From the Oregon Coast.... :D

If this doesn't touch you...!

Hello, dear friends! I know I haven't posted much recently, but I'm HOPING to change that. We're down to only two cameras, so I don't have one readily available - and I only like to use MY photos. :D

Anyway. Today it's not about MY photos, but about a new BBC documentary that's in process. And although it's not Christian-based, I can't help but be touched and moved to tears by the absolute beauty in these images. Not only at the stunning scenery, but by the beauty of the people. God is an AMAZING Creator; I pray that you'll see the TRUE beauty in the slideshow. Enjoy!

What a weekend!

Work and play, and getting to be on a beach that Kenn and I could share as our first time visiting. Fort Walton Beach was a lot of fun - and I've got future posts brewing from what He showed me. For now, I'll just share this photo I took yesterday morning just before a rainstorm came and chased me off the beach for the last time. :)

Shared by a friend....

Good morning, dear ones! Today, I want to share with you something Becky - my dear friend!!! - shared with me last year. I've been saving it for a good time, and I feel the time is NOW. Be challenged, and BLESSED!

Ducks Quack - Eagles Soar
No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice.
Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card.. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment....

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today..'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts...

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself.. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers.. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.... The ball is in our hands!
A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up... Let us do good to all people.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

Please read, pray, and help out if you can!

Good morning, dear friends! I'm sorry I've been so GONE lately. I'm feeling overwhelmed off and on these days, but God's SO good! :) I just nestle in closer to Him, and we keep going on together. :)

Today, I want to share another person's blog with you. Her name is Sarah, and she's on the mission field. It's a HARD field, and I want you to go check it out:

http://sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com/

The reason I learned about Sarah's mission is because a friend of mine, Lori, told me the following story:

Here is the story I was telling you about the CP wheelchairs. One
thing I forgot to add is that I really didn't want to deliver food
that day. I almost called out. Here is the story I sent to my friends:


I am not sure if you know but I am helping my friend Sarah, who owns
Sarah's covenant homes in India
http://sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com/(, to raise money for Cerebral
palsy wheelchairs. Almost all of the 85 kids she has, have CP. They
have one CP wheelchair. Our women's ministry at church was gonna try
to raise money.

Today while delivering Meals on Wheels--a man was at a house I
delivered too and was talking about the new ramp that was built onto
this woman's house. He said he was from the Cerebral Palsy
organization of Middle Tn and that he was behind getting the ramp
material and labor donated to this woman. I started telling him about
Sarah's Covenant Home in India and that I was raising money for CP
wheelchairs and he looked at me and said --we have a whole warehouse
full and we have a program and we would ship to India. Tears started
falling from my eyes. I couldn't compose myself. It was God!!!


My friends, please at least add Sarah and her incredible work to your prayer list. Let her know you're praying! Encourage her!

OK, I'm going to run - I'm woefully behind in what I need to get done!!! - but know this: YOU ARE LOVED with an EVERLASTING LOVE! BE BLESSED!

Have you found YOUR tomato?

Please note: This is written by Kenn and I - he's the one talking throughout. :D I'm really excited to see where this leads - I feel God annointing it! So. Have you?

Not long ago, I posted a story on Facebook about how God provided a small but tasty miracle for me in the Kroger parking lot. We received many great comments about the story, and Lori and I believe that many of you have similar stories to tell. (For your reference, if you have not heard the story, it has been posted at the end of this message.)

I feel that I need to "invest" this story of God's providence, and the dividend I am looking for is the testimony of His provision and blessing in your lives. I know that God has touched all of you at one time or another, and we want to hear about it!

Lori and I would like you, our friends, to send us your stories. We have opened up a separate email account for this purose; it's myfoundtomato@aol.com Please email your stories to us there. If you send your story, you are agreeing to allow us to use it for a book! We're going to see if we can find a publisher for this project.

I attend a men's group from our church that meets early Tuesday morning. We spend an hour together; we worship, praise God, and then listen to a testimony from one of the men who attends. This week it was our worship pastor, Pastor Wayne, who had just returned from Africa.

This year, Pastor Wayne has been encouraging us as a congregation to be "sensitive" to the daily miracles that God provides for us. To emphasize this, he told a remarkable story of such a miracle that happened on this trip to Africa . Then our missions pastor, Bruce, told us of a small "miracle" that he had witnessed this week as well. Both of these events could be classified as divine appointments.

I do believe that God is at work in our lives constantly and continually. In the rush and hurry of our lives, we often overlook these workings, or sometimes even put them in the "luck" column; when something "bad" happens to us we either blame our bad luck or blame Satan. We rarely see how God is using even our misfortunes for our good.

The photo above is from the Nashville Farmers Market. I think tomatoes are one of God's miracles! Imagine: a seed placed in the ground has all the instructions in it to produce these lovely fruits. The seed lies next to its neighbor, is nourished by the same earth, watered by the same rain or irrigation, and basks in the same sun as its neighbor - but soon it's a tomato, not a cucumber.

Anyway . Tuesday afternoon, after The Gate, Lori and I meet for a rare movie event (rare because movies cost money and we have very little!). After the movie, we decided to save money on the day by eating at home instead of eating out, as was our custom before poverty. I would grill hamburgers, and we had some precut French fries in the freezer. I asked Lori if we had a tomato, but she said no; tomatoes were hard to come by - and, if you came by them, they have been really expensive.

Lori and I went our separate ways, and I decided to run over to Krogers to see what a couple of dollars could buy in produce. I was thinking maybe a grilled zucchini, or something similar.... I parked the car in the Kroger lot and was calling Lori to let her know where I stopped, when I looked down.

There, right in front of me in the Kroger parking lot, was a tomato. A beautiful, ripe, pristine tomato, no dents, no bruises; so perfect I could use it in a photo shoot, and it was right there in front of me.

I picked up the tomato and looked around to see if I could find who may have dropped it. With no one even close, I returned it to the car and thanked God for this little but greatly-appreciated miracle.

Posting about SHE SPEAKS! conference....

Hi, dear ones. Perhaps you've noticed the Proverbs 31 Ministries link in my sidebar; have you ever gone to check it out? Well, they have a conference yearly for speakers and writers called SHE SPEAKS - and I've made that a link to their home page.

Why am I writing about it this weekend?

Well, for a long time, I've gone through a dry spell where I haven't had a dream, or any real goal. I have been waiting patiently, pleading with God to make this area of my life come alive again. It's not fun just walking in the dark! Can I get an AMEN? :D

In the last two weeks, an old desire has started again. I'm still waiting to hear clarification, but that desire is for women's ministry. I don't know if it's going to be speaking (I MISS public speaking!) or writing here on my blog (and I KNOW y'all would appreciate a little consistency on my part.... :D). All I know is, God's lit that desire again.

And where He leads, He provides the way. I know that 100%. So this post is my way of giving Him the chance! :) I'm entering for a scholarship to the conference this year. I'm not even sure which track I'd want to go through - speaking, writing, and women's ministry! All places I feel tugs! :D

Since most of you know our financial situation, I'd like to ask that, if you feel led, you join me in praying that, ONLY if this is His will, He will open doors. If you feel led, I'd love to have you ask Him to start to focus that desire - I'm not going to take a step without Him moving me! He's gotta go before me, or I'm not going! :D And if I do happen to get a scholarship, there will be the expenses to cover - more prayer!

If you would like to learn more about getting a scholarship, please visit Lysa's blog at this post!

I can't WAIT to see what God's going to do. He is SO good; I want to be used to touch women's hearts for Him.

Thank you for your prayers, for reading this, and for walking in expectation of His moving with me! :) I love and appreciate each one of you. God loves you, dear one, SO much. I pray that you'll know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God's surrounding you with His loving arms. Rest in HIM, dear one! BE BLESSED!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Psalm 100 (Amplified Bible)

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before Him with thanksgiving!

Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately bless His name!

For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

Good Thanksgiving Morning! How are you today?? I'm hoping and praying you're doing well; know that I'm praying for you, those of you who are struggling with things right now. (Aren't we ALL, with one thing or another???)

ANYWAY. Today is a day to count our blessings - and I want to encourage you to do so every day, but there's no day like THANKSGIVING to do so. And do it out loud! Bless someone else by being blessed!

Here's a very short list of what I'm thanful for today - I can't take the time to list them all for you!! :D I WANT TO HEAR YOUR BLESSINGS! Leave me as many comments as you want; I am so blessed by you!

1. My loving husband

2. YOU!!!

3. My friends who love me

4. My parents

5. The house they provide for us

6. That I get to do what I love to help with our finances

7. Good food! :D

8. A beautiful, incredible world God created for us to enjoy!

9. An INCREDIBLE church home and family - it never ceases to amaze me!

10. Comfortable clothing :D

OK, time to get some breakfast. :D BE BLESSED, DEAR ONE!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It's been too long. :)

Please forgive me for seeming to drop off the face of the earth where this blog is concerned. I think I've kept in touch with most of you personally. I started this blog to be able to communicate about the daily struggle of being a Godly woman, and haven't posted in two months! I do ask your forgiveness. I lost my message for a while - but then, I realized, we ALL do sometimes. Sometimes God changes our message, or we refuse to listen to the message He wants us to share (as a wise woman admitted in her study last night at church!:D)

So, I might as well jump right in with a tough subject, right? :D

I've been feeling lately that I'm sleepwalking through my personal walk with Jesus. Let me tell you what I mean, and I hope you'll share whether I'm crazy :D, whether you've gone through something like that yourself, or whether something in your spirit is testifying the truth of what I share.

I read my Bible. I read devotionals online. I read REALLY great stuff that's being written by my friends and contemporaries.

I pray. I pray with my husband. I pray throughout the day. I do devotions with my husband.

I listen to praise music. I sing praise music - and worship music. I sit in stillness and try to listen.

I minister. I help my friends. I give them tough love and we have real communication about what God wants.

And some days, it's GOOD. Some days, I feel GREAT about where I am, what I'm doing, and what God's using me for.

And yet.

There are MORE days when I don't feel like I'm moving. When I feel NOTHING. When I know God is moving, and moving ME, but I'm not being MOVED. Does that make sense?

Like I'm sleepwalking through when I should be WIDE AWAKE. Like I'm not engaged in what God is doing to me or through me.

Or is that the way it's SUPPOSED to be? Am I being a vessel, poured out and used by Him?

So tell me, dear one. Does this strike a chord for you? Which do you think it is? And can you give me some Biblical backing for what you think?

The picture of the cat, above, is one I dearly love. I took it in Kalama, WA, outside a little restaurant. It's one of the prettiest places that's not directly on the ocean that I know of. :D This cat was sleeping on the handrail outside the restaurant. He wasn't phased by ANYTHING or ANYONE. He was content, comfortable, fed, and on his own turf.

But I don't want to be found SLEEPING. I want to be awake, alert, and AWARE. So talk to me!!! :)

Another request, and more encouragement for each of us!!!!

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.
When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.
Lamentations 3:25-30, The Message

Oh, dear friends! Thank you for praying for each other, and for continuing to be vulnerable in asking for petitions!!! I want to encourage you: if you need prayer, PLEASE let me know. There are people you don't even know about praying for you!!!! And when you get an answer, or feel like submitting a praise report, GO FOR IT!!!!! It's by your testimony that we will ALL be encouraged, uplifted, and spurred to keep praying!

Here's a new request, sent by dear Ginny:
Lori, may I add to that list of prayer requests? First for my daughter, Grace's, boyfriend. His job, his true calling, problems with his parents. I can't be more specific, but God knows! Also, my arthritic right knee is causing me tremendous pain. It's difficult to get comfortable. I made an appointment with the orthopedist for next Thursday; I will probably get another cortisone injection, which is painful. But I'm concerned that the deterioration is worse than a year ago; I've been offered a partial knee replacement, but I feel I'm too young, and I can't care for Phil if I'm laid up. I need wisdom, and freedom from the pain.

DEFINITELY, dear one. I know Becky has already prayed for you! We won't stop lifting you up until you get answers.

Now, then. Some things don't need captions at all. BE ENCOURAGED, and take a moment to COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If it's too small to really see well, click on the image.)

WOW! MORE prayer requests, and a report from Kathy!

I think we need to stay focused on praying for each other for a while, dear ones. There's SO MUCH hurt going on - and it's not been easy for me today in real life - so I KNOW we're doing what God wants here. :D

Please pray for my dear, sweet friend, Claudia. Claudia is the dance ministry director at our church; for about six months now, she's had a problem with her sinuses and ears being blocked. She's had some hearing return, but she can't sleep for long periods, so she's very tired. When I asked how her week has been, for the first time I can think of she told me, "HARD." Please pray the things I asked you to for everyone for both her and the next request, but also that God would release that pressure, and allow her to rest, and that this whole problem would be healed.

This one is from Becky - who prayed beautiful prayers for everyone in the comments sections!!!

I need to ask for prayer for my friend. Please pray for Michelle, whom in the past 6 months has been transformed from a hardworking leader and active mom/wife/teacher/church worker and friend to a weak and scared individual. Michelle went to the doctor because she simply didnt feel well and thought she might have a sinus infection. The next few weeks were a rocking whirlwind. She was diagnosed with Graves Disease and was rushed to surgery to remove her thyroid completely. She has lost more than 70% of her vision and her eyes are protruding so far now that the lids cant even cover the entire eye. She was also diagnosed with seveirely compacted sinus cavities and once again went in for emergency surgery. So now she is on the emotional hormoneal roller coaster that comes with Thyroid issues. She is nearly blind and is having extreme issues with phobias and and anxiety. She rarely leaves her home any more. Is having a hard time with her faith. Her marriage has become just a matter of business as her husband is purplexed with the stress of money issues that seem to keep piling on. Her children are struggling as though they have already lost their mom because she is no where near the person she once was. Pray for the entire family.

Oh, sweet friends, please pray. Such difficult things we're ALL facing!!! You know, I find it SO true that our burden seems heavy until we see the next person's. God is SO good! His mercies are new EVERY morning. I don't care WHAT you're facing; God is bigger than it is! I love the "bumper sticker saying" that says DON'T TELL GOD HOW BIG YOUR PROBLEM IS. TELL YOUR PROBLEM HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS! Claim that for these requested people, dear friend; maybe they're not able to claim it for themselves right now. Pray for FAITH.

And now for a wonderful report from Kathy! :D

Mom had her surgery today. She did well. The doctor said it was not as difficult as he thought it might be. He removed a small portion of the stomach where the tumor was attached. We did not know he would be doing this but he said she wouldn't miss it. :) He also said that he would be suprised if there was any cancer as it did not look like it would be there. Praise God!!!!! She was in quite a lot of pain at first because the pump was not working correctly. They finally got the doctor up and he got it working. Mom was getting a little testy and was just about to tell them off. We knew she must be feeling pretty bad as she usally is so quiet. She's much better now!!!!! Continue your prayers. She will be in the hospital 3-5 days. The doctor says she will feel pretty lousy for a few weeks.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!! Keep praying! Keep sending me your requests! AND how God is answering!!!! He is FAITHFUL - let's not hesitate to remind one another!!!

I love you all. Thank you so much for lifting each other up!!!

Calling all prayer warriors!

Please read the new additions to the post if you read it before 10:56 p.m. Central Time 06/09! :)

Hello, dear friend. I'm so glad you stopped by again; there's another big post brewing in my spirit, but today's is MOST important.

There are SO MANY of you, my friends, who need prayer right now. Since I consider us all sisters in Christ, I'm calling on each person who reads this to pray for the following people. PLEASE. We need to make some spiritual warfare on behalf of each other.

Pray for Kathy's mom: "This is an email that my sister has sent out concerning my mom. I would also like to include you in this circle of prayer. For most of you this is the first time you have been made aware of the situation. I guess I take after my Dad’s mother in that if you don’t talk about something it goes away. But getting this email has been my “slap in the face”. It is real and it is serious. I do know and believe in the power of prayer. Mom’s mother was a true prayer warrior and anytime there was a concern she called on God to take over. Her faith was always strong and her belief never wavered. I do believe that as God watched over the family of Abraham he has also watched over the family of E.B. Swinford. Not that we haven’t had our trials but we know that God is with us each step of the way." >Keep mom in your prayers (and me too)!!! Kathy

Cousins: Please keep Mom, Freida in your prayers, she is going to have surgery next Wednesday, 6-10-09 to remove the tumor in her stomach, the doctor told her today the biopsy came back no cancer, but he is not promising there is no cancer, he said sometimes it won't show in the biopsy. He said the surgery is going to be difficult due to the location of the tumor. Mom is already very weak physically due to her weight loss, so we are of course concerned about the difficulty of this"

A sister in Christ's dad: Health problems that can be serious, but I can't go into detail. Please pray for this sister, too; it's so difficult dealing with something like this! (Names and specific details withheld on request.)

Kenn: OK, so he's not a sister, but it sure affects ME. :D His asthma is REALLY bad right now; he's not able to sleep, because of having to be vertical or he can't breathe.

Ginny: Fibromyalgia pain is in a high-level flare right now. Her husband has also bee fighting an incurable cancer for what seems like a very long time, and the drain on their finances and hope takes its toll.

Becky: They've placed their house on the market; money is quickly draining away, and they're really feeling the spectre of something awful.

Kimmie: She's had a LOT of major life changes in the past year, and is still trying to adjust to everything.

Rhonda: She and the kids are buying a house and moving to another small Texas town. She has a promising new job, but it's a lot of responsibility, and please pray for her children, that they'll be able to heal from the way their dad treats them, and grow up to be loving adults who don't carry his cycle of neglect forward.

Jan: I just found out that her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Looking at the specific requests, it seems that our parents are really under attack right now!

(I know I'm forgetting someone; if you want us to pray for you, please leave a comment!!!!)

Please pray the following for our dear friends: strength, peace, and joy that can only come from God; wisdom and discernment to deal with anything that they face; someone to PHYSICALLY walk through this with them, whether it be a spouse whose eyes need to be opened to their needs or a friend who cares; and clear direction from God about what to do and how to do it. Pray for them to be blessed in unexpected ways, that God would show each one that He's intimately concerned about her/him. PRAY FOR VICTORY!!!!!

I would ask that you uplift me, too, as I share with you. Also, that God would see fit to loosen our finances as only He can! Most days, I have no trouble counting my blessings. There are some moments, however...!! I KNOW you know, too! :)

Now, everyone, as God answers these prayers, PLEASE share with me or leave a comment so we can all read. We need to be able to look back and see His hand moving in our lives!

THANK YOU. I can't WAIT to see how God's going to move!

A friend - thank you, Ms. Mary! :) - sent this to me today. It may help someone else, too, to hang on when the bottom seems to be falling out.

WHEN YOUR HUT'S ON FIRE!!!!

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.... He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that
summons the Grace of God.

P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.

Sharing with you!

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. ~ Philemon 1:7

Good afternoon, dear friends! The above photos are several years old, but they all show a little bit of who I am. Daughter, friend, wife, aunt, stepmom - we all wear SO many different hats during the same day!

This email was sent to me several weeks ago by a dear friend. It touches me in a different way every time I read it. I hope it awakens something in you!

Quilt of Holes
Author: Unknown

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt

before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares

of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our

quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the

pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was.

They were filled with giant holes.

Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had

been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in

everyday life.

I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me.

Nobody else had such squares.

Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled

with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune.

I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together,

threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the the scrutiny of truth.

The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries.

So filled their lives had been.

My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame.

I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes.

I had love in my life, and laughter.

But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth,

and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it.

I had to start over many times.

I often struggled with the temptation to quit,

only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again.

I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life.

I had often been held up to ridicule,

which I endured painfully,

each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin

beneath the judgmental gaze ofthose who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth.

My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around me,

at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me.

Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ.

Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes.

He said, "Every timeyou gave over your life to Me, it became My life,

My hardships, and My struggles.

Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowingChrist to shine through!

He's a BIG, BIG GOD!!!

Can you truly imagine the sight Isaiah saw???? I can't. I yearn to see it with all my heart, but I just can't wrap my mind around how big our God truly is. And I'm so glad I can't!

I don't know about you, but I NEED a big God. I need Him to be bigger than anything that faces me. I need Him to be bigger than the evil that surrounds us. I need Him to be worthy of all glory, honor, power, and worship and adoration I can give Him - and even more.

God IS bigger than everything, dear one. Bigger than whatever's facing you right now. Tell you what. Instead of facing that THING, turn and face GOD. When your eyes and heart are full of Him, you won't be caring about that THING anymore. He'll take care of you. He loves you SO MUCH. He wants you to long for Him, too. You are in His heart, in His hands, in His ever-loving arms.

Be blessed, dear one. I love you, too!

Cool email I received today!

BE BLESSED!!! (It DOES actually make a bell, but it's too wide for any of Blogger's layouts. SO, if you want it, email me and I'll send it to you. :))

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14).

I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know Who you are!? Keep this bell ringing...pass it on 'The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you And be gracious to you; The LORD turn His face toward you And give you peace..' Numbers 6:24-26

What a GLORIOUS Sunday afternoon!

I don't know where YOU live, but here in middle Tennessee, it's a beautiful fall day; the temperature is hovering around 70, with a brisk wind. The pyracanthus (sp?!?!?) is almost to its full, glorious orange-red in the back yard - expect a photo soon. :D

Friday morning, I was sitting here at my desk working and I looked out the window. I didn't get a picture of the hawk that was out there earlier in the day, but I DID get a picture of this first: a flock of wild turkeys RIGHT outside our back door!!! They were between the back steps and the garden - so MAYBE 10 yards from my desk!!!! It's NEVER happened here that I know of, but I'm SO glad I was sitting here to see it!! :D Aren't they funny???

Once again, God blessed me by putting me in a quiet, still place to see the blessing He had for me. Dear one, I encourage you to see the place He has for you. Big or seemingly small, there is a blessing waiting for your notice RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good afternoon!

How are you doing, dear friend??? I know it's been a while; real life is sooooooo busy for us in the fall - between photo sessions, craft fairs, and classes, I end up wiped out. :) But that's the season for me. I take December off, so I can enjoy friends and family without being SICK the entire month, and to enjoy the quiet winter mornings, the twinkling lights, and a hot cup of tea any time I wish. :)

What season are you in right now? Is it a busy season for you? Do you feel like you're chasing your tail? :) Or are you in a fallow season, wondering what God has for you next?

He's told us there's a season for everything! No worries. Keep chasing after Him, and He will lead you into each and every season, every activity you're to do! Be sure to consult Him, THEN your calendar, before you add something new! :D

My stamping business is keeping me SUPER-busy right now; I've got two craft fairs next month, and I also show my customers lots of new things during this time of year. I'm further ahead than NORMAL, but that's not saying much. :D PLEASE don't let me totally off the hook; leave me a message if I'm gone too long!!!!!

YOU ARE LOVED, dear friend. God loves you. He cherishes you, cares for you, and seeks an intimate time with you! Count your blessings - don't forget! We're going to start posting ONE thing a day in November!!! :)

Good morning!

It's a beautiful day here in middle Tennessee; the temperatures are supposed to stay in the mid-60s for a few days. It's cloudy today, but tomorrow is supposed to be cool AND sunny. Now, that's what I'm talkin' about! :D I love the fall, I'm starting to feel better, and I am blessed beyond measure.

If you don't receive our emails daily that include a photo like the one above (but usually better, cuz it's Kenn's :D) and some Good News to help you through your day, I want to invite you to email me and ask for it. We get SO MANY comments on how it's a breath of fresh air for many people, but I sense a lot of reluctance from many of you, too. :) There's a link on every single one where you can unsub whenever you wish. Please email me and ask to be put on the list, at least for a trial period!

Do you have a favorite psalm? I'd love to know what it is! Mine is Psalm 100.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Especially at this time of year, thankfulness and gratitude are themes in my life. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for! My family, my husband, my friends - both IRL and online! :) - my all-powerful, loving God - I could go on and on! How about you? Have you made a blessings list lately?

I'm going to challenge you AND myself: from November 1 until Thanksgiving Day, I challenge us to either post somewhere - my comments section is fine! - or journal one thing a day you're thankful for. Some days will be difficult to find something nice, I know. :D But there's no better way to be in a place of gratitude than to take the time to recognize how much we are, truly, blessed.

OK, dear friends. I'm going to run; I have a big stamping event on Saturday, and it's a lot of work for me. I LOVE doing it, but I'm glad I only have it once a year. :D

Recognize your blessings, dear one. Know that you are loved far beyond anything you could know; trust that the God Who created you and everything you see created you for a purpose. Not only is He your God, He is your Father; allow Him to comfort you, to give you guidance, and to be more than Someone you think about only on Sundays!!!!

It's FINALLY fall!

Good evening, dear ones! It's FINALLY beginning to cool down here - today was such a beautiful day here. Kenn and I went to the orchard, and took a wonderful drive in the country. It was cool, and clear, and just beautiful. :) I love days like today!

God is SO good. He gives us days like this to enjoy. Have you taken the time to look around and see what He's blessed you with out your window?

You MUST go see FIREPROOF. Seriously. Even if you're not in a relationship, it's SO worth your support and worth SEEING. I can't tell you enough - GO. Check out the link! And take a tissue with you..... :D

Many of you are facing trials again right now; I've heard from several of you. Please remember to lift each other up in prayer, dear ones. You NEVER know when God will bring someone to mind, and how important it is you say a prayer right then!

I'm going to run; Kenn's on his way home from an assignment right now, and he has to leave quite early in the morning.

Be blessed, dear one. Open your eyes to the blessings God has poured out on you already - it will AMAZE you when you start looking. He LOVES you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Tuesday!!

Hi, girls! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted - I'm going away AGAIN this coming weekend, and I'm trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. PHEW. I gotta lotta ducks! :D

ANYWAY. We had a lovely time getting away to Smyrna this weekend. :) We went and dropped Kenn's wedding band off for resizing- my gift to him for our anniversary. :D Then, we went and had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings - Kenn loves to play trivia there! :) He has a LOT of knowledge, and always impresses me.

Off to the hotel we went, and checked in just fine. We had a "suite", and it was really comfy. We set up our computers and made sure we both could get online ;), and off Kenn sped to work - just a few minutes away!

I took a short nap, then worked most of the afternoon. But it was so nice to not have other things I "needed" to do distracting me; I watched TV, had a snack, read some of a book I took, and just generally kicked back while working. :D Kenn came back around 8, got changed, and we went to a local restaurant for dinner. We had a really good dinner! Appetizers, and dinner - and we were soooooooo full, but took a piece of their carrot cake with us; we'd been told it was their signature dessert. :)

Back we went, and it wasn't too long - some football scores later :D - that we went to sleep.

We got up about our regular time on Sunday, our real anniversary. We got ready - this is Kenn that morning :) - and Kenn brought some breakfast up for us. We also ate a bit of the carrot cake. WOW, was it rich. We decided to take it home with us, but it didn't survive the heat. It was MUCH warmer than I thought it was supposed to be!!!!

We left the hotel - which was about FIVE minutes from church - about 15 minutes after we normally would leave our HOUSE for a 35 minute drive. Can ANYONE say ANTSY?!?! ::::::::sigh:::::::::::: That's Kenn for you, in case you didn't know. :D

Church was EXCELLENT, as usual, and then we had sushi for lunch and came home to relax and unpack.

There. Now you know the whole weekend! :D It was really nice. Thank you for your well-wishes and prayers for us. :)

God's stirring up that topic in me again, girls. I'll be posting soon, the next in the series of Christian relationships.

Leave me a note, let me know you visited!!! :D BE BLESSED, dear one! YOU ARE LOVED AND HIGHLY FAVORED!!!