Streams of Living Water

Hate Me!

2008-11-22T06:10:00.001-05:00

I feel like my social life has been non-existent of late. It's usually that way when I'm heavy duty writing. But this week and next week are bringing a reprieve to my soul as I'm able to actually leave the house and be with people, friends even. Wow!

One of those outings was to Nester's house. Go ahead, hate me! (to borrow her words).

If you happen to be one of the two people in the world that doesn't know about Nester, let me just tell you that she's the decorating guru that has taken the blog world by storm.

Emily was there too. She's Nester's sister and she is the up and coming witty mommy blogger.

(We totally did not purposely pose for these pictures in front of Nester's famous white dishes, ya'll. No, never. Three bloggers in the same house together would never resort to posing for blog pictures. Never.)

I went to Nester's house to fellowship and look at all of her decorating glory, but I didn't expect that these ladies would teach me things that had absolutely nothing to do with decorating, but they did. And they don't even know they did!

The first thing they taught me is that I have way more wrinkles and crows feet than they do. That revelation came to me when I was posting those pictures up there. Made me want to run out and get a shot of Botox between my eyes. Moving right along...

The second thing I learned by their example. They are totally positive, not in a flaky spiritual sort of way, but it's just their natural demeanor. I came home resolved to be more encouraging to everyone that I meet (and maybe to shut my mouth a little more often).

I saw the value of contentment through these ladies too. Within the last year Nester and her man have opted to downsize considerably to rid themselves of debt. She tells the story somewhere on her blog. You can imagine how hard this was for a decorating/nesting sort of gal. Yet, you would never know it. I even heard her say, "I love my house!" while I was there. And she should love it because she's done a fabulous job of turning it into a lovely home. It made me want to come home and love my house too.

So, that was my outing with two ladies that are about as humble and unassuming as they come. They are the real deal and I have a sneaky little hunch that some great things are in the not-so-distant future for both of them.

Today I'm off to join some other friends and I'll probably blog about it so that people can see that I actually have a life. Can ya'll tell that I've been just a little socially starved lately?

Friday Fill-ins

2008-11-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

Apparently, I'm really into memes this week, particularly the really easy kinds. This one is a Friday Fill-in. I've never done it before, but you can check it out here. Once again, all you do is copy, paste, and fill in the blanks.

1. The last band I saw live was Go Deep at my church.

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is the air of excitement. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday)

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is going to involve a lot of gift cards this year.

4. Thoughts of writing projects fill my head.

5. I wish I could wear all those clothes in my closet that are too little because I've gained too much weight.

6. Bagpipes are extremely loud when you hear them in person.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include an outing with friends to the Southern Christmas Show and Sunday, I want to go to church and take a nap!

Questions Answered

2008-11-21T07:00:00.003-05:00

After my meme yesterday some of you left questions in your comments so I'm answering those today.

Who did you kiss in the rain? That dashing man that I married, of course! We've even kissed in snow, thunderstorms, and a hurricane! How's that for love that weathers anything?

What art did you teach yourself from scratch? Bear in mind that the term "art" covers broad territory in my mind. So...when we first got married I taught myself how to decorate t-shirts using sequin type thingies. That was a real stretch for me. In my late teens/early twenties I wrote songs which I played very badly on my guitar and sang even worse. In 2006 I taught myself the fine art of producing an entire DVD. The videographer did throw in quite a bit of knowledge, but when it was all said and done I took that puppy from idea to finished product. And now I'm getting ready to do it again!

What famous person did you meet? For whatever reason, I've gotten to meet lots of famous people and I know a lot of folks that know or are related to famous people. But these are the ones you probably recognize the most:

-Greg Allman- as in long-haired Allman Brothers band and Cher's ex. I met him at a very "interesting" party.

-Susan Swift- you might not recognize her name, but she was a child star in a horror movie and Harper Valley PTA. Then she went on to be in some of those dreadful Halloween movies. She was also in my fifth grade class.

-Tony Atlas- he was a wrestler and I sat beside him on an airplane when I was 12. He's afraid of flying. I'm not. One of us was embarrassed that day.

-All of the Kansas City Royals back in the 80's, including legendary George Brett. I babysat for third baseman, Greg Pryor. He and another baseball player from a California team were our neighbors.

-Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker- saw them at a movie theater and briefly said hello. Also, saw Tammy at a restaurant on another occasion.

-Andrew Wommack- He's a Bible teacher on TV, radio, books, etc... Andrew spent a week with us every year at our annual tent meeting at our former church for many years. He still does, but we don't.

-I've met several other former professional baseball players, wrestlers, a kazillion famous Bible teachers and evangelists, Christian music artists, authors, speakers, astronauts, yada, yada, yada...

Sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping I'd met some up and coming hunky pop star or something. Most of mine are oldie famous people or those that are not so famous that you'd immediately recognize their names.

Who's life did you save? I worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for many years and saved lots and lots of lives, sometimes by emergency resuscitation and sometimes by long term care (but mostly by prayer!). I also made a couple of very quick decisions as a labor and delivery nurse that saved a few lives. When I was in nursing school my dorm room was across the street from an abortion clinic. One day I ventured over there to chat with the patients before the doctor arrived. One woman was particularly receptive and I like to believe that she didn't go through with the abortion after our chat. Only eternity will tell for sure, but I like to believe I saved a little life that day.

And that was probably way more than you ever wanted to know about me!

List Meme

2008-11-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

I like memes as long as they're easy schmeezy and I found one that is just that on Candace's blog. You just copy the list into your blog and highlight the things you've actually done. How much easier can it get?

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (hiking)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie( Do commercials count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

If you do this on your blog be sure to let me know in the comments so I can visit.

A Letter to the President

2008-11-19T06:59:00.003-05:00

My friend, Tina, is teaching an American Government class at co-op this year. One of the assignments she has given her students is to write a letter to President Bush thanking him for being our president these last eight years. Tina also extended the invitation to everyone else in our co-op in hopes that we can send him a big package of encouraging letters to cheer him as he moves on to the next stage of his life.

This is my letter:

Dear President Bush:

I’ve been proud to have you as my president for the last eight years. When you first came to office, my children were quite young and now they are teenagers. It has brought me great comfort to have a godly president presiding over this nation as my children were growing up.

In my heart and mind you will be remembered as the president who had backbone and was willing to take a stand for what is right. Thank you so much for speaking for and protecting unborn babies during your tenure. Thank you for supporting traditional families and family values. Thank you, too, for your support of educational choices, especially homeschooling.

I am forever grateful that you have kept our nation safe since the attacks of 9-11. I admire your fortitude and willingness to make necessary decisions even when you faced strong opposition. Those decisions kept terrorism and war off of American soil and ridded the world of some evil characters. I believe we are safer today because you weren’t afraid to take action when action was needed. Thank you!

I’m sad to see you leave office, but I hope you leave knowing that you did what God sent you to the White House to do. You blessed our nation and it’s my prayer that as you leave office you will be blessed with peace, contentment, joy, and plenty of downtime to just enjoy life! Thank you for your sacrifice and service for our country. Thank you for being a true American.

Sincerely,
Bonita Lillie

Would you consider writing a letter to encourage our outgoing president? Whether you liked or agreed with him or not, being President of the United States of America is a self-sacrificing job for anyone. I think they all need our encouragement and prayers both while in office and when they leave.

On that note, it's a good idea to send a welcoming letter of encouragement to our new president when he takes office too. Imagine walking in that first day as president and finding letters galore telling you that people are praying for you!

Will you join me in honoring and thanking our presidents?

Goal Update???

2008-11-18T07:00:00.003-05:00

When you are scheduled to revisit your goals on the 8th day of the month for a year and you don't even remember that you have said goals until the 18th day of the month, I think that, in and of itself, probably tells you how well you did reaching those goals.

And this, my friends, is precisely why I don't usually make New Year's resolutions.

The Reasons I Love Thanksgiving

2008-11-17T07:00:00.003-05:00

We are coming up on my all time favorite holiday! I love Thanksgiving! For your reading enjoyment, I thought I'd share the reasons why this day ranks #1 among holidays for me.

1. It's the one holiday when we give back to God without expecting anything in return. Everything is directed to God, not us. We give thanks and that's the whole reason for celebrating. And it's reason enough!

2. Thanksgiving is my crowning glory in the cooking department. I'm no domestic goddess and I don't particularly care for cooking, but somehow I've managed to master the traditional Thanksgiving meal. My turkey is moist and tender and oh so tasty. I can whip up some mouth-watering gravy. I can even make a mean dressing and side dishes and several yuuuuummmmmy desserts. Unfortunately, I rarely get to cook the actual Thanksgiving meal at our house because we're often celebrating elsewhere, but I usually manage to sneak it in sometime in the fall even if it's not on the holiday itself.

3.The parades. I have always loved watching the parades on Thanksgiving morning. One of my dreams in life is to actually attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade one year (preferrably a year when the weather is mild).

4. I feel like we have a Thanksgiving family. My heritage has a lot of Cherokee Indian while my husband has a lot of English/Scottish blood. Combined, we're the traditional Thanksgiving clan.

5. It's not surrounded in hype. Materialism dominates Christmas these days. Most stores go straight from Halloween costumes to Christmas decor with no pause for anything related to Thanksgiving. Although, I did notice more Thanksgiving supplies than ever this year. I suppose giving thanks doesn't earn them much money. Good! I hope it never becomes one of those hyper holidays where the true meaning gets totally lost in commercialism.

6. Gathering with family and friends. It's refreshing to see people we don't see all the time and to come together to share a day of rest and fun.

7. You don't have to stick to your diet on Thanksgiving. I know all those diet magazines tell you do stick with your plan, but I say throw it to the wind for a day. Even if you haven't been sticking to it for months and you're way off course. Not that anyone I know falls into that category, I'm just saying... But Thanksgiving is definitely not the time to try to walk by an abundantly laden table and "be good". No way. Chow, people, before the dieting days of January roll around!

8. It's a great day to do all of those crafty autumn/winter things that I never get to do at other times of the year. At our house we also like to dig out the giant puzzles. During the holdiay and winter season, we often have a partially completed puzzle on a card table that we work on in spurts as we have time. It's sort of a tradition, I suppose.

I feel like I'm getting in the holiday spirit already!

Celebrate!

2008-11-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Break out the bubbly and throw the confetti! It's National "I Love to Write" Day! Let the party begin!

What???? You've never heard of this national holiday! Where have you been all your life people???

Well, actually I hadn't heard of it either until I met the founder, John Riddle, at a writing conference a few years ago. I had the opportunity to have a private lunch with Mr. Riddle and one other person so I really got to hear his heart and pick his brain about everything related to writing. I've been a celebrater ever since.

How do you celebrate this great day? You write, of course. Write something. Anything. Just write!

This is a great day to start that new blog you've been procrastinating. It's a really good day to catch up on emails and letters, especially to those who desperately need a word of encouragement and hope. Is it time to start that family memoir or pick up a new journal? Why not branch out and try a new type of writing? And, yes, this is definitely the day to put aside your fears and finally send your manuscript or article to a publisher.

If you've got little ones at home or you're a homeschooling mom, write with them. Stories are always fun or you could make a family list of all the things you're thankful for and read it on Thanksgiving.

Don't forget to stop by John Riddle's website too.

Happy "I Love to Write" Day!

And I truly do love to write!

Praying Patti

2008-11-14T08:26:00.002-05:00

This is a month when we focus on giving thanks and some of the biggest blessings in my life come in the form of people. For instance, my friend, Patti, is such a blessing.

Patti has been part of my homeschool support group ever since I've been a member and she's a very dedicated homeschooling mom. She's also crazy and funny and very type A. We relate well to one another!

Most importantly, Patti is a pray-er. She prays all the time, about everything, for everyone. I don't even think she realizes how much she prays or how it affects others, but I see it.

This morning Patti emailed to see if I was sleeping any better. She's been praying for me. Matter of fact, she was praying for me in the wee hours of the morning when she was struggling to sleep. Notice that her focus was on my needs, not her needs.

I remember a few years ago when Patti had an injury that restricted her to bedrest and very limited activities. Guess what she did. She solicited prayer requests and prayed. On one occasion she felt especially led to pray for a young child in our support group, not knowing that at the time that child was being admitted to the hospital. I truly believe that Patti's prayers saved her life.

Patti was my roommate when I spoke at the North Carolina Home Educators conference this year. Aside from making me belly laugh all weekend she prayed for my speaking. Matter of fact, during the very first session, Patti stood right outside the door of the conference room to- can you guess? - pray for me!

Even though Patti is facing several extremely tough challenges in her own life right now, she still makes praying for others her priority. I'm so thankful that God put Patti in my life and I appreciate her heart and her prayers.

Patti, you rock! And you have major reward waiting on you in heaven for your faithfulness in prayer.

Pace Yourself

2008-11-13T07:00:00.008-05:00

My life is crazy right now. I'm editing a curriculum, planning the filming of a DVD, and trying to do all the other normal stuff of life. Oh yeah, and the holidays are coming. It's awfully easy to get overwhelmed to the point of tears. Not that my little over-achiever self ever does that, I'm just saying...

Yesterday during a mild crisis my son reminded me of our trek up the mountain this weekend. My big, strong, 16 year old boy was in the lead and I was trying desperately to keep his pace. Only it wasn't working. My heart rate must have been over 200, I was gasping for air and staggering from lack of oxygen. I kept saying, "Slow down, I can't keep up this pace." Every few yards found me leaning on a tree, sitting on a rock, or trying desperately to catch my breath. His pace wasn't working for me, but I kept trying to climb at his pace anyway.

Isn't that a lot like life? We try to keep pace with everyone around us without taking into account our differences, our weaknesses, our gifts and callings, or our stage of life. But God has a unique pace for each of us to run our race. It's a pace that is meant just for us, one the keeps us healthy and happy, not stressed and overloaded.

What do we do, though, when we feel overwhelmed and out of sync with our pace. We do what I did on my mountain climb.

Stop- Cease action. Take a moment or a day or a week to regroup. I did this recently and guess what. The world didn't stop spinning and everybody survived without my input for a day or two.

Breathe- It's God that gives us the breath of life. When life is too hectic we need to breathe deeply of God and make sure that we are spending time inhaling his life giving presence.

Lean- We need to lean on the Lord, not our own strength. It's time to acknowlege our great need for Him and trust Him to support us and strengthen us.

Sit on the rock- You've heard of standing on the rock. How about sitting on our rock? Jesus is our rock and we need to make sure that we are standing/sitting on His promises, keeping the word of God strong in our hearts, minds, and lives.

Rest- Give all of our troubles and trials to God and rest in Him. Even in the middle of a long uphill climb we need times of rest and refreshing. Just when we think we've turned all of our troubles over to God, another set crops us. We need to be vigilent to pray and not worry, resting in God's tender care.

Slow down- God is never frantic or hectic and we don't have to be either. It's okay to say "no". It's okay to say, "not right now". It's okay to slow down for no other reason than "we" need to for our own health and sanity. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Move at your own pace- It's not about what everyone else is doing or even what everyone else wants us to do. It's about moving at a healthy, God-given pace. We don't have the anointing to move at someone else's pace, but we surely have the anointing to move at the pace God sets for us individually.

When I was in school I was terrible at running races because I can't sprint to save my soul. Yet, I could run longer distances that required a steady pace, not a race horse stride. I believe that physical element transfers to other areas of my life. I'm not a race horse, even though I'd like to be. But I can go the distance. That's how God made me.

Today let's remember to pace ourselves and to enjoy this life God has given us. Let's receive his easy yoke and light burden rather than running at the world's rat race pace.

The Art of Gratitude

2008-11-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

A few days ago Miss Sandy at Quill Cottage had a post about the art of gratitude. Being the copycat blogger that I am I decided to do something similar on my blog. However, please visit her blog because she's just so much more graceful with the topic than I am.

These are five things that I'm grateful for today:

1. Heat. Our old furnace was resurrected, rigged, and generally propped up so many times that we figured it was time to get a new one before we got stuck on a cold winter's day without any heat. We are still getting used to the new one as it is powerful and it only takes a few minutes to get the whole house toasty and beyond. I'm so thankful for heat as we ease into the cooler months.

2. God's acceptance. I'm so glad that God looks at the heart and not just our works and outward appearance. He sees the real person on the inside and he accepts us just as we are, faults and all.

3. The ablility to help others. As we head into the holiday season I find myself wanting to give more and do more for others. I admit that for a while that desire has been dormant, but it's coming back to life and I'm looking for ways to be a blessing.

4. God's word. In a chaotic, unsteady world, I'm so glad that I have a sure foundation to rest on and to look to for wisdom and guidance.

5. My cat. Once again, my cat had an abcess on his face. He's an outdoor cat and quite the bully. He picks fights with all sorts of animals way wilder and bigger than him. Unfortunately, he has the battle scars to prove it, including this new infection. On Monday he was all swollen and had to make an emergency trip to the vet. He's on the mend now and enjoying his sojourn in the house. He's bad to the bone, but we love him.

What about you? What five things are you grateful for today?

Bookworm Award

2008-11-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've been tagged by Kathy at Lavendar, Lace, and Thyme with the bookworm award. These are the directions for what the recipient of the award needs to do:

Pass this on to 5 blogging friends.
Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56.
Write out the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that...

Personally, I think this is a really cool meme, but then I really like books a lot. Kathy quoted from a book by Thomas Kincaid. The book closest to me is Beautiful Home on a Budget by Emilie Barnes and Yoli Brogger.

This is what is says on page 56, starting with sentence 5: How did I get to this point? Simply by wanting to shape a home that was beautiful to look at and easy to live in...for everyone in our family. As a child bride of 17, I began my decorating journey with almost nothing. In those early days I was trying to create a beautiful home on no budget at all! Learning to love what I had and to see the decorating potential in almost anything was pure necessity.

Boy, can I ever relate to Emilie's words! One thing I'm really learning to love is less of what I have. As the years go by I want less and less possessions. I'm morphing into a minimalist. If it requires dusting or perpetual maintenance or if I'm always having to move it out of my way then I don't want it. Bare is beautiful.

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but I hope some of you will participate and let me know about it in the comment section. This is a great way to learn tidbits of wisdom without a lot of energy or time expended.

*Editing to say that my post originally said I started at sentence number 35, but it was supposed to say #5. I didn't catch that typo, but the directions at the top still read sentence #5.

Take a Hike!

2008-11-09T18:04:00.012-05:00

We have a new family activity that we "enjoy" on Sunday afternoons. We go hiking at Crowder's Mountain. Today was our second time.

Did I mention that one of us is really out of shape?

And doesn't like heights.

One of us was also perfectly happy to take the easy little Fern Trail, but nooooo. Everyone else insisted that we hike up Pinnacle Trail.

Pinnacle? Pinnacle? What's a pinnacle? That's what I was thinking all the way up.

It must mean killer cardio workout all the way up and jelly legs on the way down.

Tree hugger! One in every crowd!

Yikes! Does that sign say something about death?????

Thank goodness I had my strong, brave daughter so she could run off and leave me.

Whew! The end of the trail! 1.7 miles straight up! I found this tree to collapse on. Just a few more rocks to scale and we'll be at that pinnacle thingy.

The view from 1705 feet:
Don't let anybody fool you. It's crowded at the top. Apparently, everyone had the same idea today.

I might have enjoyed the view a whole lot more if people weren't letting their preschoolers explore the pinnacle WITHOUT AN ADULT BESIDE THEM! The parents didn't seem to mind, but I was frantic.

Of course, no challenge is complete without a treat at the end. You didn't think I did this for nothing did you? I can't think of anything better than looking out over the autumn colors of the county on a crisp, sunny afternoon while munching on a doughnut or six. I figure I burned a million calories on the way up that mountain anyway.

The Healing of a Guilt Trip

2008-11-07T05:33:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you can't do anything right and guilt takes over your mind? Yesterday was that way for me.

It started at co-op. I taught my writing class which is usually a lot of fun. Yesterday I might as well have been teaching a stone wall. I left that class thinking, "Bad teacher, bad, bad writing teacher!"

Another "issue" occurred later at co-op that left me thinking, "Lazy, no good, can't-do-it-right, can't-get-your-act-together homeschooling mom!"

When I got home I was exhausted, partially from my mental beating and partially from the fact that I've had insomnia for five weeks running and haven't had a good night's sleep since...I can't remember when. Even though my kitchen still had dirty dishes from the morning in the sink and generally looked like a wreck, as did the rest of the house, I sat down at the computer to divulge in mind-numbing, unproductive activity.

My husband came home early and asked what was for supper. Suddenly, I remembered that I hadn't thawed a thing. Usually on co-op days I fill a crockpot, but I hadn't done that either. Bad, bad wife and mother!

Since we were all starving, we decided to go to Cracker Barrel which was definitely not in our budget, but it just needed to happen. All the way there I was thinking, "Bad, bad homemaker! Bad, bad budget buster! Why can't you get your act together?"

But when we got to Cracker Barrel something happened that eased my guilt tremendously. We had an awesome waitress. She sang, ya'll! Really. We sang our orders back to her. The whole restaurant was laughing. Then she informed me that if I bought anything in the store I could get it for 45% off by telling them that she was my waitress.

This is so cool because I'd been in Cracker Barrel about a week ago admiring a certain something that a friend of mine has wanted for a very long time. I decided that I wanted to give it to her for Christmas and I prayed that somehow the price would go down so it would fit in my budget, but I knew that this particular item had never gone on sale. Last night I bought it for almost half price!

I realized that if all of the forgetting of supper and such hadn't ensued we would never have ended up at Cracker Barrel with that waitress on the right day and the right time for me to get that particular item at that special price. Could it be that maybe, just maybe, God had a hand in all this and I wasn't such a washout after all?

I'd love to tell you that all of my guilty feelings about everything departed after the Cracker Barrel incident. They didn't. But today is a new day and I'm making a choice to let go of those ugly thoughts and believe what God says about me. What about you? Do you ever feel guilty or like you don't measure up? Let's determine together today to believe the truth and not the accuser's lies.

Change

2008-11-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

Today is my spiritual birthday. I gave my heart to Jesus 28 years ago. The work He has done in me is similar to the glorious change we see in autumn trees.

The greatest changes don't occur in politics. They happen in the hearts of men.

Thank you, Lord, for changing me. Please change the heart of this nation and turn it back to you.

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:27:00.002-05:00

It's election day! Do you know what that means? The days of detestable mudslinging campaign ads come to an end! Hallelujah!

This morning I was reading in first and second Peter and noticed that Peter has quite a lot to say about our words. I thought as we turn over this leaf and elect a new president, some of us will rejoice and some will cringe, but it's a really good time for all of us, and hopefully all politicians, to stop the abusive language and really think about what we say. More importantly, let's see what God says:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. I Peter 2:1

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. I Peter 2:15

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverance of your lives. I Peter 3:1-2

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. I Peter 3:9

For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. I Peter 3:10

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. I Peter 3:15-16

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God... I Peter 4:11

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. I Peter 4:14

This is especially true of of those who follow the corrupt desirre of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. II Peter 2:10-12

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity- for a man is a slave to whtaever has mastered him. II Peter 2:17-19

I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. II Peter 3:2

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creativon." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. II Peter 3:3-7

Lord, forgive us for the times we use our words to speak wrongly. Help us to use the wonderful gift of speech and communication that you've given us to encourage one another and to glorify you. In future elections, I pray that our politicians will be real leaders and choose to take the high road, refusing to slander during their campaigns. Help us all to remember the many eyes and ears, especially the little ones, that are watching, listening, learning and imitating us in what we say and do. Help us to be godly examples for them.

Copycat Blogger

2008-11-03T10:53:00.003-05:00

I shamelessly admit that I'm copying what my friend, Marybeth, did on her blog today. I liked her idea and I figure why re-invent the wheel, just copy her idea. She shared her menu plans and a breakdown of her week. Sounds good to me, except I'll stick to just the menu plans. I will be fasting some for the election tomorrow, but it won't include supper, in case anyone was wondering about that.

Before I share my menus I have to direct ya'll to another blog that hosts Muffin Tin Mondays. This is such a precious idea if you have small children. Basically, you put their lunch in a muffin tin with something different in each cup. This is fun and appealing so they are more apt to try the new or healthy things in the muffin tin. Sycamore Stirrings hosts this every Monday. Sometimes she offers a theme to follow and sometimes not, but you can stop by and check out her Monday posts to see how other moms do their muffin tins. She's in the middle of moving right now so you might want to check older Monday posts on her blog to get the full effect. I love this idea so much that I almost want to have another child just so I can use it. I thought about using it with my teens, but somehow I don't think it would have quite the same effect.

**Updating to say that I was just informed that Muffin Tin Mondays was passed into new hands at Her Cup Overfloweth. You can visit the other blog to see past pictures and the new blog from here on out.

Back to my own vittles:
Monday: Spaghetti, salad
Tuesday: Whole baked chicken with carrots, onions, celery, rice, peas
Wednesday: Salmon, acorn squash, shoepeg corn
Thursday: Taco soup, tortilla chips
Friday: Roast with carrots, potatoes, onions, celery and whole wheat muffins

That's as far as I've gotten with the menu.

A Call to Fast and Pray

2008-11-02T15:43:00.004-05:00

As we approach election day I want to issue an invitation to anyone who would like to fast and pray with me. Fasting doesn't necessarily mean going without food, it can mean giving up anything that you normally do and for however long you want to do it. Right now I'm hungry so I had to throw in that little blurb because going without food doesn't sound as good as it did this morning after breakfast.

A few weeks ago I tuned out of the news and all the election coverage. Up to that point I was obsessed with it and had truly started believing that the world was coming to an end if a certain candidate won. Once I tuned out of the world's view and got into God's word, peace and calm returned and I remembered that God is still God no matter what happens.

Last week I waited two and a half hours in line to vote early. I forgot to bring anything to do because I really wasn't expecting to be there that long. Instead I talked the ears off of the people around me and probed into their life stories. After watching all the media coverage I was expecting hatred, maybe even riots, to be the tone of the voting lines. After all, weren't the opposing sides mortal enemies? I was pleasantly surprised to find that the line was full of people, ordinary people, just like me. We were even cordial and polite and nobody wanted to kill each other. Frankly, I think the people in my voting line would have made better candidates for political office than those that are currently running. Somehow standing in those lines with voters from both sides of the tracks gave me hope.

Still I know the importance of this election and the ramifications for not only us, but for our descendants as well. So, I'm asking that we pray and fast and humble ourselves before God. I, for one, still want a nation based on the same faith of our founding fathers. I believe we've gotten off track as a nation. The situation in our economy isn't the big issue, it's only a symptom of a root issue, which is a nation that has turned away from God. My number one prayer is that the people of this great nation would humble ourselves and return to our God. That will bring real change of the best and lasting kind.

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 will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness wil go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:6-9

A Funny about Judgement House

2008-10-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-29T09:51:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-10-27T08:37:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-25T08:14:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-22T10:08:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

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!