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Are you making 2nd quarter goals? Hope, health, & happiness.

Image source: Katie Harp @ Unsplash

Yesterday I met with our CPA to file our 2022 taxes. So. Not. Fun!

My husband Ray and I now owe even more taxes than the year before. I’m looking to Jehovah Jireh our Provider.

God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice to God instead of his beloved, precious son Isaac. God told Abraham to kill Isaac to test Abraham’s faith in Him. When God saw that Abraham was going to obey, not even withholding from God his son who he waited years into his old age to have and who he greatly loved, God stopped Abraham.

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13, NKJV)

I’m also praying for a payment plan with the IRS to pay the taxes that we owe. Now that we’re into the second quarter of 2023, I’m making other goals as well. Are you?

To summarize them, my new goals are hope, health, and happiness.

April 18, 2023 by Beth Jones

Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage, Parenting, prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Travel, worship/praise/music

My birthday: Destin beach, a surprise visit, Japanese hibachi grill, Starbucks gift cards, songs, and more

Yesterday was my birthday. My husband Ray’s gift to me was my recent week-long trip to Destin beach, Florida for a week alone (August 15-22, 2022). I’ve been praying for over 3 years to travel there. One day I found a reduced plane fare online and Ray said, “Book it!” so I did immediately!

Destin beach is gorgeous with soft, white sand and clear, blue-green water. I desperately needed this time of relaxation on the beach and to work on my speaking and writing biz. You can see my recent vlog, My Happy Place, here at YouTube. It is my 11th vlog about the trip.

Destin beach, Florida

Beth Jones, Destin beach

Ray also gave me a pretty card with a Starbucks gift card and took me out for supper to a Japanese restaurant in Lee’s Summit, MO, called Siki.

We got dressed up to go out, a rare occasion. I found a pretty teal, inexpensive dress on Amazon and an elegant but cheap necklace and earrings from Paparazzi. I already had my bracelet and black shoes with a slight heel. The dress had high reviews on Amazon and was soft and comfortable. Ray wore a charcoal-grey, button-up shirt and beige slacks.

My teal birthday dress and Paparazzi jewelry

Ray in charcoal-grey shirt and beige slacks

We had a nice, funny chef who cooked us delicious food.

Chef at Siki restaurant

He couldn’t put on the usual great show of fire, because there was a toddler girl there at the hibachi table, who screamed and cried when he first made the flames appear. I’m sure this was a disappointment to the chef. Everyone else at the table was related to her, so they understood. Ray and I are parents so we got it, too. We remember those days! They grow up so fast!

September 21, 2022 by Beth Jones

Blog, Faith, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Parenting, prayer, Travel

Do you need a miracle? My 2022 one word

beach with sunset

Do you need a miracle or two? I know I do! Don’t we all?

A miracle is defined as:

a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency;
a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;
an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something;
a wonder; a marvel;
an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause;
such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

2022

At the end of each year, I reflect on that year and pray about the coming new year.

For the last several years, instead of making new year’s resolutions, I ask God for a “one word” and an accompanying Scripture for the year.

December 30, 2021 by Beth Jones

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