Evelyn's Words of Wisdom

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Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Christmas Eve 2021
"Merry Christmas to our family and friends! Thank You, God, for the greatest gift, Jesus Christ, the Perfect Prince of Peace, and our Savior!"

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

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People seem healthier when they are happy! Many different things make people happy, therefore, healthier.

My lifelong friend, Jock Taylor, is happiest when he is with his pup, Zara. She is a five-year old female and Loves Jock more than anything! They are family! Jock takes Zara to play Frisbee almost every day at the park. Zara is Loving, loyal and looks forward to seeing Jock when he comes home from work each day.

Jock is very happy and healthy. He plays as hard as he works! He is a fellow that some may describe as “happy go lucky!” However, there is no luck involved with Jock. His spirit, magnetic personality and good character were developed by practicing to be a better person and having a deep relationship with Christ. Jock has worked on his life, all of his life. Animals can recognize a kind, Loving heart and Zara knows that Jock is a good “Daddy.”

Animals have a world that is filled with Love, loyalty, playtime, naps, blankets, toys, food and their favorite people. They live in day tight compartments, doing whatever makes them content at the moment. Humans have a lot to learn from animals, especially about Love, loyalty and being filled with contentment within each moment.

Will you remember to actively work on your relationship with the Lord every day?

Proverbs 18:24 NIV
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!

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“Being confident in your Faith ... will help keep your perspectives from becoming clouded.”

When you stride in confidence of your faith, you become a “soldier of the light!”

Spiritual boldness develops over time from learning and practicing on becoming “God dependent!”

There are so many daily events and obstacles that try to cloud your way. My advice, do not let them accomplish that!

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I do is pray and thank God for “having me in today’s mind” before I even put my feet on the floor. Next, I get on my knees when I get up in the morning and thank Him some more and ask Him for direction and guidance upon my day.

No matter what our plans for the day may be, we need to remember to open our hearts and share with God. We need to tell Him that if it is in His will then it is in our will too. We want the Lord to know that He and His will, matters the most above everything else in our lives.

Will you pray, thanking God for everything and asking Him, what His will is for your life, each and every day?

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Prayers and goals ... make them very specific and stay focused.”

There are times in life when you may ask yourself, “why am I still where I was at a year ago and have not advanced very much?”

If this is something you have thought about before then it may be the right time in your life to make your prayers and goals very specific. God already knows what you need, want and the blessings you will receive in your life before you even ask him. However, He also wants to hear you tell him how you feel deep within your heart about your life and what is important to you.

Are your prayers and goals specific?
Will you work at remaining focused?

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Self-worth comes from God.”

Our core of self-worth should be tied to Jesus so that mortals cannot define us.

God always listens to us whereas mortals do not.

It is easier to give Love and forgiveness to others when you realize your self-worth comes from God and not your family or friends.

Loving yourself means Loving God and having an active relationship with Him.

Are you God dependent for your self-worth?

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Some things don’t matter and other things matter a lot; praying about the difference is gold.”

Have you ever noticed that as we mature in life, some things seem smaller than they used to be and just do not matter anymore? For example, I really do not care if someone takes the parking space that I thought might have become mine. I would rather walk the extra distance.

When we experience soul pain in our lives for various reasons, we tend to focus on things that really matter such as God, family, pets and friends. The drawing included was made on my iPad and is very significant to me. It symbolizes that life should be kept as simple as this photo.

If you have ever experienced a tragedy in your life, rudeness from others is barely even noticed anymore.

We set the bar at a different level in our lives because we want to focus on God and let the little things slide.

If you have not ever had an experience that caused you to become more emotionally mature, do not wait on that to happen in order to change the way you view life.

Will you focus on the important things in life and let the small things go?

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Give your God-given gifts maximum attention.”God showers each and every one of us with talents. Some people do not tap into or utilize their natural talents. Life is lived happiest when God is our priority and we use the gifts He gave us. Natural gifts are unlearned and a part of how we live and behave.

When we discover the natural gifts that God has given to us, we should give them maximum attention. We should also share our talents with others. When we share with others, we learn a lot!

Are you sharing the natural gifts that God showered you with?

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“If you or someone you know has a doctor that does not believe in God, pray for that doctor and RUN in the opposite direction.”

Decades ago, there seemed to be only two types of doctors, one that writes prescriptions and the other that performs surgery. There are certainly going to be times when you require medicine and/or surgery.

In most, but not all cases, it really comes down to prevention of illness through health maintenance.

From my perspective, you have several choices; the mighty pen (a prescription), sword (surgery) or take care of yourself by having a deep personal relationship with God through prayer, eating healthy, drinking water, getting plenty of rest, sunshine, exercise, positive attitude and sharing Love with your family and friends.

If you have already been diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma; I believe that patients should be taking the least amount of medication for the maximum benefit while targeting their disease states and symptomology. Many patients have great room for improvement when they choose to take an active role in their health.

Every disease has an origin of inflammation. The disease process starts with cellular oxidation. We have trillions of cells in our body. The electrons in our cells like to be in pairs just like a married couple. When electrons are single and not in pairs, they are called free radicals. Free radicals inside our cells cause cellular damage through oxidation. Free radicals trash your cells. Think of a small child throwing toys all over a room. That is how free radicals trash your cells. Oxidation from free radicals causes inflammation, pain, disease and aging.

A physical example of how oxidation reveals itself would be the brown areas noticed when you are peeling apples or potatoes. We put the potatoes in water to prevent further oxidation. Another illustration of the effects of oxidation would be a tool which is rusting outside.

Anything that we can do to reduce inflammation by slowing down the oxidation process will help manage if not, cure disease states. The first step in slowing down oxidation is through antioxidants. We get antioxidants from whole foods, vitamins and essentially good nutrition. If we could completely stop the oxidation process on our cells, we would be able to stop the aging process!

Are you taking care of yourself both soulfully and physically?

3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Forgiveness ... is a great education for your heart.”

When we forgive others, the wisdom of our heart is shining above everything else.
There are many instances where forgiveness would not occur so quickly, or even at all, if it were up to our logical minds. We have a tendency to rationalize everything, especially when we feel someone has wronged us.

The main reason that we need to “give or get” forgiveness is because we often take others in our lives for granted but most importantly, it is what Jesus wants us to do.

Jesus forgave us for our past, present and future sins and we need to keep that in our minds and hearts the next time we are hesitating to give or seek forgiveness.

It is a good idea to pause and think about what you are going to say to someone before you say something you may regret later. Sometimes the way people respond to others is out of habit rather than Love.

True human forgiveness is when you tell someone you forgive them for something and do not mention it to them again later.

My lifelong friend and sister-in-Christ, Ann Davidson always gave forgiveness freely to everyone. She also encouraged people she knew to provide forgiveness to each other. She based her whole life around Love and forgiveness. Ann lived her life by example.

Have you given forgiveness to someone that needs to be forgiven?

Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Is there someone that you have memories of as a child and wonder where they are or what happened to them?

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

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“Some people, we meet for only a brief moment ... but they may be the stepping stone for turning life-changing corners in our future.”

Have you ever noticed that God will bring you out of a situation or relationship that you should no longer be in whether you like it or not?

He literally will bring you out of it kicking and screaming if necessary. Sometimes, things get really ugly until they get better.

Be flexible enough to adapt for the better and bend without breaking. Thank God for every ending and beginning phase of your life. He is there with us in every step we take!

For many reasons, there may be people or places that you do not want to let go of at the time God decides it is time. Everything has a season in our lives even though we get attached to many people and places. These people and places become like glow-worms for us and we cling to them. We truly only need to hang onto God.

Reflect back on some of the times in your life, then, look at the way things are now. You would not be where you are today if God had not pulled you away from people and situations that were out of season for your life.

In the future, you may even cross paths with people from your past. When that occurs, you may notice how different the tone of the moment has changed into. You will thank God for answering your prayers according to His perfect plan.

Do you recall the stepping stones in your life and how do you feel about them?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to Love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“When you commit to something, do not slip at the end. See it all the way through. People tend to remember the ending of things rather than the beginning.”

Have you ever noticed that people tend to forget all of the work that it took to get you where you are right now?

They usually do not remember everything that happened up until the moment at hand. That is why it is important to follow things through. People tend to remember endings more than they do beginnings.

When you have a hard time with something in your life, people capture the mental picture of what is happening now and do not recall the memories of how hard you worked and how many people you have helped all along the way of your journey.

Having a setback in life is certainly not a failure. No one can be on top of their game all of the time. We appreciate the good times because we made it out of the storms.

Pray about everything before you make decisions. Give everything to God because He already owns it. We need to learn to become God dependent in His strength.

Are you going to follow through the next storm that you may find yourself in the midst of and discover your happy place?

Ecclesiastes 7:8
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“God's clock ... directs me, minute by minute, to put one foot in front of the other.”

When you get filled up with soul pain from experiences such as the passing of Loved ones and other life changing events, you begin to discover that life was meant to be lived in day tight compartments.

When Loved ones pass away or someone experiences a divorce or some type of breakup, it feels like you are in a “season of grief” because it is life altering. Times such as the aforementioned, are moments when it teaches us automatically just to learn to take one hour at a time and put one foot in front of the other.The more experience you have with something, the easier it is to either fall in Love with it or “outgrow” it altogether. I had a lot of experience with planning things, and I just totally outgrew it. One direct reason I outgrew planning things was because of the sudden death of my second oldest daughter, Brenda. The next reason, was because of the death of my husband, Philip (P.F.) Minton, after suffering for fifteen months with cancer. The last reason, was because after all of the pain from the passing of Brenda and P.F., I realized that it had always been God and me.

It took these deaths to make me realize that no matter what, “it was and has always been about God and me.” That is the reality for everyone. No one can live your life or walk in your shoes, no matter how hard they try.

My daughter, Billie, had P.F.'s shoes covered in pewter after he passed away. They have been on her fireplace since he passed away, September 17, 1997.

Often times, we all want to blame someone else for something that has gone wrong in our lives, and give ourselves the credit when things go right. The fact of the matter is, that no matter what, “it is about God and you, now and for eternity.”

Do you feel that learning to live in day tight compartments will prove to be an enrichment in your life?

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“A Thanksgiving memory.”

One Thanksgiving in particular, I remember my friend, Wilson. He helped so many people each day that he had forgotten that he was homeless himself. His focus was on making sure that homeless people had a meal and a roof over their heads even if only for one day. I learned a lot from Wilson, mainly that every meal counts when someone is hungry and in need.

During Thanksgiving, we join together as family and friends to give thanks to God for all of His Blessings and to give of ourselves. Each year, we never know who will be present at our table next year. We are all sisters and brothers-in-Christ and have such an abundance from God to be thankful for!

As Families and friends, we take turns leaning on each other throughout different stages of our lives. Our children are dependent upon us when they are young and then need our advice when they get older and have their own children. As parents, we need our parents for advice and then our parents need us as they grow older. Life becomes full circle.

Nothing ever stays the same so embrace and be thankful for every moment you have with your Loved ones. I thank President Lincoln for proclaiming Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday to be celebrated each November. Most of all, I thank God for all of the Love, health, happiness and increases in life from family, friends and the fruits of our labor.

You may find yourself in the presence of someone with a perceived slight from the past or present. Do yourself a favor this year by making a special effort to be kind and Loving to the ones who seem difficult to endure.

We should live our lives as if every day is Thanksgiving by showing kindness to others! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! God Bless and keep you safe, healthy and happy!

Is there someone that you feel you want to make a special effort to show kindness with today and during your next Thanksgiving holiday?

Psalm 95:2-3
Let us come before Him with Thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Praying about your thoughts ... will change what you think.”

There are so many people that walk around with negative thoughts in their mind. When negative thoughts cloud your mind, negative decisions usually prevail. Negative thoughts put negative actions in motion.

Actually, it is difficult for me to even write the word “negative.” Another word that is difficult for me to use is “unfortunately.”

Once, I had a friend that used the term “unfortunately” so often that it made me vow to not ever use it. When you hear that word it automatically tells you upfront that the outcome is going to be unfavorable.

We should pray about everything! Prayer should start the moment you wake up each morning, thanking God for every day and blessing He gives to us!

When we pray about our thoughts, it causes us to change the way we think by eliminating negativity.

Prayer will cause your thoughts to become so positive that negativity will virtually vanish from your mind.

One of my close friends said this to me, “I would like to have some of what you have had that makes you behave the way you do.” What she really meant was that she had a void inside her and wanted to know what had filled up my heart. I explained to her that I had deepened my relationship with God.

Prayer to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior will change your heart and your thoughts!

Will you pray each morning when you first wake up and thank God for positive thoughts?

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“It’s just business!”

“It’s just business” is a phrase which people tend to skirt behind when they are really saying that they have no problem taking advantage of you or someone else.

You should always do the right thing and be fair in every deal whether it is business or personal.

No one should use this phrase to justify their lack of morals and ethics when dealing with others.

It is wrong to take advantage of others, especially when you know you can.

Once, I sold a piece of property to a man that obviously had a weak business background. He was going to lose approximately $50,000 on the deal between us because of the way he wanted to make changes on the purchase agreement.

Although, it would have been to my financial advantage to say nothing to him about the loss he was about to receive, I showed him how I could not do the deal in the manner that he had changed it because it would be taking advantage of him.

He could not hardly believe that I was pointing out to him that he was going to lose money on a property that I was selling to him. I explained to him that I do not participate in a deal unless both parties benefit from it. A great deal is when both parties win!

Will you make sure that everyone wins during your next deal?

Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown

1 Corinthians 15:39-42

39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;

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"Excerpt from my daughter, Billie's book, Blue Ridge Moments Volume 2, subtitled (Celebrating Footsteps of A God Dependent Life).

"I believe my Mom, who says that age is only a number. You are as young as you are healthy.”

Living a long life is a blessing from God. My Mother believes that people focus on age, the number, much more than they should. She says that we are only as young as we are healthy. We need to live our lives taking care of ourselves spiritually, soulfully, physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. You must have your spiritual and physical health in order to live a happy life!

Counting the candles on your birthday cake will mean so much more if you are not pulling around a wagon full of diseases, unhappiness, bitterness and loneliness.

I had a patient that took so many maintenance medications because of multiple disease states that he had obtained over the years. He was also obese and filled with depression and anxiety. He proudly stated that he takes care of everyone else and puts himself last. I asked him what would happen if he passed away before his wife. He paused, and said, “Well, I don’t know.” I told him that his wife would probably get remarried and her new husband would be helping raise his children. That statement really hit home for him. He started a walking program and walked no matter the weather. Over nine months, he lost seventy pounds and does not take any prescription medication now. He eats good nutrition and only takes vitamins.

Focus on your spiritual health with God, get plenty of sleep, good nutrition, healthy relationships and consistent physical activity.

Have a safe, healthy and happy day!

Romans 14:7-8
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“A gallon of an ugly color of paint costs the same amount as a beautiful one.”

This concept is something to keep in mind when you have the choice of being kind (beautiful) or unkind (ugly).

Behavior is learned and chosen. Choose beautiful behavior because it reveals Love and is much more fun.

The next time you are in a paint store choosing a beautiful color, look at a color that you feel is repulsive and notice the price. Most likely, the colors that you feel are beautiful and ugly are being sold at the same price. Choosing which color you want to buy at the paint store is your decision.

The same decision is yours regarding whether or not you choose to be kind or unkind to others.

Will you choose to portray yourself as a beautiful color of paint to others with your kindness?

Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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**How many times have you been to Pal's?

Pal Barger** was a family man, friend to many, and a legend in fast food. He believed in keeping things simple, sudden service, and great food! Pal will be greatly missed and always remembered.

Proverbs 27:9
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

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“God's plan is the only one.”Many people like to make plans.

Some people live by their daily calendars and believe that anything they write down is going to take place at the exact time and day it is scheduled.

These plans may be just for the day, a future vacation, career changes, etc. The main point is that no matter what we may want to plan, things will always work out according to God’s plan.

I thank God for all of the many times He has shielded me from things that were not healthy for my life by saying “no!”

God’s YES(es) in my life are so much better than all of the things that I thought I wanted or needed.

Whenever you become disappointed because you did not get something that you wanted, just remember that God knows better for you! Accept His answer and plan for your life.

Prayers should not be considered as a direct line to getting our requests fulfilled.

Be grateful and thank God in advance for something that you know He will provide for you according to His plan.

Will you ink God into your daily life and pencil in everything else?

Ephesians 5:20 NIV
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“God, our creator, knows how fragile we truly are and He Loves us for both our strengths and weaknesses. We belong to Him.”

If you think about it, as mortals, we are very fragile. First of all, physically, our skin is the main barrier from the environment. Emotionally, the lessons we have learned in life protect us from people and situations that are hurtful. Mentally, we strive to make the best decisions possible in every given situation whether they are planned or sudden. Soulfully, we are at peace and strong as long as we pray about every decision before me make it and trust Jesus.

We belong to God and He always knows what is best for us! This includes animals too. Animals can be strong and have times when they are prone to being fragile.

Do you believe and trust that you are a child of God?

1 John 4:4 NIV
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

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“The human heart is the safest place.”

The human heart is a safe place. Once Jesus is tucked inside your heart, He cannot ever be taken away from you.

Jesus Christ Lives in our hearts! He is our Savior, God’s only son that died on the cross to save us from our sins.

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, no one and nothing can ever take that away from you. Your life will be lived differently because you are saved.

Sometimes people in your life may want or try to view you as you were before you were saved and mentally hold you back. For example, I know a man that was addicted to drugs and alcohol before he became saved. Everyone wanted to pigeon hole him as the eternal alcoholic and drug addict instead of accepting him as being reborn.

These preconceived ideas of him were negative and could have easily discouraged him. He had joined a church and walked the narrow path with Jesus.

He focused on his new life and Loved everyone, including the people in his life that wanted to hold him back out of habit. He soon realized that living life as a Christian comes with Love, forgiveness, happiness and great responsibility.

Many people had prayed for him before he became saved. Their prayers had been answered and his life was changed forever! This man became one of the most knowledgeable ordained Ministers that I have ever known! To God be the glory!

Is there someone in your life that has not been saved?

Is there someone in your life that you should be viewing differently?

John 13:34-35 NIV
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have Loved you, so you must Love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you Love one another.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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“The Word, gives us our wings.”

God wants us to deepen and strengthen our relationship with Him.

Your life will only be as good as your connection with God!

A deep relationship with God will conquer every worry, doubt and fear.

He is the shield that protects us every day!

Each morning when you wake up, say a prayer before you even put your feet on the floor. The Lord is the reason you are in today’s mind.

Study “The Word” by having personal daily devotion with God.

Joining a Bible study group is also another way to gain spiritual growth and learn with others.

God is your best friend, are you deepening your relationship with Him every day?

Isaiah 41:10 NIV
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Put what little you have into God's hand. He will provide the increase.”

When my daughter, Billie's, little puppy, Ridge, was only a few months old, he could barely get up the front porch steps on his own. It was such a struggle for Ridge. His brother Blue, that is only three weeks older, jumped higher and ran faster than Ridge. Blue could easily climb the steps. At first, Ridge was unable to accomplish something that seemed simple to his slightly older brother, Blue. Ridge kept trying over and over, to jump higher. Blue was jumping upon the porch and then coming back down to show Ridge how to do it. Within just another twenty-four hours, Ridge was able to climb those steps. This was the result of Ridge not ever giving up and Blue, teaching Ridge through example.

Blue cannot tease Ridge anymore about steps! As a matter of fact, Ridge has surpassed Blue’s jumping skills. Ridge jumps the highest and runs the fastest.

This is a great example of how things can change in a short amount of time if you just keep trying and never give up.God provides the increase to all of His children, including animals.

Are you living God dependent so He will provide the increase?

Hebrews 13:21
Equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“God performs miracles during a crisis and blessings every day.”This true story has a happy ending.

A new patient, which I will call Julie, was brought to my daughter, Billie, and me, by her brother. She is middle aged, both of her parents are deceased, heavily over medicated with prescription drugs and was placed in a mental hospital. She had an obscene amount of unnecessary drug interactions and adverse effects because of this situation.

Julie’s brother fought for two years to get her out of this mental hospital in New York City. She had been placed, and left into the broken health care system.

Billie and I were privileged enough to currently be placed on her health care team. She does not need one single prescription that she had been left on for years.

Within a reasonable amount of time, a stepwise approach and most of all, by the Grace of God, this young lady is going to get her life back.

God has bestowed his blessing upon Julie and us. God used us as a vessel to help restore her health. Hey Hallelujah!

Are you listening to God during a crisis?

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Know who you are and be the person God made, because that's where peace lives.”

God is our Father of everlasting Love, Grace, Mercy and Peace. The Lord is held in the body of our hearts and minds, forever! Shine brightly every day for yourself and others. Surround yourself with positive people and overlook any negativity that tries to get in your way.

God always Loves you the most, even when you are learning to Love yourself more. Pray and ask God to touch your heart with the awareness of how special you are to Him, your family and friends.

I believe that we are all constantly evolving in “how we serve God.”

God remains the same but we do not. He wants us to serve Him and others. He wants us to show others that we Love and care about them.

We are at peace when we are obedient to God and dependent upon Him for everything.

Do you walk with peace in your heart each day?

2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“My Parents!"

In remembrance of my Mother, Susie Ethel Johnson, September 4, 1895 – October 12, 1992, and my Father, Benjamin Franklin Johnson.

My Mother was 97 years old when she passed away. She lived alone, played Cripple Creek on her banjo, had a large garden, porch swing and a parakeet named JJ. She would gather everybody around and tell us great stories.

I learned so much about Love and life from her. I miss the good ole days of her food, banjo music, playing outside in our yard, garden and climbing apple trees. Her method of travel was riding a horse.

She really knew how to make you feel Loved!

She said sometimes she was homesick for Heaven because she had lived through wars and outlived her parents, all eleven of her siblings, and several of her eight children.

She and my Father, Benjamin Franklin Johnson, were very strong influences and role models in my life. They will always be Loved and remembered.

Do you have fond memories of your parents and grandparents?

2 Timothy 3:14-15
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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**Celebration of Our 100th Podcast and Dedication To Our Listeners With Book Prizes.

We are located in the United States in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Our phone number is 423-378-6337.
Thank you to our listeners in the following countries:
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Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."**

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"The Universe Hears Everything!"

I certainly believe in the power of prayer and the law of attraction. Have you ever noticed that the universe hears everything? Sometimes the universe is not able to distinguish between increasing or decreasing things. For example, I have heard many people say to the universe, “I am going to lose weight.” Next, they complain because they have gained weight instead of losing it. It is because the universe hears the word “weight” and does not distinguish between the gain and loss of it.

The best way to inform the universe of a personal goal such as weight loss would be to say “I am looking forward to the process of becoming thin.” This way, the universe hears the word “thin” rather than weight.

I invite you to consider noticing whether your thoughts and words are positive or negative. The universe needs to be addressed with specific and positive words and phrases in order to help accomplish your goals.

God is always listening to our hearts! He gives us what we need, when we need it. When we verbalize a desire, God's universe hears us. We all have some type of spiritual explorer inside us. Talk to Him and He will show you the way. Pray about every aspect of your life before you make a decision.

Pray it forward, pray for your friends, family and strangers.

Do you speak to the universe in a positive way?
1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Praying, Loving and Living in the moment are the most important things that you can do for your life and Loved ones.”

One afternoon, my daughter, Billie, picked up a pizza for our family. When she arrived at the restaurant, a tired looking, middle aged woman waited on her.Billie looked deeply into her weary face, and sky blue eyes. Immediately, God spoke into Billie's core. She blurted out, "so what is going on with your father?"

Billie had not ever met this lady that was waiting on her. She looked at Billie for a moment with tears in her eyes. I suppose she wanted to make sure she had heard Billie correctly. She told Billie that her Dad was ill with cancer and was in hospice, that she had just gotten over the flu, and this was her first day back at work.

Her father had the exact same type of cancer that Billie's Dad passed away from in 1997. Billie asked her if they could pray together, and it made her very happy. They prayed and instantly became sisters-in-Christ.

Sometimes, something as small as picking up a pizza may turn out to be the best part of your day!

Do you trust the inner voice of God in your heart?

Mark 4:24
“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.

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**"I Shall Not Want."

Psalm 23** The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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"Eyes Tell A Story"
Whenever I am engaged in a conversation with someone, their eyes say the most to me. Someone’s eyes can tell a story. Most of us have heard the adage that the eyes are the windows to our soul. Souls desire to communicate through our eyes.

I have noticed many times that when I am talking with someone that Loves God, they have the most beautiful, piercing eyes that are bright in color. The Love of God shines through us when we have found salvation. This infinite Love shines brightly through our eyes like stars in the night sky.

You can read someone’s eyes like pages in a book. The eyes long to tell their story even when the mind and body do not. God’s Love causes the Holy Spirit to shine through us into others. People will notice and see your Love for God even before you begin to tell them.

Animals communicate through their eyes just like humans. Their eyes reveal great Love, adoration and loyalty. My daughter, Billie, her pups communicate with their eyes. Their eyes tell me when they are hungry, sleepy, and playful or just want some hugs and kisses. Humans and animals express themselves strongly through their eyes.

What story do your eyes tell?

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

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"Insults Are Jealous Compliments"

Insults are truly jealous compliments; embrace them.

Similarly, when someone sees you as their competition, they are most likely categorizing you as their potential human equal. That can be positive or negative depending on your viewpoint of both them and yourself.

Do not allow anyone to disturb your inner peace. Be happy and reaffirmed that you are deeply favored by God.

Will you consider someone’s jealousy as a compliment in the future?

2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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"Animals Are Wise."Animals are loyal, they Love unconditionally but most importantly, understand the true meaning, do not take any of it for granted and remain consistent. Animals seem to know what is going on more than we know, especially with illness. I feel they live on a much higher and deeper spiritual level.When an animal's human companion passes away, it makes me very sad for the pet because they feel the deepest sense of loss. Animals hurt more because they invest more in the relationship than anyone else and without it being requested or demanded. They give their whole heart to us.

My Daughter, Billie's Yorkie pups, Blue, Ridge, Fox, and Page have such different personalities. Blue is the protector and Ridge wants to be protected. Fox is an athlete, and Page is a princess.Ridge greets everyone with a cute howl. Animals are beautiful, precious treasures sent from God.

Do you have adoration for the wisdom of animals?

Psalm 36:5-7 NIV
Your Love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing Love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings

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“Don't allow people into your world close enough to where they become so comfortable that it makes you uncomfortable.”Many times, we feel compelled to open our hearts so wide that it gets trampled.

It is truly a good idea to maintain a healthy distance from everyone, especially, friends and relatives so you do not lose sight of yourself.

An element of mystery is a necessary ingredient for all relationships. This approach keeps people interested in you as a person. It also helps prevent people from knowing so much about your personal and business life that they start offering unwanted advice at any moment.

Are you allowing others to invade your personal life too deeply?

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Helping others does not require hurting yourself.”There are so many ways to help yourself and others. It is vital to remain as spiritually, physically, mentally and financially strong as possible. Give all you can while keeping in mind that helping others does not require hurting yourself.

It is not possible to out give God! When we share our God given blessings with others it is the same as recycling goodness. It is very important to remember that you have to remain intact so that you can continue to do God’s work. If you drain yourself then you are of no help to anyone, especially yourself.

Is there someone in your life that you are making weaker by not ever telling them the answer of “no”?

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Stop smoking, because I care about you.”

If you or someone you know smokes, stop now, because I care about you!

Nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. There used to be many people in our family that smoked cigarettes but we helped them stop with a smoking cessation program.

My daughter, Billie, and I are a lot alike, in the fact that we do not tend to become addicted to anything. We can basically "take or leave" anything without worrying about developing an addiction.

My husband, Philip F. Minton Jr. (P.F.), was quite the opposite. He began smoking cigarettes when he joined the United States Navy at seventeen years old. He smoked for fifty-two years and developed lung cancer. He suffered for fifteen months and we suffered along with him. He passed away September 17, 1997 from lung cancer, at the young age of sixty-nine years old. The last thing he said to our daughter was "Billie, I Love you, and take care of your mother." She replied, "I will, and Daddy, I Love you with all my heart!"

It is still hard to believe that he died all those years ago. There are so many things that I have missed sharing with my husband since he passed away. Billie was only thirty-one years old when he died. She and all of our other daughters truly felt cheated, and as if they did not have enough years as an adult, with their father. Our five daughters all had such a strong bond with their Dad and me.

I can only imagine how much deeper those family relationships would have developed further, with their Dad.

Billie had dreams of having her Dad beside of her throughout her career, asking him for guidance and feeling his strong Love. Her Dad and I did get to go to her graduation at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia before he became ill.

Every time you would see Philip, he would ask you to sit down, and tell him about your day. He really wanted to know about my every day and how it was going because he truly cared. We all felt the same way about him, and still do now.

Would you or someone you know benefit from making a commitment to a smoking cessation program?

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Is there someone toxic in your life that needs to treat you better or leave?

Proverbs 22:24-25
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.

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“Put your heart into every footstep ... and you will travel somewhere meaningful.”

When you live your life with passion, it feels “right” to put your heart into everything you do!

There should not ever be a time in life when you make a decision without consulting with God through prayer.

When we are young, we ask our parents for guidance, direction and permission to do something or go somewhere. When you become an adult, you are expected to make these decisions primarily on your own and without asking for your parent’s consent.

God, our Father in Heaven, wants us to remain His children eternally and become God dependent.

Whenever someone in my life offers me advice without praying about the situation and/or praying with me, I do not accept it. Advice from others must be blessed by God. This practice will help ensure that you remain in God’s will and not your own or someone else’s.

Each time you take a walk by the river, the beach, in the mountains or even outside in your yard; remember that each step you take was granted by God. Thank Him for giving you such a glorious day to enjoy!

Will you remember to put your heart into everything you do and every place you go?

Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“You can get anyone to help you with the right approach.”Are there areas in your life where a better approach may prove to be more successful?

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“You can take Home with you no matter where you are ... as long as Jesus Lives inside your heart.”It may be difficult for your family to watch you take off on your trip. All of our lives, most of us have heard the saying “home is where the heart is.” For some people, that phrase really does not sink deep into their thought processes the way that it probably should.We go so many places such as to church, work, school, shopping, vacation and the gym. Sometimes our minds wander and travel without us even having to physically leave our current location.

I pray and ask God to help me feel better inside when I am away from my family. Praying is the only thing that makes me feel better.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, home becomes anywhere you are at the moment; physically, in your heart, soul, and mind.

In my heart and mind, home is a “feeling” rather than a place. This is a truth that should prove to help people at any age when they understand this concept. When Jesus Lives in your heart, home is everywhere!

Do you remember ever being homesick as a child or an adult?

Have you asked Jesus to live inside of your heart?

Do you take “home” with you, in your heart, every place you go?

Matthew 28:20
“And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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“Be careful not to confuse kindness with weakness.”

Kindness and weakness are two concepts that have been misconstrued too many times in our lives.

It takes a very strong person to be filled with kindness in their heart, whereas weakness, is often but not always, found in mean spirited individuals. Have you ever noticed that it appears that kind people seem to get taken advantage of?

In most cases, kind people know exactly when someone is attempting to take advantage of them. They are just so kind, strong and intelligent that they do not feel the need to be defensive.

Weak people tend to be defensive, controlling, demanding and argumentative. They feel insecure and want to make sure that everything goes according to their demands.

Being weak causes people to expend much more energy than choosing to be kind. The thought of being a weak person seems exhausting.

Kindness attracts people in so many ways. Kind people are interesting too! They know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin.

Do you feel others are confusing your kindness with weakness?

Genesis 20:13 NIV
And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, “This is how you can show your Love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“When I say that I care about you, it means I care about you spiritually, mentally, physically and financially, always.”

When we say that we Love or care about something, it can mean two different things. For example, you may say that you Love chocolate but you would not necessarily say that you “care about chocolate.”

Caring about someone should mean that you care about them spiritually, mentally, physically and financially. That you actually care about the well-being of those facets of their life.

Another example, is the way we care about our pets. They are our family and we care about them immensely.

**The next time you talk to someone, tell them that you care about them and notice their response.

Philippians 2:3-5
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**.

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“Most people that chew gum are happy!”Happy people seem to chew gum!It takes too much energy when you are depressed to chew gum.

Yes, I know, sometimes when people chew gum it can be a terrible sight!

There are so many ways to chew gum; lips smacking, bubbles inside of bubbles being blown, gum rolling behind front teeth and gum hanging out of someone’s mouth with teeth marks in it!

The interesting thought is that when you see someone chewing gum, they are most likely in a good mood and they tend to be a positive person.

Do you chew gum when you are happy?

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not Love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“In my mind ... I am jumping up and down all day long ... no matter what.”

A man and his daughter were riding in the car heading to another town for vacation.

The young daughter became restless riding in the car.

She would frequently ask her father how much longer they had until they arrived to their destination point while jumping and bouncing up and down on the seat of the car.

The father was getting upset that his daughter was jumping up and down on the car seat and repeatedly asked her to stop.

Each time he asked his daughter to stop jumping up and down, she did not reply back to her father.

After the father had asked his daughter several times to stop jumping up and down, the daughter finally spoke back to him.

The daughter said, “Yes, I will stop jumping up and down but I want you to know that I will be jumping up and down in my mind the rest of the way of our trip.”

This story has stayed strong in my heart and mind since the first day I heard it from my pastor.

This story says many things to me such as, do not ever give up, do not let others see you sweat and stay positive and strong willed.

Are you jumping up and down in your mind?

Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”?Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Be strong ... do not cave into every unhealthy craving or habit whether it is food or something else.”

You have to behave your way into becoming healthier spiritually, physically and emotionally.

It takes time to change by breaking poor habits and choices. Billie and I have learned over the years by working with our patients, that most people have a better chance for long term success when they have consistently, changed their habit or poor choices for between fourteen to forty days.

There are so many habits that patients want to change such as their nutrition, medication, fitness, language, attitude, sleep, spending more time with Loved ones and many other things in their daily life. A large portion of our patients express that they wish that they would start studying the bible and attending church. The first thing to do when you want to be successful with a lifestyle change, is to pray and ask God for His blessing. Tell Him from your heart, what you desire to do. Ask God for guidance, strength and support in order to accomplish your goals and sustain them for a lifetime!

We have patients that tell us that they wish that they knew more about the bible. My reply is, “start reading and studying it.” You can buy versions of the bible such as the New International Version (NIV) which is easy to understand. Also, many bibles have footnotes which help explain verses. Electronic versions of the bible are also available. I have the Bible app on my phone and can read or listen to it as long as my phone is charged. This is one of my most favorite versions of the bible. I usually listen to the bible every night until I fall asleep. My favorite book in the bible is the book of “John.” That was the last book in the bible that Billie and her Dad chose to study together before he passed away. It helped us go through the transitions of his illness.

Have you made the commitment to become stronger spiritually, physically and emotionally by changing your lifestyle?

Exodus 15:2
The Lord is my strength and my defense, He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“You are doing God's work when you help someone else shine.”Are you living your life by example, helping other people shine? Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Seek God for every decision ... the ones you think that are small may turn out to be life- changing.”Every decision that you make in your life will definitely affect other lives too.You may not realize or even see it at first but ultimately, any decisions we make or do not make, truly affects others. It reminds me of old sayings such as “your whole life can change with just one phone call” or “missing the bus can change your life.”

Do you have a life-changing decision to make? Will you pray about it and ask God for guidance?

Jeremiah 29:11-13
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Do not accept the answer of NO from someone that is not qualified to give you the answer of YES.”We should not be quick to give mortals too much power over our lives. Have you ever asked someone for permission regarding a situation and then, wonder why you did that after you find their answer to be weak and most likely, incorrect? When people are not sure about the answer to provide you with, they should just simply say, “I am not sure but am resourceful enough to help you find out.”

This quote is one that I live by! It makes me think of a great example to share with you. Our lifelong friend, Mike Padgett, and my daughter, Billie have radio in their blood. Once the radio bug bites you, it is in your system forever! Early on, in Mike’s career, there was a teacher that literally told him that he had a terrible voice. This teacher went as far as to tell him that he should forget about a career in radio altogether! Mike shared this information with Billie, and me, and carried it around with him, all of his life.

Not only did Mike have an exultant voice, he ended up becoming a “radio legend” in the Tri-Cities area where we live. If Mike would have listened to that teacher, he would have not had a career in radio! He would have chosen another career path, and most likely have been miserable.

It is a horrible thought that we can give in, and listen to bad opinions of other people.

Will you remember not to accept the answer of “no” from someone that is not qualified to give you the answer of “yes?”

1 John 5:4-5
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Some of the saddest and most difficult times in life will bring out the strongest part of you.”

Has there been a difficult time in your life that brought out the strongest part of you?

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Many times, someone's strength becomes recycled through another.”My daughter, Billie, and I, spend a lot of Saturday mornings together. December 5, 2015, was one Saturday morning that felt extraordinarily special to both of us!
We began holding hands together after breakfast, in my sunroom, watching hummingbirds through the windows as the sunshine was beaming down on us.

We were sitting shoulder to shoulder on this mild, December morning talking about memories and our hopes for the future.

There were moments that we were laughing until tears were streaming down our faces! Other moments, our hearts filled up with sadness as we reminisced about the losses of Loved ones we had experienced over the years.

I have always Loved to feed and watch birds of all kinds. These hummingbirds were keeping us quite entertained, as they hovered up against the feeder, which hung for them outside of my sunroom.

I must admit that I was basking in the sunshine, entertainment of the hummingbirds but most of all, the Love that Billie and I share together. For a moment, I felt as if Billie and I were the only Mother and daughter in the world.

Billie and I have been soulfully connected all of her life, and this beautiful morning provided our hearts with confirmation of that fact.

The most significant and memorable moment of this morning spent with Billie, was experiencing so much pleasure out of admiring God’s beautiful creatures, obtaining the sustenance that they needed to continue entertaining us!

God had decorated these hummingbirds with multiple colors of brilliance! Nature allowed these hummingbirds to produce an elaborate, private, musical composition for us as the feathers of their wings and tails simultaneously, vibrated against the air.

Occasionally, I would put a small amount of extra pressure from my hand onto Billie's, and it melted my heart while adding an extra beat to it. My Motherly hand had continued to effortlessly, embrace my daughter's. I could feel the strength of her Love, constantly, being recycled through my veins.

God blessed Billie and me with this glorious morning together, having fellowship in the presence of His pulchritudinous creations. God blessed us both with the best "Mother and daughter" relationship in the entire world! I was made to be Billie's Mother! Billie was made to be my daughter!

Being able to live this life having, Loving, and knowing the definition of what being a Mother to beautiful daughters means, is one of the greatest gifts that God has ever blessed me with.

I am eternally grateful to God for His blessing of the gift of knowing how to share a Mother’s Love, friendship, kindness, wisdom, tenderness, strength, and understanding with Billie, and all of my daughters.

Thank you, God, for your blessing and the miracle of my family! Hey Hallelujah!

Can you feel the strength of someone else being recycled through you?

Proverbs 31:28
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Weigh the benefit versus the risk in every decision you make.Did something significant in your life become a reality after praying and discussing it with your family and friends?

Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“The soul will absorb what is true.”When we think about something, we usually end up living it.

What truth did your soul absorb?

John 17:17
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Throwing money out of the window ...”

If you happen to find $631.00 on E. Stone Drive in Kingsport, Tennessee, it belongs to Jessie and Billie.

On a Tuesday, and an unusually warm November day, Billie and Jessie were riding together to the bank to make a deposit with the top down in the convertible. They were listening to our friend, Jeri George, and some great music on our favorite radio station, WQUT.

All of the money that they were taking to the bank to deposit, flew straight up in the air, and out of the car! Every car around was looking at them! They just started laughing until they were almost sick! I will remember this every time I put the top down on the convertible in the future.

This gave new meaning to us for the phrase "throwing money out of the window!"

Thank you, God, for that experience with Billie and Jessie, because everything is larger than money!

What is more important in your life than money?

Malachi 3:10
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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**Do you ever stop for a moment to admire someone’s everyday elegance?

Who are the peacemakers in your life?
Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.**

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“It's the truth ... Mom is right about everything!”

Do you honor and seek wisdom from your Mother?

Proverbs 31:26-27
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“If you really want to teach your children something special; introduce them to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.”An education for the mind is important but to me, there is not anything more important that making sure that you and your children have educated hearts! Accepting, knowing, trusting and Loving Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is the most important thing that anyone will ever do in their lifetime!
Have you introduced your children to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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**“The black hole ... an analogy to grief.”

A lifelong friend of mine,** shared something about grief with me that made a lot of sense. He used an example of a “black hole” as an analogy to grief.

When you see a black hole, you do not want to walk near it. Later on, you may decide to slowly crawl near the black hole and then crawl backward away from it. Then you decide to slowly get to the edge of the black hole and kick a pebble in it to see how deep it is. Next, you lower a big rope into the black hole and when you reel it upward, you find that it is wet. Lastly, you tie the rope to a bucket and lower the bucket into the black hole. When you raise the bucket back up, you realize the black hole is a well of living water. Hey Hallelujah!

When someone we Love passes away, at first, it may feel like a “black hole” situation that we do not want anything to do with nor do we want to go near it. We just do not want to believe what has happened. Whenever you feel this way, pray and think of the aforementioned analogy and it may prove to help you during your “season of grief.”

Is there currently a “black hole” in your life that you are avoiding?

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“When you associate with both the older and younger generations ... you continue to absorb wisdom while remaining trendy.”Often, I have found in both my personal and professional life that it is important to “stay in the know” with both older and younger generations. There have been some days that I have learned more from interacting with toddlers in our family than anyone else.

Are you absorbing wisdom from your elders while remaining trendy with a
younger generation?

Psalm 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“THANK YOU, GOD, for our life experiences.”Do you have a special life experience that you are thankful for?

1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“The most important goal in our lives ... should be helping ourselves and others find our way to Heaven by believing and trusting in God with all of our hearts.”

Going Home to Heaven should be our main priority in life.

God gave us life and we should live each day praising His name and helping others by making sure they are saved in order to spend their eternal life in Heaven with us.

For the people that you know that are not saved yet, the best thing that you could ever do is pray and keep them close in your heart. Ask them if they want you to help them know God.

I pray every day that God will provide peace, strength, comfort and guidance to my family and friends, each day of their lives.

It is a wonderful feeling to help someone find their way to salvation with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

It is also important to pray for strangers and other nations as well. It only takes the Faith of a mustard seed to move mountains.

United, we are stronger as brothers and sisters-in- Christ!

Are you united in prayer with your family and friends?

Matthew 18:20“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“When adults or children think of you, what do you feel comes to their mind?”

God knows who you are so LIVE every moment by example with a Christ-like heart, mind and demeanor. We are all teachers on this earth that are constantly being observed. We need to be an enrichment to others, especially children.

The best thing that you could ever teach your children is about God and His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save us from our past, present and future sins! Many children grow up without knowing Jesus or understanding how to have a deep, personal relationship with Him.

What do children or adults think of when they think of you?

Matthew 18:2-5
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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God puts people in our lives that help make us better! Chad, my grandson, is one of those people for me!

We all knew that Chad was a special gift from God, the moment he was born! The mere glimpse of the crown of his head as he was being born, made tears flow down our cheeks.

Chad was such a pleasure to help raise and watch grow up to become a man. He refers to my daughter, Billie, as “Bil Bil," and it warms her heart, still to this day, every time he says that to her. Billie and I made a commitment to help raise Chad.

“Us Is Ok,” is a little phrase of three words that means so much to Chad, Billie, and me.

Whenever there is doubt about anything in this world, Chad, Billie, and I tell each other “Us Is Ok!” What we are really telling each other is that God is with us, around us, inside us at all times and there is nothing to be afraid of.

Billie and I used to take Chad everywhere we went when he was growing up. We truly enjoyed spending time together! Chad liked being with Billie for business deals too.

One Saturday morning, Billie and I took Chad with us to buy a new truck. We decided to eat breakfast at the Waffle House on the way to the dealership. In the middle of our meal, Billie asked the waitress if they accepted debit cards. She smiled and said, “No, we only accept cash.” Billie looked at her and said, “Ok, great.” After she made that reply to the waitress, our hearts sunk! We looked in our billfolds and realized that we only had debit cards with us, and zero cash on hand. Immediately, Billie frantically started calling one of her friends to come and bring us some cash. She explained the situation to Chad, and he understood although he was only about ten years old.

Billie's friend was playing tennis and her phone was in the car. While Billie was trying to reach her, I was swirling around what was left of my waffle and syrup in the plate as if I was still eating my meal. Customers that were waiting for tables were starting to look very irritated that we were taking so long to finish eating because they wanted our table.

Finally, Billie's friend called me back with worry because she had called her phone so many times. Billie explained our situation to her, and she brought us some cash for our meals. When she pulled up outside of Waffle House, Chad went outside to her car to get the money she had brought. When Chad came back inside, he discreetly gave me the money to pay for our meals, and said “Us is Ok!” We knew exactly what he meant!

Next, we went to the dealership to look at vehicles. Chad helped pick out the vehicle that he wanted Billie to purchase. It was a black, Chevy truck with gray leather interior and was very nice. We took the truck for a test drive, then came back to the dealership to sign the sales contract.

As we were driving home in our new truck, Chad looked at Billie and said, “Bil Bil, I don’t understand how we just bought a new truck without any money but had to pay the Waffle House cash before we could leave.” That was probably the funniest statement and situation that I had ever encountered in my life!

Chad is grown, and has a family of his own now. He is married to Jessie, and they have a son named Benjamin, and a daughter, Kindle. Billie and I will always think of Chad as our little "handsome, brown eyed boy."

Do you believe in your heart that God is always with you?

Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Your life is at its best when you have a deep, personal relationship with God.”

Making your personal relationship with God genuine and consistent will strengthen every area in the foundation of your life. Each day is about the relationship you have with God!

Strive to be a soldier of the light, and wear your armor of Love and live God dependent. People will enter and exit your life, but God is your only constant. He will always be with you and never fail you!

The strength God gives us becomes recycled when we help others. The less you care about material things, the more God provides for you to recycle in His greatness!

Let people know how you feel about them and what makes them special to you and others. The best life you could ever live is built from serving God, and uplifting and helping others. Second to Loving God and prayer, there is hardly anything more satisfying that being good to others.

God is our Father of everlasting Love, Grace, Mercy and Peace! God’s Forgiveness heals and endures forever.

Our day will be Blessed!

Do you feel your relationship with God should be more personal than it is right now?

Is there someone in your life that you would like to share your Love of God with?

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Thank you Linda, for your kindness.”

When my daughter, Billie was about eight years old, she was playing outside with some of her neighborhood friends, and my oldest daughter, Linda.

She was playing in the yard with some of her friends, and looked up and saw Ricky and Gregory Watterson riding shiny bicycles on the sidewalk in front of our house.

Ricky was riding a shiny blue, Schwinn bicycle that was a five speed, and had a very comfortable banana seat. He and his brother, Gregory, stopped for a moment to talk to everyone. Billie really liked Ricky’s bicycle, and was admiring it.

Ricky asked Billie, “Would you like to have this bicycle?” She said, “sure, but it belongs to you so how can that happen?” He said, “I will be glad to sell it to you.” My daughter, Linda, was behind Billie, and she had heard the whole conversation. She negotiated the deal to buy the bicycle from Ricky for twenty-five dollars. That was a lot of cash for children back in the early seventies!

Linda paid Ricky twenty-five dollars cash, and he got off the bicycle and handed it to Billie. She could hardly believe that this shiny blue, five speed, Schwinn bicycle with the comfortable banana seat belonged to her now!! Linda had a great job and wanted to do this for Billie. She was so happy and thrilled! Ricky’s brother, Gregory, gave him a ride home on his bicycle, and Billie rode her new bicycle all day long.

To this day, Billie has this bicycle in her garage, and it still looks almost brand new. She took such good care of this bicycle! Every time Billie looks at that Schwinn bicycle, she thinks of her sister, Linda. Linda was kind enough to buy that bicycle for Billie without asking her to do so. The symbol of Love that this bicycle represents means so much more than the bicycle itself.

This is one of the epic, childhood moments that remains in Billie's heart and mind throughout her entire life!

Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. **These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

Is there a beautiful childhood moment that remains in your heart today?**

1 Corinthians 16:14
Do everything in Love.

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"Birthdays have always been special in our family!"Celebrate your birthday because it is your personal holiday! If possible, do not work on your birthday, and spend it in any fashion that makes you happy!

God made you special, and for His pleasure. Do not ever allow anyone to ruin your day. Each day the Lord blesses us with should be celebrated!

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares The LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Do not allow poor emotional health, which is often times only temporary, to make your body sick or fail you altogether.”

Has someone in your life passed away that still causes you to feel deep soul pain? Pray and ask God to help you emotionally and physically overcome the deep soul pain that you feel from the passing of a Loved one.

John 14:1-4
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“You are one of the fossil prints of my life."There are so many wonderful people that have helped shape your life. It is a beautiful feeling to reflect upon those memories of when you felt happy, and Loved the most!Do you recall the fossil prints of your life? Matthew 18:3-5
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Let it go, focus on the daily blessings that God gives us.”Put your energy into the future so you may reach your goals. God wants us to forgive others for anything and everything. This certainly may seem difficult at certain times in our lives but holding onto bitterness and anger holds us back from accepting daily Blessings from God.

Billie and I had a patient express to us that he was having a difficult time emotionally, getting over a breakup. He could not seem to “let it go!” After talking with him, it was clear he was only focusing on the positive memories and there were just as many bad. We told him to think about the fact that her actions revealed how very little she cared about him as a person during that relationship. Everything in that relationship was so much about her that she really did not even take the opportunity to know him during all that time they spent together. Additionally, he expressed to me that he does not hardly remember anything about himself while he was in that relationship. He does not remember how he felt, what he ate, what he did or how he looked physically. I encouraged him to “let it go” by continuing to pray about his resolve regarding this situation and wish her well into the future.

The main reason that our patient was having a hard time “letting it go” emotionally was because he was in mourning over the loss of what he thought his life was going to be like “with her” rather than actually missing her after the relationship ended.

Forgiveness heals and endures forever. God’s Blessings are abundant in our lives and we have to open up our hearts to receive them. Faith is sagacious, abysmal, and the most emphatic personal instrument that may commensurate and command restoration. Trust and utilize the power of your Faith in the Lord every single day.

Every day is a blessing, enjoy your Blessed day!

Is there someone that you need to forgive so you can “Let it go?”

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Evelyn (Mom) is the wisest and most Loving woman that I have ever known.”Evelyn (Mom) Loves God and everyone she encounters. She laughs a lot and until she cries. It is common to see tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard. She eats whatever she wants in moderation, is an amazing cook, shares her lunch with someone every day, has never had a habit of anything, enjoys honoring and celebrating Christmas with her beautiful lights more than anyone I know.Some of Evelyn's most enjoyable hobbies are decorating for holidays, especially at Christmas. Her Christmas lights are absolutely stunning and we have Jennifer Mowdy take care of that for her every year. People all over Kingsport tell us that they look forward to seeing Mom's Christmas lights each year. She also truly enjoys feeding the birds at work and home. Everyone around her offers to help feed the birds outside. I have literally seen Mom sit and look through the window with a lovely smile on her face because she is watching the birds eat. Mom has always said that you can love all animals even if you don't have one. She adores my four little Yorkie puppies, Blue, Ridge, Fox, and Page. She feeds, plays, and talks to them every day at the office and claims that they belong to her! She is such a classy lady and will always be known as the matriarch of our family.

Mom has been a nurse all of my life. I feel blessed that Mom has led my private practice as Director of Nursing for over twenty years. She was there the first day I opened my practice, and still leads it today. Many patients call our office just to talk to my Mother.

I have told my Mom many times that I could not have ordered her and Dad off of a menu as parents any better than God has blessed me with naturally! I am eternally grateful to God for the gift of my parents.

Adults, children and animals adore Mom. She has such a positive spirit within her. Mom tells you exactly what she thinks, has an angelic face that does not seem to age and shares her knowledge and wisdom.

She encourages me to do my best in all things. Mom is my role model and exactly who I wanted to be like when I grew up. I deeply look forward to seeing and being with her every day.

Mom is one of a kind. This is the woman that God made! God made her Loving hands which have cared for me and many others for a lifetime. She remains my best friend, no matter my age. I Love her with all of my heart!

Mom is one of God's miracles! She honors, respects, shows kindness and lives every encounter with passion when she interacts with someone.

Mom gives all the praise and glory to God! She recycles God's goodness to help others in need. Mom is a blessing to all that know and Love her!

Mom is my soulmate. Thank you, God, for blessing me with my Mother!

Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

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**Angela, this podcast is for you, our sister-in-Christ, and lifelong friend!
We Love You!

Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.**

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“Praise God through everything.”

True faith and character, remaining strong in prayer, friendliness and positivity, whether things in your life are going well or not is vital.

Each day, sing to the Lord from deep within your heart and soul. Tell Him how much you Love and appreciate all of His blessings. Ask the Lord to Bless every desire, task and thought that you experience.

Whenever I am swinging too hard or not hard enough toward a goal, God always shows me a better path. Every day is about the relationship you have with God. Do not allow anyone to bring you down. Blow the dust off your needle and move forward.

I always tell my family and friends that, “It is well but I am not satisfied.” This way of thinking reminds us every moment to put God first, and to continue serving Him exultantly!

Are you praising God through everything you experience?

Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Do you know someone or have a pet that always makes you smile and feel as if the newness of the friendship will not ever wear off?

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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“It requires more than being related by blood to maintain a close, bonded relationship with someone.”

Many people take each other for granted just because they are blood related. They make themselves believe that no matter how much time has passed by, the closeness they used to have with a relative is still there. In some instances, this may be true.

Usually, in order for a relationship to remain strong, you have to put some Love, time and muscle into it.

Choose at least one family night each week to call or visit a few relatives that you want to maintain a strong bond with. It will make both of you feel warm and special while caring for the relationship.

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling more of a family connection to someone that is not blood related to us. If that is the case, do not let it bother you. Hearts do not plan who they feel soulfully bonded to.

A strong sense of family bonding develops from spending time together, sharing meals and most of all, through prayer.

My brother-in-Christ, Bert Hale, used to live across the street from us for many years!

Bert had the most wonderful parents. They passed away much earlier than any of us would have ever wanted. They handed down a legacy of Love, trust, wisdom and respect for generations ahead.

Bert and his wife, Suzie Hale, have made a beautiful life together and still live on Birchwood Drive. They have three pulchritudinous daughters named Jennifer, Natalie, and Elizabeth. Bert and his wife are a prime example of wonderful, Loving parents!

Bert and I have shared many laughs and tears throughout the years. We built the foundation for a solid friendship many years ago that will last a lifetime. No matter how often we see each other, we are soul bonded friends forever!

Is there someone that you feel you need to spend more time with?

Hebrews 10:25
Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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"Pray Before Every Decision."

Have you ever noticed that when people have a problem, the first thing they do is ask someone else for advice? Why do we ask others their opinion about our problems or concerns when they probably have as many or more concerns than we do ourselves?

The first thing we need to do is go to God through prayer. We should praise God in our prayers before we whine and complain about things that are not going right in our lives. God already knows what we need and when we need it.

Our prayers to God should not be viewed as a wish list. Prayers do not push God to do what we request. Prayers demonstrate faith to our Lord that we know He already has everything in His hands and will not leave us.

If someone comes to you for advice, the first thing you should do is ask them to pray with you. We should learn to practice living our lives as happily as possible during difficult times.

Being unhappy or negative will not fix your troubles. Keeping a positive attitude and being happy during difficult times reveals strong faith.

Praise God through everything!

Will you remember to praise God in your prayers before asking for His help?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Touch everyone in your life with the hand of respect.”

Growing up, you probably have heard people saying that you should respect your elders. Although this statement is true, everyone should be treated with respect, no matter what their age. Babies and animals should receive as much respect as your elders. Your peers should receive your respect as well.Usually, true respect is mutually earned. Often times, people that are stern are respected out of fear. This is not true respect. Fear should not be associated with respect.

I once knew a very successful business man. He was wealthy and had many employees over the years. The employees in his office building were all very scared of him. He believed that they were afraid of him because they respected him.

He had trained his employees to be afraid of him because he believed they would be more productive and get lots of work done. This man was actually a very kind person underneath all of this stern behavior. Although his employees worked hard, they did not truly respect him. They endured this stern environment because they needed to keep their jobs.

If you or someone you know is in a similar situation or environment, I invite you to ask yourself a few questions. Is there someone in your life that you “fake- respect” only out of fear? Are there people in your life that you feel should respect you but do not?

When you think about the meaning of “respect,” consider your parents, children, animals and friends first.

What changes will you make in your life?

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in Love. Honor one another above yourselves.

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“Keep the wow factor in every little thing you do.”

No one remembers people that are average. Set your bar high in everything you dream about or actually participate in. When your life is over, people should be saying "he or she was great to me!" Treat people with the "wow factor" and they will Love you more for it. Let people know how you feel about them and what makes them special to you and others. The best life you could ever live is built from helping and uplifting others.

My daughter, Billie, and I had a patient, which I will call Ashley, who was severely agoraphobic. The first day that I met her, she had a toboggan pulled down so far over her head that you could barely see her eyes. She stared at the ground with her hands in her pocket. We had a medication counseling session and I felt good about the connection that Ashley and Billie had made professionally. Billie explained the medication plan to Ashley and we said a prayer together before she left our office.

A few days later, a prominent psychiatrist in town called us at work. She said that we had just seen one of her patients professionally, Ashley, and wanted to discuss it with Billie. I must admit, I had no idea what was coming next. The psychiatrist told me that she wanted Billie to see Ashley every week because they really seemed to bond. I told the psychiatrist that we would come up with some type of very inexpensive office fee so that Ashley could afford a weekly visit if she really believed this was necessary.

As time went on, Billie continued to see Ashley every week. In the beginning, she was not only unable to leave her home because of agoraphobia but she also would only eat her meals in her bedroom. She was so severely depressed after the loss of her mother and niece within the same year that she just stayed hidden away in her room. Ashley worked hard with Billie for a solid year. The personal progress that Ashley made was stunning! In the end, Ashley ended up looking like a model! She had gained just the right amount of weight because she was so frail when we met her. She also became a cosmetologist, and began working in a retail salon. This amazed us!

Ashley’s husband, John, came with her to the last weekly office visit. John was smiling and his exact words were “Dr. Billie saved our marriage!” Billie smiled, and explained to John that God, Ashley and he saved their marriage. Billie was merely a willing vessel sent to help carry out God’s plan for their situation. This was truly a very happy beginning (notice I did not say ending) for all of us! My whole career would have been worth working for if this had been the only patient that we had ever helped.

Is there someone that you know that would benefit from receiving the “wow factor” from you?

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“Give someone Love by learning more about their illness.”

Give someone Love by learning more about their illness. Most people give what they wantto receive. Remember the aunt that always pinches your cheeks and gives you so many hugs and kisses? Some aunts exhibit that type of behavior because that is exactly what they want; more hugs and kisses in their life. Most of our patients all say the same thing, "I wish that my family understood my illness and how sick I feel."

My daughter, Billie, and I had a very special, elderly friend that was like family to us. She had fibromyalgia (FMS) disease with severe flare ups. When she experienced these flare ups, they would make her bedridden with symptoms of fatigue, chronic widespread pain with tenderness and a poor memory. She would cry a lot because she felt all alone and like no one in her family understood her illness. She was unable to attend many family events because the pain and fatigue were crippling to her.

One day she brought her husband with her to visit us. When she stepped out of the room momentarily, we asked her husband if he understood his wife's disease. He replied, "No, not really. I just know that she hurts a lot." He said their wedding anniversary was coming up and he didn't know what to buy her as a gift or how to celebrate with her since she was in so much pain. We suggested for him to go to the bookstore and buy her a few books on fibromyalgia. He really looked at us with great surprise and said, "I have never thought of doing that before." We explained to him that the best way to show someone you Love them is to let them know you are investing in and learning about their illness and wellness.

In addition to buying his wife fibromyalgia books, her husband, actually read those books together with her! It brought them much closer as a couple and rekindled some sparks between them. Later on, they both told us that their marriage was stronger because of all of the knowledge and sharing that they were experiencing together.

Is there someone in your life that needs more understanding from you about their illness?

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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Are you pulling too many weeds in your life?

2 Timothy 2:2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Lord, your blessings continue to make me (((((blush))))).”Have you ever sat and thought of all of the wonderful things that the Lord has provided for you? Each time I think of all that the Lord has created and done for me, personally, it actually causes me to blush!

We are all a part of His plan! No one in my life could bless and provide for me in the way that God has and continues to do. He knows what is best for us even when we do not. Talk to Him every day, He is your eternal best friend. The Lord is our Savior and the One that Loves us unconditionally and eternally. God is the only One with power. He loans it out to His children to recycle His goodness.

God's Love and our prayers through Jesus Christ are true medicine for our soul.

God's blessings are constantly flowing! God is our ultimate protector!

Do you recall a time when you feel that God made you blush?

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“We all have a limp.”

We all have a limp (an emotional or physical limitation) which truly humbles us. Others may view these limps as blanketing our talents. Sometimes, it may be very challenging to accomplish our goals in life or even simple daily tasks.

It is more important to enjoy God’s journey in life for us rather than just reaching our own personal desired destination point. Developing a deep capacity of Love, faith and hope through prayer will provide the passion needed to remain in an intimate personal relationship with God.

I was driving through town one day and there was an elderly lady riding a medical scooter to the mall. She was lean, very dressed up and was wearing a nice coat, gloves and scarf. It was very cold and windy outside. She had a big smile on her face as she rode across the busy highway and onto the parking lot. She even had a headlight on the front of this medical scooter. You could tell this was her regular route to the mall.

I noticed her leg had been amputated at the thigh level. It was truly humbling to see this lady so happy and independent despite her "limp." Her generation knew how to be strong. She made such an impression and is still on my mind. We all have some type of "limp" and should learn to be happy no matter what life hands us.

Does your limp make you stronger or weaker?

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

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Honoring all of our fallen HEROES (men and women) on Memorial Day, also known in the past as Decoration Day! Prayers for their families, and our nation.

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“Information is ammunition.”

Information is ammunition. Whenever you tell certain people your most personal details in life, they tend to use that information against you and to their advantage whenever things are not going well in the friendship/relationship.

People are unable to harm you verbally, emotionally or financially if they do not have the information to do so in the first place. Maintaining an element of mystery is good for any relationship because it tends to make you and your actions less predictable to other people. Protecting private information about yourself also prevents others from distorting their true image of you.

My daughter, Billie, had a friend named Sarah that was very intelligent but proceeded to tell everyone in her circle of friends that she felt she had very little sense of direction. From that point on, Sarah's inner circle of friends, labeled her as "the one that you should not ever ask for directions."

Early in these friendships, Sarah divulged information that she felt she was terrible with navigation. Sarah revealed her “inner limp” to her closest friends.

None of Sarah's friends would have ever known or even cared that Sarah did not have a good sense of direction. Sarah exposed her privacy, and ultimately, was labeled by her friends.

Are you able to maintain a healthy element of mystery with friends and family?

Proverbs 2:11
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Your life is only as good as the people that are in it.”Protect your goals and dreams by surrounding yourself with positive people.

Have you ever noticed that some people only want to think, talk, and behave in a negative fashion? Those types of people will always bring you down. Over a period of time, negativity can wear anyone down. I encourage you to examine the people that are in your life on a daily basis. These people are the ones that are most likely able to have some type of influence over you. Make sure that your inner circle of friends and family members are positive minded individuals.

If some of the people in your inner circle are negative minded, they will have more likelihood of draining your positivity than you will helping them lose their negativity.

It is exhausting to try to encourage negative people to see the positive side of life. People tend to want to clutch onto their old habits whether they realize or not that negativity is unhealthy.

When negative people have difficulty converting their positive friends into their way of thinking, they eventually go in a different direction. Negative people have difficulty being around positive people.

Do you have more positive or negative people in your life?

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Fast on gossip!”

My husband I taught our children to “fast on gossip!”

We taught our children that when people gossip, it is because the person gossiping does not feel good about their own self. This explanation really hit home with me!

Growing up, our children felt free to discuss their feelings with us, as parents, rather than gossiping to other people. Our children also learning that people may choose to be unkind to you for no reason whatsoever.

People do not usually bring my daughter, Billie, gossip because they knew that she has zero interest in it. It is no fun to bring gossip to someone that will not participate.

Regardless of your opinion about or toward someone else, it is not our place to judge or gossip about others.

If someone truly Loves, respects and cares about you, they will squash gossip, the very moment it comes to them.

Gossip is toxic, destroys lives, and is something that we taught our children to fast on since their childhood. It destroys families, and all types of relationships.

If someone brings you gossip then they automatically disrespect you. Tell them to learn how to raise their gossip bar.

Your life is only as good as the people you allow in it. It is always your choice to forbid gossip or not.

Our entire team at work with my daughter, has a zero-gossip policy in our workplace. If you gossip, you lose your job. Kindness and dedication is our work style.

Gossip is wrong. The bible plainly identifies gossiping as sinful. Here are some scriptures that come to my mind about gossip:

Proverbs11:12-13,16:28,20:19, 26:20,10:19, 18:6- 7, 21:23,17:9,
25:9-10, 6:16-19, 10:18
Psalms 34:13, 141:3, 101:5, 50:20, 41:5

Ephesians 4:29 Titus 3:2
Exodus 23:1, 20:16 James 4:11, 1:26

1 Timothy 5:13 Leviticus 19:16 John 7:12-13 Romans 1:29-32 5-28-15

Pray for people that gossip, and those that rely on gossip for their information.

Are you learning to fast on gossip?

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Follow your heart.”No matter what others say or do, follow your own heart. Listen to the voice of God inside your heart, and be obedient.We all have visions for our missions whether they are domestic or international. Become determined to help others, especially people that seem disadvantaged. Often times, we are able to help provide opportunities for people in need. If that opportunity comes your direction, do not let it slip away without lending a hand to someone.

We cannot ever know exactly what the future has in store for us. The very person that you helped in the past may become the person that will lend you a hand one day in the future.

Are you listening to the voice of God inside your heart?

Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“The first moment after you open your eyes from a prayer ... feels so peaceful.

Praying is peaceful, it always has been! When we seek for comfort and contentment, the first thing we do is find ourselves in prayer.

Prayers are our lifeline to God. It is the soulful connection that provides communication to our Almighty God in Heaven!

We pray through The Son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ, to our Heavenly Father.
Jesus died on the cross to save us from our past, present, and future sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation.

He forgave everyone that asked for His forgiveness. He even forgave people that did not ask. Jesus Loved the un-Lovable!

Do you feel a sense of peacefulness after you pray?

Numbers 6:26
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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**“Karen... our lifelong friend!”

Karen, our lifelong friend of thirty years**, was called to her Eternal Home to be with the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ and our Almighty Father God! She is in front of God, a soldier of the Light and covered in Glory! She was a skilled Registered Nurse, and lived her life celebrating others! Karen made you feel like you were the most important person in the world every time you saw her!

Over the years, Karen and my daughter, Billie, helped each other through the best and hardest times of their ives. She was a rare and unique friend because she truly Loved Billie unconditionally, very similar to the way my husband and I do. Their friendship was timeless, and had the mutual element of an epic Love! Our families even Loved each other! Ann (Karen’s Mother), Loved Billie as if she were her own child. The feeling was mutual! I Loved both Karen and Ann, very deeply too! Ann passed away a few months prior to Karen’s passing. Karen’s family, and our family, were all in a season of grief.

Many years ago, Karen dedicated the song entitled, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Dianna Ross to her friendship with my daughter, Billie. This was the final song that was played at her funeral service. It was beautiful because everyone was standing with their arms in the air celebrating her life as the song was being played. Karen lived her life Loving and serving the Lord! Billie preached both Ann and Karen's funerals per Karen's sister (Donna's) request. Ann and Karen both would have been filled with contentment knowing that Billie officiated their services.

Is there a timeless friendship in your life which embraces an epic Love?

Proverbs 18:24
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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We feel good and have more energy when we are healthy and happy on the inside. Good habits tend to become permanent in our lives when practiced every day for more than two weeks.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

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I am well but not satisfied.”This way of thinking reminds us every moment to put God first, and continue serving Him exultantly!

John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have Loved you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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The story below is from my daughter, Billie's book, Blue Ridge Moments Volume 1.

Put your energy into the future so you may reach your goals. God wants us to forgive others for anything and everything. This certainly may seem difficult at certain times in our lives but holding onto bitterness and anger holds us back from accepting daily Blessings from God.

I had a patient express that he was having a difficult time emotionally, getting over a breakup. He could not seem to forgive his former wife. After talking with him, it was clear he was only focusing on the positive memories, and there were just as many bad. I told him to think about the fact that her actions revealed how very little she cared about him as a person during that relationship. Everything in that relationship was so much about her that she really did not even take the opportunity to know him during all that time they spent together. Additionally, he expressed to me that he does not hardly remember anything about himself while he was in that relationship. He does not remember how he felt, what he ate, what he did or how he looked physically. I encouraged him to “let it go” by continuing to pray about his resolve regarding this situation and wish her well into the future.

The main reason that my patient was having a hard time “letting it go” emotionally was because he was in mourning over the loss of what he thought his life was going to be like “with her” rather than actually missing her after the relationship ended.

Every day is a blessing, enjoy your Blessed day!

Is there someone that you need to forgive so you can "let it go?"

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“The older we become, the more we are fulfilled by the desire of simple things in life.”

When we are on the younger side of life. We are in our earning power years and desire so many material possessions.

Then as we grow older, we realize that none of those material possessions are going with us into eternity.

Next, we begin downsizing because all of the material possessions that we have acquired tend to become a burden.

This topic reminds me of a story. Billie's friend, Alex, has a huge collection of antique cars. He has had these cars for many years, and has enjoyed them very much.

He recently discovered that he was feeling as if he was becoming a slave to his toys!
In other words, all of these cars in his collection had to be maintained, batteries needed to be checked or replaced, and they needed to be driven.

Alex still worked a lot, and when he had a few days off, taking care of all of these vehicles did not seem fun anymore. These tasks started to feel burdensome.

Next, Alex discovered that he had prostate cancer. He was stunned, and so was his family! This medical diagnosis was such a wakeup call in his life! He already was realizing what was most important in his life but now he was positive that it was time to rearrange his priorities.

Alex started selling his vehicles. Most importantly, he decided to start slowing down enough to spend more time with God, and his family. His job had taken up the majority of his every day.

The worst medical diagnosis gave Alex the best wisdom!

Have you or someone you know become a slave to their toys?

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Mom says: You can go barefoot today ...
it’s May 10th!"

Every year, I find myself looking at the date on the calendar, almost every day in May because I hear my Mom’s voice saying, “you can go barefoot and swimming on and after May 10th.”

Mom has referred to May 10th as being the day that it is alright to go barefoot and swimming outside since I was a child. I feel sure she was making the same statement before I was born too. My grandparents used to say the exact same thing about May 10th. I am not really sure where this all originated from but it sure does hold true.

No matter what day I have my pool opened every year, I wait until May 10th or after to start swimming. If I lived someplace other than East Tennessee then I feel confident that I would be swimming even sooner than May 10th.

There is not a lot to complain about in East Tennessee as far as the weather is concerned. In the spring, summer and fall, we have some of the most beautiful days! However, in the middle of summer, it may become very humid which makes the temperature feel even hotter.

In the winter, we get a few decent snows and then it is over. Many days in the winter we just have snow flurries.

Our mountains, usually protect us from tornados no matter what season we are in.

We have so many beautiful rivers and lakes to enjoy too! Watching the Holston River flow is one of my favorite things to do while walking with my daughter, Billie, and her Tenderpups, Blue Ridge, Fox, and Page.

The south fork of the Holston River seems to be calmer than the north fork. Many people ride their boats and kayaks on the south fork of the Holston River and feel relatively safe.

However, the north fork of the Holston River is also beautiful. It is very active and you can become almost hypnotized watching the white caps on top of the river continuously roll forward. I have not seen any boats on this section of the river but it is one of the best honey holes for fishing in this area.

Lastly, the Tenderpups, Billie, and I enjoy strolling along the bank of the Holston River, getting some exercise, and admiring all of God’s creation.

Do you dare go barefoot, plant flowers or go swimming before May 10th?

Genesis 8:22
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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**Proverbs 31:31 "Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

1 Peter 3:4 "You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."

Luke 2:51 "And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart."Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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“Your Mother is the wisest, and most Loving woman that you will ever know.”The following quotes about Evelyn Minton are from family and friends:"I could not have asked for a better friend. She is a beautiful person inside and out! I am proud of Mom in every aspect of her life. She is the light of my life! I Love her with all of my heart and soul!" - Linda Ray (daughter)

"The strength of the entire family starts with the matriarch. Without a doubt, that's Evelyn."- Doug Davidson, The Young & The Restless (friend)

"Who taught me to live like this ... my Mom! Working by her side each day, she still leads by example. Mom demonstrates her leadership in Love, kindness, strength, compassion, forgiveness, authenticity, experience, and hard work to help mend our patients or anyone else that happens to walk through the front door. I have seen her offer water and her lunch to the homeless. Every member on our team learns something valuable from her wisdom each day. In everything Mom does, she still finds time to feed the birds, and play with children. Her hands and heart Love me! I look forward to her embrace every day! A Mother filled with Love, laughter, and wisdom is priceless! I feel so Blessed! Thank you, God!"- Dr. Billie J. Minton (daughter)

"Mom has to be one of the strongest women that I have ever known! She won a battle with advanced endometrial cancer in the spring of 2008. It was a miracle! Do not ask her what her age is because she will not tell you. She is beautiful! If you call Mom's cell phone, you will hear the ring tone, Road House Blues by The Doors." - Libby Minton-Barrett (daughter)

"Everyone who meets Nannie feels so welcomed and Loves her instantly! She has the purest, Loving heart, and she would stop at nothing to help a stranger. If someone were to get the pleasure of meeting her, she is sure to leave an impression to last a lifetime." –Stephanie P. Minton (granddaughter)

"Nannie is the rock, the foundation, and the start to everything for our family. She has been there for so many people, so many times." - Chad P. Barrett (grandson)

"Nannie always has the best personality. She's constantly cracking jokes at home, the office, and always keeps us laughing!" - Jessie Johnson Barrett (granddaughter)

"I thank God, our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, for the gift of this woman, chosen to be our mother. Her love and strength are the cornerstone of our family!" - Phyllis Johnson (daughter)

"Every morning, my grandmother sits at the window at her desk and watches her birds. She makes sure they're fed and have clean water as soon as I come in the door. She gets a blessing out of feeding them but we get more of a blessing watching her do this. It is such a blessing to work with my beautiful grandmother each day.You won't find a classier lady." - Leslie Sunshine Roberts (granddaughter)

My grandmother is a beautiful, classy lady. Her nails always look elegant and beautiful. If there is a baby in the house, it will end up in her arms asleep. She is a serious comic and problem solver! I Love her dearly! -Lori Roberts Bateman (granddaughter)

"I feel very blessed to have such an amazing woman in my life. Evelyn is a very kind hearted, Loving and inspiring person. Everywhere she goes, she brightens up the room with her contagious smile! She can always make anyone laugh with her great sense of humor. Most importantly, she is always there when anyone needs her. She is the glue that holds our family together." - Mindy Ray (granddaughter)

Proverbs 31:26
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are authors. Their books are at BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton.

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“If you are pushing a string ... it will not work.”Many times in your life, you may feel compelled to "fix" someone. People often need encouragement and support but you cannot fix the way they approach concerns in their life. Spending time and energy trying to "fix" someone is exhausting, and a waste of energy. The best thing that you can do is provide people with encouragement, and pray with them.Have you ever been frustrated by trying to push a string?

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“A relaxation technique ... something my daughter, Billie, and I have done for years.”

Each day, sometimes more than once a day, close your eyes, and imagine holding a bunch of colored balloons on strings.

Next, put a word on each balloon such as happy, sad, a person's name, a concern or prayer or anything you would want the balloon to express.

Then, when you are ready, let go of the strings so all of the balloons will float away slowly, at the same time and with different velocities.

It is very relaxing to watch all of the different colored balloons in your mind, float away into the sky until they are out of sight.

Anything that you have written on these balloons has also faded out of sight.

Will you remember this relaxation technique the next time you feel stressful?

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Humble people are Christ-centered!"

Most people think of romance when they hear the term “soulmate.” I truly believe that we encounter many soulmates throughout our lifetime.

When my daughter, Billie, was seventeen years old, she met one of her soulmates. He was eighty years old, and her best friend’s grandfather! Everyone referred to him as “Dad Dad.”

This man made such an impression upon my daughter's mind, heart and soul. Although, his body was eighty years old when they met, his soul was youthful, and his mind was brilliant. He was such a kind, gentle soul that was filled with infinite humility.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, was of slender build, average height, had sky blue eyes that sparkled, and exultant wisdom. Dad Dad was so kind, friendly, and down to earth that you would not ever have guessed that he was a psychiatrist that had practiced for decades, held a law degree, and was a retired United States Lt. Colonel. He was absolutely the most humble man that we had ever met or Loved. Billie Loved Dad Dad as if he were her own grandfather.

Dad Dad wrote one of Billie's professional letters of recommendation for Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. That letter is framed, and hangs in her office, along with a photo of Dad Dad, and his wife, Nana, when they were a younger couple. The stories that Dad Dad told Billie were part of the foundation for wanting to obtain her Pharm.D. degree.

A few years later, Dad Dad’s wife, Nana, suffered a stroke, and became bedridden at home. He Loved Nana endlessly, and literally wore himself out taking care of her, although he had round the clock nurses for many months.

No one could get Dad Dad to leave his house to do anything while he was caring for Nana after her stroke. Billie was able to talk Dad Dad into going to Dairy Queen, and getting an ice cream with her.

As time went on, Dad Dad slowed down just a little bit more. He had an office in his home that spoke volumes about the man he was. It had his books, special awards, a calendar that he wrote on, the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) college cardigan sweater that Billie bought for him, and a life size poster of Hulk Hogan on his door. I think Hulk Hogan was the healthy, macho part of Dad Dad that was tucked away deep inside him. This admiration for Hulk Hogan helped keep Dad Dad strong.

One of Dad Dad’s daughters called, and said that he was in the hospital in a coma. A few days went by, and his medical condition had not changed. Eventually, Dad Dad’s family had to make the most difficult medical decision of all. The team of doctors treating Dad Dad felt that there was nothing else that could be done medically for him. Dad Dad passed away and the sadness consumed us all.

Nana was unable to attend Dad Dad’s funeral because she remained bedridden as a result of the stroke she had. She was shown the newspaper with his obituary in it. She looked at the newspaper and tears were streaming down her face.

Dad Dad passed away exactly two weeks before Billie's birthday. He had written Billie's name on the 15th day of February, on his office calendar. It made her cry to see her name written in his handwriting on that calendar. That was the saddest birthday that Billie ever had. His daughter baked her a cake and that was the saddest tasting cake she ever ate. Everyone sitting at that table had tears dripping in their cake.

We think of Dad Dad very often. He was a man filled with Love, wisdom, intelligence, peace, integrity, humor and humility. Dad Dad lived his life by example.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

A quote by Libby:
"Mom has to be one of the strongest women that I have ever known! She won a battlewith advanced endometrial cancer in the spring of 2008. It was a miracle! Do not ask her what her age is, because she will not tell you. She is beautiful! If you call Mom's cell phone, you will hear the ring tone, Road House Blues by The Doors." - Libby Minton-Barrett (daughter).

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1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Psalm 95:1
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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My pets look deeply into my eyes to express Love, thankfulness and convey their contentment. They seek to provide companionship everywhere I go.

They are gifts from God that always want to be together. They look forward to cuddles, songs, and prayers that help them drift off into a sweet slumber.

Thank you, Lord, for our pets; precious living souls.

Do you embrace precious, God given moments?

Psalm 8:6-9
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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“Hobo Wilson ... a homeless friend, filled up with purpose.”

We met him on a springtime day and it changed my life forever.

The elderly homeless man just stood there in place, and really sized my daughter up with his eyes as she approached him. She had no idea what she was going to do or say but something inside of her heart told her to have this conversation.

She looked deeply into the elderly man's eyes, they were sky blue, watery, determined, and very serious. The elderly man just stared into her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "May I call you Doc?" She replied, "Yes, of course." She then asked him, "What is your name." He said, "Hobo." Her reply was, "I just cannot call you Hobo, what is your name?" He replied,"My name is Bob Wilson." She asked, "If you are going to call me Doc, may I call you Wilson?" He shouted, "certainly Doc!"

He was a veteran, and now a homeless man that traveled by train from town to town over decades. Wilson described how he would get on a train, not knowing exactly where it was going, and get off when the feeling struck him to do so. He had been doing this for decades. Although he was a homeless train traveler, Wilson traveled from town to town, in order to help homeless people find a home.

Wilson did not travel with anyone or have any roots whatsoever. He was as free as an eagle in our eyes. For a moment, we fantasized about his lifestyle ... no utility bills, mortgage, dinner to prepare or patients to see. In some sense, he seemed to have a better life than we had.

Next, my daughter took Wilson to the apartment complex that she co-owned with her business partner. Some of these apartments were fully furnished. She told him that he would be living there for free, as long as he wanted to, or for the rest of his life, and that it was his choice. Wilson suddenly burst out crying, and put his head in his hands. He cried so hard, and long, that she thought he must have a puddle of tears in his hands.

It was not long before Wilson gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! He became saved and changed his lifestyle completely.

About six months later, Wilson passed away. It was heart breaking! We found a piece of paper with a man’s name and phone number. It was Wilson's brother. His brother told us that he had not seen Wilson in decades. Wilson's brother was kind to us, and cried over the loss of his brother.

A few months later, we mailed Wilson's brother two books that we had written. One book was Blue Ridge Moments Volume 1, subtitled, "Your Life Is Only As Good As Your Connection With Jesus," and the second book was a children's book about Hobo Wilson called "Blue Ridge Tenderpups Meet Hobo Wilson Christmas Eve." Wilson's brother was so happy and could hardly believe that someone had written books about his brother. Springtime always makes us think of the day we met Wilson, and how he changed our lives. We truly believe that he helped us so much more than we ever helped him. Wilson is in Heaven now living in a mansion that the Lord prepared for him forever.

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**Blue Ridge Moments Volumes 1 and 2 are a labor of Love, and authored by my daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton.

BILLIE'S DEDICATION**

Blue Ridge Moments Volumes 1 and 2 are dedicated to the ONE and ONLY, Almighty God, and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save us all from our past, present and future sins, my parents, Philip F. and Evelyn Johnson Minton and my two Yorkie pups, Blue and Ridge. Some of my best moments in life are spent with Blue and Ridge, hence the title, “Blue Ridge Moments.” My Lord, parents and pups, truly inspire me!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FROM BILLIE

I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to God’s willing vessels; they helped bring Blue Ridge Moments to fruition.

Jessie Johnson Barrett, selflessly, contributed Love and countless hours of editing with me. She helped name the book’s subtitle and provided numerous photos which were all used in many stories.

Sincere thanks to the pulchritudinous, Aundrea Wilcox. She gave so much of her Love, time and expertise editing this book.

Photo resolution was not overlooked in this book, yet, a simple reminder that beauty and memories may fade. All photos utilized were embraced and appreciated “as is” and were untouched.

With paramount importance; thanks to my dear, Loving Mother, Evelyn Johnson Minton; my pups, Blue and Ridge; my family, friends and team members that provided deep Love and support throughout birthing “Blue Ridge Moments.”

Most of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and God, the Almighty Father and Creator of all things. The Lord’s Love, strength and guidance provided the meat for the bones of this book which He allowed me to share with others.

Our blessed team, invites you to enjoy the ministries within Blue Ridge Moments! Bye for now...

**To learn more about Dr. Billie J. Minton's ministries within her Blue Ridge Moment book series, please visit her author website at BlueRidgeMoments.com.

Dr. Billie J. Minton's Blue Ridge Moments books; Volume 1, subtitled, "Your Life Is Only As Good As Your Connection With Jesus," and Volume 2, subtitled, "Celebrating Footsteps of A God Dependent Life," and Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's book series may be found at Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton and BlueRidgeMoments.com.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
A Time for Everything

**There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to Love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Blue Ridge Tenderpups is a Christian children’s book series. Blue Ridge Tenderpups Love The Seasons**, is the second book of this series. In this book, Blue and Ridge share their seasonal pastimes, and excitement for summertime, spring, fall, and winter in this book.

It is also available as a coloring book option.

Follow the adventures of the Yorkie pups who live on the Holston River in the Smoky Mountains within the Blue Ridge Tenderpup series.

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Matthew 25:35
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."

Blue Ridge Tenderpups is a Christian children’s book series. Blue Ridge Tenderpups Meet Hobo Wilson Christmas Eve, is the first book of this series. Blue and Ridge become friends with a group of train travelers in this book.

It is also available as a coloring book option.

Follow the adventures of the Yorkie pups who live on the Holston River in the Smoky Mountains within the Blue Ridge Tenderpup series.

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**Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Matthew 25:35-45
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’**

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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**Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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**Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Proverbs 3:16
Long life is inter right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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Matthew 18:4
**Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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“THANK YOU, God, for our life experiences.”

My daughter, Billie, had a paper route when she was eight years old. Billie's Dad and I could hardly believe it when she told us that she had a paper route. Her Dad just put his face in his hands, and was probably thinking that it was too much responsibility for someone her age. It taught her so much about life, relationships, true responsibility and made her fall in Love with elderly people. Billie wanted to show her Dad and me, that she was filled with responsibility.

Billie kept her paper route until she was seventeen years old. All through those years, she used a wagon, bicycle, skateboard, and eventually her own car to deliver newspapers.

Billie's Dad and I would help her with the route, especially, on Wednesday and Sunday because the newspapers were so thick. Those were some of the best days of my life! I truly enjoyed watching my little daughter work hard, and learn about true responsibility.

Billie saved enough money from her paper route to buy a Schwinn Traveler III ten speed bicycle.She had the money in her savings account. Billie's Dad and I offered to buy the bicycle for her but she told us that she wanted to purchase it herself. She asked us to take her savings account book to the bank while she was at school, and buy the bicycle for her.

When she came home from school at 3:00pm, she went downstairs, and there was her brand new, shiny blue Schwinn Traveler III bicycle. We left the tags on the bicycle, and placed her savings account book over the gear shift. It was such a great feeling to know that she had worked so hard to pay for this bicycle herself!

As parents, we could not understand why Billie wanted a men’s bicycle that was so large. She told us there were two reasons for the type, and size of bicycle she bought. First of all, she did not want to ever outgrow something that expensive and beautiful. Secondly, she knew that if she ever wanted to sell the bicycle that it would have a greater value, and demand since it was a men’s bicycle. I must admit, Billie looked like a little cricket riding that bicycle! She liked it so much! Billie still has the Schwinn Traveler III bicycle, a Schwinn 5 speed bicycle that her oldest sister, Linda bought for her, and a Radio Flyer wagon! She still has all three of these paper route“vehicles!” They are all in fantastic condition and have been kept inside.

Being around so many different types of people on this paper route at such a young, and impressionable age has not ever left Billie. She shared a lot of joy, and tears each day on her route. There were people that passed away, and newborns on their way.

I thank God for allowing my daughter, Billie, to have the experience of delivering newspapers, learning about true responsibility, and bonding with the elderly.

Do you have a special childhood memory that you are thankful for?

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Do you recall the fossil prints of you childhood?
Matthew 18:3-5
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Matthew 25:35
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me."Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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John 20:16-18
Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Psalm 45:11
Let the King be enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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Proverbs 3:15
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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James 5:13-15
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

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**Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?**

**“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendorwas dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton**

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Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

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John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.Evelyn Minton and her daughter, Dr. Billie J. Minton are the authors of the Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's series. These books may be found at the author's website BlueRidgeMoments.com and Amazon.com/Author/drbillieminton

Evelyn's Words of Wisdom: Recent Episodes

Evelyn Minton and Dr. Billie J. Minton