WARNING! Sleep Talking Zone

Control Freak Part 4: Armor Up!

2011-12-21T19:40:00.012-06:00

This really gets me pumped up! Nothing says control more than preparing for war. Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us explicit details on how to be ready for combat. Don't kid yourself - there IS a war that happens on a daily basis and every believer in Christ needs to be not only aware of it, but ready to fight against it.

I'm only going to discuss verses 10-11 for right now because these verses are packed!

Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (NIV)

1. "be strong" (or "be empowered" in KJV) Greek - endunamoo' means I fill with power, strengthen, make strong; enable, increase in (to empower). I really like the English word-for-word translation of this, which is, "Henceforth, be empowered in [the] Lord, and in the strength of the might of him."

2. "put on" Greek - enduo means I put on, clothe, array. It is from en and duno (in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively).

I visualize here "sinking into a garment" so that it feels so naturally fitted that it becomes a part of me.

3. "full armor" (or "complete armor" in KJV) Greek - panoplia means complete armor, panoply - properly means a complete set of defensive and offensive armor (weapons), i.e. everything needed to wage successful warfare; (figuratively) the full resources the Lord gives to the believer so they can successfully wage spiritual warfare. In this way they do not fight for victory - but from His victory!

Now that is so exciting to me! God does not leave me defenseless. He IS my defense!

(chasing a rabbit here. We have a annually an art festival called Panoply of the Arts. I find that title even more strange now that I know panoply means armor). Anyway...

...now on to the rest...

4a. "so that" the English word-for-word translation is "for, *to be able (see below)". The Greek word for "for" is pros. I almost didn't even look at this word because it is a preposition and I honestly didn't think it would have much of a definition. Boy, was I wrong! Pros means to, towards, with - properly a motion towards, to "interface with" (literally moving toward a goal or destination). It indicates "extension toward a goal, with implied interaction or reciprocity, with "presumed contact and reaction", naturally suggests the cycle of initiation and response.

While reading that definition I could not help but picture a battle. I could hear the clanging of swords and feel the air being cut with the swinging of blades. I pictured myself moving forward, making headway with the power of God enabling me to press on! WHEW! It's tiring, yet exhilarating!

4b. "so that", "to be able" (I'm breaking this up into two parts because it is how I understand it) The Greek for this part is dunamai. It means, I am powerful, am able, have (the) power; I am able, I can, to show ability; able (enabled by God), empowered.

5. "take your stand" Greek - histe'mi I cause to stand, I make to stand, place, set up, establish, appoint.

6. "schemes" (or "wiles" in KJV) Greek - methodeia (from where we get our English word "method"). The definition is simply scheming, craftiness, deceit, trickery (also means lie in wait).

Satan is waging war against the saints of God, there is no doubt about it. And even though we are often referred to as sheep, we are by no means helpless. That is, as long as we put on our full armor and take our stand!! The battle we are in is not a typical battle. This battle is for our mind. Satan schemes to deceive us into choosing our own way instead of God's way. He is out to have us question the sincerity of God, put doubts in our minds and sway us to disbelief.

I will later discuss verses 12-18, which describe our armor piece by piece. I urge you to read and study this passage thoroughly for yourself, even if you have done so before. It might be time for you to read it over again. Put a new shine on your armor! We want it to reflect the light so much so that our enemy is blinded even before he gets near enough to take a swing!

Control Freak Part 3: See to it

2011-12-10T09:49:00.016-06:00

This morning I was reading in Hebrews chapter 12, and verses 25-29 really stood out to me:

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

The words "see to it" (or "take heed" in the KJV) mean I look, see, perceive, discern; to see, be observant (watchful). It suggests "to see something physical with spiritual results (perception)." That is, it carries what is seen into the non-physical (immaterial) realm so a person can take the needed action (respond, beware, be alert).

The word "refuse" means, I make excuse, refuse, reject, I beg off, deprecate, decline, shun, avoid, have nothing to do with.

The words "turn away" mean I turn away, pervert, remove; i.e. depart (separate) from the previous point; incites rebellion

The writer of Hebrews is making it painfully clear that those who are children of God are to make certain (see to it) that we obey Him when He speaks to us! Again, let me remind you that this is something we choose to do or not. God is not going to force us to obey. He will discipline us, as any loving father would do (read Hebrews 12:6-8), but ultimately our decisions are ours. We will always, without fail, live with the consequences of our decisions, however. So it is extremely important to obey God's voice if we want to live a life of peace (inner peace) and rest (spiritual rest). I differentiate peace as "inner peace" and rest as "spiritual rest" because we are not promised life here on earth to be easy breezy.

While reading these verses, I was reminded of times in my past when I refused to listen to God, making excuse after excuse. Those were without fail the times when I struggled the most. I wish I could say that I quickly learned my lesson, but that wasn't the case. I still wrestle with doing things my way. Although, I do think that I'm much closer to "getting it" than I have ever been. The only way I will truly and fully understand what pleases God, is to be in the Word on a consistent basis, and to be in prayer continually. Prayer is probably THE biggest thing that God is teaching me right now. I will try to talk more about it in the future.

I also want to point out how we are to "worship God with reverence and fear". This is something else that God is helping me to better understand. I used to think that worship was merely singing songs about God to God. That is simply too simple! My LIFE is to be a life of worship. In other words, everything I say and do should be perceived by God as a deliberate act of worship of Him (see Romans 12). You know, I think this subject deserves a post of it's own!

Control Freak Part 2: Letting Go

2011-12-02T05:58:00.014-06:00

For a control freak like myself, the thought of letting go of anything is a bit unnerving. However, God has instructed His children to do just that. In Psalm 46:10a it says, "Be still and know that I am God". Or, as the New American Standard Bible puts it, "Cease, and know that I am God".

The Hebrew word for cease is raphah. It means sink, relax. The Hebrew word for know is yada, which means acknowledge, acquainted with, advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware (bold mine).

After reading a few commentaries on this passage, I decided that there was no way I could better explain it, so here is what the Barnes' Notes on the Bible has to say (again I will bold the words that stand out to me, which is pretty much the entire commentary):

Be still - The word used here - from רפה râphâh - means properly to cast down; to let fall; to let hang down; then, to be relaxed, slackened, especially the hands: It is also employed in the sense of not making an effort; not putting forth exertion; and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God, or of being without anxiety about the issue. Compare Exodus 14:13 , "Stand still, and see the salvation of God." In this place the word seems to be used as meaning that there was to be no anxiety; that there was to be a calm, confiding, trustful state of mind in view of the displays of the divine presence and power. The mind was to be calm, in view of the fact that God had interposed, and had shown that he was able to defend his people when surrounded by dangers. If this the divine interposition when Jerusalem was threatened by the armies of the Assyrians under Sennacherib, the force and beauty of the expression will be most clearly seen.

And know that I am God - See, in what I have done, the evidence that I am God. See a work accomplished which none "but" God could effect. Compare Isaiah 37:36.

Now, I do not speak for all control freaks (I don't think they would appreciate that anyway), but personally I do occasionally appreciate it when someone else wants to take over and handle things. It is typically after I have tried everything I know to do and am failing miserably, so this verse is especially applicable to me. Although, I am learning to cease on a more consistent basis and let God be in control in the first place. There's the thing - I let God be in control. You see, He is not going to force me to do anything. Even though He knows that HE KNOWS better and can work things out for me far above what I ever imagined, He is not going to force His will on me, or anyone, for that matter. The God of the universe wants me to WANT HIM, and He, being the eternal God that He is, waits patiently for me to figure that out.

Here is Psalm 46 in its entirety (click on the link and listen):

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Control Freak Part 1

2011-11-23T08:33:00.011-06:00

Off and on throughout the years of my Christian walk, I have often wondered what it is that God wants me to do. You see, I'm a bit of a control freak. I like being in control. There - I admit it! The term "control freak" is generally considered a derogatory term. However, I have asked God to help me turn this around in my life in such a way that it is actually a positive thing. God is faithful, and He is continually showing me ways to do just that. I will be sharing these ways in a series of posts. I hope you will be encouraged and empowered as you see how God reveals to us how to be in control!

Let me begin the series with Hebrews 3:1

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (NIV)

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, (ESV)

Notice that the NIV uses "fix your thoughts on Jesus", and the ESV uses "consider Jesus". I did a word search on the term "consider" (because it is also what the KJV uses, and most word studies use the KJV). Here is what I learned:

The Greek word for "consider" is katanoeo. This comes from two other Greek words: katah, which denotes intensity, and noieo, which means to exercise the mind; to think from up to down, to a conclusion. The full definition of katanoeo means to observe fully: - behold, consider, discover, perceive. (source: http://www.e-sword.net/)

I then looked up the definitions to behold, consider, discover and perceive, and it gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the Greek definition of katanoeo.

behold - to perceive by the visual faculty; see. To perceive through use of the mental faculty; comprehend.
consider - to think about carefully... to look at thoughtfully.
discover - to notice or learn, especially by making an effort.
perceive - to become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing. To achieve understanding of, apprehend.

(source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/)

So, in order to be in control, I need to perceive through my mental faculty, think about carefully, especially by making an effort to achieve understanding of Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us that we (believers in Christ) have the mind of Christ. This passage in Hebrews has a lot of meaning to me in that it encourages me (and all followers of Christ) to use our brains! We are not mindless robots, but we are "holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling", and we are to "fix our thoughts on Jesus". Controlling our minds is vital to a victorious spiritual life. There are multiple Scriptures that point to this truth, however, I will stop here for now.

So, my fellow control freaks, take heart! We are called to be in control - of our minds. Consider Jesus today, all day, and in the days to come.

Why does lettuce remind me of the Body of Christ?

2011-11-03T19:50:00.007-05:00

Lettuce*
Lettuce "bolting"*

Lettuce going to seed*
Lettuce seed*

The above pictures show you what lettuce looks like when it is allowed to bolt and go to seed. I don't know if you can tell, but in the third photo the plant has many branches that are holding multiple flowers containing several seeds.

The other day I was outside working with some of the branches that I had cut off earlier this year. I was shaking out the branches to let the seeds fall out. I started thinking about how awesome it is that one plant produces so many seeds. Then it occurred to me that the Body of Christ is similar. We are ONE body with MANY members, just as the lettuce plant is ONE plant with MANY seeds. One plant has multiple stems branching out in different directions, all containing seeds. The Body of Christ has members branching out in different directions and hopefully not only containing the seed of the Gospel, but actually spreading that seed. Now, some of the seeds will fall onto good soil and grow into their own strong, healthy plant ready to produce more seed, and some seeds will, unfortunately, fall onto poor soil never to be seen from again. We can't always tell whether or not the soil is good, so we just need to go ahead and spread that seed anyway.

I don't know from year to year whether or not the seeds I plant in my garden will produce a bountiful harvest for my family, but it doesn't keep me from planting. Of course after planting, it's vital that I watch over the garden and tend to it so that it will flourish. I have to be diligent in keeping the pests away. I have to feed it with additional fertilizers (compost) so that it will grow strong and healthy. I have to pull out the weeds that want to take over and choke out the good stuff. I also have to water it faithfully and make sure it gets plenty of sun.

The spiritual analogies that I see simply from having a garden continually bless me! God is so good in His provision and His creation is beyond awesome. I only pray that I will take the things He shows me and put them into action. He has definitely been working on me in that area. It's not enough to be aware of God's truth, it must be acted upon!

*not my photos

hypocrisy drives me nuts

2011-10-11T08:37:00.006-05:00

I can no longer sit here and listen to protests against Wall Street, Banks, and the rich in general. Many celebrities and leaders in Washington who are supporting the "Occupy Wall Street" and other protests across the nation ARE the rich! It is preposterous to me for them to speak out against themselves. Why are so many average Americans buying into this insanity?! How can you in one breath say that the stock market and banks are evil and then with another breath tell your broker to buy more shares of GE? The hypocrisy is driving me crazy! I can NOT stand double standards, especially one as huge as this one. OWS is NOT the same as the Tea Party. OWS protesters want to destroy America's economic system while the Tea Party wants to build it back up. There is simply no comparison.

Just in case you would like to know how much our leaders in Washington are "worth" and how much some celebrities are "worth", here are just a few links that I came across rather quickly. Of course, I'm assuming the information is accurate, but I suppose the only way to be certain would be to see the actual financial statements of each person. Oh, and I find it a bit too convenient that the push for higher taxes is focusing on those who have more than 100 million dollars. (By the way, I only listed Democratic leaders because they are the "rich should pay their fare share" bandwagon)

Washington:

Barack Obama has an estimated net worth of $10.5 million dollars.

Harry Reid has a net worth of $5 million

Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of $35.2 million

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jul2003/sen-j07.shtml

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/06/16/2011-06-16_house_minority_leader_nancy_pelosis_wealth_grows_62_to_352m_boehner_reids_worth_.html

http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/10/obama-attacks-banks-while-raking-in-wall-street-dough/

Celebrities:

Susan Sarandon has a net worth of $50 million.

Michael Moore has a net worth of $50 million.

Harry Belafonte has a net worth of $28 million.

Matt Damon $65 million

George Clooney has a net worth of $160 million

Danny Glover has a net worth of $15 million

http://www.celebritynetworth.com

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/03/celebs-support-wall-street-protestors/

http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-wall-street-celebrities-2011-10?op=1

http://michellemalkin.com/2011/10/05/celebs-wall-street-protesters/

My head is about to explode!

180

2011-09-27T07:37:00.002-05:00

The Backside of Sin & How the Bible is Like a Cucumber Plant

2011-07-01T12:17:00.010-05:00

The main reason I'm thankful God gave me a desire to plant a garden is because of the several different spiritual truths He has shown me through the process of preparing, harvesting and maintaining it. God has also blessed us with a blackberry bush that grows wild in our backyard. We discovered it just three years ago. We have been living in this same location for 17 years, so the recent discovery was quite the surprise!

While picking blackberries earlier today, God showed me another awesome spiritual analogy that I would like to share. When you look at a blackberry bush you see beautiful green leaves surrounding the fruit. The leaves are quite attractive and appear harmless. However, once you reach in to grab hold of the fruit, you realize that on the back side of these leaves there are several thorns! If one gets attached to your hand and/or arm, you know it! These tiny little thorns hurt a great deal. Sometimes they break off and stick into your skin causing it to swell up and redden. So as I was precariously picking berries today I realized how the leaves can represent sin. Sin always look so attractive to us. It's only after we dive in do we realize there are always thorns on the back side that dig in and give us pain.

Now for the cucumber plant analogy. I'm trying my hand at pickling this year, so I need to daily check the cucumber plants for small cucumbers (about 4" in size in case you're wondering). After glancing through the vines and spotting a few cucumbers, I always go back for a second, more thorough look. You see, the cucumbers blend in with the vines (especially when they are small), so I don't always see everything that is there right away. As I was gently picking up the vines and lifting the leaves in order to find more cucumbers, I thought of how it is with the Bible. Many times I will look through familiar passages thinking there is nothing left to "see". However, when I take the time to look deeper and more thoroughly, I always find something new!

God is amazing, isn't He? His creation is not only for our benefit in that it provides physical nutrients; if we really think about things - that is, meditate on Him - we will be delighted to find that He also provides spiritual nutrition to us through His creation as well!

The Ripple Effect

2011-03-15T16:38:00.012-05:00

It pains me beyond description that I feel the need to even address the issue of sin. However, since it has been a problem since the beginning of time, it's silly of me, actually, to be so alarmed when I see it happening, even within the church body. What I don't get is this mind-set that so many of us have that our sins are simply our sins. This is a huge deception!

When I sin, I hurt God, I hurt myself, but it goes beyond even that - WAY BEYOND! There have been times in my past when I deliberately disobeyed God and the repercussions significantly damaged others besides myself. Friends, family, the name of Christ - all hurt because of decisions made based on selfish desires.

An illustration could be tossing a pebble into a pond. You see the initial plunge and then... the ripples, which start at the center, but then continue to go outward in all directions. Now I know that was a very elementary explanation. Sadly, we all need simple reminders. We are not alone in this world. Our decisions go way beyond us. There are multitudes of people who will feel the effects of our day-t0-day decisions and choices.

Exodus 20:4-7
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

When we choose to sin, we are choosing to bring pain not only into our lives, but into many innocent bystanders (for lack of a better word). We are essentially saying that OUR wants are more important than anything or anyone else.

Thankfully, mercifully, there is always an opportunity for redemption! Jesus tells us over and over again that if we will confess our sins and repent (turn away from), we will be forgiven. However, we need to remember that the repercussions don't magically vanish; we will most likely still suffer the consequences. But we can rest in the assurance that God can and will grow us, even improve us - if we are willing to surrender.

Talking Things Through

2011-01-23T13:46:00.018-06:00

It's difficult to know how much to "talk through" on such a public space as a blog. Especially when it concerns the body of Christ. I would never want to say or do anything that hurts the body of Christ. It's just that what I've been seeing lately bothers me a great deal.

There are believers who are content to continue in the traditional way of things; meaning that they are happy to keep on doing things because it's "always been done that way" or that's the way they were taught and so on. I can understand that mentality to a certain extent. I mean, honestly, it's just easier to do things that way or believe like that. Change requires work and inner reflection. Most of us, myself included, don't really like change. However, our relationship with Jesus Christ needs to be one that is constantly changing - for the better.

When we were born physically, we were small and defenseless. We had no other choice but to depend on the knowledge and skills of those in charge of our care. However, the older we got, we were expected to take on more and more responsibilities for our own care. It's the same thing with our spiritual lives. God doesn't want us to remain in infancy. We are to gradually take responsibility for our own personal growth and begin reaching out to others who are young in the faith and help nurture them into spiritual adulthood. This is a challenging thing to do when so many people who should be spiritual mentors, still require mentors themselves, and see no problem with that.

Doing things because they've "always been done that way" might be the easy thing to do, but is it the Biblical thing to do? If we're not even willing to look to Scripture for the answer to that, then our growth will be stunted.

I mentioned that spiritual change and growth requires work and inner reflection. Inner reflection, I think, is too threatening to most. Those of us who have received Christ as our Lord and Savior, although redeemed, are not completely sanctified at the moment of our spiritual birth. Sanctification is something we have to move toward. In Psalm 139:23, the psalmist says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts". We need to look inside our hearts and ask God to do the same. We need to be willing to recognize any sin that might be lingering there. If we're not willing to do that, our growth will be stunted.

There are other things going through my mind that I am not yet able to put into words. I will try, however, to talk through the mumbled mess in my head. The term "body" that Paul uses so often to describe believers in Christ continues to stand out to me.

There is something about pain in our physical bodies that we do not like, but it is a necessity. If we don't feel pain, we won't know there is potentially a problem. However, if we do feel pain but constantly take pain killers to numb the pain, we might be ignoring THE symptom that our body is trying to get us to notice that there IS a problem (I know I probably could have worded that better, but that is the best I have right now). I believe Paul said that if one member of the body is hurting, then the entire body will hurt. Well, I am a member of the body of Christ, and I'm hurting. I feel more like an artificial limb than an actual body part. That might not be the best description, because it's not that I don't feel like a legitimate member of Christ's body, I know without a doubt that I am. Like I said, I'm not quite able to put my thoughts into words right now. I'm still talking things through.

How much is enough?

2011-01-04T20:25:00.013-06:00

LOTS on my mind these days. A few days ago I completed a Bible study called "Living Like You Belong to God", a Precept Ministries study. There were some hard things for me to swallow in this one. Overall it's a study on how we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are to be holy. The things I am trying to sort out are: 1) concerning the foods we eat, and 2) recognizing/respecting government authority. There was more to the study, but these two issues are the ones I don't feel I have completely or accurately embraced. I'm not even sure how to fully explain my thought process on these issues - I am that torn. I trust the Holy Spirit to reveal to me at the proper time exactly what He wants me to understand WHEN He wants me to understand it. My salvation is secure regardless of whether or not I choose to continue to eat pork, however, I sincerely want to be holy for God is holy.

As far as government authority is concerned, I am torn in how far my respect for my leaders is expected to go. I mean there are not very many political leaders worthy of respect these days. The decisions being made supposedly on our behalf go against my principles! Is it wrong for me to desire and even demand that the people I vote for stand up for what is right? Is it wrong for me to stand up for what is right? I honestly don't know how much is enough.

To add to those thoughts concerning government participation, are the concerns I have regarding the stability of our nation and even the globe. It appears that this supposed "New World Order" is closer than ever before. George Soros is a man who is promoting this agenda more and more. There are university professors and community organizers encouraging "revolution", even specifying "striking", "blocking streets", "closing down schools", etc. There are even radical ideas concerning "population reduction", which I believe goes beyond the abhorrent Planned Parenthood.

So why do these things concern me? The dilemma, in my mind, is how much involvement is enough? It seems to be that all of these things are happening because we are in the end times. So I wonder if I am just to sit back and watch it all happen, or am I supposed to step up and speak up? Anyone following me? Like I said, my thoughts go around and around so much on these issues that I get frustrated.

To those close to me, you know how passionate I am about being informed, being educated, being aware of what's going on. BUT IS THAT ENOUGH?!

White Christmas in the South

2010-12-25T20:35:00.004-06:00

We woke up to a white Christmas! I've lived in the south all my life, and I don't recall this ever happening here. I'm not a big fan of snow, but I must admit that waking up on Christmas morning to inches of snow was really neat. My kids thoroughly enjoyed playing in it and building a snowman. The dog didn't seem to appreciate it too much, though.

As I was thinking about this small "miracle", I couldn't help but thank God for it and ask Him to let the snow be a sign of larger miracles that I know others are in need of. Physical healing, restored marriages, jobs/financial security, just to name a few. God is still a God of miracles. Christmas is, in fact, a celebration of the greatest miracle of all - the birth of our Savior. Waking up to snow was, to me, a beautiful reminder that God continues to extend His love toward us in a variety of ways.

YES! We Can!

2010-10-21T07:25:00.014-05:00

A very good discussion was started on facebook the other day, and I wanted to give a more detailed explanation of what I believe. The question was, "Is it possible for a person to life life being sin-free? Or maybe a portion of life?". Several comments were made, with the majority feeling that it is NOT possible for us to live sin-free. There were also a few that leaned toward where I stand, that, "YES! We can!" (no, I'm not on the Obama band wagon, I just borrowed the phrase). Since this is such an awesome question that my friend asked, I am delighted to share what God has been and presently is showing me concerning how I live daily. In fact, I'm very eager to share what I stand FOR, since all too often I've been sharing what I stand against. So, let me get to it:

1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB) says, "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." I believe that if Paul thought that we were, even as FORGIVEN believers in Christ, going to continue to sin because that's how it is, then he would not waste his breath telling us to "discipline" ourselves "for the purpose of godliness".

Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB) says, "I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets it's desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another." Again, why would Paul tell us to do something that is impossible? The exhortation to "walk by the Spirit" seems pretty clear to me. Now, is it easy? No. Possible? YES!

When a person receives Christ into their heart, he/she becomes a "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). Our daily battles are "not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12), which means that we absolutely MUST not "conform any longer to the pattern of the 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." (Romans 12:2)

Christ lived a perfect life. Believers in Christ are IN CHRIST. It IS possible for us to live as He did. God tells us to "be holy because I am holy" (I Peter 1:15). God is not going to tell us to do something that He will not enable us to do.

Before I go any further, I just want to make sure that I'm being clear. I'm not saying that once we are saved we are perfect. I'm saying (what I believe the BIBLE to say) that we don't have to sin any longer! According to Romans 6, we have been set free from the slavery of sin. Did you see that? We have been, it's ALREADY DONE! Now, it's our job to believe what God says about who WE ARE. We are saints of God. The word saint means, "most holy". Have you heard the quote, "I think, therefore I am"? Well, I am learning that to be exactly what happens. If we continue to tell ourselves and think that we are only "sinners saved by grace", then we will continue to sin. However, if we believe what God's word says, that we are "saints", then we will more likely live like it! Our spiritual walk solely depends on what our mind-set is. We are told over and over to "live in the Spirit", to "set our minds" on things above, etc. In Romans 8:4-6 we are told, "in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace". Did you notice how a person lives? We live according to how we have our minds set. It's a spiritual battle and it takes place in our minds. We CAN live a sinless life. My Savior did not die for me to live an almost sinless life! He lived so that I may live. So that I might have life more abundantly (John 10:10)!

Let me close with Ephesians 4:22-24:

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

YES! We CAN!

an unpopular position

2010-10-18T19:37:00.006-05:00

Let me start by admitting that my family has participated in past events that we now regret. I'm referring to Halloween. Although my kids have never technically done the "trick or treat" thing, our local church body has always provided some sort of "alternative" that we have participated in. In the earlier years it was a skating party where the church rented a local rink so that it was only our people who attended. The kids dressed up in a "nice" costumes. There was always a costume contest and of course the insane amount of candy to take home. Then a few years this changed into a "trunk or treat" event where the church members decorate their car trunks or truck beds in some sort of theme, and again the kids (and adults) dressed up. However, with this type of event it was opened up to the community with the hopes that it would be an "outreach" to them; you know, an opportunity to share Christ and our faith. A contest was held for the best in show, if you will. With the event being open, however, there is no control over the costumes. This means, of course, that anybody can show up with, say, an ax appearing to be slicing through their skull, or girls coming scantily dressed up as Elvira, etc.

I will say that throughout the years of participating in these events, I felt deep down that it was wrong. I just didn't want to "deprive my children of the fun", and calling it an "alternative" somehow eased the guilt - a little. But now that I have "grown up" (are you tired of my quotation marks yet?), I realize how wrong my husband and I have been in allowing this to go on. We've talked to our kids about it and ironically they both say that they've never really enjoyed it, either! What a shame! We've been sell-outs for no reason whatsoever!

Now I know, trust me, I KNOW that most people don't see the harm in Halloween. This is only because they (used to be WE) don't want to see the harm. As my husband said, all you have to do is look at the movies that come out every year to see how wicked Halloween is. Last year we decided to not watch TV during the month of October because of the commercials that come on (even on the "child-friendly" channels) advertising horror movies and such.

I have researched the origins of Halloween more thoroughly, and while I could share with you the information that I came across, I'm not going to. After all, you can google it for yourself if you are so inclined. Again, I'll agree with my husband that all you have to do is look around you. What is glorified during this time of year? Death. Fear.

Of course there are also multiple Scriptures I could share with you, but again, I'll leave that up to the one who really wants to know. If for some reason you don't have access to the Bible and you sincerely want to know, ask me and I'll be glad to provide those resources.

Another unpopular view - and this one is going to probably hurt the most - is concerning Christmas. I will be upfront and tell you that I deliberately have NOT looked into everything that coincides with this holiday simply because I don't know if I have enough fight in me! (I know as I type this that I will eventually research more fully our Christmas traditions and their origin. I just don't like to remain ignorant of things if I can help it). What do I mean? Well, I'm pretty sure that most of our symbols (ie, the tree, wreath, lights, etc.) are from pagan rituals, and if that is true, then I will not want to have any part of it. And of course, good ole St. Nick is near and dear to almost everyone's heart. Some of my closest friends practice the Santa tradition, and they know where I stand, yet by the grace of God we still remain close friends!

So those are just a couple of the unpopular positions that I take along with a lot of flack, I might add! However, I won't be answering to any man for my decisions; I'll be facing my Almighty God, and I desperately desire for Him to be pleased and Jesus Christ glorified.

Where do you stand?

Christian Fraternities

2010-09-30T07:28:00.004-05:00

As I was checking my facebook page this morning, I came across a video snippet of a man sharing his testimony of how/when he became a follower of Christ. I got slightly distracted, however, when he mentioned that he had attended a Christian college and joined a fraternity. I thought, "What?! Fraternities at Christian colleges?!" That doesn't make sense to me. According to Webster, a fraternity is "a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest or pleasure". Isn't being a Christian all the "brotherhood" one needs? Why model something the world does? Aren't we to be in the world but not OF the world (John 17)? Correct me if I'm wrong, or tell me to chill out if I'm making too big a deal out of this, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.

Regardless of my opinion, evidently God used this situation to draw the man to Him, as well as others in the fraternity.

personality trait or sin?

2010-08-08T14:06:00.011-05:00

Yesterday I was reading through the local newspaper when a particular article caught my eye. It was a little write-up about the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that a local performing arts club has been putting on. Since this is my favorite musical of all, my attention was immediately captured.

The article was written by a couple of clinical psychologists. They entitled it, "Pain can turn around bad traits". The authors attempt to explain the events of Joseph of the Bible, which is what the musical is based on. As I was reading, I became quickly perturbed by their take on things. In the second paragraph the authors write, "What are referred to spiritually as 'seven deadly sins' are psychologically referred to as pathological personality traits". Throughout the article they continue to counter "sin" or "sins" with pathological personality trait(s). Following is the definition of pathological:

path·o·log·i·cal/ˌpaTHəˈläjikəl/Adjective

1. Of or relating to pathology.

2. Involving, caused by, or of the nature of a physical or mental disease.

If this is truly how the world views sin, and I've no doubt whatsoever it does, then no wonder the majority of the world continues to live hopelessly enslaved. You see, if things such as pride, envy, greed, gossip, hatred, bitterness, etc. are simply personality traits, then there isn't a whole lot that one can do to overcome them, now is there?! However, if we come to realize that those things are indeed sin and believe what the Bible says about sin, then we can also believe that Christ died for our sins and once we are saved we no longer HAVE to sin!

Personally, even though it's not easy to admit when I've sinned, I would MUCH rather acknowledge and admit my sin and know that I CAN CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN compared to a "pathological personality trait", which according to it's definition is a disease!

I'm shaking my head in disbelief as I write this. I guess I just don't understand the world's view and I must admit I'm glad that I don't.

I've posted a video to my favorite song from my favorite musical! I wasn't able to go see the local performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat because of budget and scheduling conflicts, which was a big disappointment to me. However, thanks to youtube, I can watch clips of it at my convenience.

The reason this song is my favorite one is because it portrays Joseph at his lowest point but he still has hope. Hope that can only come from a living, faithful God! Enjoy!

My Passions

2010-07-11T16:44:00.018-05:00

There are many things in my life about which I would characterize myself as being passionate. The main categories would be:

My Faith
My Family
My Country

Concerning my faith: God has been and continues to be my Rock, my Fortress and a very present help in time of trouble. However, He is so much more than that! God has become my dearest friend. He is my mentor, my counselor and the shoulder upon which I often cry. He loves me, disciplines me, comforts me, exhorts me, sustains me. His Word means more to me today than it ever has before! It is for freedom that Christ has set me free (Galatians 5:1)! Daily He reminds me of how IN CHRIST I am no longer a slave to sin! I consider myself passionate about my faith! (read Colossians)

Concerning my family: Honestly I don't even know where to begin to explain how passionate I am about my family. Not only my husband and children, but my aunts, uncles, cousins and those dear friends whom I consider to be part of my blood-line. Because of my passion for my family I have begun a genealogical search so we can remember our roots. I home-school my children (Dwight's children, too, by the way!). I garden to provide fresh food and help with the finances. Also, I've recently begun to learn how to can/preserve the food we grow AND I've started a stockpile of sorts for "just in case" situations. I am passionate about my family!

Concerning my country: Well, these days so much seems to be going wrong with it that makes me want to weep. Daily I read the headlines and daily I am crushed. I scarcely recognize America as the UNITED States. It seems we are being torn apart piece by piece. This makes me want to know more about how America was started. WHY people risked their lives to come here in the first place, and WHY so many people today are content with being clueless about our past, present and future! I just don't understand how a person can be happy NOT knowing the answers! I am passionate about my country!

The above things are what I am passionate FOR. Below are the things I'm passionately opposed to:

Ignorance
Foul language
Complacency

Concerning ignorance: It agitates me. Not only ignorance concerning our country's heritage, but ignorance period. There is absolutely NO excuse for a person to be ignorant! The world is full of information just waiting to be absorbed. The main thing is to be sure that when you search, you search for TRUTH. The main truth that a person should seek is the truth about God. The Bible is clear in that every person knows within their innermost being that God exists! (read Romans 1) There is no excuse. (please don't think that I feel I know it all. That would be silly. I am simply passionate about being informed)

Concerning foul language: I see no reason to use curse words, except for the occasional stubbed toe situation. Even then, one could still find an expletive that isn't vulgar. My personal favorite is "JIMINY CRICKET".

Concerning complacency: I've been guilty of this to know that it's a sad place to be. My definition of being complacent is simply giving up. According to thefreedictionary.com, however, it's defined as "A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy." A lot of people simply don't want to know what's going on in the world. Even if they do know what's going on, they don't care - as long as it doesn't directly affect them. The place this most concerns me is within the body of Christ. Again, let me say that this is an area in which I HAVE BEEN GUILTY in the past, so I am not pointing fingers are passing judgment. I just know what it looks like, and it ain't purty! Christians need to "wake up from your slumber" (Romans 13) and be passionate for their faith in CHRIST!

So now on to the minor things about which I'm passionate:

chocolate
coffee
quiet time
reading

If there is ever a day I can include all of the above - SWEET!

Now, how about you?

unknown

2010-06-23T09:36:00.005-05:00

Have you ever been burdened with something, but you don't know exactly what? I'm not talking about the type of burden where you have too much on you all at once, but more like an uneasy feeling. That's how I've been for a couple of weeks. There have been several times when I could just literally stop and weep for no apparent reason.

There is nothing going on in my own personal life that would make me feel this way. What I mean is, we are not going through any sort of crisis - praise God! I am personally growing closer to the Lord daily, so it's not a dry, wandering-through-the-wilderness type of feeling. I just don't know what "it" is.

If you've ever gone through a period like this, I'd like to hear about it. Scripture is encouraged!

great quote

2010-05-15T09:46:00.019-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I am an avid reader. If a person could earn a college degree simply from reading great quantities of books, then I would have several degrees under my belt by now, but sadly, no degrees adorn my walls.

Currently I am reading approximately three different books (I always swore I wouldn't do that). The one I'll be sharing the quote from is The Core of Christianity, Rediscovering Authentic Unity and Personal Wholeness in Christ by Neil T. Anderson. I have read multiple books written by Dr. Anderson. I have heard him speak at a Freedom in Christ conference and I have personally spoken with him. He is an amazing, humble, gifted person and exhorts people to seek the truth.

The passage from the book that I want to share with you is this,

"You can't focus on what is wrong for too long. It will have a negative effect on your life. We shouldn't be known for what we don't believe, rather for what we do believe. Growing Christians are proclaimers, not disclaimers. Commit yourself to know the truth and that will expose the lies. Just knowing the lies by itself does not reveal the truth."

I love that! I have to admit that sometimes I tend to focus on the negative way too much. I think it's because I see everything pretty much as simply BLACK or WHITE, RIGHT or WRONG. This was a gentle reminder for me to take a step back and remember that I personally need to SEEK THE TRUTH, which is the Word of God, because simply knowing the lie is not enough.

Psalm 25:4-5 says,

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."

Psalm 26:2-4 says, "Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites."

Proverbs 23:23 says, "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."

John 6:46-48 says, "No one has seen the Father except the One Who is from God; only He has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life, I (Jesus) am the Bread of Life."

John 8:32 says, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

what will be your epitaph?

2010-05-04T09:36:00.006-05:00

This past Sunday we had a special speaker, Dr. Jerry Spencer, deliver a message during our church service. His message was based on 2 Chronicles 20. In this passage it speaks of King Jehoshaphat and his response to the bad news of a large army headed his way. Jehoshaphat did not run around ringing his hands with worry and fear, nor did he automatically command his army to go meet the enemy head-on. Instead, he called ALL of the people together and inquired of the LORD. One of my favorite parts of this passage is where he readily admits to God, "O our God... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (verse 12) How many times are you faced with a situation and you just don't know to do? I'm facing one now. It's good to know we're not alone, isn't it? Anyway, that's not the point of my post today.

This morning I re-read 2 Chronicles 20. Actually I started in chapter 19 and read through to chapter 21. There is a stark contrast which is what I wanted to focus on today. I've already mentioned that King Jehoshaphat, facing a dangerous and alarming situation, called his people together to inquire of God. Verse 13 of chapter 20 says, "All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD." I meditated on that verse for a bit. ALL of the men WITH their wives, CHILDREN AND LITTLE ONES stood there before the LORD. Oh, the things that could be accomplished for the kingdom of God if only ALL of us TOGETHER stood before the LORD! God was faithful to give Jehoshaphat and the people an answer, (vs 14-17) "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel... as he stood in the assembly" (one quick observation about this verse - the answer came as he stood in the assembly), "He said, 'Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'" The rest of the passage goes on to give details as to what the people should do. Surprisingly, they weren't told to take up arms and prepare for battle. God had already told them that the battle was not theirs, but His, so what He wanted them to do was to, "... stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." So "Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD."

Now, the title of my post is "What will be your epitaph". Let me get to that point. God took care of the armies that were advancing toward His people while King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were worshiping Him with praise songs (vs. 18-28). Because Jehoshaphat was willing to humble himself and pray, the Israelites were protected and defended by God Himself! It is said of Jehoshaphat in chapter 20 verse 32, "he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD." In contrast to Jehoshaphat is his son, Jehoram. After the death of Jehoshaphat, the eldest son, Jehoram, was crowned king of Judah. He was not like his father. He did not inquire of the LORD. He had his brothers killed. He had high places built (high places were alters to false gods) and he caused the people of Jerusalem to worship these false gods (2 Chronicles 21). Jehoram got an interesting letter in the mail one day. It was from the prophet Elijah and it informed Jehoram that God was not pleased with him and because of his sinful, rebellious ways, God was going to inflict him with a deadly disease of the bowels. Jehoram died in great pain and in verse 20 of chapter 21 it says, "He passed away, to no one's regret..." So here is the contrast that really struck me this morning. Do I want my epitaph to be, "She did what was right in the eyes of the LORD", or "She passed away, to no one's regret"? I think we all know the answer.

Brothers and sisters, let me encourage you to daily stand before the LORD and wait for His answer to your questions. Let's be willing to stand before Him, sing His praises and worship Him while He fights our battles. We cannot do anything in our own strength, except bring about our own destruction. May our prayer be the same as King Jehoshaphat's,

"O our God... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Recognizing the Truth

2010-04-17T09:44:00.013-05:00

I've been part of a particular church body for 20 years. I have seen and experienced a LOT of blessings and a LOT of pain. Currently we are going through more difficulty, but I'm not going to elaborate on that here. What I want to share with you is how God is growing me personally. After all, I'm responsible for MY relationship with Him, and not anyone else.

I've written off and on throughout this blog various struggles that I have gone through. I've dealt with depression since my teenage years and at different points of my life the depression consumed me almost literally to the point of death. God has used different people to minister to me, to help keep my head above water long enough for me remember to grab hold of my Life Preserver again - Jesus Christ! He has also used various ministries, one of which is Freedom in Christ Ministries. I regret to say that I don't remember exactly who God used to guide me to this ministry, but I'm eternally grateful. I was given a copy of the book Victory Over the Darkness. This book was a God-send, because at the time I was at a point where I could not get myself to read my Bible. This book is so saturated with God's Word, however, that I was being fed His truth anyway! I was surrounded by darkness, but He is the Light, and His light began to penetrate the darkness revealing to me the lies that I had been believing. Not only were the lies being revealed, but I was given the tools, or better yet, the weapons to use against this permeating darkness. I was reminded in Victory: I am a child of God and the evil one cannot harm me (I John 5:18), I am free from condemnation (Romans 8:1, 2), I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) - just to name a few of the truths! Once I started voicing these truths - LITERALLY voicing them aloud - the devil had to flee! I started to feel alive again. I started WANTING TO LIVE again.

Not long after I read the book, I followed through with the Steps to Freedom. These are several different areas of our lives that we are encouraged to examine to see where the strongholds are and how to confront them, confess them, renounce them and be released from them. It was absolutely liberating!

I wish I could tell you that it solved everything, but it didn't. Why is that? Well, just like with anything else, if you don't keep it up, it won't work. If you don't eat right and exercise, you'll get fat. If you don't communicate with your friends and loved ones, you'll lose touch. It's the same thing with our relationship with God. If we don't read His word and pray, we won't grow in our relationship with Him. Unfortunately I didn't learn that completely, and I'm wondering if I have yet to learn that completely. So after walking in freedom for quite some time, I started to get lazy. I didn't read my Bible or pray as often as I should and I started living in my own strength. Of course that meant that my spiritual life started to decay once again, and I was susceptible to Satan's lies. However, having been through the Steps to Freedom, I was able to recognize the problem much more easily and more quickly, and so I started to do what I knew I should do. I started "taking every thought captive" which means realizing a deceiving thought and replacing it with God's truth, standing firm on His promises!

Let me fast forward to my current situation. As I mentioned in the opening, I've been part of local church body for a long time. We are currently going through some difficulties that have triggered in me a passion for knowing God's word even better. This is a good thing, right? Well, yes, however... I have been searching God's word so intensely about specific things because I want to know without a doubt what the truth is, and I have been praying so fervently and so often that in the last couple of days it started to catch up with me and I actually started to feel weary. As a result I haven't prayed much the past 2-3 days, or read my Bible. Last night as I was lying in bed about to go to sleep, I thought, "I need to talk to God about this". So I started admitting to Him, "Father, I'm weary of praying. I'm weary of searching Your Word about specific things. Father, you would think that I would be renewed and strengthened from all of this prayer and studying, but I'm not." Before I could continue He whispered to me, "That's a lie from Satan. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Living Water, if You drink of this water you will never thirst again." I was stunned, but grateful to Him for helping me to realize that I had once again started to believe the subtle lies of the devil. I promised myself last night that I would not let my morning go by without spending time in His word. I chose to watch a Beth Moore video online and what do you think she was talking about? The Bread of Life! How cool is that? God is SO GOOD! (Let me encourage you to watch the video, it's only about 15 minutes)

I know that I have jumped all over the place in this post. But what I hope I've made clear is that we are not "wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 ESV). We MUST put on the Armor of God daily (Ephesians 6); we must be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:7); we must "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

So, my dear brothers and sister in Christ, remember who you are in Christ Jesus. My dear friends who don't know Christ, I urge you to call on His name, for it is the name of Jesus that saves!

I John 5:1a says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" and in I John 5:4-12 it says, "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God? This is He Who came by water and blood - Jesus Christ; not by the water only, but by the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that He has borne concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have life. "

Made in USA

2010-03-10T11:52:00.012-06:00

Lately I have become more aware of where items are made. Generally speaking, China has the market on pretty much EVERYTHING! It's extremely difficult to find things that are not made there.

Today while folding the laundry, I noticed that one of my husband's shirts that has a "USA" logo on the front was made in Pakistan of all places! How crazy is that? I wonder if the person who made the shirt silently cursed it as well. It angers me that so many of our goods are from other countries. If and when I do find items that are made in the USA, they are considerably higher priced. That's why China has the market! We shop according to our pocket books - we really have no choice. At least not the average, middle-classed, working American anyway.

I have been trying to stay away from the foreign made products as much as possible. I was pleased to find a few clothing articles made in the USA the other day at Kohl's. I found some socks (Vera Wang brand - though most of her stuff is not made in the USA) and underwear (Jockey brand). Stein Mart and Dress Barn also offer tops and dresses that are USA made. My best friend sells Premier Jewelry and ALL of it is American made. So, it's not completely impossible, just extremely challenging. I bought baby clothes for my cousin's first baby at Posh Mommy. They were about twice the cost of the everything else, though. I really have to remind myself concerning the cost that it has to be worth it to support our own. If nobody buys USA brand items, then it's only going to get worse. Now more than ever I think we need to sacrifice when we can to support our country and her workers. Maybe I'm naive, maybe I'm silly, but I am an AMERICAN and I want to help however I can.

As a side note, back in the day, my grandparents and even my mom, worked in a cotton mill. It was called Merrimack Mill and later changed to Huntsville Manufactoring Co. I remember them coming home with cotton on them from head to toe. They always looked so tired, too. We lived right across the street from the mill. I wrote a poem about memories of living in Granny's house and shared it here. I found this interesting article about Merrimack providing cotton overseas (it's very short).

I also wanted to share this link with you. It gives information on different companies with American-made products. Support the USA whenever you are able and God bless America!

Did you feel the mountain tremble?

2010-03-08T06:39:00.012-06:00

OK, I've tried not to talk about the obvious, but I can't help myself any longer. Have you noticed the increase in earthquakes lately? Now I know that earthquakes happen pretty much every day, but I'm talking about these rather LARGE and STRONG earthquakes. Haiti, Japan, Chile, and now Turkey, just in the last few months. There were even smaller ones in Oklahoma and Illinois! How crazy is that? Here is a link about earthquakes in history.

My husband told me after the Chile earthquake that one of his co-workers commented, "What's up with all these earthquakes?". Dwight replied, "Haven't you read the Book?" After a pause and then realization, he said, "Oh yeah! Where is that found, anyway?" "Matthew 24", Dwight told him.

Off and on I check out this website to have a look at the earthquakes world wide. I find it interesting, and hopeful. Yes, I said "hopeful". I can NOT wait for the return of my Lord, and He said earthquakes are a sign that we should look for before His return! Get your Bible and read Matthew 24. If you don't have a Bible, but have internet access (which you obviously do if you're reading this), then click on the links I've provided, that takes you to biblegateway.com.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Are you ready?

UPDATE! A few hours after I posted this entry, I read this article on Fox News. Apparently I jumped the gun. The increased frequency of earthquakes is merely coincidental. My bad! (not!)

something I'm considering

2010-02-22T16:32:00.004-06:00

I was looking back and reading a few of my older posts and I had the thought of possibly printing them out and making a scrapbook of sorts. I know that when my mom passed away, it was interesting (although painful at times) reading her journal . So, I thought that maybe I should make copies of my blog and hand it down to my kids for after I'm gone. That way they will have as a reminder some of the blessings, struggles, and convictions that I've experienced/held throughout life. So far, I've got a little over 200 posts. That's a lot of paper and ink! Do you think it would be worth the effort and cost? Have any of you already started this sort of thing? So far, it's just something I'm considering.

"Heart" is not a verb!

2010-01-30T21:15:00.010-06:00

I made a decision earlier tonight. One that just might prove futile, but nevertheless, I'm going to give it a go. I have decided that I will not participate in the abuse of the word "heart". Countless people, the majority being from the younger generation, are now using the word "heart" as a verb. Have you heard this? I blame TV. I was recently exposed to a horrid Disney commercial where the teens repeatedly said, "I heart Jonas", "Why do you heart your fans?", and so on and so on. That's when I had determined that enough is enough! I proclaimed to the TV (and to my kids watching the TV) "YOU CAN'T 'HEART' ANYTHING! IT'S AN ORGAN!"

So, in hopes of educating anyone reading this rant of mine, I wish to include a list of words that can and SHOULD replace the word "heart" as a verb:

LIKE
ENJOY
ADMIRE
LOVE
APPRECIATE
ADORE
RELISH
SAVOR
FANCY

There! Now that I have that off my chest (ha ha!), my heart can beat more regularly and I can now enjoy the rest of my evening.

sweet family

2010-01-23T21:23:00.009-06:00

Tonight my family and I went out to eat together. During dinner I brought up the subject of teaching my kids how to speak better. I mentioned this because of a video my daughter and I had viewed earlier.

After watching the video a couple of times, my daughter said that she didn't really understand all of it. So, I told the kids that I had an idea of how to teach them both to speak better. I suggested that they memorize and recite poetry. Oh, the looks I received! My son asked me if I thought they talked "dumb". I said that I wasn't criticizing them, but just suggesting a way for them to better themselves so that they will sound educated. My husband then instructed Dawson on how to better cut the steak that he was eating. He set down his knife and fork and said, "So do I have to EAT educated now, too?!" The look he had on his face was priceless! Dwight and I laughed and laughed. I actually started to cry I was laughing so hard! The kids were just looking at us like we were crazy. They didn't think it was all that funny, but I thought it was hysterical!

As we were leaving the restaurant, a couple stated, "You have such a sweet family", the woman said. "Yes, sweet family", echoed the man. I said, "Well, thank you very much." Ithen wondered out loud why they would say that, and Dwight thought it was because we prayed before we ate our meal. I told Haley that it might have been because we were all laughing and enjoying each other, plus, they might have been pleased to see a teenager who actually smiles. =0)

So overall we had a very enjoyable time together. The food was very good, but the company was very sweet.

mental pictures

2010-01-06T11:38:00.010-06:00

Many times God gives me mental pictures to help me better understand spiritual things. Today He showed me two different images. One relates to levels of spiritual maturity and the other relates to our dealing with struggles.

I've been a believer since I was about 10 years old. I am now, hmmm mmmm, 41 years old (there, I said it!). You would think that after 31 years of walking with Christ I would have "arrived" or nearly so. Well, I'm no where near having "arrived" and that's because I've diverted from God's path way too many times. You are probably familiar with the verses Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD. Even though I KNOW that God has plans for me, from time to time I have devised my own plans, which caused me to stray from the path He has marked me (Hebrews 12 comes to mind). But when I DO finally achieve a level of spiritual insight/understanding, I sometimes find myself frustrated with the people around me who still haven't "gotten it". Why is that? If it has taken me so long to get to a certain point, why should I expect everyone else to be on the same page? So here is the mental picture God showed me today. When God finally freed the Israelites from Egypt, there were millions of them, right? So it took quite some time for them all to travel. Now those who were at the head of the line would reach a destination long before those at the end of the line (duh, I know, but bare with me). Now the Israelites were not very patient or content (who is?) people, so they griped and complained - A LOT! I was picturing those who were at the head of the line being the instigators of the pity parties, while at the back of the line the people were just getting out, still celebrating their freedom and were probably wondering what all the fuss was about. Now, griping and complaining are not good things and it's not spiritually healthy, so what's my point? My point is, we don't all arrive at the same destination at the same time! It's not healthy for us to become frustrated with other believers just because they are not "seeing" a certain spiritual truth when we do. We need to stop looking at the people around us, and keep our eyes on God, Who is the One with the plan. Of course I totally expect some, if not all of you who are reading this to have already come to this understanding; but there might be others who have just arrived at this place, like myself, or are still headed in this general direction of understanding.

The other picture that I had today was really more of a memory. When my daughter was around two years of age, she was diagnosed with asthma. After a scary episode that led to a hospital stay, she was prescribed albuterol in liquid form. This stuff was beyond nasty tasting! It was absolutely horrid! She fought so hard that it literally took her dad AND myself to hold her down to administer this medication. Remember, she was only two! She didn't realize/understand that this horrible tasting stuff was NECESSARY in order for her to be well. How many times do we struggle and fight against God because we are going through a difficult time that we don't understand? How many times has He promised that those difficulties WILL be worked out for OUR GOOD? How many times has He come through on His promises? EVERY SINGLE TIME! These struggles and difficulties that we face from time to time are NECESSARY for our spiritual well being. We don't like it. We don't want it. BUT IT'S NECESSARY!

So there you have it. God is so good, and faithful! Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." PRAISE YOU, LORD!!!

If you are on a difficult, tiresome journey, don't give up. Just SEARCH for GOD's PLAN, seek His face and FOLLOW Him. If you are going through a difficult time that puts a horrid taste in your mouth, just trust God to work it all out for your good (Romans 8:28).

AMAZING RESULTS!

2009-12-28T14:25:00.007-06:00

Have you ever wanted to have a makeover, but just didn't have the funds or the guts to go to a professional? No worries! Now, you can have a make-over in the privacy of your own home! That's right! I have devised a new plan to help those of us who don't get out much to lose 5-15 lbs. without diet or exercise! Amazingly the results are practically instantaneous. I call it the "No Sweat Makeover" plan. The steps are simple: DON'T WEAR SWEATS! That's all there is to it. Well, that and taking a shower, shaving, applying makeup, fixing your hair and actually putting on a dress and heels, but other than that - nothing to it! With this simple plan, you too can go from frumpy, bored housewife to half-way decent looking, bored housewife! I know, it sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? But it isn't! Act now before it's too late. Some restrictions apply.

Christmas Crash

2009-12-26T10:19:00.014-06:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Much to be thankful for: faith, family, friends, etc. Today I feel completely depleted. I was going to write today about being an introvert, but I looked back in my posts and saw that I already had. Here's the link to that post. However, I'm going to write about it again today. ha ha!

Many people look forward to the holidays. So do I - to an extent. I thoroughly enjoy being with family and friends. However, it completely drains me! After shopping for gifts all week and being with extended family the past two days in a row, I feel lifeless. I have absolutely no energy, no drive, no desire to move. And that is very inconvenient. I mean, my house is a wreck and I NEED to clean it up! I have backed up laundry that needs to be washed. But those things seem so insurmountable to me today. All I really want to do is stay in my PJ's in the bed and watch mindless entertainment. I don't want to think, clean or cook.

I wish I were more like my husband. He is a work horse! If he knows something needs to be done, he just does it! He's also one who enjoys being around people. Social gatherings do not tire him like they do me. He doesn't understand how just simply being around a group of people can wear me down. Here's a quote from the book I talk about in the aforementioned post: "In general, extroverts don't spend much time stuck in a rut. They are up and going before they even think about it. But for the introverts, getting going can be like scaling Mt. Everest." That is so true!

Other interesting (to me) points made in the book on introverts is this: "Many introverts don't feel as if they know enough about a subject until they know almost everything." Again - so true! I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do something, but didn't dare try until I "researched" it. I spend so much time on research when I could actually DO what I wanted to in the first place. Another quote from the book: "Extroverts like to experience a lot, and introverts like to know a lot about what they experience." I think I drive my husband and kids crazy because I want to know the history behind things. When we go on vacation, I want to see the historical buildings and read up on the culture of the area and so on. They, however, just want to GO and DO things!

Out of curiosity, I would like to know if you are an introvert or an extrovert, and what you think about the people who are opposite of yourself. If you need a little help to figure out what you are, here is a 'quickie quiz' that is taken out of the book I keep mentioning (which, by the way, is titled THE INTROVERT ADVANTAGE, HOW TO THRIVE IN AN EXTROVERT WORLD by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.):

QUICKIE QUIZ

Qualities A

Like to be in the thick of things
Relish variety, bored of sameness
Knows lots of people, consider them friends
Enjoy chitchatting, even with strangers
Feel stoked after activity, eager for more
Speak or act without needing to think first
Are generally quite peppy
Tend to talk more than listen

Qualities B

Prefer to relax alone or with a few close friends
Consider only deep relationships as friends
Need rest after outside activities, even ones you enjoy
Often listen but talk a lot about topics of importance to you
Appear calm, self-contained, and like to observe
Tend to think before you speak or act
Experience mind going blank in groups or under pressure
Don't like feeling rushed

Which list of qualities describe you best? If it's list A, you're extroverted. If it's B, you're introverted.

So, how did you score? I would like to hear your thoughts/feelings. If you're an extrovert, what do you tend to think about introverts and vice versa? I look at extroverts with envy. I truly wish I could just get up and go, go, go! I also wish that I could go up to any person and strike up a conversation. However, I tend to observe people for a bit and try to figure out where they're coming from before I feel comfortable talking to them for any extended amount of time. I've always said about my husband that he "has never met a stranger", and I wish I could say the same thing about myself.

Well, since I started writing today's post, I've actually set it aside to go start a load of laundry, unloaded/loaded the dishwasher, cleared the 'hot spot' in the kitchen, and dusted my bedroom. That is much more than I expected to get today. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg of what really needs to be done around here, but for now I'll allow myself to consider it a small victory.

a nice day

2009-12-19T21:40:00.010-06:00

Today the kids and I went to my grandmother's house for one of our Christmas get-togethers. It was a nice day, except that we didn't really have a long enough visit. I only see most of this side of the family once or twice a year, and an hour or two at a time really doesn't suffice. This year, my cousin Bryan and his wife bought us a gift, which isn't the norm. The gift was right up my alley! It was a basket of tea, coffee and chocolate with two mugs. It's as if they read my mind! ;0) I will thoroughly enjoy it.

They also bought my kids shirts - which they both really like.

Bryan is a hoot! He always entertains us with his silliness. He has an elf hat with elf ears that he wears.

The kids and I had to leave the family get-together a bit early. Haley had a piano recital in town. She has practiced her piece for a long time now and so she didn't want to miss the recital. She played "Concerning Hobbits" from the Lord of the Rings and she nailed it!

This is Haley, her piano teacher, Quentin, Jeff, Dawson's guitar teacher, and Dawson.

To shop or not to shop...

2009-11-24T10:57:00.007-06:00

I don't normally go out shopping on "Black Friday" because I can't stand the crowds and the stress. PLUS - I'm not a morning person, as most of you know, so getting up at 0-dark-thirty does NOT work for me. However, there are a couple of things on my kids' lists that will be at pretty good prices this coming Friday. I now find myself torn. To shop or not to shop? Online shopping is much more appealing, but I don't know if these same deals will be available online. A friend and fellow blogger, Mandie, informed me of the website that shows all BF ads, so that's how I found out about the great upcoming deals.

Another thing that I'm going back and forth on is a ministry opportunity that our Jr. High minister has offered. He has suggested that a group of people go with him to these BF sales and offer hot chocolate and snacks to the people waiting in line. He says this would be a great way to demonstrate the love of Christ, by being there to give rather than to get. I agree. I think it's a great idea! Again, I think of dragging myself out of bed in the wee hours of the middle of the night (is it OK to use those terms together?) and trying to overcome my grumpiness to demonstrate love. I'm not sure it would work. It would be like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fighting! I'm ashamed to say that at that time of the day, I would look much more like the cold, angry shopper than the loving, humble Christ who died for my sins. I hate to admit it, but there it is.

I do believe that I have grown quite a bit spiritually in the last few years. However, I have a LONG way to go. A friend and I are currently reading the book, You are Gifted (see previous post). In the second chapter one of the discussion questions was "Do you feel you have already 'arrived' spiritually"? Heck no! I don't see how anyone could answer that one affirmatively this side of heaven.

Well, after talking this out with you all, I still don't know what I'll be doing on Friday morning. How about you? Are you going to venture out into the cold dark of night/morning to wait in line for awesome "deals"?

a new read

2009-11-13T07:12:00.003-06:00

Sorry for not posting in so long. I haven't had any inspiration of late. However, I started reading a new book and I wanted to share the name of it with you. It's called You Are Gifted by Ken Hemphill (link is to Amazon). I've wanted to do another study on spiritual gifts as well as the role of women in the church. When sharing my desire with a friend at church, she asked if I wanted to study together; I immediately said, "Yes!". It's always so much better when their is someone to discuss things with and be held accountable to. This is our first week to get together and discuss what we've read. I will tell you that I'm very excited about this book. I have already read chapter one TWICE! The second time I went through and underlined and highlighted several things. My initial intention was to NOT write in the book at all so that I could share it on PaperBackSwap.com, but this book is a definite keeper for me! One of the things written in the book that really stood out to me is this: The author was talking about how the Jews were angry with the followers of Christ and accused them of pretty much rocking the world. The author then asks why believers today are not accused of the same thing. Great question! I've wondered this myself. Apparently we do not truly believe in the power of Christ and that this power is IN US, or else we would be really shaking things up. Hopefully I will get to the point of belief and begin exercising the God-given power on a daily basis.

Well, that's all I have time for today. I encourage you to get a copy of the book, read the Scripture the author uses, and ask God to shake things up in your life!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Gov't Can - an amusing video by Tim Hawkins

2009-10-14T07:10:00.007-05:00

Here's a link to a really funny video.

video

I tried posting the video itself, but it didn't fit properly on my blog for some reason. Anyway, the video is well worth your 2-3 minutes.

Spiritual Feedings

2009-10-08T07:46:00.010-05:00

When reading my Bible, I usually don't read any commentaries because I don't want another person's opinion clouding my understanding of what the passage is saying. However, I did read a commentary on 1 Peter 2, and I'm glad I did because it actually flipped on the "a-ha" switch! 1 Peter 2:2 says, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." How many times have I read and heard this passage? Multiple times, of course. I've been a believer for over 30 years now. Well, the commentary on this helped me to better understand the probable emphasis that Peter was trying to convey. I frequently use e-sword - it's a free service that you can download, and it has greatly helped me in my Biblical studies; I highly recommend that you utilize it. Anyway, while reading 1 Peter, I glanced at the Matthew Henry commentary that comes up on the side (I think it's an extra download that I added). Here are his observations on this passage:

"The apostle, like a wise physician, having prescribed the purging out of vicious humours, goes on to direct to wholesome and regular food, that they may grow thereby. The duty exhorted to is a strong and constant desire for the word of God, which word is here called reasonable milk, only, this phrase not being proper English, our translators rendered it the milk of the word, by which we are to understand food proper for the soul, or a reasonable creature, whereby the mind, not the body, is nourished and strengthened. This milk of the word must be sincere, not adulterated by the mixtures of men, who often corrupt the word of God, 2Co_2:17. The manner in which they are to desire this sincere milk of the word is stated thus: As new-born babes. He puts them in mind of their regeneration. A new life requires suitable food. They, being newly born, must desire the milk of the word. Infants desire common milk, and their desires towards it are fervent and frequent, arising from an impatient sense of hunger, and accompanied with the best endeavours of which the infant is capable. Such must Christians' desires be for the word of God: and that for this end, that they may grow thereby, that we may improve in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour."

This reminded me of when my son was born. He was ALWAYS hungry (still is, by the way) and I found myself nursing him every 1 1/2 to 2 hours! I was one exhausted mother. Remembering his constant hunger for milk and how I should be like that with God's word really got me thinking. Now I know that I should be well past the need for "spiritual milk" and require more "meat", this analogy still hit home with me. I don't think that I should cut back on the frequency of my feedings now that I'm spiritually older. If I picked up and read my Bible every two hours or so, how much more would I feel full? It's definitely something that I want to challenge myself to do.

This challenge reminds me of something I've asked my kids to do with me. I want us to log 100 things that we want to do before we die. You know, a bucket list. I've posted mine before here, but I don't think it was 100 things! I asked my kids to do this because I am daily striving to improve our home school experience. I want them to have a passion for learning and I desperately want to encourage them to strive toward fulfilling their dreams. It has also helped me to know my kids better. I've been surprised by some of the things they've come up with. Well, one of the things that I'm going to add to my list, is to increase the frequency of my spiritual feedings, and read my Bible at least every two hours when possible.

Does God Exist?

2009-10-05T21:05:00.002-05:00

These videos are lengthy, but well worth your time. I only wish that I had known about this "debate" when it had actually taken place two years ago. Two episodes of Nightline's "Face-Off" discussing "Does God Exist". If you do take the time to view them, please share your thoughts with me. I can't help but wonder if those who believe other than I do feel that the people representing their beliefs were thorough and concise on defending them.

scrambled thoughts

2009-09-28T08:57:00.008-05:00

Have you ever struggled with organizing your thoughts? Do you ever get so easily distracted that you can't complete a thought much less communicate it? Yeah, me too. There are a few things I've wanted to blog about, but when I try to express one, I start thinking about something else. I thought that maybe if I sat down and started typing them out, it might help - even if they are incomplete. Maybe I'll just post the thoughts without elaborating on them. We'll see how it goes.

Thought One: Why do we take for granted those closest to us?

Thought Two: Why do we stop keeping in touch with friends? For some reason an old pen-pal came to my mind last night. This was a person I went to school with for a brief period of time, but we really hit it off. After he moved away we kept in touch through writing letters (long before the days of facebook!). We did this for about two years, then all of a sudden stopped. For the life of me, I can't remember why.

Thought Three: Why am I stuck in a spiritual holding pattern - again!?

Thought Four: Why do I not do something (I don't like how I worded that, but can't think of a better way) unless I can devote ALL of my time to it? For instance:

I'm attempting to research and record my family's genealogy, but I've come to a stand still.
I started to look into "the Law" and why we no longer follow every guideline that was given by God (see this post) but because of the overwhelming number of verses that mention "the Law", I have not pursued that study. In my mind if I'm not able to sit down in a room full of open books, note pads and pencils with nothing else to do but study a particular subject, well then, I shouldn't even bother at all! I mean, I have children to teach, feed, etc. I have a house to clean, laundry to wash, groceries to buy, bills to pay. I don't have time to study my family's past generations or even God's Law for that matter! Seriously! That's how my mind works. I tell myself that if I can't give God at least an hour of study time, then I shouldn't do any. I mean, He deserves more than 5-10 minutes a day - that's an insult! So, I'll admit my short comings and refuse to play the "I gave God some time today" game (which is the reason for number three, I'm sure). Sick, isn't it? I know some of you will say this is the "perfectionist" in me. Here's a list of the ten telltale traits of a perfectionist.

I feel like a hamster in a wheel running, running, running, but getting no where!

That Was Old Testament

2009-09-17T21:53:00.008-05:00

I have been reading everyone's favorite book of the Bible - Leviticus. If you've read it you know that there are a lot of do's and don'ts (how to pluralize don't properly?). It got me to wondering why some of these don'ts have become "OK you can do that now". There are many people, and I have probably been one of them on occasion, who say something like, "Well, that was 'Old Testament'". Ohhhhkay - so just because it's in the OT means we should no longer abide by it?

Let me go ahead and tell you specifically what I'm wondering about. TATTOOS. Leviticus 19:28 says, "You shall not make cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD." Now, this is the only place in the Bible where I could find the word "tattoo". I don't know if God is talking about ALL sorts of tattoos that people get for any number of reasons, or if the emphasis should be placed on the part of the verse that says, "for the dead". Apparently this was a custom of pagans during that time and God didn't want His people doing that sort of thing. So, tattoos are OK if they're not "for the dead". This was just ONE of MANY laws given and for the most part, most of those laws are still, for the most part, observed today: Keeping the Sabbath (debate on which day is the Sabbath, but I won't go there), no idols, do not defraud your neighbor, do not hate your brother, do not practice magic or sorcery. These are just a few of the laws given in this specific chapter. There are many others like: no marrying your sister and such. There are also laws about not cutting your hair/beard a certain way. So I'm just wondering when it became OK to stop following these laws. Deuteronomy 11:1 instructs His people to "keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands ALWAYS" (emphasis mine).

Some will argue that because Christ and died on the cross we are now covered by grace. I get that. HOWEVER, Christ said in Matthew 5:17-18, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Paul tells us in Romans 3 that we are no longer saved by keeping the Law, HOWEVER, in verse 31 he says, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law".

Now don't think that I'm hatin' on people with tattoos. I'm not. I am only using this one as an example. I am simply thinking out loud here, which is usually dangerous in my case! I have not exhausted all of the verses in Scripture that deal with the Law. Honestly, I don't know if I can - there are SO MANY verses that talk about God's laws, which makes me again wonder why we do what we do today. Why do we fall back on the saying, "that was Old Testament"?

football season - yippee (insert sarcasm)

2009-09-08T23:02:00.005-05:00

I live in the South, specifically Alabama. Football is a big deal here, to say the least. Anyone who lives here knows that a baby's first words must either be "Roll Tide" or "War Eagle" - forget "mama"or "dada". Also, if someone moves here from another state, it's expected of them to choose between the University of Alabama or Auburn. There's no being neutral around here!

When I was younger, football was more important to me than it is now. I was a sold-out Alabama fan. I wore the Crimson and White all through the season. I watched almost every game. I derided Auburn and Tennessee fans, just because it was expected. Why did I cheer for Alabama? Because my family did, why else? Did I know anyone who played FOR Alabama? No, but that's not the point, now is it? Wait, now that I think about it, I think I knew someone's cousin, or a friend of a cousin, or somebody who played for Alabama at some point in time. OK, now I feel justified. LOL!

So now that I'm all grown up, I wonder, what in the world is the big deal? Sure it's harmless entertainment (well, it's should be harmless anyway). I get that it's amusing to some. But the thing is, it's more like a religion to most people. It's even crept it's way into the pulpit for crying out loud! It really bothers me to be in the middle of singing praises to my God, worshiping corporately with other believers and then someone steps up to the podium and mentions Saturday's scores followed by hoots and hollers from the congregation. Come on! Can't we leave football on the field and reserve the sanctuary for more important, dare I say, HOLY matters?

If I've offended anyone, or hurt feelings, that's not my intention here. I just desperately wish that our worship services could be centered around, well... WORSHIP, but not the worship of any college football team.

my daughter's blog

2009-08-31T10:54:00.003-05:00

Evidently, blogging runs in the family. My daughter has had her own blog for quite some time. Now she has two! She recently started up a blog called "There and Back Again" in honor of the Lord of the Rings series. She is currently reading Fellowship of the Ring and so her blog is based on that book as well as the movie. I'm very pleased that she is reading this book and hope that she continues with the others in the series. Reading is a passion of mine, and I hope that Haley finds as much joy as I do from reading. I find that it's a great escape; who doesn't need to escape every once in a while? I hope you follow the link and leave her a nice comment or two. ;0) There's nothing like a little link love, you know?

warning to male readers - you might not want to proceed

2009-08-24T10:22:00.006-05:00

I'm at a yucky place again. I'm not quite down in the pit, but I feel my feet starting to stick in the miry clay that surrounds the gigantic, dark black hole. This is when I start to do a spiritual & physical inventory of sorts.

How's my prayer life? Check - I'm praying regularly.
Am I reading the Bible? Check - I'm reading almost daily.
Am I in fellowship with other believers? Check - I attend regular fellowships and meet with friends who hold me accountable.
Am I in God's will? Check - as far as I know, anyway.
Am I sleeping enough? Check - at least for the last 2-3 nights it's been good (except that I've had to take OTC meds)
Am I eating the right things? No check - I've had too much junk/fast food in the last few days.
Am I remembering to take my supplements? Check - except for the Kava Kava for sleep (I haven't restocked).

OK, so could eating junk food and fast food, OTC sleep meds be enough to start pushing me toward the pit? I don't know, really. It doesn't help, I'm sure. For the most part I think I've just got a rotten attitude. But then I have to wonder, "How can I have a bad attitude if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing - reading the Bible, praying, fellowship with believers, etc.?" Then I ask, OK, (sorry about this, guys. I did warn you) is it that time of the month? I think it's coming up soon, but WHY and HOW can that make me feel so sad and angry? And how can I explain/teach my daughter to control her emotions when she begins this wonderful journey called womanhood? (grrrrr!) I get really tired of struggling with this month after month. I know that I need to control myself, but there are times when I feel completely OUT of control. It's almost as if another person takes over and I'm out-of-body hovering around watching this lunatic go around using my body, ranting and raving about stupid things and I'm helpless to stop it! Part of my mind knows this is insane - but that's the part that has been hijacked. It really is like Jekyll and Hide (except I didn't voluntarily ingest something to bring on this transformation). I have no hope for the future, either. From what I hear menopause is not pretty, either. Why do women have to deal with this mess?

dreading the night

2009-08-18T22:26:00.005-05:00

The title of my blog should be an indication that I have sleep issues. I've struggled with getting a good night's sleep since my teen years. I've tried many different things: warm baths, reading, aroma therapy, soft music, sounds of nature, exercising, medications, herbal teas, etc. Several of these things have worked, but only for a short time. I lie in bed and a plethora of thoughts will run around in a tizzy, much like ants do when their hills are disrupted. No matter how physically tired I am, most nights I toss and turn, envious of the sounds of slumber my husband and kids are making. I hear street noise, crickets and the wind - other sounds made only in my imagination. I picture family members living and passed. I worry if I'm doing enough for my kids, my husband, and my God. I think of what needs to be accomplished tomorrow. I recount my short comings and berate myself for my weaknesses. I try to sing myself to sleep. I try to pray but then my mind wanders and I feel guilty because I can't concentrate long enough to talk to my heavenly Father. I stress out that time is passing and I'm still awake at midnight, 1:30 a.m., 2:45 a.m., and so on. I hate that my mind won't cooperate but insists on rebelling against the moon and stars that indicate it's time for rest. I regret that I'm not a morning person like my husband, and that I don't get to see him when he's rested. I long to be different - normal.

So, even after a long day, I dread the night. But when I think of it, it's the morning I dread. That's when all the expectations begin again and I have no energy or drive to live up to them.

Music to sooth the savage beast

2009-08-13T19:35:00.003-05:00

I can't decide which rendition of the song "The Prayer" is my favorite:

1st Day Back to School - take two

2009-08-10T11:10:00.010-05:00

Technically we started school back in June; we just didn't continue it throughout the summer like I had planned. I had great intentions of schooling my kids year-round so that their brains wouldn't get all mushy and emptied of math concepts, etc. However, I just did not have the motivation to pursue that lofty goal, so here we are facing our first full-fledged day of education for the '09-'10 school year - AGAIN. I got off to a rocky start (no surprise there). There was this thing I kept doing with the alarm clock - you know, engaging the snooze button multiple times. After finally getting out of the bed, I started the coffee and while that was brewing I prayed. I told God that I just wasn't ready for this school thing. But He reassured me that He has prepared me to do what He has called me to do, so I prayed a few verses of Scripture and then I went to wake up the kids. I cooked them breakfast hoping that would get them off to a good start. They were very appreciative since breakfast around here usually consists of cereal. After breakfast, chores, getting dressed and brushing teeth, we began our lessons. First off - Bible. The lesson, which is the continuation of Revelation, went well. Then we tackled math. That's where it always falls apart. Math is the dreaded subject for my son (Haley's not crazy about it, but she deals with it). It would be amusing if it wasn't so frustrating. You see, as soon as Dawson cracks open the math book, his mind seems to go into a hibernating mode. He gets this glazed look in his eyes and his head starts to bobble back and forth, side to side. All of a sudden he reverts back to his pre-kindergarten days because he no longer remembers how to add or subtract, much less multiply, divide and convert measurements. My daughter experiences the typical after summer amnesia concerning fractions, so while my son is yelling, "MOM! I need your help!", she is also patiently waiting after yelling, "Um, Mom?! Can you help me, please?!" So I've got two different students in two different rooms yelling simultaneously for me to come wave my magic pencil over their heads in hopes that the numbers will start to once again move in choreographed precision. Thankfully I didn't lose my cool today. I just went to Dawson, reminded him that "Yes, you do know what 6x9 is, if you'll just try a little harder to remember. Oh, and keep your numbers IN LINE so that you'll know where everything goes". Then I went to Haley and remembered how much I hated working with fractions, but managed to help her with a few problems; I took a deep breath, and then silently said a prayer of self-motivation, "I can do this". One hour passes. Dawson is on problem, oh I don't know, TWO, and Haley is struggling as well, but has mercifully gotten farther along than her younger brother. However, Haley is doing two lessons a day compared to Dawson's one, so she will have more time to commit. Dawson still isn't near being done after an hour, so I tell him to stop for now, and finish it later, we have several other subjects to do. Reading, spelling, grammar, writing, history, P.E. *sigh* Day one - near completion, and it's only 3:20 p.m. But, that's what happens when you don't get started until nine o'clock in the morning.

I hope I don't sound as if I'm disappointed in my kids, because that's not it at all. I'm very proud of them and thankful for them. It's just that being the sole responsible person for their education is daunting at times and I wonder why God has entrusted such a task to me. This homeschooling thing is indeed a calling. It can't possibly be done without the direction of God Almighty, at least not in my case, and when I have days like today (which is typical) it's all I can do to hold it together. Not because my kids are bad, or at fault, or anything on their part, but because of me and my insecurities and well, my selfish desires, if I'm to be perfectly honest. On the other hand, when I see their faces light up with understanding, I realize what an honor being their teacher is.

God told me to be quiet

2009-08-03T20:00:00.022-05:00

Where do I start?

OK, about a week or so ago I was praying about a person who I think tends to ramble on and on and on. I was asking God to help this person realize what he was doing and to encourage him to, well - stop! While I was praying for this person, I also prayed for myself on this matter because I don't want to be guilty of doing the same thing. Well, during my prayer I felt that God was telling ME to "Be quiet". I asked God if He meant this literally, and He said, "Yes. Be quiet until further notice" or something like that. So, I took that to mean that He wanted me to take a vow of silence. I told my husband, my kids and two of my closest friends, so that they could pray for me and also so they would know why I wasn't talking. I had braced myself for this vow to last for an undetermined amount of time. All the rest of that day I refrained from talking. Instead, I prayed silently, read of a lot of Scripture and meditated on it. During this time I realized how much I ramble. I talk just to talk - a lot! Also, most everyone around me does the same thing. Are we afraid of silence or something? Are we afraid we won't be noticed if we're not making noise? I don't know. I had decided that I wasn't going to take the easy way out by isolating myself, so I went on to church that night and then to choir practice. It was challenging, but I managed to keep my mouth shut! During choir practice instead of singing, I sat in the back of the room and prayed for everyone who was there while also searching the Bible. It was an awesome time with God even though I was surrounded by people!

Now, I will also share with you that my family was not happy with my taking this "Be quiet" thing literally and seriously. For some reason they felt that I was deserting them or something. I'm still not quite sure why they felt this way, but it was a mutual feeling they all had. Maybe my silence made them aware of their non-silence? I don't know.

As I mentioned, I had braced myself for a long haul on this quiet thing, but the next morning the Lord gave me a peace about once again talking, much to my family's relief. My daughter asked me if I had learned anything. I told her that "Yes, I did." She asked me what it was, and I told her, "I talk too much, and so does everyone else!"

Well, the day after that, I was involved with a freedom appointment as a prayer partner. This is something from the Freedom in Christ ministries and I HIGHLY recommend it. During our lunch break we were chatting, and I started rambling again! I heard God's voice say, "Do you want Me to tell you to be quiet again?". So, I tried to be more mindful of speaking only when it was necessary. Let me tell you, this isn't an easy thing for me to do. I mean, after all these years of talk, talk, talk, it really takes effort to cut it out! One of the verses that I meditated on during all of this is Proverbs 17:27-28

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

I'm really trying my best to remember this and not talk so much. Have you ever struggled with this in your life?

Now onto the vacation... we were fortunate enough to be able to go on a five day/four night vacation to Gulf Shores, AL. We have dear friends who live near there and so we were also able to visit with them. We hooked up our camper and took off for the beach. It was a blast! My husband and kids absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the water, so going to beach was very exciting to them. I was satisfied just to watch them have fun in the surf (I don't like swimming with critters and such). Although, the sea is better than the lake since you can actually see what's in the water. Unfortunately there were a lot of jelly fish in the water, probably due to some stormy weather off and on. My son got stung several times, but it didn't keep him from going in again and again! I enjoyed watching the waves and taking pictures. I took way too many to share on this blog (over 300!), but I'll try and choose some of the best ones:

Beautiful shot (if I do say so myself) of seagulls in flight.

I was disappointed that the water wasn't the blue/green that I've seen in everyone else's summer shots this year. I think maybe it was due to the weather.

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Dawson showing me how big the jellyfish was that he saw (one of many).

Close up of a jelly - yuck!

Dawson going back into the water despite the jelly threat.

The only shot of me (or part of me, anyway).

I just like this profile shot of Haley.

Some pretty flowers we saw on the way back to the car.

My husband being silly.

A prettier shot of the water.

Good friends, good times.

another birthday celebration

2009-07-22T20:44:00.007-05:00

Monday we celebrated my son's tenth birthday. It was a pretty busy day. He invited his closest friends to go to the river with him and his dad. His sister and I stayed home to clean the house for the party. We had a great time. Hamburgers and hot dogs were grilled. Grandparents joined us for the dinner and the ice-cream cake. Dawson doesn't care for regular cake, so we always get him an ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen.

The night before his birthday, Dawson decided that he wanted to look through his baby book with me. Of course I was more than happy to oblige. What sweet memories we have of our children. I'm so glad that I took the time to record those things that years strip away from my mind's remembrance. Dawson was especially pleased that I had written my wishes for him. His daddy never got around to do that, and Dawson gave him a hard time about it - in a joking sort of way. When Dawson read the birthday card that accompanied his gift, he noted that his dad actually signed it along with a little note. He then said to his dad, "At least you signed my birthday card - NOT LIKE MY BABY BOOK!" It was funny. I was pleased to notice that Dawson took the time this year to actually read ALL of the cards he received. Most of the time, the kids just tear them open and toss them to the side so they can rip into the actual gifts. I guess it's a sign of maturity that he did that. Now I just need to get him to sit down and write thank you notes to send to everyone. Now that will be an accomplishment!

Thanks again for sharing another happy time in my life.

not living up

2009-07-15T07:55:00.005-05:00

Well, my husband shared with me yesterday that I've let him down concerning our garden this year. I feel bad about that, but my heart hasn't been in it this time around. You see, I was late in planting, then it rained and rained and flooded the garden. Then the rain ceased for a long time and well, it just hasn't been as great as last year, so I haven't been consistently tending to things. You can barely see one of the plants because the grass is so tall! I think next year I won't be using horse manure to fertilize it. The manure has way too much grass seed in it and it's too much work. Another thing I won't be using is those wire cage thingies that are supposed to support the tomato plants. They are just not sturdy enough and now my plants are bent over once again, making it difficult to actually find the tomatoes. The only thing that has really produced well this year are the bell pepper plants, and boy are they producing! My cucumber plant didn't make it at all, so I'm missing out on the fresh cucumbers this year. The corn has also been a disappointment, but in a way I'm glad because like I said, my heart isn't into it and if I'm glad I don't have to do a lot of freezing.

I really do hate that I've disappointed my husband, though. I semi-jokingly said to him, "I can't be all things to all people!", but he didn't buy it. *sigh* I will have to invest more time and money into the next garden. I intend to put down weed control of some sort, like plastic or a bunch of mulch or SOMETHING. I will still stay away from poisons though, because that would be defeating the purpose of growing our own food, if you ask me. I'll also try to start another compost pile and keep it going this time.

OK, so enough rambling about my short-comings for today. I apologize for not having anything more interesting or entertaining to share with you. My life has been rather ordinary lately, which can be a very good thing because that means there are no crises happening!

If you haven't watched the video I shared in the previous post, go ahead - you'll never forget it. ;0)

The Breakfast Song

2009-07-11T14:24:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I've never heard this one before. A friend of mine sent me the link. Another thing I can't believe is that I listened to it in it's entirety! After you watch it, tell me if you think this song is meant for celebration or if it's the blues - I had a hard time figuring that one out. Oh, and you're welcome. ;0)

Independence Day 2009

2009-07-04T18:02:00.005-05:00

Today is the day we celebrate the independence of our country. It's always been a special day to me. It's another opportunity to spend time with family and friends and to remember the great people who have made America the free and awesome country that it is - all by the grace of God. This year it means even more to me as I think of my brother who is currently serving in the Army, stationed in Korea. It's sobering to think that he might soon be put into harm's way in order to continue the fight for America's freedom. Freedom comes with a cost and can never be assumed.

I know I don't have to remind those of you here live in America to stop and think of the cost of our freedom. I'm sure all of you have at some point today, or will before it's over, given thanks in your hearts to God Who has blessed us with a life here, and also say a prayer for those who continue to serve and fight for us all.

God bless America!

The Miracle Worker

2009-06-29T20:54:00.011-05:00

Group picture

Scene 1 Helen as a sick baby

Scene 2 Helen older and running wild

Anne Sullivan locked in her room by Helen.

Last Friday my family and I went with a group from our church to the birthplace of Helen Keller, Ivy Green. This time every year there is a reenactment called "The Miracle Worker". It's about the life of Helen Keller - at least up to the point where she finally understands the meaning of words and sign language. I've wanted to go see this play for a very long time, and I was so happy to go with my family and friends. It's not a very far drive from where we live, so I don't know why we haven't gone before. It takes place outside, and being in Alabama, it's rather hot and sticky this time of year. We were all a bit uncomfortable, but just thinking about having to wear the wardrobe that the actors did made me feel better. All of the actors did a wonderful job. They were very believable in their characterizations. There were two ladies who interpreted the play in American Sign Language, and they kept my attention for the majority of the program.

Interpreters
Haley and Anna with the main characters.

The place was packed full of people. Next to me sat a woman whose daughter was born deaf. The mother had the measles when she was pregnant with her. Her daughter, who is 43 years old, sat next to her. I started to sign with her and enjoyed being able to use what I know of the language. It's not often enough that I get that chance. Of course I fumbled here and there because it's been so long, but I think I muddled through pretty well. It's always nice to see the smiles on the faces of a Deaf person when someone hearing knows their language. It makes me want to pursue interpreting all the more. One day, Lord willing, I'll get to that point.

By the time the story of Helen reached the climax of her finally grasping the meaning of words, several of us were in tears. Helen's story is simply amazing. She not overcame the obstacles in her life, she triumphed over them! She achieved more than most hearing and seeing people ever dream to accomplish. An absolutely amazing woman. And of course the tenacity and loyalty of Anne Sullivan is not to be overlooked. They were quite the pair indeed!

"I'm burning!"

2009-06-24T08:26:00.011-05:00

Even though I posted an entry only yesterday, I felt the need to share this news report with you. It's about the young lady who was shot and killed at one of the Iranian protests. I'm sure you've heard about it already, but what has torn at my heart today was reading her last words: "I'm burning! I'm burning!" The lady was shot, yet she says, "I'm burning!" Could it be that she was already in her eternal state? This thought frightens me to the core. Every day I go on living without fully realizing the eternal consequences we will ALL face. I guess because my eternity is secure I don't live my life here with urgency. Shame on me! This woman's friends and family are heralding her as an angel, yet is she burning in hell now? To man it doesn't seem just for "good people" to be sent to hell, yet the Word of God makes it clear that "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and ALL men are without excuse because God has made Himself known to us through His creation (Romans 1:19-21). But God doesn't leave us without hope. Christ, God's only Son, died for us! "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die." (Romans 5:5-7) This young woman might have died for something that was good, but Christ died for all of the sinful people of this world! For her and the very people that put a bullet into her body. Christ died for me and for you. It's all well and good for me to blog about this, but when am I going to LIVE like people are dying?!

the LORD talked with Moses

2009-06-23T20:01:00.009-05:00

I read Exodus 33 in my Bible today - several times. I was intrigued by this passage. The LORD is having a conversation with Moses, telling him that he and the Israelites are to leave Sinai. God is extremely angry with the Israelites because they were impatient and made a graven image to worship in His place - a big NO, NO! Moses begs God not to destroy them, but then when he goes down from the mountain and sees for himself what the people have done, Moses becomes extremely angry! That part actually takes place in Exodus 32. In chapter 33, the verses that enchanted me the most were 9-11, "And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at teh tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." I started wondering how in the world Moses had grown so close to God that he had the privilege of talking to Him "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend". Now I know that they have been through a LOT together, what with facing Pharaoh, the plagues and leading millions of people out into the desert. But still - "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend"! That astounds me! Then later on in the chapter (vs. 18-23) Moses tells God that he wants to see His glory and God allows Moses to see His back as He passes him in the cleft of the rock! How awesome is that?!

semi-unaswered questions

2009-06-15T09:40:00.021-05:00

For the past several weeks I have been reading the book of Acts. My initial reason for re-reading Acts was to remind me of how the Early Church started; but instead of focusing on that, I was drawn to the Holy Spirit. Now, my purpose for writing this post is not to confuse anyone, instead my intention is to hopefully talk things through for myself. And if anyone has any Holy Spirit inspired feed-back to share, I would be grateful.

You see, I've been perplexed about something. It started with some verses in chapter 8. I read about some people in Samaria who heard Phillip preaching the good news. They believed and were baptized. Later, Peter and John go to see them and realize that the people had not yet received the Holy Spirit; they had "simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16). Then in verse 17, Peter and John placed their hands on them and THEN "they received the Holy Spirit". This is also mentioned in Acts 19 verse 12 in Ephesus. Paul asks some, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit WHEN you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Well, I found these verses curious, because back in Acts 2 verse 38 I remembered reading "Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." So, why is it that the Samarians in chapter 8 believed and were baptized did NOT receive the Holy Spirit? After weeks of reading, re-reading, doing word searches, and praying - I STILL DON'T KNOW. The only thing that I think might be the answer is in Acts 19. In this chapter, Paul asks some Ephesian believers if they received the Holy Spirit WHEN they believed. The Ephesians answered the same way the Samarians did in chapter 8. They said that they "had not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit". Paul then asks them what baptism they received. They replied that it was John's. Paul explains to them that the baptism of John was one of repentance and that they needed to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. So, they were baptized in the name of Jesus. Paul places his hands on them and then they receive Holy Spirit. After which they spoke in tongues and prophesied. What I gathered from this is that some times people hear the Word and are convicted, but they still might not completely understand what they're feeling and doing. So maybe the people of Samaria and Ephesus in these verses were like that and just needed to hear the message from someone different before they completely understood and then could genuinely believe and be baptized. Again, I really don't know.

Another thing I thought while reading about the Holy Spirit in Acts is that I can understand how some denominations believe that the Holy Spirit can only be obtained through the laying on of hands, because in many cases in this book that's exactly what happened (Acts 8, Acts 9:17, Acts 19). However there are also verses that clearly state that the Holy Spirit is received through repentance/belief (Acts 2:38-39, Acts 10:47, Acts 11:15).

Well, there you have it. My semi-unanswered questions with regard to the Holy Spirit. I do not doubt my God at all just because my little brain can't comprehend every detail. I trust that He will reveal to me in His perfect timing what I need to know and understand. I'm thankful for His Word and for the Holy Spirit in my life.

interview with satan

2009-06-11T00:14:00.003-05:00

I couldn't sleep and I needed a laugh, so I went to tango.com and watched several videos. This isn't the funniest one I saw, and in a way it's NOT funny, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Georgia Fun

2009-06-09T20:50:00.010-05:00

This past weekend we went to Georgia. The main attraction for us was to see my brother, Daniel, in his Army boot camp graduation. The ceremony itself was very short. It had to be moved indoors due to threat of rain, so they were not able to do all of the gun and tank demos that were originally planned. It was still a pretty nice ceremony, though. I was very impressed by the intensity of the soldiers' response to their drill sergeants and in their reciting the Army creed (I think it's called a "creed"). Anyway, we are very proud of Daniel and his accomplishments. Pray for him as he will be stationed in Korea.

We stayed at a campground about 30 minutes from the Fort Benning Army base. It was a pretty nice campground. It had a beautiful swimming pool that we had to ourselves for the most part! The facilities also included a small gym, a sauna, massages were available (for a price, I'm sure), a lounge with big screen cable tv and coffee bar. The price of the stay included cable tv and wireless internet. We really like to rough it when we camp, you know. ;0)

The day after the graduation, we went to Atlanta, about an hour drive away, to see the Georgia Aquarium. It was very enjoyable (once you got over the sticker shock!). The tunnel was the best part. Being underneath all of those sea creatures was very impressive. It's the closest I will EVER want to be to them. The manta ray was my favorite; even though they are kind of creepy, I still think they're beautiful to watch as they glide through the water. The kids favorite part was the touch pool where they could pet the sting rays (stingers removed) and small sharks. We enjoyed a 4-D 15 minute movie but had to pass on the Titanic film because it was extra $$$.

All in all it was a great few days. More happy memories were made.

We celebrated two birthdays while we away - my daughter's birthday was the 5th and my husband's was the 7th. Also on the 7th, my brother Daniel got married while he was home. We weren't able to make that ceremony because, well, we didn't know about it until Thursday and we had already made plans to stay in Georgia until Sunday! Oh well, I guess we can't always make it to every thing. This Friday, Lord willing, we will be hosting a family gathering for Daniel before he takes off to Korea. It will be sad to see him go, but like I've said, we are very proud of him.

13 and counting

2009-06-02T08:50:00.006-05:00

I'm writing this today because on Friday I'll be in Fort Benning, GA (Lord willing) watching my brother, Daniel, in his Army graduation ceremony. That same day my daughter will be having her 13th birthday! Where does the time go? I still remember being 50 lbs heavier while carrying her around inside, wobbling with every step I took and hoping that "today's the day", yet terrified at the same time that it would be. She was due (supposedly) on May 25th, but decided to hang around a few extra days, so I was really, really ready for her to arrive.

I won't bore you with gorey and boring details of my labor, but I will say it was an extremely long ordeal, but it was oh so worth it! Dwight and I elected NOT to have the doctor tell us if our baby was a boy or girl, but I KNEW with all my being that she was a girl. When the she was born and the doctor said, "It's a girl!" I was elated! Then when we heard her cry it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. Her voice was raspy and deep for a girl. In fact, all our family and friends on the other side of the door thought we had a boy instead. When they found out she's a girl, my best friend said that she has an alto voice. ;0)

Well, here we are 13 years later. I can't say enough good things about my daughter. She is such a joy and a blessing. God has enriched our lives so much because of this precious girl, or I should say "lady" now. She is loving and kind, talented and intelligent, and she is even very responsible. She is trust worthy and respectful of others (with the exception of her brother from time to time, but that's only natural). She has yet to demonstrate your typical teenager's attitude and I pray that she never does.

Today she wants to get her ears pierced. We will be going to pick up her friend and then we'll head to the store. I was the same age when I got my ears pierced and so I told her years ago that 13 was a good age for something like that. She's also excited about this year's birthday because she will be old enough to get her own debit card. Since she is very responsible, we're going to allow her to do so. Her brother, on the other hand, probably not when he's 13! ;0) Isn't it funny how different our children can be sometimes?

Well, thanks for going down memory lane with me and sharing the joy of my precious daughter. I simply cannot thank my God enough for her - for both of my children. It was the birth of my children that brought me so much closer to my heavenly Father than I ever thought possible. I can see so much more clearly how much He loves me and why.

Thank you, Father, for the gift of my children. I pray that Dwight and I will raise them to be godly, holy followers of You and Your Son. Amen!

What's all the fuss?

2009-05-27T14:43:00.010-05:00

I've been dealing with anger lately. It manifested itself to the point where it has caused marital conflict. Things finally came to a head one day last week and I had no choice but to deal with this anger head-on. I went before the Lord in prayer. I read many passages of Scripture. I listened to Godly council via Beth Moore studies online ("Every Day Offenses" and "Offenses That Devastate"). I requested prayer from close, trusted friends. I attempted to fast (but I didn't make it past the afternoon due to a throbbing headache. I've never been able to fast, but that's a different topic). I finally came to a point where I was able to admit - I was harboring anger. I confessed it before the Lord and repented.

Why am I sharing this with you? I've always been an open book when it comes to my struggles and I don't intend on stopping now. I know that I learn and am encouraged when others are open with me and I believe it's biblical (my interpretation of Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13 and Romans 12:7-9). So I wanted to share with you the Bible verses and some of the insight I received that helped me:

Proverbs 19:11 "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." The word "overlook" means "To move beyond it".

James 4:1-2 "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask."

There was quote that Beth Moore used, "Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die from it."
Matthew 6:9-15 "... forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" and "For if you forgive others their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others... neither will your Father forgive you."

II Corinthians 10:3-5 talks about strongholds. A stronghold is when we become mentally hung up on something. Unforgiveness is a stronghold every time.

Matthew 6:13 is "sandwiched" between verses talking about forgiveness. Matthew 6:13 is the verse that says, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." So, if we do not forgive, then we can't expect to avoid temptation and deliverance.

"There is nothing that has greater capacity to lead us into temptation than unforgiveness."
"Every time we refuse to forgive, Satan will outwit us and he will have a scheme." Both quotes from Beth Moore, based on II Corinthians 2:10-11 and Hebrews 12:15.

It's never fun admitting sin - never. But it's much, much worse holding onto it. I'm so thankful that when I confess my sins, God is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins (I John 1:9).

Let me end with another quote from Beth Moore (sorry to those of you who don't like her) "We are never more Christ-like than when we forgive."

Luke 23:34 "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Field trip fun

2009-05-20T12:42:00.011-05:00

The kids and I went on our last school field trip for the '08-'09 school year. We went to the Shiloh National Military Park to see where one of the many Civil War battles happened. It was a beautiful place, so open and green; but thinking of how many men died there in that one place was quite sobering. Civil War history (well, history in general) has always fascinated me. I try to comprehend what the real reason behind this war was. I still read conflicting reports and information regarding this. My post today, however, is not about why the Civil War occurred, but rather the outing that my kids and I had with other families from our home school cover.

The day was as beautiful as the scenery. Low 70's with a breeze and full sunshine. The tour entailed viewing a 25 minute video on the Battle of Shiloh. It was a video from 1957, so the quality was not very good. After the video we went to see a man dressed as a Confederate soldier give a rifle demonstration. He also explained the purpose of his uniform and gear.

Next we toured the cemetery where the Union soldiers were buried. The Confederate soldiers who died there were left in the mass graves that were dug for them - sad. After the cemetery walk we went to the book store and looked at overpriced souvenirs. Thankfully my kids didn't bug me to buy them anything (even they knew the stuff was overly priced). A picnic lunch was enjoyed after the brief shopping. The kids played freeze tag for several minutes after we consumed our lunches. Oh how I wish I had their level of energy!

Finally we loaded up in our vehicles and went on the driving tour of the rest of the battlefields. We saw monument after monument and canon after canon. The last site on the tour was the "Bloody Pond".

After leaving Shiloh, we decided to stop in Corinth, MS to go through an interactive museum. There we read even more information regarding the Civil War. It was here that I read a few things that I had never heard before, which causes me to question the whole "why did this happen"? This was a small museum, but packed full of information including several copies of letters and diary entries from the soldiers and their families. The kids viewed a couple more short videos and listened to some "eye witness" accounts portrayed by actors via recordings.

We finally started back home. This was almost a three hour drive one way, so our entire day was taken up with this one field trip. It was enjoyable and educational - just what a field trip is supposed to be!

posted outside of library

2009-05-13T12:59:00.003-05:00

WHY NOT? I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT MYSELF. ;0)

Fiddler has begun!

2009-05-08T23:45:00.008-05:00

My daughter and me back stage.

My son and me at rehearsal.

Well, last night was opening night for Fiddler on the Roof. It is a lot of fun, but it sure is tiring. I felt like a train hit me this morning. I sure wish I had my twenty something energy back again. The kids are having a good time being in the production as well. My son has asked if we can be in another one, but I don't see that happening any time soon. We've had to make some adjustments to our appearances in order to come across as Jewish. My son and I dyed our hair a darker color. My daughter is wearing a wig. I just didn't have the heart to dye her beautiful blonde hair (even though she has begged me to). I'll be glad when my natural hair color returns. I don't care for the darker version. My son likes his, though. Opening night went very well. I think the nervous energy kept every body hopping. Tonight I was tired and I don't think I did as well, but hopefully nobody else noticed. We have five more performances before it's all said and done. I'll be glad, but at the same time I'll be sad. We have met some really great people and I will hate to say goodbye. I'm sure we'll have good intentions of keeping in touch, but you know how that goes. Of course we do have facebook in this day and age, and that will make keeping in touch with some of them easier. What did we do before facebook? ;0) I hope you enjoy the photos I've taken so far. I will try to take and post more in the future.

Before and after hair color:

Praying God's Will

2009-05-05T10:03:00.003-05:00

I'm currently reading the book THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL by David Jeremiah. This is the second time for me to read this book. The first time was several years ago, so it really feels like the first time. I really enjoy reading this book. The author really makes Daniel more personable to me.
I wanted to share with you a passage from the book; one that has stood out above the rest (at least so far, I'm not finished reading it). It's from the 14th chapter entitled "Down on Your Knees". It reads:
"When Daniel read in the Book of Jeremiah that God was going to keep His people in captivity for seventy years and then release them, he believed it. Then a very strange thing happened. He began to pray that God would do what He was going to do. Wait a minute, if God's going to do it, why should we pray? At this point we discover one of the most tremendous principles about prayer.
God knows His plan, and even when He reveals His plan to us, He expects us to pray over that plan. The Bible says, 'If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15).
Sometimes I get the impression that I have misunderstood the meaning of prayer. Prayer is not to get God to change His will. If we really believe that the will of God is perfect, then why would we want Him to change it? Our prayers really ought to be prompted out of our deep understanding of what the will of God is. There are a lot of folks who go to prayer, not to ascertain the will of God, but to ask Him to do what they want. Prayer is not getting God to adjust His program to what we want, it is adjusting our lives to the revealed will of God. When we pray, it isn't God who changes, it's us. Maybe we've been looking for change at the wrong end of the cycle."

Well, there it is. Pretty good stuff, huh?

too much of a good thing

2009-05-02T18:41:00.004-05:00

Well, we have had a lot of rain lately. So my garden is now under water and I'm concerned that some, if not all of it, will be lost. We have already harvested and eaten some of the lettuce, so I guess it's not a total loss. Still, all that work; I hope it'll be OK.

No more failing grades?

2009-04-27T10:32:00.004-05:00

I worry about my kids not learning what they need to under my guidance. Well, at least I know they ARE learning something and that their grades are well earned, whatever they might be. Apparently these days some public schools are no longer giving out an "F" for failing; or at least their not calling an "F" an "F". Now it's an "H" for "held". So, if your a kid in one of these public schools, and you don't turn in your homework or pass your tests - NO PROBLEM! We'll (the school) just give you an "H" and call your grade "held" to give you ANOTHER opportunity to try. I'm sorry, but everyone has the same opportunity, and if you don't take it the first time around, you shouldn't get a second chance. I mean, come on! Here's the link to the article. I promise, I'm not making this up. I just don't get it. Are we so afraid to hurt someone's feelings, that now giving someone who doesn't pass the grade the "F" they deserve is considered wrong, or politically incorrect? It's beyond ridiculous! I just don't get it.

Why Do We (I) Doubt?

2009-04-22T08:02:00.006-05:00

This morning I was reading in the book of Acts chapter 3. The headliner for this chapter is "Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar". Please read it:

Acts 3

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. ¹²When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. (bold and italics mine)

These verses really struck a chord with me. So many of us wonder (I assume I'm not the only one) why there aren't as many miracles witnessed these days. If that's true, then it has to be a lack of faith - right? Why do we (I) doubt that God can and WILL do miracles for us today? I know that I'm guilty of praying for someone's healing but in the not-so-far-back of my mind I doubt that they will be healed. So sometimes we (I) pray, "Please heal him/her, but if not, Your will be done" like that's some sort of disclaimer or something. Am I making sense? Is it because we haven't physically witnessed with our eyes the miraculous healings that the apostles did? Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe". This was referring to salvation, but does it also refer to miracles? I wonder what it will take for my faith to increase to the point that I would have the boldness and confidence of Peter to approach a crippled person and say, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." WOW! What faith! I so want that!

Bargain Bust and Dental Distress

2009-04-14T21:15:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I spent probably 1 1/2-2 hours going through sales papers, cutting coupons and printing coupons off the Internet, then matching coupons to local sales. Today after my dentist appointment (I won't even go there because it's a dark and tormenting place), I began my bargain shopping. Target was my first stop. I was very excited because I had seen several bargains named on a blog that I frequently check; these deals would've gotten me products for free after my stacked coupons. However, when I get to Target I quickly see that every single item I was after was out-of-stock! Grrrr! This is only Tuesday, how could they already be out of EVERY SINGLE ITEM?! Well, at least I was able to get a white chocolate mocha at Starbucks while I was there. The next stop was Rite-Aid - same thing happened. Then CVS - SAME THING HAPPENED! It's like all the coupon queen bees had sent their scouts before me and swiped up the deals - *sigh*. Well, I still had one more stop, so I dragged myself to the grocery store for the essentials. At least it wasn't crowded and it was actually a bit relaxing since I was by myself. After all that running around I rushed home to unload the groceries and then hit the road headed for rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof. My mouth was still a bit numb from the dentist and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to sing very well. I was also hungry, but not able to take a big bite of anything. Have I told you before how much I utterly detest, loathe, despise and hate going to the dentist? OK, so I'll tell you about the visit to the dentist. Tell the children to leave the room, because it ain't pretty! Today's visit was Part I of a crowning. TWO HOURS I'm in the chair with my mouth wide open, four hands and cold, hard instruments jammed inside! This particular dentist I've never met before. She is a lovely woman, but she has the voice of Snow White for crying out loud! I fully expected her to glide over to the window, pull up the pane and yodel for birds and squirrels to come help her with the drilling! I'm sorry, but I don't want Snow White drilling on my tooth - I want Dr. Twenty Years of Experience with a Nice Baritone, Fully Confident and Knowledgeable Voice working on my not-so-pearly whites! Whenever she asked the assistant for something, the assitant said, "Hmmm?" and she had to repeat herself. Not only that, but she (Dr. Snow White) was humming with the radio, which was blaring above the sound of the drill and the suction tube thingie. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I'd rather give birth then go to the dentist! Unfortunately I have to return in two weeks for Part II. Dr. Snow White assured me that the next visit shouldn't take quite as long. I SHOULD HOPE NOT! I really want to ask for Mr. Nose, but I'm pretty sure insurance doesn't cover it for people over ten years of age. So all in all, today was a bust. I guess I'll try and be like Annie and sing about the sun coming out tomorrow. Hey- maybe Dr. Snow White and I can sing a duet!

Stop It!

2009-04-11T18:00:00.001-05:00

I can't help myself. This is one of my favorite video clips ever. I've shared it on myspace and facebook, but for those of you who don't use either, here you go...

Mourning into gladness

2009-04-09T07:05:00.009-05:00

Not all anniversaries are happy ones. Today is the 2nd anniversary of the death of my mother and grandmother. Let me tell you that I can't believe it's been two years; it just doesn't seem possible. However, I'm not here to bring you down. Hopefully I will be an encouragement to you today. You see, even though the death of my loved ones took me to the pit of despair, my Savior lifted me up out of that pit and rescued me, healed me, comforted me, delivered me and yes - He has turned my mourning into gladness! Who else but Jesus can do such a thing? If you don't know Jesus, man, I don't know what to say. I literally would not still be here on this earth if it weren't for my Jesus! I urge you to seek salvation through Jesus Christ. He promises that if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you of those sins and to cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness! AMAZING!

Psalm 18 was seemingly written for me and everything I felt. Especially verses 4-6

"The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

There is a song that our worship leader, Dean Lusk, introduced to us recently. It is my new favorite worship and praise song - "Savior". This song could not be any closer to what I feel/believe about my Lord. I mean, this song describes every way that Jesus revealed Himself to me - AWESOME!

Fruit Salad

2009-04-05T07:38:00.011-05:00

There have been two incidences this past week where I have utterly failed at demonstrating the love of Christ to my fellow man. I will put it this way - I was butt ugly (sorry if that offends, but that's the best way to describe it). Unfortunately one of the outbursts was toward my children. Both times I was past my hunger point, which makes me extremely irritable, but that's no excuse is it? I also later realized that I'm on the "P" in the "MS" cycle (sorry, guys) but again, that's no excuse. So instead of exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit, I have consistenly chewed up the fruits and spit them out as if they were part of a spoiled fruit salad. This breaks my heart when I realize the way I have hurt the name of Christ. When will I ever be able to walk as those who have gone on before me? I'm currently reading about Daniel and how he maintained his composure and his testimony before the most vile of men in the most uncomfortable (to say the least) circumstances - being taken captive and removed from your home, placed into the most ungodly of cities, surrounded by pagan worship, etc. Yet there is no record of him blowing up and losing his cool like I have of late. Yes, God forgives and gives me chance after chance, and for that I'm grateful. I am still grieved, however, that I have not yet "arrived". It just goes to show that living in Christ is not easy and if I'm not daily putting on my armor, it's impossible. Man, I wonder when I'll finally get it through this thick head of mine that I can NOT go a day without spending time with my Lord! To be truthful, I've been convicted about this blogging thing. I don't write posts everyday, but I do read MANY others and it has sucked so much time out of my days. Time I should be spending with my Lord, with my family, with my other responsibilities. There has to be a change. I can't continue to feed my flesh and expect to grow in the Spirit. I know some of you have had this same struggle. What began out of a desire to share our faith with as many people as possible via the Internet has turned into a time trap that robs us of our 'quiet time'. Well, you might have already worked through your struggle and found a proper balance. I'm just beginning to realize the need for balance. I do enjoy sharing in the walk of others, being challenged by your thoughts. Those are good things. We can encourage each other, pray for each other, point fingers and laugh out loud at each other! :0) Those are good things. But, like anything, if it takes the place of our God, not so good - not good at all. I am seeking balance. I want to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit - but not in a yucky fruit salad way.

My poor brother!

2009-04-02T18:59:00.008-05:00

My brother, Matt, burned his foot while at work several days ago. He manages a Cracker Barrell and accidentally (of course) spilled 200+ degree water onto his foot. The water went down into his shoe and well, you see the result. This picture was taken last night, I believe, after his room-mates dog jumped on his foot. I peeled some of the skin back. Unfortunately it became infected and he had to have the skin peeled off today. I was supposed to take him to the burn unit to have this done, but my daughter came down with a fever, so my dad took him instead. He called me to let me know he had made it back home. He didn't sound very well at all. I'm sure it must have been excruciating to have that procedure done. Even after all he has been through with the kidney transplant, this still has to be up there on the higher end scale of pain (I thought I had written about his kidney transplant before, but I can't seem to find the post). I hate to see my brother hurting. Well, technically I haven't seen him, only through pictures like this. I've asked him time and time again what I can do to help him. He is so self-sufficient, though, and he always says "nothing". If Mom were here, she would be over there waiting on him and pampering him. I would, too, but I have my kids to take care of. I don't like this feeling of helplessness. Speaking of Mom - next week will be the 2nd anniversary of her passing and Granny's passing. I think that realization has brought on a bit of a blue funk on some of us. My brother, Daniel, is currently in boot camp with the Army. He has been gone for several weeks. I think his graduation is May 8th. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to the Fiddler on the Roof. I didn't realize the conflict in dates until after I obligated myself. Actually, I don't think we had the date of his graduation until after I signed up for the musical. If the part of Golde had been double cast, I could probably go, but that's not the case. I'm the only one who was cast to play Golde. I realized earlier today when my daughter became ill that having only one person cast for a major role is quite the leap of faith! What if something else happens, God forbid, that would keep me from being in the musical?

Well, please remember to pray for Matt and his quick recovery as well as Daniel's safety in the Army. Thanks, I know you will. ;0)

Copper scrolls

2009-03-30T16:54:00.007-05:00

Yesterday in Sunday School, I heard about the Copper Scrolls for the first time. Fascinating stuff, really. There's a man, Jim Barfield (he's a former fire fighter!), who believes that he has, through God's help, discovered where the items are that are listed on the Copper Scrolls. Evidently the scrolls are a treasure map of sorts that disclose the locations of the Tabernacle items, unimaginable amounts of gold and silver coins, gems and possibly even the Ark of the Covenant! It's things like these that make me wish I had pursued archeology. When I was in the fifth grade I wanted to be an archeologist. I was sorely disappointed, however, when I realized that King Tut's tomb had already been discovered, so I put that idea out of my head! LOL! (BTW, King Tut's stuff is on display in Atlanta, GA. I desperately want to go see it) Of course I really hate being sweaty and dirty, so I wouldn't make a good archeologist anyway. If you click on the links above they will take you to the websites with videos where I found out more information. If you're into history and biblical archeology I'm sure you'll find it as interesting as I did. Here's another site with pictures.

"Saying no to church"

2009-03-27T20:15:00.010-05:00

I was reading my local newspaper this evening and this article caught my eye. I tried to find an online version to share with you, but it wasn't available, so I'll just type it here for you:

"SAYING NO TO CHURCH IS NOT SAYING NO TO GOD"

For five decades and in growing numbers, American Christians have been saying no to Sunday church. I think it is time we listened.

We have labeled them "unchurched", "nonbelievers", "former Christians", "happy pagans", "lost", and a "mission field" that's "ripe for harvest". These negative terms imply that the absent have a flaw that needs to be addressed.

New congregations have harvested some of these former mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic churchgoers. But even their numbers rise and fall - especially when the founding pastor slips up or retires, and the overall trend in church participation remains down. In some Western states, Sunday churchgoing has fallen below 10 percent of the population.

When this slide commenced in 1964 as baby boomers began graduating from high school, many church leaders didn't even acknowledge it. For years, they kept counting the absent as present. Then, when the losses couldn't be ignored, they blamed them on whatever hot-button issues were roiling the religious establishment, as if new liturgies, women in the leadership, and liberals (or conservatives, take your pick) had driven people away.

We need to see that these "formers" aren't saying not o God, or to their Christian identity, or to their yearning for faith. Many are simply saying no to Sunday church.

They are expressing a preference for something other than getting up early on Sunday, driving across town, sitting in a pew for an hour or more, making small talk with people they don't really know, and driving home again.

They are saying no to Sunday, the only day they can get a slow start in this everyone-works-hard era.

They are saying no to being an audience in an age of participation and self-determination.

They are saying no to institutional preaching, repetitive liturgies, and assemblies controlled by small cadres usually older than themselves.

They are saying no to being told what to believe.

They are saying no to having their questions ignored.

Instead, they find spiritual enrichment on the Internet and on television. They read faith-related books. They pray on their own. They find their own networks of faithful friends.

The problem isn't their faith. The problem is Christianity's delivery system. We are stuck in trying to lure people to physical locations at a time of our choosing, to do what we think they ought to do, and to be loyal in paying for it. It is time we looked beyond the paradigm of Sunday church.

I think the future lies in "multichanneling": a combination of on-site, online, workplace and at-home offerings that create networks of self-determining constituents, many of whom might never attend Sunday church.

The first challenge, however, is to recognize how deeply wedded we are to Sunday on-site participation as the only true expression and measure of faithfulness. Almost everything about our institutions - facilities, ordination training, staffing, budgeting - aims to draw people to a central location on Sunday.

We need to see that what works for some doesn't work for others. Not because the others are flawed, nor because our culture has collapsed and turned against God, but because things change. Just as Jesus took his ministry out of the synagogue and radically rethought the meaning of Sabbath, so God is drawing us away from "former things", even ones we treasure and consider our duty.

Article in The Huntsville Times, Friday March 27th, 2009 edition.

Author: Tom Ehrich is an Episcopal priest based in New York. His web-site is

http://www.morningwalkmedia.com/

This article saddens me so because the majority of people, it seems, think that church is only a one day a week event that has to take place in a building. We are called to live, to be the church - not go to it. This is something that has burdened not only myself, but several people close to me. We all are praying about how to actually "Be the Church" on a daily basis. I don't think there is anything wrong with a weekly meeting or assembling of believers. That is biblical. However, the place, the size of the place, the quality of accommodations isn't what is important. We are to get together to worship, to pray, to encourage one another. I don't think that it's limited to one day a week to do that (see verses below). I don't think that it's limited to one place. In fact, I think the more often we can get together for that purpose, the better! If we are consistently gathering together to worship our Creator, pray for one another and encourage one another with the Scripture, then I think we are more likely to be the living church that God wants us to be. I agree with the author of the above article in that many people are disillusioned with church. It's because the church is not functioning properly. So what do we need to do to change it? Again, that's what I'm praying about and I know several others are as well. Join me in that prayer, would you? Also, if you would like, share your insights with me.

Let me encourage you with these verses: Acts 2:42-47

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Home Again

2009-03-27T07:23:00.009-05:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. We've been camping this week. We didn't go far, though, since I still had to be back for Fiddler on the Roof rehearsals. It was still nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of regular life, though. We usually choose to take our school breaks a different week than the school systems around here. That's so we can have more choices of accomodations and such. We weren't disappointed. We were able to get a spot right beside the river and a little stream. It was quite lovely. Camping isn't for everyone, I know, but it suits our family very well. I like it so much because I feel like a queen! My husband does all of the set-up, most (not all) of the cooking AND the cleaning! Plus he usually takes the kids fishing and I get the place to myself and catch up on my reading. It's very relaxing. The weather was perfect until the last night, when it started raining, so all in all it was a great break. I did miss not having my PC with me. WiFi would be nice, but I don't think I'd use it enough to justify the additional cost.

I played with my camera while we were there. There are still so many features on my camera that I don't know how to use yet. I think I need to watch the tutorial again. I still had pictures from other activities on my camera, so when I downloaded them yesterday I had nearly 300 pictures! I'll probably delete several of them. Since the digital cameras have come along, I rarely ever have pictures printed. So now instead of having boxes and boxes of photos lying around the house, they are all on the computer. This is good in that I don't feel bad for not putting them into photo albums, but then again, I do. Know what I mean?

Enjoy some camping pics.

View from our camper.

Me playing with the camera. Pretty, huh?

Kids posing for me.

Cool shot of bee. I didn't even know the bee was in the picture until I downloaded it!

Excuse me

2009-03-19T07:26:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had to drag my kids to go shopping. They both were in need of clothes but neither of them wanted to go with me. We finally got to the store and I spotted a really cute outfit that I wanted my daughter to try. When I pointed it out to her, she actually liked it so I really wanted her to try it on, especially since it was a skirt (she does not like wearing dresses or skirts). The thing is, the outfit was up on the higher display, out of my reach. The kids and I both searched for the hook thingie that is used to get those higher up things, but we couldn't find one. Well, I really, really wanted to get this down because if there's any chance of my daughter wearing a skirt, I'm going to take it. I look around for a sales associate - not one to be found - of course! Then I look for someone tall. Finally, a couple is walking down the main aisle and the man looks plenty tall enough to help me out, so I approach them. I say "Excuse me, but could you please help me get something that's out of my reach?" They both looked a bit stunned at first, like I was playing a joke on them or something. I point over to the wall and ask again. The man finally realizes I'm serious and says "Yes m'aam". Then the woman with him looks at me with this cold hard stare like I'm asking her man for his phone number or something! I'm thinking, "Sheesh! I just need a little help here! What's the big deal?" So I walk the man over to the outfit and he gets it down for me. I thank him and he walks away. It was really weird, though. So my daughter tries it on, it looks really cute, but of course she hates it. Unfortunately the couple is still in the same area and we keep bumping into them. The vibe from that woman was not good. I finally find something my daughter agrees to, so we go to the check out. There they are again. So I finally just say to the man, "Thank you again for your help. It's not easy being short", and then I deliberately smile at the woman. COLD - HARD - STARE again! You know, the "if looks could kill" glare. What's up with people? Are we not supposed to ask for help anymore? Not even the slightest bit of help? It's not like I was asking for his kidney or anything like that! I guess you had to be there to appreciate the full scale of awkwardness and tension that was in the air. It was difficult for me to be gracious because down inside I really wanted to say to the woman, "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!", but that wouldn't have been very Christ-like, so I refrained. Have you ever asked for help from a stranger and regretted it? I might think twice before I do it again.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T08:44:00.011-05:00

I tried using my 1st St. Patrick's Day post but for some reason it wouldn't work. I don't have much time today, but I wanted to acknowledge the holiday because it's one of my favorites. I don't know why exactly, except that I've always considered myself mostly Irish. I still don't know if that is true or not since I haven't devoted as much time to my family tree research as I would like. Anyway, St. Patrick was a really great guy from what I've read. Supposedly it's not true about him driving out snakes, but even if he didn't he was still cool (again from what I've read). Also, I like the color green and shamrocks are pretty. Another thing I like about the Irish are the blessings:

Christ be with me, Christ be within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
FROM THE BREASTPLATE OF SAINT PATRICK

Deep peace of the running waves to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the smiling stars to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
AN OLD GAELIC PRAYER

Also, the music...

Please, don't - touch - me!

2009-03-11T17:12:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm in a bit of pain now. This morning I started the garden. I planted lettuce, carrots, and strawberries. I forgot how much work it is moving dirt around, digging holes and such. It was quite breezy today and I have a bit of the wind burn look, quite lovely, I'm sure. I was going to plant the rosemary too, but I thought I would wait and put it in a planter. Good thing I decided to do that. Another blogging friend of mine showed a picture of her rosemary bush - yeah, BUSH! Those things get HUGE! So, if I had put it along with my garden, it would probably be a big bush bully and take over the place (like the watermelon did last year). So now my back hurts and my shoulders hurt. I know, I know. I can hear you say, "Quit your whining!" Well, I didn't stop with the gardening. I also groomed my dog today. She's been needing a bath and a haircut for some time now, but since she decided to roll around in the horse doodie that was in the garden, I figured today was as good a day as any to clean her up. NOW, I'm really in a world of hurt. I don't want to move, or breathe, either for that matter. Forget supper tonight! The family will just have to fend for themselves. It won't be the first time they've eaten cereal for dinner, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Well, gotta go and lie on the heating pad - ouch!

myspace blog

2009-03-06T08:39:00.020-06:00

The following is a copy of the myspace blog I told you about before. This discussion took place in January of 2008.

I was sharing w/ my buddies today how God has really been challenging me lately through His word and through the lives of other Christians. My complacency has really begun to disturb me. I don't really even know how to fully express what is going through my mind right now. I am frustrated not only w/ myself but w/ Christians in general. We just are not being what God has intended for us to be. I say 'we' b/c I know I'm not the only one. Looking at the condition of the world and the CHURCH - sadly I can tell that I'm not the only one! So what's to be done? Boy! I've got to GET REAL. What does that mean 'GET REAL'? It means that I have got to start viewing sin as sin in my own life, confess it and repent of it. Then I am to go OUT INTO THE WORLD and tell others about sin, the consequences of sin and the HOPE that's in JESUS! We have become so TOLERANT it's sickening! Jesus did not tell us to be TOLERANT of sin. He told us to love others as ourselves, yes, but He NEVER ONCE SAID TO TOLERATE SIN! If I'm wrong, show me in the Word where Jesus says to put up with sin in someone's life. When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Him He did not condemn HER but He did tell her to "go and leave your life of sin" Jn 3:8-11. Why do we twist the love of Christ into acceptance of sin? If that's what He wanted us to do then there was no reason whatsoever for Him to come to this earth and die on a cross. He could have just continued to speak through prophets and told us to "tolerate" each other, accept the faults of others, live and let live, so on and so on. We have taken God's grace and morphed it into our free pass to sin. I don't know what else to say. I have been challenged, convicted, whatever you wish to call it. I have prayed that God will forgive me - and He has- and use me today and every day. I have asked Him to help me not to worry about what I will say but to give me the words when He wants me to talk to someone about Him. I don't want to go through this day-to-day life minding my own business anymore. People are dying and going to hell and I can't just sit by and tolerate that any more! If you are offended by what I've said I'll take that as a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, God is challenging you too.

myspace blog comments: names changed to protect the innocent (or something like that)

Belle said: Hi Christy,Sounds like you have renewed sense of your faith and purpose, and that's always great. What areas specifically do you think Christians have become to tolerant in? How do you think Christians should show Christ's love to people (christians and non Christians) with whom they disagree?I definitely think the subject of tolerance in church is a very important subject among Christians. I admire you for bringing it out.

I replied: What I'm trying to get across is that we are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can. We cannot assume that others know about the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf and why He chose to do it. When we tell people about sin and the consequences of rejecting Jesus Christ - an eternity in hell, we cannot force them to agree and accept. That's not our responsibility. Our responsibility is only to share the message and to live what we are sharing. My complaint w/ Christians and tolerance of sin is that those of us who know the Truth are not living it ourselves when we - I - continue to sin on a daily basis. My habitual speeding is not OK – it’s breaking the law. God says I should obey and respect those in authority over me. My not sharing the good news of Christ is wrong b/c Christ specifically commanded me to do that. My ‘white lies’, stretching the truth or not telling the whole truth is sin b/c God told me not to lie – period! If I tolerate these, what we would call ‘little sins’, then I am leaving room open for ‘bigger sins’ to be acceptable to me. SIN is SIN – period. We are the ones who tend to categorize sin; God doesn't do that. To Him it is all the same. Lying is just as wrong as murder, cheating on a test is just as wrong as cheating on a spouse, being lazy is just as bad as stealing, gluttony, using God's name in vain, not forgiving each other, putting ourselves before others, the list goes on and on. SIN is SIN in the eyes of God and it should be in ours as well. If someone disagrees with me I should still love them but I shouldn't excuse their choice to live a life w/o Christ. And really, if they reject the gospel of Christ, it's not me they're disagreeing with, it's God. We cannot water down the gospel just so people feel better about themselves. We ALL fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. My sin put Jesus on the cross. Your sin put Jesus on the cross. We may have not done the exact same things, but the details don't matter. I hope my answer has made sense.

Cinderella said: I agree wholeheartedly! We have become entirely too tolerant of sin and just plain LAZY about not doing the work of the Lord like we should be! After watching Rick Burgess speak at his son's funeral, several things he said stuck out in my mind that I have thought or felt about (name removed by me), but I obviously didn't radically change after seeing and thinking those things myself. I let Satan creep in and steal my joy, discourage me, becoming more apathetic, PATHETIC and not carrying out my duty in the great commission. I, too, have confessed that to our Lord and it is going to be a daily battle, I know, to fight this battle against Satan- especially since we are proclaiming it instead of sitting on our butts doing nothing about it. I will pray along with you for us, our churches, and Christians as a whole to break through this mundane living, lazy acting, double standards, apathetic but yet "Christian life" we supposedly live. I love you and am standing in the gap beside you!!

Gaston said: One glaring problem in this area with Christ-followers and those who say they're Christ-followers is that they are tolerant of their own sin and very intolerant of the sin of others, both outside and inside the body of Christ. I don't say this to point at anyone; rather, I have unfortunately seen this in myself far too often. So for me, this is not necessarily about disagreeing with the actions of other people inside or outside of the church, but being tolerant of the sin in my own life. That's a really bad thing! We focus on the "big" sins (like drug abuse, fornication/adultery, etc.) and totally forget the "little things" that Christianity is built upon. On American Idol the other night (I promise, I watch this show because my *family* likes it -- not me!) a waitress auditioned. A waitress with a bad attitude. Her audition was worse than her attitude, matter of fact. The thing that really got to me, and it's been a pet peeve of mine with the church crowd for a long time, was that when Simon (I think) asked her what she liked least about her job, without a moment's hesitation she said something like this:"The Sunday crowd. We have an all-you-can-eat thing. Not a buffet, but one plate at a time. They'll come in and get their plates piled high over and over and they have us running all over the place past each other, and then they tip us ONE DOLLAR!"What a wonderful example of how we Christians are better and more sinless than the rest of the world, eh?It's THAT kind of tolerance of sin that really gets to me. The tolerance of our own -- my own -- sin.

I replied: Thanks, Gaston. You made my point better than I did myself! My complaint is with the Christians, not the world. The world doesn't know any better and won't until we share the Gospel of Christ with them. We 'Christians' claim to know the truth but our lives don't reflect it.

Belle replied: I think that you have done a grat job, Christy, of explaining yourself...and your friend, Gaston, as well."Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Matthew 7:13 I have fallen off of many high horses in life, and I have a difficult time passing judgement on anyone. I think (my own opinion here, to each his own of course) that the world we live in doesn't need Christians to tell them that they are wrong, sinning, doing bad things, etc. What I think the world needs to is to be shown Christ's perfect love through us. That was what was so great about Jesus...he showed love. So, even as we struggle with the logs in our life, we can do it openly and still share Christ's love. I think as Christians, when we are brave enough to show the world we are not perfect, but we can accept out imperfections (and theirs) with Christ's love...we do so much more good.

Gaston said: Although it may not quite sound like it, I believe we all agree here in most respects: Belle said, “I have fallen off of many high horses in life, and I have a difficult time passing judgement on anyone.” Me, too. An embarrassingly silly number of them. The nice thing is that I can tell people about these horses from which I’ve fallen – falls and recoveries that God has used later to teach me about various things; mostly about being truly, honestly thankful. Belle also said, "...when we are brave enough to show the world we are not perfect, but we can accept our imperfections... we do so much more good."A couple of thoughts on that: My acceptance of my own imperfection is simply not a good thing. My learning what it means to be more like Christ and get rid of those imperfections along the way IS a good thing. I don’t want to walk around hanging onto all the old muck from which I've supposedly been cleansed. A dog going back to his vomit and all, you know…At the same time, I don't think for a moment that I should be hypocritical and try to hide my imperfections from people. But saying, "Hey, I'm not perfect, so why should you bother, either?" is not what I’d want to communicate in a million years. (I'm not thinking that's exactly what you meant, though.)Banging people over the head with religious rules and telling them they’re sinners is not what I’d want to do in a million years, either. Jesus never did that. He wasn’t down on “sinners” – rather, He was down on the religious leaders who tried to bang people over the head and tell them they were sinners. :)BUT… the key thing is what Christy noted earlier. Jesus’ message was (and this is in a major, major nutshell and I don’t intend to put words in Jesus’ mouth – I’m just summarizing His message in as few words as I can): "I understand where you’ve been. You can’t change that, and I’m not condemning you for it. But you CAN change the future if you follow Me. Go about your life but stop sinning ('Go and sin no more'). Matter of fact, in some cases you may need to make restitution for the wrong things you’ve done."The fact is, the life of a Christ-follower IS supposed to be different from that of someone who doesn't know Christ, isn't it?

Belle replied: Everyone comes from a different space, and we each address things in our lives as we are directed. For me, accepting my imperfections is a good thing. It doesn't mean that I become comfortable with them, but rather they are a part of who I am, and more importantly, who I am becoming. Like a snake continually shedding its skin. "Owning" my faults, for me, helps me begin the process of disowning them. I see that isn't the way for everyone, though.I believe the things that often separate Christians from non Christians (and often each other) is each persons beliefs about what is and is not sin. The ability to be tolerant of a person's journey when it is completely opposite of your journey is a testament of possessing the ability to show Christ love. It certainly is something, as humans, we all struggle with. I do agree that one who follows Christ should definitely live a life that reflects that.

Jasmine said: I'm going to take my comment in a pretty different direction, since everything that's been said (in Christy's original blog and in the comments) I agree with and don't have much to add on those subjects. But since witnessing has been mentioned, I thought I'd give my two cents on that topic...I get witnessed to on a very regular basis, because I guess I look like I need it or something. Who knows. Anyway, almost every experience I've had with someone witnessing to me has been uncomfortable and negative. The person often seems confrontational, judgemental or ingenuine, but usually all of the above. I get the impression that they have absolutely no interest in me other than they feel obligated to give me a tract so they've fulfilled an obligation. Telemarketers set me more at ease than the people who witness to me, honestly. The thing is, these people aren't saying or doing anything especially strange. They're following the evangelism script that I've heard explained as an effective witnessing tool. But having to hear it from "the other side of the fence" made me really question if a one-size-fits-all sales pitch is a healthy mentality for Christians to have. I guess what I'm saying is I feel like witnessing has become a formulaic agenda with little consideration for the individual we may be witnessing to. And I feel like we often excuse our methods with the attitude that if they don't accept well, then we tried and it's their loss. But I mean, shouldn't we be more sensitive to the individual and tailor our conversation around them, seeing as how we're giving them the most important information they'll ever receive? In my opinion, the best way to go about it is to befriend a person, get to know their personality, and then when you share your salvation experience with them, it will come totally natural because you're not looking at them as a potential convert, but as a friend with whom you want to share experience and knowledge that has been instrumental in your life. And also because you've had time to gauge how they may respond and pray for them specifically in advance. There's no pressure on either person and no one feels uncomfortable or singled out, and your friend (even if they don't accept) will easily be able to see that you're sharing out of love and not out of obligation, and they'll be able to understand the message more deeply. I'm sure many Christians disagree with me on this, probably due to the sense of urgency the feel when they consider how many lost people may be out there. They may see my approach as inefficient or even spineless or lazy. And I do agree that there are times and situations where it would be best to witness "up front" without getting to know the person. And I didn't mean to imply that people that use that style of witnessing are any less sincere than people that use the slower-paced style that I prefer, as I have no reason to believe their motives are less than honorable...I'm just going by how I feel when people witness to me, and thinking in terms of how I'd like to be treated. Also, my impression of Jesus's ministry is one where prayer, preparation and quiet reflection took priority over doing as many good deeds as physically possible. I think maybe sometimes we think that being constantly "at work" is always God's will for our lives, when perhaps putting all that pressure on ourselves to make things happen can cause us to miss things that are happening at a different pace than ours.

Gaston replied: A friend of mine blogged the other day, "I'm trying to avoid praying for things like 'help them see their current path may not fit your plan' or 'Help him/her understand your message'. What if they already understand His message? What if it's ME that doesn't understand?"Bada-boom! Right on.I think I may have miscommunicated my point in my last novel up there -- sorry about that, Cinderella. I'm not as closed-minded as I apparently sound. My "open-mindedness" is probably something many churchy people see as a fault of mine.
Or maybe I didn't sound closed-minded... I just noticed the little smiley face thingy and the "I agree 100%" note. D'oh (note from me: smiley face lost in translation)

Finally I close by saying: OH my goodness, Jasmine! This is exactly what I was praying about last night! I really want to be used by God to share the good news, but I don't want to go through a class or a program in order to learn a script or 'method' or whatever you would call it. I want to be real and personable to every person that God has me talk to. I'm not trying to be critical of those who feel the need to memorize a method or use acronyms, it's just not the way I want to go. I've actually tried one of those ways in the past (a LONG time ago) and all it did was make me flustered b/c I couldn't remember exactly what I was supposed to say. That made me gun shy for quite a while! Your point about befriending people is valid and I agree with that. It is far from spineless and lazy. I think befriending people takes a great deal of courage, time and effort. However, there are many people that I will come into contact with on any given day that I will never see again. If God tells me to share w/ someone at a moment's notice, then I need to act on that and be obedient. So here's where I am on the issue: I am willing to be used by God whenever and where ever He wants me to share the gospel. He promises us that He will give us the words to say and I trust Him to do just that. Thanks for your input, it was right on! ;)

Well, I hope you all stayed with me through all of the conversation, and I hope you found it as interesting as I did. Also, I hope that changing the original names to names of Disney characters didn't cheapen the discussion for you. The reason I wanted to share ALL of this with you is because some of the others sayed what I wanted to say, only better, and I wanted you to get it all. So, for those of you have hung in there and read it all, what do you think?

so much to change

2009-03-05T08:32:00.008-06:00

I don't know about you, but I'm the type that is easily overwhelmed. I've probably told you that before, many times, and you're sick of hearing it. It sounds like a lame excuse, doesn't it? I suppose it IS a lame excuse. What am I easily overwhelmed about, you ask? Well there are so many things in my personal life and in the body of Christ that I see and feel should be changed or at least improved on, yet being the one to initiate that change or improvement - that would be where the overwhelment comes in. Is overwhelment a word? Hold on while I check... OK, the thefreedictionary.com says it's not, sorry about that. What do I feel needs to be changed or improved, you ask? You are so good at humoring me with your questions! I'll try to list them:

Personally speaking (not necesarily in order of importance):

Budgeting - staying on budget. I can do it on paper, but following through with it's another thing. Using the cash envelope system helps, but more often than not I'll rob one envelope because I've spent all of the cash out of another (eating out is my weakness).
Exercising - need I say more? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Being faithful with my quiet time.
Homeschooling my kids - I worry that I'm not doing enough and that they'll grow up educationally crippled.
Reaching out to my neighbors. I'm such a hermit and don't like getting outside for any extended length of time unless I'm camping.

Body of Christ (again, not necesarily in order of importance, although they're probably equal):

Men - where are you? I don't see many Godly men taking a stand and leading. (In all fairness, this isn't something that I can change, anyway. Being a woman in the church - that's a whole other subject. If ALL who professed to know Christ acted on that, LIVED that - well, it would be noticeably different, I think.)
Concern/urgency to witness (still waiting permission to share comments on that - post coming soon).
TRUTH - God's word in context. I see and hear God's word used out of context so much it's maddening. We need to stop picking and choosing verses here and there to fit our theme of the day!
Programs, programs, programs.
Sincerity in worship - I want desperately to see the Body of Christ delirious for Him! You know, like so many of us are for our favorite college football team - that kind of insanity, only for Christ! I'm not saying we should paint our bodies with "G", "O", "D", but we should be throwing up our hands, bouncing up and down and shouting at the top of our lungs "He is RISEN!", "I am REDEEMED!", "Christ LIVES in ME!", "THANK YOU, JESUS!"
Mentorship. I very much desire for an older woman to mentor me. Since that hasn't happened, I wonder, should I go and ask for a lady to do so or should I start being the mentor to a younger girl now? There's just not much of this going on, that I can see, in the local churches.

So these are things that overwhelm me when I stop and think about them and actually doing something about them.

while in rehearsal

2009-03-04T15:33:00.008-06:00

Tuesday night I went to rehearsal for Fiddler on the Roof (FOTR). It went well as far as I could tell, anyway. Some of us were given a break at one point, while others were working on choreography. As I sat and waited and watched, I thought to myself, "I'm just sitting here doing nothing. I thought God wanted to use me here", and then I began looking around at the others who were just hanging around. I started wondering, "Who am I supposed to minister to?" and such. Then I realized that I was trying too hard to make this witnessing thing happen. I then decided that I need to be in a continual mindset of prayer and just wait for the Holy Spirit to prompt me to action. If I try to manipulate things, I will just make a mess. I am eager and excited to be used by God and to share the reason for the joy that is within me, but if I try too hard I might come off the wrong way to people.

I was reading some of my blog posts that I had shared on myspace back before I had this site. One of the blogs touched on witnessing and the urgency I've been feeling to be a better witness. There were some very interesting comments made. I've debated on whether or not to copy and paste all of the correspondences, but I wonder if those people would be offended by my sharing their thoughts in a different forum. I'm waiting for their permission before I share that conversation here. Of course, I could always change the names to protect the innocent - that sounds pretty cool! I think I'll do that, so hold your breath until my next post. Of course now it'll be a let down since I've made such a big deal out of it.

*Little side note here: Should I bother with the label posts? Does anyone ever really click on them?

nothing in particular

2009-03-02T19:11:00.008-06:00

I have absolutely nothing in particular to write about. I guess I could write about the musical, but there's nothing new to add about that, really. I could write about the recent Bible study I'm doing, but my brain is too tired to remember anything of significance at the moment. I could write about how our school days are going, but that would be a drag. I could write about how the coupon/budget thing is working out for me, but that's not very exciting, either. You see? Nothing! *sigh* I suppose the good thing about having nothing to say is that nothing bad is happening in my life. I am having a bit of trouble with the right side of my jaw - it keeps locking up on me. However, that is just about as exciting as watching butter melt. I really need to keep a small note pad and pen with me all the time, because it seems like I can think of things to blog about at the strangest times. Remembering them when I actually have the time to sit down and write about - different story. I have a friend who writes notes on her hands so she'll remember. Maybe I need to start doing that. My concern with that idea is that I have a bad habit of leaning my head on my hands and the ink could rub off onto my face. Now that would be something to write about, huh?

what a revelation!

2009-02-25T14:27:00.005-06:00

The kids and I are still studying the book of Revelation. It's not exactly a book that you can go through quickly. We are on chapter 14 right now. It's a very exciting chapter to me in that it reminds me of God's mercy and long suffering. Revelation 14:6-7 says, "And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.'" We read a cross reference in Matthew 24:14 which says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." The quote in the kids' book says, "Do you see how loving and merciful God is? Even with all His judgements on earth, He sends an angel with the eternal gospel. God does not wish for anyone to perish. He is giving mankind another chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ before it is too late!"

AMEN! Have you made your choice?

frustrating dreams

2009-02-22T20:59:00.004-06:00

I had another dream, but nothing like the one from the other night. This one was a dream brought on, I believe, by the recent news of home invasions in near-by cities, one of which was a friend of ours. Anyway, in my dream my front door had been left unlocked and just as I was realizing this, a man barged in on me. I had time to go get a gun, but when I shot at him the gun was empty (I've had this dream SOOOO many times). I toss the gun and go to the kitchen to get a knife (actually I get several). When I throw one of the knives at the man, he catches it and smiles wickedly. By now there are several men inside the home. That's really the extent of my dream since my alarm clock woke me up. As I mentioned, I have had dreams like this before where I was trying to defend myself but my gun would be empty or something similar. I wonder if this is because subconsciously I don't really want to kill anyone. Have you ever dreamt similar things? What do you make of it? In case you haven't noticed, I consider dreams to be important. Of course I know that sometimes I dream crazy dreams because I had too much spicey food right before bed, or because I'm feverish, but otherwise I like to think about my dreams and try and figure them out; at least try and figure out WHY I had the dream, not necessarily it's meaning.

visibly shaken

2009-02-21T08:17:00.010-06:00

Last night I awoke at around 12:40 a.m. (I guess I should say "this morning" instead). I had had a nightmare. This nightmare was so bad that at first I couldn't even remember what it was about, yet I was extremely afraid. I awakened my husband but I didn't want to talk about the dream. Actually the memory of it was just starting to trickle back into my brain, and I could not yet verbalize it. I felt physically ill from this nightmare! I was shaking, and extremely disturbed and distressed. I wanted to come and write out the dream and share it here, but instead went to my closet and wrote it down in my paper journal. Afterwards I was disturbed even more and I just sat there and cried. What made me so frightened? Well, after having remembered the dream, I started to doubt if I am as close to God as I have been thinking, and if something I felt strongly about having heard from Him was actually Him and not the enemy. Doubts plagued me. I decided that I needed the Word, and felt compelled to read Jeremiah 29:11-13, so that's what I did. I read the words and couldn't help but cry even more. I was too upset to go back to sleep -actually I was afraid to go back to sleep! I didn't want to keep my husband up, so I went to the kitchen where we keep the computer and logged on. I searched the Living Proof ministries website and found a link that would allow me to listen to some of Beth Moore's lectures. The first one was from 1 Peter 1:1-9, proving us genuine. These verses helped to calm me. It was a 30 minute lesson, and one I needed to hear at the time. Another lecture I listened to was from Ephesians 3. It was 47 minutes long and again, what I needed to hear. The Word quieted my spirit and reminded me that I had indeed heard God's voice and not the enemy's. The nightmare was from the enemy. I remembered that God does not give us a spirit of fear and that He gives sleep to those He loves. I was able to go back to bed and eventually back to sleep.
I praise God, my Father, for His Word! I praise Him for His promise to complete the work He has started in me.

Lie to Me

2009-02-19T16:51:00.003-06:00

Have you seen Fox's "Lie to Me"? So far this show is one of my new favorite TV shows. The concept is a bit unique and I really like the cast. It also makes me think. For instance, I can't help but wonder if there are really people who specialize in this type of science - body language. I think there are. I've seen a lady on Bill O'Reilly who gives her take on celebrities and politicians and such. But what I wonder is how they can really enjoy life if they can tell what everyone else is really thinking and/or feeling. I think it would start to drive me crazy after a while. It would be distracting and probably a bit frustrating to try and talk to someone, watch their facial twitches and body shrugs and think "you are such a liar, but I'm going to stand here and pretend I don't know that". Maybe it would be fun, but I don't think so. At least from watching this fictional man, I feel sorry for him and his partners. The main character has a teen aged daughter who lies to him and of course he knows it, but he lets it slide for the most part because he doesn't want to push her away. The lady main character's husband is cheating on her (at least it's insinuated) and she acts like she doesn't know, but come on, you know she does. And then the other female character is overly cautious about becoming involved with someone because she doesn't want to deal with it on a personal level. Then there's the comical relief character who is a guy and is bluntly honest because he knows everyone he works with is a specialist and would know if he was lying or not! He really does say what is on his mind! So far the show has been relatively smut free, but I'm not going to hold my breath and expect it to stay on that course. It seems like a show will be like that for about four to six weeks and then they start getting bad and then to worse. That's why I stopped watching CSI and ER a long time ago. But I'll enjoy this one while it lasts. (warning: the "a" word is in this video)

Guess what I'm doing?

2009-02-17T21:16:00.008-06:00

Nope, that's not it. You'll never guess, so I might as well just tell you. I'm going to be in a musical (remember, this is one of things on my "want to do list", or bucket list)! This past weekend I auditioned for a part in Fiddler on the Roof. A cousin of mine told me about the auditions on Monday or Tuesday. I auditioned Saturday (it was a BLAST), had a call back for Sunday and I've been cast for the role of Golde - the wife of the main character Tevye. How cool is that? I'm terribly excited and extremely terrified! I've never done anything major like this before. I've been in several church production musicals, but nothing like this. Rehearsals start soon and I'll be rehearsing two to three times a week until the actual production, which is in May. That's a pretty good chunk of time, huh? I know some of you might think this is crazy, but the reason I tried out in the first place is because I think God wanted me to. For some reason, He wants me to be a part of this experience. I have no idea why, but I'm willing to go along with it, have fun, and seek His will for the outcome. If you're not familiar with Fiddler on the Roof, I encourage you to watch it. (Brenda, I know you don't like musicals, but maybe you can at least try this one.) It's a great story and I'm thrilled to be a part of telling it (or singing it). There will be many challenges ahead of me - memorization, time management, not neglecting my family, and probably some I haven't even thought of yet. I feel a little silly asking this, but prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Enjoy the clip!

approved for all audiences

2009-02-15T07:03:00.004-06:00

My husband and I went out last night for our anniversary. We went to Red Robin for dinner (Macaroni Grill had a 2-hour wait) and then we went to a movie. Dwight wanted to see "Taken" because he had heard people say it was good, so that was the movie we went to see. The movie was pretty good, but what bothered me were the previews. Supposedly these previews are "approved for all audiences", but it really bothers me how someone could think that showing teenagers making out and blatently talking about and pursuing losing their purity is suitable for all audiences! Not only that but there were scenes of girls kissing girls and men kissing men! I turned to my husband and I said, "This is too much! I feel like I'm in Sodom and Gomorrha!" It's a been a long time since we've been to the movie theater. We usually just rent what we want to see on DVD. After last night, I don't think I'll ever want to go to the movie theater again. I wonder how many parents let their teenagers go to the movies alone each week. I wonder how many parents know what's being displayed on the big screen before their children's eyes. I wonder if we're all just too calloused to this wickedness that it doesn't even bother us any more. I wonder why the Lord hasn't come back yet! I've heard people say that Jesus hasn't come back yet because the world isn't as evil as it was when the Flood happened or when Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed. If the world isn't that evil again yet - I dread to see it when it is!

17th Wedding Anniversary

2009-02-13T18:28:00.005-06:00

This Valentine's Day marks my 17th wedding anniversary! I find it hard to believe it's been that long. I met my husband where the two of us worked. It really has been a great 17 years. I find that every day I love him more and more. I look up to him in so many ways, and not just because he's 6'4"! He is such an awesome person. I don't know of anyone else who is more giving of his time and talents to anyone who is need. He never ceases to amaze me in how great a father he is, and he is such a wonderful provider. Not only does he work three jobs, he can repair practically anything, so we rarely have to fork out money we don't have to pay someone else or buy new things. He is Godly, loving, kind, gentle and wise. He would be the first to tell you that if we were to try and count ALL of his good qualities, we'd be here a while! Yep, he has a great sense of humor too (just ask him). ;0)

Well, I guess that's enough bragging for now, but I really do mean everything I said.

Are You "Testy"?

2009-02-11T08:13:00.011-06:00

I wanted to share some thoughts that I had from the Beth Moore sessions I participated in at the womens retreat this past weekend. As I previously mentioned, the title or theme of the weekend was "Loving Well". Beth went over four categories of people that we interact with during our lifetime, and how we respond in love - or not. Here are the four categories:

Joy - people who are a joy for us to love (Phil. 4:1)
Testy - people who really test us and we struggle to love (Phil. 4:2)
Foe - people who we don't love at all, but actually hate, Beth says, "you hate with all your being"
Far - people who are strangers (Mt. 25:34-40)

We were instructed to picture faces for each category of people. Beth told us to really search our hearts and be brutally honest about this. I found myself thinking of more "joy" people than anything, which made me feel really good. There are a few "testies", but for the most part, I think that I am testy! Foe - I really can't think of any (at least not any new ones - I've forgiven several people in my day). However, I did recall how recently I considered God my foe. Scary, huh? After the death of my mom and grandmother, I was so angry with God that I must have considered Him my foe. I shared this with the ladies at the retreat. I told them how God allowed me to stomp my feet, shake my fists, scream and cry and yell - you know, pitch a major fit. All the time I was doing that and telling God how mad I was at Him for taking my mother - He still loved me. That blows my mind! When I recall how ugly I was, how ungrateful and selfish I was, yet God never stopped loving me! It truly is amazing, people!

Beth also pointed out in her message that just as I am a woman and nothing could ever change that, God IS LOVE. He can't help but love us because HE IS LOVE. It's His nature. Awesome! There were several 'sound bites' I call them that Beth said that really struck a chord with me:

God measures maturity by how we love.
We need to ask God to minster to us before we can minister to others.
God won't do through us what we don't let Him do to us.
We won't love well until we feel well loved.
Let's start loving because we are already loved, not so we will be loved. (I John 4:19)

And finally the strangers in our lives. Beth shared how we need to "stop, pause and minister" to the strangers we meet. Isaiah 58:6-12 says that when we reach out to those who are in need, then we will find healing. Isn't it amazing how God shows us that when we give of ourselves WE receive even more? Isn't that crazy? The world would have us believe that we have to take, take, take in order to be happy. But God says that we won't be happy and fulfilled until we learn to give and to love.

I have to admit that my brain can't comprehend the magnitude of this message. I'm not sure I'll completely understand it all this side of heaven, you know? There are so many days that I don't feel lovable or loving, and seperating feelings from fact doesn't come easily to me. It's the battle of the mind taking place on a regular basis.

Well, there's my love message (from Beth) - or I should say GOD's love message. Timely in that this weekend is Valentine's Day, don't you think? ;0 )

Retreats are nice - but tiring

2009-02-07T21:07:00.007-06:00

Yesterday and today I was privileged to join my singing sisters in leading the praise and worship at a women's retreat. Remember Abounding Grace? I wrote about us not long ago. Well, we had a wonderful time. God was definitely present and it was awesome. After the music, we viewed Beth Moore videos on "Loving Well". God never disappoints me in how He uses Beth to give me new insights to His word.

The place we stayed in was absolutely wonderful and the food was delicious. Overall, it was a great mini-retreat. However, I am typing this with half-closed eyelids. Just think of having around 50-60 women together in one place with nothing to do but talk! Yeah - sleep doesn't happen for long. Hopefully I'll manage to catch up tonight. As soon as I'm finished posting this, I'm off to bed!

I will tell you something funny that happened to me. After I arrived home, I began to unpack my suitcase. Well, I noticed that my clothes were wet. I had taken a steamer to use on my clothes in case there weren't any irons at the Lodge, so I assumed I had failed to drain it completely and it leaked. That wasn't what it was. I had packed my hairspray bottle so that the nozzle got pressed and the ENTIRE bottle of hairspray had squirted out and saturated my stuff! It was Paul Mitchell hairspray, too! Do you know how much that stuff is? *sigh* I don't know what's worse - having wet, sticky clothes, or going to church tomorrow with flat hair! That's almost enough to make a woman want to stay home. I think Beth Moore could appreciate my dilemma. I guess that's another thing that can happen when I'm sleep deprived.

Well, I'd better go catch some zzzz's before I make any more mistakes. Good night!

unrelated stuff

2009-02-04T21:10:00.004-06:00

I haven't written in the last few days. I've been distracted, but for the most part I just haven't had anything good to write about. I need some blogspiration, you know?

Well, it seems lately that all I hear is bad news and more bad news. When this happens I tend to go into shut-down mode after a point. It's like my mind just can't take in any more sadness or wickedness, you know? How do you respond when this happens? Some people rise above it all. Others, like myself, withdraw and take a breather from life; I think I'm about there once again. This means that I won't be "taking in" the e-mails I receive (I'll just quickly scan them) or going online to check the headlines, or watching the news. At least for a while. Of course this makes me feel selfish. I really wish I was one of the those who can rise above it all.

On a different note, I think I'm almost to the point of actually saving money with the coupons I've collected. Yes, I have decided to be "one of those" people who go (or is it "who goes"?) into the stores with a handful of coupons and walk (or is it "walks"? my mind isn't working tonight) out of the place with $100 bucks worth of stuff having paid only $15 for it all. I have a friend who is a pro at this. Holly devotes her blog to the bargains she obtains. She is my inspiration. ;0)

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you

2009-01-30T18:05:00.005-06:00

I like getting songs stuck in other people's heads! he he! Lately I've had a couple of those 'random things about me' tags. You know the thing where you write about yourself and tag your friends telling them to write about themselves, send it to you and then to other people and so on and so on it goes. Personally, I like those things. I have found that people will write more than they will tell, so I am always learning new things about my friends. I won't do that here, since I think I've done something similar to it before. I just wanted to ask you whether or not you like that sort of thing or do you find it annoying? Is it just another junk e-mail that you ignore? I've noticed that more women participate in these things than men. Why do you think that is?

back to normal

2009-01-28T08:58:00.003-06:00

For the past several days I've been in extreme pain from a dumb ole abscessed tooth. It's crazy how such a small thing can cause such big problems. I've always had bad teeth. I brush my teeth more than anyone else I know, yet I'm the one who gets cavities and all the other fun stuff that goes along with bad teeth. Yesterday I had part 1 of a root canal. I think I'd rather give birth again as opposed to having a root canal. I don't know, it's a close call. It was quite comical yesterday trying to eat after the procedure. My mouth and tongue completely numb and feeling thrice their size. I attempted to eat yogurt, but since I could barely open my mouth, most of it when on my face. Thankfully no one was home to see my struggle, so I maintained some dignity (except now I'm telling you about it). I drank through a straw all day, and those little buggers can be annoying when you're trying to chase them with a numb tongue. Then when I finally got the straw and drank in, I could feel only the one side of my face reacting - weird. As the day went on, more and more feeling returned but not completely restored. My kids were watching America's Funniest Home Videos on TV and laughing their heads off, so I thought I would join them. Well, it hurts to laugh after having a root canal, but at the same time it felt good. My son wants us to send in a video of him sumo wrestling, but I told him I think the show is only in syndication, so they're not taking new videos anymore. Oh well, he'll have to make his ten grand some other way. Right now I am enjoying my first cup of coffee in a few days. Ah, the little things in life: laughter, coffee, family. Yep - today is a good day!

Dirty minded

2009-01-24T17:41:00.005-06:00

I know there is still a good bit of winter left, but I've started trying to get ready for my garden. I don't want it to sneak up on me like most things do. I got out my copy of The Vegetable Garderner's Bible and my Mother Earth News magazines and re-read some things, leaving post-it notes here and there. I've decided to definitely plant more corn this time, but cut back on the cucumbers. I might try strawberries, but I'm unsure about that. I thoroughly enjoyed having fresh produce last season, and it felt good knowing where it came from.

On a different note, I have a tooth that is bothering me. Considering the bad experience I had the last time I went to the dentist, I am not a happy girl right now. Especially since it's the tooth that was JUST FINE, thank you very much! Until the dentist messed with it, that is!

Today has been stressful for me. Things have been building up. They're not big things, just a multitude of the little stuff that can get to a person after a while (at least this person). Hopefully I'll be over it by the morning, or tonight would be even better. This toothache isn't helping the situation, though. There's only such much Advil can do, you know? A little get-away would be nice, but that ain't gonna happen. I am taking a break from school next week, so maybe that will work just as well. We shall see.

Near to my heart

2009-01-22T21:41:00.009-06:00

I probably shouldn't be trying to write about something serious at this hour; it's almost my bedtime. But this has been on my mind throughout the day and I wanted to attempt to share with you something that is very near to my heart. I am extremely blessed to be part of a group of ladies who sing praises to our God. "Abounding Grace", the group that we have now has been together, I think, for four or five years. We sing whenever the opportunity arises, so it's not a year-round type of thing; yet when we are together it's like we never parted. God has truly blessed our relationship to the point that no matter how much time goes by, we can pick up right where we left off. We have a kinship that would make the closest of blood sisters envious. I have been involved with several musical groups throughout my life, but this one is the dearest, most treasured of them all. When we begin to sing together it's as if we have ascended to the very throne of God! There are many times that I just want to weep because His presence is so real. It's like no other experience. Of course my attempt at describing it to you pales in comparison. If only I could delineate (how's that for the word of the day?). Thankfully we are currently working on several songs. We have been asked to lead the worship at a womens retreat in February. I can't tell you how excited I am to be singing with my sisters again! Even when we're only rehearsing in the old portable, it still feels like we're in heaven. It gives me a glimpse of what singing in heaven must be like. God is the center - our audience of one! Our mouths open, our voices rise, angels watch in awe because they can't sing the redemption story! Oh how glorious it is to sing to Abba! I'm am so blessed. I write with tears in my eyes because of God's goodness and grace. What a wonderful priviledge it is to sing with my sisters.

I'm sorry, what did he/she say?

2009-01-20T21:43:00.006-06:00

OK, so I'm a little late on getting out an inaugural post, but that's no biggie, right? I don't know about you, but I still don't know what President Obama REALLY had to say, or the lady who recited a poem. All I remember from today's events is something. about making. music with wooden. spoons. and darning. a uniform. Heh? Maybe it's just me, I dunno. I did, however, enjoy the music beforehand with Yoyo Ma on the cello.

Other than that, I was disappointed in this "historical day". Maybe it takes too much to impress me. Again, I dunno. (I bet some of you hate that I say "dunno", dont'cha?) ;0) LOL! I'm a little stinker that way.

The kingdom of heaven was made for such as these...

2009-01-18T21:55:00.003-06:00

I couldn't resist sharing this video clip with you. I got a kick out of the little girl saying, "Mommy and Daddy helped me."

Totally off the subject

2009-01-17T11:48:00.008-06:00

Why I'm telling you this is beyond me, except that I thought it was hilarious, and I always enjoy a good laugh. Guys, if this is TMI, I apologize. So I'm getting ready for church one morning and while I'm working on my hair, arms raised high, my husband comes near and reaches for my armpit. Fearing that he's planning a tickle attack I try to jerk away (I ABHOR being tickled). Well, that wasn't his intention - this time - instead he had focused in on a wild hair! He tugged on it and made some comment that escapes my memory now. I asked him, "What, is it a wild hair?", "More like a patch of wild hairs!" Say what?! Evidently over a period of who knows how long, I have missed shaving an area under my arms, so I had this Euro-Madonna like thing going on! LOL! I'm thinking, "How in the world did I miss that?" Sure enough, it was balanced - BOTH underarms had hairy patches happening. Now I have to be more intentional while shaving. I mean, I wouldn't want to be in a car accident, wheeled into the ER and then distract the medical workers with my bushy pits, you know? EW - gross! OK, so after this mishap, I started wondering about whose idea was it for women to start shaving in the first place? I tried researching the history of shaving, but I didn't find anything that satisfied my curiosity, so to me it's still a mystery.

Excited About God's Word

2009-01-14T09:01:00.015-06:00

I might have mentioned earlier (I can't recall) that I received a Chronological Bible for Christmas. Since I thoroughly enjoy history, this Bible is now a treasured item of mine. Just last night I began a new Beth Moore Bible study on the book of Esther. I knew I would like this study because of the historical information Beth is always faithful to share. This morning I had my first homework assignment to complete. Now that I have my chronological Bible, I was able to "see" where Esther fits on the historical timeline - so exciting! This might not seem terribly thrilling to you, but it is to me. I like knowing the details and God is a God of details! Some of the facts that have been pointed out in this study of Esther, is that God's name is not mentioned at all in this book. I never realized that before, because God's work was always evident to me in Esther's experience. Beth was helping us realize that God is still present even when He isn't "seen" - what a comfort that is. Another comfort that comes from this book, at least for me, is that God is sovereign. He sets up rulers to achieve His purpose:

Daniel 2:20-22 "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him."

I know those verses are from Daniel, but they apply to the events in Esther also, as well as our current times.

I also wanted to share with you that I know God wants me to participate in this study. My home church is offering this study on Tuesday mornings, but that time wouldn't work for me, and I was very disappointed. Then a dear friend of mine mentioned that the church where she is attending is offering this study on Tuesday NIGHTS, so I told her to sign me up and I would go with her. Isn't God cool that way? Yes, He is!

One of the questions Beth asked in the first day's homework was, "What are you hoping for as you begin this study?" My answer: "I want to be able to hear God more clearly, see Him more vividly, and feel His touch more intimantly".

(The picture used is Rembrandt Harmeszoon van Rijn's "Assuerus, Haman and Esther" 1660 Oil on canvas - public domain)

Am I being too hard on people?

2009-01-10T08:06:00.008-06:00

I don't know about you, but it bugs me when celebrities voice their political views. If there is an actor/actress that I really enjoy watching in films or on TV, and then I hear them speaking out against the President or against Christian values, then I no longer have the desire to be entertained by them. So, am I being too hard on them? I mean, they are entitled to their opinions just as I am entitled to mine. I'm sure I might have said some things to people in the past that changed their opinion of me either good or bad. The latest celebrity turn-off for me is Anne Hathaway. She is in a few movies that the I really enjoy, especially Ella Enchanted. But now that she has openly shared her disgust with Rick Warren praying at the inauguration, I just want to brush her off. Not that Rick Warren is a close personal friend of mine. It's more the principle of having a Christian PRAY at the inauguration. Then there are the AFA alerts that I receive. The latest one being that Campbell's soup has decided "not to remain neutral" on the homosexual agenda. I don't agree with homosexuality, but homosexuals gotta eat, too, right? I don't know. How far do we take these things? I want to stand up for what is right, but then again I don't want to sweat the small stuff, you know? Maybe I'm reading too much into it all in the first place.

A proud day

2009-01-05T09:50:00.008-06:00

Here's another example of how times flies. It seems only yesterday that my husband had his promotion ceremony with the fire department, but it was back in October! My husband was promoted from fire fighter to driver. He was very excited, as were the rest of us. I'm excited for him because it's an achievement for him, but mainly because it means he won't be going into the burning buildings nearly as often since he has to stay with the truck to pump the water. WHEW! That's a big load off of my mind. I've posted some pictures from that happy day. I just wanted to share with you some of the happier times of my life. I also want to add that even though my husband is considered a hero by many, he is mainly MY hero (go ahead, you can say it, "awwwww...")

Here he is receiving his badge and certificate.

I got to pin him!

Now Dwight's officially a driver . No he's not standing on anything, he really is that tall. He stands heads and shoulders above the rest. ;0)

Here he is with his family. Left to right: His dad, his mom, our daughter, our son, Dwight in back, me, my cousin, who is also Dwight's district chief. We have four family members in the fire department - hopefully soon to be five! Two are captains, one district chief, a driver, and hopefully one day soon another fire fighter.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:04:00.021-06:00

I tried to think of a more original title for today's post, but apparently I still have the same brain that I had in '08, so nothing new came to mind. Have you seen all of the "Best of .... in '08" headlines? I've seen the headlines, but I haven't read any of the articles just yet. I'm trying to think of my own list, but again I'm struggling with ideas. Let me see, I could just share with you the best moments of my year, but that might be b-0-r-i-n-g. Oh well, I'll do it anyway! I think you're supposed to count backwards on this type of thing, and I think it's a rule there has to be at least ten but I could only think of 5. Anyway, here goes:

Best Moments of '08:

5. Starting this blog. I have had so much fun sharing my thoughts with people I've never even met. Who'dve thunk that I would feel so close to people who live across the country - nay, across the WORLD? (Did you like how I put "nay" in there? I thought you would) This blog thing has been a hoot, not to mention therapuetic (which is the main reason I started it, so thanks for helping me out by leaving your comments). My first entry was nothing to write home about (ha!), but thanks to you, there were enough comments to encourage me to continue. ;0)

4. Getting through the school year without TOO many tears. Contrary to popular belief, homeschooling is not all easy days in your PJ's, that's a myth. We still have deadlines, essays, tests and even worse - dunt, dunt, dunt, dun...... science projects (oh, how I hate science). I talked about some struggles in a previous post.

3. Camping trips. My family and I really enjoy camping, and God, the Giver of all good things, blessed us with an amazing camper! Camping helps us as a family to get away and just be together with each other without distractions.

2. Starting my garden. It was an overwhelming undertaking (am I allowed to use those words together?). Getting started was the hard part. Again God blessed us by helping my garden to grow and produce a bountiful harvest of yummy veggies. I'm very eager to start my garden this year. I hope to have a bigger one!

and finally, the NUMBER ONE bestest moment of my year............

1. My brother's kidney transplant success! OK, so maybe this one's more about my brother, but it has to be the most memorable and best event of 2008! I started this blog after his kidney transplant took place, and I don't think I've even posted about it. Let's just say that after losing our mother and grandmother in 2007, facing a kidney transplant was another major event that rocked our world. My brother is only in his 20's, but had to have a kidney transplant due to a blood disease. What was even more momentous about his transplant is that our uncle was the donor! Yes, my mother's brother saved MY brother's life by giving him one of his kidneys! AMAZING! Even more evidence of God's goodness, mercy and grace. January 8th will mark the one year annivesary for this amazing event.

So there you have it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - GOD IS GOOD! Thanks to all of you who drop in and spend your precious time reading about little ol' me. You'll never know how much it means; OK, maybe you will because most of you have your own blogs and you know how good it feels to see "1 comment" or more on your daily posts. I hope and pray that 2009 will bring us all great moments we can share with each other - moments that we can lift up as praise offerings to our Lord. God Bless!

Me and my MP3

2008-12-27T11:10:00.004-06:00

My husband bought me an MP3 player for Christmas. It's so neat! (I know, I sound like a 13-year old) I can download songs to my heart's content as well as pics and videos and also have the option to listen to the radio. Now I can listen to Rick and Bubba, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity without torturing my kids (or worrying about Rush saying a bad word every once in a while). So far I have about nine CD's worth of music on it, but no pics or videos yet; I'm still trying to figure out how to do that stuff. Also, I'm not really sure what sort of videos I want on the thing. My daughter liked mine so much that she spent most of her Christmas money on one for herself. She got a different color so we wouldn't get ours mixed up. I told her I didn't want to plug into one and hear Hannah Montana - lol! I know you're wondering what music I've chosen to put on my MP3 player, so here's the list so far:

Josh Groban - Closer
Josh Turner - Long Black Train and Your Man
Eddie Money - Super Hits
The Doobie Brothers - Extended Versions
Kansas - Super Hits
America - A Horse With No Name (and other hits)
Martina McBride - Greatest Hits (my husband chose this one, I don't really like it)
Tom Petty - Free Fallin' and I Won't Back Down (just the singles)
James Taylor - Greatest Hits

I plan on adding Eagles, Third Day, Celtic Women, Elvis and more. I have a coupon for one free download from Wal-Mart. I can choose from "millions of songs"! That's a bit overwhelming, actually. How am I supposed to choose from "millions"? *sigh* I guess I'll be searching for quite a while today. Any suggestions? Oh, and what did you get this year? Before I forget, I want to mention something that really made my Christmas. It wasn't a gift, but a note that my daughter wrote to me that went along with the gift she gave. She wrote, "I love you and thank you for all you do for me". That brings me so much more pleasure than any old MP3 player. My son was also sweet in that he gave me a $5 gift card to Starbucks (he used his own money). Does my son know me or what? ;0) My kids are such a blessing. God is so good!