“The ordinary acts we practice, every day at home, are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.â
-Thomas Moore
Tag Archives: friends
Here’s to Hugs and Kisses
 Hugs
Reduce harmful physical effects of stress;
Calm deep pressure on children, tantrums, and mellows moodiness;
Help the bodyâs immune system, cures depression, and induces sleep;
Invigorate and rejuvenate
Increase heart rate and stabilize blood pressure;
Give a positive emotional state;
Bring out a surge of serotonine and dopamine, which are known as âfeel goodâ brain chemicals.
Relieve pain, make you healthier and happier;
Help to overcome fear
 Kisses
Good for the heart, as it creates an adrenaline which causes your heart to pump more blood around your body.
Stress-reliever, lowering your cortisol âstressâ hormone.
Endorphins produced by kissing are 200 times more powerful than morphine.
Reduces anxiety and stop the ‘noise’ in your mind.
Increase the levels of oxytocin, an extremely calming hormone that produces a feeling of peace.
Great for self-esteem.  Make  you feel appreciated and helps your state of mind.
Those who kiss quite frequently are less likely to suffer from stomach, bladder and blood infections.
Those who kiss goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who donât.
Here’s to Hugs and Kisses! OXOX
Friends
  Â
‘Two are better than one;…. For if they fall, the one will lift the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Love Is…
“Love is patient, Love is kind…
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice
But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, Never loses faith,
Is always hopeful, and endures
Through every circumstance…”
“Love never fails”
I Corinthians 13: 4-7
Friends
  Â
‘Two are better than one;…. For if they fall, the one will lift the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
April First
“You can fool all the people some of the time,
and some of the people all the time,
but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
 ~Abraham Lincoln
On The Sunny Side
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
The Optimist Creed
The Microwave Treatment
Sometimes it’s hard to wait when you’re praying for something special to happen, and I know what that feels like…
Once, while I was waiting for my miracle, I had a dream. It had been about 6 months since I had surgery and I was growing more and more impatient about having a baby. I thought I’d get pregnant right away. But that’s not what happened.
One night, I had a very interesting dream
There were two parts to this dream. First, I dreamt that we were visiting some friends for dinner and as the men talked in the living room, I sat in the kitchen while the food was being prepared. I was shocked to see that my friend was spooning raw, runny, red, hamburger meat, into taco shells and placing them in the microwave to be cooked. “YUCK!” I thought to myself, and when she had finished cooking, she topped them with all the trimmings, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat any, because I saw the way that they were prepared with raw meat, and this really grossed me out!
In the second part of my dream, I was in a meat shop, and I was trying to buy a beef roast which was turning slowly on a spit. I was in a hurry, and I told the man cooking the meat that I had been waiting a long time, and was ready to go. He looked at me and said “I’m sorry ma’am but it’s not ready yet. I said “Are you sure? It looks like it’s done.” then he pulled out a long sharp-pointed thing, and pierced through the meat, and all of this red, runny, gook came pouring out. He was right. The meat was not ready… It was as if both parts of the dream had the same meaning.
When I woke up, I thought that maybe this dream had something to do with my healing from surgery, and how I was not yet healed up enough on the inside.
A few days later, I was sitting in the park, watching my son and daughter at soccer practice, when I saw a friend from church. She asked me how I was recovering from the surgery. I told her that I was doing fine, but that I was really ready to have another baby, “After all”, I said “I’m 35 years old!”…She was nearly 50, and told me that I was still young enough to have another baby. “God’s timing is perfect… Just be patient!..I had my last baby when I was 40 years old. ” she said. I smiled, shrugged my shoulders, and said, “But I’ve been waiting so long already.” Then she said, ” Faith, you just had surgery… You need time to heal.” She laughed and said jokingly, .. “What you want is the Microwave Treatment!!”
When she said this, I knew that it was a confirmation of the dream that I’d had a few days earlier… “The Microwave Treatment”… It was true! I didn’t want to wait any longer.. I wanted my miracle,and I wanted it now! This instant… In fact, I wanted it yesterday!!
I was reminded by this incident, that God is in control, and I accepted that He knows best. I would just have to be patient and wait…
Three years later, I realized my miracle, and was expecting our little girl.
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage…”
Psalm 27:14
We’ve Come This Far
We’ve come this far by faith,
Leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in his Holy Word.
He’s never failed us yet.
Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh!
Can’t turn around, Oh no!
We’ve come this far by faith.
Albert Goodson
Two Cozy
“A friend loves at all times…”
Proverbs 17:17
Seems Like Only Yesterday…
My how time flies!
Just wanted to share my good news with you. Yesterday I blogged my 500th post at Faithrises and this is my award!
So happy to have been blogging and sharing here and a special thank you to all of you who have visited, liked or followed Faithrises.
God Bless you!
Love,  FaithâĽ
With Thanksgiving
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth:the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, and He made it: and His Hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
Psalm 95:1-6
Forget About It
“Forget about the past and look forward to what lies ahead,”
Philippians 3″13
Happiness
“Happiness is… Â enjoying the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.”
Seneca
Friends
  Â
‘Two are better than one;…. For if they fall, the one will lift the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Liebster Blog Award
 Thank you,  Jess, @ http://jemiluce.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for the
Liebster Blog Award!
 First I asked myself, What is  a Liebster?
and then, (as my mother always said when I was a kid,)
I looked it up!
 Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest,
dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.
So this is an honor and a blessing. Very kind words indeed!
Proverbs 16:24 says,
” Gracious words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
So thank you very much Jess, and I hope that those of you reading this will stop by and pay
her bright ,new blog, http://jemiluce.wordpress.com/ a visit!
My Five Picks
(Please stop by and pay them a visit. You’ll be glad you did!)
âĽÂ Beautiful
Francine in Retirement @http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/
âĽInspiring
Deb @http://iftodaywehear.wordpress.com/
âĽSo Fun!
Garden Girl @Â http://gardengirl92.wordpress.com/
âĽÂ Refreshing
 Grace Pieces @http://gracepieces.com/
âĽSmart, Thought Provoking
Paulo  @http://paulorbrito.wordpress.com/
 Finally, a special thank you to everyone who reads, “likes”, or follows this blog.
Smiles and Blessings
Faith âĽ
All the Best
“… Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Two Cozy
“A friend loves at all times…”
Proverbs 17:17
The Versatile Blogger Award!
A great big Thank you to both, NanaDoll and Ana for nominating me for
The Versatile Blogger Award.
It is truly an honor, and I sincerely appreciate it!
Thank You. :)
Guidelines for the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:
- Display the Award Certificate on your website
- Announce your win with a post and link to whoever presented your award
- Present  award to 15  Versatile bloggers
- Drop them a comment to tip them off after you have linked them in the post
Here are my nominees for The Versatile Blogger Award:( I’ve listed 12 of some of the newest blogs I’ve enjoyed. Please stop by and take a look. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them too! )
http://allaboutmanners.wordpress.com/
http://talinorfali.wordpress.com
http://ariseprayerministries.wordpress.com/
http://ksean824.wordpress.com/
http://trimdowntightenup.wordpress.com/
http://foodsnob86.wordpress.com/
http://thoughtsfromanamericanwoman.wordpress.com/
http://sharedblogg.wordpress.com/
http://ponderingbylaurie.wordpress.com/
http://leafandtwig.wordpress.com
Finally, a Special Thank You to those of you who read, “like”, or follow  Faithrises.
You make my day, and you’re the best!
Smiles and Blessings!
 FaithâĽ
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!!
Thanks Word Press for this award marking one full year of blogging!
I’m thankful for the opportunity to write and share, and for all the great blogs and bloggers I’ve met along the way!
Happy 2013 and God Bless!
FaithâĽ
Blog of the Year Award!!!
Thank you Nitzy for nominating me for the 2012 Blog of the year award!!!!
This is an honor, and I appreciate it very much. I am humbled and thankful for such an honor, and it is my hope that readers who follow or stop by this blog will be inspired, uplifted, and encouraged. I give God all the glory for the wonderful response that I have received and I appreciate every single one who has ever read, “liked”, or followed Faithrises.
 I would like to pass this award along and nominate Francine of francineinretirement. Francine is a fellow blogger who shares beauty and inspiration in every post, through her photography and thoughtful words. I’ve appreciated the creativity and  consistency of her work ever since the first day I stopped by, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!
Smiles and Blessings to You All
Love
  Faith âĽ
We Gather Together
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen
Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn
Theodore Baker
Please and Thank You
When my children were pre-schoolers, they liked watching Barney, and I remember one of the little songs from the show was called “Please and Thank-you.” The song was a lesson and a reminder for children on the importance of saying “Please” and “Thank you”, something that we learned from our moms and dads when we were little as well.
Saying “Please” comes a little easier, as we often find our selves asking or praying for something that we want. But sometimes we forget how important it is to give thanks… Thanksgiving is nearly a week away, and  in honor of this I’d like to share a post with you each day, between this Thursday and Thanksgiving Day, about  giving thanks.
Preparing these posts has been a blessing for me already, and I hope that you will be blessed too!
Thanks and God Bless.
Faith âĽ
Thank you!!
I’m so excited!! I began blogging in January of this year, and  I’m happy to say that as of yesterday, there are now 500 fellow bloggers who subscribe to Faithrises. Wow! :)
 I can’t stop smiling about it!
Special thanks to all of you. You are truly a blessing to me, and I’m  honored and humbled by your support.
 God Bless You. – Smiles and Blessings as Always!
FaithâĽ
The Traffic Raiser Award!
Traffic is usually something we try to avoid, right?… But not here!!! Â :)
Thank you Nizy, @ nackynice.wordpress.com for nominating me for The Traffic Raiser Award!  It’s an honor, and I greatly appreciate it. I love your photos, poetry, and delightful posts!  Stop by and pay her blog a visit. You’ll be glad you did!
Thanks Nizy.
Guidelines
- Link back to the blogger who nominated you
- Paste the award image anywhere in your blog
- Tell us 7 facts about yourself
- Nominate 15 other bloggers.
- Post a comment on your nomineesâ blogs telling them of their nomination
- Leave a comment here, vote for your own and one other.
Seven Facts About Me
- I am a Christian.âĽ
- I’m a wife and mother, with three children, a son and two daughters. This is a great blessing for me.
- Being a mom is my all time favorite job. :)
- My son is the one who introduced me to blogging. He initially set up my account, and bought me a ” How To” book on blogging, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
- I love music. A few years back, our oldest daughter introduced me to the ipod. It’s  my favorite toy!
- I enjoy visiting gardens and museums.
- I have fun with words and writing! Â “Words with Friends” and Scrabble are my favorite games, and I play a little everyday.
And The  Nominees Are… :)
harpoftenstrings.wordpress.com
Â
Please stop by and visit these great blogs! I enjoy them and I’m sure you will too.
A great big “thanks” to everyone who follows, “likes”, or comments on this blog. You’re the best! – Faith :)
Â
Not Alone
“As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you.”
Isaiah 66:13
Blessing in Surprise
Once, several years back, I took my Jeep in to have my brakes checked, and as I sat in the waiting area, an elderly man sat, quietly, a few chairs down,waiting for his vehicle and reading a newspaper. I smiled at him as I sat down, and began leafing through one of the magazines on the table next to me.
When the mechanic came out to give me the news about my Jeep, I stood up and walked over to the counter to meet him. He basically told me that my brakes were in worse condition than I thought, and that I was going to cost much more than I had expected. I asked how much it would cost to do part of the job now and the rest later on, and he said he’d go back and check with his manager. Â I went back to my seat and the older gentleman, leaned over and quietly said that he would like to pay the difference, so that I could get the whole job done today. I was totally surprised at this and responded by saying, “Thank you sir. That is very kind of you but I can’t accept, thank you though. That’s very nice of you to offer.”
He answered by saying that he would really like to do this for me and my family, and this is just the type of thing that he and his wife try to do for others whenever they have the opportunity. So he asked that I please accept his offer. I thought for a minute and then asked if I could  have his name and address in order to repay him, and he said no. He said  that this would be a gift, and that he did not want to be repaid. I realized that this was a blessing, so I graciously accepted. ( I did manage to get his name and address anyway, so that I could send him and his wife a thank you note. I also included a gift card for he and his wife to go out to dinner.)  :)
That day, when I drove off, I felt so much gratitude, as I had thanked this gentleman several times, and was doubly blessed to have experienced true generosity and a “blessing in surprise!”
Seize The Day
Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called “the present!”
“Lord…Â teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
Kindness
“Be ye kind one to another,  tenderhearted,
 forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:32
Contagious
âThere is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.â
â Charles Dickens
The Commenter Award
Thank you, Juliana, simplyjuliana.wordpress.com, for nominating me for the Commenter Award. It’s been a pleasure to read and comment on your posts, and I’m happy to be among those who enjoy your blog. This is a new award for me, and  the guidelines are a little different this time which makes it fun! So, here we go:
Find your Top Recent Commenters on your site stats page on the bottom, right corner. If you do not see this, click on the Screen Options in the top, right corner and be sure that âCommentsâ is checked. If you are good about responding to every comment, then you will be the first one in the list.
Pass this award on to the next six commenters on the list.
Nominate one more person who is either:
A brand new commenter on your blog,
The very last comment you have received (most recent), or
The one who has posted your most favourite comments.
The seventh nomination is your choice, so please let us know why you chose them.
And now, I’m happy to introduce my Top Six Commenters!
1.Francine @ francineinretirement,wordpress,com
2.Beatrix Mana @ babydogogos.wordpress.com
3.Terry @Â terry1954.wordpress.com
4.Misty Maples Farm @Â awinsomejourney.wordpress.com
5.Mike @ emmock.com
6.Florence @Â harpoftenstrings.wordpress.com
And for number 7,  I’d like to nominate the very first blogger to ever “like” and comment on my blog. She’s always on the go, cycling  to new and exciting places, as she passes on her experiences through her pictures and her posts.  It was so exciting to see a little picture pop up on my screen for the very first time, and to read her comment when I first began blogging. It was so encouraging and I’ll always appreciate it!
7. Thanks Anita @ traveldestinationbucketlist.com
Finally, a Special Thank You to everyone who has ever “liked” or commented on this blog. Your encouragement and input are greatly appreciated!
Smiles and Blessings. -Faith :)
Two’s Company
“Two are better than one.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Comfortđ
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
II Corinthians 1:3-4
Catching Up is Hard To Do!
I am so blessed to have been nominated  for these beautiful awards during my long absence! Thank you. It was a great “Welcome Back” surprise!  You’ve made me very happy, and it’s so -ooooo good to be back. :)
  
Basically, these awards require that you acknowledge the person who nominated you, with a link to their blog, tell a few things about yourself, and pass the award on to 5,7, or 10 other bloggers as nominees, posting a link to their site.
I’m going to list the awards, and the lovely people who nominated me, tell a little about myself, and then nominate a few great blogs of the many blogs that I enjoy. Here we go!
A Little About Me:
I enjoy musicals, and some of my favorites are: My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, and Fiddler on the Roof. :)
I consider it a great honor to have been nominated for each of these awards, and I sincerely appreciate all of the kind words and comments given by the very special people who nominated me.
Thank you  P.C. Zick, pczick.worfdpress.com for nominating me for the “Sunshine Award”
My nominee for this award is:Â giselemorgan.wordpress.com, Beautiful photography, that just feels like “Sunshine!”
Thank you Lynn, lynnlovesediting.wordpress.com for nominating me for the “Beautiful Blogger Award”
My nominee for this award is:Â learning2bestill.com, beautifully encouraging, and uplifting blog, focusing on God’s Word
Thank you forhisgloryandpraise.wordpress.com for nominating me for the “Reader Appreciation Award”
My nominee for this award is: francineinretirement.wordpress.com, I enjoy and appreciate reading her blog, and I’m sure you will too!
Thank you April, lettersfromlilies.wordpress.com and Martha, inlovewiththelord.wordpress.com for nominating me for the  “One Lovely Blog Award”
My nominee for this award is:Â grandmothermusings.com, a wonderfully warm blog with lovely photos!
Whew!! And last but not least…
A Special Thank you to those who read, “like”, or follow this blog! You’ve helped to make all of this possible. You’re the best!
Iron Sharpens Iron
It’s so encouraging to see the little faces and gravatar images  at the end of a post from fellow bloggers who  “like” it. It really makes me feel good inside, and for those of you who have done so on any of my posts, I just wanted to send out a special thank you!
I love the verse in Proverbs 27:17 that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend,” That’s how it is in life, between those who are closely connected, through family, and friendship, and I’m thankful for the connection that I’ve found working and sharing along with those of you who either visit, “like”, or follow this blog.
As iron sharpens iron, I have been strengthened and encouraged through this blogging experience, and it is my hope that others will be strengthened and encouraged as they visit here as well.
God bless you today, and always.
Faith :)
The Sunshine Award!
I am very happy, and honored to receive the blogger’s Sunshine Award !
My sincere and  heartfelt thanks goes out to NanaDoll,  http://momtoldmetowriteabook.wordpress.com, for nominating me for this beautiful award! I absolutely love blogging, and haven’t been at it for long, so this is all still very new for me.  It’s my first award with requirements attached, and I’ve been working on meeting them for a little while now, so here we go!
The Sunshine Award comes with a few rules:
- Include the awardâs logo in a post or on your blog
- Answer 10 questions about yourself
- Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers
- Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated
- Share the love and link the person who nominated you!
 About Me:Â
 1. I am very happily married to my college sweetheart.
2. We have three miracle children, (that doctors said we’d never have!) :)
3. I’ve experienced many miracles of healing in my life.
4. I love the Lord.  He is my strength, my source of  joy and all things wonderful in this life.
5. I love lots of different kinds of music, and I play 3 instruments.
6. I enjoy writing, and I love blogging!
7. I enjoy cooking, homemaking, and gardening.
8. I enjoy English Literature. Jane Austen and Charles Dickens are my favorites!
9. I enjoy eating organic foods, and I’m “practically” Â vegetarian. :)
10. I enjoy cycling, and other outdoor activities, with family and friends.
Here are a “baker’s” dozen of blogs that I am passing this award on to. They’re like” Sunshine!” Check them out, I’m sure you’ll agree!
1. http:/fourleaves92.wordpress.com
2. http:/artbycamila.wordpress.com
3. http:/washedfeet.wordpress.com
4. http:/365daysofpraising.wordpress.com
5. http:/savannahssong.wordpress.com
6. Â http:/refusingtotiptoe.com
7. http:/birdmartin.wordpress.com
8. http:/traveldestinationbucketlist.com
9. http:/frommyfrontstep.wordpress.com
10. http:/todayiprayed.wordpress.com
11. http:/changedbyhim0510.wordpress.com
13. http:/tracielouisephotography.net
These are all wonderful blogs, and there are so many more that I would have liked to mention. Some have already received this award, but I still hate leaving anyone out, so this was a little difficult for me. I’d also like to send out a very special “thank you” to those who follow and comment on my blog. I’m humbled by your interest, and you too, are like “Sunshine” to me!
Smiles and Blessings. Â – Faith
Faithrises 