Feeling Normal....

I have just finished reading Debbie S. and Angel R.'s blogs. Normally, I don't read anyone else's blogs just before I blog myself so as not to be influenced or be redundant of what someone else has said. But tonight, I must say, they both blessed my heart and I've just got to comment.

Debbie S. admitted some hidden truths. NO, they weren't anything of the "OMG CALL THE LAW" type or anything....just small stuff. But the "stuff" she admitted are things we all tend to hide or say don't bother us or deny that we do. Again, nothing horrible or anything, just small, even silly stuff, but truths about ourselves that we often don't want to divulge. I saw myself in what she wrote and it felt good.....you know....good like how it feels when you climb into bed between fresh newly washed sheets and pull your favorite soft blanket up over you. THAT kind of good.

And then there was Angel R.'s blog, filled with "what if's" about 2010. She blessed my heart with her boldness regarding her children and her yearning for more of Christ and what could happen if she spent more time eating His Manna. Gosh, it was good.

After reading their blogs, I'm FEELING NORMAL, which doesn't happen often for me!! FEELING NORMAL seems to be something I've never really strived for as I've always felt since I was a child that I "marched to the beat of a different drummer." I didn't want to look like or be like everyone else, I just wanted to be myself. I didn't care if I fit in or not, I just wanted to be me. I'm not sure who that drummer is or what he believed, but I KNEW he was, well......different and so am I. But tonight, for a few moments, I'm FEELING NORMAL and for a few minutes, it felt rather good to "fit in" with others who are "different" and have some of the same thoughts, feelings and hidden stuff just like me.

Thanks ladies....it felt good to be normal for a few moments! LOVE YOU BOTH!

There Is an Unseen Danger

Those of you who know me well, know that it is barely within my capabilities to think of any animal being killed.....and I DO mean, almost any animal. I don't know why and I refuse to try to explain it to those who do not understand me. It is as I have always been, all my life, an animal lover.

And so it is, that I find myself living in a house with a wonderful backyard that is overrunning with squirrels. I love watching them and nearly had one trained (at Mary's desire) to come within a couple feet of me for a peanut this past summer. But now, here we are with WAY too many squirrel nests, appearance of nesting in our attic, a "squirrel proof" bird feeder nearly ruined by their gnawing and little holes dug everywhere, including Darrel's tomato plants AND my orange trees. Even I, am not believing that I have agreed with Darrel that the squirrels have got to go. It still even seems very odd and sad feeling in my heart that I could/would say that, but it is true.

Darrel has been on high alert, watching for squirrels, sneaking out the front door and tiptoeing around to the back for a sneak attack. It was as I watched him creep around the back that I thought about this blog. "THERE IS AN UNSEEN DANGER," I thought, and the unsuspecting squirrels don't even know he's coming.

We may have the keenest eyesight on the planet, our hearing may be ultrasonic and our senses more perceptive than the smartest squirrel, but...

THERE IS AN UNSEEN DANGER.

It lurks behind every bush, hides in every corner and waits as long as is necessary to slay the unknowing. For the squirrels, the dangers name is Darrel, but for us....

His name is satan, the devil, beelzebub. He walks gently, quietly choosing the path of his steps to his unsuspecting victim. He preys on the weak, the lonely, the secure, the proud, the content. He waits and he watches until the moment is right, till the guard of his prey is let down and then he lurches with claws of steel and teeth of diamond sharpness. His grip is relentless and his intentions purposeful. He will attack and attack and attack.

THERE IS AN UNSEEN DANGER.......and he is lurking even now.

It's Not for Me to Question Why

As I prayed for my sister today, I found myself saying the above words..."IT'S NOT FOR ME TO QUESTION WHY." But, still, I do. I know God is in control, but I am flesh and my mind wishes I could understand it all on this side of heaven.

Tonight, I ask those few of you who read these postings, to continue to pray for my sister. She will begin chemo a week from today, January 4. The radiation will begin the following day and it is my understanding at this moment that it will continue daily for 6-8 weeks.

IT'S NOT FOR ME TO QUESTION WHY but it IS for me to pray. I humbly ask those who read this, to do the same, if I may so humbly ask. Thank you and may God bless you. Also, thank you to Donna Y. for inquiring about my sister and asking for updates to be posted here. Thank you to all of you who love me and care about my family. I cherish you.

His Bible Cover

"I can't wait till it gets dark so I can go to bed and get up and go to church with my new BIBLE COVER."

Precious words spoken by my 6 year old grandson. I can see him in his home today, deciding what he was going to carry within the cover. His little tablet with pen, of course, had to go inside and whatever else he may have decided was most important for him to carry in it.

HIS BIBLE COVER brought a smile to his face that I shall long treasure. When he opened it yesterday, the grin stretched across his darling face....."It's what I wanted Yaya...remember when I told you??"

As millions of gifts were opened across this country yesterday and probably many many millions of dollars spent, one little boy was thrilled with HIS BIBLE COVER.

How wonderful that one little boy could be so thrilled with something so insignificant.

My heart is full.

It is Better to Give than to Get

These words, spoken by my 9 year old granddaughter, are truly the heart of the matter as this Christmas day comes to a close.

I pray that the Lord has found my giving worthy of Him. I pray that I have thought enough of Christ and His passionate love for me, that I gave deeply and sincerely and in His honor.

My heart grieves for those who are hungry, cold and alone, not just in this season, but always. God, I pray your sufficiency on those who need you most.

Truly, IT IS BETTER THAN TO GIVE THAN TO GET. Burden me Father so that I give freely of all that You have given me.

Seek, Save and Serve

He came here to SEEK, SAVE AND SERVE the lost, the hungry, the proud, the rich, the weak, the poor, the lonely, the black man, the scared, the selfish, the asian child, the intelligent, the sick, the white woman, the diseased, the young, the dumb, the old......

His mission was simple, unobtrusive, sometimes even unnoticed but His mission was purpose driven. His intent was focused on one thing....His Father and doing His will.

'Selflessly' He sought out those who needed Him AND those who didn't think they did. 'Boldly' He sought out the lost who had no hope of heaven because of their separation from Christ. 'Willingly' He served all He came in contact with. It was what drove Him. He humbled Himself.....this man who would later walk the road to Calvary in my place, humbled Himself for all.

SEEK, SAVE AND SERVE........This humble man of earth and heaven has changed me this year. He's forced me into corners I did not want to hide in, I would have chosen other places to run to, but He gave me little choice. He had already chosen it for me. He's shown me more about Him than I can even comprehend. It will take me many months to continue to chew on all that He has thrown at me, but it was all in His plan.

I'm thankful this sweet baby whom we call Jesus, came to SEEK, SAVE AND SERVE. He knew my name even then. Even as His first cries broke the silence of the night, my name was on His mind. As Mary hushed his tiny cry and drew Him to her breast, somewhere, all of us were on the mind of this little one. He would grow to accomplish His Father's will....to SEEK, SAVE AND SERVE. GLORY TO HIS NAME!

Their Names....

DJ & Sheryl, Butch & Kay, Summer & Dale, Coleby, Kyle, Blake, Charlie, Bradlie, Natalie, Ashley, Kayla, Lindsey, Amber, Madison, Butch, Karli, Easton, Titus and Will.

These are THEIR NAMES.....

These are the ones who my mind is stayed on.....these are THEIR NAMES...my children, their spouses and all my grandchildren. These names represent my life, who I am, what defines me....woman, wife, mother, grandmother.

Every single day of the year, their names are in my heart and on my mind but especially at this time of year, a yearning deep inside consumes me with love and deep emotion for each of them. Some, I have not seen for many years and I grieve the loss of them in my life.

These are THEIR NAMES. I love them so but more than anything, I wish them Jesus this Christmas season.

Checkin' It Twice

If you're even a little like me, that phrase always makes us think of one thing......

Santa Claus and his infamous list.

But right now, less than a week away from the day we celebrate the giving of Jesus to the world, I'm checkin' a list alright, but it isn't Santa's.

There are a couple of things bothering me this season, issues of my own, issues that I need to get resolved in my heart. How can I worship Him completely when a little piece of my heart is not right where it should be with Him? I'm stewing about a couple of issues that I'm trying to resolve.....that's why I'm doing some checkin' but it's not Santa's list........

It's the list of junk that I hold on to, not wanting to let go of. It's the junk that should be gone but resurfaces loudly sometimes. It raises up its' ugliness and taunts me till I give in to it.

I'm CHECKIN' IT TWICE right now......my heart, my mind, my thoughts. In reality, I should be checkin' that list daily. I'm sick of this same old stuff still being on the list. It's time to cross some things off.

Holy Ground

"This is HOLY GROUND....
We're standing on HOLY GROUND....
For the Lord is here....
And where He is, is holy....
This is HOLY GROUND....
We're standing on HOLY GROUND
For the Lord is here.....
And where He is, is holy."

THIS worship song describes how I felt as I stepped out of my car last night when I went to church. After being gone for a week, away from my church and my church family, I was overcome as I walked onto what I feel, is HOLY GROUND. By the time I hit the foyer doors, the tears began to flow. I hugged a couple people, looked for Debbie S to hug me through, but headed to the bathroom when I couldn't find her. The tears began and I couldn't contain it. I was just so thankful to be amongst Believers who love and serve a holy God, as I. There just don't seem to be appropriate words for the emotions that fell out of my heart as I walked on the precious HOLY GROUND of our church. How grateful I was when Dayle M. found me in the bathroom. She did what all fellow Believers do....she hugged me, encouraged me, loved on me and showed me Jesus.

HOLY GROUND.....we do not appreciate what we share in Christ until it is outside of our reach, our touch, our ears.

I sing praises to the King of All tonight for His people here in this county. Oh how I missed you all and oh how fortunate I am to be a part of RRC fellowship.
HOLY GROUND......thanking YOU GOD, for where YOU are, is HOLY.

We Can't Go Back

Today, my sisters and I recreated a scenario that happened some 52 or so years ago....

The three of us took a picture with Santa at the mall! YEP....we placed ourselves in the picture just as we had been 50 something years ago (as you see in this OLD picture!!!) and had our picture made! What a precious memory this will be in the years ahead of us.

But today, I thought....

WE CAN'T GO BACK to those days when we were 4, 9 & 11. Those days of innocence, unacountability and those days of ignorance, too, are now gone. I didn't know much then, after all, I was only 4, but now, at 56, I am accountable and aware of my life, my actions, my words, my living and my giving.

What is most important now, is most certainly, not what was most important to me back then. For back then, MYSELF was what was most important. But now....I see through different eyes.

I see now, through the eyes of my Savior, my Lord, my King....MY JESUS. The One who died for me. Everything is different now. My life belongs to Him, not to me.

WE CAN'T GO BACK, I thought today....WE CAN'T GO BACK. Those years are gone, they are but a memory to us all. Forward is the only direction we can go and all I know to say is that I am so thankful that "in the going forward" in my life, I go with My Jesus.

Expiration Dates

Everything has an EXPIRATION DATE......at least anything that is edible or that breathes, be it plant or animal. As usual, when I heard and thought about these two words together, it got me to thinking.

Although our EXPIRATION DATE is not stamped on our foreheads, it IS there whether we see it or not. There will come a day that all those products in our grocery stores, if they're edible, will expire.

So will we.

One day, will be our last day. With cans of edible foods in our grocery stores, we can visually see when any particular food expires. But with people, we cannot see nor know when our last day will be. There is no visual expiration date that our eyes can behold stamped anywhere on our bodies. Only God Himself knows this date. It is up to us to be "used up" before we expire.

USED UP you may ask???? Yep.....just like we empty out a can of veggies to be enjoyed, used up for their purpose, so it should be with we human beings. We were placed here for a purpose....to be "used up" BUT, for HIS GLORY and HONOR.

What about you? Admit it or not, you do have an EXPIRATION DATE. Isn't it time that you allow yourself to be "used up" for God's glory before your EXPIRATION DATE comes up? It could be sooner than you think.

What Present Will You Bring?

A very short trip to the mall yesterday got me to thinking. As I watched the MANY shoppers amassing their treasures, my stomach churned. "What are all these people "really" thinking about???? It is not my place to judge, but I did wonder. As they pushed and shoved their way in to the sale tables and barked out their commands to one another that they got there first....I just wanted to cry. Everywhere I looked, arms were loaded down with packages and shoppers hurried from one store to another to buy their presents. How many of them will be used, appreciated, necessary and most of all, charged on credit cards that are already maxed out.

Is this what the world thinks Christmas is all about??? Is this where the treasure of Christmas lies....in presents???? Is it in seeing who can spend the most, get the most and charge the most?? Demanding children shout out to their parents what they want. All the while, children across this planet are crying simply for lack of food...NOT lack of PS3's and some pair of jeans that has a logo on it.

WHAT PRESENT WILL YOU BRING to the King of Kings this year? What area of your character, personality, talents, finances, time, prayer will you give to Jesus this year? Forget about how much you can spend this year and how many presents you're going to give your husband, your children, your grandchildren......how about focusing on how many presents you will give to Jesus this year.

WHAT PRESENT WILL YOU BRING to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Will what you lay at His feet be an acceptable gift? Would He be pleased with what you have wrapped up to lay at His feet? What will you give? My bank account cannot handle much but my heart? Well.......there is an endless supply of gifts that could be given to my King. Let us look at our own hearts this Christmas and bring an offering to our Lord and Savior.

The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowin In The Wind....

For those of you who are as old as me, you might remember the lyrics to this song by Bob Dylan, "Blowin In The Wind." This song came to my mind as I was landing in Pittsburgh last night......

As we were boarding in Atlanta, the man who sat down beside me was speaking with his wife on the phone. I couldn't help but overhear as he said, "Don't worry honey, it'll be fine, it's ok, I'll be fine. Don't worry." He told her he loved her and said his goodbyes and turned off his cell. Immediately, he looked at me and said...."Well, we're gonna be landing in 70 mile an hour winds!!!! I know my eyes must have gotten as big as half dollars as I heard the words come out of his mouth! "WHAT" was my reply!

I thought to myself, now Lord, You already know all about this. You know where I'm going and why I'm heading there. SURELY you wouldn't let 70 mph winds keep me from my destination (spiritually & physically!). And then I began to think about this song and LITERALLY, how true it was....

THE ANSWER, MY FRIEND, IS BLOWIN IN THE WIND....man....THE ANSWER sure enough IS blowin in that wind out there....not only is HE blowin in the wind....HE IS THE WIND! The very one who was allowing the gales of winds to blow and the temperature to dip into the teens is the very same One in whom I have placed ALL my trust. I am so small, so ignorant and so unimportant on this planet. I am but a speck of dust and yet He loves me. He knew right where I was....on a plane headed to Pittsburgh to be at my sisters side. He knew.......the winds could blow with all their might but that wouldn't mean He wasn't in control! HE'S the Maker of the wind so why should I fret.

Tonight, as I get ready to snuggle into my hotel room bed and I can hear the wind still howling outside, as I saw the snow fall incredibly beautifully for hours today and as I bundled up just to cross the street....I was reminded that He is in control of it all.....the wind, the snow, our lives, our very breath. I'm thankful for the sound of the wind tonight as it allows me to "hear" the sound of His love for me and remind me that HE is the Keeper of it all.

Goodnight Jesus.....I love you and truly, there is NO doubt...."THE ANSWER" MY FRIEND IS BLOWIN IN THE WIND.

Please Pray for My Sister Mary Lou

Tonight, I simply ask you to pray for my sister. Many of you know that she will be having surgery at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, to remove a brain tumor. The surgery is supposed to last about 3 hours. Our other sister from California and I, will both be flying to Pittsburgh tomorrow, to be with our sister. We will stay a week with her on this trip.

I know that our God is able. Please, just pray for Lou and her family during this time. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and that every single hand that touches our sister is directed by God's leading. Pray for safe travel for my sister and myself as we fly out tomorrow.

Thank you all for your love, your support and concern during this difficult time for all of us. For those of you who would, her hearts desire is to receive enough cards to cover her huge dining room wall and windows. I have left her address on my SS room board and the church office has it as well if you feel led to send her a card.

I love you all and will continue blogging while I am there to keep those of you who are concerned, posted. May the blessings of God be upon you all and again, thank you for storming the gates of heaven on behalf of my sister.

"... for all things are possible with God."
Mark 10:27

I'm Like a Tree!

"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever." Psalms 52:8

Olive trees endure. They continue to produce fruit even after hundreds of years. They remind me of the solid saints we see in our church, who after many years of trials, hardships, joys and sorrows...endure because they trust in the mercy of their mighty God and yet, they continue to produce wonderful fruit. They stand solid in their faith, enduring the test of time and weather because they know the Source of their strength and the fruit flows.

I want to be an enduring tree in the house of God. I want to continue to shed fruit from my branches, all to the glory of God.

"God, help me continue to produce fruit, sweet tasting fruit that honors You. I need You Lord, every second I breath, I need You to sustain me. I cannot make it without You."

JESUS SAVES!

Tonight as our choir sang this song, my heart ached for the millions of souls across this globe that need Jesus...that don't either "want" to know Him or who have never heard about Him.

JESUS SAVES.....JESUS SAVES.......JESUS SAVES!!!!

"See the humblest hearts adore Him, JESUS SAVES...JESUS SAVES
And the wisest bow before Him, JESUS SAVES....JESUS SAVES
See the sky alive with praise, melting darkness in its blaze
There is light forever more in JESUS SAVES"

Lord Jesus, for the lost, tonight we pray. We pray their eyes would be opened. Time is short, life is short, the time is now. Oh God, please save not only those whom I love with all my heart but those whom I shall never meet across this world. My heart is heavy Father....they need You.

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9

One Breath Away...

With a heavy heart but with faith in my Lord Jesus, I write this tonight.

Just a short time ago, I got one of those phone calls that you always dread.
My middle sister, Mary Lou, was diagnosed only hours ago with "glioblastoma," a form of very aggressive brain cancer. She simply went to the doctor today because she was having blurry vision and problems with her memory. Upon an immediate CT scan, the large tumor loomed on the brain scan. She was sent immediately to the hospital and by tonights end, the diagnosis is in.

Please, I ask you to pray for my sister and her family. They will do surgery Tuesday, trying to remove as much of the tumor as possible.

Tonight, I again realize how short life is....we are only ONE BREATH AWAY from our lives being turned upside down and our trust having to lie completely in our Lord.

Thank you for praying for my sister. Thank you sweet Jesus. Althought my heart absolutely aches, I trust You. You are all I have.

Flawed

This one word...

just this one...

describes my state.

Tonight, I am simply thankful for the blood of Jesus...

For without it, my FLAWED state would be hopeless.

Although I will remain FLAWED until death, I remain covered in His blood.

I am FLAWED and tonight, I am acutely aware of this. Dear God, I am

thankful that You receive me as Your own even in my imperfect state.....

For I am FLAWED.

Wondering

I'm wondering tonight.....

As each day dawns, decisions bombard us. Shouldn't there be some sort of rule that the older you get the smarter you should be about the mistakes you've made in the past and choose NOT to make them again? Wouldn't you think that some bright light should come on in the head of someone who has made the same mistake over and over and possibly, over again, NOT to do what it is they're about to do again??? It seems so, doesn't it?

But daily, we know, we hear about or we read about people who are choosing to travel the same old path AGAIN. You know, that same one that led to no where, that brought nothing but sadness and that was a dead end filled with pain. Why is it we often choose to do whatever it is that we've always done before even IF we know it brought us pain in the past? Somehow, we think we are fooling our own selves into thinking that THIS time will be different....THIS time there will be success. And then, we end up hurt again.

I love the saying...."IF you always do what you've always done then you'll always get what you've always got." How true is that???? Think about it.

When will we wake up and see "The Light" and let HIM show the way? How many times will we muddle up our lives by not following Him before we wake up to realize that we have blown it again???? When important life changing decisions come our way, we must learn to consult the One who knows which path it is we should be traveling. IF that doesn't make sense to you, then I'm guessing you're probably on the wrong path again!

Phillipians 2:21 says...
"For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus."

This is one verse I do NOT want said of me. Our "interest" should be in seeking direction to all of those life-changing decisions we must make....NOT our OWN direction but the direction of God Almighty.

Just wondering......

GO!

GO.....

There is action to this word...it means "to move or proceed."

Jesus told us to GO and make disciples just before He breathed His last. It was SO majorly important to Him, it was the last thing He said before He went to be with His Father.

To GO, we must move....we must get up....we must take action....we must do something to get out there and spread the Gospel! For the most part, we can't just sit where we are AND GO at the same time!

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

Here we are at December 1 tomorrow....the beginning of the Christmas season again. Isn't THIS time of year the best time ever to do as we have been commanded and GO?? It might be our neighbor, it might be a co-worker, it might be the checker at the grocery store, it might be a family member or even your good friend, but.....GO....GO AND TELL them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How about inviting them to our Christmas program this Sunday night? That's a great way to start....let the program itself tell the story of how "Jesus Saves."

Now.........Ready....Set.....GO!

It's NEVER Too Late

My Lord and Savior
My husband
My children
My grandchildren
My parents
My grandparents
My teachers
My sisters
My aunts and uncles
My pastors
My friends

There would be NO possible way ever to list all those people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude and thanks for what they have done for me throughout my life. Many of the above listed people I'm sure I never thanked enough or maybe even never did say thank you to them.

I've always heard IT"S NEVER TOO LATE to send a thank you card as its' always in good taste to just mail it and forget that it was owed long ago. IT"S NEVER TOO LATE to say a simple THANK YOU, not just for what someone may have done for you but simply for who they are.

THANK YOU to ALL of you who mean so much to me. For loving me, for praying for me, for counseling me, for listening to me, for laughing with me, for crying with me, for putting up with me and for being a part of my life. "I thank my God for all my remembrance of you." Phillipians 1:3

So, who should you run and thank tonight or tomorrow for what they've done for you or simply.....for who they are?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE....We all sure do have an immense amount to be thankful for and each of YOU are part of what I'm thanking God for tonight:)

May I Have a Sip Please?

When I was a little girl, my mother's FAVORITE drink was Pepsi. Now, mind you, we had Pepsi in our home but I don't remember it being for the 3 of us. It was for my mother.

Each evening after dinner, my mother would go upstairs, take her bath and come downstairs smelling so good with her jammies and her housecoat on and she would always have a glass of Pepsi in her hand. Once she sat down, I would often sit at her feet and longingly gaze up at her as she drank her Pepsi. What I nightly said to her was always the same, "MAY I HAVE A SIP PLLLLLLLEASE?" Very seldom did I get a drink, just a sip was all I was allowed. After all, it was hers, not mine.

Don't ask me why, but this is just how my crazy brain works.....I don't know why this came to my mind today, but it did. I thought about my mom giving me only a "sip" of what I was so thirsty for. What if, mind you, what if, THAT is how the lost see us? You know, as only willing to give "A sip" of ourselves and no more. They are THIRSTY for what we have yet we give only enough to wet their mouths but not quench their thirst.

"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:35-40

Oh Father.....burden me for those who are THIRSTY for the One I drink from daily.....help me empty myself so that I may give freely to those who want more than a sip.....to those who want to drink long and hard of You. Help me be willing to give all You have given me to quench the THIRST of those who so desperately need a drink of You. Someone is waiting.

Cherished Idols

There are so many things that I LOVE in this life.....

My husband, my children, my grandchildren, the rest of my family, my friends, my pastors and church, music, animals, nature, SHOES, jewelry, chocolate, candy, new clothes, traveling, electronic gadgets (YEP!!!), kitchen stuff and the list could go on and on and on........I mean that, literally, the list could be endless.

Within 2 months, I have lost two dear friends. It has hit me hard and forced me to think long and deep about much in my life. What is really important in life, I mean "really" important??? It's critical to identify the CHERISHED IDOLS in my life so that I don't make people and things more important than God Himself and it is very easy to do. Just ask anyone who misses church more than one Sunday in a row to take their new boat to the lake or spend the weekend in their new summer place or watch and see what happens when a saved person starts dating an unsaved person. It is easy to allow the "stuff" in our lives AND sometimes, the people of our lives to keep us from cherishing that which should be THE most important part of our life...........JESUS.

What are your CHERISHED IDOLS??? When we make stuff AND people more cherished than our Savior.....who would YOU say we're worshiping?????

I Like That

"God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him."

Jason Powers, missionary from Cambodia, made this statement tonight in our evening service. It rang so true in my heart. So much so, that I wrote it down in the back of my bible. You see, it's in the back of my bible that for years, I have been writing down "one-liners" spoken from the pulpit that deeply touched my heart, as well as marriages, births, deaths and salvations in my family.

I promise that I did listen to Jason as he spoke tonight but once the above phrase was out of his mouth, my mind just began digesting the fullness of what he had said and I had a hard time focusing on anything else.

IF others are to see Jesus in me then must not GOD be glorified in me?? How will they see Him IF He is not????

I'm sick of daily living.......I want the glory of God Almighty to shine in me and through me for the rest of my days, however long they may be.

"God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him."

I LIKE THAT.

Until Next Time We See You

Dear Brother Gene, (Gentle Giant)

Today, we will bid you goodbye for the final time on this earth. But our hope, because we are in Christ, is that we will see you again. What a legacy you have left behind here on earth. Hundreds lined up last night....they just kept coming and coming to pay their respects to a man who reached not only Baker County but the far corners of the globe for our Jesus Christ. I have never seen such an outpouring of love in my life. If there were hundreds upon hundreds here....I can only imagine the thousands upon thousands who lined up to thank you upon your arrival in your eternal home.

"I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy"

Lyrics from the song "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman

OH MY, what a legacy Gene Graves left on us all. From generation to generation, he will be remembered by us all. A man who loved God enough to give him an offering of "himself". He gave his life for the call of Christ, most especially, the country of Honduras. We will all miss you so much Gene. Thank you, oh thank you, oh thank you Father for our brother in Christ. We shall never forget and as we say goodbye to him today, we shall weeep for his physical loss to us here on earth, but we shall rejoice for his addition to heaven.

We will carry on the spreading of Gospel for His glory and honor.....UNTIL NEXT TIME WE SEE YOU.......thank you Gene......thank you.

The Gospel & Gene

A mere 24 hours has passed since our brother Gene has gone to live forever with his Jesus. How I wish we could see him now in his new healed body and singing all those songs he so loved to sing that told the story of his precious Lord.

Gene loved the Gospel. He clung to it. He yearned for it. He shared it. He lived it. He taught it. He drank it in. He counted on it. He cherished it. He wanted everyone to hear it and to receive it.

If you ever went on a trip to Honduras with Gene, you saw a gentle giant in action. When it came to spreading the Gospel, he was intent, focused and systematic about making sure no home was left not stopped at in our witnessing. I remember the early days, before Gene knew Spanish. It drove him crazy not being able to go through the cube himself. It wasn't long until Gene began learning Spanish and was not only able to go through the cube himself but eventually, could interpret for the rest of us! He was driven and so passionate.

I wish I could have seen the line of souls that came to thank him upon his arrival in heaven for bringing the Gospel to their door, their street, their business, their church, their school or their orphanage! There's probably still a line passing by him to say "thank you."

It was Gene who Cathy M. and I bugged and bugged and bugged way back in the first years of RRC mission trips, to let us go! Every year, it was the same....NO! But we persisted and Gene finally gave in and allowed Cathy and I to be the first women from our church to get to go on a mission trip. We shall never forget that trip to Panama, nor shall I ever forget my last trip with him exactly 1 year ago this month. I can see Gene now, dressed up in his Goliath costume that we talked him into wearing! What a sight and what a memory I will never ever forget.

Thank you Gene.....thank you for all you accomplished for the sake of the call.......thank you for the passion for spreading the Gospel that you infused into so many of our adults and young people.......thank you for your untiring work at our church.......thank you for the godly example you were as we watched you walk through trials throughout your life and even up to your homegoing.......thank you for giving me and Cathy a chance to prove that women did have a place on mission trips and had just as much to give in a different way.......thank you for loving my family and praying for my sons over the years.......thank you for being the man of God you were......thank you for everything.

I miss your presence already but we will meet again. Only next time, it won't be on a dusty road in Honduras, it'll be on a street made of gold! Thank you God for Gene. When you gave him to all of us, you sure did do a good thing. Another one of my heroes is gone. I will never forget you Gene and will forever be grateful for your life and your living.

Just Stop and Think

"Day in and day out, we find ourselves in the monotony of life; self-help books, work, family, friends, cars, house, medications. Most of us are simply trying to live a "normal life." Have you ever found yourself wondering whether the goal of life should be normalcy? NOW is the time to stop and think." Francis Chan

I don't want to live this life looking, acting or feeling "normal".....you know, the kind of normal the world would see as normal.

JUST STOP AND THINK about it......do you "want" to look like the world? Do you want to fit in and blend in with what the world calls normal??? A ho-hum life, unfulfilled, living day to day hoping for better days ahead.

I don't....plain and simple......I just don't. I want to laugh loud, praise Him with ridiculous joy, dance in praise to Him, tell of His name to all I encounter and live like He calls me to live and from what I read in His Word, I shouldn't look like what the world calls "normal."

JUST STOP AND THINK.........

Let's not be normal.....let's be Jesus Freaks instead!

I encourage the reader to go to www.crazylovebook.com and watch the two videos you will find there. IF you have opportunity, I encourage you to also read this book, entitled "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.

Where is Your Journey Taking You?

Just 24 hours ago, Darrel and I were completing our JOURNEY back home from North Carolina. We talked as we drove and recounted what we did, what we saw and what we had just learned from an incredible book that I read out loud all the way home.

I thought about the physical JOURNEY we had been on together and what we had accomplished. But the book that we had just read, forced me to think about the spiritual JOURNEY we are each on throughout our lives.

Websters Dictionary describes "JOURNEY" as this: something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another

Our spiritual lives are most certainly a JOURNEY. We pass from one level of faith to another as we see God do new works in our lives and our faith is deepened, encouraged and strengthened. We mature through each trial and draw closer to the One who has given us the very breath we breathe and as the JOURNEY continues we learn more of Him, desire more of Him and want to look more like Him. Our spiritual lives are a daily JOURNEY of stretching, growing, changing and pushing forward because we want to know more of our Savior.

Or do we???

I simply ask you tonight, as Darrel and I had to ask ourselves after reading this book, "WHERE IS YOUR JOURNEY TAKING YOU?" Are you constantly traveling toward the cross of Christ or are you content to remain in your faith where you are now, or have you lagged behind and put your faith on the back burner?

Just as you are in a car and the scenery changes, the miles go by as we drive forward and the JOURNEY takes you from one place to another, shouldn't our spiritual JOURNEY move us forward also? Shouldn't our desire be to know more of Christ and how He truly yearns for us to live? Shouldn't it? Isn't it??

I encourage anyone who reads this to pick up the book, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. This book has literally shoved Darrel and I forward in this JOURNEY of being a Christian. It's changed us.

So, WHERE IS YOUR JOURNEY TAKING YOU??? Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see Truth, to examine ourselves and to run after You with all our might.

The Mountains Sing Together For Joy

Today, Darrel and I took a wonderful drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains are just breathtaking. At every overlook point, all you want to do is stand there and drink in the beauty of it all. One ridge after another, melting into one another, the mountains build a most beautiful landscape for the eye to behold.

As you stand and stare at the scene before you, you can almost hear the mountains singing out to you! It's as if they stretch forth right before you and make you hear them.

Psalm 98:8 says, "Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy." I'm telling you, when you stand at 5000 feet and gaze upon the natural handiwork of God, you can almost hear these mountains singing together for JOY!!! As you look at them, joy bubbles up in your heart at their Maker and it leaves you feeling a part of it all. I wonder, if we could really hear them sing, what would they be singing?????

I think I know.........in fact, I'm sure of it. They're singing their praises unto the God of heaven and earth, the Maker of the stars, the universe, from the tiniest insect to the grandest mammal, HE made it all and they're thanking HIM for being a part of HIS creation.

TOday, I heard THE MOUNTAINS SING TOGETHER FOR JOY and it was good, real good. But then, of course it would be.........GOD MADE IT TO BE SO.

Answered Prayer in Cataloochee Valley

Every so often, we ask God for something that's so simple and unimportant that we almost feel bad for asking Him! Know what I mean?

Today was one of those days. Darrel and I got up when we felt like it, ate a late breakfast at a wonderful restaurant overlooking Maggie Valley and were trying to decide what to do for the day. I really wanted to drive to Cataloochee Valley to see the wild elk that roamed there but we were told by the locals AND by all the brochures we read that the best time to view them was early morning and at dusk and it was about 1-2 in the afternoon before we took off on the drive.

On the way up into the mountains to get to the valley, I simply asked the Lord to allow me to see just one elk, that's all......just one. As we made the long trek back into the mountains on a very narrow road, I just knew in my heart that it was gonna happen. OK...maybe childlike faith, maybe I'm just too stubborn to admit it might not happen BUT, I was convinced it would.

When we rounded the corner to approach the valley, there was nothing but wild turkey to see but I had already thanked the Lord for them anyway! ANY wild animals thrill my heart, so I was tickled. The drive continued and we rounded another bend and there before us, lay a wide expanse of beautiful field filled with wild elk!!! All I could do was shout THANK YOU LORD! I yelled to Darrel, "IT'S ANSWERED PRAYER IN CATALOOCHEE VALLEY!!"

I was humbled by the sight. God did it for me. It didn't matter that we were told they weren't seen much during the day! GOD saw fit to let me view these incredible creatures! These creatures roam wild. There are no fences, no restrictions, although you are asked to not approach them or feed them. We pulled over, got out of the car, set up the tripod with the video camera and just stood mesmerized for 30-45 minutes while we watched. The one huge male every so often would make this incredible noise and then run at one of the females. What a sight!

I counted 38 elk! 38!!!!!! And all I'd asked for was one!!! Thank you sweet Abba for your gesture of love on me today. Darrel and I were in awe of your work.

ANSWERED PRAYER HAPPENED IN CATALOOCHEE VALLEY today and we praise His name for it!

The Ride

This morning, Darrel and I left for Maggie Valley, North Carolina, for a few days away on a much needed vacation. We hit the road around 7:00 a.m. and arrived at our cabin on the mountain at about 4,300 feet elevation about 4:45.

We weren't on the road very long when I realized THE RIDE itself was all part of the vacation. I had turned on the radio by the time we hit Jax and Darrel instantly said...."Remember what Johnny said about Silence and Solitude Sunday????? Hmmmmmmmmm.....I got the message and quickly turned the radio off.

Soon after, the conversation began to flow. From one subject to another, we talked and laughed at one another as the miles flew by. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch at Cracker Barrel.

THE RIDE was becoming possibly one of THE best parts of a trip that had barely begun. I had been yearning to see the colors of the leaves, the mountains, our cabin and all the sights here, but THE RIDE was blossoming like a summer rose as its' petals unfold to display its' beauty.

Sometimes, I thought, we get so caught up in the "what's ahead" that we miss "what we're in," in the right now. Know what I mean? I'm so tickled that I recognized how sweet the hours together in the car were, without any major attractions to stop at, fancy restaurants to eat at or before any souvenirs had been bought.............

THE RIDE had already been a gift worth treasuring.

Forwards OR Backwards???

Each of us has a past and in that past are generations of our ancestors who also each had a past. I'm not exactly sure that I want to know everything in my ancestors past.

BUT this I do know.....

I want to spirtually take this generation FORWARDS and not BACKWARDS. I want the future of my descendants to move forward as a godly people. As God's children, we are part of a process spanning generations. Each generation builds on the legacy of our predecessors and contributes to the future of our successors. I do not want to contribute unwisely to the future generations of my family. I may not be here to witness the outcome, but while I have breath in me, I want to be able to know that I contributed to a depth of faith in those who shall come after me and not the demise of them.

It is within my power and mine alone, to help each precious life in the future of my family to be anchored in Christ. Because of that, I will press on in doing my best to pass on a legacy of faith in the One who gave us life and the opportunity to have eternal like to boot!!!

Which direction will you choose to encourage the future of your family??? FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS???

I Know Their Voice

It's amazing to me that there are over 6 billion people on this planet and each of us has a different voice. Every one of us can easily identify the sound of our parents, childrens and spouses voices. For each of us, they are distinct and easily recognizable. Isn't it cool? When my children call me, they don't have to tell me who they are because I KNOW THEIR VOICE.

Today, I witnessed something so extremely precious, I nearly cried. I attended Josh and Trista's wedding this afternoon, at which Summer was singing. She asked me if I would hold Will for her during the wedding as she needed to sit up front. Naturally, I was tickled to do so.

I sat in the back of the church and kept Will occupied throughout the service. I sat him in the floor and out of the diaper bag, he grabbed 2 diapers and literally played with them almost the entire service. He never stopped picking up and dropping those diapers and kept himself completely occupied and wasn't paying attention to anything else at all until something happened............

His momma began to sing. He heard her voice and the moment he did, he stopped what he was doing, looked straight to the front of the church and listened intently. He got completely still and simply listened. He was "fixed" on her voice. It was so incredibly precious.

I thought about how the Lord must do the same thing. We speak and he tunes His ear to all of us and says.........I KNOW THEIR VOICE! Man, is that good or what???? He focuses in on each of us when we speak and He "intently" listens to us just like little Will did to his momma.

I KNOW THEIR VOICE He says.......let that sink in a few minutes......HE KNOWS YOUR VOICE!!! I like that, I really like that. Tonight, as I lay my head down and thank Him for this day and everything else I have to be thankful for.....I will ponder the miraculous fact that He knows "my" voice:)))

An Hour of Your Time

You know, if you'll really think about it and admit it, MUCH can be accomplished in only an hour. There are countless tasks that can be completed, countless joys that can be had and countless glorious things that can be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Sixty minutes sounds like such a small amount of time, but it's really not. Today was one of those days that much was accomplished in one hour.

The first THursday of every month, I wait at our church for any 6th-12th graders who will join me to go visiting at the local nursing home. Every month it's different. One month we had 18 show up whie another time, only one youth came. I never know who will come, but it's always such a joy and a blessing, whether there's one or twenty.

Upon arrival, the excitement always amazes me! I mean, come on, it's the NURSING HOME, after all!! And yet, their spirits are high, conversation loud and laughter contagious! Truly, they are amazing. You might think that they are standoffish and shy, and some are, but most take off in small groups without me and wander around on their own. It's always understood that we meet back in the foyer at 5:00 and there are always stories they have to tell me about who they talked to on their visits and what was said. It's so sweet.

Today, what a blessing when I saw Wyatt waving me to hurry up and come down the hallway to him. He had a huge grin on his face. The woman in the room had been his teacher years ago and he wanted to go in and see her. I stepped into the room and a gentleman about my age was there. She was his mother. I asked permission for the kids to come in and he welcomed their visit. Much to our surprise this very elderly lady recognized Wyatt and called his last name! What a treat to visit with her and bring a smile to her face. We were there to bless her and yet, she blessed us. Thank you God. We also were blessed to hear Mrs. Henry Y. share an incredibly deep and powerful lesson she learned today. She shared a story about what God had shown her. Man, it was good.

AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME "CAN" make a difference in a life. It does every single time we go to the nursing home. One hour...just one hour....can bring joy unspeakable to someone. Isn't it worth it to you?

I sure am proud of all our youth, but most especially today, those 11 who came to give of themselves. Thanks you guys and Mrs. Henry Y. Thanks also for posing for the pictures! I love you all dearly but Jesus loves you more:)

I Love You....Nite Nite

My "baby" turned 30 last week! YIKES...can it be possible that my "baby" is 30 now and has 3 babies of her own????

Where have the years gone? Did I appreciate them enough? Somehow, I just don't think so. Oh yes, no doubt, I appreciated them "in the moment" but I'm older now and I think I understand the depth of it all better now. Age and maturity teaches us much.

DJ is 37 now, Butch 35 and Summer 30. I loved their childhoods and I miss it. I guess being here with Lindsey, Amber, Madison, Butch and Karli and doing all the "mothering" stuff, has made me miss my own children's childhood all the more. I miss tucking them in at night and kissing their faces. I miss hearing, "I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE."

I think Summer's 30th birthday hit me harder than it did her. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you just never think you're "baby" will ever be 30. But, here it is. In a way, it frightens me as the realization that old age is creeping ever closer and closer. I can't stop it and I can't go back. I yearn for the past in many ways and yet I yearn for the future too.

Last night and tonight though, I got to hear those wonderful words from the mouths of my grandchildren.....I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE. Oh how sweet and soothing to my ears. There's just something so sweet about tucking in a child, praying for them and bidding them goodnight. I'm so thankful.

Time rushes by us. I am reminded to enjoy this moment, for time is a gift from God and what we do with it is our choice. Man, sure is good to be here with my grandkids, enjoying this moment in time. So for now....

I LOVE YOU....NITE NITE

Pumpkin Shaped Sugar Cookies

Life is good. Well, at least, life is what we make it and tonight, life is good.

I have the privilege of staying with my son and daughter-in-laws 5 children (1 of them ALMOST an adult actually!!!) while they are in Atlanta for a couple days.

As I prepared dinner and they went about their evening activities, I sat back and simply watched them. I thought about how different their lives are compared to what mine was when I was their age so very many years ago.

But one thing never changes with children....they all LOVE cookies right out of the oven! Talk about a tickled bunch of kids when I took those PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES out of the oven! It was just adorable. Children never really change as each decade goes by. They love just as sweetly, smile just as tenderly, hug just as tightly, sleep just as peacefully, get in trouble about the same things, talk just as fast, express themselves the same and enjoy PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES just as much now as I did when MY Grandma used to make them for me.

THAT'S the part I "really" love.....you know, that they would still love the very same things that I did when my own Grandma did them for me. It gives me those warm fuzzy feelings inside. You know, the ones that make you feel all is well with the world??? :)

Tonight, as I lock the doors, pray for and tuck in each one of them and turn out the lights, I'm thankful God has allowed me this gift. I'm thankful for them and for PUMPKIN SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES and for yet another opportunity to spend lots of time with them. Life is incredibly short....the time to enjoy them is now. I'm so blessed.

"He's Not on His Knees Yet"

Last night at church for our monthly "Night of Praise," Cathy and I did a song together. The night before she called and asked me if I would do the sign language for the above titled song while she sang. I was honored that she asked. As we began talking about the song and went over the words to it, we both were so broken for so many who are "not" on their knees yet. We mulled over the many youth who have come through our SS department over the years, as well as those who are with us now who either have not yet received Christ or have walked away after they turned 18.

Before the service, we prayed together for all those who would hear the message to the song. We prayed not only for those youth we knew who would hear it nd who needed Jesus, but also for family members and those adults who we know NEED Jesus.

I would ask them....."If not today, then when??? Why are you putting it off? What do you think you have to loose if you ask Jesus in your heart today?"

The time is now. Our hearts yearn for the salvation of the lost. We have prayed and waited so long. We hunger for the Lord Jesus to reach down and change our youth, our families and our adults. Lord, bring them to their knees. They say they aren't ready Lord, they're too strong to be weak. Show them their need Father.

Please, if you are reading this and you were not at our service last night, I humbly ask you to listen to this song. The link is below. May God bless you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXzypkClRM

"Kabul 24" by Henry O. Arnold & Ben Pearson

This incredible book takes you on the journey of the kidnapping and imprisonment of 8 brave Western aid Christians who were working and pouring their hearts and lives out to the people in Afghanistan through Shelter Now International. Each time I picked up this book, I sat mesmerized as I read about this group of people who were so dedicated and faithful for "the sake of the call." Through horrendous conditions, deprivation of all sorts, lonliness and separation, these 8 endured as soldiers of Christ. There were also 16 Afghan workers who were also treated horribly along with the 8. Their story of the daily battle of holding on to their faith was awe inspiring. These men and women were moved from one site to another during three long months in 2001. Their daily battles must have been nearly impossible to hurdle, but they did it through their deep faith in God, daily prayer and bible study and their unbelieveable love for these people.
I was entralled and encouraged by this wonderful book. It brought me hope and opened up such a bigger picture of this world and the millions who strive to bless and serve others as well as share the Gospel. I reccomend this book to everyone. You will never forget their story.

Willing Servants

For the past serveral Sundays in my 7th-8th grade SS class, we have been discussing servanthood. Two weeks ago we dsicussed how serving must be a priority in our lives if we are Christians. For the born again Believer, service should be a natural by-product of our salvation. Sunday morning, we discussed how our very own attitude WILL and DOES affect whether or not we choose to serve. When our attitude is bad, prideful, selfish or negative period, it WILL keep us from serving. We get in that mood that says, "Why in the world would I want to do anything for anyone when I'm so mad at everyone?" So we learned that our attitudes play a big part of whether or not we choose to serve. So, this past Sunday morning as I prayed for my girls class before I left for church, the Lord whispered to my heart... "Teach them by "doing", not just talking about it." OK, Lord, OK. And so in our class that morning, I told the girls that any of them that could/would to meet me at 4:00 today to "serve."

How blessed I was to see 5 WILLING SERVANTS come today. My heart was full. These precious young ladies cleaned windows, blinds, windowsills, painted, cleaned out the fridge, did baseboards and hauled trash. They blessed my heart tremendously. As we finished up this afternoon, I sat with them for a few minutes as I "drove" home the spiritual meaning of what they had just accomplished. What a joy they are. It is a privilige to teach them every Sunday. As we piled up on the couch before we left, giggling and praising God, all I could do was thank God for these precious WILLING SERVANTS!

Crossroads

When I was just a young girl, maybe 9 or 10, I remember coming upon a CROSSROAD in my life. Now, there had been many many CROSSROADS before this particular one, but this one has always stuck in my memory. I've never forgotten, not all these years later, have I forgotten.

This undoubtably won't sound like a big deal, but it was to me then and it still is even today. I had ridden my bicycle to a nearby grocery store. I do not remember why or if I was alone or with someone else.

One of my very favorite things to eat is Bing Cherries. I absolutely LOVE them! I remember way back then, going into that grocery store and crusing the aisles until I came upon the fruit aisle. There they were.....the Bing Cherries!! I remember standing and staring at them and wanting those cherries more than I had wanted anything else in a long time..........

There I was.....at a CROSSROADS!

I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I "wanted" those cherries. I also knew without a shadow of a doubt, right from wrong. BUT....I "wanted" them. There I was, at that CROSSROADS. Should I just take them? I'd only take a few, not many, just a few. What would it matter? Who could it hurt? Who would care?

It didn't take me too long to make my decision as I met the CROSSROAD square in the face. I reached up as quick as I could, grabbed a handful of cherries, shoved them in my pocket and ran for the front door. I couldn't wait to get out the door and eat the cherished fruit. I was already anticipating their sweetness and they weren't even in my mouth yet!

I had come to the CROSSROAD and made my decision.....I was young, but I had sinned and I KNEW it. I had done wrong and the guilt inexplicably overcame me. I had stood outside the door of this store, eaten my cherries and literally spit the pits right at their front door and immediately felt ashamed and overcome with guilt. I remember getting on my bike, riding all the way back home, grabbing a nickel and riding back to the store. I had no idea how much those cherries cost but I figured a nickel should cover it. I went in, ran to a cashier, and shoved my nickel at her mumbling something about paying back for the cherries I'd stolen. I ran crying out of the store I was so ashamed.

Every single day, we approach CROSSROADS in our lives. We will either choose right or we'll choose wrong. It is always our choice to do what's right or not. No one made me steal those cherries. I made that choice, just as I have made every other right and wrong choice in my life.

CROSSROADS....the next one you come to, what choice will you make? There are always consequences for our choices at the CROSSROADS.

Follow the Directions

How many times in your young years did you hear your mother, father or teacher say, "If you'd only of FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS, you wouldn't have gotten into trouble, or you wouldn't have failed the test, or you wouldn't have had to learn that lesson the hard way."

I can tell you....I heard this said at least a million times! Following directions is much harder for some of us than others but is undoubtably hard for ALL of us. Why is that do you think???? I'm gonna guess that our own ridiculous selfishness almost always keeps us from following directions. We almost always want to do what WE WANT TO DO....regardless of the directions that we "should be" following.

Or, do you remember ever being given something to fill out but instead of reading the directions on "how" to fill it out....we just proceeded to do it the way we "thought" it should be done OR how we "wanted" for it to be done only to find out after we are halfway through that we had been doing it wrong????? Hmmmmmmmmm.....

Why is it we continually choose to not FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS that God has given us in the 10 Commandments for a starter??? When will we learn? I have to wonder how much we will loose in our lifetimes because we chose to do things our own way instead of following the directions God has layed before us.

Maybe we all need to re-read the 10 Commandments right now and refresh our memories. WE have been told to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS that God gave us. Today is a good day to start, tomorrow could be too late.

Like a Vapor

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14

I often think about this verse that reminds us that life is LIKE A VAPOR and quickly will be gone from us. We are only here a very short time when we think about our lives in the grand scheme of things. So the question is, what are we going to do with these lives that God has graciously given us? If God chooses to grant us a long life, what will be said of us when we are gone? We tend to think that we have all the time in the world to live for Christ, get things right in our lives, be the best mom in the world, make lots of money, buy a home, or whatever are goals are in this life. But the Word tells us that our lives are like a vapor, appearing for only a little while and then vanishing away. NOW is the time to make our lives count for more than our own selfishness.

This verse also tells us that we do not know what our lives will be like tomorrow. I have known many many people over the years whose lives were turned upside down in a matter of minutes, changed forever. When this happens, we often see that regret follows. Regret for things that were left undone, things that were left unsaid and problems that were never resolved and now, will never be.

LIKE A VAPOR our lives are here and gone. Oh God, help us remember that our lives are really very very short. Help us make them matter for the Kingdom.

Thankful for Natalie

"I sure do love you," I said. "I love you more," she said. "I've missed you SO much," I said. "But I've missed YOU way more," she said.

Those words may not sound like a whole lot to you, but to us grandparents, they mean everything! When a child speaks, they usually mean what they say and when they tell you they love you, they mean it. We don't get to see Natalie as often as we'd like so when we do, it's a treat not only to see her but hear her say those words above.

Darrel and I are fortunate to have a wonderful bunch of grandkids and Nat is one of them. I remember the day she was born and the joy she brought to us. Her daddy didn't think he'd ever have a little girl so her birth was even extra sweet because of that.

Tonight, we're THANKFUL FOR NATALIE and so glad the Lord God gave her to us. Her little freckled face and sweet grin would make the saddest day joyous. What a blessing! Thanks God:)

We MUST Pray

As I type this, my heart just aches for this little 7 year old girl who didn't make it home yesterday. She could be my grandchild or your child. Wouldn't you want to know others everywhere were praying? I know I sure would. I cannot get her off my mind or heart and have lifted her constantly in prayer today and since this began yesterday.

Tonight, all I know is WE MUST PRAY for little Somer. She needs us to pray for her, her family and her captor, IF that is what has happened. Please, her family would ask us to pray and as Christians, that IS our responsibility. Let us join together in prayer for her. If she was yours, isn't that what you would ask the public? Little Somer is counting on us to pray, let's do it.

Walk With GOD

Some days, IF I allow myself, I can become so very discouraged with the world and its' people. I must be very very careful because I can sometimes find myself becoming very cynical. Trust me when I say, I do not want to admit this, but I must, as it is truth. I look around and see so much that breaks my heart, makes me angry and makes me feel great sympathy. I struggle and groan within myself as the thoughts and the sights of the world often drain me and make me want to run. All I can think is "why don't they just WALK WITH GOD?"

As a Christian, I often wonder why people don't "get it". I have to be cautious because if I'm not, I'll find myself becoming judgemental towards others and I know THIS is NOT the answer.....the answer is simply to pray for those who do not know Him and live such hopeless lives. I am being honest here to say that sometimes though, I get that horrible feeling inside that I don't even want to pray for some people because in "my opinion," they are just "too lost" and won't ever change.

But my spirit cries out to my flesh....WALK WITH GOD.....WALK WITH GOD........WALK WITH GOD!!! IF I choose to abide by the Spirit, then to WALK WITH GOD means that I must put the fleshy feelings aside, live like HE did to the best of my ability, serve like HE did and love like HE did. It's hard Lord and my flesh screams loudly that it doesn't want to but in the depths of my heart Lord, you know I do want to walk with You.

Help me Lord....help me.....

WALK WITH GOD.

We Are Blessed

There is no doubt, WE ARE BLESSED at RRC! These are just some of the amazing youth and young adults who bless my heart whenever I am in their presence. Saturday at our annual Fall Festival, these Dear Ones in Christ were hard at work serving our community. Everywhere I looked, service was in action and I was so very proud of them and all the others of whose pictures I didn't get.

Truly, WE ARE BLESSED to have so many youth and young adults who are dedicated and committed to serving the Lord, in any capactiy. I do not edify them, I edify the ONE who deserves all the credit. It is the the LORD I see in them. I watch them stretch themselves to do more, to be more and to give more of themselves and my heart soars.

It is more than an honor to know and love them, it is a privilege. WE ARE BLESSED at RRC and my cup runs over:)

Treasures of Dawn

IF you awaken early and sit out on my back patio, you're likely to witness the wonders of early morning. Of course, you must be a nature freak, as I, to fully appreciate it all as much as I do. For me, it is magic to sit out there as the sun rises, listen to the sounds of the morning come alive and watch as the creatures of God wake to the morn.

Each morning as I awaken, it's an opportunity for a new start, a fresh beginning and another day to do what we were created to do....WORSHIP OUR SAVIOR!

Squirrels are smart enough to do what they were created to do....each morning, they forage and spend their mornings gathering whatever they can find to eat.

WE were created to WORSHIP! Every morning we awaken is a new opportunity to do that which we were made to do. The squirrels know what to do, surely, shouldn't we?

One of the TREASURES OF DAWN is the knowledge that it's another new day to set our hearts and minds on things above and spend it worshiping the risen Lord! He is worthy and I am undeserving of another new day and yet, He freely gives it to me.

Father, You created me for worship....help me live my life out loud to You so that I may do what You created me to do. If the squirrels know what to do, then why shouldn't I?

Spiritual Blinders

I don't know much about horse racing, but I do know one thing....they all wear blinders. I vaguely remember many years ago when I was told the purpose of these blinders. Obviously, they are to restrict the peripheral vision of the horse so as he is running his race, he cannot see what is going on to his left or right. Purposely, the owner wants his eyes to stay on the race ahead of him. I remember that this thought struck me in a spiritual way and I've never forgotten it.

I have been known MANY times through the years of teaching Sunday school classes to say to our youth...."Put your SPIRITUAL BLINDERS on, keep your eyes on the Cross ahead of you and don't pay attention to what's going on around you, just keep your eyes on the Cross ahead.

It is so easy to get caught up in day to day pain, trauma, regret, loss, heartache, unforgiveness, sorrow, indecision and trials, that we so often take our eyes off the the race ahead and we get caught up in the commotion in our peripheral vision!

It is when we take our eyes off the Cross of Christ that we get tripped up in the craziness of the world and forget who holds our future and our hope! We MUST keep our SPIRITUAL BLINDERS on and stay centered on what is AHEAD of us, not to the side, not behind, but AHEAD of us. What is ahead of us?????? THE CROSS! What have we to fear, to dread, to worry us when our eyes are solely on the Cross?

God, help me keep my SPIRITUAL BLINDERS on and be oblivious to the problems this world throws at us. YOU are my hope, my love, my life and my eyes are on the journey AHEAD........the journey to the Cross.

During the Night

I'm finding sleeping through the night difficult this past week. I keep waiting to hear Mary call out for me. Every little sound wakes me as I had gotten used to being on constant alert with every little noise she made.

But not sleeping well does have its' benefits too. Each time I wake up, it gives me an opportunity to pray for someone and there are always LOTS of people that need prayer. It seems here lately that there is just so much pain, suffering and heartache everywhere.

I think that we need to re-think the dire importance of prayer. We NEED to pray for one another every time we think of it. Sure you can drop to your knees and spend hours in prayer or DURING THE NIGHT you can lift those names to the throne as God puts them on your heart or just pray as you go throughout your day. Prayer can happen anywhere, anytime and in any position. God just wants to hear your voice.

DURING THE NIGHT, when sleep seems to be the last thing you can find, remember to simply pray for those who stand in need, and there are many. If you don't know who to pray for then pick up a prayer sheet from Wednesday nights or one from Monday night prayer. There are many people and circumstances that are waiting for us to pray for them.

Let us take prayer seriously whether it's DURING THE NIGHT or during the day.....JUST PRAY!

Footprints

Where did you leave yours today???

Was it in the spoken word.....a kind gesture....a smile (take a look at Mandy R if you want to ALWAYS see one!).....a phone call....a prayer???

Every day, we leave our FOOTPRINTS on this earth as we walk out our daily lives. I pray today that I left FOOTPRINTS of Jesus somewhere.

Continuing the Journey...

Those of you who know and love me well, know this has been a tough week for me. It seems all I've been able to do is wander around here trying to figure out what it is that I'm supposed to be doing now that Mary is gone. It may sound silly, but it's true and since I'm well known for being a Truth-talker, no need of calling it what it isn't.

It's hard CONTINUING THE JOURNEY of beginning my life again as it was before Mary, one year ago. I miss her desperately. Oh yes, I KNOW that she's in a better place and were it not for the fact that I had the privilege of leading her to Christ in July and KNOWING that she's in heaven today, I would not be able to handle this, I don't think.

That brings me back to this fact again....

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY in life would be impossible for me without Jesus. HE alone is my hope, my sustainer, my joy, my peace....He's my everything. I just don't understand how the millions across this globe can live a life and not have a personal relationship with our Creator. Oh yeah, it's undoubtably done by many every single day, but what a sad hopeless life it is. Without the knowlege that I will see Mary again in heaven one day, I don't think I could bear the loss. There's a smile on my face, but my heart is aching for her. But it isn't just her physical presence that I miss but my heart aches for the following...

You see, Mary lived a pretty sad life. It was basically full of pain, heartache and suffering, much because of the wrong choices she made in her life, but much at the hands of others. She only lived for Jesus a mere 3 months before her passing. I wish she could have lived a healthy life for Christ and really understood the mercy and faithfulness of a loving God who wanted nothing more than to heal all her hurts and bring her joy unspeakable. Not just the joy that comes from getting something new or laughing at a joke or watching your child take his first steps. NO.....I'm talking about the unspeakable, undescribable JOY that comes from personally knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Having that knowledge that you can handle anything that comes your way because you know and trust that Romans 8:28 is true and therefore, your mindset is such that your HOPE comes from Him, the Sustainer of all and you can have PEACE REGARDLESS of the storm. Now that is something that money can't buy and NOTHING can take the place of:)

I miss Mary, there is no doubt, but the journey continues. Today, I will put one foot in front of the other and trust my Savior who died on that cross on Calvary for me. I will remember all God gave me when He entrusted her into me and Darrel's care. I will remember all that He has taught us through this past year and through caring for her. HE has taught us much......patience, self-less love and the importance of giving of oneself for the benefit of someone else.

To God be ALL the glory.

Rembering "Chickadee"

This morning as I gently stroked her forehead, I told Mary I loved her for the last time, before she left this earth to go be with Jesus. As I read the 23rd Psalm to her, she breathed her last breaths and climbed into the arms of her newly found Savior and was finally at peace.

"Chickadee" was the nickname I gave her months ago and one I fondly used daily in place of her name. She LOVED it! Like a little bird, she flew into our lives, made her nest in our hearts and found a place to be loved right here in our home. She changed our lives, taught us more than she'll ever know and she will be missed more than I can say in this blog. It's truly amazing how God can give you such a love for someone you've only known 1 year. I will always marvel at a God who can give someone such a deep love for a person known for such a short time. God knew I needed her in my life and I in hers and He quickly knit our hearts together.

I miss her presence already and she's only been gone 12 hours. It's quiet and I feel rather lost and not quite sure what I'm supposed to be doing. Oh, how I shall miss her. What a privilege to love her, care for her, lead her to Christ and hold her as she stepped from this place into her home on high.

I loved you so much Chickadee, but one day, we will meet again. Thank you for all you meant to me and Teddy Bear. The Lord used you to do incredible things in us that only in the years to come, will the fruit be fully known. You were family to us and we all will miss you sorely.

REMEMBERING CHICKADEE will be easy.........................how could I ever forget???

Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

This very candid book, which consists mostly of Mr. Buckingham trying to convince working women everywhere that they can “have it all” and live their strongest life ever, does not convince me of this fact one bit.
The author claims that most women, do indeed, choose to work outside the home and claims that you'd have to go back to 1974 to find a percentage of women larger who want to stay home than in this day and time. He claims that this choice is based on women wanting to express themselves and make productive contributions in their life. He further claims that sustaining a feeling of being successful is difficult for a woman if she quits the world of work to become a full-time mom.
I must say that I did not enjoy this book at all. Being a Christian woman, I totally disagree with nearly everything the author writes. This book is based solely from a worldly principle, not a godly principle, which is why it is difficult for me to agree with him. His beliefs, in my opinion, are based on the principle that "me" comes first, before everything else, which is totally contrary to my belief. There is no greater fulfillment or joy than in raising godly, well-balanced children. There is no paycheck or status that means as much and I know many women who agree with that.
As a Christian, I would not recommend this book to any woman. I gleaned no useful or helpful information from this authors idea on how a woman can live her strongest life ever.

I Hate Goodbyes....

I suppose the title of this blog is no different than how most other people feel....I don't know of anyone who likes goodbyes. Saying goodbye to someone means they are leaving your presence, not to be seen for a while, a long time or possibly never again.

Like the 1 or 2 of you who read my silliness on here, I have had to say goodbye to a lot of people in my life. As I type, my mind fills with some of the many faces I've had to say goodbye to. I hated each and every goodbye and cried buckets of tears with each parting. I just don't do goodbye's very well. I'd rather crawl in a hole somewhere:(

As Romeo said to Juliet..."Parting is such sweet sorrow."

"Sweet" in that I have known you and had the pleasure and privilege of being with you....

"Sorrow" in that the leaving you is nearly more than I can bear.

And so it is that Hospice told me yesterday that it is time to say our goodbyes to my dear friend Mary. I was told we needed to tell those who love her to go ahead, say their goodbyes to her and let her know how much they love her as her days before her passing now are few.

Yep......you're right......you know what I'm going to say here.....I HATE GOODBYES. As soon as the words were out of our nurses' mouth, tears fell down my cheeks. I don't want to say goodbye to Mary....I want to laugh again with her, I want to cook her bacon, eggs, and pancakes with her favorite syrup again, I want to watch the birds and squirrels in my backyard with her again and marvel at the beauty of it all, I want to discuss the things of God with her again and watch her face smile as she learns the things of God, I want to take her to lunch again and listen as she orders nearly everything on the menu cause she never got to do that before, I want to hear her call Darrel "Teddy Bear" again......but, we are told, those days are now a memory for us and it is time now to begin to adjust with letting her go into the hands of God. I've done my best to care for her this past year, soon my Lord and Savior will take over 24/7 and He'll do a MUCH better job than I ever did.

My comfort and joy is this.....although I HATE GOODBYES....I will not really have to say goodbye to Mary because she met Jesus on July 17 of this year, (HALLELUJAH TO THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS) and I have the reassurance that I WILL see her again one day on the other side of Gloryland!!!! There will be no more pain there and her body will be whole again, her mind will be sharp and she'll sing and dance with the angels and I'll be right there with her.

I HATE GOODBYES but when your friend or family member knows Jesus Christ....THIS parting is not forever....it is only for a season and I shall see her again.