Okay, readers.  I'm ready and packed and being a really good sport.  Although I like to be in the "know" I'm being led my the love of my life to the Tampa airport for a flight Saturday afternoon into the friendly skies of.....????  I would ask for your prayers for a safe journey and one that is filled with stories to tell and adventures about which to write.  Pray also that Gary and I would be able to share our faith in some way as we journey throughout these next few days. 

I understand we will have the internet and my laptop, so I will hopefully be communicating throughout the trip.  Stay tuned....the next time I write I might have a location of known origin!  God bless, my friends!

For the past couple of days I've been writing quite a bit.  Gary is taking me out of town this weekend for our anniversary (destination unknown to me), we will be flying to Pittsburgh next weekend for a wedding and the following weekend my kids will be in town to visit us in Florida.  Needless to say, lots of writing needs to be posted during those times.  I have been enjoying the writing process....God teaches me so much each time I delve into the scriptures asking for clarity of mind and an understanding of events. 

I want to thank each one of you who "tune in" each day and read my little offerings.  The Sounding Board is officially one year old and I have delighted in the opportunity to share my life and faith with my readers.  May God bless you and hopefully you are relishing the first signs of Spring!

Many people today are wearing green and celebrating their Irish heritage.  It's sad, but I don't have a lot of clues concerning my heritage.  My husband is Italian and has a long line of relatives and ancestors that herald from various locations and cities in Italy.  While his mom was visiting us for a couple of weeks, we had dessert in a local establishment, Angelo's.  The owners speak with an Italian accent and my mother-in-law had a conversation using her remembered Italian language.  It was amazing.  I took Latin in school.  Think I run into anyone and speaks that language???

My maiden name is of German descent.  That I know since I was shown a graveyard that contains relatives from the late 1800's and early 1900's that came to America from various cities in Germany.  Other than that, I'm clueless.  When our kids were little and were asked about their heritage their answer would be, "we're 50% Italian and 50% southern"....again, sad. 

But I'm happy to inform you that I am a full-fledged member of the family of God.  I share the title of being a daughter and princess of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  I have a mansion waiting for me when God ordains it's time for breath to leave this earthly body.  In the blink of an eye, I will begin an eternity of living as a proud heir to the throne of grace and mercy.  It would be great to know my human origin as it relates to immigrants from other countries, but what a gift to know my spiritiual heritage is in Christ Jesus.  Have a wonderful day, my friends.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This morning a complete surprise was awaiting me on this blog....my sweet girlfriend and fellow cheerleader in life, Sue, wrote a congratulatory note celebrating the FIRST anniversary of The Sounding Board Teaching Ministries' beginnings on the internet.  Wow, I didn't even remember, Sue!  I truly appreciate this opportunity, but it reminds me to ask forgiveness for questioning God's will for my life.  The human aspect of expressing doubt over abilities when it comes to leading studies and writing devotionals is an area what constantly needs surrendered to God.

One of the best presents I can ever receive are the positive comments that come out of the blue and shared at the moment I need to hear them....Sue, this was one of those times and you seem to persistently hit the mark.  Must be because you're older and you know more!  (For those who read this blog and aren't aware, Sue is only two months older and I continually rib her about it....especially as the time draws closer for another year to trip on the meter!)  

Another shout out to cheerleader Jan....you, too, are precious and I appreciate each time you, as well as Sue, have taken time out of a busy, hectic day to write.

God bless, my friends....and thank you Jesus, for your mercies which are new every, single day!  May The Sounding Board Teaching Ministries be used of God for His glory!

I love many genres of music.  Most certainly worshipful songs are among my favorites.  Hymns, scripture set to a melodic tune, acapella voices...the list continues.  But today as I was reading from Isaiah 42, verse 12 reads, "Let them (the people) give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands."  Wow, I began remembering the times of being on various islands and hearing the reggae music.  I think I own a CD of Christian reggae music somewhere in my house!  Can you imagine those drums and voices with the indigenous "island" instruments singing praises to our God?

Oh, my, what a wonderful time we will enjoy in heaven as all invented instruments are being played in perfect harmony in worship to our Savior!   I am praying that God will unlock my fingers and allow me to play along with the heavenly worship band....maybe I'll even play a drum in the reggae section!  God bless, my friends...have a wonderful weekend and delight in singing praises to our Lord especially on Sunday!  A big shout out to my nephew, Jesse Pete on the birth of his firstborn, a little girl, Lilly Anne, this morning.  The circle continues to roll!

This morning I'm sitting in the lanai watching a tremendous downpour.  A golf course adjoins our property that currently reminds me of Snake River in Idaho.  There are streams of water resembling rivers that are making their way around trees and mounds of grass that daily provide sand traps.  With little drainage provided, it makes for quite a sight.  As we watch from the windows of the lanai, grateful to be safe and sound inside, I hear the voice of the Lord speaking, "Be still and know that I am God"....

God is everywhere, that I know, but when these occurrences happen, I am reminded to stop, reflect and "know" that God is in control.  The weather has been a huge topic of discussion for people all across the nation this winter.  Strangers we meet in Florida constantly apologize for the bad winter us "first-timers" have experienced.  We smile and tell them that no apology is necessary.  The plus for us has been to be out of the bitter cold and snow....anything else is gravy.  However, God is a constant that never changes....He is not hot and cold....He is not up and down....He does not value one of His children over another....God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He is The Way, The Truth and The Life....daily we need to be still and know, or least remember how great and awesome is our God!  Have a great day, my friends!

Sitting on our lanai this morning a crane happened by....he simply walked past the lanai and used his long narrow beak to search the ground for food.  Occasionally, he looked up and stared at us, but since we were not moving or threatening his agenda, he continued on his way.  He was a beautiful creature, gray exquisite feathers tipped in white, a small area of red on his head resembling a small hat and these tiny toothpick legs that appeared to be connected at the "knee" with a small bulge (said bulge reminded me of the round wooden mechanism distributed in tinker toys for children to join the wooden sticks).

As we watched for several minutes, I began to focus on those tiny legs.  How in the world did those legs hold the weight of the crane?  And then I was reminded that God has made no mistakes in creation.  Those legs tuck perfectly under the body of the crane when he decides it's time to take flight.  The legs, although long, hold no resistence to the flight pattern and serve the intented dual purpose for the crane.  Instantly I reflected to the Word of God.  Now that I'm facilitating the Bucket List Bible Study and reading the Book of Genesis again, the significance of each event, person and story is being unfolded in a new and different light.  God's Word is a treasure chest of lessons to be learned and although we might question why events transpired and unfolded the way they did, God does have a purpose and makes no mistakes.  Just like that crane....God didn't make a mistake with those legs and He will continue to reveal the treasures of His Word as we continue to ask for the sight to see!  God bless, my friends! 

Yesterday I commented on the concept of waiting.  This morning I am reading various entries on my Facebook page revealing the appearance of bulbs starting to peek through the snow, the sun beginning to shine more frequently and the spirits of my friends awaking to positivity that winter is truly coming to an end.  It's been a long, hard, record-breaking winter for people all across the country.  At one point 49 out of the 50 states were experiencing snow!  When we are in the midst of a continuous onslaught of conditions out of the ordinary, we simply question "how long will this encounter last?" 

I was reminded this morning as I read in Psalm, Chapter 30, verse 5b, "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."  And again in verses 11 and 12, "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent, O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."  At the end of every tunnel is a light.  We, in our human form and finite minds, cannot determined the length of the tunnel, but as Christians we know God walks with us and He is the Light of the world.  But after walking through the darkness, oh how much sweeter is the Light!  God bless, my friends and may you find hints of Spring and the new life Christ gives surrounding your day!

Waiting has been an operative word this winter.  Everyone has been waiting this year....waiting for winter to be over, waiting for the snow to cease falling, waiting for warmer temperatures, waiting for longer days, waiting for flowers to bloom, waiting for the green color to return to the grass, waiting for the trees to bud, waiting to hear birds sing, bees buzz and feeders to fill with numerous types and colors of our winged favorites.  Sometimes we get caught up with waiting to the point we don't enjoy or seek the treasures within each day.  It doesn't matter where you live or who you are, someone is always looking for something better to happen.

I've received via the internet the reading of "An Ordinary Day" by its author.  It speaks to the issue of waiting for kids to grow up and realizing all the wonderful "ordinary" events that surround the process of watching children develop and leave the nest.  Even the job of parenting is often filled with waiting.....for it to be over. 

Let's fill today with thankfulness.  Thankful we woke up this morning, thankful for the graciousness of our Lord to allow us to live one more day, thankful for sunshine or rain as the case may be, thankful for our children no matter what stage of growth they might be experiencing, thankful for the appearance of Spring whether it be a robin or a small crocus peeping through the snow, thankful for friends and loved ones.....generally being thankful.  Take a piece of paper and a pen and begin to write your list of blessings.  It will put an entirely different spin on the term "waiting" as you begin to realize the meaning of the term "thankful".....God bless, my friends!  "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

There are numerous beaches along the Florida coastline which parallels the Gulf of Mexico.  Siesta Key is one of those lovely beaches which offers a stretch of white sand second to none.  The beach was full of individuals today seeking a good dose of Vitamin D on their faces and other body parts and the average age of those in attendance was 18-20...must be time for Spring break!  There were games of volleyball, throwing footballs, juggling and the ever popular boy meets girl.  It didn't seem that the cooler temperatures which have frequented the country this year bothered them in the least. 

Although observing their behavior was interesting, it reminded me of my contentment to live in the decade I'm currently experiencing.  I enjoy parking my beach chair in the sun, lathering on the #30 sunscreen, putting on the visor and relaxing with a good book.  My days of worrying about the size of my swimsuit and whether or not the bottom half is sporting a skirt is over.  I am who I am and my hubby loves me.....life is good.