Life and Death

 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
  a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Hello, dear friends. My heart is full of "stuff" to share with you. Some of you know what my week has been like, and some of you will have no clue at all.

First, I have to tell you - and proclaim it from the rooftops! - GOD IS GOOD. He has plans for all of us. And He works ALL things for His glory, for the good of those who love Him and are called, according to His purposes.

A week ago today, my youngest nephew, Elijah David (right), died. It was a stunning blow for our family; his family had been here a week before! It was my time to meet him. So it was incredibly difficult to think he was gone

But God had gone before us, and given us that time with him. We have wonderful, precious memories of him. And every one of us in my family has thanked God for the time we had with Elijah. No one has asked, "WHY?" I am so blessed to be a part of this family, who all have faith in the One Who holds it *all* in His hands.

Let me tell you about God's timing. On Tuesday, the day that Elijah's temporary, earthly vessel was put into the ground, my other sister had her first baby, Naomi Faith (left, obviously!). My middle sister was so excited for our baby sister; she said she'd be able to remember the 22nd as a day of joy.

It's been a difficult week, full of emotion - but also full of healing, of faith, of blessing, and of love.

And I'm sharing this with you for several reasons. First, because I must. My heart is still hurting, and it helps to talk about it. :) Second, because I know some of you have experienced a loss of some kind, also. And I want you to know that God knows your hurt. He sees the pain you still feel. And He loves you. He wants to help you grieve. Not "get over it", but turn it over to Him and let the grief be what He wants it to be, not become bitterness in your heart.

And third, because pain and loss are part of walking on this Earth. If you've not experienced a close loss yet, you will. And I want to encourage you: love Him now. Let Him grow you now. Experience how BIG God is now - and when something happens, you'll be able to trust His goodness, mercy, grace, and love without trying. You'll know He has plans for you, and that He will work it ALL for good.

Thank you for reading this. :) Thank you for your love, and for your encouragement and support. I am SO blessed to have each one of you in my life. Please continue to pray for our family, as we continue to walk through this loss together. And REJOICE with us, in the birth of Naomi!!!!

And if you need prayer, or to talk, or *anything*, please let me know! Be BLESSED, dear one. You are SO loved by the Father!!!

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!

Days like today make it SO difficult to think about leaving this place. Some people consider the desert to be Heaven-on-Earth; some the mountains, some the cities. For me, THIS is it. It rained and was foggy early this morning; we really thought it was going to be like that all day, which is wonderful here, too. However, Kenn left to get some more wave photos, and it really turned beautiful. I'm sitting about five feet from the door onto the deck, which has a plexiglass insert so all I see is the floor, the top and side railings, and the ocean.

The tide must be on its way in; the waves are hurrying to get to the rocks and cover them. It's got to be in the mid-50s; the door is wide open, so I can hear each crashing wave, the rollin surf, and feel the little bursts of breeze. There's a possible cloud line out on the horizon, but the sky is blue with whisps of clouds. The water is a dark gray-blue underneath the whitecaps and foam.

What IS it that I love so much about the ocean? I didn't exactly grow up on the ocean - the last I looked, Indiana was landlocked. True, Indiana holds a close second in my heart, but here, where the Pacific Ocean meets the coast of the U.S., is where I feel closest to God, to who I *am*, and to where I feel His presence and peace the most.

It's not that I DO much when I'm in that place of His presence and peace. For the most part, I watch as each wave breaks; they're all so different, so unique. It's not that I see anyone special while I'm here; even Kenn is gone. And it's not like the ocean is peaceful; in my lifetime, I've seen it destroy countries, claim land back to itself, and claim countess lives.

So what is it? I keep trying to figure it out. I do think some of it is that the roar of the waves blocks out all other sounds. I have stupid cat hearing, for those of you who aren't around me much. Sounds bother me. I can hear something two blocks away if I don't have the TV on at home. :) So blocking out the everyday noises certainly allows me to hear God's voice better. So I'm sure some of it's that.

But not all.

We only have one week left in this place. It makes me incredibly sad to know that, but I am SO grateful for the time I've had here. For the absolute beauty God has surrounded me with here. For the photos I've been able to use to capture and share a tiny bit of His wonderful heart.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think there's a wave to video.

Bound to come some troubles!

(Don't forget: you can see the picture at its original size if you click on it. :) )

I know it's been a long time since I really said much about anything. Honestly? I know that there are several of you who don't agree with me about some things, and I don't want to become a stumbling block to you. The truth is, the Holy Spirit has us all at different places in our lives, learning different things - and sometimes, taking a belief out of "storage" and really examining it to see WHY we believe it is painful. But that same Spirit that's in me is in you; there's a love that cannot break. So, when I need to post something, I will. :)

Many of you are my friends on Facebook; at this moment, there's a huge outcry over the Casey Anthony verdict. Now, I didn't follow the trial; no matter the outcome of the trials, those sorts make my heart sad, and it is hard to remember Where my JOY comes from and reclaim it. But I understand that everyone watching the trial seems to not doubt her guilt.

There are so many different reasons why the outcome was what it was. The truth is, it's all in God's hands now. Don't expect the justice system to get any better; as our pastor says, it's a system OF THIS WORLD. And as such, it cannot help but be flawed. It's run by humans for humans and about humans. As we all know, being human is pretty much the example of "flawed"!

I don't know how many of you know of Rich Mullins, of his life and his music. I had a personal connection with Rich, and Kenn started his Christian life listening - devouring, almost! - all of Rich's music. If you will listen to this song, and watch the slide show, I hope and pray the peace of the One Whose love you can always, always trust in will comfort your heart and surround you.

I love you. I will always love you. Turn your eyes to Him, dear one, no matter what your situation or circumstance - He loves you more than anyone can fathom. BE BLESSED.

Have you found YOUR tomato?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You absolutely MUST read this post!

Keith is a dear friend from college; he and his wife, Wendy, are two of the few people on this Earth to whom I would trust everything I hold dear.

Please, please read this post.

http://subversive1.blogspot.com/2010/01/change.html

YOU can make a difference!

After you read this story, you'll realize the SMALLEST act of compassion can change someone's life. I encourage you to look around for random acts of kindness YOU can do. If you see it, DO it!

It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Something a little light-hearted!

Remember: A merry heart doeth GOOD, like a medicine! So click on this link, and laugh your heart healthy! :D It's so fun!

How much MORE!

I really hope you'll click on the picture today, and really soak in both the picture and the Scripture. Go ahead. I'll wait for you!

::::::::: watching dogwood sway and listening to windchimes:::::::::::

Isn't this an awesome thing? Let me give you another illustration for what God's saying here!

I LOVE tulips. I love almost any flower, but there's just something about the shape and incredible multitude of olors that tulips come in that I just love. They're one of the first flowers of spring, too, and I love watching them grow and POP UP! :) It's amazing - there can be nothing there one day, and the next they're in full bloom!

ANYWAY. :) Last time Dad was out of town, I wrote him a note to tell him how much I appreciated his planting so many. We have over 400 bulbs out there! I know it's because I love them so much. I know he doesn't get a chance to appreciate them too much when he travels - Kenn sends pictures, but it's just not the same as being able to watch them wave in the breeze!

You know what my dad wrote back? "I hope they help you know how much you're loved."

Wow. My dad plants tulips JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES ME.

Dear one, God does the same thing - He CREATED those tulips because He loves me. And if He'll give me beautiful tulips in the spring when Dad plants them, just THINK what other good things He wants to give me!

This passage says He'll give me as much of the Holy Spirit as I'll ask for. We all-too-often forget the Holy Spirit when we talk about God. He's IN me now - but how often do I allow Him to guide? Do I LISTEN to what He's trying to tell me? Do I follow His tug to do this or that?

I'm learning. I'm a living sacrifice, after all - and that means I tend to crawl off the altar when I'm not focusing. But I want to get my SELF out of the way, and let GOD shine through my life. I want HIM to get all the glory. As I follow His leading, it gets easier. But I can still get unfocused - my prayer is that I continue to lift my eyes to Him, and not look at things around me that distract me. The more I fill my vision with Him, the less I get distracted.

How's YOUR vision, dear one? Are you looking to Him for your sustenance? Is He your Guide, or just your emergency rope?

My Lumberjack!

Psalm 90:14-17

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants,

your splendor to their children.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.

Today was kind of fun - I can't believe it's already early evening! It's been SO beautiful here, and I'm just feeling SO blessed. Dad's increased the tulip bulb count to over 400 - partly because I love tulips so much. :) It's GLORIOUS around here - but that's not today's post. Today is about my lumberjack, Kenn.



There is a tree out in the "wheel" that is most of our back yard. It was planted before Mom & Dad decided on the wheel design, and it throws too much shade, gets leaves everywhere, and the roots are beginning to cause problems. So Dad wanted it down.

Guess who volunteered to at least try! So, first he cut off the bottom limbs....

Then higher up, on top of the ladder. He only used a Sawzall and a hand saw!










(That's my dad, assisting.... :D )









And finally, the tree trunk in three pieces. The sunglasses are mine; they couldn't find the safety goggles. :D I figure any glasses were better than an eye in trouble!
















LOTS of sawdust and sweat later, he has the tree down as far as the parents wanted. He's gonna be SORE, for sure, but what a great thing for him to do!

How was YOUR day? Did you do something fun, or get to watch an event like I did?? :D Tell me about it!!!!!!!!!! I want to HEAR!!

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!!!!

Pleasant Monday Afternoon to You!

Good afternoon! Boy, this day is FLYING by!!! (I'm really hoping this picture is bigger when I publish this blog....)

I'm sorry it was raining outside your windows, girls. :D Actually, I'm not. We haven't had rain in weeks again, so you're getting blessed! :D And I bet it's even nice. I remember New York State, Ginny. :) The rain still makes me feel so glad to have a cozy home!!! :)

ANYWAY. We had an incredibly busy weekend, and I needed most of yesterday afternoon and evening to get my brain back. Phew, I felt braindead yesterday! Today, Kenn had to take off quickly when they called and told him he'd had an early-morning assignment no one bothered to tell him about; he'll be gone all day. So, I've been working, blogging, and trying to make home a pleasant place to be again. I've got a long way to go, but every little bit helps!

Think about this: if pleasant words are a balm to the soul, I think there's something as great about our environments that affects our well-being. Of course, it's usually easier to control our homes than our TONGUES.... :D But I think that's why women really respond to calm places, to colors, and why one of our heart's desires (usually, it's not always true!) is to create a HOME. Not just a house, not just someplace to eat and sleep, but someplace that is a refuge. Someplace that is what a tired soul needs after fighting the fight.

I don't do a good job with following through a lot of times, but I DO have that desire. I've done pretty good about fighting my packrat tendencies, but I have to fight Kenn's, too, and sometimes it overwhelms me. But Mom and Dad have provided us with SUCH a wonderful place to live, I'm determined to continue to fight! :D

OK. I'm off to do some design work, and to work on my home a little. I'd love to hear from you! What are you doing? How do you feel about what I wrote? How was church? (I'll try to remember to post about our services yesterday; I just run out of words to tell you BLESSED we are, every time we go!!!)

Count your blessings, dear one. I know some of you are going through an INCREDIBLE struggle right now. My heart hurts for you. Please know I care, and I'm praying for you. And God loves you. He can take all your disappointment, anger, frustration, lost dreams, and LOVE you.

Until next post! :) YOU ARE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's MONDAY! :)

Hi, everyone! SO sorry it's so late for me to be posting; I had doctor appointments this morning, and internet problems this afternoon - and a HUGE class tonight that I have to finish prepping for. So, I'm here on a hit-and-run mission. :)

Today is Monday; it's the day that we share what we learned at church yetserday. If you didn't go to church, what did you do?

Yesterday, our sermon was - once again - on "What Women Want In a Husband". Godly man, good sense of humore, communication, honesty, and a good provider. What do you think? Does that cover it for you?

I'm not sure how I feel. Kenn and I have not had an easy month. I think I need to praise him more when he does things I appreciate; I'm afraid that I get into the "Well, I've done so much for HIM, he SHOULD do whatever". Not good. So the sermon, for ME, was about making sure he knew what I appreciated about him.

Your turn!!! :) I spilled, now it's your turn!!!

Gotta run - I've got to get this class ready for tonight. I'll be back later, if I can find the time to squeeze in a little more blogging. :) I DO love you!!!!!!!!!!! You are VERY important to me, dear one. Please don't take my overactive schedule for anything but what it is! :D

YOU ARE LOVED!

Normally, I'd be introducing someone...

but everyone I've asked is too busy to write an intro and send it to me. If you would like to be my guest, email your bio and pic to me at pooh0612@aol.com. :) I'd love to have us get to know each other better!

Last night, a thin but vicious line of thunderstorms rolled through here. It was quite fierce for a while, during my teaching an advanced stamping techniques class. :) Thankfully, we were safe and warm in here - but I can't say the same for my mom's gazing ball. :( It had a crack in it to begin with, but the wind trying to play basketball with it didn't help. I did get her a new gazing ball last year, so I hope she's still got it in the box!

Today is absolutely beautiful; it's sunny, and clear, and the squirrels are playing in the back yard. I love watching them; my mom thinks they're gross. LOL! I just see some of God's creatures, put out there for me to enjoy!

It IS cold, though; look at poor little Willie, trying to get a drink! The heater IS in the water, but I think it's heating enough of the water to not stop the pump - the water's running back down BEHIND the ice on the pedestal! :) I wish I could have gotten the sunlight's reflection off the ice like I can see it from my desk; it's so pretty. I love ice in the sun!

Since y'all seem to like my pictures :D, I wanted to share another pic of our Christmas cactus. This is the offspring of Kenn's dad's cactus, which was too big to move back with us. Kenn's best friend, Lee, and his wife are "babysitting" it for us. :D

ANYWAY. This cactus started blooming just at Christmas, and is still going strong - so is my mom's darker pink one. They both have brand-new buds on them. If you click on the pictures, you can enjoy them all much bigger. :)

So. Today is a catch-up day for me. My desk is FILLED, and I need to clear it off. It hasn't stayed clean for longer than a day for the past three months. Kenn's cough is coming back, and giving him asthma attacks today. I'm looking forward to going back to choir tonight; I've not been able to sing since Christmas!

My heart is overflowing with gratitude to my Savior and Creator today. Such a beautiful world I get to enjoy! He loves me SO mcuh, He put the squirrels and the birds in my back yard, so I can sit here and share with you how much pleasure they give me. :) I'm resting securely in His love today.

What are YOU doing today? Are you super-busy? Tell you what. I'm praying today that god will open your eyes today - no matter where you are, or what you're doing - and He'll show you some little thing that He knows you love and enjoy that He's put into your world for you this day. Take the moment to FEEL His love, dear one! I can't WAIT to hear what He showed you!

Health Update: The retinal specialist was very happy with me yesterday. He was actually the most chatty and pleasant of ANY of my visits, even before he looked at me! :) He had his assistant take some photos of my eyes, so they have a baseline of how I'm doing. I don't have to go back until the end of May! :) I DID have a LONG wait - the visit and commute took more than three hours - but I survived. :D

Happy Thursday! :D

I'm not sure why, but I really feel led to encourage you today: RUN THE RACE TO WIN THE PRIZE. Can you IMAGINE what Heaven will be like?? Here, try this - straight from the Throneroom!

Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven

1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.

7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11"You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being."

How GLORIOUS will it be, my dear friend. I can't WAIT to give honor to my God and King, EVERY second of EVERY day forever and ever. I wish it were in me to do so with my frail, human body and perverted human-ness. I'm so, SO grateful to be FORGIVEN, and SET FREE. Because I'm forgiven, I can come into HIS HOLY PRESENCE. Have you thought about what that IS? If the reality of that scene to come really, REALLY hits you, you'll never be the same.

I'm praying for you, my dear friend. Praying that the holiness of God, and his imparted righteousness and holiness to YOU, will be revealed to you. May it bless you, humble you, encourage you, and lead you to show those around you how much that love, peace, and grace that have touched your life are flowing outward to them.

Talk to me! What are YOU thinking right now????

Tuesday is GOAL DAY!!!!

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

Psalm 34:7-9

Good afternoon, dear friends!!!! How are you doing today? I'm able to be up and around, thank God. He is GOOD all the time, but sometimes, I'll admit, I have a really hard time remembering that when I can't breathe from coughing. Kenn's going through it yet again, too - this is his THIRD time, and he's got asthma, so it's really difficult for him. Prayers for him would be SO appreciated!

OK, down to our GOALS. I'll confess. My golas fell by the wayside pretty much while I was sick, so I need to get back on the bandwagon and catch back up with my reading, especially. I did go to water aerobics a week ago today, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I can't go tonight - the slightest exertion starts me coughing again. I AM planning on going on Thursday! I love my instructor, I love feeling like I've accomplished something - so I'm looking forward to CONTINUING that again. :)

So, I confessed. They say it's good for the soul. :D Who's next??? I've been printing them out as you send them to me! Sheri? Rhonda? Becky? Nancy? Let's see. Let me find my folder.... (I keep getting sidetracked! LOL!! TOO much to catch up on!!) Aha. Deby? Judy? Karen? Anyone I missed? :)

More health stuff: Well, got a phone call from my doctor's office last night. My A1c, which is the average of my glucose levels over the last three months, was a 7.0. This is MUCH better than I thought it was going to be (that averages to a 150 glucose reading average!), but of course it still needs to be lower. The thing that concerned them a bit is that my liver enzymes, which have been elevated since they started testing me, jumped some this last time. SO, I've stopped taking my cholesterol med for the next two weeks, and I'll have a liver ultrasound done when I go in for my next appointment on Feb. 6, to make sure nothing serious is going on with IT. I MEAN, when it rains, it pours. LOL! My glucose readings are awesome these days - of course, I really haven't felt like EATING much the past week.... :D But thank you SO VERY MUCH for all your prayers!!!!! Keep 'em coming, dear friends! :D

OK. That's it for me. This is a lot of typing for someone who should be resting. LOL!!!!

GOD BLESS YOU, dear one. He loves you, so very much. Be embraced by Him!!!!

Good morning!

God is SO good!!! I love snow, and I've been thrilled to watch the snow flurries that have hit the Nashville area late yesterday and this morning. Nothing's sticking, but it's definitely chilly! :D As you can see by our backyard fountain - now THAT'S a tall, COLD drink of water! :D God knew how much it would please me to get to see the snow. JUST as I started blogging, it started again. Just a few flakes drifting gently down, but enough to absolutely bless me! Thanks, Abba!

How are YOU doing today? I'm looking forward to today; my best friend here, Amy, and I are going to get to spend some time together - AND we're meeting another friend for lunch. Girls' day just doesn't happen often, so I can't wait! :)

Yesterday was a little scary. My blood sugar rose SO HIGH that I was afraid I'd have to get Kenn to take me to the ER. It was starting to come down when I went to bed, however, and I prayed hard and believed that God would take care of it. When I got up to - well, why else do we wake up in the middle of the night and stumble into another room, hmmm?? :D - it was down to normal. PRAISE HIM FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! It's not a nice feeling to have that happen, and you can't control anything!

You know what brought me to Him? All I could hear when I closed my eyes was, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, Who was, and is, and is to come!" If HE isn't able to take care of me, who CAN?????

Well, Amy should be here any time, so I'm going to cut it short. :) I MAY talk again later today; I've been SO blessed by the comments y'all are leaving/emailing me. Thank you!

God bless you, dear sister! Have a WONDERFUL day - be sure to look for the ways YOUR Abba is telling you He loves you!

New year, new blog!

Welcome to my new blog! I've been pondering doing this for a long time, and here I go!

In case you don't know me already, my name is Lori. I'm a 40-year-old married to a 60-year-old, which brings on joys and challenges of its own. :) We live in central Tennessee, attend a Southern Baptist church, and are photographers by trade. I'm a type 2 diabetic who struggles moment by moment to achieve SOME semblance of glucose control, a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, a Kat's Coffees & More consultant, and a Christian since I was 6. I have a beautiful step-daughter, Kaisa, who got married to Jeff in May 2007. I'm an aunt to five nieces and one nephew - not to mention my fur-baby nephew and niece! ;)

There's always a LOT going on in my life, and when I'm up, I'm up - YOU know what I mean! If you're reading my blog, it's either because you're curious to see what I'm into NOW, or because maybe you recognize that some aspect of my life might be similar to yours. :) Regardless of your motivation, I'm GLAD you're reading! I'd like to become your friend, and share in your journey! My friends and family are incredibly important to me, and I always welcome new people to share - I firmly believe we ALL have something to contribute to one another!

So. My reason for starting this blog? Because I really want to make a difference in MORE than just stamping. I think that, every once in a while, I have something worth saying, or worth pondering - and thought maybe I'd find an outlet in this blog. If you have something YOU want to talk about, or any questions, or anything that might start me on a tangent, please let me know! I want this to be a safe place for you to come read, laugh, maybe cry, vent, just be yourself. :)

My heart's desire is for you to know that God loves you passionately, deeply, and eternally - and He understands your struggles. Mine, too. :) And sharing them helps us get thru them! They came to PASS, not STAY, dear friend!

I hope you're intrigued enough that you'll come back and visit. Starting tomorrow, January 1, I'll share some of my personal goals - and I'm hoping this blog will help me be accountable for keeping up with them! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! God BLESS you, and keep you SAFE!!!!