here she goes....

I know the answer to this question but I have to ask:

Has anyone been watching the Democratic convention?????

Anyhoo, of course, we have.
First of all, I am not getting on my soapbox to make a political speech or anything, I simply want to say that this next election is critical to the US in that the world is watching and waiting for the outcome and they are poised to react.
Please, please, please understand and embrace the right that we have and do not take it lightly, for other countries, you could die just to try and cast your vote.
It is a priveledge and we should be thankful for those that fought and suffered to give us this very right
Enough about that.
As I was watching the DNC yesterday and listening to various speeches and watching the crowd as they waved their banners and spoke of their loyalty to certain candidates I was struck by the great crevasse which separated the two entities; the delegates vs. their candidate(s).
If you're listening, you'll hear what each side wants and "ne'er the two shall meet".
This election(forget what I said about no speeches) is more about making history than it is about making a change for the better.
Let's face it, the people that want Hilary elected want her because she'll be the first WOMAN president. I mean, they can't want her for her politics because her politics are crazy-along-the-lines-of-communism, PLEASE!!!!!
The people who want Obama elected want him becasue he'll be the first African-American president. Surely they can't want him for HIS politics because...he doesn't have any!!!! He's a first term senator that only shows up to vote half the time and when he does he has shown himself to be the MOST liberal senator on the hill. When he is asked about the hard issues that people care about he starts his dodge and dance routine that leads to him not answering at all!!!!
What do the pundits say about him?
They talk about how pretty he is.
Do you see what I mean???
The candidates are making these not-so-lovely speeches to those who only care about their own agenda and frankly, it doesn't matter to the delegates what comes out of the candidates mouth because their minds are made up, have been made up for a long time.
Seriously, this country has become a country full of stupid sheep who will follow anyone who will "tickle their ears" and who will throw them some "breadcrumbs" that are easy to swallow, in fact, that are too good to be true because they are far too expensive, and who puts those leaders there?????
WE DO!!!!!!!!
What does Dr. Phil say?
"We teach people how to treat us."
And we have taught our leaders to have their own agendas that have nothing to do with helping people or bettering our country and we have taught them that there is no accountablity for their actions, we'll just blame the one before us, and them, after awile we'll just forget and start the process all over again.
That's insanity people!
I would have loved to have been part of the grass roots movement that started with our first government 230 years ago just to see what difference one voice could make.
Now, it seems the crevasse cannot be bridged, that it is too large a task.
What difference can I make??
I'm sure I would've received a sound lashing from one of our founding fathers, perhaps Thomas Jefferson himself, if he'd heard someone say that in his time.
Who would've imagined that 200 or so years later that some poitical junkie would be spouting this stuff from her forum called a blog that hopefully will inform and inspire those who drop by, for that is my intention, simply to inform and shed light on this important issue.
Thanks for listening, my friends,. I know that I am passionate about politics and probably quite alone in that, and that's OK.
I love you anyway.
)HEHEHE)

BTSWTH(back to school...what the heck)

Everyone around me is positively twitterpated!!!
Is that the right word????
I might mean "atwitter".
I don't think that's a real word but what I mean is everyone is buzzing about school starting and well, so am I.
It is a real priveledge to school my children at home.
I love knowing that they are receiving a Bible-based education that teaches Truth about a loving Creator who has a special plan for them.
I love having the support that I have in other like-minded parents who choose to teach their children at home.
Has anyone noticed that the days are getting slightly shorter and the evening are slightly cooler????
Fall is comin' which is my favorite time of year.
For me, the start of school is synonymous with Fall coming and with that comes the winds of change.
Change of schedule, change of wardrobe, change of haircolor, change of skintone.
It's impossible to be complacent this time of year which is what happens to me after a long summer and so I'm always ready for something new.
So girls, enjoy the next couple of weeks as we all get into a new routine. I pray it all goes smoothly for us as well as our children.

Church Chat

Gosh, it's good to catch up with everyone in the blog-world.
I have to admit, though, while I was posting yesterday I was mindful of those who visit this space that are not part of my sidebar contacts and I really struggled with how much to say and how personal to get.
I talked to Tricia about it and she challenged me to get back to why I blog and like Jill suggested to reevaluate our goals in blogging.
So, with that in mind I decided to filter just a little but still followed my heart.
When I started this blog initially it was to motivate me to write because I have started to write 2 books and I needed the practice.
Now, however, it feels more like a ministry, a sharing of ideas and a time for reflection and deep-felt concerns that I can safely air and know that I have a community of women who share my thoughts and hold me to a standard, who lift me up in prayer when I need it.
Thank you fellow bloggers for your inspiration and your thought provoking words.
I was talking to Dana this morning about what "church" looks like and we talked about how it doesn't have to be on Sunday morning, that "church" is simply worshipping the Lord, singing praises to His name, bringing our burdens to Him, and fellowshipping with fellow believers.
Guess what bloggers?
This is Church!

Punk part 2

Back to my story.....
Yesterday afternooon I decided that I was not going to church because....who knows why, I just didn't have it me to go and I was thinking I could get some stuff done around home so I sent the girls off to church without me.
I talked to Jill after they left and we had a great time of catching up and sharing what was on our hearts. It was just what I needed. We talked and laughed about how sometimes church felt like such an obligation to serve and how sometimes it sucks the life out of us.
We laughed because sometime we ask why it can't EVER be about us and why it's ALWAYS about someone else, for me the line from SNL, "when do I get my stuff?", totally aplied.
Then my cell rang and it was Ginger and she was sweetly asking if we would reach out to a mutual friend at church that night and I said, "of course" except that I wasn't going to church so, therein, was the rub.
I called Jill back and told her what Ginger said and we laughed over the irony of it all, I mean, here we were, whining, and then we hear that our sister is hurting and I distinctly heard the Lord say," You're right, Lori, it's not about you, It's about ME."
Jill graciously offered to pick me up for dinner and we went on our merry way.
I sat with Dorothy and her girls and a gal that I hadn't met before.
Her name was Rhonda and she has 4 beautiful kids; Chevona, Patreesha, Ionna, and Julius.
We began to share with her and fellowship with her and I was thinking that this was why I was supposed to come. Here was Rhonda, new to the church, didn't know a soul and here she was at my table. So I did what God has gifted me to do: I befriended her and then she began to slowly unravel to the point that she began to have a full-on "panic attack" of some sort.
I put her in a room and told the kids to hang out and grabbed Dorothy and together we sat with Rhonda and talked/prayed her through the moments in her life that led her to our fellowship.
It was incredible.
She is a believer who has been running from the Lord for 15 years and who has given the enemy many footholds in her life.
We listened while she cried, wailed, lamented, cried some more, and finally, she was spent and allowed us to pray fiercely over her.
We sensed the enemy and at first she wouldn't let us touch her, which was the enemy I know because of how she physically recoiled and in my Spirit I heard, "I know you, Jesus, Don't touch me."
We called the enemy by name(side note: this whole paragraph disappeared again, I just called on the Lord for protection from the enemy in this place. Apparently he doesn't like me calling it by name) and then called on the healing power of Jesus Christ Our Lord to protect Rhonda from the lies of the enemy. We asked God to remove her tormentors and to to instill in her the peace of God. It was incredible!!!!!
She was a different lady at the end of it. She was exhausted but, at peace. Before the prayer-battle she kept saying, "get out of my head" with these wild eyes.
Afterwards, her eyes were clear, her head was clear, she was at peace and completely exhausted.
OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! HE REIGNS IN HEAVEN ABOVE WITH WISDOM POWER AND LOVE!!!!
Isn't it awesome to know that God will go to extraordinary lengths to pursue us and to heal us.
Thank you, Father for your strength and your love, for your faithfulness.
Update: Rhonda just called me and said that she is at peace and is happy and without fear for the first time in a a long time and her kids are happy and she was singing praises to the Lord and she knows that God will take care of her. She told me that she got up and read her bible and was just singing to the Lord!!!!
Hallelujah!!!!!
The lesson for me: Show up and God will do the rest.

Punk part 1

Satan is a punk!
Uhhh......
I've been working ona post for nearly an hour and I was just getting to the good stuff about rebuking enemy and calling on the authority of Jesus Christ to heal my sister Rhonda and all of a sudden my post "disappeared."
Nice try.
You're a punk and you always have been and you don't scare me. I serve a risen Lord and He loves me and He hates you and someday soon He's taking me along with all the believers to be with Him in heaven and there is nothing you can do about it, punk!
I don't think your accomodations are going to be to your satisfaction, but your stay....will be eternal.
Enjoy, punk.

gone gone gone she been gone so long.....

So....I've been on an extended "blog-cation" and now.....I'm back!!!!!
What did I do on my "blog-cation" with all that extra time on my hands???
Well, I could've written a book or gone on a real vacation or completely reorganized my kitchen and pantry or I could've landscaped the entire yard and scoured yard sales all summer to find the perfect yard art to complement the new design, however......
I did none of those things because it was one crazy busy summer that flew by so fast that my head is swimming.
I did have a wonderful girlie-getaway to Portland with Kimberly and it was fabulous, just what I needed.
My garden is fruitful, the bounty plentiful, the salsa flowing.
Now it is time to get my ducks in a row and get ready for school....yikes, is that here already??????
Uhhhhhh.....
Anyhoo.....I need to check in with my blog-sistas so.....