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!

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!"

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!

Culled from the flock

Hello, dear ones. How are you doing?? Are you having a good fall? Are you making your list of things you're grateful for?

That's one of the things we do at Thanksgiving - but that's a totally different post. I really don't want to write this post, but it's time. :)

Maybe you've already discerned from the title what I feel God's leading me to write about today - and maybe you're one of the people who will get upset with what I have to say. But I pray you'll listen, and at least listen to what God is telling YOU, individually, before you dismiss it.

Today, I need to talk to you about being part of the body of Christ. The church.

I have SO MANY friends who have told me, "The church is full of hypocrites." "I don't need that; I can worship God just as well on my own." "I don't need to go to church. God understands."

Dear one, I need to deliver this message: much of what God wants to teach you needs to be taught in meeting with believers.

You'll notice I did NOT say "in a church"; I believe that a BUILDING cannot BE the church. WE are the church, the believers who make up any group that meets in ANY building. But I DO feel that God is telling His body to become more unified.

There are many reasons that people I know have left the church; can't find one they like, have been too hurt by others, don't have time, don't like what goes on in church, etc., etc. But, dear one, that doesn't give you a reason to not be with believers in a service ever again.

I know that you've been hurt, deeply, by people who are supposed to bear Christ's name. And I'm not saying that it will never happen again. But you know what? NO ONE is perfect. There are so many MORE reasons for meeting together than NOT that you need to find a place to be. A place to be safe, to be loved, to be encouraged, and to be held accountable.

Yes, I said accountable! :) We seem to have given up on trying to be holy anymore - not holier-than-thou, but holy. God said, "BE HOLY, as I am holy." (My emphasis there. :D) We all know we're not perfect, nor are we holy - but we seem to have stopped trying. It's true in many aspects of our lives - we can't do something completely, so we don't even attempt it. Oh, dear one, that's SO not the way God wants us to live!

We are to rejoice together - the shepherd who found his lost sheep, and the widow who found her lost coin BOTH called people together and said, "REJOICE WITH ME!" It's with the words of our testimony that we share our story of God's grace in our lives. We benefit in both the hearing AND the telling of it; if you're not meeting with anyone to rejoice with them, you're losing out on many blessings!

We are to encourage one another - being KIND and COMPASSIONATE with one another. FORGIVING one another. Oh, dear friend, I know this is hard to do when you've been hurt! I know how difficult it is to let anyone in again, when your heart has been broken, your spirit crushed, by those who were supposed to have been friends, who were trusted to be truthful and loving.

And we're to exhort each other. What does that mean? Here's the definition from dictionary.com:

to urge, advise, or caution urgently; to admonish urgently; to give urgent advice, recommendations, or warnings.

Yes, we're to help one another, IN LOVE, to show each other where a problem might be - again, IN LOVE. Our pastor said in a sermon from Ephesians that we are not going in love to someone unless our heart is breaking for them. Oh, sweet reader, I KNOW this is where some of the pain comes in. Someone may have said something like this to you:

"I'm only saying this because I love you, but...." And then proceeded to cut your heart out.

YES, we need to be advised. And sometimes advice hurts - sometimes warnings hurt. Our flesh rebels against restrictions, and it's easier to justify those desires than it is to die to them. But it's also easier to put them on the altar when you have someone to walk with you, to help you, to encourage you to LEAVE them on the altar. When we walk with each other, we can help each other. But when you walk alone, look out!

The enemy is real, dear one. He "roams", seeking "whom he may devour." THANK GOD our God is so much bigger than the enemy! But, dear one, if the enemy can cull you from the flock, can separate you from the body, he can get at you so much easier.

If you've ever watched any of the animal shows, you know what I'm talking about: lions, for instance, don't attack a whole herd of antelope. They separate one from the rest of the herd. Then, it's easy for them to take down ONE.

But I'm sure you saw this video that was going around the Web, the one with the herd of water buffalo who won back against the lions AND the crocodile. WARNING: The video is VERY difficult to watch!!! Dear ones, we're NOT powerless - and we're a much more incredible force TOGETHER. We're in a battle, and one soldier doesn't stand much of a chance.

I'm hoping to have one of my friends who is a pastor of a home group do a guest spot here, and talk a little about home groups. I am here to say: don't give up on each other. It's too important, from too many Scriptures. We grow and learn with each other.

Alone, we usually don't even try. If you're honest with yourself, you'll admit it. You might for a little while, but after a time, every day is the same - except it's a weekend, so you can sleep in and do those chores that haven't been done.

Don't give up. Don't be separated from the flock. Want Scriptures? I had a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to use, because there are so many of them. Start with the middle of Ephesians. Still want more? Email me. I can't tell you how heavily this has been weighing on me for a LONG time! God is calling us together again, dear one, as His body. He's calling us to learn to live in UNITY. To strengthen and uplift one another. To put on our armor, and STAND together.

I love you! I pray for you! I want you to know that GOD loves you, and wants you to love HIM. Read His Word. TRUST His Word. BELIEVE it - it will change your life.

Email me with any questions, or concerns, or complaints, or prayer requests. :) I'll listen!!!!!

I haven't forgotten you!

Hello, my dear friends!!!! I have neither forgotten nor abandoned you; God is working out another one of THOSE posts in my heart; I'm hoping to have time mid-week this week to get it out of there and onto my computer. :D

I just wanted to drop into your email, or into your world, and let you know that I miss you, I care for you, and I LOVE it when you email me!

Keep watching for that post - and pray for me while I'm trying to go where He's leading me! :) BE BLESSED!!!

This, that, and the other!

Well, it's been a mixed bag so far; so I guess I don't have any more direction from y'all than I did! :D It is nice to know that you do want to hear a little bit of personal stuff, that you care about Kenn and me! :)

The reason I haven't posted too much about sermons lately is that our pastoral staff has been sharing about how they were called, and what led to their calling in their lives. It's been really wonderful; such an eclectic group of people, all who love the Lord with their whole beings! Besides that, you can always download the sermons HERE. :)

We aren't going to church tonight; Kenn's fighting off a cold - just when he's starting to get a gig every now and again, FINALLY!!! SO. I'll share last Wednesday's notes with you. Again, Pastor Barbie's class is on being under pressure. Please note: All Greek spellings are entirely my fault. :D We don't have overheads or handouts, so I'm doing the best I can!

Text: II Corinthians 1:3-6:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

In the depths of your inmost being, we first need to re-establish God's sovereignty; God is bigger than everything, and we tend to allow everything else to become bigger than He. He created you to feel what you feel! "God, You created me to be able to stand in this place (under duress or pressure or crisis) to feel what I'm feeling."

The comfort spoken of here is "paraclexis" - to draw you near to Him, to take every single particle of what you're experiencing, and giving you comfort in its place. He's using that experience to shift you from one place to another.

Verse 4 shifts to "paracleo" - comfort not only flowing from Him, but flowing out to others now.

God even heals self-inflicted wounds! We refuse to let Him in close, because we defied God, and know we deserve punishment. It's in our minds!

He wants to protect you from you!

He wants to heal you from you!

He want to RELEASE you from you!

Everything God has FOR us, He imparts into us.

"We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY!" but how OFTEN we refuse to share! We want to forget where we came from! But if I can comfort someone with ANY part of my testimony, how DARE I withhold that?????

Romans 6:21-22: What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Verse 5: Your suffering will never outweigh His comfort and grace.

Peace comes in your life when you realize you control NOTHING!

We have to participate in order to GROW.

Sometimes, God will allow you to go through something (SUFFER) in order to affect the lives of those around you.

Verse 6b: The only other time this phrase is used is in Revelation 1:9, "patient endurance". It refers to a person who is NOT swerved!

Girls, I'm doing a Bible study with Amy and Cris P. on ESTHER. I HIGHLY recommend it, if you ever get a chance to go through it!!! But a LOT of what Beth's been saying on the video is what God's been showing me at church. :) I'll talk about that more later. In the meantime, don't forget to enter the giveaway! :)

God's in control!

Hi, dear friends! Here we are at the middle of May already - can you BELIEVE it?? Where has the year gone? And as I look forward - NOT! - to celebrating another birthday in just a couple of weeks (SIGH), God keeps nudging me to remember the lessons he's taught me over the years. Here's another one: He doesn't want me to just walk in Him when I'm making the BIG decisions, but also the SMALL ones.

This is heliotrope. If you've never smelled it, you've missed a great treat. It's an heirloom plant; my dad winters ours for me, because I love it so much - and it's not easy to keep alive! But the plants are big and healthy.

One of the really unique things about these blooms are that they make up clusters. Kind of lilacs in individual trumpet shape, they make small clusters - and smaller clusters grow together to make bigger ones.

Kind of like the decisions in my life. Little decisions add up. If I don't give Him the little ones, how am I going to REALLY give Him the big ones? I want to be like Balaam - nothing he could receive could tempt him to go beyond what God commanded him to do. Living in God's commands, His will, is worth so much more than anything I could get on this earth. It's funny how much we KNOW that, but it doesn't take much to throw us off course. :)

So, that's what I'm thinking about today. How about you? What's God saying to you? I'd LOVE to hear from you - I'm feeling like I'm talking in the dark again. :D I think my next post will be an in-depth introduction of myself, because I'm finding out a lot of you don't know much about me! LOL!!!

God bless you, my dear friend. He loves you - rest in that knowledge today! :)

Good morning!

No words necessary today. GOD IS GOOD! (Click on the image to make it larger. :))

FIND YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

It's Tuesday - and we have a WINNER!!!

It's GOAL DAY here on Wannabe!! :) That means we ALL check in with how we're doing on our goals - and if someone doesn't check in, I pull out my folder to check up on you. BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!! Accountability works, darn it. :D

But before I do that, we had a giveaway on this blog last week; all anyone had to do was leave a comment. Kenn drew a random number, and the winner is....

Kelli, from THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Congratulations, Kelli! i've already been to Kelli's blog, to ask for her address. :) She has 5 photo cards and 15 handcrafted cards coming to her, as a thank-you for commenting, and reading. But THANK YOU to all of you - you're the reason I'm here! I LOVE YOU!

SO. On to today's business!!!!

My goals: office hours still aren't happening, and I'm becoming a little more OK with that. Our schedule, because of the nature of our businesses, doesn't loan itself to that. So, I do the best I can - and that will be sufficient, because God is. :D

Activity-wise, I'm still not being able to hit water aerobics like I want to - this play thing is starting to hit high gear, so I'm even busier with things! - but I am increasing my daily activities like walking, stair-climbing, etc. According to the experts, every little bit helps! :)

Bible-reading, I've at least started again! I'm still off my schedule, but I am going to catch up eventually. The important thing is that I haven't totally abandoned it - thanks, Damien. :)

SO, ladies! How are YOU doing? Nancy? What's this week's project to work on? Becky, how are things going at your house? I know a lot of your goals and priorities have changed since the beginning of the year.... Rhonda, how is your budget going? I'm VERY proud of you! :) Sheri? Deby? Are you still checking in? Judy? You here? Karen, dear one? I know the emotions have been tough lately. Are you OK?

OK, dear ones. I have a question for you: would it hurt terribly if we changed goal-setting day until another day of the week? Since no one seems to want to be introduced anymore ;), we have Wed., Thurs., and Saturday we could move it to - and that way, I could share pictures from the weekend before I forgot about them. ROFL!!!!

Have a wonderful, blessed, beautiful day. You know, I don't think it's up to me to be blessed, myself; it's up to me to be a BLESSING!!!!!!!!! Bless someone today, dear sister, and be amazed at how God turns it into a blessing for you!

It's SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!

I SO love the snow. Right now, most of my enjoyment is coming from watching ALL the birds outside; there are dozens of them!

So. Today is supposed to be when I go to the movie with my friend. I didn't tell you! When we arrived on Friday, the times had been changed for the weekend - and Julia had to be at home for her grandkids as a special time. So, we went to Lifeway Bookstore - the new one in Providence Shopping Center in Mt. Juliet - and then to Panera for lunch. We had a good time - Julia is a wonderful person. :) So, anyway, we're supposed to go to see the movie today, but it's still snowing. I'm not sure if Julia's going to feel comfortable enough driving or not. Regardless, I have an invitation for lunch with another friend if the movie doesn't happen, and I need to go to a customer's home to show her how to do a project she bought the supplies for. Phew! A lot to fit in! :)

Here's another picture, just because I wanted to see if you could spot all 7 birds in it. :D

I wanted to respond to some of your comments, because I haven't done so in a while. Not because I don't CARE, but because things have been kind of wierd.

So. Here we go! :)

This one's from Sparrow - her blog link is to the right. This is the least-spiritual thing she asked me. :D She said, "What crafts will they be making at your church?"

What we do is have a "Craft Night" every second Friday at our church. We all bring our own supplies, and work on whatever we want. Most of us scrap or stamp, but we've had knitters and crocheters, too, and women who just need to get out of the house for some other adult female company come to visit. :) We go for six hours; there are several of us who do it the whole time, but you're free to come and go! If you live in the area, we'd LOVE to have you come - just email me for more details! :) It's FREE!

Nancy - whose blog link is ALSO to the right! :) - said, "Very fun stuff! I think I need some of those shoes. Everyone says they are the epitome of comfort. How are you feeling and how is your glucose level holding?Still praying for that."

I do LOVE my Crocs. I was kind of hesitant at first; Amy gave me my very first pair of Crocs for Christmas a little over a year ago, and they are textured on the bottoms. My feet are VERY sensitive to what I walk on; the wrong kind of socks can bother me! But I LOVE Crocs. I now own three pairs - the two Amy got me, and one pair of black Mary Janes Kenn let me pick out when we were in Oregon last May. I love them - and rarely wear any other kind of shoe!

I'm feeling a little better than I did yesterday; it's that time of the month, and not only do I have the regular mood swings, but it does affect my blood sugars. So you can pray for poor Kenn. :D

My glucose levels are doing really well! I can tell when I haven't done what I know I should, and there are still times when my bod does whatever it wants, but overall, I'm very happy with where I am - as opposed to six weeks ago! :)

Thank you for caring, and for praying!!!!!!!!! That means SO much to me!

One more before I go get busy. :) This one is from my local friend, Lori P. She says, "I really wish I could have heard the sermon but I was helping in the preschool and I really like doing that also. So for me yesterday was learning about Abraham and how he listened to God. It also put a whole new spin on sacrifice. That word is used too loosely. I can tell you that everyday I am in worship I find myself being more and more patient on waiting for God to show me what he has in store for me. For me, that is not easy so it shows me that I grow from hearing the message over and over. I hope that makes sense."

It sure does, Lori. I agree; we do use the word "sacrifice" too loosely. Webster's Dictionary says that a sacrifice (n) is destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else. The verb definition: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end. And that's the secular use!

God sacrificed His son for us. We say we sacrifice for Him, but what have we REALLY sacrificed lately? Ourselves should be the answer - but one of my favorite points to make is that living sacrifices tend to crawl off the altar often....

I hope maybe you've found something fun, or interesting, or thought-provoking today. :)

Know I love you! Time to jump in the shower, and get ready to be a social butterfly in one way or another. :)

GOD LOVES YOU!!! Enjoy His blessings today!

Author Unknown....

I received this from another friend online, and wanted to share it. If nothing else, I hope it starts you thinking: do you agree? Why or Why Not? :) (She didn't know who authored this; if you know, please let me know so I can acredit him/her!)

5 Reasons God Permits Problems

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you--depending on how YOU respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five reasons God may have permitted the problems for
experience in your life:

1. God permits problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God allowing this situation to get your attention? 'Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.' Proverbs 20:30

2. God permits problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags ... If you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith by alowing a problem or two into your life? What do problems reveal about you? 'When you have many kinds of troubles, you should b full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.' James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something...health, money, a relationship...by losing it. 'It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.' Psalms 119:71-72

4. God permits problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem-but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good'... Genesis 50:20

5. God permits problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. 'We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.' Romans 5:3-4

** Here's the point: God is at work in your life-even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

Today is TUESDAY!

OK. It's Tuesday. I've been dreading this day all weekend. I am SO totally unmotivated right now. I have no desire to do A THING. I'm behind in my reading, my blogging, my LIFE.

I wish I could go on a vacation!

SO. How are YOU doing on your goals??? Obviously, I'm not going to judge you in any way! LOL!!!!!! Please share; is ANYONE else in my boat this week?????

Phew! I'm BACK! :)

Whew. It seems like it's been a long day! :) I HATE being without the internet - I always wonder what's happening with my business and my friends! LOL!!

Today is one of those days outside where it's sunny, and it's nice, but there's NOTHING interesting going on. :) So, I visited Mr. Rabbit in the side flowerbed. He was busy talking to the stick, however, and wasn't very sociable. The lillies are getting ready to grow already. The poor plants don't have a clue what to do; one day, it's a high of 40; the next, 70!!! Poor things.

I'm really procrastinating. Can you tell? I have lots to do, but I'm just so glad to be back online! I haven't heard from some of you lately, but new friends keep popping in - I'm so glad people stumble across this little testimony to our Big GOD!! :)

What do you have planned for your weekend? I have to work Saturday, and I'm really looking forward to church on Sunday. Tomorrow will be a play day for me; I'm going to the movies with my friend, Julia, and then it's craft night at church - I love to go, but I'm not sure what I'm going to work on again. LOL!!!!

OK, I'm going to quit chattering. Have a WONDERFUL evening, my dear friends, and KNOW GOD LOVES YOU. He is an incredible, AWESOME God, mighty to save, merciful and beautiful! Discover a new facet of Him today!

I just have to share this blog with you, my dear friend.

WOW. I mean, WOW. I'm blown away by the simple words slicing straight to my heart. I think you'll want to add this one to your daily blogging list, lovely woman!
http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/
I'm so grateful Karen (Karna) pointed me toward her. When I grow up, I want to blog like Lysa.
God, teach me ABANDONMENT!!!