Layers of my Heart

Hello, sweet friends! I hope you're still out there. :) If you keep up with me on Facebook, you know that life continues to be interesting. First, we're planning on living in Oregon six months of the year next year; a lot has to do with our health. God continues to open doors, so we'll see what happens! :) Second, I really feel led to go into counseling - and God's been really, really specific about it. GRIEF counseling. I'm excited, because I want Him to use me in His Body, but at the same time, there's a lot of different options to consider, and it's a bit scary. However, I KNOW if He brings me to it, He'll bring me through it! :D

I just felt led today to say that there are layers of me that no one but God knows. There are things I simply cannot share with another human being; not because I've done horrendous things to someone, but because the sharing of those things would be a breach of trust with someone else. And I will never do that. Still, those hidden layers get heavy sometimes.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am that HE hears me. That HE hears my heart cry out when it feels too heavy. When what I'm going through would be so much easier if I could just TELL someone, I CAN. And then, He whispers, blows through with His Holy Spirit, and dusts me off and puts me back on the path in His ability. Not mine; I know better. And when those times are blowing away, I can't help but tell Him, again and again, how grateful I am that He is capable of more than I'll ever need.

If you're there, I encourage you: tell Him. He is steady. he is capable. Everything else is shifting sand. Especially what you can do in your own ability, my friend. Give it to Him.

I love you! You are SO special. Be BLESSED today, dear one! Know He is holding you in His gentle arms!

Hello from SOGGY Nashville!

I imagine most of you know by now how devastated our part of the state is. I'm BLESSED beyond measure to be safe and dry, and to have my family so, as well. But I need to tell you: it's going to take a VERY long time for Nashville to recover, especially economically. This is the largest non-hurricane-related disaster in American history, and it will be the costliest.

So. Where you see a chance to help, help - and it doesn't even have to be HERE. There are people EVERYWHERE who have been devastated by something. :) We are CALLED to help others - it's part of who we are in Christ. And you can PRAY. Intervene for those who can't or don't know how to pray for themselves.

Two pictures to show you. The first one is one that was taken Friday, 24 hours before the deluge began. It's closer to the lake by maybe 10 feet than the sign in the second picture - which Kenn took TUESDAY morning. This is Old Hickory Lake, in case anyone's wondering!











I'm so grateful for those of you who have checked on us. :) I'm SO grateful for God's caring love - and the miracle that He protected SO many, when the death toll could have been incredible. (The speed with which the water rose on Sunday was more than most of us could comprehend!)

Thank you, dear ones. Be watchful, be servants, be ALL that you can be IN CHRIST! YOU ARE LOVED!

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.

What a walk we're on!

Hello, dear ones! I'm so glad you came to be with us today. :) It's a glorious day here in middle Tennessee; it's rapidly warming up, and the plants are growing at an almost-visible pace! It's amazing!

Today, I'd like to follow Moses on an interesting journey. I hadn't seen it before, but God opened my eyes in an unrelated Bible study a week or so ago, and I wanted to share what He showed me!

The first place I want us to look at is Exodus 3:6:
Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Do you see what I see? So far, what we know about Moses is that he was the baby in the basket on the Nile who Pharaoh's daughter adopted. He was raised as a prince of Egypt, given the best of everything - including education.

At the age of 40, he was fleeing for his life because he murdered an Egyptian overseer, thinking he was doing a good thing for his people.

Now, at the age of 80, we find him leading his sheep across the desert. Talking to a bush.

:D

Anyway, back to the verse! Moses HID his face. He was afraid to look at God, even though God was in the form of an unconsumed, burning bush. He's not afraid to tell God no, however! God tells hime what he's going to do, and Moses says, "But, God...!"

For a whole chapter, God gives Moses signs and wonders, and Moses gives God excuses. (Hmmmm. Sounds familiar in my own life.) Finally, a whole chapter later, it says, "Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses..." (Ex. 4:14) Does anyone else see the humor in this? Or is it just me? The burning bush is now burning with anger! Oh, Moses.

But God leads Moses through a LOT in Egypt, growing his faith and his obedience. Know how I know? Because of our next Scripture!

Exodus 33:18:
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

This SO excites me! In less than 30 chapters - but a WHOLE lot of walking out what God tells him to do! - Moses goes from being afraid to see God, to ASKING to see God.

What a journey! What a change of heart! What do YOU think had changed? I think that Moses had gone from not wanting to draw attention from the Most High to knowing that He loved him, little Moses, who had screwed up own his life. That Moses had learned that God was going to see him through this journey. That God kept His promises. That Moses had decided that he was sticking with God, earnestly seeking His presence.

Can you IMAGINE seeing God's glory?? Not just the EVIDENCE of it, but the glory itself?

But there's one more Scripture to look at, one more step in this journey. It makes me weep.

Numbers 12:6-8:
...he said, "Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.

⁷ But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.

⁸ With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?"

Oh, dear one! This is GOD speaking about Moses! The Creator, the Most High, El Elyon - says He speaks face to face with Moses.

Does this give you hope for your own walk? Where do you fall on this "spectrum" today? Are you hiding from God? Are you asking God to reveal Himself? Or are you seeking to be intimate with Him, speaking face to face?

Moses made a lot of mistakes in his life. He wasn't perfect, by a long shot. But God loved him, walked with him, and talked to him. Face to face.

I stand in awe, and thank God for showing me Moses. Because He showed me that, no matter where I fall on that spectrum of my walk with Him, I'm walking. And some day, I will see Him face to face.

Be encouraged, dear one. God LOVES you. No matter where you are, He'll meet you. He met Moses. He called to Moses. He's calling to you.

Even if you hide your face, LISTEN.

Another few funnies! :D

I'll be writing a serious post this weekend sometime, but wanted to give you some more to smile about. :D It's IMPORTANT! "A cheerful heart doeth GOOD, like a medicine!" YOU ARE LOVED!

The Sunday school teacher was carefully explaining the story of Elijah the Prophet and the false prophets of Baal. She explained how Elijah built the altar, put wood upon it, cut the steer in pieces, and laid it upon the altar. And then, Elijah commanded the people of God to fill four barrels of water and pour it over the altar. He had them do this four times.
"Now," said the teacher, "can anyone in the class tell me why the Lord would have Elijah pour water over the steer on the altar?"
A little girl in the back of the room started waving her hand, "I know I know!" she said, "To make the gravy!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOT'S WIFE:
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My Mummy looked back once, while she was driving," he
announced triumphantly "and she turned into a telephone pole!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GOOD SAMARITAN:
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama.
Then, she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?"
A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?"
"No," replied Johnny. "How could he, with just two worms?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HIGHER POWER:
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, "We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?"
One child blurted out, "Aces!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MOSES & THE RED SEA:
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent
bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."
"Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked.
"Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD:
A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible, Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse.
Little Rick was excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.
On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Rickey was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly,
"The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kids and Prayers

UNANSWERED PRAYER?
The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.
"Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXPRESS PRAYER
Our son had only heard his grandfather pray at Thanksgiving, Easter and other special occasions, when he, typically, said a long prayer over the food.
One night, after a fun camp-out and fishing trip, grandfather (to our son's surprise) asked for a very brief blessing on the food.
With a gleam in his eye, our son grinned at his grandfather and said, "You don't pray so long when you're hungry, do you Grandpa?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIME TO PRAY
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.
"Yes sir," the boy replied.
"And, do you always say them in the morning, too?" the pastor asked.
"No sir," the boy replied. "I ain't scared in the daytime."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?
When my daughter, Kelli, was 3, she and my son, Cody, would say their nightly prayers together.
As most children do, we have to bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past).
For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, "And all girls." As this soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, "Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?"
Her response, "Because we always finish our prayers by saying 'All Men'!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SAY A PRAYER
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Johnny, wait until we say our prayer."
"I don't have to," The boy replied.
"Of course, you do," his mother insisted.
"We say a prayer, before eating, at our house."
"That's our house," Johnny explained. "But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!"

Jesus Loves Me!

I received this a few months ago from a friend, and decided it was definitely worth sharing. :) Be blessed, dear one!

While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... the only thing that would comfort was this verse......... ....


"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so..
Little ones to Him belong,
we are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me....
The Bible tells me so."


When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.

A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best."

"Senior version of Jesus Loves Me"
Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others, check out this newest version of Jesus Loves Me..


JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME... YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song..
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.
(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)

My Life's Song

(This is the view from my desk last week!)
Good afternoon, dear ones. I know it's been a long time since I wrote, and I do apologize. There's just SO much churning in my head, and in my LIFE!!! I will try to post more often; I want you to KNOW I'm here, and want to walk alongside you. My heart's cry is to let you know you are LOVED by the Most High God, that you are NOT alone, that you have Someone who hears your heart's tears in the middle of the night.

SO. :D With that said, let's talk a bit about praise today!

I'm pretty sure I've talked to you about praising no matter where I am, no matter what I THINK my circumstances are. But have I told you I have PROOF that that's my life's song, my life lesson in this journey with God?

A few weeks ago, I was moving books from one bookcase to another in our den. (OK, it was a few MONTHS ago. :D) One of the books that I needed to move was a Master's Life workbook I did in college at the Baptist Student Union, and I used to keep a journal in there with it.

The journal pages came out of the binder and fluttered all over the floor. Muttering to myself, I picked them up - and happened to glance at one. Can you imagine my surprise when I saw there words I've been saying again and again in the last two years???

"God, teach me to PRAISE you, no matter what I'm going through."

Dear friend, that was TWENTY years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!! These days, I KNOW I have to praise Him, no matter what. And I've also found that, when I praise Him, and worship Him, and put Him in my full focus, all the other worries, conflicts, confusions, and troubles fall into their true perspective - SO small compared to my God!

When we first started Beth Moore's Bible study at church, I quoted a passage to you from it. We're just over half-way through it now, and last night's video was all about praising Him. And the first point she covered? Praise requires that we FOCUS on Him. That we put all other things aside, and allow Him to be the focus of our minds and hearts.

I've felt pretty scattered lately. There's lots going on, as usual. Lots of possibilities to think about, lots of responsibilities and planning. That word, "focus", hit me pretty hard. I need to focus in so many aspects of my life! And I seriously need to consider: am I too scattered in everything I do? I feel like I've already cut out a lot of things, but do I need to become even less busy?

What about you? Does that word strike a chord in you? How are YOU doing? Are you learning to praise the God of the Universe who loves and cares about YOU?

I'm so glad you're here with me. :) Let's walk this walk together. Tomorrow, I'll post some things that are going on in my life, just so you can come alongside me and lift me up, too. That's what we're here for - to be His hands, His arms and legs!

YOU ARE LOVED!

Modern Lesson!

(Please click on the photo; Kenn took it, and I played with it. It's a really sobering look!)
Hi!! Are you enjoying your Christmas season? I am - we've got dear friends here from Oregon, and they've been here less than 24 hours and we've already had a great visit!!! :D HOPEFULLY, we'll get a picture of us together soon.

Now, then. My sister, Kelli, sent me this today - THANK YOU, Kelli!!!!!!!!!!!! I REALLY loved the story, and thought that perhaps we could ALL take something from it.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS - AND PASS IT ON!!!!!!!!!! I love you!

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone," he growled..... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president.. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head.. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything.."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked."What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place"

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh..."

The woman smiled again.. "I thought that might make a difference."

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent.... Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently..

"Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar.."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment.. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said..

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered.." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."

She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he asked.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways.. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And..And thank you for the coffee."

Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always and don't forget that when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you. God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go.

Only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor. If you believe, send it. If you don't believe, delete it.

God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close.. If you need God to open some doors for you...send this on.

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing....

I find it incredibly interesting that, without my trying lately, I've got two new subscribers to the Wannabe blog! :D WELCOME! My prayer is that you're blessed by what I post, WHEN I post. :D There's a LOT I want to share, but sometimes it takes a while to get things into a cohesive, comprehensive THOUGHT. :D

ANYWAY. I've been hanging onto this forward for a while. I don't do them very often, but this one REALLY touched my heart. I think it's even more poignant now that my friend lost her husband this year.

Please leave me a comment whenever you wish, or email me at pooh0612@aol.com if you'd like to share with me privately. I consider your trust a high honor, and it's a privilege to be able to take your requests to the Throne of God! :)

On to the story.....

"She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered.. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended me? For an airbag that saved my life, but took my child's?"

"Good afternoon, can I help you?"

Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I . . . I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, " she continued.. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer.

"Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped; there were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched; was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile.

"You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "Ah, that lady just left with . . .. uh . . .she left with no flowers!"

"That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet. Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do today," explained the clerk. " She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had
just lost her father; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery. That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk... "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel..."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly.


"I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I never questioned Him why those good things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, 'Why? Why me?!' It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn
to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about what her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop.

"Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement, twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator...

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously.

"Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced," Phil replied. "After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem, the Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too . . fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love.... Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart... The first year's arrangement is always on me."

The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:

"My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns.. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Well, here we are again. :) We've been together on this blog for a whole year. Last year, we started out setting goals - and while we might have done ok, we didn't do too well at all on the whole.

SO! Who's up to setting new goals this year? :) I'll start, and you can post in the comments section - and I'll ask once a month how we're doing. Be honest, OK? :D

I will read at least one verse FROM MY BIBLE daily, not online, not trying to find a verse for our devotional, but FROM MY BIBLE.

I will post at least once a week to this blog.

I will send at least one card to someone a month.

I have a couple of others I MIGHT do, but those three for sure are ones I want to commit to. Your turn!!

Dear friend, as we go into 2009, may you know with all your heart that God loves you, that He cherishes you and longs for you to intimately know Him. Seek Him, know Him, and be IN Him in '09!!!! BE BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas, Christmastime is HERE!

Hello, dear friends! How are you this beautiful day? It's SUNNY here - I know Kenn will be THRILLED about that. he's been bemoaning the fact he hasn't seen the sun in days. It makes him even crankier. LOL!

It's the 19th of December. Only a few more days until we celebrate the birthday of our King! Our church held its birthday celebration on Wednesday - it was a HUGE party. :) There was dancing everywhere, and so many carols - so much jubilation! Many, many different ways of giving thanks for the amazing grace that came from Heaven were shown Wednesday night. It was amazing.

Have you been too caught up in the hustle and bustle of this season? Have you been able to just SIT, and dwell on His amazing love for you? Or to celebrate the gratitude in your heart towards Him? I would encourage you to do so! :D

The picture above is one of our newest acquisitions for our decorating in the kitchen (I'll try to get a few pictures from the open house up soon....). He was originally made to be a paper towel holder, but I LOVE this little snowman's attitude: HUG ME! BE HAPPY!!!!!! :D

I encourage you, dear friend, to bring someone to your house this season. A close friend you want to enjoy, a friend who's having a difficult time this year due to stress or loss, someone you want to get to know better. Welcome them. Treat them to an hour of your time. Share a season of peace and hope with them. Bless them - and you will be absolutely AMAZED at how blessed you are in return.

YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's still time to enter!

It's not too late to enter the blog drawing - GO HERE to read details and enter!

As Christmas draws nearer, I hope you're taking the time to focus on what we celebrate: the birth of the Messiah, the Long-Awaited One. Our email devotionals are about the Advent this season, and it's been very interesting to dwell on the different viewpoints of the characters involved.

My heart particularly hurts for Israel itself: they'd been away from hearing God for so many years, hungering for their Messiah to come. Still, many of them didn't recognize Him when He did come. Have you ever wondered if you would have?

We live under God's grace now, because our Messiah came to fulfill the law. Be sure and thank Him for willingly giving up the comforts of Heaven to be born in a stable in Bethlehem, and live on this fallen world for 33 years to fulfill the demands of the law for EACH and EVERY one of us!

Be blessed, dear one. YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace on earth, good will toward men....

Happy December, my friends! Thank you for those of you who have checked in; things have been rough for me the last few weeks - but I KNOW my God is in control, so I continue to struggle back to rest in Him. :) I KNOW you know how it goes. What's that saying? :Life is what happens to you while you're making plans"? :D

ANYWAY. This picture is my little tree in the stamping area. I love this tree; it's silver, but it's a 4-footer. Maybe that makes it easier to love? :D The stamping area is done in blue, white, and sliver; it's VERY peaceful. I can sit in here and work just by Christmas lights. RUDOLPH is on the TV behind me, Kenn's upstairs working, and I am sitting here counting my blessings again. I'm HOME. I have some of my loved ones here with me during this special time of the year. God send His only Son to live a humble life - to live and be tempted by things we're all tempted by, to know pain and joy. I am so blessed. I live in a beautiful home. I am loved.

So are you. :) I hope you find a quiet moment to sit and count your blessings this week, too. It helps keeping Christ the middle of your season! :)

TOMORROW WILL BE A BLOG CANDY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you're interested in reading our Christmas newsletter this year, you can find it HERE.

Be blessed, my dear friend!

What a beautiful morning!

Good morning, girls. I'm sorry I've been so absent lately; I call this my busiest month of the year, and it's definitely living up to that so far. :)

Did you go take the personality test in yesterday's post??? I'd love to know what you came out as. :D

It's THANKFUL NOVEMBER; I challenged you to post, SOMEWHERE, one thing you were thankful for each day of this month. I KNOW at least one of you is having an awful month, having to make life-or-death decisions with a loved one. While I know that doing this exercise won't make those decisions - or this period in your life - easy, I DO know it will help your heart to remember what God has done for you.

SO! Are you doing it? You should have six things on your list so far, since it's the sixth of November. :) Here are mine:

1. I'm thankful for my hostess club stampers, who help me keep in business!
2. I'm thankful for our new church, new pastor, and new lessons.
3. I'm thankful for new friends!
4. I'm thankful for a beautiful home and loving parents who grace us with it.
5. I'm thankful the election is OVER!
6. I'm thankful for my husband running errands so I don't have to!

You can use the comments section to list, everyone, or you can just use it to tell me you're listing. :) I promise you that this will make you feel even more grateful, and lift your heart. Remember the old song!

Count your blessings!

Name them one by one!

Count your many blessings -

See what GOD has done!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GINNY!!!

It's my friend Ginny's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Please, if you read my blog at all, you know how important uplifting each other is. Ginny and her husband, Phil, and her girls are battling Phil's cancer, plus Ginny has health challenges, too - but their faith is in our Heavenly Healer. Please head over to HER BLOG to say happy birthday and uplift her today!!!

LOVE YOU, GINNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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 morning! :)

Yes, I'm actually up this early today. :) Mom and Dad are leaving on vacation, and Kenn had to work early. So, I'll probably take a nap in a little while. :D It's a cool, crisp, still-dark morning. I love this time of day - but I'm not so sure I enjoy being AWAKE.... :D

This is our house. It's a warm, welcoming, inviting place to come - at least, most people seem to think it is. Mom has done an incredible job with it; the decorating, the thoughtful little touches around every corner - she's put a lot of thought into making this house a home.

In the 80s, when I was in college (I know, I'm dating myself pretty badly there!!!), there was a booklet used heavily by Campus Crusade called MY HEART, CHRIST'S HOME. Did you ever read it? It compared our hearts to a house, and how it can't be His home until He has the keys to EVERY door in it.

It occurs to me that some of us don't even really LIVE in our "homes". I see a lot of people whose hearts are more a storage area - some things they don't want to think about take a lot of the closed-door rooms; some things they want to dwell on are just inside the front door, so they can reach those and get out without having to face those closed doors.

I want to encourage you, TODAY, to allow Christ to air out your house. Give God permission to move you!

Psalm 19:14: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 26:2: Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind....

Psalm 37:4-5: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this....

And finally, let us cry out with David!

Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings to delight you;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

As the sun rises this morning, I am praising God for the good work He has started in our hearts today - and KNOW that He is faithful to complete it. May you allow Him to "clean house" today, to restore the joy of your salvation in your heart. :)

You are LOVED, dear friend. We are highly favored, treasures to Him. We are blessed beyond measure - let us LIVE for Him today! Give HIM the glory for EVERYTHING today!!!!

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!!!!