Author: peachandbatman

Hi!! Thanks for dropping in! We are just a couple of high school sweethearts married 36+ years, who love Jesus, each other, life, our family, our country, traveling, taking pictures, teaching people about guns, books, movies, music, British murder mysteries, and cooking! We have a little bit of everything going on! Come on in!

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Faith family God good Hope Jesus joy Life retirement

The Joy of the Lord is Your STRENGTH – Tuesdays are for Thinking #3

My Sugar Boogas!!

Peach says:

Some thoughts. We lost my Dad on 1 January of this year. It hits me in sharp moments, out of the blue. Like a sneak attack. 💔

There’s been lots of joy this year as well. Batman’s first year of retirement! 🥰❤️🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻 First full year of SEVEN grandchildren!! 😍🤗 And more good and more hard, and unexpected things besides.

You know, life is like that. It’s not all one thing, right? It’s not just one emotion. it’s processes and pain, and joy and excitement, hope and forgiveness.

I’ve seen in those I love, and experienced myself, grief like I never expected. I’ve seen and experienced wonderful moments of love, and joy, faith and hope right in the middle of it all. Thank God for the WONDER and the GOOD right in the middle of it all, even in the pain.

God is SO faithful, and I do not say that lightly. He really, truly is. The good thing about being in your 50s and having been walking with Jesus for almost 29 years is you learn a lot, hopefully! (though I had a L-O-N-G way to go, and STILL do have a long way to go! 😂😂). But, you do, you learn that nothing but Jesus is permanent. Everything else is learning and moving and loving and living and dying and beginning, and ending and enduring and outlasting, and forgiving and making new ways, it’s a LOT of moving pieces. And the Lord is with us through it all. Making us able. Helping us do the right thing. To have His heart. To believe in and hope for the best, once more again. To be flexible. To give, because it’s right. To surrender. To take that first step or maybe make that first move. To get up and go again. To savor the good today, and shake off the dust from the bad yesterday. And if today is bad, you can shake it off, too, and tomorrow, walk in the new. Jesus has already gone ahead of You, and He has provision for you there! And He’s right here with you in the now, to help you in the going.

We don’t wait to be happy, (and yes, I agree, happiness and joy are different, but that’s for another post!) we choose the happy on the way and in the process, or else we will never be happy. Sometimes we forget this, and that’s ok, as long as we stick with Jesus and have a few Godly, Jesus loving people around us, to just remind us by how they live, that we get to choose. Happy is possible. On the way.

And all of that is to say today I thought about Nehemiah 8:10 “…the Joy of the Lord is your Strength”, and Y’all it’s no joke. I wanted to boil it down for you, but of course I couldn’t quite get there. (It’s SO BIG, Y’all!! 🤗) Trust me, this IS the short version! 😂 But, the full verse 10 is this —> “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: NEITHER BE YE SORRY; for the JOY of the Lord IS YOUR STRENGTH.”

Really you need verses 9-11 to really appreciate it…but His joy, is our STRENGTH…joy is that everlasting, enduring quality we are able to have through our confidence in Him, His character, His presence, His love for us, in spite of temporary conditions, (and everything on this side of Heaven is temporary).

The love of a father and son is a joy to behold!

He makes us able to choose joy, and that will give us great strength, like a fortress for us, that makes us untouchable, where it really counts, in our spirit.

To ‘be not sorry’, was the priests urging the people not to grieve so much that they wore grooves into their face, they had grieved, and that was good and necessary, but don’t stay there. Choose to celebrate, to eat the best, drink the sweet, send good things to those who weren’t established and therefore didn’t have the same wherewithal, because ‘this day is holy to the Lord.’

And so the people did. Because they understood they were God’s people and He loved them, and He had a Good way for them to live. And now that they knew this, (they had just learned how badly they had broken God’s laws their entire lives) they would now be learning how to live a NEW way, (well, new to them), walking with Him. And that was something to celebrate! Not grieve for the wrong they had done, so much so that they couldn’t enjoy the newness of life WITH Him.

We sometimes have to grieve, then we let it go. Then we celebrate. The life that’s still here. That’s new every day. All the time. A gift. And share. Share with those that aren’t established in this good news. The JOY of the Lord is your STRENGTH.

I think I’d like us to talk about the difference between happiness and joy in a future exploration! Percolating!

We really appreciate y’all coming by to visit! We always hope to have something entertaining, thought provoking, or uplifting for you here!

Peace and love, Y’all! Peace and love!

Peach

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Uncategorized

Oops

Batman Says:

Well if I am to expect any ideas as to where to go I should say which states, so Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, are for sure.

Anyways, thanks yall

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Uncategorized

P & B’s Road Trip Adventure

Batman says:

Sometime here in the near future Peach and I will depart for a road trip that will at a minimum encompass 8 states in this awesome country of ours. We will leave Florida and drive and eventually wind up in Utah, it is a trip that is overdue and we cannot wait to start. We have a vague route in mind but we can vary wildly as there is no reason to be super strict on the route. Peach and I have contemplated this trip a while and want to make the most of it. All along the highways and byways there are interesting and beautiful things to see and do. We will be making it a photographic expedition as well as a “goof off” (something I am some what of an expert at) expedition, I will bring Peach’s and my fishin poles on the off chance we see a fishin hole that we just HAVE to fish (Peach always catches bigger fish much to my chagrin) and we most definitely have those “what’s that?? We have to stop there and look at that” moments. The thing I am looking forward to (besides spending time with my pretty girl cooped up in my pickup) is the fact that there is no hurry at all, we can take as much time as we please. Most trips are rushed because of time constraints, but not this time, we are free, Youngest son is staying at the house, he will take care of it the dogs and the chickens, and Peach and I are free to explore.

We plan on doing a daily travel blog, so if you ladies and gents have ideas for us to try and stop at places, or ideas of what info you would like to see in the travel blog, let us know so we can do our best to add then. We will put in info on hotels we stay at, places we visit, restaurants we may visit and anything else we can think of, and of course there will be tons of photographs included.

“Well Peach it’s getting closer every day till time to start, hope I don’t drive you batty along the trip with my silliness”

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counselor Holy Spirit independent thinker Jesus thoughts Truth waylon jennings

Follow the Crowd? Think for Yourself? Tuesdays are for Thinking #2

Peach says:

Waylon Jennings

Hey, Everybody!

My parents gave me an old timey (even at that time in the 70s) portable 8 track player and a Waylon Jennings and a John Denver’s Greatest Hits 8 track tape, and man, I wore those tapes OUT! Their music spoke to different parts of me, and to be honest the John Denver music was and is still the the biggest part of me, but Wayon and his music was and is still, though a smaller, strong part of me.

I knew from what my parents told me about him that he definitely went his own way, and that really spoke to me. It has gotten me in trouble at times through the years, but it also has saved me through the years, and helped me be open to the Lord in ways that crowd follower type people would completely miss out on.

To this day I distrust trends and group think. I like to know why and how and all that. Teach your kids to be strong, independent thinkers, individuals that don’t need to check with the crowd to see what their opinion is. They are hard to parent in the short run, but they will be so much better equipped for life.

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” — John 14:14–18, KJV.

All independent thinkers do not necessarily end up following Christ, but I venture to say that all followers of Christ end up being independent thinkers!

Have a blessed week, Y’all, and know that the Lord welcomes your questions! He loves your seeking and curiosity! And He loves you!

Love and Peace, Y’all! Love and Peace!

Peach

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kindness Life Music Music Monday

‘The Weight’— Music Monday

Batman says:

As I pondered things to write about for today’s Music Monday, I realized that all one has to do is look around today, everywhere there are people who could use a hand.

Most of us like to think we do a wonderful job of helping each other. I mean it’s the Christian way to pitch in and help others in need.

The Band, The Staples, singing ‘The Weight’

The problem with “most” of us is that the only help we are willing to give, is help that is convenient to us, and only people we know.

Folks, reach out your hand to a stranger in need and while you are able “Take a load off” of them… welp that’s it, I’m going fishing, y’all take care.

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nature outdoors photography sunrise

Daily Sunrise

For Peach from Batman
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adventure backroads fishing fun nature outdoors photography

Ditch Fishin

Yesterday for the first time in a few weeks, I resumed hopping in my truck and driving a mile down the road and pulling over at the first culvert. Grabbing my fishin pole I toss a tiny artificial pink lure in and BAM!! i catch a fish. That’s right, I admit it, I ditch fish, I have done so since as long as I can remember and it is a hoot! I don’t keep the fish like some do (lots fish for food and that’s great) I take a picture and toss the fish back in. On this particular day I caught several species to include a 14” largemouth bass, that’s right out of a roadside ditch that dries up if there isn’t rain for awhile. Anywho (yes I made that word up, deal with it I make up words daily) I shall try and post a few every once in a bit, it makes me happy.

Warmouth
14” largemouth bass
Beautifully colored Redbreast

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nature outdoors photography sunrise

Daily Sunrise

For Peach from Batman
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choices evil exploited Faith focus Jesus life styles peace

See That Ye Be Not Troubled

I love the rain on the flowers!!

Peach here:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” — Matthew 24:6-8 KJV

I recently wrote that nowadays the world seems on fire and I just can’t watch it burn. I believe in being informed. But, it’s also important not to be misinformed and it’s also important not to fall in the trap of getting emotionally worked up and either angry, fixated or hopeless. I mean that’s what the donkey and the elephant want. It’s what the ‘news’ media and social media want. But, it’s not what I want. It’s not what Jesus wants for us either.

I was raised to pay close attention to society, religion and politics. For many good reasons. however, that was long before the 24/7 instant news-tainment was a thing, much less a hand held device to keep it coming constantly, right?! I have to turn my phone face down at night or the flashing ‘urgent’ notifications wake us up at night! Lol.

I started pulling back from the news November 2018. But, at the turn of this year I felt the Lord encourage me to keep my eyes on Him, so that I don’t get distracted from what’s most important. For me, too much news crowds out what, for me, is most important to my assignment. (I believe we all have assignments, more on this another day!)

I stay informed. But, I keep it short. And I move on. The verse He put on my heart, I come back to over and over, it’s a commonly quoted verse on social media, because it’s bulletproof! — “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” — Isaiah 26:3. Says it all for me. And it’s so true!

I particularly like in the Matthew 24 verse above, that He tells us ‘See that ye be not troubled’. It means we have a choice in whether we get upset or not. By His grace we can relearn how to respond to the news. I have to try to not be shoved, mentally, into the quick reaction the media is hoping for, (and the political parties as well). I’m learning response is measured and I control it. Reaction is volatile and it controls me. That’s not going to work. It’s not what we are made for. Self control is my favorite fruit of the spirit. Now, I’ve come a long way in this regard, but of course, I still have far to go! It’s ok though! I’m learning and the Holy Spirit is a great teacher.

Here’s another fool proof verse for keeping our focus so that we are most effective at being salt and light wherever we are and whatever we do! — “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK on these things.” — Philippians 4:8

For me, my goal is to not dull my shine, not waste my salt. Train my mind to respond, mentally to what I learn, pray and move on, not react and get emotionally worked up, which leads to (in my case) unhelpful attitudes, and words. It’s tricky. Because I do believe there’s a lot of evil in this world. And evil can cause a reaction for obvious reasons. But, in the darkness light shines the brightest! We have His light if He lives in our hearts, so I’m going to respond. In faith. And move on.

I’m learning. Like Robert Frost said ‘And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.’

This might be the start (or might not, we will see!) of a Tuesdays are for Thinking series!

I hope your day is filled with His peace and thoughts of virtuous, lovely and ‘good report’ things!

Love, Peach

Categories
nature outdoors photography sunrise

Daily Sunrise

For Peach from Batman

Bear with me as I slowly get back in the swing of it