Mighty Waters

Good morning! How are you today? Are you doing well? :)

As most of you precious friends know, Kenn and I were planning on spending about five months in Oregon; God's been working in Kenn's heart, however, and he is SUPER homesick. I'm home for a couple of weeks because of needing insulin.

God was speaking to me the day I took this photo, but I didn't clearly hear what He was saying until I was at church Sunday, and Pastor Barbie was speaking about dehydration. (If you want to hear the teaching, please click here!) It was a wonderful teaching - and while she was explaining the way God teaches us about spiritual things is through His creation many times, things CLICKED in my brain. :D

So. His Word is water - water for our souls, for our cleansing, to drench our thirst. We know it, but is it still just in our brains, or has it made its way to our HEART knowledge, too? I'm afraid it hasn't for many of us - or it keeps going back and forth. :)

That's the way I am. I thirst for His Word, then life happens - and I allow it to distract me. And then it takes a LOT of discipline to get back to where I'm thirsty again. And I really hate that cycle.

Now, on to what God showed me! :) If you can stand to watch this wiggly home video (I think the first couple of seconds are the worst!) I shot on the beach, it shows pretty well what I'm trying to explain:

Ocean erosion

See, I'm the rock. I'm very set in my ways, not going anywhere, resisting everything - even if I don't realize it. My heart is seemingly made of stone.

What can change me? The water.

As you can see, the waves are never-ending. They continually beat on the shore - and if that's rock, that's fine. They crash in places, sending up great BOOMS as the water disperses into the air. And it doesn't look like anything happens to the rock.

But it does! And although I may not be able to see the change taking place in a day, or even a week, I can tell you from my many times visiting this place (This is our favorite place we've ever found together, Yachats, OR.) that the breaking up of the rocks, the changing of the landscape, is really happening quickly. It's surprised me how quickly, actually; the volcanic rock looks and feels SO solid, but in only 15 years, I've seen HUGE rocks reduced to small chunks by the ocean.

The water is relentless. It is steady. And it is altering everything in its path in one way or another.

This new cave formation simply fascinated me. SO much energy is being created in its formation.

I have more to share. But I think this is enough to chew on for a bit. :)

Please let me know if you have comments, questions, or prayer requests!! I miss you guys! :) BE BLESSED, dear ones!!!!

Permissible? Yes. But is it BENEFICIAL?

Hello, dear friends! How is your new year going? Can you believe this is the last full week of January?

There's something weighing heavily on my heart that I need to share. I'm going to share briefly how I feel about a specific subject, then give you two things I really hope you'll read.

There's yet another subject that has caused people to have knee-jerk reactions in our country: gun control. Now, I'm not taking sides. I'm sharing what I feel, in my heart. But I want to share something that I recently experienced....

Some of you know that Kenn and I did a show a couple of weeks ago; it was written by a friend, Frank Fox, as a follow-up to another show he'd written. The first show was call PHISH CAMP, and the second GIL'S GIFT. Fun, lighthearted stuff. But I wasn't associated with the first play.

GIL'S GIFT had two different characters who had to use firearms. And because we couldn't find realistic-looking props in such a short amount of time, the director got the two grown men real firearms to use.

As stage manager, it was my job to make sure all the props got to where they needed to be. This SHOULD have included these firearms. But when I tried the first time we had them, I couldn't carry one of them twenty yards. When I picked it up, not only could I feel the physical weight of it, but also the responsibility weight associated with it. I mean, think about it: for what end purpose would you use a gun? You might go to the range to practice, but practice to do what? Use that deadly force against someone. Even though I had no intention of doing anything but carrying that firearm, in its holster, to another place to be given to someone else, I couldn't do it. I had to allow the firearms guy to be in charge of them completely - and he was fine with that. It's the first time I've not been able to do a part of my job. But it wasn't that I wouldn't. It was, indeed, that I could not.

My dad had a rifle in the house while I was growing up. He might still have it upstairs in his closet; I really don't know. Nor do I want to. If he feels he wants it, just in case, it's his RIGHT.

Yes. It is a RIGHT. But I'll stick with this Scripture:
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
~I Corinthians 10:23-24

The Message puts it this way:
Looking at it one way, you could say, “Anything goes. Because of God’s immense generosity and grace, we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.” But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.

Please truly think about and pray about your stance. Don't just say what I've heard too many say - "It's my right, and no one's gonna stop me." We're supposed to do EVERYTHING for God's glory, dear friend. EVERYTHING. Please don't make an exception here. And if you feel led differently than I, then you follow what the Holy Spirit is telling YOU!

OK. I got that off my chest. :)

Now, then. To the two resources I'd LOVE you to check out:
My friend, Keith Giles.
 I think you'll love what he has to say. It will at LEAST make you think.
Prodigal Magazine
I absolutely LOVE this article. And it's what made me post this blog post; too many times, I throw up my hands because I don't believe people listen when it's a huge issue. But I have to still TRY. :)

OK, my friend. I hope you can hear my heart in this post. Even if you disagree with my position, the thing that I believe in more than anything in this post is that there's NO reason we can't agree to disagree, that unity in His Bride is more important than we realize and that we need to be able to love each other through anything! And if you want to dialogue, I'm here. And I love you. :)

Brokenness and Imperfections

Happy New Year, dear friend! How are you? How's your 2013 so far? I don't know why, but this week has DRAGGED. It's not like I'm not doing stuff, but oh, well. :D

If you're my friend on Facebook, you probably know all about what I've been up to. (If you're not, and you'd like to be, send me a request! LORI STILGER. :) ) But let me share a bit, anyway. I mean, that's why I started this blog, right? :D

I spent two weeks in College Station, Texas, taking care of my then-three-month-old niece. This is my baby sister's baby. You know there are VERY few people in the entire world I'd take two weeks out of my December to do something like that for. :D But it was an honor. And hard work! LOL! Fortunately, the baby is SO easy to care for, not fussy at all, and such a beautiful baby. Here, I'll put a picture of us from that visit here!Isn't she beautiful?

ANYWAY. :D

While I was there, Baby and I made some presents for the rest of the family; they were salt dough ornaments, and we used ONE hand and ONE foot to mark the dough, then let them dry.

Well, as you can see from my photo at the top of this post, mine is the imperfect one. When we first made this one, I thought, "Oh, no! It's ruined! Man, if only I'd gotten her hand straighter before we put pressure on the dough!"

But you know what? The more I watched it dry, the more I started to cherish this plaque in particular. the rest might have been more "perfect", but THIS one, I understood. THIS one, her delight in the texture and feel of the dough are made evident in the way she wanted to FEEL it - first with her hand, then with her big toe!

And it tied itself right into a lesson God's been developing in my heart over the last few months.

See, many times we come to a place in our lives where we have to fight despising the brokenness and imperfections in our past (or current) lives. The cracks and chips that happen when we choose to go our own ways, to live how WE think we want to. When we allow God to put us back together, those aren't glossed over. They're still there; we may be held together by His grace, but we can still see every crack, still feel where the chips are glued back together.

Dear friend, what He's been teaching me is that our brokenness and imperfections are SO useable by Him! Think about a candle holder (there's a really special one that I cannot find the info on, so I'll have to explain!!!) that's been cracked and broken. The owner puts it back together, and puts a candle into it. The light of the candle shines through the cracks, shedding light and warmth through where it couldn't shine through before.

God's the One Who puts us back together again. The candle is the Holy Spirit, shining the light of Jesus through us to the world. What a MIRACLE that is. So, I try not to despise those things in my life anymore, but turn them over to the Father, so He can use them to shed His light into others' lives. And to not give Satan something to hold over me. If it's out in the open, he can't torment me with feelings of guilt and condemnation!

I've been learning a lot. It takes a while to solidify into words, but I hope these words help you in some way. :) Be BLESSED, dear one. Know you are loved with an everlasting love, and that God does ALL things well! That includes creating YOU.

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!!!

Sometimes in our lives....

Hello, dear ones! I know I'm very sporadic over here; I'm sorry, but I'm glad you love me enough to come check once in a while. :)

Tonight, I read Beth Moore's blog, and had to come talk to you. :) Actually, to ask you a couple of questions.

If you're over 39, do you have someone younger than you that you kind of mentor, or encourage, or love on? Do you feel like that's an important thing for you?

If you're under 39, do you have someone in your life who does any of the above for you? Do you wish you had someone to do so, if you don't presently? How do you feel about approaching someone if you'd like that kind of relationship?

The older I get, the more I know how important this kind of relationship is - one that allows us to see someone older's walk, to share ours with them. to gain insight into their understanding of God that can only come with walking with Him.

I'm really blessed; I can look back on my life and see that I've almost always had that kind of person. Sometimes, they didn't have much choice - I was best friends with their son or daughter, I was appointed to them at church, I decided I liked them and they needed me to be around. :D

I'd love to hear what you're doing, what you think, how you FEEL. I'd also love to know where God's got you right now. Are you in a place where you really wish you could just let it all out to someone? Or are you in a place where you want to be His arms for someone, to help a younger person get through some of the - well, I'm going to call them "focus" issues. :D It's all where we place our focus, isn't it?

TALK TO ME. :D I love you! I really, really think this is an important issue, just as Beth does. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

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.

Recipe Review: Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Hi, everyone! I'm on the central Oregon coast for another two weeks or so, and I'm having lots of time and company to try out recipes in and on! :D

This cheesecake recipe is one I Pinned, and it came from this blog originally: Mangio da Sola
(That link will take you directly to the recipe!)

First of all, let me just tell you that this house, although it has lots of amenities, doesn't have all my cooking equipment. :D So I'm improvising where I can, and saying, "Oh, well" where I can't. :D

Second, this cheesecake deserves lots of TIME to put it together in. I did it in one day; I HIGHLY recommend giving yourself time throughout two days - none of the steps is a real time-eater, but the time between steps should be increased compared to what I was able to do! :D

With that being said, it is COMPLETELY decadent, and INCREDIBLY rich. The smaller the slices, the better - something I HARDLY ever say about cheesecake! :D It actually worked in my favor to not have everything I needed; I cooked off two mini-cheesecake bowls that were JUST the cheesecake mixture, and discovered a new cheesecake base that will be my go-to for a long time! I also had extra mousse, and put it into two wine glasses - and that was a snack a couple of nights later.

If you like chocolate, you will have lots of it with this cake! Chocolate cookie crust, chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate ganache. Creamy, and really lovely. I asked Kenn's opinion: "I thought it was really good. Good texture, good taste. Lots of chocolate. And...RICH!"

If you're looking for an impressive dessert for a dinner party, and want something that you can do well ahead of time, this is it! If you're looking for a light, healthy dessert to whip together, look somewhere else. :D

If you try it, let me know!!! I'd love to hear your opinion, too! :D BE BLESSED! Look for more recipe reviews - I've done two others in the last two days! :D

From the Oregon Coast.... :D

Book review: THE SCROLL

Hi, everyone! I was glad to be able to read this book, THE SCROLL, to review!

You can read chapter one by downloading it here; the book is a Biblical archeology novel, and is based on Dr. David Chambers and an elite team who are brought in by a secret group to do specific, secretive, very special digs in and around Jerusalem.

Biblical archeology was a field I contemplated going into when I started college; the main thing that deterred me was the dig conditions - I hate sweating! :D I'm still very interested in the field, so when I got the chance to own and read this book, I jumped at it.

I'm not going to give away any of the plot to you (although you can find an excerpt here!); it's a VERY fast read, and the authors have really developed their characters and setting incredibly well. The intrigue keeps drawing the story forward; the archeological finds are the stuff of Biblical dreams, and the interpersonal dramas swirl around and draw you in deeper.

Here is a link to author Alton L. Gansky's website! And if you click here, you can learn more about Grant R. Jeffrey.

I really enjoyed this book. Although set slightly in the future, everything in the book is easy to believe could happen today. There was only one spot where the information the authors needed to get out to the reader came across as an unlikely dump to characters who would already know the information. (As a side note, I don't recall finding any typos in the book, which is highly refreshing!) If you enjoy a bit of a mystery, history, technology, relationships, and insight into Israel, you won't want to miss this book!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I got it as an ebook, and it worked beautifully on my Kindle Fire!

Be blessed, dear friends! I'm going to be doing lots of reading this trip! :D

Getting ready to GO!

It's almost time! We're taking a LONG vacation, going to Oregon for six weeks. But it's been a long six or seven weeks past already....

I got sick for the first time right after Thanksgiving, and I just can't seem to kick this lung/throat combo all the way out. Kenn, as you can see, has also been having a hard time with it. With his asthma, we try not to keep passing it back and forth because of how difficult it is for him. He's still coughing, but I think he's feeling better. He kept his good spirit throughout, for the most part - look at the sparkle in his eyes! He's enjoying my reaction to his new hat. LOL!

Preparation this week has meant getting lesson plans done - and trying to figure out who, exactly, is going to substitute for me! It's been kind of stressful, but I think it's going to be OK. And you know what? I'm still going to get on that plane Saturday! LOL

Please pray for us, for healing, for rest, for traveling mercies, for divine appointments - that whatever He's got for us on this trip, that we'll keep our eyes open for His hand!

I'm planning on blogging from the beach a bit. I can't wait to see MY ocean again, to rest to the rhythm of His heart. :D

Be blessed, dear ones! Know you're in my thoughts and prayers! I appreciate you, so much!

A Recipe for You!

Hello, my friends! I'm procrastinating what I should be doing - getting lesson plans together for my sub for while we're on vacation - and posting this recipe. :D It's one of Kenn's absolute favorites, and I want to make sure I can locate it while we're on the beach, so I can make it for him. :) Isn't that a great way to show him some love? (I've already decreed that we'll be eating clam strips at our favorite restaurant for Valentine's Day! :D)

It's a Taste of Home recipe, but I can't find it again online so I can link you. I did change a little of the direction, so now it's OK to call it my own, according to recipe law. Did you know that?

Anyway. :D I hope you try it - let me know what you think!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar
2 eggs 1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda
Topping:
1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon* 1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and beat until combined.

Pour half the batter into a greased 13x9 pan. **

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients; sprinkle half of the topping over batter. Add the remaining batter and topping. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool completely.

* I always at LEAST double the cinnamon. It's really good for you, and we love cinnamon around here!

** When I make this at home, I make it in 2 8" square pans, and double the topping mixture. I usually end up with SOME topping mixture left, but it freezes well! That way, I have a cake for now, and a cake to wrap and freeze for future sweet tooth consumption or company!

Happy New Year!

Hello, dear friends. I hope 2012 finds you trusting even more in His goodness and grace!

I know that many of us are going through trials - whether it be our own or a loved one's health, financial problems, or a prodigal's being away from you and the Lord. But that doesn't give us an excuse to not have a grateful heart!

Here's how I Thessalonians 5:16-18 puts it:

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);

Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];

Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

This, then, is my challenge for the new year: no matter what happens, no matter what trials may come my way, I will continue to have a heart of gratitude, knowing that I'm His and that He has nothing but good planned for me.

Will you join me in this challenge? :) I'd love to hear from you! I am hoping to do a better job of writing this year; I want to continue to share what God's challenging me with, teaching me, and how He's continue to revealing Himself to me.

Let me know how to pray for you! Kenn and I are leaving on the 21st for five weeks in Oregon; I'm planning on writing some while I'm there!

Be blessed, dear one. Know He loves you more than you could ever imagine. Rest in that!

A Cheerful Heart!

Hi, sweet friends! I don't have any photos to share right now; I'm waiting to see if my hard drive comes back to me. I've been working on a laptop for three weeks now!! :D

I did want to share a really fun Biblical humor email I received - we all need more laughter in our life! :)

BIBLICAL HUMOR

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.

Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds.

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah - He was floating his stock while everyone else was
in liquidation.

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile
and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also,
probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one
Accord.

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no
longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in
the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark ?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan .....)

PS. Did you know it's a sin for a woman to make coffee? Yup, it's in the Bible. It says . .. . "He-brews"

Got to try Dr. Scholl's Gel Insoles for FREE!

I just wanted to share with you friends that I'm part of an online group called BzzzAgents; every once in a while I get to try some product for free, and these were my latest freebie.

I really like them! I can put on my shoes, and be able to stay on my feet a lot longer than without them. The only thing I don't like is that they shift in my shoes, and I have to re-place them whenever I put the shoes back on.

I have COUPONS to share, too! :D If you want one, leave me a comment - and make sure I have your address (you can email it to me at Pooh0612@aol.com), and I'll send out a coupon until they're all gone - but I have a lot to share. :) I LOVE being able to bless people with them!! It's a $5 off coupon! So, just let me know.

Be BLESSED today, my dear friend. You're constantly on my heart, even though I haven't been posting much. I'm thinking about what God wants me to post next. :) Leave comments with prayer requests, answered prayers, and just how you're doing!

Freebie for you!

Hi, y'all. Just wanted to tell you that I just joined a new site that looks promising. IF things go well, I'll probably be blogging a little bit about stuff I get to try. :D YOU have a chance to get a coupon for FreshExpress Salad - just click on that link! :D AND to join the site, too. Hey, free groceries are GOOD - I know most of us are really strapped. And our local newspaper said the recession ENDED two years ago. HA! Being more conscience of available discounts is a great way to be a good steward of what we DO have, don't you think? :D Good luck getting your coupon! (The site's a bit slow....)
BE BLESSED!

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.

If this doesn't touch you...!

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

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

Please go read this!

You really need to read this post on my friend Keith's blog. Perspective is everything!

Romans 1:12

Good morning, dear one. I'm so glad you came by to see if I'd posted today!

I know I've shared my struggle about what I want this blog to be. Today, God gave me another clue that I'd like to follow with you. :) Romans 1:12 says, "That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine." (Amplified)

THAT is what I want! I'm not strong on my own. I need to be encouraged, too - that's why I treasure your comments. :) And when we pray for each other, we're not only strengthening each other, but comforting one another, too. And when I get encouragement from a sermon or lesson or book, and share with you - THAT is ALL what I see this blog for.

Now, I know that we're a small group. But I believe that God has helped us find each other for this reason!!! PLEASE, continue to put your prayer requests in - you can either email them to me, or leave them in the comments area. And be sure to read and pray for each other when you get a chance. If there's something REALLY important, I'll post it in the blog. Update us when you get an answer, so we can ALL be encouraged and comforted. You don't have to give lots of details, if you don't want. Let us know praise reports! Blessings shared are AWESOME things - they encourage us to remember that God is working on our behalf, even if we can't SEE it!

I saw a church sign a few days ago that REALLY impacted me: "God adds and multiplies. Satan subtracts and divides." Let's share how God is adding and multiplying in our lives, dear friend!

I cannot WAIT to pray for you - and I know there are others that feel the same. I cannot WAIT to hear how God is blessing you! And I can't WAIT to continue to share what God is doing in my own heart and life. :)

Toward that purpose, I have put the video below. You don't have to use MY verse to meditate on when you watch this approximately two-and-one-half-minutes of the ocean, but fix your mind on whatever verse is yours for the day, and just bathe in God's creation. This is the Gulf Coast at Fort Walton Beach, where we were two weeks ago. Expect a little from Oregon, too. :D

Be BLESSED, dear one. God has a plan for you, a purpose for your life. Expect to see Him move today. Keep your eyes open for all the little blessings He's sending you; they're gifts, letting you know how much you're loved, and how much He delights in YOU.

Psalm 148:7-8:
Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,