My Peculiar World...

Portrait of Jesus Christ by Akiane, age 8

2011-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

At the age of 3, Akiane began drawing pictures of heaven which was strange since her family claimed to be atheists.
Akiane continued her drawing and painting which included depictions of Jesus.
She also claimed to have been taken to heaven in dreams.
The faith of this little girl was so real to her family that they began to believe in God and are now serving Him.
Interesting.
Then, another story came along about a little boy named Colton who also claimed to have gone to heaven and came back with amazing stories, including see family members long deceased, hanging out with biblical characters and sitting with Jesus Himself.
Colton had actually died during an emergency surgery but was revived and recovered fully.
He was 4 at the time.
Many people showed Colton popular images of Jesus, to which he dismissed all because as he said the clothes were wrong or the hair color was wrong or his skin was the wrong color.....but when he saw the portrait of Jesus that Akiane had done, he found nothing wrong with it, in fact he said it WAS Jesus.

"Unless you come unto me as little children, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

2011-11-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

I was recently challenged to speak about what the Lord has done for me recently.
Figuring this would be a great time to focus on the many blessings God has shown me, I decided to write it out.

We found out that we would be moving to another town, leaving behind our home and our friends and family.
This did not thrill me, but I was willing to be open to it, so I asked the Lord to convince me.
Then I asked Him to find us a renter for our home because I had recently started a new job that required that I work 72 hours a week.
Here are the chronological events that followed to the best of my recollection:

1. My friend, Nicole, told me that she got goosebumps when I told her the news. She was convinced that God had something amazing for us.
2. God found us a renter at the place where I was working temporarily who wanted exactly what our property offered. This renter ended up becoming almost like a son to me, in fact, I kept thinking that he was what I always wanted in a son, if I had had one.
3. My heart got on board. Thank you, Jesus.
4. God provided a home for us to rent despite the fact that many were moving to the area. There were no other apps on the home despite the competitive market.
4. God convinced our youngest daughter to come with us so she could finish her education.
5. God provided a family for our oldest daughter to stay with until she went away to college.

Pretty amazing how God provides for our specific needs isn't it?
I mean He really greased the wheels on this one.
Reminds me of how the Lord went before the Israelites in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night while escaping the Pharoah of Egypt.
Again, the Lord really showed up in a mighty way for them, didn't He?
So, why do I feel so weak and defeated?
I mean I really do trust in God's plan for us, I do.
But today that trust is not enough to stave off the sadness that is creeping into my heart.
I miss my friends.
I miss Lacey.
I miss familiarity.
Does this reaction nullify all that God has done?
I don't believe so.
The Lord is not put off by my weakness for it gives Him a good reason to lavish His abundant Grace upon me.
So, for today and perhaps tomorrow while I languish in my shell of despair I trust that the Lord is with me, holding me, Loving me.
That is enough.

2011-07-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

"So much of what is bound up in us is our love of family that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty." poet, Haniel Long

Those words so resonate a vital truth in me, one that has been with me for probably longer than my memory could prove and surely must be divinely inspired. After all, God created the first family, taught us about Love, gave us an almost cruel sense of Eternity, then placed us in families, giving us the groundwork for life and leaving us hungry for more beyond it.
Brilliant, really.
Well played.
But wait.
We live in a fallen world in which Evil flourishes. What if, God forbid, our families lack the understanding of the gift that the Father gave to us and they squander it and make a mockery of it, what if they allow cruelty and unkind words to cross its threshhold so that the Refuge becomes a Battle Field leaving it undiscernable and nowhere near the standard of what God intended it to be.
What then?
Look at the words of the poem.
If there is little Love bound up, then there is little measure of Stability and little sense of Loyalty, with that comes so many maladies that plague the human condition; Anger, Fear, Loss, Grief, Confusion, Hate...
We must be good to our families, whatever form they take, for there is so much at stake and we must not put the idea of Family in a box, for they come in many forms. Mine came in the traditional sense; loving mom, dad, siblings, until loving mom was taken away and cruel replacement entered center-stage, creating the Conflict which ensnared me and nearly swallowed me, until I heard the words of a good friend who simply told me that if I could not find Love at home, find it somewhere else.
I found Love in my friends, therefore, they became my Family and I was not left longing for stability and loyalty, those things followed me all through my formative years and well into the dark years of puberty.
It was enough.
It got me through and eventually I grew up, built a bridge and got over it.
I survived with the knowledge that someday I would do it right.
I would Love my family and teach my children about Love, Honor, Courage, Faith, Kindness and Eternity, I would fight for its Honor and Integrity, and its Vitality and perhaps I would inspire a few along the way to follow a similiar path???
And I wouldn't take credit for it either, for the Glory goes to the Father. After all, it was His idea.
The unspoken message hidden in the the words of the poem if I may extrapolate, is in its implied promise: if we heeds those divinely inspired words, then we become who we are meant to be.

2011-05-31T02:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a while since I've visited this space, something I hope to alleviate....soon.
Looking back over this past year or so I can certainly say it had its challenges.
Personally, as well as spiritually, I had some major "wilderness wanderings", our family fell into crisis, and before I knew it I had turned down a dark path that led to so much hurt and heartache that it astounds me even still. I knew better and chose worse.
What I learned from all of it is this: truly, no one is insulated or protected from the very worst of what we can become if we are not ever vigilant in God's presence, and though I hovered on the brink of destruction, God was faithful to deliver me back to a path towards healing and righteousness. Praise be to God our Father who never leaves us nor forsakes us.
While our family remains intact, this last year has left me feeling shaky and uncertain about our future, which is equally shaky and uncertain, not because of the past but because of what is happening now. Con has been travelling with his company for the past 10 months and recently we found out that we will be relocating to Spokane, which will require us to move, though we don't know when, only that it will be this summer.
In the meantime, I have been working at Energy NW for the refuel outage which has entailed 72 hour work weeks, nights, for the past 2 months. Now, I am only working 60 hours a week, but one can see how that schedule alone reeks havoc on our homelife. Con and I decided to have me stay, if possible, to the end of it which is scheduled for July 26th, to help with building a nest egg for our future.
Needless to say, it has been a crazy time, but, amazingly, as usual, God showed up and blessed me in spite of me and I can honestly say that, while the schedule is very difficult and the atmosphere at work is....less than polite, and there is continual drama pervading the plant, I can honestly say that I am glad to have done it and more than anything, God provided some incredible moments of ministry to a people who dwell in a very dark place. I feel blessed and honored to have had the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with my co-workers.
This is only a quick summary of my year, one that I will continue to look back over for a long time to try to understand why and where it all went wrong and also where it went right, after all, we can't change the things that we don't acknowledge, we can't change our future without understanding our past, and we can't say, " I didn't mean to run over the dog", because , in fact, the dog is dead.
Right?
Be back soon.

Nuff said....

2010-12-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).

2010-09-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

What an exciting and wild ride I have been on this past year.
Working with Clint Didier in this election process has been extremely rewarding and challenging and fulfilling.
No doubt, that this has changed my life path completely. No longer am I satisfied to do the inane, instead, I desire to work for the causes that are near-and-dear to my heart.
I have become an activist....and that is a very good thing.
So, what now?
We lost, after all.
Where do I go from here?
?????
I'm just waiting on the Lord's leading and He's given some ideas...we'll see what comes from them.
In the meantime, though, I'm focusing on the family and on my sorely neglected relationships due to the time that I had to pour into the campaign.
OK, here I go....

Go Clint!

2010-06-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

I love being part of some thing bigger than myself, something important and God-ordained: the Clint Didier for US Senate campaign.
God has truly blessed Clint with a vision for the country that includes turning back to God Almighty, the Constitution, and true conservative ideals.
It is incredible to see how God is bringing together like-minded, God fearing people to surround Clint during this important election cycle, to hold him accountable, to lift him and his family to the Lord in prayer, to be the wind beneath his wings.
Never have I witnessed such sacrifice and dedication from ordinary people doing extraordinary things for a cause that is bigger than themselves.
I stand in awe....and I'm proud to be part of this team.
GO CLINT!!!!!

clintdidier.org

beauty from ashes....

2010-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I injured my neck and consequently suffered two herniated disks, one in my C-6 and one in my C-7.
Surgery, I was told, was my only option.
Really...?
Now, I had endured weeks of excruciating pain and I was quite done, to be honest, but, I did NOT believe that surgery was my only option because I serve a God who heals and I believe we, in this country, do not experience the miracle of healing because we do not ask; we simply defer to our insurance policies to take care of our physical bodies, which is great and fine, but, for me, at that point, I was hungry for a miracle.
And so, I got down on my knees and asked the Lord to heal my neck.
He did.
It was miraculous....amazing!
But..... he left behind a reminder; the tip of my right index finger had been numb from the onset of the injury and in His divine wisdom He left it that way...a reminder practically emblazened not only on my dominant hand but also on my most used finger; a reminder which gives me pause a hundred times a day.
GOD HEALED ME-NOT BECAUSE OF WHO I AM BUT TO SHOW WHO HE IS-HE LOVES AND DELIGHTS IN HIS CREATION.
He didn't heal me because I deserve it, but rather He healed me to reveal to me His character.
Isn't that just like God?
I was talking with a friend about some difficult circumstances in her life and she shared how God has brought her through it,though it has taken some time, however, there are occasions when she runs into the others involved in the situation and it reminds her of the pain and difficulty she and her family went through during that time.
I told her about my neck, my healing, and the "reminder" that God left behind and how her situation was really not all that different because those people are her "reminder" to praise God for His healing power in her heart and in her life.
We both left that encounter, I believe, feeling very blessed with the knowledge that no matter what life brings to our table, we are never alone....God is there and he delight in His creation and He knows what is best for us.
I think of Paul and the "thorn in his flesh" that he prayed for God to remove but was told no.
Now, I can honestly say that I understand why; that "thorn" caused more praise in God's direction than it caused pain in Paul's direction and I believe that
God is more interested in building our character into His image rather than making us more comfortable.
Praise be to God who creates beauty from ashes.

an excerpt from Pastor Frangipane......

2010-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Approximately two thousand years ago a decree was issued at the judgment seat of Almighty God. It provided "legal" protection for the church against the devil. Indeed, when Jesus died for our sins, the "ruler of this world" was judged (John 16:11). Our debts were nailed to Christ's cross and canceled; principalities and powers were disarmed. In truth, because of Jesus, we have a legal right, not only to be protected from our enemy but to triumph over him (Col. 2:13-15).

It does not matter what nation you come from, the sacrifice of Christ was so complete and the judicial decision from God against Satan so decisive that divine protection, enough to cover every need known to Christians, has been granted (see Rev. 3:10). Christ's death is the lawful platform upon which the church rises to do spiritual warfare; His Word is the eternal sword we raise against wickedness.
Having said that, we must also acknowledge that the church has only rarely walked in such victory since the first century. Why? At least in part, the answer is this: To attain the protection of Christ, the church must embrace the intercession of Christ. We must become a house of prayer.

Indeed, church history began with its leadership devoted to the Word of God and to prayer (Acts 2:42; 6:4). Every day the leaders gathered to pray and minister to the Lord (Acts 3:1). In this clarity of vision and simplicity of purpose, the church of Jesus Christ never had greater power or capacity to make true disciples.

Today, however, our qualifications for church leadership include almost everything but devotion to God's Word and prayer. Leaders are expected to be organizers, counselors, and individuals with winning personalities whose charms alone can draw people.

In Luke 18, Jesus challenges our modern traditions. He asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (v. 8). His question is a warning to Christians who would limit the power of God at the end of the age. Jesus is calling us to resist the downward pull of our traditions; He is asking us individually, "Will I find faith in you?"

Guilty...party of one...?

2010-04-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

No one likes to feel guilty. It is like an unwelcome guest who shows up at the worst possible time and overstays their welcome no matter how badly you want them to leave.
However the truth is that we need guilt. It is the only proper response to any offense, whether driving over the speed limit, relishing a selfish thought, or even premeditated murder. Even if you aren't a spiritual person you'd want the burglar that broke into your house to feel guilty right? Why? Because he should. Guilt exposes the truth that we wish to avoid: we have sinned.
The bible says: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
But wait, it gets better: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Guilt does more that deliver distressing news, it also unlocks the door to forgiveness, which leads to confession.
Confession works against the worst part of human nature, the part that imagines itself to be better that it really is. How many times have we heard, "well, I'm not perfect, but at least I'm not as bad as so and so."
This mindset always stop short of confessing, it would rather ignore or ease feelings of guilt rather than admit them. Only when we admit that we have sinned, unworthy of God's grace, can we make a fresh start.
I think C.S. Lewis said it best: "no man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good."

2010-04-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my friend, Robin, who was so encouraging to me this morning, in fact, it was quite literally salve for my soul.
I sometimes forget how medicinal a kind word can be or a check up phone call, a thoughtful text, even a genuine smile in my direction...all good stuff.
Speaking of that...I'm off to go check on someone who is on my mind.
Pass it on.....

pressing on....

2010-04-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

It is well...
It is well....with my soul......
Love that song.
What an excellent reminder for me to press on no matter my circumstances.
And so...here I am...pressing on.....
This weekend I attended the funeral of a friends' mom at our old church which is very conservative and "in the box", so to speak, and the eulogies were sweet and funny, but probably would have been more suited at a grange hall or a bowling alley, rather than a baptist church.
At the end, a friend of the family was asked to speak about....matters of faith, which I thought was good, in theory, and then I began to wonder if this was the best use of the time given or, rather should there have been more testimony about how a relationship with the God of the universe changes us, or how the Love that God shows us makes us more like Him which, in turn, draws the lost to us asking, "what's different about you?", know what I mean?
The whole thing gave me pause....which has caused me to ask myself that same question: am I making the best use of my time?
Does my life give testimony to the One whom I serve?
In contrast, the pastor at our new church was speaking on Sunday morning to a crowded service about that exact thing: how God has changed him since he gave his life to him all those years ago and how God doesn't care about our garbage because He loves us. He wants to take our garbage to the curb and leave it there forever, if only we'd reach out to Him and when we do the joy that floods our souls knowing that God has done all the work and that we are clean...if only we'd reach out to him....yes, there was scripture, of course, but it wasn't....churchy or guilt-ridden....it was just real, which is what people are hungry for in this world.
Real people of faith living out what they believe no matter the cost. Real people of faith who put others first ahead of their own selfish desires. Real people of faith who love in the name of the Lord instead of judging others who don't look like them or live like them, picking and choosing who should come to the Lord, so to speak.
For that is my desire: to love people in the name of the Lord and to be a good steward of the time given by the Lord, which I believe is short.
God has also reminded me that this space is a ministry and that I need to treat it so.
Pressing on....

just some awesome quotes....

2010-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

Dr. Martin Luther King

"Isn't it staggering when you think that one sermon on the day of Pentecost produced 3000 Christian people? And we had some cities yesterday where 3000 sermons were preached and nobody was saved. And it doesn't even faze us. The church used to be a lightning bolt, now it's a cruise ship. We are not marching to Zion - we are sailing there with ease. In the apostolic church it says they were all amazed - And now in our churches everybody wants to be amused. The church began in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it's ending in the supper room with a bunch of people organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, and commotion for creation, and action for unction. Look, I think this is a critical hour in history, the most critical hour in history; the Middle East is ready to blow up... the prestige of this nation we love has gone down ... As someone said, "We live in a theater of the absurd...
When did you last tiptoe out of the sanctuary when you dare not say a word? The church has to rediscover two things. One, the majesty and the Holiness of God, and the other, the sinfulness of sin." ---Leonard Ravenhill

United we stand....

2010-01-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Something new is happening in my blog-world!
My friend, Robin, and I will be starting a Bible study/accountability blog.
We will be sharing the space as authors and sharing ideas about our mutual studies.
Our hope is that we can gleen insight from one another as we, together, seek the Lord's will and His wisdom through the study of His Word.
We are so excited to see where God will take us as we journey together through the Bible and as we seek the Lord in all understanding.
I am also committed to faithfully praying for all my bloggy friends as we, together, enter a new year and as we, together, seek to give glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through our testimony and our shared blogs.

"For where two or three are gathered together in MY name, I am there in the midst of them..."---Matt. 18:20

Taking Chance.....

2010-01-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

This movie was on of the most beautiful stories I have ever seen told on film and every American needs to watch it.
It is the story of a decorated Marine Colonel who volunteered to escort the remains of a young fallen soldier killed in Irag back to his family and hometown.
This movie is simply his observations along the way.
Stunning....beautiful....

I don't know what to call this...

2010-01-05T10:43:00.001-08:00

A fresh word was spoken into my ear which has quite literally stopped me in my tracks: "We don't go to church.....we ARE the CHURCH."
(much pondering going on in my head...around and around and around she goes...where she'll end up....nobody knows.....)
Hebrews 10:24-25 says this:

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

To "consider one another" literally means: to observe, to contemplate, to have an intelligent insight into."
All those things require us to have a relationship with one another out side the walls of the church building in order to accomplish those things.
Note that "love and good works" need to be stirred up, they don't just occur. It speaks of a convulsion and forcefully of the tremendous impact believers can have on each other, which is why the author compels them to gather together, right?
I get all that, I really do...I am UBER relational and I have no problem with this scripture so far as it applies to our fellowship with believers....beyond Sunday morning.
But, and here's the BUT....is this a description of why we gather together for worship? or is it more of a recipe for good fellowship minus the building???
That's where I keep landing.
For me and my family, corporate worship is for seeking God and God alone in worship and praise and adoration, for when you try to add in "stirring up love and good works" it sort of muddies things up when the focus is put back on temporal things(man) instead of eternal things(God).
We so desire that pure worship, pure devotion to God...I hear of worship services in India, for example, that go on for hours into the afternoon where afterwards they eat together and share their experiences with fellow their believers.
Worship/praise and seeking God's face are TOTALLY separate from the time of fellowship with other believers.
Do you see that?
I do.
I believe that the author of Hebrews was not describing what our Sunday morning worship should look like but, rather, it is a beautiful description of true fellowship which occurs usually Monday-Saturday and it speaks to the purpose of fellowship as well.
I think we are so used to trying to "have it all" on Sunday morning that we have crammed it all together and have ruined the whole thing, for us, at least, which is why we have chosen to worship elsewhere,(gasp) but yet we still seek the fellowship with believers and friends where we have served along side of them and served God for many years.
The absolute best part of this whole situation is that it was through God's leading that brought us to where we are at. It has been a process of revealing Himself to us a little here and a little there until we came to see the whole picture.
First came discontent, but He used that to move us in a different direction. Then He revealed to me His design for true worship and then, he began to show me how to LOVE-really LOVE people which has led to understanding and purposeful/meaningful fellowship. Along the way He has showed Himself in mighty ways and He has asked that I OBEY HIM even if I don't understand His ways, I believe, in preparation for showing us His will and showing us how to please Him instead of man. Can we talk about the "huge" awareness of ETERNITY that He has placed in my heart???? I know I make people nuts, I am a broken record, I know, but it is obviously a gift from the Lord, a calling, because He has asked that I be a HERALD, for the Morning Star has risen in my heart and I cry out in the darkness in preparation for the LIGHT. Now, this year, He has asked that we "SEEK AFTER HIM"... we have.....which has brought us here.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we are EXACTLY where God would have us to be.
I stand in awe.....

"YOU'RE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL......AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD LET GO...CUZ YOU'RE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL......"

Theme for 2010....

2010-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year and what comes with that is a new Theme, or possibly the same theme?
I was looking over last year's posts and reading over the Journey to LOVE theme that the Lord gave me.
WOW-what a journey!
It was very emotional for me to read over the things God spoke to my heart over the last year...He was ALWAYS there...guiding me...loving me, in spite of me, surrounding me with people who held me to that standard.
I feel so blessed-thank you, Father, your many blessings.
So, what is my Theme for 2010: SEEKING THE LORD
Seeking the Lord, as Mary did, sitting in His presence in utter adoration, not in the dutiful/busy/performance manner, as Martha chose.
I am throwing off those encumbrances that so easily ensnare me and choosing instead, to seek His Holy presence, to worship Him without abandon, to seek His will and His will alone, to not move until I hear Him say-"MOVE".
Tall order...because it is so easy to get lost in our SERVICE to the LORD that we forget to actually SEEK HIM first.
I encourage you to ask the Lord to give you a Theme for the coming year. Then ask Him to show you how to live it.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you.

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God."
I Chronicles 22:19

to go or not to go....

2009-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Some of the most God-minded people I know do NOT attend a church on a regular basis. They have (bravely) shook off the encumbrances of organized church in order to seek God beyond the walls.....
Why?
Because they only occasionally encountered God in their churches and more often than not, they left a congregational meeting more thirsty for the reality of God, instead, they were filled up with information about God without actually drawing near to Him.
This, too, has been my experience.
"To seek and find God is everything."
There is something lacking in our churches today....something so basic.
I believe it is a true, souled-out, unencumbered, communing worship with the God of the universe.
We have bought into the lie that serving at church, fellowshipping with other church people, ministry training, is the same thing as actually seeking God.
I think of Moses and his encounter with God. Moses ascended Mt. Sinai, stood before the Great I AM, beheld the glory of the Lord all around him, heard the audible voice of the Lord, returned to the people and the bible says he "did not know that the skin of his face shone," The people were afraid to draw near to him because they saw that he had been with God.
That is what I am thirsty for-climbing up God's holy mountain to encounter Him in such a way that my very countenance is changed.
I'm not sure that it is possible to have such an encounter like that in church today, in fact, it would probably make most people uncomfortable.
We're too ordered, scheduled, and defined.
No room for the moving of the Holy Spirit here.(caution: quenching of the Holy Spirit could lead to a hard heart.)
And yet, I do encounter God and I experience sweet times of worshiping Him, talking with Him, seeking His heart and just being with Him.
Ironically, those encounters rarely happen at church and dare I say, never during worship.
My question is this: is there something wrong with me?
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Have I been so indoctrinated that I believe that the church is to provide all my spiritual needs and that fellowshipping with other believers is a substitute for a having a beautiful relationship with the Lord of the universe?????
It sort of reminds me of this current culture crisis.
Some people have come to believe that big government will solve all of our problems.
In like manner, some believe that big church is the answer to those who have a crisis of faith.
So, what is the answer?
Are my expectations too high for organized church?
Possibly....probably.
So, what is the purpose of being part of a church if I rarely encounter God within its confines?
I believe that God will provide me with wisdom that will lead to understanding and I also believe that it will be a process.(...is a process....still processing......)
(I'll get there.)
While I am still on this earth, I don't want to waste time worrying about "coloring within the lines" and, to be honest, my only desire is to please God, not man.(encumbrances, mentioned above.)
My true hearts desire would be to be part of a home-church; like-minded people gathered together for the sole purpose to worship God through studying His word, prayer, singing praises to His name, to be with people who have encountered God and to think that is the norm, not the exception, to be with people who are absolutely in love with Jesus, what I call "Jesus freaks."
Aahhh....that sounds heavenly.
Father,not my will, but Thine be done.

a Christmas letter....

2009-12-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Dear God,

I confess to you that we have not yet put up our Nativity in honor of the birth of your Son, Jesus.
It is sitting in the box waiting to be put into its proper place...patiently waiting.
I've walked by it a thousand times a day....I've told the girls," we have to put the Nativity scene up!" then I proceed on my way.
What is wrong with me?
The tradition in our home goes like this:
1. go get tree
2. set up tree
3. dad and kid put on lights.
4. mom and girls decorate tree.
5. set up Nativity.
6. decorate the house.
Father, we skipped #5 this year, I know you see it and I am sorry.
The box is still sitting there next to the cedar chest where, in theory, the Nativity will be showcased, I really should stop what I am doing right this second and go set it up, but, I find it intriguing why it is still sitting there and I can't help but make the parallel: how often do I do that with you God?
I doubt you've counted, that's just not your style, but I know that it must be so disappointing to see after all the blessings you've bestowed, not that you keep track.
I know that you want to meet with me, commune with me, and I haven't made the time...I'm too busy doing other things...leave me alone...I'll talk to you tomorrow.
The thing is: I know that you are waiting...patiently, lovingly, as you do for all mankind.
Father, fill my heart with your love and mercy and help me to remember that first gift of Christmas so long ago, in a humble manger where you were made manifest in the babe, Jesus.
Thank you, Father, for your tenderness....your love...for how you speak to us....
I know you see me right now and I know that you know what I am about to do, but, just for the sake of argument, I want you to know that.....I was gonna do it all along(she said rather defiantly)....thanks for the nudge.(sorry it took so long)
Love you lots.
xoxoxoxo

Your humble servant, me.
;0)

December book club featuring.....

2009-12-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

I loved this book!
Sarah Palin is a true American because she values what is most important in life; God, family, Truth, integrity, and responsibility.
"Going Rogue" is a must read for us whiny women who occasionally feel overwhelmed and ever-so-slightly misunderstood and for those who are seeking their purpose in life.
She is my hero.

warning...this might make you feel bad.

2009-12-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

A bumper sticker seen recently:

"Jesus is coming soon......look busy."

Funny....sort of.
I mean this is wrong on so many levels...where do I begin to address the ERRORS in that statement?
Well, how about- JESUS IS COMING SOON- that's a good place to start.
Whether you believe that He is coming in our lifetime or your kids' lifetime or your grandkids' lifetime, the simple truth is that someday, like a thief in the night, the trumpet will sound and we will be with our Lord, we, the faithful who believe and serve the Risen Lord Jesus.
If you have followed this blog for any length of time (Kim) you know that I believe that He is coming in our lifetime because of all that is happening in the Middle East, prophecies are coming true, the things spoken of in God's Word are lining up just as they were foretold by God Himself- truly, the stage is set.
Believing this simple statement has made my spiritual eyesight crystal-clear and my spiritual wattage is so ramped up that everyday is like, "what are we doin' today God?"
Time is so short.
Are we taking precious opportunities given to us to share the love of Jesus Christ with those that we encounter?
Are we that "city on a hill" in our neighborhoods that shows forth the Light within our hearts and to which we show our good deeds for the glory of the Lord?
Do we extend grace to others as it has been extended to us?
I do not know what is holding back the hand of judgment on this crooked and perverse generation, I suspect it is His incredible LOVE for His creation and that it is not His intention that any should perish but that all should come to know Him.

"Look busy."

I serve an all-knowing, all-seeing, everywhere God...how about you?
He know our thoughts, our hearts, EVERYTHING------before we even think it!!!!!!!

"Look busy."

What are we actors? Playing a role?
We can play "CHURCH" till the cows come home and nobody would be the wiser....except for God.
We can warm the pews and be counted....even make a joyful noise.
We can put an offering in the plate as it passes by...God sees.
You can fool your fellow man and even yourself, but not God.

"Look busy."

Perfect statement for this culture that we live in.
That's right, let's bring God down to OUR level, let's put limitations on Him because a BIG ALL-KNOWING-ALL-SEEING-EVERYWHERE God is a bit oppressive, don't ya think? I mean it might make someone feel bad, small even and we wouldn't want to offend anyone in this "everyone-gets-a-trophy-even-the-losers-politically-correct culture in which we live.
Oh my gosh, it's sickening!
It's, it's...why we have shows like "American Idol", (which is one of my favorite shows), but come on....the people who audition in front of professional judges that are TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE singers that proceed to look shocked and hurt and cry even when told that they are terrible singers BY THE PROFESSIONAL JUDGES have obviously had people encouraging them, in fact, lying to them, so that they wouldn't feel bad because that is the very worst thing you can do to someone is MAKE THEM FEEL BAD....
Parents want their kids to get trophies for just participating in a sport.
What happened to rewarding excellence?
Do you see how this trend, this new way of thinking has polluted our kids' attitudes toward doing their best, when everyone will get a "good job" even for doing a piss-poor job/effort, why would kids want to go the extra mile and the extra effort to strive for excellence??????
What is the main role of the Holy Spirit?
Do you know?
The main role of the Holy Spirit is to make man aware of his sin, in fact, it is to make man FEEL BAD.
Can you see how this PC trend is a very brilliant scheme devised by the enemy to thwart the main role of the Holy Spirit-to make man feel bad, to make him realize his need for the Lord.
The great deceiver lies to men and tells them; "you ARE good", and then he tickles the ears of men over and over and over until they refuse to hear anything that makes them feel bad.
It's a good plan, seems to be working well even.
Nice.

"Look busy."

Do you really believe that God will love you more if you "look busy?"
Remember, "Christ died for us WHILE we were yet sinners" and "it is by GRACE that we are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, and not of ourselves lest any man should boast."
There is NOTHING that we can do to make God stop loving us-NOTHING!!!!!!!
He loves the pew-warmers, the actors, the pharisees, but He desires their hearts, minds , and souls.
God has a standard- the shed blood of Jesus which washes us white as snow, but there is a promise build it: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation....."
God is the one who does the work for us, He is the one that changes us and makes us more and more like Him.
We don't have to look busy, we just need to be a new creation that seeks after God's heart.
Know what I mean?
Here's better bumper sticker:

"Jesus is coming soon.....LOOK UP."

a word from Frances.....

2009-11-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)

Has the morning star arisen in your heart yet?
It's a beautiful picture of the night sky gradually receding and rolling back from the approaching light of day. Slowly, gradually transitioning from night to day, something else occurs: before the dawn breaks, the morning star begins to shine its light on the eastern horizon. "It is a faithful herald of the coming day".
The morning star appears at the right place and at the right time to announce to those in darkness, "the sun/Son is coming, the day is soon at hand."
It appears as a herald while it is still night, for it can't be seen during the day.
Peter tells us the before the millennial "day of the Lord" dawns, in anticipation of Christ's return, the morning star shall rise in our hearts!
What does that mean?
I believe that just prior to Christ's return for His faithful, the actual spiritual "wattage" of God's presence will increase.
Of course, we know that such "light" does not emanate from us, it comes from our union with the Lord Jesus and it is worked in us through the Holy Spirit.
Over and over again, Jesus warned His followers not to become caught up in the world or weary in the battle. He told us that it is to those who overcome that will be given the morning star.
A day is coming before the rapture of the Church, before the second coming of Jesus, when those who follow Christ will be positioned, like the morning star - in the right place at the right time - and they will herald Christ's return.
If we don't allow ourselves to encumbered in the cares and issues of this world, if we remain faithful and true, a time will come when the presence of the Lord, like the morning star, will rise and be visibly seen upon us and the word of Isaiah shall be fulfilled:

"Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising."
_ Isaiah 60:1-3

we went-we saw.....

2009-11-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

To celebrate LIFE(after almost 3 weeks of near-death experiences) our entire family went to see the much anticipated "2012".
We were breathless for nearly 2 and a half hours!
I mean this thing took us to the brink and back again over and over and over-it was so great-loved it....from an entertainment standpoint, come on, keep it in perspective, after all this is Hollywood, not the TRUTH project.
The special effects had me grabbing my seat and making sure on several occasions that the floor of the theatre was still there and hadn't fallen into the abyss and beyond.
And, I have to say they did a pretty good job of developing the characters so that when they died...you actually cared.
All in all one of our favorite movies of all time, honestly.
The only criticism I have is this: everybody knows(except Hollywood) that when planes fly into buildings, or terrorists hijack planes, or the economy goes into the crapper, people get scared and go to church....in hordes.
People, when scared, turn back to the Lord if they've turned away or they get closer to the Lord because all of a sudden negative circumstances causes our focus to shift back to what is really important, right?
So, here's a movie that depicts the END OF THE WORLD and there is not a word spoken through the characters dialogue of God, faith, church...NADA.
This shows how OUT OF TOUCH HOLLYWOOD REALLY IS to what is really important in life: a relationship with God, our relationships with our family, leaving behind a legacy of LOVE.
On a side note: this movie is NOT plausible!
I KNOW how it ends and....this is not even close....very nice try-great effects-WOW!
I slept like a baby last night, it didn't even affect my dreams which speaks to how unplausible that scenario really is.
So, go, enjoy-be entertained....while you still can......;0)

To sift or not to sift......

2009-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Here's my struggle...my area of weakness in this blog-world: writing things from my heart that contain a very clear message, usually given to me by God, without coming off condemning.
All of you write so skillfully and with such sensitivity to the reader, you are encouraging and uplifting which leads to wonderful introspection--Love that!
Not me- I go for the jugular(mine included).
I am very direct in my writing, I am a direct person, you know, a "cut-to-the-chase" "what's the bottom line?" person, but I know that I am much more sensitive in person because I respond to body language and facial expression, etc, which affects my directness.
So, when I am online- I am direct, however, I do want to encourage and challenge my readers, as well, just like the rest of you, and I want to cause positive self-examination---ALL with an under-current of LOVE-for that is my heart.
I do not wish to be a clanging symbol.
Anyhoo, on to my thoughts for Thursday.
I was talking to Tricia yesterday and she asked me how I was doing to which I responded, "Well, now I have the flu."
"Oh", she said, "so, are you sad?"
"No", I told her...then we talked a little more about her and her family, then we hung up.
I have pondered in my head over and over that little, tiny, insignificant, just-friends-checking-on-one-another conversation.
I'm not sure why she asked me if I was sad but, I think that what is bubbling inside of me that so desperately wants to escape is the overwhelming question:

WHAT DO I HAVE TO BE SAD ABOUT?

Yes, true, I have been sick for awhile....so what?
I am a child of the Most High God.
Yes, true, my husband has been sick, as well...so what?
God loved me so much that He made a way for me to be with Him for all eternity.
Yes, true, now my girls are sick...so what?
God promised that He would never leave me nor forsake me.
Yes, true, I have been isolated from friends/family and life for that matter....so what?
Someday, very soon, I will be with my Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Host will be praising His name and I will be part of that!
Yes, true, the maid has NOT come....so what?
The Lord lifts me up and calls me beloved.
It doesn't get any better than that!
And so I've learned to "pick my battles" by NOT sweating the small stuff, things that will NOT last, temporal things.
My new favorite song is one by "Kimber Rising":

"I don't wanna waste this time....I just wanna make this count...Let your LOVE be my guide cuz IF IT AIN'T YOU....I DON'T WANNA DO IT......"

will blog for comments....

2009-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

really....

more evidence.....

2009-11-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

I copied this article from Joel Rosenberg's blog-more evidence to the "end is near":

"An evil wind is blowing against the State of Israel and the Jewish people. This resolution — written by the Arab League — calls for a investigation of Israel for “war crimes” during the January 2009 Gaza war in which Israel was defending itself from some 12,000-plus rockets, missiles and mortars that had been fired by Hamas at civilian centers in southern Israel over the course of several years. Yet the resolution never even mentions the word “Hamas.” The resolution has no balance, no sense of fair play, and effectively denies that Israel has a right of self-defense, which is, in fact, a basic right affirmed in the U.N. charter. The resolution affirms the findings of anti-Israel and ultimately anti-Semitic Goldstone Report and recommends the Secretary General require the Security Council to take up the issue and condemn Israel. After all, the war crimes were committed by Hamas for firing rockets at civilians, for using civilians as shields in Gaza during the war, for using elementary schools, hospitals and mosques as military bases during the war. Yet the U.N. cares not one bit about such bitter truths."

Israel still has friends; Canada, Germany, US, Australia, Italy, Ukraine, and few more.
Please pray for Pres. Obama that he will stay soft on Israel and remain their friend and please pray that this resolution will not be voted in by the majority who seeks to dismiss/surpress Israel as a sovereign nation.
Woe to those who seek to divide Israel....

this just in.....

2009-11-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping this little "tid-bit" will make you a believer.....

I found this on Joel Rosenberg's blog:
(He is a former aide to PM Netanyahu)

"The Cornerstone for the Third Temple, weighing 13 tons, that the Temple Mount Faithful Movement prepared to be laid on the Temple Mount and start the process of the building of the Third Temple, was carried by the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement as they marched from Ammunition Hill to the Temple Mount on "Jerusalem Day", 27 Iyar 5769 (21 May 2009). The holy Cornerstone was driven from Ammunition Hill to Jaffa Gate and along the western walls of the Old City to the downtown streets of Jerusalem and was presented to the people of Israel and to the entire world for the first time since the destruction of the Holy Temple in the year 70 CE."

This I found quite compelling:

"On their way to the Temple Mount the marchers demonstrated in front of the United States consulate in Jerusalem against the pressure that is growing from president Barack Obama and His administration to divide the land of Israel and to establish a foreign terror Arab state inside the sovereign Land of Israel given by G‑d in an eternal covenant only for His people Israel for a Holy purpose: to be a Holy nation, a kingdom of priests and a light to the nations (exodus 19;5-6) . They warned President Obama concerning his pressure to stop the Israeli settlements of the Land, to remove the settlements in Judea and Samaria and to divide Jerusalem the eternal Capital of the G‑d and the people of Israel. They called-out to President Obama: 'Take your hands off the Land of the G‑d and the people of Israel and off Jerusalem!' They warned President Obama to be careful of the divine judgment from the G‑d of Israel as the Prophet Joel prophesied: "For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down in the valley of Jehosophat, and will enter into judgment with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land." (Joel 4:2)"

Are you getting it?
My Rapture Index says: fasten your seatbelts!
Now is the time to live like there is no tomorrow...
NOW GO TELL SOMEONE ABOUT JESUS!!!!!!
Love you.

;0)

Book Club update....

2009-11-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I hosted our ladies book club in which we discussed Glenn Beck's "Common Sense."
It was a delicious time of sharing ideas and speaking to our common concerns regarding the way this country seems to be embracing socialism, and the fact that our Constitution is being labeled irrelevant in this society, we spoke of the upcoming election process and what concerns us most, and what sort of future are we creating for our children?
It is always amazing to me how quickly time flies when you don't want it to....seriously, I could have done that all day...that is how good the company of those women is to me.
We are all very like-minded which creates wonderful intimacy and trust...it is so refreshing in this "gotta-go-don't-have-time-pulling-my-hair-out" society that we live in.
Interestingly, though, a common thread woven throughout was the idea that yes, we can identify the problems readily, however, what are we to do about them?
From there we discussed different ideas, different possible solutions, different ways of looking at the problems, etc.
What I got from all of that is this: we are all gifted in different ways, and God will equip us with the wisdom and knowledge to accomplish the solution.
Some of us are called to action.
Some are called to encourage those called to action.
Some of us are called to be prayer warriors.
Some of us are called to teach the younger generation.
Some are called to reach out to their neighbors.
Some are called to reach the masses.
God is the dream-giver and He will finish the work in us if we will allow Him.

"He who began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of the Lord."

This month we will be reading Sarah Palin's new book: "Going Rogue".
Come join in the discussion, we meet the first Monday of the month, and prepare to be challenged and encouraged, delighted and engaged.
Have a blessed day.

2009-11-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Todd Agnew is amazing in concert!
His voice, lyrics, music, he gives to the glory of God!
Amen, brother....you got it right!
Kimber Rising was such a refreshing surprise...they have brilliant harmonies!
Watch out Barlow Girl- here's comes Kimber Rising.

a threat? and a plea....

2009-10-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I find it very interesting that since I added that video there is now a "possible threat" message that pops up when I access my blog.
Really?
Really...a threat?
Or, could it be the content that is objectionable?
After all, it shows Pastor Joe...(yikes)...praying to God for forgiveness because we have turned away from God's morality, in fact God's Law.
In exchange for what?
That's right, how could I forget; man is god.
Man knows best.
What a delusion....a very sad delusion that is ushering people right into the hands of the enemy who exclaims, "HA! Gotcha!".
I ask you, my Christian friends, do you feel an urgency to seek out the lost and tell them of God's glorious love and salvation?
Because I believe our time is running short here, our lives are like a vapor, the bible says, and I can see it dissepating before my very eyes.
Have you heard of the "internet neutrality laws" that this administration is trying to pass?
They are trying to silence us, the conservative voice that believes in a Creator God because it flies in the face of everything they stand for!!!!!
There is an agenda and IT IS EVIL!!!!!!!!
The news last week(not the mainstream-fringe media like ABC NBC CBS CNN MSNBC) talked of the new alliance between Turkey and Iran/Syria/Russia/China which is fulfillment of biblical prophecy in Ezekiel 38.
Please, please don't dismiss this as the same ol' rhetoric that every generation speaks of because the signs point to an imminent return of the Lord Jesus for His Church.
Even Jesus said, "when you see the buds on the almond tree you know spring is coming, so it will be in the last days...when you see the signs, you'll know that I am coming..."
If you are reading this and something is resonating in you that there is something wrong, but you can't quite put a finger on it.
Ask yourself this: why are we still here?
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ then I believe the answer is simple: we are here to fulfill the great commission...to go forth and make disciples of all men.
If you are not a believer/follower of Jesus then maybe the answer lies in the fact that God loves you so much that He created you in His image and He has great plans for you, plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope. God is a holy God and He cannot allow sin into His presence. Don't be offended by that, please, we are ALL sinful: the bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So, He made a way for us to be with Him in heaven....He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice that was needed to cover our sin, EVERYONE'S sin, for all time. God didn't leave it at that! He raised him from the dead after 3 days and now Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us! Jesus did that for you, for me, because He loves us so much that He couldn't bear to be without us.
Ask yourself this: if you were to die tonight, where would you spend your eternity?
There are only 2 options: this is not very PC but it doesn't make it any less true...the only 2 options are eternity with God(heaven) or eternity without God(hell).
The bible says in Romans "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
It's all about faith in Him and letting Him be the Lord of your life that begins a beautiful relationship between you and God.
It really is that simple.
God is waiting....He is knocking on the door of your heart. Won't you let Him come in?

a Thought for Thursday....Standing for the Truth!

2009-10-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

dear anonymous.....

2009-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

.....don't leave, or, at least come back when you can.
Thank you, dear friend for "fighting the good fight" for our mutual friend, Chris.
It has been an honor to "host" such a great dialogue.
Tell me, how did you come across this blog at the very moment I needed a mind like yours???
I call that Providence and positively....divine.
See ya around the blog-world dear anonymous......

;0)

a prayer request....

2009-10-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Please pray for my new friend, Chris, who doesn't understand how much God loves him and how God has such great plans for him.
Would you pray that Chris will feel the love that this Christ-follower has for him and THAT would lead him right into the arms of God?????

a Thought for Thursday.....

2009-10-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

......better yet, a Thoughtful Thursday....I like it!
Here's an idea:
What if today we purposefully set out to be thoughtful to everyone we encounter?
What could that look like?
A smile AND a kind word spoken to the person next to you at the gas station.
A smile AND an offer to return someone's cart at the grocery store.
Meeting the eye of the person you are passing on the walking path and greeting them warmly.
A phone call to encourage someone who is sick at home.
I'm sure you have some better ideas, but the point being that we should seek to bless others around us and it should be NOT just when we feel like it, cuz that's easy, we should do it at all times....while we still can, while we still have breath, for who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Have a great day today--
:)

Together Tuesday.....

2009-10-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today is called "Totally Together Tuesday" in my attempt to be more reader friendly.
I have noticed a trend toward catchy anachronisms attached to the pertaining day of the week that one is posting to their blogs and I thought....I can do that, too, after all I'm trendy, right?
So, today is Totally Together Tuesday, called thus because I am getting things together around the house for the rest of the week.
It is out with old(summer attire) and in with the new(fall attire).
It is gathering together things that need to go to Goodwill.
It is gathering the laundry together and getting it done.
It is gathering together ingredients for a big pot of Chicken Noodle Soup.
See what I mean...I am together...in readiness for the rest of the week.
Here are some of the runners-up that didn't make it to the table:

Touchy Tuesday(sets a tone, don't ya think?)
Terrible Tuesday(worse tone)
Tight Tuesday(too young for me)
Terrific Tuesday(a little too chipper for me)
Tongue in cheek Tuesday(that one was a contender)

But, in the end, to stick to my reader-friendly objective I chose Together Tuesday.
Who knows what next week will bring?(hopefully not Torqued Tuesday as I'm saving that one for the next election-HA)
I'd like it to be more about getting together with a friend on a Tuesday-that's my new goal.
Look at that-I set a goal!
Hmmph.
Who knew?

God is speaking.......!!!!

2009-10-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Two things:
First:
Did you know that this week in Israel they are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles or Succot and that this year there were more than 4000 people gathered from all around the world to join hands with their Jewish friends to worship the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Issac--this was a fulfillment of an ancient prophesy written by Zechariah that said someday nations from all around world will join hands with the Jewish people during the Feast of Succot!!!!

"Many of the pilgrims also said they understood their presence in the Holy Land for Succot was part of the grand epic of history described in the Bible by the Jewish prophets."

"We are here to be a part of history," said Tove Tveita, a Norwegian Christian participant. "We have the same history as the Jews. We believe in the same God, and we believe in a Jewish Messiah."

"The Prophet Zecharia said all of the nations would gather for Succot, and now we are here to enjoy him in his land. What's happening tonight was written."

Isn't that so cool???
We are witnessing ancient prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes!!!!

Second thing:
I have received a word from the Lord.
Seriously, God has been speaking to my heart about being still and silent before Him.
Yesterday, during my "date" with Him he gave me these words from Zechariah:

"Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His Holy habitation!"
Zechariah 2:13

God has aroused Himself from His heavenly sanctuary and is about to intervene on behalf of His people. "Be silent" is not in anticipation of worship, but calls for terror at the judgment that will be unleashed from God's glory.
Will you join me in prayer for our country, our leaders, our people who do not know the Lord?
Remember, our far as our sphere of LOVE, to that extent goes our spiritual authority.
Let us make good use of our time that is given to us as I believe it is very short.
God bless you, my friends.

desperately seeking Mary....

2009-10-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

Kim, over at 58 degrees has some excellent insights into what our "race" should be based on.
You should check it out.
It has caused me to ask myself some deep questions:

Do I experience God based on the familiar? Like, in corporate worship at church, the way that I have been shown to experience Him, or through other believer's experiences?
Or, do I truly allow Him to show ME His ways, His character based on MY Spirit-filled walk in which I desire His revelation to me every moment of every day in any situation I find myself in??
THAT is truly what I desire.....ache for, in fact.
Isn't is so easy to get busy DOING for God instead of BEING with God?
Do we, as women, feel guilty for taking time out for ourselves because we have so many depending on us and any time we take for ourselves takes away from the people we care for around us. Or, we put standards on ourselves that we think we have to live up to every day and, really, what does it matter if our house is clean and our children are fed and our husbands are happy if we, ourselves, have not taken the time to BE with our Saviour, who has the best plans for us, and who desires that intimacy with us that we so easily give away in the name of housework/duty/parenting/service?????
I truly think it is a delicate balance between being a Mary vs. a Martha, but what did Jesus say? He blessed Mary for her devotion to Him and He chastised Martha NOT for her service but for her ATTITUDE toward Mary.
I am inspired to SIT and be with my LORD....call it my "date with God".
May God bless as you go along your way and may you be mindful of God's voice of Truth in your life.

2009-10-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a treat!
The girls and I along with my bestest gal-pal, Kimberly, went to see the Broadway sensation "Wicked" at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
It was....FABULOUS!...I mean it was the BEST show we've ever seen and to top it off to be able to share it with my beautiful daughters and my beautiful friend was.....sublime...perfect.
After working the outage last spring and seeing how much the girls really stepped up to help keep the house up along with caring for our animals and for their dad, I just needed to bless them for their tremendous help and so....knowing Kimberly's bday was coming...the 2 events married together so well and so I just went for it and took us all!!!!!
We made such great memories together....we laughed and laughed...we hugged and cried....we ate great food....it was so special.

election news and speeches...

2009-09-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am so excited!
Con and I have been asked to be part of Clint Didier's campaign to run against Patty Murray in the Senatorial election next year!!!!!!
If any of you were at the Tea Party a few weeks ago you saw Clint make an impassioned speech which rallied everyone there, and with his name recognition and his all american good looks AND his decent principles and morals I truly believe that he could unseat PM----FINALLY!!!!!!
It will be an uphill battle since PM already has $2 million raised but what an amazing experience this will be to start at the grass roots level of a campaign that is so important to our country right now.
Truly, he has gotten a bit of a late start but he's in the game....he's got a great platform....he is being surrounded by people who know how to launch him into the political arena....there is no stopping him now!!!!!
Will you begin to pray for the next election that we, the people of this great state and country will seek to be a more virtuous people so that we will, in turn, elect more virtuous leaders????
Will you pray this with me?
Whether you are politically savvy or not, surely you see and hear what's going on in our country and where we are headed if we don't stop the corruption that surrounds our government.
Martin Luther King Jr. had this to say:

"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.....The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."

Though he used inflammatory language, what he meant was this: it is much easier to simply die for a cause than to find inventive and effective means to fight for it.

He also said this:

"The hottest places in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in time of great moral conflict."

Truly the enemy must sense how very short time is for him and he is stepping up his advance on our families and on our time and I fear if we remain distracted by "temporal things" that we will miss out on what is happening in our country--things that are bigger than us--bigger than our problems.
It is way past time to sit up and take notice of where our government is taking this country----and it is not a good place.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation-We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed- That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute New government......"

Who's with me????

Change of scenery....

2009-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, we decided we needed a "change of scenery" yesterday which led us to visit The Living Room church yesterday and I have to say that we really enjoyed it!
They greeted us very warmly and genuinely as we were ushered into their beautiful new building and immediately the delicious smell of a coffee bar excited my senses and I knew it was going to be a good experience.
Worship was moving and the teaching was captivating. I loved the experience of their corporate prayer and testimony and I know that the grass always appears greener on the other side, however, it was just a very refreshing change and...I don't know what will come of it, if anything, but I think that we will go back next Sunday and try it again.
Ugly circumstances led us to make this decision and we are "circling the wagons", if you will, taking care of our own, if you won't.(HEHE)
I won't go into any detail except to say that my daughters have captured the attention of the enemy and he's goin' in for the kill(almost literally) and I say this because I covet your prayers for their safety and protection from this vicious attack!
My prayer partner, Nicole, and I received a revelation from the Lord last week and let me tell you it has been "game on" ever since.
Her daughter has also been under attack, but, God has also revealed to us His ministering angels that are ever present with Jamie now.
My dreams are tormented by demonic presence and I'm serious...it is GAME ON!!!!
Aren't you so blessed to know that God is bigger and better and badder than the punk that calls himself the prince of this world.
You-PUNK- have no authority here so back off my family and this neighborhood because we are sealed to the MOST HIGH GOD and He has great plans for you----that's right---you get a glorious one-way ticket to the ABYSS!!!!!Enjoy your very long stay----PUNK!!!!
In the name of Jesus Christ-Amen.

Love and Spiritual Authority---Part 2

2009-09-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

"AS WIDE AS OUR SPHERE OF LOVE, TO THAT EXTENT WE HAVE SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY"
True spiritual authority is born of LOVE.
If we have LOVE for our church and the congregation, then we have authority to build up that church and congregation. That same authority is not extended beyond the boundaries of our LOVE.
If we LOVE our city and our local government our authority touches the lives of those in that realm either through prayer or through outreach/ministry.
The testing ground of all spiritual things is LOVE, for LOVE alone purifies our motives and delivers us from the deceitfulness of self. Even authority in spiritual warfare must be rooted in LOVE. David gained the skills to slay Goliath, not on a battlefield, but by defending his father's sheep from predators. He LOVED those sheep so much he was willing to lay down his life for them. So also we grow in authority as we protect OUR Father's sheep, the flock He has given us to LOVE.
The more we LOVE, the more authority will be granted to us. If we love our community and are willing to lay down our lives in service, God will enlarge our hearts and grant us new authority in spiritual warfare. Satan knows the genuineness of our LOVE by the brightness of the glory that surrounds us.
"A man or woman without Christ-inspired LOVE will soon shrink back and fail in spiritual warfare."--1 Cor. 13:8
Only LOVE "never fails".
Certainly, when it comes to battling the enemy, there are many things the Holy Spirit has to say that we are not able to hear until our base of LOVE is expanded. Graciously, the Lord protects us from presumptuosly taking on the enemy and attacking the strongholds of hell and suffering loss. If we are truly anointed in God's LOVE, however, the price to see our culture saved is not too great, but, it will be a price that LOVE alone can pay.
I am excited to see where God will take us as He continues to unfold this plan of action to those willing to accept the mission--His mission--to LOVE our neighbors as ourselves, in fact, to be ready to lay down our lives as a sacrifice for those around us, and therefore gaining God-given authority to protect and build up His people. I think the thing that brings me the greatest possibility of shame would be to stand before my Heavenly Father and realize that I had missed opportunities to bring others to Christ because I was busy with...life...self.

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one."--Ezekiel 22:30

I'm here, Father, and I am ready and willing to do whatever you ask.
Speak to my heart and use me to bring others to you.
Establish your LOVE in my heart and may it overflow on to those around me for your glory and honor.
Amen.

Love and Spiritual Authority--Part 1

2009-09-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, for a while now God has been speaking to me about LOVE.
LOVE....LOVE....LOVE....
"Love my people as I have loved you."
"Love one another...in this they will know that you are my disciple."
"Love them like Jesus."
"Love them even if you don't understand them."
And my favorite:
"It's not about you."
God has spoken these things into my heart over and over and over again for months and months and months.
He has confirmed through a several good friends who hve also received the same message of LOVE that these things He has spoken to me are from HIM.
Over and over and over.....
What does it all mean?
To what end?
Perhaps I am beginning to see where God is taking me and for what purpose.
This week I have been the studying the teachings of Francis Frangipane and in his teachings he suggests that the Church as it functions today have many administrators who can explain the doctrines of Christianity, but few who actually exemplify Christ and even fewer who walk as Jesus walked.
While many stand in leadership, not many function in the higher realms of Christ given authority that was purchased for the Church, His Church, at a very high price, I might add.
Mr. F suggests that a new badge of authority is coming to the Church and that it will bring deliverance on a scale not seen before; in some cases, entire cities will be turned to the Lord.
What is spiritual authority?
It is nothing less than God Himself confirming with power the word of His servant.
Here are some examples that you might know: Moses speaking of judgment upon the people of Egypt and the subsequent display of power from God to break the will of an unmoving, hard-hearted Pharaoh. Jesus manifested spiritual authority when he cast out demons, healed people, silenced storms, and through resurrection power. Elijah at the battle of Jericho. The disciples at Pentecost.
So many examples tells us the same underlying principle: "those who are raised up by God will be backed up by God."
"They will decree a thing, and it will be established." Job 22:28
Christ gave the Church authority to make disciples in the Great Commission, however, we have been more successful in making converts rather than disciples.
Many are believers in Jesus, but few are true followers of Christ seeking to observe ALL that Jesus commanded. When the Church returns to teaching all that Jesus taught, our disciples will have authority to do all that Jesus did.
Oh, Father make it so.....
Spiritual authority is not something we possess just because we strive for it nor can we buy it nor does it function simply because we copy the methods of another. It cannot be attained from reading books nor can we pretend to have it. In fact, as we focus upon obeying the words of Christ, there are divinely ordained ways for Christ's authority to unfold in our lives.
Since the beginning of our walk in the Lord we have enjoyed God's unconditional love, right? However, as we mature in the Lord there comes a time when the Father's love seems conditional? Follow me on this: as it was for Christ, so it is for those who follow Him.
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down my life." John 10:17
Jesus lived in the deepest intimacies of the Father's love because He laid down His life for His sheep. If we will grow in true authority, we will do so by laying down our lives for His sheep, as well.
This is the path to true spiritual authority: in full possession of our souls, without fear or intimidation, we choose to lay down our lives for Christ's sheep. Yes, in full freedom, with avenues of escape in our view, we fearlessly surrender our will and in doing so we become intercessors for others. When we could easily win an argument, yet, die to ourself and turn the other cheek; when we are unjustly accused, yet quietly endure; when we are persecuted and, yet, choose to love---at those moments spiritual authority is entering our lives.
"No one has taken MY life away from Me, but I lay it down for my own initiative." John 10:18
Spiritual authority is the provision of God to transform the temporal with the power of the eternal. It is not something we can imitate or manufacture. Divine authority requires sanction and that sanction comes from PASSING THE TESTS OF LOVE!!!!!!!
WOW!
Do you see where this might be going?
God has been laying a foundation upon my heart and upon those around me in my circle of influence: it is a foundation of LOVE.
Why?
I believe it is because the lines of battle are being drawn as we speak, and God is equipping His people to overcome our enemy using LOVE and GOD-GIVEN-AUTHORITY to win people to Him.
When authority is administered without LOVE it is called control and control causes oppression and fear. The result of LOVE is freedom and the power to build up and protect God's people.
We will walk in either the true authority of LOVE, the false authority of control or no authority at all.
The latter two are rooted in fear which produces hypocrisy and complacency and which impedes our sanctification process and actually makes us more of effective for the enemy than for Christ, after all, we are either for God or against Him.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" 1 John 4:18
True authority is built upon LOVE, therefore, before one can truly move in spiritual authority, we must be delivered from fear and its desire to control and we must be rooted and grounded in LOVE.
"As wide as our sphere of love, to that extent we have spiritual authority."
OK...I get it.
"Help me Father to be a willing sacrifice for your people. I desire your authority, Lord. Give me courage to surrender in obedience every moment everyday even when I don't understand. Help me to trust you. Establish in me Your love that I might defend Your people with authority.
In Jesus' name.
Amen."

2009-08-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from C. S. Lewis's "the Problem of Pain."

"The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word "Love", and on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake.
"Thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
We were made not primarily that we may love God(though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest "well pleased." To ask that God's love should be content with us as we are is to ask God that He cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled by certain stains in our present character, and because he already loves us He must labour to make us lovable."

"When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God LOVES man: not that He has some "disinterested", because really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the "lord of terrible aspect" is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way......"

You gotta see this....

2009-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

This should make for lively conversation......
All is can say is." They ELECTED the anti-christ."
Nice.

it's a hard knock life and....

2009-08-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'm done.....

trying to wrap my brain around a certain uncomfortable situation that has not only affected me but our entire family but also has dominated my thoughts for many months now.
Every time I start to think it through to a reasonable solution and I think that I have a plan to fix it; I just get angry which, inevitably leads to bitterness, which leads to more and more angst which just, honestly leaves me spent and confused.
As Lacey and I were heading off to lands unknown for our quarterly hay-run it just hit me, or should I say the Lord hit me over the head and I just broke down...while driving...."why does life have to be so hard???" I cried.
Why Lord?
He simply said to my heart: "Let me have it, for my burden is light. This particular lesson is NOT about you or your family but I am using you to see My will done."
I cannot express how only through His inexplicable timing does peace come.
It flowed over me and through me and I feel as if I am 10 pounds lighter(if only...)!!!!!
Then the Lord asked me: "Will you love them through this?"
"Yes, Lord"
"Even if you don't understand my will?"
"Yes, Lord. Show me how."
"As I have loved you...love them."
I pray, Father, for reconcilation.
Will you make it so?????

Oh that's classic......

2009-08-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Lacey and I have decided to read only classic literature this year.
We went to the bookstore and picked up some gems: Great Expectations by Dickens, the Divine Comedy by Dante, War and Peace by Tolstoy, Peter Pan, Secret Garden, Jungle Book, Pride and Prejudice, and the Problem of Pain by CS Lewis which I am currently reading.
The sub-title of the book is "How human suffering raises almost intolerable intellectual problems" and I thought it could be eye-opening to hear what a Christian apologist might say about this issue of human kind enduring pain and suffering.
After all, the world seems to have a plethora of that going on and of course they are still asking the same old lame question: "why does a supposed GOOD God allow suffering?".
So why does God allow suffering?
We really ought to have a answer ready because if we live out our faith as we should be then sooner or later it will be asked.
Right?
I mean, it is one thing to counsel other believers regarding this question because we live under the providence of a Sovereign God being constantly undermined by an enemy that seeks to destroy His children, in other words, our battle is with the seen and the unseen.
But,the world, too, needs answers to that question and perhaps one day we will have the privilege of sharing our answer with someone who is lost and without the knowledge of God and his salvation plan.
Anyhoo, I will endeavor to be better prepared to answer the question to the "Problem of Pain" and share any nuggets of Truth that come my way.
Have a blessed day.

;0)

2009-08-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

Can I share a prayer that came my way?
It is really sums up what God has been speaking to my heart:

Your People

Oh, Lord we are your people.
We do not yet begin to fathom our desperate need of You;
for indeed until we are free, we are helpless to realize the depth of our bondage.
We come before You in confession this day.
We confess to You that we have not misunderstood Your command to love one another.
We confess to a willful disobedience and to an inner slothfulness that sees a true heart change as simply too much trouble.
We confess that we have reduced Your "new commandment" to a "new consideration".
A warm and fuzzy - though highly unattainable - fairy tale.
Our hearts are held fast in the vice grip of self-centeredness.
We confess to You this day, Lord: our love is small.
Our hearts are not dwarfed by the evil one; rather by our own fists.
We have stomped our feet before You as spoiled children crying, "mine!"
We confess the sin of our preference for a privy few.
And we confess that we have not cheated others of our love nearly as much as we have cheated ourselves of the priveledge to love them.
Finally, Lord, we confess our unbelief.
We do not believe You are greater than our hearts.
Holy Father, some of us today, with fear and an inner war of selfishness raging, are willing to hold out our fists to You.
Tucked pitifully within You will find our small hearts.
If we will but choose to take the fisted hand we hide behind our back and extend it to You, You will graciously peel away each finger until we are released.
Oh come, Glorious Liberty!
Free us to love as we have been loved, for only then will we truly live.
Surround me with those so different from me.
Let me not continue on in the gripping constraint of self-centeredness.
Take my crumpled heart and inflate it until it begs to burst with the warm blood of Your Son.
I choose this day to love.
Amen.

This was written by Beth Moore and don't you suppose that she must be addressing the Church; the body of Christ?
It begs the question: if we can't love one another inside and outside our "walls", doesn't that make us a bunch of frauds?

a plug for 58 degrees...

2009-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce to you one of my most favorite blogs in this blog-world.
It is Kim's new blog: 58degrees.blogspot.com
And it is fabulous, thought provoking, challenging, and totally devoted to God's glory.
Well done, Kim.
No worries about "crashing your site",I have only 2 followers and you are of them.
;0)

a fresh Word.....

2009-07-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

I love How God speaks to His children in themes....
"LOVE is the theme...LOVE is supreme....."
All we need is LOVE!!!!!!
LOVE one another.
LOVE them like Jesus.
I can't get away from it, not that I'm trying, but everywhere I turn I see people who need LOVE.
They don't need church.
They don't need fixin'.
They don't need intervention.
They simply need LOVE.
Jesus said to His disciples before He left this earth, "Love one another. This is how they will know that you are my disciples."
It truly is a recurring theme isn't it?
I think it was this last year that some of us in this blog-community received a theme for the year that was LOVE and I believe that He is simply reminding me of my commitment to LOVE His people as He has loved me.
What does that look like?
I am sure that it is different for everyone, afterall we are gifted in many ways, but for me it is as simple as "show and tell".
Show them you love them and don't forget to tell them, too.
I will.
Will you?

settling in....

2009-07-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation from Oregon all the way to California and all the way back.
Really, really good times, good memories, good food(we Never eat at anything available to us at home when we are on vacation). I was very mindful that perhaps this family vacation will be the last for Lacey who will be entering into her next phase of life next year, whatever that looks like, and so it was extra sweet in that way.
Disneyland has a way of bringing out the kid in anyone and it was fun to see Lace and Vada become little girls again enchanted by the magic that is Disney.
Great memories!
As I am settling in to the summer(finally) by getting the yard back from the hostile takeover by the weeds, cleaning and organizing closets, finally getting drapes hung for the playroom, and basically getting on top of things at home that went WAY to the wayside during the outage I am feeling that my girlie relationships are needing some attention and so that is my task this week, afterall, for those of you who know me at all my motto has always been: people are more important than projects.
My people...you are so warned...i'm a comin' a callin'.
;0)

Back to normal.....

2009-06-15T09:09:00.004-07:00

I'm baaaaccckkkkk.....
My work is done!!!!!
It was a crazy schedule working crazy hours with waaayyyyy crazy people and in the beginning I HATED it!!!!
We worked 12 hour nights for 13 days straight with one day off for 6 weeks!!!!
My feet hurt from walking 12-14 miles a night on cement floors, it was stinkin' HOT in the reactor which is where I worked and the people were FOUL!!!!!!
So, what did i do?
I was assigned to the reactor floor crew.
We were contamination control and proud of it!
We occasionally were given decon assignments in which we went into contaminated areas to decon certain things or pull "rad trash/laundry", we participated in the push/pull of the control rods, which was probably the hottest job I did, I deconned a "strong back " which was on top of the reactor, I got to see the cobalt blue glow of the control rods in the reactor as they were being moved from the spent fuel pool to the reactor.
During those assignments we had to "dress out" in full protection clothing and use our radiation worker training procedures to keep from getting "crapped up" which we all did at some point.
That part of the job was very interesting!!!!
The rest of the time....I mopped and I mopped and I mopped some more.
The reactor has 6 floors and each floor is approximately the size of Penneys and we did them twice a night plus we mopped the stairs, which was a huge ordeal because we had to move the wet floor signs and the mop bucket constantly and I would not use the elevator because i figured this was the best excersize I could get, which it was and my legs actually feel in shape and I actually lost about 15 lbs....cool!
All in all it was a very interesting experience as far as the work was concerned but in the end it was the heart connections that I made that made it all worth it.
I had so many opportunites to love on some very wounded and weary people.
God provided many times of sharing the gospel with lost co-workers.
In that sea of lost souls there were a few of us who were salt and light and I believe we made difference.
They sawthat we were real, not religious, approachable, not judging, humble, not hypocrites.
I'm not exxagerating when I say that everyday I got to share about my relationship with Jesus and about how I had peace and joy because of the gift of God's salvation.
It was incredible!!!!
Jill asked me if it was worth it and would i do it again??????
At first I thought: No way!
Now, I'd have to say that it was like a mission trip except I got paid really really well and Yes, I would definately do it again.
It was the most purposeful evangelistic mission trip I've EVER experienced.

2009-06-15T09:09:00.003-07:00

2009-06-15T09:09:00.001-07:00

a word before I go.....

2009-04-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

"...been a long time....been a long time....lonely...lonely....lonely time....."
Reminds me of a song....
So, obviously I've been in a blogger-slump and have put this on the VERY back burner, however, it's not that I didn't have anything to say or I wasn't thinking about my blog sisters, NEVER!
It's just that life got really crazy-busy, which happens, right?
Well, that and I have been through a season of doubt.
I doubted God's blessing, His goodness, His provision.
And do you know that I didn't even realize it until God spoke to me and told me that I was carrying burdens that I needed to let go.
So, I am working on it.....letting go and living "light".
I hope all is well with you'all and know that I will be praying for you and thinking of you.
I'll be starting work on Monday and so I will talk talk to you gals in 6 weeks or so.
Love you all!!!!!!

2009-03-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

I will apologize ahead of time....

2009-03-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

"if you don't have something nice to say...don't say anything at all!"
Words to live by....
Problem with that is we live in a fallen world and we all have moments when we are NOT nice.
I can live with that.
What I can't live with is when we think we are being nice and it is totally misunderstood and the enemy runs with it and you get trashed, for what?
For caring, being nice????
This situation has happened way too many times not just to me but others whom I love and it is extrememly frustrating to try and figure it all out so that it won't happen again.
I'm all about taking personal responsibility, I am.
Was my motive pure, was I being insensitive, was it all in the timing??...how could they get it sooooo wrong?????
The ONLY thing that makes sense is that it is the enemy taking what we meant for good and turning it ugly and here's the thing: we let him do it to us!!!!
What if we hear something that doesn't quite sound right and we actually give the person the benefit of the doubt and assume the best about that person?????
What if we extended mercy to someone having a bad day instead of taking it as a personal snub??????
How about actually having a conversation with someone about a possible misunderstanding instead of jumping to conclusions?????
Proverbs says...."Come, let us reason together..."
We girls are the WORST when it comes to this!
Seriously, none of the situations I have witnessed have EVER involved men!!!!!
Satan is the one who falsely accuses the brethren.
Satan lies.
We should know better.....and have each others' backs.
Can I just say this:
If I have ever offended anyone out there, can you do one of two things for me?

1. Give me a break. Chalk it up to either YOUR bad attitude or MY bad attitude and remember: what comes around goes around, in other words..."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
2. Tell me. (Come, let us reason together...)

Pretty simple recipe for simply living together peacably.
Any other way of handling that situation is sinful and the enemy will run you off the road and the saddest part is that you let him do it.
We need our spiritual armour to avoid the fiery darts of the enemy.
I am putting mine on right now!!!!!

"for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

this just in....

2009-03-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Jill: I am right there with you...major blog slump going on in our inner circle...reminds me of the DOW:

"the blog-world has suffered serious losses over the last few weeks due to a lack of posting by some of our most valuable assets in the blog-world. Sources say that the postings are down by as much as 80%!
No one seems to know what has caused this disturbing trend but some sources say that there has been a recent up-turn in domestic responsiblities which directly affects those blog-parties."
(she said in her most assertive Dan Rather voice)

But, seriously, I have lots of random thought flowing..I'll try to make some kind of sense of it all and get back to you soon.
I'll leave you with this thought:

Did you know that the leading cause of death among beavers is falling trees???

2009-03-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

My heart is absolutely breaking over the latest bill Obama has signed into law.
He has lifted the limits that the Bush administration put on embryonic stem-cell research and in essence has put his approval on "anything-goes-no-holds-barred" science.
Go ahead...TRY TO BE GOD AND SEE WHERE THAT GETS YOU...YOU STUPID SHEEP...YOU FOLLOWERS OF SATAN!!!!!!!
Remember Babel????
YOU WILL BE SMACKED DOWN!
GOD WILL NOT BE UNDONE...
SO THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOD I pray that your judgement is swift and unkind to those that harm your "little ones".
I am weeping for this day is evil......

What do you think?

2009-03-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

For us, the revival services have been very good, very thought provoking.
Last night I had some interesting thoughts...
Pastor Wade was telling the story of the little girl that got saved at camp and it turned that she was actually a leader in her youth group, someone that everyone trusted and went to for spiritual advice because she LOOKED the part and went through the motions of "church".
That story reminded me of something that Nevada struggles with and I want to share it because I would like your feedback, you godly women bloggers.
Nevada does not remember praying to receive Christ.
We were visiting a church before we came to RBC, she was in Sunday school when I came to pick her up after worship and the teacher told me that she prayed with Nevada for salvation!
Awesome, right?
Nevada was 5 years old and she simply does NOT remember doing it.
I have encouraged her to ask God to bring it to her remembrance, which He has NOT, for whatever reason...
She has always been afraid of giving her testimony because she doesn't remember praying for herself therefore she feels that she doesn't have a testimony.
Last night, however, the Lord spoke a word of Truth in my ear and I was able to share it with Vada this morning; the Truth being that we are to be known by our fruit and we are to be growing in a relationship with the Lord. Jesus did not go from town to town praying for people to receive Him, instead, He touched them, forgave them, then asked them to sin no more. That was it! The salvation experience did not consist of a FAITH or ABC presentation!!!!
I told Nevada that I saw fruit in her and love in her and a great desire to serve God and I believe that is the result of her salvation and THAT is a great testimony!!!!
Please pray for Nevada that she would know that she knows that she is a child of the King or, if not, that she would know that as well.
Would you?
What do you think???

2009-02-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Ginger....Happy Birthday to you......
My friend, how I miss you...
If you were still here I would call you and sing "Happy birthday Mr. President" just like Marilyn Monroe,
;0)
then we would go to lunch at....Stone soup cafe in Richland and have their amazing Chicken Enchilada soup and corn bread then it would be off to the garden center where we would pick out seeds for our gardens and, finally, head back and plant them in our pots.
Doesn't that sound divine????
I hope you feel loved and appreciated today by the people close to you because you deserve it!!!!!
Thinking of you on this your special day, Ginger.
Love you.
;0)

2009-02-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Founders 1st Principle:

"The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law."

In other words, man shares with his Creator this quality of utilizing a rational approach to solving problems, and the reasoning of the mind will generally lead to common-sense conclusions based on what Jefferson called "the laws of Nature and of Nature's God"

just a little rambling...

2009-02-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

As you already guessed I am quite passionate about current events happening and seeing them through spiritual eyes.
I am NOT an alarmist; I am a REALIST, to be sure.
I firmly believe that we can't trust with any confidence the road ahead of us with out truly grasping the what occurred on the road behind us.
God has been interesting lately, He has given me this desire to almost be inside the heads of our Founding Fathers, to truly understand these great men of revolution who resolved to live a better life apart from from tyranny.
I will not bore you with more long ramblings except to explain why these men were "called" to such lofty ambitions.
These men were extraordinarily educated in all things secular as well as religious.
They believed that if you were gifted enough to desire an education and you were "smarter than the average joe" then you were almost obligated to go into public service because they believed that it was a gift from God.
Some of them even refused a salary for their service, namely, George Washington, because they believed that paying high salaries would bring in the "wrong sort" who would seek to gain in public office rather than to serve their fellow man for sake of it.
Did you know that some of them lost everything while in service to their country????
That's how much they believed in the great experiment in liberty known as the US of A.
In honor of and in service to getting back to basics I will post everyday one of the Founders basic principles they considered on the road to The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and our Constitution.
Today, however, I will post this quote from Alexis de Tocqueville, a French jurist, while he visited the US in 1831:

"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

ramblings.......

2009-02-20T14:47:00.001-08:00

I love when God speaks to me in themes!
I finally got to dive back into the chronological Bible study that I have so missed. It started out with Moses in the wilderness with the Israelites and it went to Jethro telling Moses that he should have judges to help with the dispensation of justice and so on....
Then I was working for my neighbor, Nicole, and we were talking about the state of the world etc, and she told me about her favorite book, "Atlas Shrugged" by Anne Land? which was written in the early 50's.
She explained that the author was an atheist but she believed God used her story in a very powerful way. It is now being hailed as almost prophetic to what is happening in our country today, in fact, Glenn Beck also spoke of this book and actually had a representative from the author's foundation(she is now deceased) come on his show and talk about how eerily prophetic "Atlas Shrugged" seems in these modern times. Nicole then loaned me another of her favorite books called the 5000 year Leap by W. Cleaon Sloussen-the 28 great ideas that are changing the world.
It talks about the Founding Fathers journey to the Constitution which took over 100 years to frame. It speaks of a time before the Constituion was written when the Founders knew that in order to have a perfect Union/government the people would have to be moral!
They decided that the people were not moral enough to govern themselves which is why they continued to rely on England to govern them and at some point, a catalyst occurred to revive the people's morals, then and only then did the Founders decide that we were moral enough to govern ourselves, hence the Revolutionary War and the subsequent Contintental Congress which led to the writing of a Constitution.
They knew that a government without morals WOULD FAIL!!!!!!!!!
Stay with me....
Last night I was talking with my nephew, Kyle, about current events and he stated that he believed that we didn't need government for anything and so I got to express to him what I had been studying about in history regarding our government.
It was so cool!!!!
We had an awesome dialog and sharing of ideas that in the end I had the priveledge to point out to him how God is the one who instituted government and judges and justice and that our Founders believed that and actually framed the Constituion based on those ideas from the bible.
Then, today, as I got into the "5000 year leap" it talked about all those things that God has been showing me this week, He literally brought in all together in this book.
The Founders noted the similarities between anglo-Saxon common law and the People's law of ancient Israel.
It sited how Connecticut used the priciples recorded by Moses in the 1st Chap. of Deut. and adopted those priciples into their "Fundamental Orders" which became the first constitutional charter of modern times. This system operated so successfully that it was adopted by Rhode Island and eventually the other colonies.
The basic tenet was: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof"-Leviticus 25:10
This inscription appears on the Liberty Bell.
The book then went on to explain how the Founders looked at the example of Moses and Jethro in Exodus 18 and saw that the emphasis should be on a strong, local, self-government!!!!!
Don't you see how so very far we have strayed from the original ideas that this great country was based on?????
God gave these great men of history a vision for this country which they instituted and created for us a system of government based on God's idea of government.
And God has blessed us...
The climate of free-market economics allowed science to thrive in an explosion of inventions and technical dicoveries which, in merely 200 years, gave the world the gigantic new power resources of harnessed eletricity, the internal combution engine, jet propulsion, exotic space vehicles, nuclear energy, revolutionary communications, world exploration, space exploration, our lifespan was doubled and the quality of life was tremendously enhanced.
"In 200 years, the human race had made a 500 year leap!"
We need to get back to basics...we need to turn back to God....or dire consequences will befall this great nation.
Around 600 B.C. a divine reprimand was given through Jeremiah: "Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim for you, saith the Lord."

just stuff...

2009-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Goodness, the week is flying by...
I have been remiss in my bible study/prayer time and I am feeling the effects of it.
I should stop right now and pick up where I left off....but, I have some thoughts.
I was talking with my bro-in-law about the state of the world and we talked about how transparent we are to our neighbors and those we come across on a daily basis. etc.
The question being: do people know that we are passionate Christ followers by the way we speak, or by the way we treat our family, our friends; do we take every opportunity to "love on people" the way Jesus would have????
Especially in this perilous time we live in, are we "living out loud for Jesus"??
I feel so convicted about this and I know that I have let things get in the way of my convictions and all I can say is, "I am flawed..so flawed"
How can God even use me?
I t would be so much easier if God would just ask someone else to do it!
Do you know what I mean?
I think the thing for me to do is to seek Refuge in Him, just rest in the arms of my Redeemer....
It's so easy for me to get caught in the trap of performance-and think that it is enough to serve....instead of worshipping the One who is worthy of all praise and letting our service be a response to that worship time.
I'm still learning.....what a dork!!!!

another prayer request....

2009-02-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

We had dinner last night with Con's folks and Carol's mom and brother; Darla and Heath.
It was good to catch up and hear about Carol's continued recovery.
Heath was telling us about the story of Miss Universe from Brazil who contracted the same bacteria that devastated Carol.
Apparently, she lost limbs and her sight as well.
Very sad.
They also told us of numerous people around the country afflicted with this deadly virus and how, sadly, most of them did not survive.
The mortality rate of this "little beast" is very high...Carol should not have survived.
But she did...and we spoke of why God spared her and what will He do through her?
It was...bittersweet, to say the least.
Carol is still experiencing "flashes" in her vision which is inexplicable to her doctors; I say, perhaps her optic nerve is regenerating, which would be a miracle, and that is precisely what we are praying for.
These are people who love the Lord with all their hearts and believe in His divine plan for them.
Guess what?
They are also LDS....and we have a dialog; a place to begin talking about our faith and what it means in our everyday lives.
It is the first since I've known them that we have had meaningful dialog about our beliefs without the differences setting us on edge and it had drawn us closer to one another.
Please continue to pray for this family; Darla, Heath, Carol, Scott, as they try to find rest and peace and normalcy amid all the chaos that they have been through.
Please pray to God that He will restore Carol's sight and for their spiritual healing as well.
Thank you, my friends.
"The fervent prayers of the saints availeth much."

Happy birthday to Lacey....Happy birthday to you....

2009-02-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that I am the mother of a 17 year old!!!!!
Wow.
Her big gift this year is a trip to Florida to see the Brauneis family over spring break.
She is very excited to see Brooke and Derek and to see the beaches over there, however, I don't think she's thought about the whole traveling by herself, switching planes in Houston(which is a huge airport), and all that.
In fact, I am not so keen on that either especially after seeing the movie, "Taken", which depicts the story of a 17 yr. old girl abducted after flying with a friend to Paris.
I keep telling myself that I was only 15 when I flew by myself to visit cousins in CA(of course, it was different world then and I didn't have to change planes).
I'm freaking myself out just thinking about it.
It will be fine...it'll be good for her....
I'll have to fake it to make it.
;0)

here she goes....

2009-02-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

If you will indulge me for just a moment....
GB said this week that the United Nations passed a resolution to fund the rebuilding of ancient Babylon, supposedly, back in December, although I have been unable to confirm that( I'm still digging).
President Tom of Iran(he's called Tom cuz noone can spell his name) launched 2 rockets into space this week, their names being (loosely translated) "message of hope".
Why?
Well, first, he's showing the world that they are acquiring technology that the rest of the world has, in other words, they're a threat, now.
Secondly, he's literally sending a message to the heavens to bring on the 12th Imam-basically their version of messiah.
In the meantime, the US is "going to the crapper" with Obama leading the way.
Have you heard this:
Obama wants to nationalize health care, education, the CENSUS, and utilities!
GE is actually considering "merging with the government".
GE, as in General Electric is the 7th or 8th largest corporation IN THE WORLD and they want to MERGE WITH THE GOVERNMENT???????
Is anyone else alarmed by this?
Have you heard of the "smart grid"????
It will replace out thermostats by showing us the optimum time to say...do our laundry, water our yards, heat our houses, and if we don't "comply" with it's "suggestion of usage"....we get charged a higher rate!
That's right, folks, Obama is nationalizing our power grid.
Great!
He has been a busy little boy, that Obama.
What else?
Oh, this is something you won't hear on our liberal-based media channels; Israel has discovered an inconceivably huge natural gas reserve off the coast of Haifa.
Perhaps this is what Ezekiel was speaking to when he prophesied to Israels' prosperity in the end times?????
Turkey is trying to from a strategic bloc with Iran and Syria in order to oppose Israel on all fronts, further testifying to the prophesies in Ezekiel 38-39 which speaks of the alliances against Israel in the end times.
It seems the whole world hates Israel, except for us, of course Obama will mess that up, too, I'm sure because you can't be a friend to everybody which seems to be his foreign policy.
In summary, Iran, who has just recently told the world of their imminent muclear capability, is pledged to "bring about the 12th Imam" through chaos and destruction, primarily by destroying Israel-the little satan and the US-aka; the great satan.
When he comes, he'll have a nice city to live in; Babylon, and he'll have at his disposal governments who will kiss his....finger just for the priveledge of buying whatever he's selling; oil, natural gas, electricity....
We are at the end of days, guys, and personally, that motivates me to be bold about my faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
I'm just sayin'......

Brought to you by the letter "B".....

2009-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Wendi, for my letter "B".
My mission, should I choose to accept it is to list as many things that I love that begin with the letter B.
If you would like to play simply leave me a comment and I will assign you a letter.
So keep it going!

1. The color Blue, especially Cobalt blue...it just makes me happy.
2. My Bible-(such a Sunday School answer, I know, but it's true. It is my favorite thing to read.)
3. Beading- it is my favorite pasttime, in fact, I even had some business cards made up entitled, "My Beadin' Heart". Get it?
4. Beaches- there's just something about standing on the edge of a continent watching the waves roll over and over, being engulfed by the deafening sound that completely mesmorizes me, makes me feel small, yet important. Hard to explain.....
5. Books- I love to read. I love to go into old bookstores and find very old books that speak of times long gone...and I love the smell of books, especially the old ones. Wierd.
6. President Bush- loved him...miss him.....We even wrote to him right after 9-11 just to encourage him and his family. We told him we were praying for him and he sent us an autographed 8x10 glossy of himself. Wasn't that nice?
7. Balderdash- it is our most favorite game to play as a family. Our favorite word: Clinchpoop. Hilarious!
8. The "Boys"- Hunter and Scooby-Doo; they really are great dogs and I really love them, in fact, I cannot imagine life without them. Rich, coming from someone who said "NO" to dogs for the last 15 years.
9. Beck, Glenn, that is-WE LOVE THIS MAN!!!!He comes into our home everyday and brings us news from around the world in his "fresh" perspective. He is a good and kind person, a man of faith who loves this country and wants it to be better. He isn't afraid to offend the masses by "calling a spade, a spade". One of his favorite sayings is "I'm so mad I've got blood spurting out of my eyes!" so his producer actually added an image of Glenn's head with blood spurting out of his eyes in the bottom of the screen during part of his show. He is hilarious!
10. Bath and Body works-love to smell good. My favorite is Citrus Basil Body lotion.Yummmm.
11. Basil- it is my favorite herb, especially in pesto....I can't wait for summer to go out and harvest my herbs and vegetables......
12.Best Friends-you know who you are.....thanks for loving me in spite of my very large warts. ;0)
13. Being with my girls-I have felt so priveledged to be the mother of my beautiful daughters, Lacey and Nevada. I love to be with them. They make me laugh. They make me cry(depends on the day). They inpire me to be the best that God had called to be.
14. Belly laughing- we just don't do it enough. The last great belly laugh for me was last week. The girls and I were coming home from somewhere and we started talking is funny voices which led to Lacey choking on her own saliva which we found absolutely hysterical. I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe...I should've pulled over...it wasn't safe. My bad. But it was funny.

That's all I got.
Thanks for playing.

2009-02-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Wendi,
I'm still waiting for a letter.
Still waiting......(I'm positively waiting with tongue hanging out, panting, wagging my.....behind).

;0)

2009-01-31T21:40:00.000-08:00

continued....

So, what did God speak to me?
He reminded me that He showed us exactly what He desires from our worship, the first thing being; it is about Him, not us.

Leviticus 9 tells the story of how God instructed Aaron and his sons to bring the sacrifice for the people.
It described in detail how they first had to atone for their own sins before putting on the priestly garments, which represented God's righteousness, then they could enter into the Holy of Holies without fear of God's wrath destroying them.
It then desribed how the Glory of God in the form of fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, the fire continued through the temple until it went out the doors of the tabernacle and the people saw it and celebrated and fell on their faces in worship.
There was much celebration which the sons of Aaron saw so they decided to go back into the Holy of Holies to offer more sacrifices.
God saw this as a profane sacrifice....so He destroyed them.
Then, God told Moses to tell Aaron that he must stay in the Tabernacle for 7 days and he was not to mourn, and so Aaron stayed.
How many times have I entered into worship without a second thought that I needed to confess my sins first.
I have not sought God's righteousness before coming to worship, but I sure have brought a profane sacrifice before the Lord....because I sought things that I thought would put me in a more "worshipful attitude", intead of simply coming to the Lord clean and on my knees in worship to Him who is the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice.
Then, He showed me that worship was not based on my emotions, just like Aaron stayed in the presence of God even though he had just lost his sons, he simply obeyed and worshipped.
I have made worship about me, and I am so ashamed, Father.
Forgive me.
Thank you for showing me how to truly worship you.
Our God is an awesome God!

A Holy Epiphany...

2009-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

"What has God been showing you this week, Lori?" you ask.
Thanks for asking, You.
Where do I begin?
I think to explain where God has taken me I first need to tell you where I've been.....
Chapter One:

For the last couple of years, I have really struggled with the worship time at our church.
(I can't believe I am saying this out loud)
To be honest with you, the worship time, for me at least, truly has done very little for me as far as....moving me toward God, and as far as "equipping the saints" goes, I have learned more from personal BS and from some great bible teaching on CSN radio.
I think because of the 2 worship services and there being a time constraint and all that that nullifies the movement of the Holy Spirit because we have to out at precisely 12:00, and, uhhhhh...I hate that!
Corporate prayer if so important! and yet, when are we really able to allow the Holy Spirit to move? Are we in bondage to a clock and a schedule????
Anyway, it is NOT my intention to cause dissention and this has been, for the most part, a personal battle, however, I can assure you that I am not the only person struggling with this.
How I have dealt with this has been simply to acknowledge that it is NOT all about me
and that God has a purpose for placing us here and so I continue to seek to serve others joyfully without needing to be served.
Honestly, that has worked fine, because I know that worship before the Lord can be done anywhere, anytime, and I LOVE that! It doesn't have to occur on Sunday mornings, right?
I can look back over the years and see how God was moving in our midst by showing us the importance of loving others and being real with one another.
Goodness, I feel so blessed in the relationships that have been forged through the commitment of friendship and accountablility.
I feel blessed in that area!
All of that to say this:

I have NOT allowed God to speak TRUTH to me over this matter and I allowed my feelings/heart to dictate my actions. In other words, I put my FEELINGS ahead of FAITH and, we all know the heart is deceitful, in essence, I gave the enemy a foothold in my heart which it turned to discontentment over time and because I was not rooted in TRUTH I was virtually blind to it.
What a goober I am!!!!!!
This discontentment has pervaded our household and even my kids and I SAW it for the "first" time yesterday in the heart of my oldest, which broke my heart because I KNEW that I had caused it.
The enemy will take anything we give it, for me it took my "making the best of it" attitude and my "it's not about me" pep-talks, ran with it and almost literally ran me off the road, ALL because my actions were NOT rooted in God's TRUTH.

Chapter Two:

Yesterday, I heard from God.
He spoke TRUTH to me and.....I am no longer blind.
Thank you, Leslie, for your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and for your passion for the Word.
God spoke through you to me and it was like honey in my soul.
It was the TRUTH that caused the scales to fall from my eyes so that I could acknowledge my sin; the sin of Pride.

continued.....

a prayer request or 2

2009-01-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Wow!
God is moving in our midst and showing/challenging me to ask myself how much I really love people.
Am I willing to love sacrificially?
I have had some really deep encounters with a couple of people who are REALLY hurting, which I believe is no cooincidence because God has asked me to love people through His eyes, not just through mine, and so, I truly have to wait on the Lord for guidance in these situations.
I covet your prayers as I go forward in love and come along side these wounded friends to show them that I love them and support them.
I pray for protection over these who are being attacked by the enemy who is seeking to destroy them.
I pray for wisdom and sensitivity to their needs.
I pray that they will know that only God can love them the way they need to be loved.
Thanks.
God bless you.

LTU #1

2009-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Love theme update(thanks Kim and Jill):

I called my mother-in-law and had a great conversation about the Inaugaration and life in general. Not an easy thing for me to do with her cuz we've had some "history", but I do love her and I want her to know that she is important to our family.
I am also trying to love the Obamas through God's eyes, more to the point, to quote a saying from a great book I'm reading, I am "CHOOSING FAITH OVER FEELING".
God has commanded me to love one another...in spite of how I feel.
That's all I got.
Tune in next week for more Love Theme Updates......(hopefully).

Inauguration red-white-and-blues......

2009-01-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

What an interesting day.....
To watch the swearing in of the next VPOTUS and POTUS, whom neither received my allegiance nor my vote, has filled me with such mixed emotions.
On the one hand, I weep for our outgoing President and the legacy of integrity, sense of security, and pride in this country that he will leave behind, and I fear what is to come with this new commander-in-chief, not really fear, but, rather I feel so much uncertainty for the future.
On the other hand, I know that I serve a sovereign God that has everything under His control.
I trust that, I really do...
So, why can't I stop crying when I think about what this day stands for?
I don't know....all that I do know is that somehow this day is very important, in fact, I believe that it is bigger than any of us realize and that is probably what I am reacting to.
I did have an epiphany yesterday as I was watching the news speak about the settling-in-process for the Obama's.
They were talking about what church the Obamas would attend now that they are living in a new town and the problems of security and how their attendance would affect the church etc,.
It got me thinking: how would our church respond if the Obamas walked through our doors????
Of course, we would embrace them and love on them and treat them as any new family coming into our midst, and that sort of "humanized" them for me, they are, after all, just people who need the Lord, and so I have mentally embraced them as folks who are on the "long-term prayer list", folks who have moved into a new neighborhood and are striving to make a home for themselves and their daughters, folks who literally have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
They deserve my respect and someday, hopefully, my admiration, but until then.....I will offer my unclenched fist toward their outstretched hands.
And I pray God's will be done.

seeking a theme....

2009-01-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Jill, for being my only reader.
Apparently, this one's for you.(feelin' the love?)

So, I had a VERY interesting conversation this morning with my friend , Dana, about her jewlery party she had last night.
I called her to ask how she did and we ended up talking about all the people who SHOWED UP!.
I mean to say there was 10-15 people there that I, for the most part, knew none of them.
They were her neighbors and co-workers and they came to support their friend.
We talked about how very different they all are and how diverse their backgrounds, and yet, they all like each other, they were obviously enjoying themselves.
It was neat.
Her neighbors, I mean 3-5 families get together on a regular basis to share a meal, to play games, to fix the neighbor's gate, to help a friend build a workbench, to help take down a Christmas tree and decorations, have a surprise bday party.....etc.
They are the very definition of family/community.
They genuinely care for each other and it shows through acts of kindness.
They genuinely like each other and it shows through the time they spend with each other.
I have never seen a neighborhood like that.
For that matter, I've never seen a church like that.
What brings these people together????
What is the common thread that drives the need for community????
It's not that they have so much in common because they really don't.
They are all very different.
I asked Dana if she could identify what was the catalyst that started this phenomenon????
She thinks that it is her next door neighbors, Frank and Pat, that have been very purposeful about reaching out to the neighbors, they have even gone so far as to build a "man-cave" for the men of the neighborhood to come and hangout in.
Get this; there is even a neon OPEN/CLOSE sign out front.
Isn't that great?
They invite the neighbors over all the time to eat, and if you happen to be out in your yard and they see you, they will say "come on over".
It is amazing!
They are people of faith who love the Lord and have been given the gift of friendship to spread to all those around them and, guess what? it has caught on!
I'm sure it has taken some time and effort to build those relationships, but they did it sacrificially and they have been blessed.
Guess what else?
The neighbors they have reached are not Christians, they are their neighbors.
They didn't pick and choose who they would have in their home, they have everybody!
They know one another and they bear one another's burdens.
They are doing it right and I am humbled to my core.
It is not a polite suggestion to love your neighbor, it's a command.
To love we must reach out beyond our comfort zone and sacrificially invest in others.
I'm with you, Jill, It's all about love, the verb, not a feeling.
It started with 2 people who had a passion for loving people, and now it has spread to an entire neighborhood who loves one another.
What made the difference?
They were invested in people and they gave their time sacrificially to others.
They didn't say, "my house isn't clean anough", they said "come in".
They didn't say, "I don't have enough to share", they shared what they had.
They didn't say, " I don't like that person", they got to know them and realized they were people who were hurting and they simply listened.
They loved them like Jesus

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength.
And love your neighbor as yourself."

I'm pretty sure this is my theme, too.

Please pray that Carole's sight is restored!

2009-01-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

We heard today that Carole has been seeing colors and shadows.
Hallelujah!
Her doctors are still saying that she is "seeing" things she's remembered, however, her family is convinced she is really seeing.
We were talking about all of this on the way home from the game and Lacey's response was, "What if this is God's way of saying; I'm not through yet!"
Then she said, "we need to pray and fast that God will restore her sight."
Out of the mouths of babes.....
So tomorrow we will fast and pray for Carole....
Please join us if you can.

my testimony....

2009-01-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Did you'all read Kim's blog?
In it she was talking about coming up with a theme for 2009.
I think that is a great idea and so I am asking the Lord to show me what that should be.
Will you prayerfully consider adopting a theme for the new year and then share it on your blog?
I am excited to see what the Lord will do with us bloggers....
In the meantime I have been "surfing" other christian blogs and found one in which she shared her testimony and I thought to myself: I've never really written my testimony down(except for FAITH-but that doesn't really count cuz it has too many restrictions in it).
So, I thought that I would share my testimony with you'all....maybe you'll share yours, too????

When I was 7 years old I lost my mother.
It was a confusing time for me.
I remember the "movements" around me during that time.....my dad showing up at school in the middle of the day, hearing a kid in my class say that he wished his mom would die so he could get out of school early, me wondering who's mom died?, the drive home which I remember everything being fuzzy and inaudible(looking back I realize I was in shock), sitting in Linda Kay's yard across the street wondering why all those people are coming over to our house?, seeing my sister Karen drive up and run into my dad's arms crying and I didn't know why, the funeral....
None of it seemed real to me.
I don't remember anyone sitting me down and explaining what happened to my mom and that she would never be able to come back.
During that time I just went through the motions....I experienced the tragedy but I didn't feel anything.
The next thing I really remember about that time was being in my bed looking out of my window and wishing I could see my mommy again all the while I was feeling like something was pushing against me, not in an uncomfortable way, but just enough that my breath was affected and I also remember the incredible peace that surrounded me.
This went on for some time....
Our lives went back to some sense of normalcy, I guess, we went to church every Sunday and I remember people saying to me that someday I would see my mommy again in heaven.
I didn't really understand the concept of heaven other than it was a place where my mommy was and I knew that I wanted to be there with her.
One particular Sunday the pastor was talking about that very thing and something about hell and something about salvation and something about sin, but all that I heard was that I could go to Heaven if I gave my heart and life to Jesus.
Being a very practical 7 year old who had an end goal in mind, I jumped at that opportunity!!!!!
I gave my heart and my life to Jesus and He became My Lord and Savior even though I thought it was for one reason, to see my mother again, He drew me to Himself through that horrible tragedy and showed me the need I had for Him.
I was 7 years old...what did I know about sin????( that came later)
He gave me hope where there was darkness.
He gave me love where there was despair.
He gave me faith where there was longing.
He gave everything to me where there was nothing.
He even showed me that He was there beside me all along.....while I was aching and longing to see my mother He was holding me...that was what I felt....God was hugging me.
Humble beginnings.....not necessarily the text-book story for coming to the Lord, but what I love about God is that He meets us where we are at the point of our need, and He shows His love for us, His plans that are good, He slips in some Hope, Truth, and asks for nothing in return save our devotion to Him and Him alone.
I have spent the last 35+ years(yikes!) doing just that.
I have not always devoted myself to just God, sometimes I devoted myself to...self.
That was a drag.
I've learned not to do that.
Sometimes I devoted myself to Church.....equally a drag.
He doesn't want our works...He wants our devotion.
He wants all of us; our hearts, our souls, our minds.
He wants relationship with us so He can speak to us and we can hear Him.
I am so thankful to God for saving me from myself and for showing me His more excellent way.
The sacrifice that He made for us....Jesus...says to me: I would rather die for you than ever live a day without you!
How can anyone escape that much love??????

thank you.....

2009-01-06T12:19:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Lindsey, for sharing that verse with me and you are right!
Here's another the Lord has given me:

...we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.....

Thank you for your prayers, my friends, I feel victory is at hand!!!!!
Isn't it interesting when we go through "momentary light affliction" that, for me, when I for just a moment take my eyes off the Lord, that is precisely when the enemy swoops in for the kill.
I hate that.
It is such foolishness and I am so guilty of that, however, I am also being delivered and for that I feel blessed.
Thank you, Father, for never leaving me nor forsaking me.
Thank you for the blessing me with friends who never let me go and who love me enough to pray for me when I am in need.

I need you.....

2009-01-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have a situation....and I am wondering what your thoughts on it might be.
For the last 3 nights I have had extremely vivid, disturbing dreams with a reoccurring theme: death.
The first one was of me experiencing death by earthquake/volcano and I even felt the sensation of the heat as I was burned to death, all the while in my mind I was talking to the Lord about my imminent departure to His presence. Next, I was in "heaven" and I was celebrating with my loved ones and looking for others to clebrate with, etc. It felt SO REAL.
Then the dog poked me......I woke up and said out loud, "Oh, It WAS a dream."
I felt tricked and desperate...so I got up and read my bible and prayed that the enemy would stay out of my head during my sleep(when I am most vulnerable).
The next night, I dreamed I was killed by someone suffocating me.
The next night, I dreamed that Nevada died.
The joke last night was that Lacey was next and stay tuned to see how she dies in my dreams.(not really funny, but,better than being freaked out, I guess.)
This morning I am happy so report that Lacey is alive and well in and out of my dreams and than noone else died.
Thank you, Jesus.
Combined with the fact that my truck is not running and the heat in half of our house does not work because the Direct TV guy must have knocked something loose and we are experiencing electrical problems that causes the breakers to blow when we plug in the heaters that we purchased to get through the frigid weekend and the dog now has a definate limp!!!!
What is going on?????
Any of these problems by themselves would be a pain to deal with, but ALL at the same time?????
Not to mention that fact that I have an eye infection that WILL NOT GO AWAY!!!!!
I feel that this family is under attack!!!!
What do you think?????
To me it is one of those "holy duh" moments but, unfortunately, I am not at my finest and I'm struggling with discernment.
I covet your prayers and in fact I would love it if our closest friends would come over to pray with us, over us, for us.
We do not do that enough for one another and I am committing to be the prayer warrior/barbarian that God has called us to be.
If you are in need of prayer, call out to those who hold you up.
I will be there....
For now, we need that.

Happy New Year....

2009-01-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

It's fun to catch up with everyone and see what the new year sparks in people's minds.
Makes me ponder what sparking in my own mind for the new year....
Hmmm.....
One thing, last night we brought in the new year with some of our very favorite people and we played a great "get to know you game" called "take your pick".
EAch round you picked three traits that you believe a certain person has and as we played for many rounds we began to get repeat trait cards.
One of them was: Believe it or See it????
Leslie made the observation that all the people chose "See it".
Interesting, she said, that our faith compels us to "believe it" but our first response was "see it".
So, what kind of person am I?
Do I need to see things before I believe them or do I possess the "child-like" faith that the bible talks about?
Do I trust that God has the "best laid plans" for me or do I occasionally say to
God," I got this one" and then set aside my faith for my flesh???
Hmmm.....
My hope and prayer for this New year is that I will allow my faith to pervade every area in my life and that I will trust in the Lord and lean not on my own understanding.
I want to LIVE OUT LOUD for JESUS at the grocery store as well as at church.
I want to WORSHIP THE LORD with all my heart and soul and mind at Starbucks as well as at church.
I want to SHARE MY FAITH with hurting people who cross my path as well as with my neighbors who I see everyday.
I want to SHOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST to my friends and family as well as to the unlovable people that I encounter everyday in this fallen world.
I want all of the dear people that travel this sod with me to know how much I adore you and how blessed I feel to be part of your life.
You know who you are.....;0)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
May the Lord come.....

OK, I'll play......

2008-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

A little Christmas time questionnaire...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Egg nog, egg nog lattes, egg nog milkshakes.....yummo!

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Haven't you heard the song," ...Santa Claus is.......dead."

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white?
White and blue lights on tree and this year we did colored on the outside along with some white on shrubs.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but did you know that mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attacks trees and can kill them?????

5.When do you put your decorations up?
New Years day.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Candied yams.

7.When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think we were in 1st or 2nd grade and I remember being so mad because my dad went to great lengths(climbing up on roof and making reindeer prints in snow) to prove tous that Santa was real. He lied to us. I was so mad which is why I refused to tell my children the same lie and boy was Con mad at me for telling the girls the truth about Santa when they were 3 and 4.(the marriage almos ended over that one....)

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
sometimes one gift but the rest on Christmas morn.

9. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I love that each of our ornaments represents a wonderful memory for us. Some are homemade, some are bought but all very precious. We fill out the tree with various hues of blue glass orbs, of course.

10. Snow. Love it or dread it?
Love, Love, Love it!!!!

11. Can you ice skate?
Heck, yeah. some of my favorite menories of our youth group was going ice skating in Walla WAlla.

12. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pumpkin Pie(ditto)

13. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Who doesn't like receiving gifts, but the real joy for me is giving. I love to watch their reaction and I love showing love to others through giving.

14. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Oh Holy Night

15. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?
Yum!

16. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
If our SS has one we will go but Con's work doesn't have one.

17. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?
Jeans and a sweater Christmas eve but definately flannel jammies in the morn.

18. Do you own a Santa hat.
No, but Lacey has one that she puts on the dog.

19. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
My family Christamas eve. We do our own thing Christmas morn and then go to Con's folks around lunch time.
Personally I would love to go to the mountains with all of my friends and family and share a huge cabin, go skiing in the afternoon, eat chili and cornbread and drink hot spiced cider and just hang out with all my favorite people.

I'm tagging Ginger and Tricia since they haven't posted in awhile.

Better questions.....

2008-12-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

God's little miracles.....

2008-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is what we got up to this morning.
A "reflection" from an ornament on our tree....?????
Isn't that cool?
We're calling it our "miracle of the moment".

all you need is love....

2008-12-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

It's 1:00 in the morning and I can't sleep so I'll blog.
An ugly situation happened last evening and I am just trying to grasp what God has in it for me.
I have been struggling with my flesh for 2 hours and I can't resolve it on my own.
Duh....
I really don't know why I even try, afterall, I'm dumber than a fencepost.
I decided to read my bible and try for a "fresh perspective"(should have tried that first).
He showed me lots of verses about valuing true friends and speaking wise words that are like apples of gold to a friend, about how friends sharpen one another just as iron sharpens iron, etc.
But what God really wanted me to know and understand is that if I have faith to move mountains but I have not love..... I am nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it is not rude nor seeks its own, it is not easily provoked and thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Love accepts any hardship or rejection, and continues unabated to build up and encourage.
The love described by Paul in this chapter means determining what is best for another person and then doing it.
This is the kind of love that God shows to us.
Thank you, Father, for your gift of love.

your love language....?

2008-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

So, God has totally been revealing His heart to me and has challenged me to love people the way that He loves them and then to ACT on that love.
"How?" I've been asking.
"Love them through my eyes" He has said to me.
And so I have been seeking to understand what makes people feel loved.
What is their love language and how can I fill their love bank not based on what makes me feel loved but truly understanding what actions I can show that would lead to them feeling loved and valued.
For instance: I feel most loved when people spend time with me and when people do special little things for me, so, my love language is time and gifts.
Lacey's love language is words of encouragment.
Nevada's is affection.
Con's is words of encouragement and affection and time.
So, if I want Lacey to feel loved/valued I shouldn't show her what makes me feel loved but what makes her feel loved so I would tell her how much she means to me
rather than getting her a gift, which is how I feel loved.
Conversely, I feel a little uncomfortable hearing words of affirmation because I would rather spend time with you in order to feel valued by you.
If Nevada needed encouragement I shouldn't tell her how much she means to me but rather I should show her by giving her a hug and expressing my love to her in the way she feels most loved.
God made all of us with unique features and He meets us where we are at, doesn't He?
What a great example He left for us to really meet people where they are and show them the love that He gave us.
With that in mind I thought it would be interesting to take a poll and hear what you feel is your love language.
I'll start:

Lori's love language is time and gifts

What is yours?

So close......

2008-12-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

The girls had their first basketball game last night and guess what?
They went into OVERTIME!!!!!!
WOW!!!!
They did really well and should be very proud of themselves, unfortunately the score ended up 16-17, but they fought really hard for it.
Good job, girls.

On a side note:

I am not really sure we accomplished our goal of being Christ-like because there was some aggressive behavior that resulted in falls where the girl didn't help her opponent up or apologize to her, and our new coach doesn't really understand the church rules about giving the girls equal playing time for the first 3 quarters, uhhhhh.....but, this is a learning experience for all of us and I pray that God's will be done.

I covet your prayers, my sisters, for wisdom in how to work peaceably with the new coach and also that this will be a ministry effort for the players because we have so many new girls that attend different churches in our area that are on the team.
I pray that we will be different from the other teams and that the difference is Jesus living and loving through them.

2008-11-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

Get up at 5:00 to participate in all the hub-bub of "Black Friday".
Check.
Wait in line with impatient, grumpy people who OBVIOUSLY have NOT had their first cup o joe.
Check.
Get irritated with husband who is not easily separated from his wallet and uses such foul words like; budget and...."did you get paid yet?".
Check.
Witness a crazy woman screaming at a sales-person for not having the item which was pictured in the ad.
Check.
Wait in line out in the cold to buy an electronic toy because it was the deal of a lifetime only to find out there are only 5 of them and we are approximately #63 in line.
Check.
Stop by "one last place" to see if we can score a "new deal" only to find out it went off sale last Tuesday and buy it anyway.
Check.
Get 90% of shopping done in one fell swoop with husband(who completes me) and get home before children even know we are gone.
Check.
Drink coffee with vanilla cinnamon creamer and eat left over pumpkin pie for breakfast with the girls who have no idea what you've endured for the sake of finding the perfect gift for them.....
Priceless.

happy wednesday.....

2008-11-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

What are you taking to Thanksgiving dinner?
We will be going to the in-laws at 12:00 and I was told to bring(not jello)mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and pies(not apple).
Yeah.
Then at 4:00 we will be introduced to gluttony when we try to eat again at my dear sister's house where my entire family will be(approximately 48).
We are very excited to see everyone together because that simply doesn't happen but a couple of times a year.
Yesterday my nephew, Jeff, and his boys, AJ and Cameron stopped by for a visit and it was so great to see them. They live in the Seattle area and we just don't see them very often sadly.
My other nephew, Dax, and his family have moved here from New Mexico to look for work and so my brother, Chuck, has 9 people living under his roof!!!!! and they will be there as well.
Also, a little bird told me that we will have a surprise visitor from Minneapolis!!!!!
Don't try to get me to tell you cuz I won't!!!!!
(call me later)
Anyhoo, today is a baking day with my girls.
Lacey will make her killer pie crusts.
Nevada will mash the taters like nobody can!!!!!
I love Thanksgiving because it reminds me to be thankful of all that we have.
To all my blogggy friends I wish for you to have a very wonderful Thanksgiving and know that I am so thankful for you!!!!!!

for Jill.....

2008-11-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

I am feeling shallow so here is my best imitation of Facebook.....

Lori is.....thankful for the 1% spandex in her Levi's after eating a HUGE meal at church.

;0)

dark days.....

2008-11-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

See how I am?
On the one hand I can go on and on about a subject which inspires me to babble and rant and rave until I am positively spent and left panting.
Then....nothing.
How is it that I can have so much to say one day and feel completely irrelevant the next??
I fear that my flair for the dramatic pours over into my ability to maintain a status-quo.
I am either "all fired up" or I feel obtuse.
I am either hot or cold.
Is there something wrong with me????
Maybe I am bi-polar, you know, high..then low.
???????????????????
Here are some song lyrics from Ginny Owens:

"What's wrong? What's right? Absolute confusion.
What's black? What's white? Everything looks hazy.
Such scenarios bring me to only one conclusion-
Maybe we've all gone crazy.
Oh, it's so clearly cloudy in the land of the grey."

I have moments when the "land of the grey" sounds....peaceful....free from decisions, obligations, turmoil.....integrity.
Sometimes I loiter there for days and weeks before I realize that I have believed the lie the enemy has served up for me; the lie that was complacency.
That is my struggle.
But, I believe that God created in me, in fact in all of us, a desire to be either hot or cold, not lukewarm or complacent because he knows that the enemy dwells in that place known as the "land of the grey".
What is the opposite of love?
It is apathy.
Most would say it was hate, but, I would argue that hate can be changed to love in a "New York" minute whereas apathy is devoid of emotion, it is a hard-heartedness.
God is showing me that when I feel obtuse, it is because I am not seeking Him and not seeking to stay connected to the Vine, therefore I shrivel up and become dry and weary and suceptible to attacks from the enemy.
And, so I need to stay connected to the Vine for he is my source of strength. He is my inspiration, my muse.
I am nothing without Him.
Thank you Father for your love, your salvation, your grace, your forgiveness.
Thank you to my sisters who inspire me to stay connected to the Vine.

Get it????

2008-11-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

I was going to dress up as a communist for halloween but Obama stole my costume....

my election reverie....

2008-11-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

OK, so Kim had some great insights into the whole political picture considering she is living out of the country and I think that it is great to keep informed.
And it got me to thinkin"....
Kim had some great verses on this matter and one in particular jumped out out at me:

I Timothy 1:1-2-"First of all then I urge that entreaties and prayers, petition and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

Let's consider the historical background of this passage of scripture:

Nero was the Roman emperor at the time and history has shown his cruelty and his barbarism toward his fellow man especially after Rome burned and he blamed the Christians for that, which only served to make him more cruel and barbaric.
The Christians to whom Paul was speaking were seeking a "quiet and tranquil life" so that they could live godly lives marked with dignity.
They were under attack!!!
They had to meet in secret for fear of reprisal from the Romans who hated them because of their beliefs.
They were not free to worship God openly for fear of reprisal from the Romans who hated them for their beliefs.
They were isolated from secular society and all that comes with that for fear of reprisal from the Romans who hated them.......
Let's just say what it was; the world around them hated God and His Son, Jesus.
Are you sensing a theme here?
Not to the extreme, but, does it feel familiar to anybody???
This country hates God.
This country doesn't acknowledge Jesus.
This country has a strong disdain for evangelical christians.
CHRISTIANS ARE UNDER ATTACK IN THIS COUNTRY FOR THEIR BELIEFS!!!!!!
We, too, seek to live quiet and tranquil lives where we can practice godliness and dignity and yet, we live in a society that calls us "dangerous" and "radical" and "narrow-minded" where we cannot intergrate our places of work and education with any outward expression of faith in God for fear of reprisal from the "Romans who hates us for our beliefs".
Paul was speaking to his brothers and sisters in Christ words of encouragement because they lived in fear of the government that hated God. He urged them to pray for their king as well as all men in authority over them so that they could live tranquil and quiet lives.
And yet, did that generation ever experience those things that they sought???
No.
Peace and tranquility and living for God without fear of reprisal did not happen for several hundred years until God placed a new emperor on the throne, Constantine, who declared Christianity legal.
Just like that generation Paul was speaking to, we should fear a government and a "king" who hates God and devalues the people whom he supposedly serves.
We, too, cannot hope to live lives filled with peace and tranquility until God places men who love Him and serve him on thrones.
Does that mean we have no hope?
Of course not!
We are called to be thankful for all men and in all things.
We are called to have joy in our circumstances.
We are called to know that God is sovereign and to serve Him and Him alone, for He is worthy of praise.
We are called to pray.

"The fervent prayers of the saints availeth much."

I urge you , my brethern and sistren(hehe), to think soberly and sincerely whom you would see put in power over the people.
It IS a weighty issue not to be taken lightly or with the complacenct attitude that says; "well, anyway, it doesn't matter who's in office" or "God places kings on thrones" and leave it at that.
Yes, God is sovereign but sometimes when we have turned from God and we begin whining about what we think we need, He says," you want it, you got it".
Look at the Israelites when they wanted a king even though God gave them judges to preside over them.
God said, "You want a king?"
Yes, the people cried.
So, He gave them Saul.
Yeah, that didn't work out so well.
Was that God's best for His people?
UHHMMMM....NO!
But, it was what they asked for.
Please, please, please...we must be careful what we ask for.
We all have a voice and we all have a responsibility to be informed about whom we deem worthy to be placed in positions of authority over us.

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Homecoming.....

2008-11-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Homecoming...finally!
It all came together beautifully and the kids looked stunning.
It was so cute when Colton saw Nevada he had these big ol' wide eyes and all that he could manage to say was," Wow."
Not to be outdone, Nevada replied, "You look schnazzy, too."
Please enjoy the pictures....

After dinner with their amazing friends, Dominique, Chrystal, Brandon,and Nathan, Colton and Nevada went to the Homecoming celebration and then everyone + 2 more met up at our house afterwards for nighttime airsoft games, snacks, Guitar Hero, jammin', and great fellowship.
It was so fun to see the bonds that these kids genuinely have for one another and how much fun they have together.
I cannot thank everyone enough for allowing this night to happen so that these young 'uns could have this very special night together along with their very special friends.
I feel very blessed to watch over these young people who are growing up into these amazing people who love the Lord and who are seeking His best.
Now I'm getting verklempt.(sniff, sniff)

Kissing Sanity goodbye....

2008-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, I think I'm getting over my Texas DR/JH hangover and possibly moving toward some rational thoughts.
Here goes......

I have had some great insights into the whole boy/girl thing that has seriously pervaded our entire household.
For instance, what does the whole "courting vs. dating thing" look like?, I've been asked, and honestly, we don't have a model for it so we are sort of muddling through it and asking questions with every step taken.
We have talked to the parents of the "boy" and they seem to have the same attitude towards this and we seem to be on the same page if things "progress" like we HOPE they won't, but we want to be ready(is that possible???).
UUUHHHHMMMM, I have had numerous conversations with other friends who are walking down this path and, let's just say, we're all wingin' it!!!
We'er wingin' it together.
Seriously, we don't know anybody who did the dating thing right, but we all seem to want to teach our kids a better way, that is, God's way.
And that feels right.
I've read, "I kissed dating goodbye" and my girls have read it and I think we should read it again.
It just feels right to embrace the idea of courtship and begin showing our kids what it can look like and then letting it happen, naturally, of course.
I think I would rather it happen now, while they are under our roof than when they are out and on their own so that we can be part of the process and available to them????
It's funny because a year ago I was saying that boys are NOT going to be part of our family and my girls are NOT doing the dating/even courtship thing until they are out of school!!!!!
And then it happened.
Boy.
Boy happened.
I had to get over it.
Getting over it.

Pray for me.....fervently....

in Beaumont......

2008-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody,

We are in Beaumont TX in a kitchen that serves about 7-8000 meals a day.
It has been a great experience so far...very busy, hard work but wellllll worth it.
We have been blessed with wonderful people to work with and it is not too hot!!!!
the church here has quite aset up and we are VERY pampered here like I've never been pampered.
They do our laundry and we have AC(PTL!, we have a shower unit with hot water and we are done about 3:00 everyday.
We are working with people from TX, MT, NJ, NY, really all over.
It's awesome!!!!
Please pray for my friend Jeremie from Americorps youth as he is being pursued by the Lord like crazy and he is asking alot of questions and we are just ministering to him.
I totally feel your prayers, thank you, really everything has just gone so well.
I miss ya'll madly.
I'll get on when I can(there is always quite a line!!!) and keep you up to date.

;0)

?????????????

2008-09-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

OK, I think we are finally leaving today??? or tomorrow????
We will be serving in Beaumont, TX in a "mega-kitchen" that puts out 80,000 meals a day!!!!!!
Beaumont is about 20 miles from Galveston so it is right in the middle of the devastation. Con told me that JIB shut down 250 stores in that area because of the storm.
Please pray for me that I will be a blessing to all those around me and pray that God gives me the strength to do His work for His glory.
Thank you.
See you in 2 weeks.

;0)

my Mary moments....

2008-09-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

I was reading in Hebrews yesterday when I came across a passage that really spoke to me.
It is found in Hebrews 3:12-13:

"Beware, brethern, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

In my commentary it talked about how UNBELIEF is a grave sin because it leads us away from God.
How many times do we see brothers and sister in Christ struggling with unbelief and we go about our own business and refuse to treat them in the biblical manner that God has shown us.
"..but exhort one another daily, while it is call Today.....
My friends I believe we are missing the boat when we miss an opportunity to speak Truth in Love to those around us who are struggling with unbelief because the bible says it is a grave sin and we need to treat it as such.
I was also reading my notes from the sermon and I always write down the scripture references and then study them later.
So in my notes I had written 2 Cor. 11 and I went on to read the whole passage.
I came to verses 22-28 and they stopped me in my tracks, so to speak.
Paul was speaking, of course, and relaying how much suffering he had endured for Christ; He spoke about how the Jews had scourged him 5 times, he was caned, stoned, thrice shipwrecked and left in the water for an entire day, he was robbed, threatened, he was often weary and hungry, he often went without sleep, he was cold, and imprisoned.
But it was verse 28 that slayed me: "beside the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."
I looked up concern in the dictionary: "a. marked interest or regard usu. arising through a personal tie or relationship. b. an uneasy state of blended interest, uncertainty, and apprehension."
I had to ask myself; do I feel genuine concern for our church and if so, is it more because I feel personally connected to the people there and therefore have a concern for their well-being?
Or, is it concern that is based in uncertainty and apprehension because I can identify specific problems in our church and I feel a definate frustration that we are NOT relevant in our communities and therefore we are possibly not an effective church.
I am still processing it all and I am really seeking God's face in this.
On the one hand I see the example that Paul displayed and I am ruined, I mean, look what he endured and yet, look where his heart was. On the other hand, I DO feel great CONCERN for our church and my greatest desire is to see how God continually renews us and shows us His vision for our church.
I want to be a servant for the Lord who endures "suffering" with a smile and I want to sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His leading. I pray that God will give me a heart of genuine concern for His church especially when we encounter "grave sin" in our midst.
Aren't you glad that we have a heavenly Father who never gives up on us???
I sure am....

uuuhhh....

2008-09-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

You know that sound that a balloon makes when you let the air out?????
That is precisely the sound that is going on in my head becasue we just got the word that we are on "stand down" until further notice.
Gosh, and I was so packed and everything....
Oh well......it's all good.

update....

2008-09-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
I'm still here at least until tomorrow and I'm packed and ready to go!!!!
Sounds like we'll be serving in San Antonio at a shelter there for evacuees from all over.
It was funny to me that I got a email from Gary Floyd this am suggesting to the teams that we be properly hydrated BEFORE we go on this trip and it was one of those "HOLY DUH" moments for me.
In all the hustle and bustle of planning and packing have I been quenching my thirst by spending time at the feet of Jesus where He will sustain me and he will carry me through the next 2 weeks?????
I've had some "Martha moments" and now it is time for some "Mary moments".
"Father, forgive me for trying to do it all in my own strength. Thank you for never giving up on this silly servant and thank you for what you have done in my life and what you will do."

BYE BYE....

2008-09-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note:

I found out yesterday that a Disaster team of 30 was needed to go down to Texas to help in relief efforts.
As of today there is only about 16 who are going from the state.
We are leaving tomorrow for a 14 day stint on a feeding station.
As you know, God has been refining me by asking me to give my very best to Him in all things, including the mundane things of life.
And so, I have risen to the challenge this last week and guess what?
I am totally prepared to go!!!
I had a two day notice to go on a 14 day trip and I had most things taken care of around the house that made it possible for me to even consider this trip.
Did anyone notice the sign at church???
It said something like giving our best to the Lord!!!!!!
It is amazing How God prepared me for such a time as this.
Please pray that we impact that community in a positive manner. Please pray that I can connect with lost and hurting people and point them to Jesus.
I love you and will miss you greatly.

p.s. I'm a little nervous about the length of the trip. please pray that God will fill me up in such a way that I won't be terribly homesick on day 11, 12, 13 AND 14.