A Funny about Judgement House

In a prior post I talked about our experience at Judgement House. I have to share a funny about it.

On the way home my son said, "You know it was pretty amazing when we visited hell. Did you notice that every demon had a deep southern accent?"

We laughed and talked about how our northern relatives would wag their fingers in our face and say, "I told you so!"

Then my son said, "I guess that proves it. The devil went down to Georgia."

(If you don't get it, don't worry about it. You probably don't listen to non-christian songs. LOL!)

The Day the Dam Broke

I am a very happy woman today.

For the last few months I've been struggling to write another curriculum. When I say struggle, I really mean struggle. My heart wasn't in this particular one because the timing seemed off to me. I had my heart set on working on a different one. This one is a three book series and I wanted to have all three books completed by November 1 and I set up all sorts of writing days in October to really hammer this out and I,I,I,I..... I prayed and asked for help, but I was captain of the ship.

Yesterday after receiving some feedback (okay, so maybe it was criticism) of the first book, I fell on my face before God and confessed that if He didn't take the reins I couldn't do this because I was fresh out of ideas. In that quiet moment my husband's words resounded in my mind, "Just get the first book completed and don't worry about the rest." But that wasn't my plan. I wanted to do them all. Finally, I repented and told God that I would concentrate on the first book and forget the rest for now. Immediately, my heart was at peace.

On the tails of that peace came the most wonderful thing- a flood of new ideas! They came faster than I could get them down. Suddenly, what had seemed so hard was sooooo easy.

Last night I went to dinner with my friend, Marybeth. We have been trying to arrange this outing for months, but God knew exactly the day we needed to get together. Aside from being a wonderful, truly humble person, Marybeth has been one of my greatest encouragers in writing and speaking. For some weird reason she never seems to notice how ill qualified I am for all this stuff and she keeps believing that I can do whatever God calls me to do. After a day of writing, I got to spend an evening of chatting about writing (and the end of the world) with her. No kids. No interruptions. For hours.

Then I came home and found out some awesome news about the DVD we will be filming to go along with the curriculum. My heart was so full by then that I couldn't go to bed until 2:00 a.m. and even then I didn't fall right asleep. I was too excited.

The last few months have been trying for me. Many times I questioned whether God had even called me to do these things at all, even though He's given me countless confirmations in the last couple of years. When you're in the thick of things you tend to forget about those miracles or else think that was then, but things are different now. But in one day all that changed. Once again God showed up and let me know that I am right in the center of His will and that He is working with me. He was just waiting for me to hand over the controls. Joy, peace, ideas, and excitement flooded me. If my heart wasn't in this project before, I can assure you it's 100% there now!

Maybe you're questioning things in your own life. Perhaps, the timing seems off or you wonder if what you're doing is really what you need to be doing or if it makes any difference at all. My one encouragement to you would be to let go of all of your preconceived notions about things and ask God to show you what He wants for you and the situation. He will do it, and He will give you peace.

Jesus and Judgement

Last night we attended Judgement House which is a ministry put on by a local church as an alternative to haunted houses. We went several years ago and I was so impressed that I wanted to go again this year, so our family and spare daughter went. You can check it out here.

Basically, you go from scene to scene as a story plays out about teenagers that die in a tragedy. Some go to heaven and some go to hell and you get to go to both to get a feel for where you might want to spend eternity. It's an awesome ministry outreach to the lost.

We were grouped with another family and I prayed that if anyone didn't know the Lord they would come to know Him. A lady in our group started crying in a funeral scene and then when she went to hell she really cried. In the end she got saved. For real.

I expected to go and enjoy the show and that was about it, but God had other plans. When we got to heaven Jesus came down off the throne to greet each of us personally. He looked each of us right in the eyes with a fixed gaze and said something. To one He said, "Welcome home." To another He said, "I died for you" and so on. When He got to me He said, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."

This is going to sound really corny, but I needed that encouragement. I haven't felt like I've done much well lately and to hear Jesus Himself, even if He was only an actor, say those words to me was such an encouragement. I felt like the real Jesus was saying it right to me and boy did I need to hear it.

Ironically, just prior to going to Judgement House I received news of something that I didn't do very well and it stung because it's something I had worked very hard to accomplish.

Ironically again, I had studied encouragement in my quiet time yesterday morning and purposed to do more to encourage others, especially my family.

God is so good. Who would have thought He could use something called Judgement House to bring encouragement? Only God.

We found out that about 300 have already gone through Judgement House this year and it lasts for a full week, all the way through Halloween. I'm believing that they will see many people give their hearts to the Lord through this ministry. That's what happened to my aunt several years ago. She went to Judgement House, got saved, and is now a member of that church and she loves the Lord with all her heart. May they have many more testimonies of the same!

Unchanged

The buzz word for this election seems to be "change". I like change- sometimes. It can be a good thing, provided it's healthy, godly change that leads us closer to God and not further away. However, I don't think that every single thing in life, or in this nation, needs to change to make things better. In fact, in the midst of changes we also need something firm and settled to hang on to, a foundation. That foundation is the Lord.

Regardless of who gets elected or what changes are wrought, certain things will never change and in this time of national chaos it's good to meditate on those things.

God never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

God is still on the throne. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. Psalm 45:6 No matter who gets elected, that person will have very limited power compared to the almighty greatness and power of our God. He won't be dethroned by any politician.

God's word is true. All your words are true; all your righteous law are eternal. Psalm 119:160 Politicians say a lot of things, which may or may not be true, but God's word is always true.

God's word will never pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35 Men can do anything they want to destroy, nullify, or restrain the word of God. Wasted effort. God's word isn't going anywhere.

God will do what He promised to do. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:18 Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 23:45 Regardless of the political climate or any changes that may come to our country, we can still hold on to God's promises. By faith, they will come to pass in our lives. God's promises fulfilled- now that's what I call good change! Isn't it great to know that God doesn't just make a bunch of promises, He actually fulfills them too?

Nothing can separate us from God's love. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 We have His love forever!

Our future is secure. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 For the Christian, a person who has invited Jesus into their heart to be Lord of their life, the future looks really bright. Whatever this world holds or whatever course our nation takes, we know this isn't our home and we have better things ahead. The present might feel shaky, the future is most definitely not.

We win. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Revelation 21: 3-5 I cheated and read ahead to the end of the book. We win. And that's not going to change!

Signs of Hope

My pastor is doing a sermon series on the signs of hope. He's also posting signs of hope on his blog. With all the economy and election chaos, sharing signs of hope is so important. So I have a big one to share today.

Two years ago my friend's six year old son, John, was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma cancer. The prognosis was not good.

His parents prayed and asked God to lead them and show them what to do and God was so faithful to do just that. They found a hospital in New York City that specializes in neuroblastoma and John has been traveling back and forth for treatments ever since. The challenges were many, but God was always faithful.

A few months ago John became 100% cancer free!!! Some might call that remission. I call it healed!

His family now attends our homeschool co-op and I'm the assistant in two of John's classes. Every Thursday for two hours I see this perfectly healthy little boy play and learn and interact with his peers and testify to the fact that he once was sick, but now he's well.

Isn't it wonderful that God took a situation that could have cost John his life and turned it around so that now he's full of life and spreads hope wherever he goes? Every time I see John my hope is refueled.

A Picture of Self Control

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

A new dog moved into the neighborhood, another huge German Shepherd. At first I was wary of him because he didn't wag his tail and he looked so menacing, but I've since come to really like him. I think he was a former K-9 dog or a seeing eye dog because he is so well trained and obedient. The other day I passed within a few feet of him and he didn't flinch. He just sat there alert and aware. I have no doubts that he would handle danger if he sensed it, but he's been so well trained that he knows better than to even interact with a passerby.

This is so different from the German Shepherd that used to live next door. He had no self-control whatsoever. He had a big fenced in backyard, the biggest in the neighborhood, but he was forever watching us and longing to be in our yard. As soon as he figured out how to do it, he started jumping the fence on a regular basis and destroying everything in our yard. He knew nothing about boundaries or personal space and he would bound at me with his massive body, knocking me to the ground. Many was the time that he ran away from home, chased people down the street, and got put in the doggie juvenile hall. He was loving, but totally out of control.

When he was young we suggested obedience school might be a good option for him since fences, electric fences, and stakes in the ground were no obstacles to him. Instead his owners let him continue his unruly behavior and finally built a chain link fenced area that was too high for him to jump and secured to concrete so he couldn't go under. No problem. He ate through the fence, jumped out of the yard, and this time no one came to his rescue except the animal control truck. The free life in the big backyard was over for him.

Too often we look at self-control and discipline as a prison robbing us of the fun in life. But in reality, it's freeing. Think about that new dog. He gets to sit in his yard without restraints because he can be trusted to do the right thing. His owners know he won't bother anyone and he won't get himself in trouble. He's free to do as he pleases because he seeks to please those over him more than he seeks to fulfill his own desires.

Buddy, on the other hand, lived for his own pleasures. He saw no value in self-control and he certainly saw no danger in living without it. Yet, little by little his freedoms were removed and finally he lost the good life because of his own lack of self-control and discipline.

I won't tell you which dog I feel more like, but the fact that the Lord gave me this analogy might be a clue.

Virginia's Gift

In January my friend and neighbor passed away from brain cancer. I've blogged about her on several occasions. She was a great mentor to me. Virginia left me wonderful memories, years of sage advice and wisdom, and her walking shoes. But Virginia also left me another unexpected gift, one that only recently arrived, ten months after her death. Let me explain.

This past summer was very good in some ways. I got to travel the country speaking and meeting new people. But on the homefront several friendships that I thought were tried and true dissipated into thin air. This was a very hurtful confusing time for me. As I prayed I felt the Lord impressing on my heart that He had allowed these friendships to fall by the wayside because He was pruning them from my life. Ouch! Pruning hurts and it's lonely.

For a while I prayed that God would restore the old friendships, but then I switched gears and prayed for new friends of God's choosing. I specifically prayed that I would have friends at my new church and I wanted to move closer to the church for this reason. But God...

Time passed. Lots and lots of lonely time passed. Little by little God began to bring new people into my life and to deepen some acquaintances into friendships. All the while I still longed for deeper friendships at my church.

This is where Virginia comes in. Her son is a member of my church. A few months ago his sister, Tracy, moved in with her father, across the street from me. Tracy started attending our church too. I didn't pay much attention to any of this until a few weeks ago when Tracy and I were chatting at church. She's my age and has grown kids so we have some things in common. I asked if she would like to walk with me sometime and she said yes.

Today was our first walk. It took less than a mile to realize that Tracy and I were going to be great friends. Our walk ended long before our talk. We stood in the street chatting and reminiscing about her mother. As we did, it became apparent that something far greater than Tracy or me was at work here. It felt as though God and Virginia were in cahoots. I could almost imagine that Viriginia had prayed that Tracy and I would become friends. Whether she did or not, I have a feeling that she's smiling in heaven right now.

Little did I know that one day when my friend, Viriginia, was gone she would give me another friend as a gift- her own daughter. Only you could orchestrate this, Lord. Thank you!

An Apple a Day

I had something unusual happen at the grocery store this week. I went very early in the morning and was looking at the meats when the produce man approached me and said, "Psst, ma'am, would you like some apples?" He went on to explain that he going through the apples and would be filling bags with outdated ones and he would be happy to fill one for me.

It just so happens that I'm making apple crisp to take for snack at co-op this week and the only store in town that had apples on sale is the store I absolutely hate to go to and only go if I absolutely have to (No, it's not Walmart this time). Yes, I needed some bags of discounted apples for sure.

He asked which kind I preferred and I asked what he had. When he told me I said he could give me a bag of each kind. He filled two bags full, full, full and I got them for less than a third of the original price. The coolest thing of all is that the apples are fine. They look better than some of the ones that were at full price.

I love God kisses like this when He lets me know that He's got my needs covered. Has God blessed you in an unexpected way recently? It's so easy to forget and move on, but if He's blessed you take a moment to share.

My Personal Trainers

The other night at my son's baseball game I had a momentary midlife crisis. Something came over me and I thought to myself that I need to do something new and outrageous, something I've never done before. For me, that would be pretty much anything athletic. In a flash I knew what I had to do!

I would play for the Flying Squirrels! On the rare chance you've never heard of the infamous Flying Squirrels, they are my church's co-ed softball team. I set my sights high, people.

I told my kids that if they would train me how to catch, throw, run, bat, and teach me the rules of the game, I'd be ready. I even went so far as to say my son and I could serve together on this outstanding team in the future. He replied that he wasn't old enough yet. I said, "You will be by the time I'm trained- and so will your children."

Wednesday was my first official training camp day. My son decided that the first thing I had to learn was hand-eye coordination. My daughter chimed in, "But you didn't start there when you taught me." To which he replied, "That's because you already had hand-eye coordination and Mom doesn't have any at all."

First on the agenda was warming up and loosening up, "So you won't hurt yourself, Mom." After a lap around the yard and a few stretches I thought we'd done a pretty good workout and were through. Hardly.

Next we commenced to learning to catch. I thought it would be a piece of cake. I underestimated the fear a fast flying hard object coming straight for your head can evoke. And then to try to catch that thing with what felt like an artificial gorilla hand. Who invented this crazy game anyway?

Learning to throw was interesting. I always thought you just threw the ball and hoped for the best. Little did I know there was a stance you have to master first. I felt like I was in a photographer's studio where they cock your head every which way and then tell you to smile naturally. My son kept saying, "You're too tense, Mom." Considering it took me five minutes to get in the correct stance each time I caught the ball and an entire team could have run the bases by then, I guess I did look a little tense.

Finally, I got to be the one to say those famous words that have plagued mothers' ears for centuries. "Are we done yet?" My writing arm was aching and we can't put my writing career in jeopardy even for the Flying Squirrels.

I was told by both personal trainers that I did well for a rookie (out of shape totally non-athletic clumsy mom type). However, when I asked when we would start batting practice my son said, "It will be a long time before you ever hold a bat in your hands."

I guess this Squirrel will be grounded for a while longer.

The Citation

Sometimes as parents we have to resort to unusual measures. I've tried everything to get my kids to keep their clothes put away. I don't like dirty clothes on the floor. I like clean clothes on the floor even less. And I think that if I take the time to wash, dry, fold, and deliver clean clothes to their rooms the least they can do is put them away- on the same day.

After much scolding, pleading, yelling, and generally having hissy fits, I've resorted to less intrusive measures. I now issue $5 citations for each offense. Apparently, someone didn't think I was serious because my son got his first one the other day.

It said: Clothing disarray ticket. You owe $5.00 due immediately. 5:38 p.m.

Being the very logical boy that he is, and one who doesn't like to part with his money, he called me to his room to present a persuasive argument (I trained him too well in writing class!). In his most formal, attorney-like manner he inquired as to which clothes caused him to get a citation- the clean ones on the bed or the dirty ones on the floor. I responded that both were equally at fault. He proceeded to inform me that it wasn't right for him to get a citation for the clean clothes since the ticket issued said "5:38" and he had left for his baseball game at "5:07". At the time of his departure the clean clothes were not on his bed so he couldn't have put them away because they weren't there yet. I beg to differ, but in the end I simply said, "But the dirty ones were on the floor the whole time so hand over $5.00."

The next day he got another citation. That evening he was all lovey dovey after dinner and asked if I'd release him from his citation. I gave him my little speech about how I didn't want him to grow up to be an AIG executive who couldn't handle financial responsibility. In other words, "Fat chance, Buster."

If past history is any indication, I might be a very wealthy woman soon.

In the Midst of Famine

Right here in the middle of our nation's big economic mess, I'm experiencing a miracle. My square foot garden is still producing. Almost daily I still pick tomatoes and peppers. The tomato plants have been producing since May!

Every other garden in my neighborhood is dead and gone. Recently, I was walking and stopped to talk to a neighbor that always has a huge garden. When I told him that mine was still producing he looked at me skeptically like I must be crazy.

Granted, I don't get the same harvest of tomatoes that I got in the summer, though the peppers are doing better than ever. My tomato plants look like they are half dead, yet new growth continues to appear and tomatoes continue to be made. I probably have 50 of them on my six plants at the moment.

If you ever want to plant a prolific tomato plant, you need to plant a grape tomato plant in a square foot garden. That single plant has produced about six times as much as all the others put together.

What do I hear God saying in all of this? He can take the little that I have and make it an abundance, a supernatural abundance. My wellbeing isn't tied to this nation's economy, it's tied to God's unilimited provision.

A Beautiful Sight

Friday I saw the most beautiful sight. I drove through a part of town called Tank Town, which is a place that has the huge tanks that store our gasoline supply. I drive through there a lot, but Friday was different.

I saw tanker trucks lined up, some even parked on the side of the road, waiting to get in to empty their tanks.

If you don't live in one of the cities that was recently affected by a severe gasoline shortage you probably don't see the beauty in this scene. But for those of us who know what it's like to pass empty gas station after empty gas station, it's a most welcome sight!

Blogging on Blogging

Change is in the air. The leaves around here are finally beginning to turn pale yellow and orange and the air has a slight crispness to it in the morning and evening. But the season isn't the only thing changing. My blog is changing too.

You might say I've had a bit of a bloggy identity crisis. I'm not sure I've ever had a clear focus of what my blog was supposed to be from God's standpoint. Sometimes it was a marketing tool, sometimes a ministry, sometimes a teaching tool, and other times a way to interconnect and make friends online. Somewhere in all of that wandering I got lost. Blogging became a burden instead of a joy.

Lately, I've also felt such a pull to focus more on the flesh and blood people in my life. I enjoy the friendships I make online and visiting other blogs, but my time is very limited and right now I need to spend it on the people that actually live here with me in my flesh and blood world.

So...I went to God recently to find out what He had to say about all this. These are the things I felt He impressed on my heart:

-Use my blog as a creative outlet, nothing more. That means I need to blog about what I like without wondering how it will or will not impact anyone else.
-Blog for an audience of one- Him. If anyone else enjoys it that's great and if not that's great too. I'd like to think I did this one all along, but it's so easy to get caught up in trying to please others.

-Simplify. You will notice that my sidebar got decluttered. The tags are gone. It was a hassle to try to decide which categories each post fit in so I deleted that unnecessary detail. Some links and blogs are missing too. If your blog is one of them, please don't take it personally. I felt in my heart that I needed to list the blogs of people that I actually know or have at least met a time or two. That doesn't mean I don't still have you on my bloglines account (though I may change to Google) or that I won't visit your blog or even spotlight you from time to time on mine. If I listed every blog that I like that would take my whole sidebar so, for now, I'm sticking to those flesh and blood people again.

It's amazing to me that in the simple acts of obedience that I've taken this morning concerning my blog I've found freedom and joy. Things are as they should be.

The Lord of Our Money

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. I Timothy 6:17

Wealth and the economy of this nation are so uncertain, God is not.

God is our provider and He doesn't just do an adequate job. He richly provides for us so we can enjoy the provision. Our hope is in Him, not our financial state.

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:24

I've studied Baal worship pretty extensively and have known for a long time that our country is in full blown Baal worship. Sexual immorality, abortion, selfishness, rebellion, child abuse, materialism, forsaking Biblical principles, calling evil good- these are all classic symptoms of Baal worship. But the biggest factor that clues me in to the Baal worship in America is the fact that God has ceased to be the the Lord and guiding factor of everyday life and is only allowed to be part of American life during a crisis. This is the absolute hallmark of Baal worship.

The Israelites of Bible times were fence riders. They knew better than to completely do away with God, but they also didn't want Him meddling in their day to day affairs. In other words, they wanted to sin as much as they desired, but still expected God to show up in times of trouble. Sorry, Charlie, it doesn't work that way. It didn't for them and it doesn't for America today.

What's happening in this nation today is that the lowercase gods are toppling so the one true God can stand strong and true.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. I Peter 3:15

We have hope! Did you get that? In the middle of an economic disaster, we still have hope! And with hope comes joy, a joy that others will see and not understand. So they will ask questions and we will have more opportunities than we ever imagined to share the gospel of the one true God with them. Sounds like a revival to me!

My husband tells me daily of opportunities he's had on the job to share his reason for hope with others. He's in the insurance business and we live in the second largest banking captial of the U.S. If you don't think we've been touched by this money mess, you're wrong. Yet, God still provides and we have the chance to tell others about His wonderful greatness.

Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

Maybe it's time to turn off the news reports and turn on the word of God. The news would have us believe that disaster is imminent. God's word plays a different tune for believers. This isn't the end of the world, it's just a fabulous opportunity for our faith to grow and a time when God can and will show Himself completely faithful.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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 will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:13-14

These verses talk about God's people. The world can do what it wants to do, but if God's people will repent and get right with God, He'll turn the whole nation around. That's the answer for our country. Christians need to get on our faces before the real GOD and stop running after everything that isn't god.

The Best Journal Ever

Recently, I started a visual journal after seeing it on my friend Marybeth's blog. Actually, I'd seen it on other blogs too, but forgotten all about it until Marybeth posted about it at this link: http://www.marybethwhalen.com/ . I'd link directly to her post, but I can't seem to do it for some reason so scroll down to the Sept. 25 & 27 posts on her blog.

I LOVE this type of journaling, but I didn't know I would until I started.

First, let me show you what it looks like and then I'll tell you why I love it.

I started with this sketchbook for $3.88 at Walmart.

I clipped words and images from magazines, things that I enjoy looking at, and pasted them onto the pages like this:

Then I journaled- without rules! I write whatever I want to write. Look:



As you can see, I was on an apple theme for a while.

I love this journal because it's creative, very hands-on, and freestyle. I have everything from quiet time thoughts to menus in it. I find that when I write in it during my quiet times it gives me a chance to meditate on the verses and get them solidified in my heart and mind. An unexpected bonus is that I've started drawing some in the journal too and, trust me, I'm no artist. I generally write in it in the morning and sometimes add things throughout the day, but I especially like using it as a wind down tool at the end of the day. I end the day on an uplifting, creative note which makes me calm and happy.

Marybeth listed some links on her blog that will show you a much more exact step-by-step tutorial for these types of journals as well as the different styles used by different people. I won't list those here, but will simply refer you to her blog.

If you decide to make one, be sure and let me know. Also, if you post pictures I'd like to see them.

Workout Wednesday

Nothing says great workout like snoozing in Dad's gym bag.

The Goalie

I'm evaluating my goals a day early.

1. I will lose 15 pounds and develop a regular exercise routine. I'm so far from this goal it's not even funny. At first I did well and then I went backwards and right back to where I started from. The best I can say is that I'm walking...some.

2. Feed my spirit (more than just regular quiet time). A+++! As long as I've got this one covered I know that the others will eventually fall into place or else I'll discover they weren't really all that important after all.

3. I want to build family relationships. I guess we're pretty much holding steady. I can't think of anything remarkable or anything that's concerning so I guess we're in balance.

4. I'd like to try some new venues of writing. I was asked to participate in a top secret project, something I've never done before. And that's all I'll say about that.

5. I'd like to create a pretty, comfortable home. Right now I'd settle for a clean toilet.

6. We will get out of debt this year. Did. Then came braces. Still believing to get out and stay out completely.

7. I will set aside regular writing time, preferrably 15 hours per week. Well, as you read this I'm in the process of putting in about 30 hours in three days.

8. I want to learn to relax. My husband caught me relaxing several times this month and told me how proud he was that I did it all on my own.

I think one really important thing is to keep your goals before you and read them often. This month I completely forgot about my goals, except #1 which was a tormenting thought constantly. It's hard to meet a goal when you can't even remember it. It's equally hard to meet a goal in your own strength, which is what I've been doing with #1.

Writing Intensive

For Monday morning-Weds afternoon of this week I'm on a little writing intensive. I'd like to call it a writing retreat but it's a little more intense than that. Plus, I don't get to leave my house.

I won't be cooking, cleaning, carting anyone anywhere, or talking on the phone. I'm writing. That's all. Okay, so I will take the occasional walk and stop now and then to check email, but other than that I'm writing.

The laundry and ironing are all caught up. The fridge and pantry are full and the meals planned so that my little domestic goddess can handle meal prep. Anything else that needs to be done will either wait or someone else will have to pitch in and do it.

Saturday was also a writing intensive day for me and it went so well. I do so much better when I can get in a flow and stay there for a while.

Not only is my family majorly helpful and supportive, but my husband is the one who actually suggested that I do a few of these this month. I have a big deadline ahead and the fact of the matter is that I'm a much nicer wife, mom, and person when I get to empty my head of all that writing material circulating around in there.

I hope to have pre-scheduled posts running if I have time to get them ready this evening. My one big request is for your prayers. Please pray that God would give me the words to write and fresh ideas. Thanks!

Lingering

I've started a new journal which I'll share with ya'll this week. One morning this week as I was having my quiet time I studied in John 15 and decided to draw a vine in my new journal.

Understand that I'm not an artist. This type of thing doesn't come naturally to me. My daughter and I have worked on natural journals a very little bit, but drawing is not my thing. Usually I find it a labor rather than an enjoyable activity.

However, this time was different. I took my time and did the best I could to draw a meandering vine with branches and leaves coming off of it. As I did, I meditated on the verses I'd read in John 15.

I can't begin to tell you how refreshing this was to my soul. What really happened is that I lingered in God's presence as I drew the vine. I didn't read my verses, pray, and bolt up to start my day. I took my time and hung out a while with God. It was sort of like lingering over a cup of coffee or hot tea with a friend and chatting.

Mind you, I could easily have bolted up and gotten busy. It wasn't that I had nothing else to do. But I felt His spirit wooing me on the inside saying, "Sit with me a while. Think about the things I've spoken to you through my word."

It also solidified the scriptures as I thought through the process of drawing the vine. I had to think, "What does this actually look like in real life?" Isn't that what we should be asking about every scripture?

I encourage you today to savor His presence. Don't mark God off your "to do" list as something done and accomplished. Instead, relax and enjoy Him. Linger.

Autumn Menu

In light of all the economic stuff and other turmoil in our nation I'm really trying to save money, but I refuse to feed my family junk. This week I took the time to plan meals and make a grocery list and it was such a freeing thing to do. I'll share my menu here in case anyone is interested. Remember, it's always subject to change. It actually started yesterday.

Friday- Sautee'd chicken with green onions, long grain and wild rice, layered salad, apple pie with whipped cream

Saturday- Tortilla pizzas (hamburger), salad

Sunday- Rosemary pork tenderloin, grilled pineapple, acorn squash, broccoli and red pepper medley

Monday- Spaghetti, salad, pistachio cream dessert

Tuesday- Chicken quesedillas, pico de gallo with homemade tortilla chips

Wednesday- Ham and cheese omelettes, biscuits, mandarin oranges

Thursday- Chili with cheese, Fritos, cherry delight

Friday- Country style steak, mashed yukon gold potatoes, green beans

I don't usually incorporate desserts because I don't need them and my husband is always claiming to be on a diet, but I've found that when I don't plan desserts hubby and kids end up going to the store and spending extra money on ice cream or cookies. So this time I planned a few desserts in a quest to curb those extra expenses and provide a better, slightly healthier alternative.

Lunch choices:
Chef salad
Frozen chimichangas
Tuna salad
Hot hoagies
Frozen pizza
Chef Boyardee
Lean Cuisine
Homemade hummus with homemade pita chips
Carrot dip and veggies
Deli meat and cheese sandwiches
LEFTOVERS!
Fruit or raw veggies are always a possible side dish

Breakfast choices:
Baked oatmeal with cooked apples
Sausage balls and hash browns
Pancakes
Breakfast burritoes
Crepes with bananas and strawberries
Homemade ham, egg, and cheese McMuffins

In case you're wondering, I had a lot of the meats and things already in my freezer because I'm one of those bargain shoppers that knows how to stock up on good deals. However, we've definitely had to increase the grocery allowance in the budget because everything in the grocery store has gone up in price. I'm not getting as many great deals from loss leaders in the stores or from coupons so I buy the really great sales at grocery stores (the few I can find these days) and the rest comes from Walmart. I've always hated Walmart, but right now Walmart is my friend.

A Picture of God's Provision

As I mentioned about a week ago, gas is hard to come by around here. However, not one time have I had to wait in a line or run out of gas. That's because my husband makes sure my tank never hits empty.

When the gas shortage began my husband said, "I don't want you to ever worry about gas. I will always make sure you have some in your van."

Every time I go out to my van it has gas. I don't always know when or where he gets it, but I never have to concern myself with it. When I see the lines at stations or watch the news I realize what a wonderful blessing that is! I even heard of guns being pulled at some of these stations, but I've not had to think about any of that stuff. I've been able to continue on my merry way.

God works with him too. Last weekend he went out to a store and noticed that the gas station had gas and no line. He quickly scooted over to get some. A couple of hours later we passed that same station and the yellow tape was all around the pumps. They were empty.

The other morning I was coming home from the chiropractor and he phoned to tell me that a particular station had gas and I was to meet him there. When I got there they had no lines and my husband saw me pulling in so he went and stood at a pump so I could get a spot- brave man!

As I think about my husband's provision it reminds me of God providing for His people. In these troubled times I've not had to worry about gas. As my husband stated, "I will always make sure you have some...", I've never done without.

Isn't that what God says to us? "I'll take care of you. Don't worry what happens in the world. I'll make sure you have what you need. Continue on your merry way doing my will and I'll continue to handle your provision."

Today if you're facing something bigger than you, let go. Give it to God and let Him provide what you need and handle all the details. You don't need to worry. Really.

The Wall

My cousin, Teresa, and her husband, James (see previous post), have always gone out of their way to make their home an enjoyable place for their kids. When the boys were really young they took a piano box, painted bricks on the outside of it, and gave them a two room "house" for their playroom.

When they were elementary age, they had all sorts of animals around. I remember tadpoles on the living room table and an iguana on the landing of the stairs to name a few. Their whole house was like a series of little science stations.

As the boys became teens they turned the basement into a teenage hangout with ping pong, pool table, punching bag, and all the usual technology that teens love. One thing in the hangout is particularly interesting and I wanted to share it because I think it's such a splendid idea. It's called "The Wall".

In actuality, it's more than one wall in the basement made from cinder blocks. They painted the wall white and invited everyone who visited to sign it or leave their mark in some way. This is the result:

Notice the hippies? That's James and Teresa in their dating days in the late '70s.

Isn't that wall the coolest thing? It's a big hit with teens and a great memory maker and conversation stimulator for her boys.

The Cousins

Folks, when I'm working on curriculum I don't have much of a social life. If you don't catch me at church, co-op, or a ball game, you probably don't catch me at all. But this weekend I had two whole social events! Sunday was the church picnic and Saturday night was a cookout at my cousin's house. I feel almost overstimulated.

If you're not interested in a bunch of pictures of people you don't know, now might be a good time to exit the blog. If you're nosey like me and like to look at pictures of people you don't know, stick around and you'll be in for a treat.

The cookout was at my cousin Teresa's house. I grew up as an only child so Teresa and her brother and three sisters were the closest thing to siblings that I ever had when I was a young child. They are Kay, Mike, Millie, Teresa, and Jerri, in that birth order. I have tons of other cousins too so what you see in these pictures are only a fraction of my family. Plus, some members of this family were working or otherwise unable to attend the cookout so they aren't all pictured either.

This is Teresa and my Aunt Melva.

Teresa's husband, James, is working on the homemade peach ice cream. Yum!

John is their youngest son. He was an apprentice to a blacksmith at a local science/history museum.

Lee is their oldest. He is an x-ray tech. The other girls are two of Mike's daughters, Amy, a nurse, and Savannah who is still in school.

This is Mike and his baby sister, Jerri. Mike is the only boy among the siblings. Jerri is the tomboy.

Jerri's son is Taylor. He and his K-9 sidekick were two of the police officers that tracked down and apprehended the bank robbers from my post of a few days ago. I'd call him a hero for that wouldn't you?

This is Mike's oldest daughter, Stephanie, with her husband, Richard, and daughter, Madison. Notice they are sitting on the front porch of the log cabin house that James built by hand. It took him three years to build their dream house. He's quite talented!

Kay is the oldest sibling in the bunch. As you can see, she just can't seem to let go of her son, Zach, even though he's grown.

Millie is the middle child and the blonde. Nuff said. She's pictured here with her daughter, Ashley, and with Kay.

Jimmy is Millie's man and he's getting ready to make his vanilla homemade ice cream here. Apparently, he and James were having ice cream wars, but we certainly weren't complaining about that!

This is me with my cousin, Lori. Her dad is my mom's brother. I never noticed until I saw this picture that Lori and I look totally unrelated. I don't think we share even one common gene. She's much nicer too, always has been.

A massage train! I learned that Jerri has a massage table at her house now. I'm so there!

Who is that good looking fellow washing dishes?

Me, John, and James.

I couldn't post these pictures without showing you a family heirloom. This is James' El Camino. It's been around since the beginning of time, or at least as long as we've all known James. He drove it way beyond it's life expectancy and then some more. I think he's so attached that he just can't part with it.

In case you're wondering why all these pictures look like everyone is posing, it's because my family has a tendency to get together and depart rather quickly once the food is eaten so I figured I better hurry up and take pictures of everyone before they all left. Hence, they all look rather staged. You gotta get em while the gettins good!