Boy, ain't it the truth!

I received this email from a friend from our old church. It's wonderful! :D

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life,my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon - before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever,but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. AndI shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

A sister needs our prayers on FRIDAY!!!

If you're reading this, I'd SO appreciate your prayers for my dear friend, Rhonda. She's been having some sort of conflict with a co-worker, and IMed me today to tell me that the principal had asked for a meeting tomorrow with her and the co-worker - and Rhonda hadn't mentioned it to the principal.

Of course, Rhonda is a bit anxious about the outcome. Here's what she just emailed me:

I told you earlier that I have that conference with my principal and the teacher I am having a difficult time with tomorrow. I found out it has to do with the main issue between this other teacher and myself. I am verey worried about it. I know, I know the Bible says not to worry, but to pray instead. However, being human I find it VERY difficult NOT to worry over certain things. This is one of them. We will be meeting around 2:45 tomorrow. It would be great to know that there are people praying at that exact time.
Rhonda

Philippians is one of my favorite books in the entire Bible. Here is what I would ask you to claim for Rhonda now - she's having trouble claiming it for herself. PLEASE, let's lift her up to her Father! He knows what she needs!!! :)

5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Update on me: the procedure went well this morning, and I'm almost back to normal in that eye. Both eyes feel tired - a response to the numbing drops they put in to be able to check the pressure in my eyes. Thank you for praying, dear ones!

Happy Tuesday! :D

Good afternoon, dear friend! I'm SO glad you stopped by! :) How is your week going? How was your weekend?

Well, let me tell you! My weekend was so full of spiritual truths, and bits and pieces of spiritual "gum" - things I need to really chew over :D - that I can't sift them all out at one time.

I was blessed to be able to hear Priscilla Shirer in person again. Amy and I did a Bible study of hers called DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD together, and then I got to see her in person in Branson when I went earlier this year. As a matter of fact, she is the speaker I honestly went to hear in Branson. :)

Anyway. This weekend's conference was Friday night and Saturday morning. She's got one more of these events this year before she stops to have her baby :D, so I won't share everything I got from those two days for a little while. She's worth hearing for yourself! Honestly, every single person who went with our group got something TOTALLY different out of it! :) Plus, shes a communications person, and I would LOVE to be doing what she does - and I wouldn't want someone to "let the cat out of the bag" if I was!

Can I say ANYWAY again? :D Anyway! One of the things she said this weekend, not even as a bullet point :D, was that too many times we exalt our PROBLEMS over God. That's making Him SMALLER than whatever we're facing. We talk about the circumstance we find ourselves in more than we talk about God's goodness, grace, and faithfulness.

Did YOU hear that smack I got in the face??? :) WOW, do I see myself in that statement. I try to be very careful here on my blog to be SURE that God gets the glory and the exaltation, but in real life, sometimes I talk waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy too much about my problems - whichever one is bothering me that day. :)

My reality check will be stopping at least once each day, and asking myself: if I've talked to anyone today, who or what was exalted (lifted above) during my conversation? As Amy told me yesterday when we were talking about it, I'm allowed to express concern and ask for support - but the problem, my fears, or Kenn's reactions will NOT be exalted in my conversations!! :)

Does anyone else recognize this in your own self? Dwell on HIS goodness, my friend, and count your blessings, and claim this circumstance as under His authority. He'll take care of you - He promises! :) HE LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beginning to gather my thoughts.... :D

Thanks, Karna. Like I never post, dear one? LOL! I blog without obligation, but I would love to be able to be a little more consistent. :::sigh:::



ANYWAY. :) Here's the jumping-off place for my thoughts.

Let's define our term. :)

Interpersonal communication: First word, "interpersonal", means "between two people". "Communication" means "a delivery of a message via both direct (the words one uses) and indirect (nonverbal, "body language", tonal delivery, etc) channels."

:D Did I lose anyone yet? In other words, interpersonal communication is something we use every time we talk to another person. To COMMUNICATE is to make a two-way street of sending and receiving information. If it's not getting through, you're not communicating! :) Does that make sense?

As humans, the indirect channels are the ones that actually deliver about 90% of our message - and BOY, if they aren't mis-interpreted half the time! The way you're standing when you say something, the vocal range you use, the eye contact you do or don't maintain - all SORTS of things go into the way we "say" things.

As Christians, it's vital that we deal with each other in love. If you use an online Bible, you can find hundred of references for the phrase "each other" - and many of the ones in the New Testament tell us to LOVE EACH OTHER - in no uncertain terms. It's the second greatest commandment, according to Jesus - the SOURCE of our love for each other. Must be pretty important, don't you think?

But HOW do we do that? One "message" at a time. :) As I continue with this topic - and it may not be every post, but be something that's definitely a thread through the next few weeks - we'll talk about the ways we're shown in Scripture to deal with each other, even in conflict. It's there, in black and white; if we choose not to hear the message, you've cut off the channel of communication with GOD!!

I pray that this topic will allow us to examine the way we deal with the important people in our lives: our spouses/significant others, if applicable; our families, our friends, our non-Christian friends, and the PEOPLE who make up the Church.

Be BLESSED, dear one! I hope you'll take this little beginning of a topic, and think about it. Examine it; I don't want anything of *my words* to take root in your heart - but if God has spoken to you through this post, don't turn off that communication!!!!

And we have a winner! :D

She doesn't know who she is yet, but I've ordered her book for her. :)

It's been crazy around here, and I haven't been eating right the last couple of days - so I've been feeling really, really tired. I'm doing MUCH better today - I have to start each morning giving God control over everything I put in my mouth. I wish I could be like lots of others, who can eat the junk they want, but I'm not. :D

I'll try to post a catch-up tomorrow, but I'm not promising that's what it will be. God's still leading me to talk about interpersonal communications AS CHRISTIANS, but I'm not sure my thoughts are together enough to actually start that series. :)

Oh, you want to know who won? Well, the winner of THE SHACK by William P. Young is none other than...

RHONDA B.!!!

Congratulations, Rhonda! It may be a week or two before you receive it, but it's on its way. :)

Who am I, anyway???

I realize that a lot of you don't really KNOW anything about me, so I thought I'd just introduce myself a little bit! :D

But what do you want to know?? Or DO you? :D

Let's see. I'm the oldest of three girls, all spaced four years apart. Neither one of them wish to be "outed" online, so I'll respect their wishes. :)

I've lived all around the US, in each region, I think. :) I LOVE the Pacific Northwest, and it would be my permanent home if I were given a choice. But no matter where I go, God brings wonderful, special people into my life. My friends are very important to me!

I really like to TRAVEL, as in go to far places on a plane. :D I am a homebody, though, and on any given day I'd rather stay home and work than have to go out someplace.

I've worked in a lot of different fields! That old saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none"? Yeah, that's talkin' about me. :) Honestly, I think the thing that still gives me the most satisfaction is teaching - but NOT what I've done in the school system. I LOVE teaching people when they want to learn - like what I do with rubber stamping and scrapbooking. I love to hear people's reactions when they realize they can do whatever we're working on, and it's pretty, and THEY did it!! :)

I have a BA in communications, emphasis in interpersonal comm - which perhaps explains why my relationships with friends are so important to me! My minor's English lit - one of those truly USEFUL degrees. :D Did all that in El Paso, Texas. :D I've done community theater for YEARS, both on- and backstage duties. I love to be onstage, but it's a bit difficult when you look like I do. ;D

I still keep in touch with one of my best college friends - HI, RHONDA!!!!!!! :) - and she, besides my family, has known me the longest on this planet.

My parents have called me "Pooh" since I was about three. I still collect Pooh, and wear Pooh, and am called Pooh. :D

Then there are my best friends from Ohio I used to do theater with, Karen and Joe. I still have wonderful, cherished memories of our times together, and need to do a better job of staying in touch with them. Karen's husband is also a diabetic, with serious health complications. If you could pray for Doug when you think of it, we'd all be so grateful!

I met Kenn on the Internet, back when the Net was still in its infancy. We'll be celebrating 12 years of marriage next month! If you'd like to read more about that, go HERE and then read some of our writings - links on the right side. Karna actually knows us from the old days when we first got together! :D

I have a beautiful stepdaughter, Kaisa. She's happily married to Jeff, and they live in California. Children are in the PLANS, but not the WORKS. :D

I'm a type 2 diabetic, with eye complications. Speaking of which, I have another laser surgery on the 28th of this month, if you happen to think and would like to pray for me! :) I struggle with my glucose levels, but I know Who's got ALL of me in the palm of His hand, so I try to rest there.

I grew up in a Christian home, accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 6. There have been times of real stagnance (?? is that correct???) - but also times of great growth. God has been calling me to go deeper in Him for a few years now, and I feel like He has planned for this blog to play a role in others' growth, as well.

If there's ANYTHING you'd LIKE to know about me, please don't hesitate to ask. God's brought me through a LOT of trials, and has taught me that praising Him regardless of my circumstances is what He truly desires from me. It's not always easy, but I CHOOSE TO DO SO! :) Sometimes, praising Him is a sacrifice of our desires and will.

So, ask away. :D Tell me about YOU!!! Post to your blog, and let me know you did so!!! I want to know you, my friend. I care about you! I know our Father loves you deeply - so deeply, we can't comprehend it. I also know He wants us to live in His love, and to deal with others from there!!!! :)

Don't forget to enter the drawing for the book - scroll down for details. :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend, dear one. Rest in Him!!!

Good morning!

My but I'm tired! I've been working hard this week, and now I have a day where I get to stay HOME, but still need to get things done - and one of the things I needed to do was to get busy HERE! I'm sorry it's been a few days since I posted. I always want to do quality posts here, and some days I just don't have the time. :(

Anyway. This post is going to be for housekeeping chores - I'll be sending you a couple of other places to read. But always come BACK - you won't want to miss any of these links. :)

First, one of our friends here at Wannabe, Karna, has started her own blog. I think you'll enjoy her - she's witty and fun, and has been a dear friend of mine for a LONG time! Her blog is called SASSY LASS. :)

Second, I think we ALL forgot about THIS POST. Sorry, girls; let's give this until what, Monday the 18th? I just want as many people as can to get in on this drawing! :)

Third, I know that I've mentioned that Kenn has a blog, but have I mentioned that he's got TWO? He's started his second blog to work on his book; he began this book 12+ years ago, but never felt like he had an ending. Now, he feels like God's telling him it's time to finish it - so he's working on it again! :) You have to read from the bottom up, or it's not going to make any sense to you. :D And PLEASE leave him comments; he wants to make it the best he can. :) GO HERE to read Kenn's book! Oh, and grab a tissue when you come to the interlude about me. :D

And last but not least, my dear friend Becky P. has a friend who's in the end-stages of Cystic Fibrosis - a cause that is dear to my heart because of Greg McDougal's kids. She's trying to get 100 people to post a comment - there's also blog candy involved! - but she wants to get people PRAYING for her friend, Nancy. GO HERE to read Becky's post.

OK, I think that's all for this post! :) Summer's almost over, and I know you're busy! Thank you for sharing some of your precious time with me. I hope you'll leave me a comment, too.... :) KNOW YOU ARE BLESSED!!! I appreciate and love you, dear one!

Happy Friday!

Gosh, is it POSSIBLY Friday already?!?!? I've been working hard this week to get ready for my Stampin' Up! open house Monday night - you can go visit my blog for more info about it. :D ANYWAY. Kenn LOVES what we call "munchy" meals - things where he can nibble whatever he wants for a couple of hours, versus a real meal. AND he's picky about what he eats - sorry, Love, but you are. :)

So, a few weeks ago I made a bunch of different dips, served them with a couple of different kinds of chips, and he was SO HAPPY. :) So, we've done it once a week.

Last night was the night. I had been to the grocery store Tuesday, found some bruschetta topping - tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, maybe a little balsamic vinegar - on sale, and they also had a crab dip we both liked (a miracle, truthfully!!!) on sale. So I made our favorite potato chip dip, clam dip, and made some spinach artichoke dip, and toasted up some leftover bread I had in the freezer, plus had some potato chips. Oh, and threw a dozen chocolate chip cookies into the oven for him.

I put this plate together JUST FOR YOU, my friend. Sit down with me. Isn't God GOOD? His bounty is overflowing! Especially in America. We think we're deprived if we can't have something we want. But we are SO blessed. So many in this world are hurting for the smallest thing. And look at what we are able to share!

I love you! I'm so glad you came to visit me. I wish you could stop by for a REAL visit, but until then, know that I count YOU as one of my blessings. I hope and pray you'll be aware of how blessed you are today!

CHECK IT OUT!

FIREPROOF: The Movie

Satan is attacking our families, our relationships - and this movie, from the church/company that brought us FACING THE GIANTS, is setting out to do something about it. PLEASE go watch, pray for the movie's impact, and plan on seeing it!

EXCELLENT thought for your day!

My dear friend Becky sent me this today. It's from Crosswalk's Daily Devotional. I hope you're as convicted as I am. :)

You Get What You Pay For
Wendy Pope

"You were bought at a price."
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NIV)

Devotion:
Crocs: now those are some ugly shoes in my opinion! I am not always on the cutting edge of fashion but Crocs are foot fashion that I can not embrace. The colors are loud, the shape is bulky, and did I mention the cost can bust a budget? I typically like to invest my money in knock-offs rather than name brands, especially when it comes to my children because not too long after a purchase they either out grow or destroy the item. Therefore, with a knock-off, I typically get my money's worth. Except when I bought "Crocs."

My children wanted Crocs and kept asking for them. I gave in to the asking but committed not to buy the "real" thing. We went to one of the higher priced stores, not a discount box store, to make our purchase. This store was known for quality, not to mention the shoes the kids wanted were on sale. So with great excitement, we tried on some shoes, found the correct size, and paid for them. My children were so excited they asked to wear them out of the store. How could I resist? Everyone was happy for a few hours, then I heard a loud shout from the back of the car followed by a cry, "My Crocs (imitation or not we called them Crocs) broke." I couldn't believe it. I went back to the store with receipt in hand and exchanged my son's shoes.

Two days later the same shout and cry came from my son. The second pair broke. I don't have to tell you that I was regretting my purchase. I put the shoes in a bag with the receipt and was ready to return them the next time we were out running errands. We found him another pair of shoes to wear that day, and he was ready to go back outside to join his sister bike riding. As we walked out, my daughter rode up only to tell me that her "Crocs" had broken too. Are you feeling my frustration?

A week later, with the love of Jesus on my face I returned, not exchanged, the broken shoes. As I signed the receipt, I said to myself, "Well Wendy, you get what you pay for?" It was then I heard the sweet whisper of my Savior, "Do I get what I paid for?" Talk about heavy. What a loaded question.

I did not feel rebuking or discipline from the Lord but more a sense of disappointment. The disappointment I sensed was for His church, His children - me. He paid such a high price for our freedom and our invitation to eternity, but I couldn't help feeling what He often gets in return is our cheap imitation of Him. He paid the high price for the real thing, and I wonder if we give back the "knock-off" of our service and dedication. Do we take for granted that price paid, and neglect to give Him our best?

My children have real Crocs now. I broke down and made the investment. I even found them on sale. The words of the question the Lord whispered in my ear that day still echo in my mind. God made an incredibly expensive investment in my future by giving me the "real thing" of His own Son. It is up to me to make sure He gets what He paid for: a love relationship with me and a heart committed to making that same love known to others.

How about you? Is God getting what He paid for with your life?

Dear Lord, it is the cry of my heart for You know that You made a worthwhile invest by sacrificing Your life for mine. Forgive me for taking the price You paid for granted. With the help of Your Holy Spirit I can live a life that will not be a cheap imitation, but the real deal. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The moral of the story.... :)

THE PASTOR'S CAT
I received this email from a friend, and wanted to pass it on. This particular story just made me laugh. Every time I think about it, the vision of that poor cat just amuses me to no end. Hope the story leaves a bright spot in your day. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE DRAWING - SEE AUGUST 1 POST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church.

He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down.

The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.

The tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.

So he prayed, 'Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,' and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, 'Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?'

She replied, 'You won't believe this,' and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, 'Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.'

She told the pastor, 'I watched my child go out in th e yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.'

Lesson learned: Never underestimate the Power of God and His unique sense of humor.

FRIDAY FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning! :)

I have decided that I want to make SURE someone reads THE SHACK. So, from now until AUGUST 11, anyone who leaves a comment on THIS POST will be entered in a drawing. I will pick one person, and will order the book to be shipped directly to our winner!!!!

To enter, just tell me how to get ahold of you, why you came to visit my blog the first time, and the first blessing that comes to your mind! :)

I can't wait to read your entries! Please feel free to post this on your own blogs, to share with your friends, etc - the more people who are exposed to this book, the better! :D

Here it is, Thursday! :D

How are you today? We're over the hump, people - it's Thursday!!!! :D

I will admit, I was weary and depressed yesterday; Stampin' Up! is having their demonstrators' convention this week, and I wasn't able to go. This is a big deal in our company, and this year is our 20th anniversary, so it's even bigger. But that's OK. I am blessed beyond measure, right here where I am!

Today is a whole new day, my friends. And I'm here to recommend that you RUN - don't walk, you might miss out!!! - to your local library or book store and pick up a copy of THE SHACK by William P. Young. It's an amazing book, given to me by my sweet sister, Kelli. THANK YOU, Kelli!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished it last night; I would LOVE to have some of you read it, and we could do a discussion on it. It IS a fictional book, but the Biblical truths in it are incredibly rich. God has used it to reinforce what He's been teaching me about His character lately, and to long to live in THIS moment, with Him, rather than dwell on the past or imagine the future. Oh, dear friend, you NEED to read this book!!!!

I haven't heard from some of you in a long, long time. I know it's summer, so that's what I'm chalking it up to - but if you can sound off and leave a comment, please do so - so I know what's going on with you!!! :)

Open our eyes, Lord! Help us to see You in every way - Your beauty surrounds us, Your Spirit is in us, and we want to walk in YOUR WILL!

Good Monday Morning!

How are you today? I hope you can read the picture beside this text; it's from Psalm 16, verses 5-6. God is GOOD, my dear friend. We've been singing a new song at church based on this Scripture - the boundaries of my life have fallen in pleasant places. My heart is FULL of that content feeling today - Praise God. :) He won the victory this weekend in our banking trial; my banking contact is going to close out the account today, and we move on. God is GOOD. What a relief!

So! What have you been hearing from God lately??? Did you get a chance to go to church yesterday??? Or perhaps listen to a sermon? What is God saying to YOU? (Blogger's not cooperating right now, so no cute little icon for sharing today! :D)

Our new sermon series at church is on servanthood. The pastor wasn't there - we're pretty sure this is his week to be in NYC, seeing some Broadway shows with his lovely wife :D - so one of the others, Bruce, spoke. Basically, his theme was that servanthood isn't about US. We do it because of the character of our Master. It's not a slave-owner relationship. And God WANTS us to get to the point where he no longer calls us servant - to the point where we KNOW what He wants done, and we do it without being told - and He calls us His friend. We're adopted into His family - our servanthood is our way of saying THANK YOU.

Pastor Bruce used the following Scripture to close out his sermon:

Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "

--Luke 17:7-10

Now, seriously. How often have you heard this passage mentioned ANY TIME in a sermon??? We like to feel ENTITLED - in fact, we've got a couple of generations coming along that feel entitled to anything they want, just because they want it, seems to me! But this passage certainly NEGATES that!!!! There's certainly a reward COMING, but our time here on Earth is to be spent SERVING. Not BEING SERVED.

Woah. Some serious re-thinking is going on in MY head, and I bet maybe yours, too. If you'd like to hear the whole sermon, please CLICK HERE - and keep checking until they post the sermon for JULY 27. :D

OK, dear ones. I'm going to fly now - I have a class to get ready for. :) I hope and pray you've been counting your blessings, and using them to encourage yourself in your walk. God LOVES you, SOOOOOOOOOOO much. He is just waiting for you to look out your window and see that butterfly, or savor your delicious lunch, or enjoy touching your loved ones. Each and every thing you enjoy has been put there by the Father for you to be able to enjoy. He just wants YOU.

LEAVE ME A COMMENT!! :D I'm lonely! :D

Find the delights!

I don't know about you, but this has been a TOUGH week - and the struggle isn't done yet. I'm still dealing with banking issues, and it's NOT a pretty fight. :( I have to get ready to go fight AGAIN. But I KNOW Who has the ultimate victory - it's the only thing I can cling to when I feel like giving up. God is GOOD. His love endures FOREVER!!! This battle has grown from a speed bump to a small mountain, steep at the summit, but He's there. :)

I'm looking for the abundance He has given us - and one thing around HERE, is produce. :) We've got CUCUMBERS like you wouldn't believe, and tomatoes! It's been an incredible growing year - we've pickled like crazy, eaten fresh foods, and blessed others. Isn't that what we're called to do with the abundance God gives us?? :)

Count your blessings, dear friends!!!! It does help - He has NEVER left you alone. He's ALWAYS there!

Good Wednesday Morning!

Quick post today - I'm SO FRIGGIN' BUSY!!! - but I wanted to poke my head in and ask you:

HOW IS YOUR WEEK GOING???????????????????

:)

God is SO good!!!

GREAT news on the banking front: we should have some resolution by the end of the week! :D I'm so grateful to Michelle at our local branch for being sympathetic and incredibly helpful!

ANYWAY. :D On to the post. I received this a while back from a dear friend of mine, and just wanted to share it with you. BE BLESSED, dear friend!!!

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. (That GOD wants, too!!!!)
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others; sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.

Happy Sunday Evening!

I know it's been a while since I posted, and I do apologize. This problem with the banking is eating up my concentration - I'm really hoping to clear the remains up in the next two days....

ANYWAY. It's not QUITE Monday, but sharing about God and His awesome goodness, grace, and mercy should never have limits, should it? :)

We had a WONDERFUL day. We slept in - we went to see Encore Theatre Company's presentation of SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN last night - if you're in the greater Nashville area, you should DEFINITELY go check it out!!! Paula Fox directs, and they've prayed this show into an annointed effort. PRAISE GOD FOR GODLY THEATER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES!!! They need your SUPPORT, dear ones - we are FEW and FAR BETWEEN!

ANYWAY. Wow, not sure where that came from!. :D Anyway. On our way to church, we talked about a lot of "hot topics" - well, Kenn did. :) Our old church and the way things happened there still bother him, and this banking thing means we're running out of funds to live on, and and and. :)

May I just say, GOD IS TOTALLY ALL I NEED?!?!?!?!?!

He spent the whole service affirming His sufficiency to us. We sing a lot of songs at our new church that I don't know, and one of them the chorus was, "When we're lifting up Jesus, we're putting demons down". :) The lyrics to the verses were awesome - I've requested them from the worship leader, so I'm hoping to be able to share them with you.

Anyway. The message about tithing was from Malachi, chapter 3 verses 10-11:

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the LORD of hosts,

“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it.

“ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,

So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”

Says the LORD of hosts;

(emphasis mine! :))

The cool thing is, we'd both pulled out our tithes already. :) With all the fnancial stuff going on this week, it would have been easy to justify not giving. But we really feel the pull these days!!!

So, anyway. He went on to talk about the historical context of this - the land was in a deep famine, and even though we NORMALLY interpret this to be Satan, it's really "the devourer". So, the things that seem to devour our resources - God will rebuke them FOR MY SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah, what a GOD we serve!!!!!!!!!!! You KNOW I'm claiming that one!!! :)

The sermon was the last of the six-week series on HOLINESS. In a nutshell: we do not have to strive to be holy. We cannot MAKE ourselves holy. WE ARE HOLY. And instead of trying to prove it, we need to walk in it. As I Peter 1:13 says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."

First, prepare. How very silly it is for us to not expect an attack daily. Pastor Ronnie was funny; he said, "It's like we get up in the morning, and think,'I think today Satan's taking a day off. He and some of his minions. I think I'm not going to have to worry about being attacked today.'" It IS silly, isn't it. Why do we not prepare ourselves first thing in the morning? For instance, our whole married life, Satan has attacked us in the financial area. It's certainly still happening! :D WHY do I expect anything different?

Next, show the Fruit of the Holy Spirit who resides in you!

HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT UPON THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS!!! (Philippians 1:6)

God is SO good. Please don't stop praying for us - but know that God is much, much bigger than anything that I'm going through. Same for you, dear one. HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!

Please pray!!!

My paypal account got hacked two days ago, and we have NO money available. I just need patience, and Kenn too! I'm dealing with a lot of STUFF, so please just pray. I know that 1) I'm not the only one this has happened to in the past week, and 2)it's an attack by the Enemy. PLEASE JUST KEEP PRAYIN'!!!

God is GOOD, all the time!

Good afternoon, dear friend. I'm so glad you checked in! :D

My sister and brother-in-law are arriving this afternoon. We're going to be busy for the next few days - I'm even going to manage to fit in some work Sunday afternoon! :D

So, please forgive me if posting is a little sporadic. Not like I've been ALWAYS punctual or anything, but still! :D I hope you'll leave me a comment or two; tell me how God's blessed YOUR life this week!

What, the salad? :D It's an Applebee's oriental chicken salad, done at home. Check out this website to get the copycat recipe! You'll LOVE it - and be able to change it up as YOU want!!!

BE BLESSED, dear one! You ARE already, you know - try counting your blessings!! They add up quickly; you'll be humbled by how much God has done in your life. Don't forget to THANK HIM!!!!!