Running My Race

Success or Failure?

2011-04-09T22:24:00.000-04:00

There is no failure. Only feedback. ~Robert Allen

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. ~Ambrose Redmoon

I learned something about myself today. I don't like driving a motorcycle. Perhaps that doesn't seem like a very big deal, but to me it was huge.

I love riding a motorcycle. My husband drives one, and we have ridden together for years. It is a completely different experience than riding in a car. You see things differently. Colors are more vibrant. Landscapes are more spectacular. It's almost indescribable really if you haven't experienced it firsthand.

A couple of months ago, I started thinking that I would like to have my own bike. I shared this with my husband, and he suggested a beginning riders course that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) offers. I registered for the course, and it was this weekend.

After four hours of classroom instruction last night, we were to spend about six hours actually learning how to drive/ride a motorcycle today and again tomorrow. I only made it through three.

They say that part of the purpose in taking the course is to determine whether or not driving a motorcycle is actually for you in a safe and controlled environment. I found I didn't like it. In fact, it scared me to death. The further along we went, the more frightened I became.

I wish I could say why, but the truth is, I have no idea.

Besides learning how to engage the clutch on a bike, make it go, make it stop (and no, putting your feet down doesn't work!), etc., I gained a knowledge far more valuable than the in's and out's of driving a motorcycle. I was finally able to grasp a truth that has always seemed to be just beyond my reach.

There was no failure in not finishing the course. It was optional. I was there because I thought it was something I wanted to do. Turns out, it was not.

The failure would have come had I never chosen to try it in the first place.

I can tell you honestly that even a year ago that would have been the case. Not anymore.

There are no feelings of failure. Only a sense of accomplishment in not allowing fear to keep me from trying.

Wishing you the courage to chase whatever dream you may be dreaming.

Mystery

2010-11-25T06:32:00.002-05:00

As I consider Thanksgiving today, I am reminded of all for which I have to be thankful. My family, friends, and church family. The abundance of wealth God has blessed me with compared to so much of the world who has not even food or clean water. My health. The ability to see, to hear, to walk. The men and women who put themselves in harm's way every day so that I may live in freedom. Their families who sacrifice so they may serve. The ability to worship freely without fear of reprisal.

First and foremost, I am ever so thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who by the shedding of His precious blood has set me truly free.

It is a mystery, and I cannot begin to comprehend it, but I am so thankful.

I wish you Thanksgiving blessings!

With All My Heart

2010-10-12T04:48:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I noticed that my trash can is desperately in need of cleaning. It's white, so it shows everything, and it doesn't take very long before it begins to look dingy and disgusting.

As I began to think about my to-do list for the day, my mind immediately went to cleaning the trash can. Ewww! Did I mention that I strongly dislike that job? Can I get an Amen?

Not particularly glamorous cleaning the trash can, but necessary nonetheless.

I wonder how many people will wake up today feeling that the tasks ahead of them are not only less than glamorous, but would even be considered menial. As I considered this, God brought Colossians 3:23-24 to my mind. "23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Will anyone see me clean my trash can today? Probably not. Will they notice that it is clean? Maybe. Maybe not. But God will see, and God will notice. To Him, no task is too small, no job too menial.

It is often the small and seemingly insignificant tasks that make the most difference.

As you go about your day today, know that God notices and cares about what you are doing. Work at it with all your heart for it is Him you are serving.

Serving with you,

In Need of Repair

2009-11-12T15:18:00.003-05:00

In the past two weeks, I have replaced the motors in my upstairs and downstairs heating/air-conditioning units (at different times), my hot water heater, the expansion tank for the hot water heater (also at different times), and discovered a leak on the ceiling of my master bedroom. This last one was discovered just this morning. The source is yet unknown.

Back in the spring, my husband said we really needed to have someone come out to drain and flush the hot water heater because we had not had that done since moving into our house. Of course, who to call, a plumber, right? I knew that much, but randomly picking one out of the Yellow Pages, well www.yp.com, actually, didn't really seem like the best plan. So, what did I do? I asked for recommendations from friends and family and received one for whom, as it turns out, I am now on a first-name basis. It was the same scenario when I needed to have repair work done on my HVAC system. I am now on a first-name basis with him as well. I am thinking I should add them both to my Christmas card list. :0)

But who do I call when I am broken and in need of repair? I should not need a recommendation. I know the Master Physician Himself, and, more importantly, He knows me. He "made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13 NLT) He "saw me before I was born." (Psalm 139:16 NLT) He IS Jehovah Rapha - The Lord that heals.

There is no repair of which I might find myself in need, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, that is out of His control. I cannot misplace His phone number. I do not ever have to worry about getting voicemail. He will never tell me that He is unable to speak to me right now or that I will have to wait for Him to order the part. He is available to me 24/7.

The repair may not be instantaneous, but I can trust that He will be with me while I wait. I know this because He tells me in His Word in Hebrews 13:5, "...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

It is enough.

Blessings,

Mind Over Matter

2009-11-11T07:12:00.005-05:00

Have you ever seen the movie True Lies? I saw it again a few months back after not having watched the movie in years. If you have seen it, you might recall one scene where Jamie Lee Curtis' character does a rather racy dance for her husband, although she doesn't know it's her husband.

Yesterday, I was sitting in the rocking chair in my bedroom talking to God. I was just praying away, and, all of a sudden, this scene from True Lies flashed into my head. My first thought was, "Ewwww...you don't belong here. Go away! I'm trying to have some time with God."

It was in that moment that my thoughts simply froze. I began to consider what I had just been thinking. The next thought that came into my mind was if I didn't think that scene belonged in my head while I was talking to God, then that bore the question of whether or not it belonged in my head at all.

I don't think that True Lies is a particularly bad movie, but this experience caused me to stop and think about the things with which I am filling my mind. The truth is, it is easy to get desensitized to the things of this world.

My daughter and I recently had a conversation about the TV show Cake Boss on TLC. We would record and watch it periodically, but after an episode last week, I told her we would not be watching it anymore because there was too much foul language in it. You wouldn't expect this from a TV show about making cakes for crying out loud, but, sadly, that is the way it is.

She asked me why they allowed that on TV, and I told her I really didn't know. I shared with her about how when I was growing up, you didn't hear cursing on TV at all. Normal television shows were then not allowed to use curse words, and movies that were shown that contained them were bleeped out or dubbed over.

What is this? Desensitization. A gradual acceptance of lower standards. It is insidious, actually, but it is the way of the enemy. He doesn't hit us with big changes all at once. A movie here, a TV show there. First, we only look for a few seconds. Then, next time, maybe a minute. Then, a few minutes, and before we know it, our standards have lowered. We have become more accepting, and we are not even aware that anything has happened.

I am not pointing any fingers here. I would be the first to say I know I am guilty.

For now, I think I need to go find my rocking chair and talk with God some more. I need to ask Him what I have allowed into my life that should not be there.

Blessings,

Overflowing With Love and Gratitude

2009-04-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

Good Friday always brings mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I know it is the beginning of a celebration that at its very core is the basis of who I am. Good Friday leads to Easter Sunday. The day of resurrection. The day that death was overcome, Satan was defeated, and victory was proclaimed forevermore. But in order for that to occur, a sacrifice had to be made.

Jesus died for me. He shed His precious blood. He sacrificed Himself. He was mocked. He was tortured. All so that I would not have to die. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV)

I deserve to die. I am a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV)

And yet, if you look again at Romans 6:23, it says that rather than death, I receive a gift. The gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. But the gift is not just in Christ Jesus; it is because of Christ Jesus.

God required a sacrifice. He is holy and righteous and just. He cannot look upon me in my sin. Jesus said that He would be that sacrifice. He who was perfect and sinless, who had done nothing wrong. Because He loves me that much.

Yes, today I am filled with mixed emotions. My heart is grieved that He had to suffer so horribly because of me, but at the same time, my heart is filled to overflowing with love and gratitude for the One who is my Savior.

Thank You, Lord Jesus. I love You!

Blessings,

FEAR Part 2

2009-03-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we talked about how God commands us 365 different times in the Bible that we are not to be afraid.

What do you fear?

I find that most of my fears revolve around my own feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. I fear failing. I fear not being "good" enough...whatever that means. I fear being rejected. I fear not being able to realize my dreams because I am too afraid to step out and move forward.

God and I have been dealing with these issues for sometime now.

I have always known that we are not saved by our "works" but by God's grace. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) There are many things in my past for which I have had to ask for forgiveness, and I have done so and accepted that God has forgiven me.

However, I think I have believed there was some sort of standard for being a Christian woman, wife, and mother to which I have never been able to reach.

Recently, during a morning quiet time, God spoke to my heart. He told me that the standard for which I was striving was not His standard. It was a standard I had set for myself based on what I believed others thought I should be.

And I said, "But Lord. You created the Proverbs 31 woman. You put her in the Bible. She must be in there for a reason. You would not have put her in there otherwise. She is our model, and I.Am.Not.Like.Her! Why?"

Ever so gently, He whispered to me, "My child, the Proverbs 31 woman looks different for each woman. I have called you to specific purposes, and you can not compare your purposes to that of another. More than that, though, I love you UNCONDITIONALLY, regardless of what you do or do not do."

How freeing. He loves me. Just for me. Faults and all. I do not have to be perfect. I never will be perfect. Most importantly, His opinion is the only one that matters. His standard is the one on which I need to set my sights.

I find when I focus on that, the fear fades away. May your fear do the same.

Blessings,

FEAR

2009-03-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

I was listening to an inspirational CD the other day by Linda Toupin, National Sales Director with Mary Kay, and heard her use the following acrostic:

F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal

Things that make you go "hmmmm..."

Do you struggle with fear? I do. I know in today's repressed and, for some, downright DEpressing economy, it is hard not to be fearful.

The issues that cause me to be fearful may be the same, or perhaps are different, than those that cause you to be afraid, have doubt, or to worry.

Do you know that God commanded 365 different times in the Bible, "Do not be afraid." It was not a suggestion or something that sounded like a good idea if you felt like doing it. It was a COMMAND...365 different times. He was, and is, serious about it.

Let's look at a few of the verses.

Isaiah 41:10..."So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Matthew 14:27...But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Isaiah 43:1...But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Let's go ahead and look at verse 2 of that same chapter. I just love the picture it paints.

Isaiah 43:2...When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

Ponder these verses today, and please take a moment to let me know what causes you to be fearful. I will be back tomorrow to talk more about this and to relate some of my own fears.

Wishing you a peaceful day knowing He is walking with you.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-03-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sweet Restful Blessings,

Scripture Saturday

2009-03-07T21:00:00.002-05:00

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

Blessings,

Fashion Friday

2009-03-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

For today's edition of Fashion Friday, I thought I would share some beauty secret tips I discovered over at TotalBeauty.com. (These tips were picked up from the pros during New York Fashion Week.)

1. Charlotte Tilbury, makeup artist, shares that lip liner is our friend. She states it is the best way to make lips look symmetrical, which is especially important when wearing red lipstick.

2. According to Charlotte Willer, Maybelline New York global makeup artist, when choosing an under eye concealer, one should choose a color with a warm tone to it.

3. Diane Kendal, makeup artist, suggests curling lashes even when not applying mascara as the effect makes eyes look more open and awake.

Hope these help, and may you have a Friday filled with symmetrical lips and wide, open eyes with no dark circles!

Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-04T17:02:00.005-05:00

A Sign of Spring

AND THEN...

Came the snow!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

Happy Wednesday!

Joy Is A Rare Snow Day

2009-03-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

We had a rare March snow yesterday here in North Carolina. Actually, snow is rare in North Carolina most of the time, but our last March snow was in 1980. I actually remember that one. My brother and I were out in the yard with Merita bread bags tied on our feet. Did anyone else ever do that? We built the first and only snowman we ever had the opportunity to build growing up. I wish I could find the photo, but in lieu of that, here is one of another young girl building her first real snowman.

And here we have the finished work of art. Not too shabby I would say.

Another photo from our beautiful winter wonderland. We sat and watched as he caught snowflakes in his beak as they fell from the sky. It was quite fascinating.

This is actually from the snow we had back in January, but it is just too precious not to share.

What a gift this day turned out to be. Thank You, God, for the wonder and beauty that is Your creation and for the unexpected treat it was to spend this day with my family.

Snowy blessings,

The Nose Knows

2009-03-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds...James 1:2 (NIV)

I have been sick with a sinus infection for nearly two weeks now. I just can not seem to shake it. I have not been sleeping well. I am coughing, and, for me, a sinus infection ranks a very close second behind the 'ole stomach bug. Not being able to breathe is the pits! And, truth be told, I have yet to reach that whole "joy in the midst of suffering" thing. I am, and always will be, a work in progress, and God and I definitely still have some work to do in this department.

Have you ever used one of those nasal sprays trying to get some relief from a stuffy nose while suffering from a cold or sinus infection? Well, I am one of those people who do. Having a stuffy nose makes me feel horrible!

So if you have used them before, you may know that the bottles always warn of overuse. It can lead to an increase in nasal congestion. I am aware of this, but overuse them anyway when I am desperate for relief for my poor, tired nose.

The warnings are true. Nasal congestion does increase. I think an addiction actually takes place. Even if I have gotten over the symptoms from which relief was originally being sought, the thing that was originally supposed to help has now become the cause of the problem.

What I have learned is this. I know when I have overused the spray and have crossed over into the addiction phase. When the nasal stuffiness comes again, I have to resist the urge to once again use the spray. I will remain stuffy, unable to breathe, most likely for several hours. However, if I wait it out, my sinuses will eventually open back up, and the addiction will have been broken.

This happened to me again a few days ago, and this time, as I suffered through the misery of not being able to breathe, God used that time to illustrate a spiritual truth.

Suffering is never fun. Most, if not all, of us would choose to pass on the whole suffering thing. When it does come, for many of us, our first response is to find relief or a way out as soon as possible. However, in our efforts to alleviate our suffering, we may actually cause a greater problem. Solutions, that while in the short-term may offer a brief respite, can actually end up causing more harm than good.

And what about our need for God in the midst of our trials and tribulations? If we immediately seek to find a solution in our own strength, might we miss something important that God would have us learn through the suffering?

As I stated earlier, I have much work still to do in this department, but I am learning that it is often during the dark times that I find myself closest to God. He has promised to "never leave me nor forsake me." He will see me through, and His Word has promised me that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

I pray that one day that includes maintaining my joy in the midst of my suffering.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-03-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

May you rest in His Presence today.

Sweet Blessings,

Scripture Saturday

2009-02-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

I like this version as well.

Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. (The Message)

May you be encouraged today by His glorious Word!

Blessings,

Fashion Friday

2009-02-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

A good general rule of thumb from our 'ole buddy, Tim Gunn..."The desire to save a favorite item for a 'special occasion' means that one often ends up not wearing the very things one loves most. Stop saving and start wearing!"

And another goody from Tim, which is a trend I see now that drives me crazy!

"If you wear something to sleep in, you should not wear it out." (meaning outside the house)

Click on this link to find out how to determine your face-shape and what hair style looks best on you.

Finally, my friend, Shari Braendel, has recently posted on the hot, new fashion trends for spring. You will want to check this out so you can begin doing some "pre-shopping" as Shari calls it.

Happy Fashion Friday!

Something to Think About

2009-02-26T20:59:00.003-05:00

I heard this read on K-Love today and thought it was kind of cool. I came home and Googled it and thought I would share. The only author name was "snopes" on the forum where I found it, so I am unsure to whom credit needs to be given.

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go ... hmmm, where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think "Where are my priorities?"

And no dropped calls!

Blessings,

A Hymn of Praise

2009-02-21T21:32:00.002-05:00

This week in my Bible study we were to write a hymn of praise. We have been learning about God's love, which has been a theme in my life the last few weeks. I will share more about that another time, but for now, here is my own hymn of praise to the One whose love blows me away.

All glory and honor and power
To Him who knew me before time began.
Who knit me together in my mother's womb
And is enthralled by my beauty.
Who sees my sin
And loves me anyway.
Who sent His Son
As an atoning sacrifice for that sin
Because His love is too high and wide and deep and long
For me to ever fully comprehend.
Who rescued me from the pit of despair
And loves me with an unfailing love.
Who calls me the apple of His eye
And washes me white as snow.
To Him I give all the glory and honor
Because my cup overflows with His love.

Wishing you a day filled with His love.

Sweet Blessings,

No Greater Love

2009-02-14T17:21:00.003-05:00

(photo credit: www.spiritlessons.com)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There is no greater love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Fashion Friday

2009-02-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

For today's edition of Fashion Friday, I think it would be remiss of me to not mention that while I love fashion, I also believe that we have a commitment as Christians to honor God with our dress. We are making a statement to God, ourselves, and others by choosing to adhere to some of the immodest fashion trends of the day that the value that God places on modesty and purity is not important to us. This should not be the case if we truly desire to honor God in all facets of our lives.

As mothers, we can not expect our daughters to model this example if we are not first setting the example for them.

Therefore, I would like to suggest the following guidelines when choosing clothing for ourselves and our daughters.

The Five B's of Modesty (as originally set forth by my friend, Shari Braendel)

1. No Belly - think bare midriff shirts. However, this also includes shirts that are too short in general. If you raise your hands above your head and your stomach shows, then the shirt needs to be longer.

2. No Bra straps - this includes clear bra straps. Bra straps of any kind are a distraction and draw unwanted attention.

3. No Bottom - Think pants or shorts that show your underwear or when wearing a thong, worse. You get the idea.

4. No Breasts - Cleavage of any kind does not adhere to the 5 B's. This means even the top of the crease where the breasts are pushed together should not be showing. Men/boys are visual creatures, and it is a natural tendency to wonder what is there when seeing cleavage of any kind.

A note about this. While men have a responsibility to custody of the eyes, we, as women, also have a responsibility to help them in this regard. 1 Corinthians 10:32, "Do not cause anyone to stumble..." We must also teach our daughters the same thing. More on this topic another time.

5. No Bubbling - this refers to whether or not pants are too tight. A little "bubbling" underneath the bottom (one's rear-end) is okay. The rule of thumb should be if when pulling on the fabric at the base of the behind, it stays put, then the pants are not too tight. However, if the fabric springs back into place...you guessed it...too tight.

I hope you find this helpful, and I wish you a Happy Fashion Friday!

Blessings,

Was This Conforming?

2009-02-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I finally caved and read the Twilight series..all four books..some 2600 pages (this is an estimate)..in FIVE days.

I had not planned to read them. As a matter of fact, for the longest time, I had no idea who "Edward" was. I admit I was sure there was something I was missing, some new icon of pop culture about which I had no idea. I was uncool..unhip. Although, I understand "hip" is not even the word anymore further showing my total uncoolness. :-)

The only thing I knew about the series was that it was about vampires. Such was the extent of my very limited knowledge about what I did not even know was an apparent phenomenon. Being a Christian, I assumed if it was about vampires, it was not something I should further investigate, and that was the end of my wonderings about Edward and all things Twilight-related.

And then, I had lunch with a friend...who was reading the series. As were several other friends. Apparently, they were passing the series around, and they were all totally into it.

Of course, in my very limited knowledge, I asked, "Isn't that about vampires?" The reply was, "Well, yes, but it's not like that."

Oh, well, what exactly is it?

And so, after hearing an explanation, my curiosity was piqued. After all, if all of my friends were reading them and thought they were so wonderful, why not? They couldn't be that bad, right?

Now, before I go any further, let me just make clear that I am not saying a Christian should or should not read the Twilight series. I do not have an opinion on this one way or the other.

I read them. I enjoyed them. I will probably read them again which is unusual for me because it is rare that I reread books.

The content of the books is not the point of my post. The question of whether or not I conformed when I should not have IS the point.

As Christians we are called to "be in the world but not of the world." The truth is, that is often easier said than done.

I had heard the Twilight series was about vampires and as a Christian decided that it was not something I needed to know about, but when I found out others were reading it whom I felt had values the same as mine, I thought, "Well, maybe it is okay after all."

But was it really?

Again, this is an individual decision. I do think sometimes we as Christians can become too legalistic about things. Meaning, that we adhere to a certain set of rules that may not necessarily be in accordance with the Word, which should be our standard for all things.

However, we are also to be set apart. Our salvation and forgiveness were bought at a price. A very high price. Jesus' blood on the cross. Anti-conformity is a very small price to pay in comparison.

To read the books or not? To watch the TV show or not? To listen to the music or not? The list goes on.

Only you and God through the power of His Holy Spirit and time spent in prayer and the Word can answer the questions. The important thing is to remember to ask and to then be obedient when the answer is given...even if it is not the one you would have liked.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-02-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a blessed and restful Sunday filled with His Presence.

Scripture Saturday

2009-02-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Blessings,

Fashion Friday

2009-02-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

I am just about recovered from the stomach flu. Sorry I have been unable to post the follow-up to Monday's post. Unfortunately, I am going out of town later today, so that will have to wait until next week. Until then, as promised last week, if the occasional need for covering up an unwanted pimple is ever a problem for you (as it sometimes is for me), then check out the following video.

Happy Fashion Friday, Ya'll!

Sick

2009-02-03T22:36:00.002-05:00

Sorry about today's post. I have the flu. I will hopefully be back in a couple of days.

Blessings,

"What If They Reject Me?"

2009-02-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

I recently had a conversation with several women concerning being on facebook. If you have not yet joined the craze or do not know what I am talking about, you can learn more here.

One woman, whom I had never seen before this particular conversation, was saying how she had put off adding a facebook profile because she feared that she would not have any friends. She said, "What if I put myself out there and no one wants to be my friend? What if they reject me?"

This young woman looked to be in her early to mid-twenties, and in my opinion, was absolutely beautiful.

I admit I was surprised by her comments. The truth is, though, I do not know her. I do not know what her life looks like. However, in that brief encounter, I think I learned something about her. I saw something in her with which I, myself, have struggled.

Lack of self-confidence. Poor self-esteem.

I was relaying this conversation to my husband, and he said, "What WOULD happen? Would the earth stop spinning on its axis? Would life as you know it come to an end? Would it really be that bad?"

Well, no. No, none of those things would happen. No, I do not suppose it would be that bad, but when the opinions of others drive your opinion of yourself, it certainly can seem like it is "that bad."

I felt sad for that young woman. I saw myself at her young age...I saw myself sometimes now.

I have grown a lot. God is working with me...still. I am better than I used to be, but I am not there yet. I am learning to find my identity in who I am in Christ and not who the world says that I am, but it has been a slow, sometimes painful process.

Tomorrow we will talk more about esteem. Self-esteem and what it means to be esteemed by God.

Until then,

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a restful Sunday filled with His Presence.

Scripture Saturday

2009-01-31T12:26:00.002-05:00

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished." Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Thank you again, Jo-Lynne, for my button!

Blessings,

Fashion Friday

2009-01-30T07:26:00.000-05:00

I am sorry for being MIA this week. This was my daughter's first week of track out from school, and I have been in the final throes of helping to prepare for a ladies' event at my church this evening. I still have something I wish to share that God showed me last week, but, unfortunately, I do not have the time right now. I want to do it justice when I post about it, and more time is required in order to do so.

In lieu of that, I want to introduce something I will be trying to do each Friday. I have mentioned on here before my love for fashion, makeup, etc., so I thought it might be fun to post little tips here each week to help any of you who might be interested. Without further adieu, I give you:

Metallics are in vogue again. Here is a tip from Tim Gunn, host of Project Runway and his own show, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

"Metallics add a wonderful dose of glamour, but should be restricted to one item per outfit."

So for instance, let's say you have some cute silver, sparkly ballet flats you are just dying to wear. When doing so, they should be the only metallic on your body, including purses. This will give you just the right touch of glamour without going overboard.

Have a fabulous Fashion Friday, and thanks bunches to Jo-Lynne for my button! Look for another button from Jo-Lynne tomorrow.

Oh, and next week, look for a video on how to effectively cover up a pimple with makeup. Unpleasant, I know, but necessary sometimes. Think me this morning. *Sigh*

Blessings ya'll!

It's Been That Kind Of Day

2009-01-26T22:17:00.003-05:00

Sorry I did not get to the post I had planned for today. I have been going all day, literally, and simply did not have the opportunity to sit down long enough to share. I hope to have it up sometime tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-01-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Blessings,

I Am Still Here

2009-01-24T20:35:00.001-05:00

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. :-) Just been playing in the snow and buried in a book series this week. Will be back on Monday to share how God used this as an illustration for me this week. Love when He does that, but sometimes it isn't always so pleasant.

Blessings,

My Husband, My Best Friend

2009-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you are visiting me from Amy's site today, welcome. I appreciate your taking the time to read the interview I did on her blog and for coming over here as well. If you have not read the interview, you can click on the link above to do so. It is a discussion about my life as the wife of a husband who does not share my faith.

I don't know that I have a whole lot to add to what I said in the interview. I would like to reiterate that I love my husband dearly. He is my very best friend, and my relationship with him is second only to my relationship with God.

We have fun together, and I truly enjoy spending time with him. He is a wonderful father and husband, and I feel so blessed to be married to someone who loves me as much as he does.

I love that we have been together so long that we share those little things that no one else knows about. You know what I mean. A phrase, a joke, a look, a hand motion. Those things that have no meaning for anyone else, but when one of them comes up, the other of you knows exactly what it is all about. They create an intimacy between the two of you that is shared by no one else.

I love that we have nicknames for each other, and how he uses his nickname for me sometimes when he sends me an email or when we are talking on the phone. It makes me feel special.

I love how he gives my daughter "train rides" in the mornings before he goes to work. This consists of her standing barefooted on his shoes as he "choo-choos" her over to the front door.

I love our date nights. We usually have dinner at a restaurant, where we can actually sit together on the same side of the booth, and then go to a bookstore since we are both avid readers. We retire to our respective sections to find a book, and then meet up at the coffee shop inside to share a dessert and read.

As I said in the interview, it is still hard sometimes, but God has brought me to a place of contentment with the situation. I don't ever stop praying or believing that Richard will one day share my faith, but in the meantime, I pray that God will love him through me thus enabling me to be the very best wife that I can.

I honor him as my husband, and I feel blessed to be loved by him. And I trust God to fill those places that Richard cannot. I believe that is what we should do whether our husbands share our faith or not. No man, or other human being for that matter, can be everything we need them to be. Only God can do that. We need only ask.

Blessings,

Desperation

2009-01-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

I received this email devotion today on desperation. If this is the state you find yourself in today, and you are in need of some encouragement, then click here.

Blessings,

The Hope At The End Of The Rainbow

2009-01-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (NIV)

This was the scene across from my home last Thursday. The picture does not really do it justice. It is not often that one sees the full rainbow. However, last week, I saw one not once, but twice. On Wednesday, the day before this picture was taken, I saw the most beautiful double rainbow I have ever seen in my life! I was traveling on the road and did not have my camera with me so was unable to get a picture. I can still see its beauty in my mind's eye, though.

I was on my way to meet my brother and sister-in-law for dinner as it was my SIL's birthday. The rainbows appeared just as I was leaving my home. As I turned off the two lane highway leading up to the four-lane highway I travel to reach the restaurant, I stopped at a stoplight and off to my left, the sun was an absolute ball of fire! I looked to my right, and I could see part of the double rainbow. As my daughter and I continued on our journey, we turned on to a major highway, and suddenly, the full arc of both rainbows was directly in front of us! Exquisite! I have never seen anything like it in my life! The colors were so brilliant that you could see every color of the rainbow. It stayed in front of us all the way to our destination. It looked as if we were going to drive right under it at any moment.

I have never seen a rainbow stay around for that long. Usually they are visible for a short time and then are gone. But this one stayed for at least 15 minutes. It was just beginning to disappear as we pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant.

I know I looked like a crazy person driving down the road scrunched down over the steering wheel trying to pay attention to where I was going while looking at the rainbow at the same time! I kept looking at all these people passing me seemingly oblivious to the glorious sight in front of them, and I wanted to shout, "What is the matter with you? Do you not see what God is doing here? How can you not be in awe of that?!"

Later, when I had some time alone and was able to reflect on what I had seen, I thought more about the meaning behind the rainbow and not just about its beauty.

The rainbow first came after the flood. The Bible says in Genesis 6 that God saw how great the wickedness of man had become and that every thought of man's heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:6 specifically says that God was grieved that He had made mankind. And verse 7, "So the LORD said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth...'"

In Chapter 9, we see that the rainbow came as a promise from God between he and Noah and every living creature that was and would forever come that He would never again destroy the earth by water as He had done with the flood.

Verse 16 of Chapter 9 says, "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

When I thought about what the rainbow represents, I could not help but wonder what God is thinking and seeing when He puts them in the sky. Is it just me, or does it seem like rainbows show up a lot more frequently these days? I do not remember seeing them much as a child. I remember them being quite rare.

While I certainly appreciate their beauty and never cease to be amazed when I see them, I think I will always wonder now as I stare at their magnificence if God is seeing how far our world has fallen and is reminding Himself not to destroy us.

However, I will also see it as a sign of hope, for that is what the rainbow really is. A reminder of God's unfailing love for us. That His mercies are new each day, and that as long as we are still here on this earth, there is still time to fall to our knees in repentance and have Jesus come in and be the Lord of our lives.

May your next rainbow fill you with the hope of the God of all creation.

Sweet Blessings,

Not Just An Old Book

2009-01-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

I have committed to reading the Bible through in one year with Wendy Pope and those who have chosen to join her on this journey. We began January 1, and are reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation. I love this Bible because the readings are already set out for you by day, i.e., January 1, January 2, etc. And, I have always thought it would be cool to read the Bible in the order the events occurred.

On January 3, we had reached one of those passages about the descendants of So and So. Now, I confess that in times past when reaching one of these sections, I was more likely than not to skip over it entirely, or, if I did start to read it, the names gave me such a fit that I would quit before finishing.

So, I reached this passage, which was specifically Genesis 10:6-20 concerning the descendants of Noah's sons, Japheth, Ham, and Shem.

Again, my first impulse was to skim over it, but I thought to myself, "No, I committed to reading the ENTIRE Bible, and this is part of that. God obviously included it for a reason, or it would not be here, so I am going to read it all even if my tongue no longer works after trying to pronounce all these names!"

Ya'll, God honored my commitment! His Word leaped off the page at me. I learned things about Biblical history I had never known before, and I can not tell you how interesting it was! Seriously!

His Word is alive and active. If we will but seek Him and ask Him what He wants us to know, He will show us.

That is not to say that I believe there will be a "divine revelation" every time we open our Bible. That passage of scripture did not apply to any circumstance I was facing at the time, but God did use the lesson to show me I can trust His Word to be everything I need it to be. I learned things I had not previously known. On another day, God may use that passage to apply to something specific in my life. How? I do not know. But He does. The point is that I must be in His Word.

My job is to earnestly seek Him. To want to know Him more. And I do that through prayer and the reading and studying of His Word.

He sees my heart, and He knows that I desire more than anything else to know more of Him each day. That is all that is required. When I seek Him, I will find Him. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

May He be found by you today.

Blessings,

It's All In Your Perspective

2009-01-13T22:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I'm so late getting on here today, but it has just been that kind of day. Anyway...I just wanted to take a quick minute to share a cute story about how our attitude/perspective can affect us that was read to us tonight at my weekly Mary Kay success meeting.

Three Hairs (Author Unknown)

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M, " she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head....

"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

It's all in your perspective!

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-01-11T13:40:00.003-05:00

Blessings,

Focus On What Lies Ahead

2009-01-10T21:31:00.001-05:00

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

Yesterday morning, I was driving in heavy traffic to a hair appointment. There was a gentleman behind me who seemed to be in a very big hurry, and traffic was not moving quickly enough for him. Since we were on a two-lane road, there was no where for me to go to get out of his way and no longer be in front of him, which I was wishing that I was not.

His driving was erratic, and every time the traffic would come to a quick slow-down or stop, I feared he was going to rear-end me. I kept glancing in my rear view mirror anxiously watching him and wishing that he would not follow me quite so closely. I prayed, "Lord, please don't let that man hit me in the rear end." And then, ever so gently, the Lord whispered to my heart, "My child, you focus on what is in front of you. I will take care of what is behind."

By that time, we had reached four-lane traffic, and the man shortly moved out into another lane and away from my car. I then began to reflect on what God had just said to me, and I realized how that statement was the essence of what He does for us.

We can not change the past. Whatever happened or did not happen, we can not go back. However, we can LOOK back. But doing so can cause us to continue to stumble, for if we are looking behind, we can not see what is ahead.

The enemy would like for us to focus on our past. It is one way he tries to shift our focus off of God and the future He has planned for us.

But that is not what God wants for us. He does not focus on our past. When we ask for forgiveness of our sins and ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, the slate is wiped clean. And even as we walk with Jesus and sin, we have but to ask and all is forgiven again. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

God also tells us in Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My Own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

If the God of the universe, Creator of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, forgets our sins, then we need waste no more energy focusing on them ourselves.

Let us focus on what is in front of us. God will take care of what is behind.

Sweet Blessings,

Why We Need To Cleanse

2009-01-07T10:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I confessed that I do not like to wash off makeup and cleanse my face. Still do not know why that is, but it is a fact. I also talked about how we wear makeup to look and feel more beautiful, but if left on our faces while sleeping, makeup actually causes damage to our skin.

As I pondered this weird dislike I have for cleansing my face, God began to draw a parallel for me between external and internal cleansing.

We are all born as sinners. There is no getting around that. It is only through asking Jesus to come and live in our hearts and forgive us and cleanse us of our sins that we are made clean.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

White as snow. Pure. Beautiful. I love this picture. That God sees me this way because the shed blood of His Precious Son made a way for me to be reconciled to Him in spite of my sin.

Still, even as one who has seen my need for a Savior and asked Him to be the Lord of my life, I sin. I always will. And left unchecked, my heart will become black and ugly the more mired in my sin I become. Dirty. Unclean. In need of cleansing. Causing damage to my heart and my relationship with God.

But, even then, forgiveness is mine for the asking, and I am washed clean once again.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Sweet Blessings,

Great Link

2009-01-06T12:35:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my friend, Andria, who started a blog yesterday with this awesome post! You absolutely must check it out!

May you find the number you need today.

Blessings,

I Don't Like to Cleanse

2009-01-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I really detest washing off my makeup at night and cleansing my face! And me a Mary Kay Consultant, too! Crazy I know, but there it is.

The interesting thing about makeup is that we wear it to make ourselves look and feel beautiful, but if left on our faces while we sleep, it actually can cause damage to our skin. I went to a beauty party once (before I became a MK Consultant, and it was not a MK party), and the Consultant said that one night of sleeping with your makeup on can age your skin one week! Yikes! Who needs that? I'm aging just fine without any extra help, thank you very much.

And let's not forget our 'ole pal...Acne! Does anyone else still get the occasional zit at 38 years old! For Pete's sake! I passed puberty a long time ago!

Okay, coming back down from the rant, what is it with not liking to wash off the makeup and cleanse my face? As I began to ponder this question, God gave me a spiritual application as He and I are working on some internal cleansing as well right now. I will share more on this tomorrow.

For today, I wish you a very "clean" day inside and out! :-)

Blessings,

When God's Presence Is Not Palpable

2009-01-05T21:42:00.001-05:00

In Friday's post, I talked about my salvation experience when I asked Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of my life. I talked about how His presence was so palpable, it was as if I could touch it. I also mentioned that is not always the case.

There was a time in my life when His presence was not strong like that. Actually, it was difficult to feel Him there at all. I felt like my prayers were hitting the ceiling. When I prayed, I didn't seem to get an answer or response. It was a very lonely, desolate time in my life.

I knew God had not left me. His Word promises me in Hebrews 13:5 that He "will never leave me nor forsake me." (paraphrased) The truth is, though, I was steeped in sin at the time.

Looking back, I knew I was in sin. I justified. I rationalized. I felt the quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit telling me to turn away, and still I continued down the same path.

I continued to pray. I continued with Bible study. I continued to go to church. I continued to do all those things we as "good Christians" are supposed to do, and yet, my life was filled with sin, and I had never felt so far away from God. Feel His Presence? I was having trouble trusting He was still there. Of course, He was.

He never left me. He never stopped pursuing me. He never quit waiting for me to turn from my sin and repent so that our relationship could renew itself.

I'm so thankful He loves me enough to never let me go. To allow me to feel His gentle hand of correction when I need it. To convict me when I have wronged another. To demand I ask their forgiveness even though that is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. To extend forgiveness even though I'd rather not because I have been forgiven more than I could ever forgive.

This is not to say that when the "dry seasons" come that we are always in sin. I only know that the times in my life when I have felt the most alone and desolate were the times when I was not walking in His ways. At those times, while His Presence was not palpable, I know He was still there, and I am ever so thankful.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2009-01-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sweet Blessings,

Scripture Saturday

2009-01-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have joined with many other Siestas on the LPM (Beth Moore's) blog and have committed to memorizing scripture this year. This is a verse God has used to speak to me recently, so I chose it as my first one:

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Blessings,

My First New Beginning

2009-01-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Wow! Another year gone and another one just beginning...again.Where does the time go? I remember hearing people say that all the time when I was younger, and I just could not understand what they were talking about. I so totally get it now.

Since Christmas, and now New Year's as well, is over, I think I will just wait until next year to post on the meanings of more Christmas decorations. Now that I have the idea, it would be a great way to start the 2009 Christmas season.

So instead, as we are looking to new beginnings of sorts, I thought since I had never posted about my actual salvation experience, the day I made Jesus Lord and Savior of my life, maybe that would be a great way to start the 2009 year of my blog.

I actually wrote about this in my Beth Moore devotional, Jesus: 90 days with the One and Only, a few days ago. She was talking about when John the Baptist baptized Jesus (see Matthew 3:13-17). She asked us to recapture what it was like the first time we met Christ. This was my response:

I understand the overwhelming power of His presence. I still remember that feeling to this day that I had the day I asked Him to be the Lord of my life. I know for a lot of people their salvation experience is not in response to an altar call, and, for me, it was not either. I wasn't responding to a plea from a man of God; I was responding to the presence of the Son of God. His presence was palpable. He beckoned me "Come." I was compelled. For a brief moment, I stayed where I was, but only for a moment. In that instant, I wondered what people would think, and just as quickly, the thought was gone. Thrown off with an attitude of uncaring for other's thoughts. He was all that mattered. So strong was the compulsion, I practically ran down the aisle. I don't remember what I said. I don't remember what the pastor said. I only remember sobbing and being so glad I was standing there, that I had come when He beckoned me do so. I was in His presence, and I was completely undone.

Praise His Holy Name, His Presence is still sometimes that palpable. As if you could actually reach out and touch Him. And I am so grateful for those times.

However, that is not to say it is always that way, and we will talk more about that on Monday. Until then, I wish you a blessed day in His Presence, and if you have yet to meet Him for the first time but would like to know how, click on the Ready? button in my right sidebar.

Blessings,

Happy Birthday, Jesus

2008-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Thank You Dear Heavenly Father for sending your Son, Jesus, because of your great love for the world. On this Christmas Day, as we celebrate with the giving and receiving of gifts surrounded by family and friends, may we celebrate first the birth of Your Son, the greatest gift that has ever been or ever will be given.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Jesus, I love you.

Christmas Blessings to you and yours,

The Gift

2008-12-23T15:55:00.000-05:00

I know I need to post the meaning of a few more of our Christmas decorations, and I will try to do that in the next day or two. I'm not making any promises, though. It may not be until after Christmas (gasp!), but it's still the Christmas season until January 6th, right?

Anyway, I only have a quick minute and wanted to share this with you. Today has been a really rough day for me; well, at least it started out that way. I have been under the weather with a cold, and it has been getting worse the last few days instead of getting better. I slept in a bit this morning and didn't get to have my quiet time with the Lord before the hustle and bustle of the day began. Not a good way to begin.

I tried to take about 30 minutes for myself to read and study my devotion after my husband had left for work but between the sound of the Wii, and the phone ringing, it didn't go so well. This is why I try to have my quiet time in the morning before everyone else wakes up.

I just couldn't shake the horrible gloominess I was feeling today. So down in the dumps was I that I found myself constantly on the verge of tears and irritable to boot. My daughter was so thrilled about wrapping presents (no, I'm not done), and all I wanted to do was lay down on the sofa and take a nap!

My mother-in-law came by and took my daughter, and as I sat down to eat a sandwich for lunch, I sat there praying and asking God to help me get out of my funk. I told Him I knew that I had much to be joyful about, not the least of which was the "reason for the season," His Son, and that I didn't like feeling this way. Could He please help me? He answered, and this is what He gave me.

The Gift

He came to earth
A helpless babe
Wrapped in cloths
In a manger lay.

Born of a virgin
Child so dear
Shepherds were told
The Savior is here.

Wise men came
With gifts from afar
Following in darkness
Bethlehem’s star.

A child had been born
God’s only Son
The promised Messiah
He was the One.

The lowing of cattle
A mother’s soft sigh
Come let us worship him
God Most High.

Rejected by His own
Accepted by some
Many could not believe
He was God’s Son.

Two thousand plus years
The story lives on
Believers still praise Him
In word and in song.

A lowly Carpenter
Born to save us all
From sin that began
With Adam’s fall.

His gift is salvation
Offered for free
The gift is for you
The gift is for me.

Remember the Babe
As your presents you give
He had to die
So that we could live.

As I finished the poem and reread it, tears formed in my eyes, and I fell on my knees in worship. God had restored to me the joy of my salvation, and I couldn't help but fall down in thankfulness for the Gift of His Son.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to save me.

May you worship Him today as well.

Christmas Blessings,

A Heartfelt Plea

2008-12-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

I received an email today from a trusted friend regarding an article that had been run about a young boy here in North Carolina who has been suffering from neuroblastoma, an incurable form of cancer often occurring in young children, since 2005. The doctors have said there is nothing else they can do for him.

He told his father his request for Christmas is that people would send him cards.

Now I realize that we all have probably received emails about sick children before. However, I went to the website of the newspaper that ran the article, and I believe this to be legitimate. You can read the article for yourself here. One commenter on the site actually suggested this may be a spoof, and the editor of the online paper came back and stated that sadly it was in fact true.

The little boy's name is Damien Hammonds. His address is 409 Burns Road, Lumberton, NC 28358. I took this information straight from the online article.

Would you please consider sending a card along with your prayers to this young boy? We are the body of Christ, and as such, this is one way to be His hands and feet to those in need of His touch.

Thank you, and

Christmas Blessings,

Gloria In Excelsis Deo

2008-12-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14; NIV)

Yesterday in my daily devotion, the above verses were part of the scripture passage for the day. It was about when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds to tell them of the birth of the Christ child. He had told them where to find the baby Jesus and how they would recognize Him when the heavenly host appeared with the angel "praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"

I was reading the study notes on this passage, particularly verse 14, and discovered the phrase "Glory to God in the highest" is of Latin and Greek origin. It has been translated from "Gloria in Excelsis Deo." Do you recognize this? Sing with me. "Glor-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-ia, in excelsis Deo." Or, if you want to start at the beginning...

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Refrain

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

Refrain
(credit for lyrics goes to dltk-holidays.com)

I think at some point I knew where the words came from and the meaning of them. However, if that was the case, I had forgotten, so this was a pleasant surprise to me. I always love discovering little treasures like this. I think it is one of the ways God reaches out and touches us and reminds us that He is involved in everything.

The next time I'm trying to make my way through the long "Gloria" without taking a breath :-), I will know as I finish the phrase that I am actually singing as the angels did, "Glory to God in the highest." Can I get an Amen?

Christmas Blessings,

Mystery

2008-12-19T16:29:00.001-05:00

I will post a few more decoration meanings next week just in time for Christmas, but for today, I want to share a song with you that expresses the wonderment I feel sometimes about God's divine plan for mankind.

I am posting a video as well as the lyrics. The video, quite honestly, is a little hard to watch, but then there was nothing easy about how my Savior sacrificed Himself for me.

Mystery
A child was born on Christmas Day
Born to save the world
But long before the world began
He knew His death was sure
The pain and strife secured

Mystery, how He came
To be a man
But greater still
How His death was in His plan
God predestined that His Son would die
And He still created man
Oh, what love is this
That His death was in His hands

The Christmas trees
They glow so bright
With presents all around
But Christmas brought
A tree of life
With blood that sacrificed
The greatest gift in life

chorus

I am just a man and
Can’t begin to comprehend
When You look into this traitor’s eyes
What do You see that justifies the Lamb
(emphasis mine)

God predestined that His
Son would die
And He still created man
Oh, what love is this
That His death was in His plan
Mystery, mystery
(Lyrics copied from lyricstime.com)

As we celebrate Christmas, may we not forget the sole purpose for Jesus coming to this world. He came to die for me, and He came to die for you. I am a sinner in need of saving, as are we all. I can not save myself. God is a holy God, and He can not look upon me in my sinful state. He demanded a sacrifice, and Jesus was that once and for all sacrifice that would forever negate the need for another sacrifice to be made.

Jesus was God's gift to us. His salvation is free. It is ours for the asking. I have asked for it, and I have received it, and I grow more grateful and in love with Him every day. What love, indeed!

Do you know Him? Have you received His free gift of salvation? Of all the gifts you could receive this Christmas, there is none greater than this. If you have already received this gift, then spend time thanking Him during this Christmas season for what He has given you.

If you have yet to receive this most precious Gift, you need only ask. To learn how, click on the Ready? button in my right sidebar.

Feeling rich beyond compare,

The Meaning of the Christmas Wreath and Poinsettia

2008-12-18T21:35:00.001-05:00

Today I thought we would explore the meaning behind a couple more traditional Christmas decorations.

The Christmas Wreath

(Credit for this image goes to www.4giftgiving.com.)

The circular shape represents eternity with no beginning and no end. The evergreen color, as with the Christmas tree, signifies eternal life.

Christmas wreaths are typically made from pine or holly branches. In the case of holly branches, the leaves have thorns representative of the thorns in the crown placed on Jesus' head before his crucifixion. The red holly berries remind us of the blood He shed when He paid the ultimate sacrifice and died for our sins. (Information gathered from holidayinsights.com.)

The Christmas Poinsettia

(Credit for this image goes to www.giftlebanon.com.)

The poinsettia is native to Mexico and is named for Dr. Joel Poinsett, who was the US Minister to Mexico in 1825. It is believed that he was the first to bring the plant to America in 1828. Apparently, the Mexicans in the 18th century believed the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem and that is how it became associated with the Christmas season. The actual flower of the plant is small and yellow. It is surrounded by bright red leaves often mistaken for petals.

Mexican legend also tells the story of a little girl who wept on her way to church on Christmas Eve because she had no gift to bring. As she knelt on the ground to pray, she saw the red beauty of the plant and took it to the Christ child as her gift. (Thank you to Rev. Eric Stroshine and wilstar.com for this information.)

I haven't yet gotten myself a poinsettia this year. I think I need to go in search of one tomorrow.

Christmas Blessings,

The Meaning of the Christmas Tree

2008-12-17T10:16:00.001-05:00

Today in my 90-day devotional study by Beth Moore, Jesus, 90 days with The One and Only, Beth asked this question:

"What would you say to those who think this holiday is somewhat sacrilegious, that mingling something so sacred with something so increasingly secular cheapens our worship?"

To which I answered this:

"I would encourage them to do what I have done just this year, actually. I have studied many of the different decorations and traditions we see at Christmas. They may not be observed for religious reasons, but they appear to have Christian roots. We carry the real meaning of Christmas in our hearts. As we see the various aspects that seem to make it secular, we can carry in our hearts their true meaning as well."

In that same vein, I thought it might be fun to spend a few days exploring the meaning behind some of the decorations we see at Christmas. I did this last week with my children's choir, and we all really enjoyed it. It was truly enlightening and gave some of the traditions we observe new meaning for me.

Let's start with the Christmas tree.

(Credit for this photo goes to http://www.darien.org)

According to David Bruce at hollywoodjesus.com, it was the Christian reformer, Martin Luther, who began the tradition of the Christmas tree. Another site, Allthingschristmas.com, verifies this. According to All Things Christmas, Martin Luther is held to have been the first to adorn a tree with lights. The story goes that "while coming home one December evening, the beauty of the stars shining through the branches of a fir inspired him to recreate the effect by placing candles on the branches of a small fir tree inside his home."

Other facts I found concern the triangular shape of the tree, which is said to represent the Trinity, with the tip of the tree (triangle) pointing heavenward to God.

Its evergreen color represents eternal life.

One of my favorite aspects of the Christmas tree is this; its needles grow upward like hands raised in praise to our God.

While it is hard to say for certain whether or not these facts are true, I am choosing to believe that they are. It brings me great joy to think that the seemingly secular traditions I observe actually coincide with the real reason I celebrate Christmas.

May you see your tree this year in a whole new light.

Christmas Blessings,

The Tenderness of God

2008-12-16T20:20:00.002-05:00

I finished the 90-day devotional by Beth Moore on King David last week. I admit I was sad to see it end. However, I have moved on to another of her 90-day devotionals called Jesus, The One and Only, based on her Bible study by the same name. Her latest book in this series is based on John, but I just knew I had to do Jesus next. After all, He truly IS the One and Only. (Just so you know, I would have done the Jesus devotional first, but when I was looking for a devotional book in Walmart, David was what they had. :->)

I finished Day 4 today, but Day 3 is what I actually want to talk about in this post. As usual, God totally knows what He is doing. How else would it be that I would start this book during the Christmas season, and the beginning starts with Mary being told she is going to bear the Savior of the world?

Beth pointed out something in yesterday's post that I thought was really cool; it was something I had never considered before.

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God." 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Notice verse 36. Beth pointed out that even in the midst of being given news that would forever change mankind, God also knew the ramifications for the young girl whom He had chosen to be the mother of His Only Son. She was already betrothed to Joseph. In those days, a betrothal was the same as if the couple were already married. A divorce would have to take place for the betrothal to be broken. By law, Joseph could have had her stoned.

God loved Mary so much, in the middle of the greatest news ever given, He had Gabriel tell her of the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist way beyond her childbearing years. Gabriel was not only confirming for her that nothing is impossible with God, which he told her, but God gave her someone in whom she could confide, someone to talk to about this momentous thing that had been told her.

How like our God! He loves us so much! He sees to every detail. My heart is so full knowing that just as He did for Mary, He also does for me. How can I not love Him?

Sweet Blessings,

I'm Still Here

2008-12-15T21:31:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I have been out of commission for the past week. What a whirlwind! I will be back, hopefully, in a day or two posting again. Thanks for hanging in with me.

Blessings,

The Story of the Candy Cane

2008-12-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

A candy cane is a very special Christmas candy.
Why, you ask?
Take a candy cane and turn it over in your hand. What letter does it look like?
"J" is for Jesus, who was born on Christmas day.
Now, turn it over. What does it remind you of?
That's right, a shepherd's staff. The shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks by night were the first to find out about the birth of Jesus.
But then, what are the stripes for?

The prophet Isaiah said, "By His stripes we are healed." Before He died, Jesus was whipped. He bled terribly. The red reminds us of His suffering and His blood.

But then, the candy is white as well: When we give our lives to Jesus, His blood washes away our sins, making us white and pure as snow.

And so, we see that the candy cane tells a wonderful story: It tells of the miracle of the birth of Jesus, the misery of His death, and the mercy of His love.

Now that is quite a story.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Christmas Blessings,

Adapted from the book The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Wallberg.

Congratulations to the Winners

2008-12-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Tammy, Bekah, and Laurel Wreath on winning the One-Year NLT Chronological Bible! I was so excited and touched by your responses that I decided to give away three! My husband serves as my handy-dandy number picker, and he chose 12, 21, and 4 as the three numbers.

Thank you to all who participated. I wish I were able to give one to all of you, but for those who didn't win, I do hope and pray that God will make a way for you each to have one and that you will consider joining with Wendy as we read through the Bible in one year! What an exciting journey! I can't wait to get started!

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2008-12-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

I don't know if today actually qualifies as "being still," but we will definitely be doing all we can to shine the light of Jesus in our little part of the world.

My daughter's choir, along with the other children's choirs at our church, will be performing their Christmas musical tonight.

May they be a light to a lost world.

Sweet Blessings, and may you find rest in Him today,

Scripture Saturday

2008-12-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

Blessings,

Cool Christmas Giveaway

2008-12-05T11:41:00.005-05:00

***THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED. AFTER THE WINNER HAS BEEN REACHED, I WILL ANNOUNCE HIM OR HER IN A SEPARATE POST.***

UPDATED to change giveaway end date from December 12th to December 7th. I realized I have something going on every day next weekend and that might not work out so well. :-)

Well, it's that time of year. Lysa TerKeurst is again doing the Cool Christmas Giveaway, and I am signing on to participate. If you would like to sponsor a giveaway, go to Lysa's site at the link posted above for more information. Or, if you haven't already visited her site and are interested in the chance to win great prizes just in time for Christmas, well then, click away. Now on to my giveaway.

When I read earlier in the week that Lysa was going to do this and that lots of people had already posted about some of the great giveaways they were going to do, I admit I got a little panicked. I was feeling somewhat stymied about what I should offer. I started thinking about it...and thought...and thought. And, finally it hit me.

I was sitting at my computer looking around our study when my eyes landed on my brand spanking new New Living Translation Chronological Bible that I ordered special to participate in Wendy Pope's reading through the Bible in a year that begins on January 1, 2009. You can read more about that here.

As I sat there staring at the Bible, I wondered if maybe there were those out there who wanted to participate but didn't feel they could afford the cost of the Bible. Maybe you aren't one of those people. Maybe you already have your Bible and are anxiously anticipating the thrill of participating in this journey next year. Do you know someone who needs to come along for the ride?

If you win the Bible, please keep it for yourself as my gift to you, or, if you feel led to do so, pass it on with an invitation to join us as we read through the Bible in a year.

Whether it's you or someone you know, I pray that this Bible will find its way into the hands of the person who needs it. A picture of the Bible can be seen below. It is a hardback version.

I will run the giveaway through Sunday, December 7th, at 12:00pm EST. All you need do to enter is leave a comment. Please include your email or blog address so that I can contact you if you are the winner. If I have not heard from the winner by Monday, December 8th, I will select a new winner.

Thank you for participating, and Merry Christmas!

Blessings,

Just Had to Share...

2008-12-04T10:52:00.000-05:00

I received this in my email today, and it touched me so deeply. It was too wonderful not to share.

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God." Luke 18:16-17 (NLT)

This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed.

As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.

'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes.

I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!' Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

'Of course,' I replied. That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

Sweet Blessings,

I AM Royalty

2008-12-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

This morning my daughter was watching the Disney TV show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. In case you haven't seen this show, I'll briefly give a description. It is about two twin boys, Zack and Cody, who live in a hotel in Boston called The Tipton. It's a very posh, upscale hotel in which their mom has gotten a job singing in the lounge of the hotel. In exchange for working there, she and the boys get to live in one of the rooms of the hotel. Needless to say, they are full of mischief and are constantly causing trouble, particularly for the maitre'd, Mr. Moseby...And, that's pretty much it.

This morning's episode was from when the boys and their mom first got to the hotel. Mr. Moseby confronts their mother with a bill of charges for all kinds of services the boys have been charging to their room ranging from room service to movies to even having their underwear drycleaned. Their mom said to them, "We may be living in a palace, but we are not royalty."

For some reason, I was really struck by that statement, and it really stayed with me during the course of the day. As I thought more about it, I realized that my situation was just the opposite.

I do not live in a palace, but I AM royalty. Why? Because I am a daughter of the King. Psalm 24:10: "Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty--He is the King of glory." And Ephesians 1:5 says, "he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will--" The last two words of verse 4 preceding that verse are "in love."

In love. I'm so glad He loves me! Aren't you? I am not wealthy by the world's standards, but I have so much more than can be measured by material possessions. I have the love of my Father, who sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross so that I would not have to. I have been adopted into His family through His Son, and I AM royalty!

Oh how I love Jesus!

Sing it with me!

Oh how I love Jesus,
Oh how I love Jesus,
Oh how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me.

Amen and Amen!

Sweet Blessing My Friends,

The Light of the World

2008-12-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after school, I sat and watched as my daughter did something I thought a little strange. She had torn off a piece of a paper towel and went and laid it across the Baby Jesus in the creche that adorns our sofa table.

At first, I was about to be all choked up with motherly tenderness because I thought she was placing a blanket over Jesus. However, before I could get too far into these sentiments, she informed me that she was doing this because a friend of hers at school had said that she puts a paper towel over Jesus until Christmas Day at which time she then removes it because it is the day of His birth. So, my daughter had decided to do likewise.

I thought about this for a moment and then said to my daughter, "Well, honey, you know we are celebrating Jesus' birth, that is true, but He has already been born, just as you have. We don't place a paper towel over you all year, and then on your birthday say, 'Look, Rachel is here.' It is an annual celebration of the day you were already born just as Christmas is a celebration of when Jesus was born." I then suggested that maybe we could use the paper towel as a blanket for Baby Jesus instead. She seemed fine with that, and He now lies in our creche draped in Viva.

Now, lest you think I'm a total spoil sport here, I did have a reason for saying this to her. I started thinking about the implications of covering Him up. Jesus is alive! He was born, He lived here on the earth, He was crucified, and praise His Holy Name, He arose on the third day. He now reigns on high with His and our Heavenly Father.

But Jesus is also still here on Earth. He lives in the hearts of those who have asked Him to do so. He said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world." Luke 8:16 says, "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." (NIV)

We are to let our light shine, not cover it up. I didn't want a paper towel over the Baby Jesus in my creche. I didn't want Him covered up.

It is my fervent prayer that during this Christmas season and always that I will not hide His light in my life to those around me who are lost. Oh how I pray they will come out of the darkness and share in His glorious light.

May your light shine as well.

Sweet Blessings,

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving.

What One Meal Eaten at Home Can Do

2008-11-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned before that my family sponsors a child through Compassion International. Her name is Ashwini, and she lives in India.

A couple of days ago, I received a plea from Compassion asking that I donate to their unsponsored children's fund. I went to their website last night, and there were 2,214 photos of children waiting to be sponsored. Of the first 195 I looked at, 33 of the children lived in AIDS-affected areas and 6 of them had been waiting six months or longer for a sponsor. Mind you, that was just 195 out of 2,214.

I would like to introduce to you Souleymane Sanou. He is my new child. I saw his little face with a heart up in the corner of the photo representing that he was one of the children who had been waiting for six or more months, and the Lord spoke to my heart. I knew that he was mine.

God has really been speaking to me the past few years concerning the amount of money we spend on Christmas each year. I'm sure it is more than some people and less than others. Still, for me personally, I find myself looking at the gifts under the tree and thinking how I might have used that money to help people who have so much less than I do. I am so blessed. I posted a few days ago about My Ebenezer. It is just one example of the many ways God has faithfully provided for us.

And for those who wonder why God allows some to have so much while others live in utter poverty, I am afraid I cannot answer that question. I only know that God loves us all equally, and His heart breaks for the suffering of His children. I know that He is not the cause of the poverty.

What I also know is that He has called those of us for whom He has given much to bless those who have little.

As I sat there looking at the pictures of those precious little faces, I thought about the dinner out my family had enjoyed last evening. With tip, we spent approximately $26. Add another $6 to that total, and you have a monthly sponsorship of one child. Add to that the amount we spent on gas filling up our car on the way home, and you have the sponsorship of another child plus some.

In just a couple of hours, I spent more than it costs to sponsor two children. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt what those children and their families receive from sponsorship means a heck of a lot more to them than dinner out and gas in my car meant to me. For me, it was business as usual. For them, it is their very survival. I think I may be taking too much for granted.

What about you? Can you give up one dinner out to sponsor one of those children? If so, please click on the link in my right sidebar. Even if you don't feel you can afford to sponsor a child monthly, a one-time donation to the Unsponsored Children's Fund will help the children who are registered but still awaiting sponsorship.

During this holiday season, as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and the birth of the One who came to save us all, may we be His hands and feet to a child in need.

Sweet Blessings,

Random Things About Me

2008-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

My buddy, Janel, over at Dandelion Dayz tagged me for this meme.

THE RULES:*** Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.***Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.*** Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their name as well as links to their blog.*** Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven random things about me...hmmm...

1. I really love cloudy, rainy days. That may actually be classified as a weird one.

2. Since we don't have a wood-burning fireplace anymore, we sometimes roast marshmallows on our gas grill. :-) I know that's not about just me, but hey, it's my party, right?

3. When I was growing up, my grandfather had a friend who used to sing the song, "Delta Dawn" every time he would see me. I am totally telling my age here. Anyone remember that song? Sing with me, "Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on? Could it be a painted rose from days gone by?" I heard you singing. :-)

4. I totally heart the Jonas Brothers.

5. I usually am reading two or three or four books at the same time. Seriously.

6. I'm not a natural red-head. "What, you say?" I know, I know. You're shocked. Truth is, my hair actually has four different colors on it at the same time. I've been going to the same hairstylist for 6 1/2 years, and she has filled up a card and started over with the colors of my hair. Yep, it's true.

7. I'll stick with my hairstylist for this last one. I drive 40 minutes one way to get my hair done. She moved, and I don't trust anyone else with my hair.

So, there you have it. Seven totally random and probably weird things about me. I'm tagging:

Just Keep Praying
Positively Alene
Not Mine, But God's Story
Ponderings From the Pathway
Sweet Tea for Surrendered Sisters

I realize that's only five, but that's all I have for now. Anyone else who wants to play along is welcome to join in.

Blessings,

Obeying the Quiet Voice

2008-11-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

On Friday, I posted about listening to the "quiet voice" when It insisted that I go downstairs instead of finishing my morning routine. Oh how I was rewarded for my obedience!

Today, I heard a story on the radio that went way beyond my experience of last Friday.

A man had used his cell phone at lunch and upon ending his call went to put the phone in his pants pocket as he always did. However, he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to put his phone in his shirt pocket instead. While not understanding, he nevertheless obeyed.

Later that day, he was out mowing the grass when he was hit by a stray bullet from a hunter. Not knowing whether or not he had been injured, he took his cell phone out to call 911. His phone disintegrated in his hands. It had been hit by the bullet. His shirt pocket was located directly over his heart. The man was unharmed, but doctors said had it not been for the cell phone, he would have most certainly been dead.

I was covered in chills when I heard the story.

Oh Father God, please give me spiritual ears to hear when you speak and the faith to obey no matter what I may think about Your instruction. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Sweet Blessings,

My Ebenezer

2008-11-23T21:41:00.000-05:00

We had our Thanksgiving service today at church. It truly was a worship-filled, celebratory experience.

Part of the service centered around offering up our "Ebenezer." This term comes from 1 Samuel 7:11-13 in which the Israelites are pursuing the Philistines. Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us." (v. 12) Ebenezer literally means "stone of help."

We had been asked last Sunday to mediate this past week on what had been our Ebenezer over the past year. It could be an object or even a verse of scripture. We were to bring the object or scripture with us today where there was then a time during the service in which we were to approach a table at the altar and lay our Ebenezer down as an offering to the Lord.

My immediate thought was how God had provided for us concerning my husband, Richard's, job during the past year. Last year, less than two weeks before Thanksgiving, we found out that he would no longer have a job after December 31, 2007. This was a shock to say the least. The employees in his department had packed up their offices, had a final lunch together and prepared to leave for the last time when they were told at the 11th hour that it had been decided they would be kept until June 30, 2008. Reprieve No. 1.

Richard and his co-workers drifted along for several months with this knowledge hanging over their heads but trying to carry on as if it was business as usual. Co-workers left for other jobs. He was sending out resumes. Add to this the fact that we had discovered he would most likely see a significant reduction in his salary should he find a new job.

June 30th loomed ever closer and still things had not changed. It was a couple of weeks before the deadline, and FINALLY, the employees who were still there were told they were being kept permanently. Reprieve No. 2.

While we were thankful Richard was still employed, things were tough nonetheless. The job he had always done was no more. He was very unhappy with the direction his duties had taken and continued to search for a position with another company.

Finally, my piano teacher suggested Richard send his resume to her husband who could forward it on to the right people. I will spare you the details, but it was such a God-thing. Richard was not only offered a job with this company doing the job he had always done, but he didn't have to take a pay-cut either! The benefits were comparable, and the company would even recognize his time of service with his previous employer. So, after one year with the new company, he will even be back to the same amount of vacation he had when he left his old company! Reprieve No. 3.

This is, obviously, a big way in which God has helped and provided for us over the past year. There are so many others, but for the sake of the service today, this was certainly a biggie.

I'm so thankful to God. He gave me such peace during the whole entire situation. I didn't know how God was going to work things out, but I knew that He would. I'm not just thankful for how He provided; I am thankful for the way He made His presence known to me in the midst of a difficult and trying time.

And in case you were wondering, my Ebenezer was a computer mouse. How about you? What has God done for you over the past year, and what would you use to represent your "stone of help?"

Blessings,

Thankful for the Little Things

2008-11-22T19:21:00.000-05:00

Today was a wonderful day spent with family. We began by cooking breakfast together. Homemade biscuits with honey and molasses from our local farmer's market and scrambled eggs with melted cheese. Ummm, I could get hungry again just thinking about it.

We turned on the Christmas music station on satellite, and gathered our Christmas lights from the attic. A good part of the morning was filled with testing of the lights and replacing of old bulbs. What could have been an onerous task was made enjoyable by the fact that we were all working together as a family and just enjoying spending time with one another. It didn't matter really what we were doing, only that we were together while doing it.

My in-law's came by, and we made the trip over to our local mega mall. This, too, was enjoyable. Yes, the place was quite packed with people, but the sights and sounds were just fun. The beautiful decorations and music were a veritable treat.

Dinner at a local restaurant on the way home, and I now sit here in front of my computer feeling tired but quite contented.

It truly is the little things sometimes.

It is my prayer for myself as well as each of you reading this that there will be many more days like this during the busy holiday season rather than the stress that can so easily overcome us this time of year.

And no, I haven't forgotten that we haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet. More on that tomorrow.

Blessings,

A Beautiful Illustration

2008-11-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

This morning as I stood in our bathroom listening to the gentle sound of rain falling on the skylight, I felt that "gentle nudge" to go downstairs. I wasn't really sure why. I hadn't finished getting ready, and there was still some time before I had to wake my husband and daughter up to get ready for work and school. Still, the Voice was insistent, so I obediently went downstairs wondering what I would find.

Daylight was just beginning to break, and I could see that the sound I had heard on my skylight upstairs was actually the sound of sleet mixed with a few snow flurries, an unusual sight here in North Carolina to be sure. The sleet had begun to accumulate on my back deck, but, to be honest, the sight wasn't much to behold. Still, I stood there watching.

After about a minute, the sleet became less, and suddenly, it was snowing! I watched in amazement as the flakes became larger.

My house backs up to woods, and right now, they are a tangled mess of brambles and brown, dead leaves. Certainly not particularly appealing to look at.

But as I sat and watched the snow fall against the backdrop of those seemingly unsightly woods, my perspective began to change. Seeing those woods with the beautiful snow falling all around them somehow had made them look beautiful as well.

As I watched this glorious sight, I began to realize this is exactly what God does for us. It is why He sent His Son to die for us.

Our hearts are brown and dead on the inside just as those woods are from the sin that fills us. But just as that snow falling changed the way those woods looked, so does God's view of our hearts change at that moment when we ask for forgiveness of our sins and that Jesus come in to live and wash our hearts as white as snow.

My heart was so full as I thought about this this morning. I sat there thanking God for loving me, for sending Jesus to save me, and for sending me downstairs that I might share this special moment with Him.

It was such a beautiful time spent with Him alone before the hustle and bustle of the day began, and it set the tone for my entire day. What a wonderful God we serve!

Sweet Blessings,

ABC's of Praise

2008-11-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

Tonight with our children's choir, one of our leaders did a devotion with the children concerning ways that we can praise God. We discussed thankfulness last week, and tonight we discussed how thankfulness and praise are two different things. We then took the letters of the alphabet and went through trying to think of names or characteristics of God for each letter of the alphabet. Each of these is a way that we can praise God.

Here are a few of the one's we came up with:

A - Almighty
B - Beautiful
C- Caring
D - Divine
E - Eternal and Extraordinary
F - Friend (I really like this one)
G - Gentle
H - Holy
I - Immanuel (which means "God with us." I'm so thankful that He is.)
J - Joyful/Jesus
K - Kind
L - Love
M - Majestic
N - Nice
O - Omnipotent (ok..that one is mine)
P - Powerful
Q -
R - Righteous
S - Serving
T - Truth
U -
V -
W - Wise
X - eXample
Y -
Z -

Any taker's on the letters we left blank? I would love to hear what some of you come up with, and have a great day praising God!

Sweet Blessings,

One Year Blogoversary

2008-11-19T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, today marks my one year blogoversary. This has certainly been a new experience for me, and I have enjoyed it ever so much. I don't get to blog as often as I would like sometimes, but I would like to say a great big Thank You to those of you who have stuck with me even when my posting isn't quite so consistent.

Here's to an even better second year!

Blessings,

To Further Emphasize...

2008-11-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

To further emphasize what God was telling me today, I heard this song on the way to church tonight. I wasn't listening at first, and then, all of a sudden, I heard these words: "I....will....walk by faith..."

And I will. I must.

Praying the same for you.

Blessings,

Walking By Faith, Not By Sight

2008-11-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

I went to bed early last night with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that the man for whom I had voted for President was not going to win. I started watching election coverage at 5:00 yesterday, and by 8:00, when the polls in less than 15 states had closed, I had had enough. I just didn't feel I could take anymore.

I did not see President-Elect Obama's acceptance speech, nor did I see Senator McCain's concession speech. I have heard that both were gracious and eloquent.

When I awoke this morning, the sick feeling in my stomach had not left. Even before I went to my computer to check the outcome on the internet, I already knew in my heart how it had turned out.

I lay in my bed for a few moments and asked God, "He won, didn't he?" God's gentle reply was, "Yes, my child, he did, but I am still in control."

With those calming words, I arose to face the day. I wish I could tell you that I immediately felt buoyed by God's gentle reminder, but the truth is, I still felt sick at heart.

I went downstairs to have my quiet time, and I couldn't even think how to pray. This hasn't been a problem for me over the last few weeks, as God has been showing me exactly how He wanted me to pray for the election and our country. This morning, I felt stymied, though, and so, instead, I simply prayed, "Holy Spirit, please intercede on my behalf because I have no words this morning."

As the morning wore on, the sick feeling began to dissipate somewhat. I continued to pray and ask God to help me. I visited the blogs of several Christian speakers/leaders whose counsel and wisdom I respect to see what they had to say about the outcome. I highly recommend reading Lysa TerKeurst and Beth Moore's posts. They both have summed things up much better than I ever could.

Still, I would like to share what God has shown me today. I woke up this morning knowing the outcome and feeling heavy-hearted. I wanted to trust that God was still in control regardless, but what I knew in my head, wasn't quite resonating in my heart.

God is faithful, though, as always. He has used blog posts, a devotion, a video, and I'm not even sure what else to speak to my heart today and lift my spirits.

A couple of the blog posts, I have already mentioned above. In the devotion I received today was this quote by Corrie ten Boom: "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." How true. How true. Then, there was this video, linked to on Marybeth Whalen's blog:

It was in the video that I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:7: "for we walk by faith, not by sight." (New American Standard)

For reasons I can not understand, nor do I have to, God allowed Barack Obama to be elected. He was not surprised by this. Before the dawn of time, He knew this day would come.

My eyes tell me this should not be, but my faith in the One who is still seated on the throne trusts that this, too, has a purpose. Therefore, I will stand today on God's Word that says that I walk by faith and not by sight.

In standing on God's Word, I must also follow His command in Romans 13:1: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

With that in mind, I realized that my prayers today are actually no different than what God has been prompting me to pray for over the past several weeks. I will pray for President-Elect Obama. That God will give him wisdom and discernment. That he will be protected from attacks by our enemies. That he will receive wise counsel from those closest to him. That his family will be protected. And that in those matters where his stances do not line up with God's Word, that his heart will be changed.

President-Elect Obama is not an enemy. He is a child of God, the same as I, and God loves Him the same as He loves me.

I will continue to pray for our country. That we will turn our hearts and minds back to God.

Those who love the Lord have the same job to do now, post-election, as we did pre-election. Pray.

May we wear holes in the knees of our pants together.

Sweet Blessings,

A Disobedient Protester Am I

2008-11-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Delayed or partial obedience is still disobedience. I say that because God told me last Tuesday He wanted me to share this, and I have been dragging my feet in doing so. More on the disobedience part at another time as it is a topic for another post. For now, on to what God showed me last week.

I am continuing to study Beth Moore's 90-day devotional on David. Last week, I was reading about what transpired between David and his son, Absalom. You can read about this in 2 Samuel, Chapters 13 and 14.

The part that I want to focus on specifically is that Absalom was angry with David and had allowed bitterness to take root in his heart. The prayer that day was asking God to help us not allow that to happen in our own hearts.

I stopped and thought about this for a bit and then asked God if there was any bitterness or anger in my own heart towards anyone. He then brought someone to mind. I admit I was a little stunned by this at first, but as God spoke to my heart I knew that it was true.

That person was Clay Aiken. I know. Silly, right? I don't even know him, so why does it matter? Well, apparently, it matters to God.

And when He told me He wanted me to post about this again, I argued with Him. Our pastor preached a couple of Sunday's ago from Jeremiah and asked the question when God asks us to do something, are we a player or a protester? I admit, I was the latter. I did not want to visit this topic again. When last I posted about it, the backlash was something I would prefer not to experience again.

But here I am, one week later, and God still has not let this go.

You see, basically, what He showed me was that when I posted about this initially, I did so with love and compassion in my heart. But since that time, I have allowed the compassion to get pushed out and anger to take its place. God convicted me about this. He told me that while my anger was not unwarranted, it was misplaced. I should be angry at the sin, not the individual.

So I prayed and asked God to forgive me. I asked Him to help me be rid of the anger and return to the compassion that was there in the beginning.

I admit, though, I am not there yet. The truth is, I am really angry about this, and I am having some difficulty separating my anger. The man has a gift, and I believe God put him in the position He did to be a light in a dark place, to be a ray of hope. God's hands and feet.

I understand that he has his foundation that does lots of great work to promote inclusion for children with disabilities. He is an ambassador for UNICEF. All of that is sharing God's love with other's. I am not discounting any of that.

But the truth is, the entertainment industry is not the poster child for Christian values. As a matter of fact, I just read an article today about a new study that is out linking teen pregnancies to their exposure to sexual content on television. Ya' think? You can read the article here, but a short summation of the study is that "teens exposed to high levels of sexual content on television were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy in the following three years as teens with limited exposure."

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I have talked numerous times about my own checkered past. I have made more mistakes than I can count, been in the pit more than a few times, and am ever grateful that God is merciful and hasn't given me what I deserve.

I say that to reiterate that I am not casting stones here, although I realize if this is the first post of mine you have read, it may seem that way. I can only pray that you will take the time to read more of my blog and see that this particular post is about me venting. More than that, though, it is a response to a command from God to do something. I may have argued. I may have delayed, but here I am doing as He asked.

And as we go into Election Day tomorrow, we need political leaders, entertainers, and the average working American to stand for the truth of God's Word. This country needs individuals who will stand up for Biblical values.

I pray that it will be so.

Blessings,

Freedom is Yours For the Asking

2008-10-27T21:14:00.000-04:00

I have been working my way through Beth Moore's 90-day devotional on King David. I must admit that although I have known about David for a very long time, and while I knew he was called by God "a man after His own heart," I have never really taken the time to study him as I have with this devotional book.

I think most who have a limited knowledge about David know that he slayed Goliath with a stone, was made king after Saul, is credited with writing a bunch of the Psalms, and then, of course, there's that whole Bathsheba thing.

As I have studied his story more in-depth, I have learned more about what a truly flawed human being he was...just like me. I find it encouraging that even with all his mistakes, God still called him "a man after His own heart." He loved God and believed that God would give him victory over Goliath. Much later, however, he turned from God for a while and sinned against God with Bathsheba. And yet, when confronted by Nathan with the truth of his sin, David's words were, "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13)

In David, I think we find the perfect example of what God is looking for from each of us. He does not call us to be perfect. Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." is clear that this is an impossibility. We will fall. There may or may not be consequences. But there is no condemnation. Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." How I praise Him for that!

The enemy would have us believe otherwise, though. He taunts us with our past mistakes. He whispers to us that we are not good enough, that we cannot possibly be forgiven. For if he can keep us buried in guilt and shame, we will remain unable to bear witness to others who are walking the same path we have trod of the grace, mercy, and yes, freedom, we have found in Christ.

I can attest to this. I spent many years out of fellowship with God because of the guilt and shame of my sinful failures. Praise His Holy Name, He did not let me go. He never left me. He never stopped pursuing me. And finally, I allowed Him to catch me.

Ever so gently, He spoke to my heart and reminded me that there is no sin that was not covered by Jesus' precious shed blood on the cross. Not even mine. I finally allowed this truth that I had known in my head to penetrate my heart, and the freedom that I found is like nothing I have ever known before or since.

He is a God of reconciliation. "But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation..." (Colossians 1:22)

Did you catch that? "Without blemish and free from accusation..." There is nothing you have done that cannot be forgiven. If you are still bound up in the guilt and shame of past mistakes, then I urge you to take it to Him today. He is waiting and wanting so much to give you the freedom and gift of reconciliation you so desperately need.

Take it from one who has been there. You will be so glad that you did.

And if you are one who has never taken that first step of asking Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life, then click on the Ready? button in my right sidebar to find out how to do just that. Your freedom, and your Savior, awaits.

Sweet Blessings,

Give Me Your Eyes, Lord

2008-10-26T06:23:00.000-04:00

I am up very early this morning. I have always been a morning person, but this is early even for me. I awoke from a dream nearly an hour ago and was unable to go back to sleep. God often uses my dreams to prompt me to pray for people, so when I woke up, I began to pray for the individuals in my dream. Since a return to sleep then eluded me, I got up and came to my computer.

I brought up my internet browser not really sure what I was going to do. The homepage for my browser is msnbc.msn.com. There on the front page, I saw an article titled "Christians Face Attacks in Eastern India." I followed the link to the article and read about the violence being committed against people in India who have converted to Christianity and the missionaries who are there risking their lives to help them. The following pictures accompanied the article:

The photo on the left is all that remains of a Baptist church that was attacked. The people continue to worship, but they do so in secret. They have been told they must convert to Hinduism or face death. The woman and her child were victims of the violence and are now staying at a relief camp where this photo was taken.

The article broke my heart this morning, and I began to pray for these people. I can only imagine how God must feel. How it must grieve Him so to see His children attacking one another and those who follow Him being persecuted for their beliefs.

I was reminded again how thankful I am that I live in a country where I am free to worship as I choose without fear of reprisal or even death.

I have to wonder, though, to what extent my freedom of speech and beliefs will continue to be allowed. I have noticed a trend whereby the tolerance of evangelical Christians to speak out on behalf of their beliefs and value system is slowly eroding away. More and more, we are being called hate-mongers and hypocrites for espousing what God's Word says to be true.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I experienced just a small taste of this last month. Although it was on a very small scale, it left me shocked and deeply saddened. I can not even begin to imagine what it must be like for those Christians who fear for their lives on a daily basis simply because they have chosen Christianity.

God has really been opening my eyes lately to so many different things. I am becoming so much more aware of those around me and all the hurt there is in this world. Lord, give me your eyes. May it be the continual plea of my heart.

Blessings,

I Should Have Seen it Coming

2008-10-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

You would think I would know by now. I should have expected it. I should have been ready for it. But, again, I allowed it to send me into a frenzy. Actually, if my writing at the moment is any indication, I think I may still be in one.

Okay. Deep breath. Slow down. (cue music) Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. (end music) Sorry. My daughter has a choral performance tomorrow night, and this is one of the songs they are singing. I have heard it a lot lately. :-) Any-hoo...

What exactly is "IT" you might be asking? Well, "IT" is the spiritual attack that inevitably comes when we are trying to be obedient and follow the Lord's will.

For several weeks now, God has been speaking to me and laying a burden on my heart for the spiritual and moral depravity that abounds in our nation. So aware have I become in these last few weeks, I find myself in tears almost daily. I suppose this is a good thing as it means I am getting the message, but I think I'm going to have to invest in some waterproof mascara!

Seriously, though. A couple of weeks ago, I became aware of a prayer initiative that actually began with the National Day of Prayer in May of this year. It was/is a call to Christians to gather in prayer groups every Thursday between the hours of 12 and 1. The groups are to pray for either 30 minutes or the entire hour. The initiative is to last until the election. Longer if the groups choose to continue.

Their purpose is to pray specifically for our nation, for the upcoming election, and a people that would turn their hearts and minds back to God.

While I realize I am getting in the game a bit late, I believe that God is calling me to open my home to any who want to come for the next three Thursday's leading up to the election for a time of focused and concentrated prayer.

I sent out the email today inviting my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to join me. I know there will be some who can not attend because of work or family obligations. Still, I have asked that they make a note of the day and time and try to find a portion of the hour to pray.

...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 will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

The enemy does not want God's people praying. He revels in all that is happening around us right now. But Praise God, the victory has already been won! The outcome already decided.

Still, God calls His people to pray. When we follow in obedience, Satan will strike whenever and however he can. I realized, much later than I should have, that the events of my day were the enemy trying to distract me. He does not want us to meet tomorrow. He does not want God's people gathering together, on our knees, praising God and asking for His mercy on our land. All the more reason to make sure it happens.

Won't you join us tomorrow? You don't have to be local and come to my home. You can call some of your friends together and have your own prayer time. Or, if that is not possible, then please pray right where you are for any or all of the noon time hour tomorrow.

God will hear our prayers. How I pray they will be many and sweet music to His ears!

Blessings,

A New Perspective

2008-10-13T22:39:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post sharing my feelings about something that had made me sad. To be honest, I could never have envisioned what would transpire as a result of that post. As in all things, God showed me how He could still use it for good even though I will admit it was most unpleasant.

The day before the post, I came across the following verses:

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) (The verses I posted for Scripture Saturday on 10/11.)

The first time I came across them, I had gone to Biblegateway.com to look up a passage of scripture. These were the verses of the day on their homepage. Then, I stumbled on the EXACT. SAME. VERSES. on a blog which I had never visited before. These verses were the passage for the day on the blog's homepage (I'm sorry. I don't remember whose blog it was, or I would give her credit).

Now, my friend Amy and I have a name for this. We call it having a "2 x 4 moment." Meaning that obviously God is trying to tell us something, and it is as if He has hit us over the head with a 2 x 4!

When this happens, I try to stop and pray and ask God what it is He wants me to know. I knew I was having one of those "moments," but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what God was trying to say...that is, until the next couple of days. And then a few days after that.

The short version is this. I was attacked for my comments in the post I mentioned earlier. I was called ugly names, and my beliefs were challenged. It shook me up. I was shocked. I was hurt. And honestly, I was a little afraid.

All the while, God kept saying, "Do you trust Me?"

Me: Yes, God, I trust You.

God: Do you?

Me: Yes, God, I do.

God: Then why are you afraid?

The truth is, I had never been...I hesitate to use the word "persecuted," for my beliefs before. But then, I looked up the word "persecute" on Merriam-Webster.com, and this is the definition: to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically: to cause to suffer because of belief. This was what happened to me. The comments made in response to my post, one in particular, were meant to cause me to suffer because of the beliefs I had stated.

I realize that there are Christian missionaries out in the field risking their lives, and many dying, on a daily basis for their beliefs. I am not, nor would I, compare myself to them. I have not been put on the front line as they have, nor have I faced certain death if I refused to back down from my belief system. I can only pray that should I ever find myself in that position, I will honor My Father In Heaven who made me and loves me, and His Son who died for me so that I do not have to spend eternity separated from either of them.

Still, this was new to me. And God used it to grow me. He used it to give me a small taste of what it is like for those who put themselves on the line every day. He also used it to bring me closer to Him. To trust Him more than the day before.

And isn't that really what it is all about? Knowing Him more, and trusting Him more, and conforming more to the image of His Son. A little bit. Each day. Whatever comes.

Next time, I will be a bit stronger, and I pray my faith will be as well.

Blessings,

Great Post On the Financial Crisis

2008-10-13T15:40:00.004-04:00

Lisa over at The Preacher's Wife has a great post about the financial crisis.

Thank You, Lord, that we can still depend on You even in these uncertain times.

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2008-10-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

May you have a wonderful day of worship and rest with the Lord and you family.

Sweet Blessings,

Great Post

2008-10-11T18:32:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share a link to a great post I just read over at the Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore) blog. It is written by her daughter Amanda and is really soul-stirring. To read, click here.

Blessings,

Scripture Saturday

2008-10-11T14:12:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks. I hope to be back next week on a more regular schedule. In the meantime, here's another scripture with that familiar word, "persevere."

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

Blessings,

An Apology From My Heart

2008-09-25T17:58:00.001-04:00

Earlier today I discovered that parts of my post from yesterday had been posted over at BlogHer. The author apparently saw my comments as condemning and harsh despite my best efforts to the contrary.

I can tell you with all sincerity that this has bothered me all day. I have been in prayer about the situation quite a bit since finding out about it before lunch.

I have asked God to examine my heart. I have asked that He examine my motives. With a genuine desire to know, I have asked Him to show me if I was being judgmental or condemning in any way. After rereading my post numerous times and earnestly asking God to show me the truth, I do not believe that there was judgment or condemnation in my heart.

That being said, I am going to apologize anyway. To any who read my post yesterday, or just now, and perceived it that way, I am sorry. It has never been my intention to sit on a self-righteous pedestal pointing fingers. That was not my intention yesterday either and if anyone saw it in that light, I apologize.

The purpose of this blog has always been to first and foremost honor God who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save me from certain death because of my own sin. I am so grateful that He loves me enough to do that for me. As I stated on my post yesterday, I have experienced what it is like to live separated from Him because of my sin, and my heart hurts for others who are experiencing the same thing.

My blog has always been about my journey with Him, my "race," if you will, as the title of my blog implies. I am running that race as best I can. Sometimes I feel like I am flying with the wind at my back. Other times I stumble but keep going, and still other times, I fall flat on my face. Thankfully, God "never leaves me nor forsakes me." (See Hebrews 13:5) When I fall, I can trust that He will be right there to pick me up again, and should I feel I simply can not continue, well then I know He will carry me.

I am not perfect, just forgiven. It may seem cliche, but it is so true. Therefore, let me just say again, if the perception of condemnation and jugment was in my post, I am truly sorry.

Blessings,

He Bought the Lie

2008-09-24T16:41:00.002-04:00

Update: There is a follow-up to this post that can be read here.

This morning I sat down to watch the news for a few minutes after my husband left for work. I never do this, but for some reason, this morning I did. I guess so I could be prepared for the email from one dear friend and the phone call from another about the news that hit today. Or maybe it was actually yesterday. I'm not sure. For me, it was this morning on the local news. Being from North Carolina and living just outside of Raleigh, Clay is the native son.

I mentioned on my blog on a couple of different occasions that I was a huge fan of Clay Aiken. While I still love his music and love him as we are to love one another in Christ, today my heart is broken over the choices he is making with his life. He has bought into the lie.

The lie that Satan would have us all to believe which is that homosexuality is "who one is." That is simply not true. Homosexuality is a sexual sin just like sex outside of marriage or adultery.

Jesus said when the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought before Him a woman "caught in the act of adultery," "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (See John 8:1-11)

I am not throwing stones here. I can not because there was a time in my life when I bought the lie, too. I believed that I needed a guy to like me and be in a relationship with me in order to feel special and loved. I lived my life outside of God's plan.

I was deceived, and yet, still I knew. Deep down inside, I knew. You see, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was eleven years old. The Holy Spirit has been living inside of me since that time. And even though I allowed the Enemy who "comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) to rob me of an identity that should have come from who I was in Christ, and not who man said I was, I always knew that what I was doing was wrong. It was always there in the back of my mind.

Never once did I say, "This is just who I am." It wasn't "who I was." It was who I was choosing to be. There is a very big difference.

On another note, I think some of those closest to me are amused by my seeming naivete. Having been a fan of Clay since his American Idol days, I often was asked the question about his sexual orientation. I always said that, "No, I didn't think he was gay." And I didn't.

I went to a number of Clay concerts. I have all of his music. You can't listen to O Come, O Come Emmanuel or even more than that watch him sing it live and not believe he has a relationship with the Lord. I cry every time I listen to his version of that song. I cried when I would see him sing it live. It was as if he was worshipping the Lord in song, and we had been allowed to watch.

I am a singer. I was in band. I am learning to play the piano. Music is a passion for me. God created me to be that way. He often speaks to me through music. It moves me. Clay singing a song about the Savior who has brought me out of the pit more than once moved me.

So today, I am very sad. Clay bought the lie just as I once did. It won't bring happiness. I thought I had happy moments, but I was wrong. I fell out of fellowship with the Love of my life. It was a desolate, bereft place to be.

For Clay's sake, and the sake of his son, I hope he finds his way back into that fellowship. I will be praying that it will be so.

Blessings,

Sometimes It Hurts

2008-09-23T11:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning, I went in to wake my daughter up for school as I normally do. However, instead of waking her, I just sat and stared at her as she slept my hand resting gently on her leg. My mind drifted back to a couple of days earlier.

We had attended the annual Greek festival here as we do every year. They periodically have the children come up and dance together. This is my daughter's favorite part. We were just before sitting down to eat when the children were called up. Food forgotten, she raced up to the stage to join the others.

A line had already formed of children holding one another's hands when my daughter arrived on stage. I sat and watched as she tried to figure out how to join in. It is times like this when I lament the fact that she is an only child.

I tried to give her time to figure out what to do and she did. She opted to dance on her own, to her own beat and in her own way. She was having a good time but then I saw her stop. I could tell she was trying again to figure out how to join in with the other children. At that point, I went up to the stage and called her over. I told her to just go take the hand of the girl at the end of the line and join in. And that's what she did.

Apparently, as I made my way back to my seat and began to eat my food, the girl whose hand she had taken shook her hand away from Rachel and acted like she didn't want her to be there.

Rachel is very sensitive and doesn't shake this kind of thing off very easily. She's like me that way. Although, in all fairness, the act was rude, and probably would have hurt anyone's feelings, sensitive or not.

Not long after that, the time for the children to return to their parents had come, and Rachel came back to sit with us. I had not witnessed the incident with the other girl on the stage, nor had my husband. Rachel looked at him with those big, blue eyes, and in a plaintive tone asked, "Daddy, will you dance with me?"

She went on to explain what had happened, and I thought my heart would break. I could get on a soapbox here, but I won't.

As I sat there beside her sleeping form yesterday morning thinking about this, all I wanted to do was keep her right there with me. I didn't want her out of my sight. I sat there and prayed, "Lord, I want so much to be able to protect her from the hurt in this world. People can be so mean." And I heard Him speak to my heart, "Yes, my child, I know. Look what they did to My Son."

And yet, He loves us anyway. I am so thankful for that. For even though I was not there the day Jesus was crucified, my sin put Him there just as if I had been.

Dear Lord, help me to teach my daughter that people will be mean. It is our sinful nature, but you provided a way out for us. His Name is Jesus. She knows Him, and I am thankful for that as well. Help me to remember that you knew her and loved her first, and that You are the ultimate Protector. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Blessings,

In Pursuit of Proverbs31 Bible Study

2008-09-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

Amy at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 is beginning a new Bible study today. She kicked it off last Monday asking that those who were going to participate answer a few questions. As you can see, I am behind, (which is an example of why I need this study :->), but today is a new day, and I am jumping in. So, here goes.

What do you hope to get out of this Bible study?
To be honest, this passage of scripture really intimidates me. While I have been able to feel better about it since learning about and becoming involved with Proverbs 31 Ministries, I still feel like a failure as a P31 woman. My house is usually a mess. I don't cook often enough for my family. Clothes often have to be grabbed from a basket or the dryer. I worry about what I am teaching my daughter about how to be a wife and mother honoring God and family at the same time. I certainly don't feel like a very good example. My husband, bless his dear heart, never complains, although, he probably should. I don't feel I'm honoring him as I should either. He works very hard so that I can be a stay-at-home wife and mother. He has always wanted it to be that way if that was my desire, which it is. My job is the home, and I don't think I'm very good at my job.

What, if anything, has prevented you from studying these scriptures in the past?
I read through and did the accompanying study for A Woman's Secret to a Balanced Life by Lysa TerKeurst and Sharon Jaynes. It was a great book, and I felt less intimidated by the passage after reading their book and doing the study. They really emphasize that the P31 woman is not supposed to be a superwoman. However, it's been sometime, at least a couple of years, I think, since I did that study, and I don't feel anything like my perception of who a P31 woman should be.

What have you found helpful or frustrating about living out these scriptures?
I think I have already covered this one. In a nutshell, I spend most of my days feeling like I fall way short.

The actual study begins today. I will share my thoughts to the first week's post later this week.

Blessings,

As the Name Implies

2008-09-17T10:05:00.001-04:00

Sometimes life comes at you really fast. That is how things have been for me of late. Actually, things haven't really slowed down. I have been busy "running my race."

On any path, it is possible to encounter obstacles that can cause us to stumble, perhaps even fall. It's not, however, about whether or not we stumble or fall but what we choose to do afterwards that really matters.

Jesus said in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (NIV)

Becoming a Christian doesn't mean that all of life will be great. We are told in no uncertain terms that it will not. But immediately after that, we are commanded to take heart for we have the knowledge that the battle has already been won. He is victorious, and therefore, so are we.

Don't quit running your race. Grab a fresh water bottle, tighten up those laces, and keep pressing on. Blessings untold are our reward. We can't know what we might miss if when we fall we refuse to get up again.

God tells in Hebrews 13:5: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Armed with that promise, "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Sweet Blessings,

Car Shopping

2008-09-09T21:34:00.002-04:00

Just popping in to say Hi. I will try to post again in the next couple of days or so, but in keeping with my resolution to follow through on what I say I will do, I am not making any promises about that! :-)

We are car shopping, which I really dislike. Prayers are appreciated!

Take care and, hopefully, I'll be back soon, the owner of a new vehicle along with new debt.

Blessings,

Weathering More Than Just Hanna

2008-09-06T21:41:00.003-04:00

Well, we survived Hanna with little more than some much-needed rain. I know there were other's who were not as fortunate as we, and I am praising God for His protection.

It's been a crazy week here at Chez Ward. My car is in the shop for the third time in three weeks (think three Thursday's in a row). Only this time, I didn't get it back. Fortunately, I have a loaner. Any VW Beetle drivers out there? I haven't ever driven one before, but I have to say it's very different then the large sedan I normally drive. My husband calls my car a "land boat."

My husband's car is also out of commission. Our one remaining vehicle, an old 1989 Ford truck with no working gas gauges or A/C, also decided to give us some trouble. We do have bicycles, but in a hurricane, they aren't exactly what I would call the transportation of choice.

My daughter has also been sick, and today I ended up taking her to urgent care. I considered taking her to the doctor yesterday since it was Friday and we were heading into the weekend with a hurricane approaching, but I like to live life on the wild side, so decided to wait.

BTW, I'm kidding about that last part. A wild night for me is looking for a book at Barnes & Noble with my hubby and then sitting down in the cafe to share a dessert while we read our books of choice. Talk about living dangerously.

The good news is, they think my daughter is just having a bad case of allergies. Still, tell that to her poor aching throat. Dr. Mom finally broke out the chicken soup today. It seems to have helped. Can someone please explain to me the medicinal properties of chicken soup? Oh well. Whatever works, right?

Let's see. What else? Oh yeah. Two of my three toilets have stopped up and nearly overflowed (well, one did..twice) since Monday, and now I need a new plunger. The other one wasn't much to begin with, and now it is well and truly done for.

I can honestly say that even in the midst of all the insanity, I know God has been there. I have missed my quiet time with Him the past couple of mornings, and I sure can tell it. I do know, though, had I not been spending time with Him the rest of this week, I would probably be in a straight jacket about now. Thank you, God, for your tender mercies.

Take time to meet with Him. Whatever your struggle, He is there, and He is sufficient.

Sweet Blessings,

Following Through on What I Say I Will Do

2008-09-03T15:29:00.001-04:00

As you can see from the title, following through on what I say I will do is on my mind today. Specifically because I said on Monday I would be back yesterday to post about a comment a reader had left over the weekend. I wasn't.

In my defense, things have not been so great around here of late. A lot has been happening and in rapid succession, and not in a good way. Still, that is no excuse.

Off and on yesterday, I kept thinking, I really need to get on the computer and post about the comment from the weekend. I never did. But, I had said that I would.

I sat thinking about it this morning, and then I remembered something I told a friend of mine last week that I would do. I didn't.

I don't mean to do that. I have the best of intentions when I say I will do something. Of course, we know what they say about "good intentions." :-)

God really convicted me about this this morning in my quiet time with Him. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is sort of typical for me. Not about big stuff. I don't commit to things that really depend on me and then not do it, but does that really matter?

What I realized this morning is that it does not. What God showed me was that when I say I am going to do something, no matter how small or trivial, and then I don't follow through, in essence, this is telling a lie. Ouch!

Not only that, it does not display Christ-like character. People are watching. They are reading. They are paying attention whether I know it or not.

I espouse my Christian beliefs on my blog all the time. But what about when I say I will be back the next day to post about something, and an unbeliever stumbles across my blog that day? What if they come back the next day looking for that promised post and it isn't there? How does that look?

Some may say I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I don't think so. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of something, we need to pay attention, and I have definitely been convicted today.

Sure, things happen, and there may be times when you can't follow through on something you say you will do, but as a general rule, this should be the exception, not the norm.

So today, I would like to apologize. I pray that God will help me to guard my words more carefully in this area because they really do matter. I don't want to be known as someone who can not be trusted to do what they say they will do. It's a bad reflection on me, and more importantly, it's a bad reflection on the One to Whom I say I belong.

Blessings,

P.S. It is my intention to post about the reader comment, but I'm not going to say if or when it will happen. :-)

Labor Day Vacation

2008-09-01T16:23:00.002-04:00

I thought I had finished travelling for a bit, but we decided last week that we would go to the beach this weekend for the Labor Day holiday. We had a wonderful time, and although we are back, we are still "vacationing." Tomorrow will find us all returning to our normal schedules, and I will be back to respond to a comment I received over the weekend about "How do we know for sure what race is marked for us?"

An interesting question. I don't promise to have all the answers. I can only speak from my own personal experience.

Until tomorrow, Happy Labor Day!

Blessings,

Be Still Sunday

2008-08-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

I know I just began a new format for Sunday posting last week, but I think I am going to move my word of scripture to Saturday. Although you may hear from me once in a while on Sunday with something I feel I must share, most Sunday's will find me doing this:

May today find you doing the same.

Sweet Blessings,

Renewed Awe

2008-08-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

Today brought me to the end of week 9 in my study, A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, by Beth Moore. Today saw the conclusion of the building of the tabernacle and the very presence of God moving in.

34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. Exodus 40:34-38 (NIV)

Can you imagine? What must they have thought? How must they have felt?

As I sat and contemplated this, I began to think about the fact that His presence dwells with me today. Right now, at this very moment, as I sit and type, He is with me. The very presence of God Almighty Himself.

This morning, I experienced a renewed sense of awe and wonderment. I am humbled. I am filled with gratitude. With love. With joy. I could not help but fall to my knees and weep. My eyes are filling now.

It is a relationship. A love like none I have ever known.

If you don't know Him, you can. He wants you to. All you need do is ask. It's not difficult. He loves you and accepts you just as you are right now, this very minute. If you, too, would like to experience a love like you have never known before, then click on the Ready? button in my right sidebar to learn more. He is waiting and longs to fill you with His love and presence.

Sweet Blessings,

Biscuit Dough...Anyone?

2008-08-27T16:40:00.001-04:00

Do you ever find that memories you haven't thought of in years suddenly assault you with such powerful force, you find yourself completely breathless?

Lately, this seems to be happening to me more and more. I find myself unexpectedly entrenched in some long forgotten moment with such clarity, if I didn't know better, it would seem it had just occurred.

I have also found myself increasingly maudlin of late. I sit and look at pictures of my daughter from when she was little, and I want to weep for the years that are already gone. She's only seven. I expected to feel this when she was entering high school or moving away to college. Perhaps when she gets her driver's license or goes out on her first date. But now? Isn't it too soon? Is it hormones? Does this mean I am officially getting old?

Last night I awoke at some unseemly hour. I have no idea what time it was. I didn't want to know. This, too, seems to be happening with ever-increasing frequency. Anyway...I awoke and couldn't go back to sleep. For some reason, as I lay there, I remembered making biscuits from scratch with my mother when I was a child.

Just so you know, helping my mother as a child is the only time I have cooked anything from scratch. Biscuits? Since I started making my own, I have found myself to be a "whop" biscuit kinda' girl. So named because you pulled the paper back a little ways until the seam was exposed and then you "whopped" them on the counter to get the can to pop open. Jerry Clower anyone?

I remember the flour sifter, and the brown wooden bowl she always used to make biscuits in. I can see her flour-covered hands kneading the dough. And here's the part that really struck me about this particular memory. My brother and I used to like to eat small pieces of the raw dough. Is that weird or what? I'm sure in our childlike minds, we thought we were really getting away with something. And my mom let us.

Nowadays, there would more than likely be all kinds of wording on the ingredients warning of dire consequences if any were to be consumed prior to completion of their final desired state. Somehow, it didn't seem to be as big of a deal back then. I don't really know why. Fortunately, we survived.

I want my daughter to have memories like these that she, too, will recall in the middle of the night, or whenever. I guess I better go get that can of biscuits and let her practice "whopping" them on the counter. :-)

Blessings,

Gratituesday

2008-08-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

I discovered a new blog today, Heavenly Homemakers, and found on Tuesday's they do something really neat. It's called Gratituesday. I realize there are other versions of this out there in Bloggy World, but I really enjoyed this site and their rendering of expressing our gratitude.

Interestingly enough, this came at a really appropriate time for me as I had been thinking I needed to take the time to post about what God has been doing for me lately.

I am grateful that He loves me. Last week especially, He drew me so close to Himself. Not through any particular trials or tribulations. Just through my Bible study and time spent with Him.

I am nearly finished with the updated version of Beth Moore's "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place" study. It has been super powerful, and I have learned so much from it. God has used it to speak to me about a number of different things, but last week, it was simply about Him. About coming before the throne of heaven and worshipping Him. My eyes well with tears now as I remember how sweet it was.

We had arrived at the point in our study where we were discussing the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. This is where the ark of the covenant dwelt in the tabernacle God instructed the Israelites to build. It was where His very presence resided and where He told them He would meet with them.

While God's presence dwelt among His people, a veil separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the tabernacle, and only the High Priest was allowed to enter that Place one time per year on the Day of Atonement.

What Beth pointed out is that the veil is no longer in place. We have total access to God through His Son Jesus Christ anytime, anywhere.

His Holy Presence lives inside me. He loves me, and He invites me to come and sit with Him whenever I desire to do so. He delights in it for He created me to have a relationship with Him.

So today, and always, I am thankful that I know Him. That He saved me. That He loves me. That I have been granted all access.

Oh how I love Him so and long for the day when I will worship Him face to face and cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty!"

Sweet Blessings,

Scripture Sunday

2008-08-24T20:29:00.000-04:00

This is my first post like this, but I have seen other bloggers post a scripture verse on Sunday, and I like the idea. So, for my first one, I think I will begin with the verse God has given me as the theme for my blog and more importantly, my life.

...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

The word perseverance has been a common theme for me of late. Next week, I will share another verse with this same word.

Blessings,

How Great Thou Art

2008-08-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

When I think of the hymns I sang as a child, this one is near the top of the list.

And when I think
That God His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die
I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross
My burden gladly bearing
He bled and died
To take away my sin.

I am thankful. I am humbled. I love Him more every day.

Sweet Blessings,

Thank the Good Lord It Wasn't Me!

2008-08-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I mentioned there was a part 2 to this story.

My aunt, daughter, and I came back to my aunt's house whereby I quickly proceeded to inform my uncle I was never driving his truck again because he was a wanted man!

As a side note, the truck had tinted windows, so the highway patrolman could not have seen who was driving until I actually rolled down the window. I only found out from my uncle and father later that this is actually illegal!

As if that wasn't enough, my uncle then proceeded to tell me that there was a handgun in the glove compartment! A handgun! Have mercy! He is, of course, registered to carry the gun, but I, THE ONE DRIVING THE TRUCK, however, am not! He didn't recall that it was in there until after we had already left.

Apparently, and I didn't know this either until that day, if you are carrying a concealed weapon in your vehicle and are pulled over by your friendly neighborhood law enforcement officers, you are supposed to put your hands on the steering wheel and let said law enforcement know that you have said weapon. Heaven help me!

All I can say is, "Thank the Good Lord he wasn't looking for me!"

And as for those pictures, I know you're beginning to wonder if they truly exist. I said yesterday I would try to post some today. Well, I'm afraid I still haven't gotten them downloaded to my computer. And because I know you're starting to doubt my word on this, I'm not going to say when they may or may not be here. One day you'll visit and be pleasantly surprised that they have appeared. :-)

Blessings,