shipped. In most cases, I also receive a link I can use to track the package. On the day the order is to arrive, I receive another notification that the item is out for delivery.I like having access to that information. Once I know the item is on its way, my anticipation builds. And when I receive an “out for delivery” notificationJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-85919034829523753042022-11-30T12:00:00.054-05:002023-06-15T23:23:06.218-04:00Whatever the Weather TodayI opened my eyes at 7:23
a.m., delighted by the bright light streaming into the master bedroom of the
condo. I hurried toward the great room. It, too, was bathed in light so bright
that I squinted my eyes when I looked toward the east-facing section of the floor-to-ceiling
windows that surrounded the room on three sides. The only sound I heard was the
gentle lapping of the surf againstJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-35355272484862351122022-10-24T22:30:00.001-04:002022-10-24T22:30:00.211-04:00What If…? Jesus said unto him [a Pharisee], Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:37-38, KJV). A piece of writing I came across on Pinterest asks some thought-provoking, heart-searching questions, including theseJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-57093773411073420002022-09-23T15:00:00.008-04:002022-09-23T15:00:00.230-04:00In Praise of MamaMy sweet mama died years ago. Even so, I think of her many times each day, especially on her birthday (September 24th). Although I can no longer visit her or give her a gift or even call to chat a bit, I yearn to honor her in some way.As I thought about what I could do, a familiar verse (Proverbs 31:28) from the Old Testament came to mind. Although the words stored in my memory are from the King Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-30984665063898949542022-09-09T15:00:00.001-04:002022-09-09T15:00:00.267-04:00Learning the LessonsIn her book, Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages, Meredith Heller says, “We can find poetry everywhere, if we know how to look and how to listen. Poetry lives in the simplest things, in the is-ness of an object, in the relationship between people, in nature, in light and shadow…” (p.87). As soon as I read those words, I thought, She’s right! AndJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-58100812589548317122022-08-31T15:53:00.000-04:002022-08-31T15:53:21.153-04:00LandscapesEven though I don’t tend to use fresh phrases when I write or
speak, they delight me. Therefore, I felt intrigued when I discovered one (“the landscape of life”) someone else had written.
Although I hadn't thought about associating the word landscape
with life, I suddenly saw the connection. Physical LandscapesSome of the features in a physical
landscape are natural—boulders, mountains, Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-35502146439181126952022-06-13T23:19:00.000-04:002022-06-13T23:19:18.448-04:00Flag DayFlag Day is celebrated annually on June 14th to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-12377637229012360302022-05-05T17:55:00.000-04:002022-05-05T17:55:55.820-04:00Bittersweet Mother's Day is bittersweet for me. How is it for you?I'm missing my own precious mother, who departed this life eleven years ago. I'm missing my sweet mother-in-law, who was like a mother to me. She left us on Mother's Day weekend six years ago. I'm rejoicing in my two daughters and their families who bring me such joy (and call me "Nana"). I'm feeling thankful for all the good and godly Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-37760832425025065992022-04-13T17:40:00.002-04:002022-04-13T17:57:36.269-04:00Greatly LovedEver since I first heard Fernando Ortega sing How Deep the Father's Love, the words and the worshipful way he sings them have touched my heart. I listen to it often via YouTube. In fact, I recently learned how to set it on autoplay/loop so that I can hear it again and again as I go about my daily duties. As I listen, I sing along, for the words express more beautifully than I ever couldJohnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-74012765766043348432022-03-17T13:00:00.000-04:002022-03-17T13:00:25.351-04:00A Prayer for Us Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-17198459213404582362022-03-16T12:44:00.001-04:002022-03-16T12:44:00.232-04:00An InvitationDear Reader,Because I’m being so blessed by a series of messages I’m listening to, I want to share the source with you. I pray that you, too, will be enlightened and inspired by the truths Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth shares about the names of Jesus, names we’ve heard so often but may have limited understanding of their meanings and their importance to us. Click here: https://Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-63682573418063933292022-03-12T09:15:00.001-05:002022-03-12T22:36:41.849-05:00Opportunities to LoveFor several years, my daughter Jena donated blood regularly. Then she started donating platelets instead. One day, someone from the donation center called to ask if she'd come in and donate platelets again since Jena's blood matched that of a patient who needed surgery but could not have it until there was an adequate supply of blood products on hand.Jena gladly donated. Afterward, she posted Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5406415060884403123.post-23859023521622237152022-03-02T20:00:00.003-05:002022-03-02T20:00:00.219-05:00Lessons from the FlowersOne afternoon in late February, I lingered in the yard, enjoying the springlike weather and the sight and sound of many birds. When I saw the daffodils blooming profusely by the sidewalk, I decided to take a photo of them to text to my friend who loves flowers and grows pretty ones in her yard, as well as inside her house. But since it’s been snowing in recent days where she lives, and morning Johnnie Ann Gaskillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07428942440547109846noreply@blogger.com0