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!!

The MOST excellent way!

Hi, sweet reader! Thank you for coming to visit today; whether it was by your design, or by "chance", I'm glad you're here. I want you to take a walk with me, down a Roman road.

We're just going to stroll down this road together; there are some "sights" I want to point out to you. Don't stop reading! Just get to the end of the path with me. :)

It's a beautiful spring day! Can you hear the birds, and feel the breeze - and see the buds on the trees? Look at that beautiful fruit tree that's full of blossoms ahead!

Here's the first thing I want to show you! It's Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." That's ALL, my friend. NO ONE can save themselves. We were born into sin.

But that's not the end of the road!

This stop is a two-part stop! Look on this side:

Romans 6:23a "The wages of sin is death..." We all will die a physical death. But we don't have to die in our sin - that is not only a physical ending, but a spiritual ending you need to understand we all DESERVE. There is nothing we can do ourselves that can make us righteous.

But look at THIS side of the stop!

Romans 6:23b "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." It's a GIFT!! It's free!! God offers it to you and me, to save us from that sin and from the spiritual death that goes with it. But you do need to receive it.

Let me tell you a story that will illustrate this really well. I used to be the only non-family member of a company. One of the three families involved was REALLY, REALLY disfunctional. I mean, WOW!! So the dad is NOT a nice person at all, but his sons tried SO HARD to get his approval. One year they were feuding badly, but the younger son still wanted to please his dad; he gave him Christmas gifts, came and put them on the dad's desk. THEY SAT IN A CORNER, UNOPENED, all year. The son gave the gifts, but they weren't RECEIVED - the dad ignored them, left them unopened, unused, and neglected.

Let's keep walking! This is a beautiful road!!

Here we are!

Romans 5:8: "God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!"

Oh, dear one, do you HEAR that??? God is outside of time; He sees all time at a glance. And while He was looking at our sin - YOUR sin, MY sin - He knew He wanted to give us that precious Gift. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our gift! He died for us, so we could be saved! Eternal life in God's presence. His presence is so sweet here on Earth - I can't WAIT to be able to see Him face-to-face!!!!!! And it's available to YOU - all you have to do is ASK!

Oh, look! It's Romans 10:13!

"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Anyone can receive this gift! There's no "I'm not good enough" or "I need to straighten up my act first". God will meet you WHERE YOU ARE!!!! Just ask Him!

Oh, here's the last stop on this road. Isn't it beautiful?

Romans 10:9-10: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Oh, how LOVELY this stop is. Do you see how EASY it is? God hasn't made a lot of hoops to jump through. There's not a physical torture test, or a decathalon to compete in for this prize.

If you've been down this road before, isn't it a sweet place to visit? To be able to thank God for His incredible, awesome GIFT? I hope our walk today reminded you to praise Him for it!!!

If you've never been down this road, and you've heard Him offering you His precious gift today, you might be wondering what the next step is.

Just talk to Him! We call it "praying", but it's really just having a communication session with The Most High. :) He wants us to talk to Him!!! You can simply tell Him something along this line:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I know that has kept me separated from You. I ask You to forgive me of my sins; I want to repent (that just means "to turn 180 degrees" from the way you were going), and ask You to help me walk the way You want me to. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and that He rose from the dead and is alive today. I ask that You become my Savior, and Lord of my life. Thank You! Amen.

Did you know that when you said that prayer, Heaven threw a party for you?!?!??!?! The angels REJOICE over EACH soul that receives the Gift!!!!

I'd like to rejoice with you, too! Please email me, or leave me a comment, and let me know so I can - and so I can pray for you, too! The next step is to find a good church where you can learn more about the decision you made, and start to grow and learn about this new life!

Praise God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Dear one, He rejoices over YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pastor Barbie Loflin

I just wanted to share our assistant pastor's website with you: http://www.drencheddevotions.blogspot.com/


Be prepared. She is an all-out, no-holds-barred teacher/preacher. It's ALL about God. She's incredibly open about everything she teaches. When God reveals something to me through her, it completely takes my breath away and brings me to tears. It's the kind of cutting through that only the Word can bring!

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

I challenge you to go check it out! And if you are able, she has a CD that I've not been blessed to hear YET - but I get to hear her at church, and I KNOW you'd be blessed!!! She's also an author - they're all there for you to check out.

Be ready for the breath of God to stir!!!

He's a BIG, BIG GOD!!!

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

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

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

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

Karna Tagged Me!

Go visit Karna! :)

Here's how it works: The instruction is to go into my photo collection, take the fourth folder and the fourth picture in that folder and explain it. Then tag four more bloggers to do the same.



So, here's my picture!

This is my currently-youngest neice, Michaela, over a year ago - the last time the family came to visit. She's sitting in a patch of sunlight coming in from the sun porch between my studio and the kitchen. She's just eaten breakfast, as you can see. :D She's SUCH a sweet girl!

OK. I can't think of four people to tag, but I'll tag Becky - and if you play along, let me know! :)

Enjoy!

My Epiphany

Yes, it HAS been a long time. God gave me this post to share with you about two weeks ago, and making myself sit down to do it has not worked. :) So, I'm going to attempt it now. I really have a feeling that someone besides ME needs(needed) this post!

Please go click on the picture above, and read the verse. Let it soak in. Then come back.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::waiting::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Welcome back! Did you HEAR what the verse said?

Well, let me tell you what I heard from God concerning this verse! :)

Haman was doing just fine, having come from the FIRST banquet with the King and Queen of Persia. That is, until he OBSERVED Mordecai.

Now, let's take a look at that word. Here you go, straight from Webster's Online:
1: to conform one's action or practice to (as a law, rite, or condition) : comply with
2: to inspect or take note of as an augury, omen, or presage
3: to celebrate or solemnize (as a ceremony or festival) in a customary or accepted way
4 a: to watch carefully especially with attention to details or behavior for the purpose of arriving at a judgment
b: to make a scientific observation on or of
5: to come to realize or know especially through consideration of noted facts
6: to utter as a remark
intransitive verb
1 a: to take notice
b: to make observations : watch

That 4a is the one that applies here. Haman HATED Mordecai with a PASSION. As most of you reading this know, that hatred fuels the whole book of ESTHER.

Haman had to look with this INTENT at Mordecai, to be ABLE to observe. He took his focus from the joy of being Haman, and started to look at the places he lacked - namely, Mordecai's lack of acknowledgement, in this case. Haman wasn't complete when he looked at Mordecai's contempt for his power.

Dear one, when we take our eyes from where they're supposed to be - fixed on the finish line, on our Lord and Savior - and start to observe our circumstances, not only do we not see the whole picture, we start to judge ourselves, others, and our situation in our own sight. If I start looking at what is - or ISN'T! - going on in my life right now, start taking a look at what seem to be insurmountable obstacles.... Well, let's just say that I would cover MY head, too, and run up, crawl into bed, and NEVER come out.

In MY sight, if I observe the circumstances, I can't go on.

If I keep my sight fixed on God, I cannot observe anything but Him. I can't get distracted and distraught by things beyond my control, that are actually there to help me grow in Him. Good or bad, circumstances are there. They change constantly. GOD DOESN'T. He's bigger than ANY circumstance I am under - or IMAGINE myself to be under. God is sufficient for ALL my needs. He is my Rock, my Strength, my Strong Tower. There is NO OTHER. Period.

Dear one, please let these Scriptures encourage you!

2 Corinthians 4:17 - 18:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1 - 3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Be blessed, my dear friend. Let us determine together to fix our eyes on Him. All things will pass away, but the Lord endures forever! PRAISE HIM!!! Lift your song to Him, PRAISE HIM, REJOICE ALWAYS. Not only will you lift your song, but your HEART will be lifted. Sometimes praise is a sacrifice, but it is one that God will acknowledge and honor - and you'll be lifted up, too!

I love you. I care about you! I want to share your struggles. I know I've been a bit absent lately; February and March have been super-busy with Stampin' Up!, and I've been doing an AWESOME Bible study on Esther - it's Beth Moore's new one. If you get a chance to take it, DO SO. You WILL NOT be sorry. I knew the story backward and forward, up and down, inside and out. But the life application stuff that's there I never saw for myself. Such good MEAT.

Oh, sweet sister, I want to encourage you SO much. God is so good. His mercies are new, EVERY morning. He is faithful! Let Him love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

99 Experiences - Please Share about YOU!

I'd LOVE to hear your responses to this, girls. I REALLY want to get to know YOU. There are only a few of you who seem to talk to me at all; I'd love to see the readership grow, as well as PARTICIPATION. :) Just copy and paste into an email to me, and bold the ones YOU have done! :)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band/orchestra
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland - I assume Disney World counts
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a lightbulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Tastefuly Simple Recipe for LIFE!

I received this from a friend a while ago; I wanted to share it with you! It's a GREAT checklist; I'm going to print it out and keep it in my bedside table.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for______________'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings, you'll be smiling before you know it.

Neglected Awards

Hello, dear friends!! I hope you've enjoyed all the posts this week. :) I've received two awards that I need to post; one was during DECEMBER. I'm SO awful - but I'm so glad you love me, anyway. :D

OK, so both Karna and Becky gave this award to me on DECEMBER 10. :::::::::::::hanging head in shame:::::::::::::::

Part of the problem is, I don't know who else to give it to! :D Here's what the award says:

This award means that this blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY- nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming.These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

Isn't it a WONDERFUL award?? Thank you both, SO much, for granting this to me!!!!! You're so sweet, and it means so much to know I'm LOVED. :)

This one's hard for me to give away, because I REALLY don't bloghop as much as I should. I think I will give it to Jennifer, though. :) I've linked to one of her sites, but she's got another wonderful blog that you'd enjoy HERE.

If you think I should have given it to YOU, too, post a comment and tell me!!! :D

Here's the next award that I received from Ginny. :) Ginny is a dear online friend, and any prayers you can send her way would be awesome. I'll let her tell me if she wants to share with you!

ANYWAY. This is a sweet award, too; here's what it says:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon's of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines. I am to choose eight friends to share this with.

Yeah. Like I HAVE eight friends with blogs! :D Let's see. Of course Becky gets it, and Karna. And so does Jennifer, so SHE has two, also. LOL!!!! Let's see. Ummmm, Nancy, too! And AMY!!! :D She's got a blog now, so she's tagged! :D

That's all I can think of tonight. I'm starting to feel a bit of my hay fever coming on. I need that cold weather back! :D If you think you should have gotten THIS one - and it's QUITE possible, because I ALWAYS forget something or someone - please leave me a comment! :)

OK, girls. Thanks for coming and loving me!!! :) I love you all, dearly, even if I don't say much to you for a length of time. :) Please pray for us, too; the business Kenn's been freelancing with so much is gone. He's kind of excited about what God may be using this for, but it is still a shock! (To the wallet, too!!) But we know GOD is in control; those friends of ours who've lost their jobs there, too, are devastated. Please pray for them all.

BE BLESSED! Or rather, YOU ARE BLESSED! RECOGNIZE IT!!! :D Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

37 Random Things About Me!

Erase my answers and put yours in and forward it to your friends. Kind of fun thing to do!

1. Do you like Blue Cheese? -- NO! AUGH!!!!!!
2. Have you ever smoked? -- nope
3. Do you own a gun? --nope
4. What flavor of Koolade is your favorite? -- Depends on my mood; grape or fruit punch, usually. :)
5. Do you get nervous at the Doctor? -- YES - and my blood pressure proves it!!!
6. Your thoughts on hotdogs? -- I really like Hebrew National, but as long as it tastes good!
7. Favorite Christmas movie? -- CHRISTMAS VACATION! Ohhh, the CAT!
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? -- soda. Water makes me nauseous!
9. Can you do pushups? -- The question SHOULD be, do I WANNA???
10. What is your favorite pc of jewelery? -- A pendant Kenn gave me on our second anniversary when we had NO money.
11. Favorite hobby? --stamping, reading, baking--I have too many!!
12. Do you have ADD? --nope!
13. Do you wear contacts or glasses? --yup
14. Middle name? -- Lynn
15. Three thoughts at this very moment? -- I should file all the crap on my desk. I hope everyone enjoys this post. I should really go put all the Christmas stuff back under the eaves.
16. Name three drinks you drink regularly. --Water, Diet Mtn. Dew, Diet Coke
17. Current worry. -- taking captive my fears about finances!
18. Current hate right now. -- Lima beans. :D
19. Favorite place to be? --PACIFIC NORTHWEST!! Second choice, at home
20. How did you bring in the new year? --Kenn & I watched the ball drop.
21. Where would you like to go? -- YACHATS, OREGON!!!!!!! PLEASE?!??!--------------------->>
22. (This was blank when I received it, have NO idea what it was supposed to be!!!)
23. Do you own slippers? -- yes, several pair. :)
24. What color of shirt are you wearing? -- white
25. Do you sleep on satin sheets? -- Nope. Who can afford 'em?
26. Can you whistle? --yes, but better in than out!
27. Favorite Color? -- For WHAT?? :D Black, white, red, pink, purple....
28. Would you be a pirate? -- YES, I love being on the water!!!
29. What do you sing in the shower? --depends on the day!
30. Favorite girls name? --Becca Joy
31. Favorite boys name? --Nathan
32. Whats in your pockets? --aint got none
33. Last thing that made you laugh? -- Kenn being silly
34. What vehicle do you drive? -- anything I can borrow!
35. Worst injury youve ever had? -- dunno!
36. Do you love where you live? --No, but it's where God has us right now!!!
37. How many tvs do you have in your house? --too many! 6, and there's only 4 of us in the house!! LOL!!!

REALLY??? Only FOUR people want to win????

Really??? Only FOUR of you want to win my blog candy??????

All you have to do is click on the picture, and leave me a comment. There are two ways to enter:

First, guess how many hearts are in the jar. :)

Second, tell me what you'd like to see on my blog. :)

That's it! Can't wait to read what you have for me!!!

BE BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so glad I'm a KEPT WOMAN! Are YOU?

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! I'm blessed to be 'kept.' I'm 'Kept' by the Love and Grace of God! God is AWESOME, share Him with someone you love !!!

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! :)

Giveaway to share!

Besides MY BLOG CANDY, I have a new giveaway from another blogger to share with you. Her blog is AWESOME, so spend some time over there!

And here's another giveaway - Lori's been seeking the truth about God. :) I receive her blogs daily - she's a LOT of fun!

BE BLESSED!!! :)

25 Things About Me!

Those of you who are my friends on Facebook may have already read these. :) Just wanted to post here - I'm not picking 25 people, but PLEASE let me know if you decide to play! :D

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you

1. I live for Christ alone!

2. I did meet my husband, Kenn, online - but in a Christian chat room NOT called MIRACLE WHIP. :D

3. This year will be our 13th anniversary.

4. I hold a speech communications degree from the University of TX, El Paso.

5. I haven't done anything official with that degree since I graduated!

6. I was a substitute teacher for 18 months after I graduated - and I can still give THE LOOK. :D

7. I've lived in six different states: PA, IN, TX, OR, WA, and TN.

8. If I could choose to live anywhere in the continental US, I'd choose the Pacific Northwest.

9. I'm really a very shy person!

10. I am a demonstrator for Stampin' Up! - here is my blog http://www.poohisstamping.blogspot.com/ and here is my official site http://poohisstampin.stampinup.net/ - and I LOVE what I do!

11. I struggle daily with my blood sugars - but I know Who has them in control!

12. Kenn and I have our own photography business called HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY. If you'd like to see some of our work (or even better, OWN some!), please check out http://heavenlyperspective.shutterbugstorefront.com

13. We have a daily email ministry we call SOME GOOD NEWS. It's a photo with a bit of Scripture, then some GOOD news. :) If you'd like to try it out - you can unsub at any time! - just email me at HeavnlyPhotos@aol.com.

14. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! It's my absolute favorite time of the year. I think part of that is that you can give something to someone without them wondering WHY. :)

15. I've done a LOT of different work over the years - Jack of all trades, you know?

16. My nickname is "Pooh". My family has called me Pooh for YEARS, and still does. :)

17. I LOVE to read. Books are my best friends, have been since I can remember. Nowadays it's mostly fiction, sci fi, etc. :)

18. I'm currently in a Bible study on ESTHER by Beth Moore. I've always loved ESTHER and RUTH, but Beth's breathing new life into this study for me!

19. We had a dream, a long time ago, of my making a CD. But contemporary Christian is NOT where my voice was, and my voice is getting past its prime, for sure. If only I'd been a little older during the Sandi Patti era! :)

20. We are SO blessed - we are able to share a beautiful house with my parents. We all get along well, and Mom's decorated the house beautifully. Kenn and I are able to have our own suite of rooms, and I have the great room downstairs for my business/studio.

21. I believe that, no matter how little we possess, we are still blessed. We should share our blessings with others! Pass it on - not to receive, but to BLESS!

22. I have two sisters. One is pregnant with #7, and her husband is in the Army. My youngest sister is a G&T teacher in Texas; her husband is a college professor.

23. There are four years between each of us; there are three years between each marriage. Kinda wierd, huh!

24. I've been contemplating going back to school for a while, but don't know what I'd like to do if I did.

25. I stress more over people being upset about things than I do almost anything else!

It's BLOG CANDY TIME!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Why, yes, it IS candy. :D It's the old GUESS HOW MANY ARE IN THE JAR game!!! :D

There are TWO ways to enter:
First, simply guess how many candy hearts are in the jar. :)
Second, tell me what you'd like to see on this blog: more lessons, more chat, what??? Give me some clues! :D

That's all there is to it! Have fun, tell your friends about the contest, and I'll pick a winner on Valentine's Day! The winner will receive a care package from me. :) I promise it's gonna be great!

A diamond in the making

Good evening, friend!!! I'm so glad you still drop by to check on my every now and then. :D I have a new friend, Ellen, who left me a wonderful encouraging comment last time. THANK YOU, Ellen!!!! I really appreciate what you said. :)

I've been ruminating on this message for almost a week. Kenn and I went to Wednesday evening service at our new church for the first time last week; with it being a ways away, we're praying about what God wants us to do. Kenn went to the men's dance class, and I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself. :) I went to Pastor Barbie's class; she's teaching on being under pressure for this quarter - what happens when you, your gifts, your life, EVERYTHING, come under pressure. This lesson was the second - we were in Missouri for the first one. But MAN, was it awesome! I want to share with you my notes from the class; please feel free to discuss, to ask me questions, to comment; I'm sharing so maybe a little of the meat from the Word can nourish us ALL. It's MEAT, girls; Pastor Barbie did a LOT of studying, and managed to put things into words that I could easily follow, eagerly await the next illuminating word. :) If any of it doesn't make sense, let me know! I'll try to clarify, or ask her how I can explain her point better.

Mantles and Rivers

There are only two things we're to be "under": God's sovereignty and grace.

Job 12:7-10: But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

All things testify of God's sovereignty and goodness.

Psalm 19:1-3: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

There is NO place where the voice of the heavens proclaiming God's glory is not heard!

We are all elementally the same - for instance, we're made up of primarily carbon - therefore, we all have the same potential!

ya'halom - Hewbrew word for "diamond". It's only found in two places, in Exodus and Ezekiel. In Exodus, it's on the breastplate of the priests. In Ezekiel, diamonds are associated with the King of Tyre. Diamonds are only mentioned in the Bible when associated with priests and kings.

(Please note: my spelling of the following is probably incorrect, but I did my best! :D)

Sihilet ya'holom - "the elite, special secret diamonds" - it's the name of the special ops arm of Israel's army.

A diamond is birthed in the mantle of the earth. Not the crust, but DEEP into the earth. It has to be under much heat and pressure to become a diamond. And it has to stay at a certain depth for a length of time to become a diamond.

When God births a diamond in you, you already have a mantle!

Pressure + heat + depth = ya'holom

Pressure - those times in your life. YOU know. :)

Heat - the refining fire

Depth - go deep and STAY deep in God

Your strength is not developed in the good times! (We all know this, but I think we can all hear it again!!!)

God is doing SOMETHING in your hard places.

Clarity develops in that place, too.

If the stone starts to move out of the heat and pressure before its time, it doesn't become a diamond. It becomes GRAPHITE.

Diamonds are conductive and magnetic. Just as we are to conduct the light of Christ, and draw men to Him!

God's perfect will is on the other side of our obedience."

Diamonds are released through disruption and explosion. (Think volcano!)

Rivers are what move diamonds around the planet after they're released.

You have the RAW MATERIAL; God placed it in you. God's just bringing out the potential. ONLY CARBON CAN BECOME A DIAMOND. Diamonds are the stuff of priests and kings - set apart, cleansed, and purified.

In these depths, He's giving you strength and clarity, making you conductive of Him, and magnetic to others.

THE DEEPER YOU GO, THE GREATER THE PRESSURE.

Birthed in the depths, in the refining fire, and under the covering of the Ancient. When you're released, it will be explosive and usually instantaneous.

You will always be positioned by The Holy Spirit's movement. ALLOW HIM TO LEAD YOU.

Here I am!

WHEW, what a month it's been already! :) Kenn and I did a whirlwind trip to visit some of his relatives while his brother and sister-in-law were there, and I'm glad we went, but I'm SO glad to be home!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was tired of SITTING. LOL!

The picture above was taken at a hat store in Wichita. Cute, huh. :D

I wanted to let you know I'm alive, and working on some posts to bring you. I'll be back soon with more!!

BE BLESSED, beloved. I'm SO grateful for you, for the fact that you haven't given up on me completely, and the fact that God sometimes uses this blog to bless you. YOU ARE A BLESSING, TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!