NFL/Superbowl Saga Continues

Last year, I shared my annoyance with the NFL for not allowing churches to hold superbowl parties. I even sent them a letter.

My first entry with all of the basic information can be read following this link.

You can read the letter I sent to the NFL through this link.

They sent a rude reply to my letter. That can be read following this link.

Now someone has found a loophole to the "big screen" controversy. I sure hope this guy finds a church willing to take the NFL to task over this. The idea that BARS can have superbowl parties and not CHURCHES still bugs me. And I loather football!

Here's a short clip of the article:

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the reason bars and sporting establishments are permitted to show the game on larger screens is a legal exemption for organizations that use them year-round instead of for a one-time event. Baptist Press knows of at least one unidentified church that called the NFL earlier this year and cited the exemption for those who use large screens year-round. The church argued that because it uses its screen year-round, it should be exempted. The NFL allowed the church to hold the party without interference.

Super-Cool! I really hope a church steps up and makes an issue of this. I know it's not necessarily a hill worth dying on if you look at it on the surface. When you think about it, though, this is a basic right being denied Christians that bars can enjoy. Is it discrimination? I'm not sure, but it's something worth considering, IMO.

You can read the entire article by following this link.

Then He Left Her

I must confess to paying little attention to Jesus' mother, Mary, when she is mentioned in the Bible. Because she is almost always mentioned in the context of her son, The Son of God, my focus has been on what those passages tell me about my Messiah. This Christmas, however, I paid attention.

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her how her life was about to change. Mary understandably freaked out for a minute or two, asking all of the obvious questions. Gabriel answered each one and Mary ultimately surrendered her will to the plan of God:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered, "May it be to me as you have said."
Very brave answer, in my opinion. Here's where my interest was piqued, though. No sooner did she utter these words then the angel who brought such incredible news did the most frustrating thing: He left.

Left!

Here's a teenage girl who has apparently lived her life in such a way that God took notice. She was betrothed, as any upstanding young woman in her culture was at the time, to an upstanding man in her community. Her life was just beginning! Then an angel came and delivered news that would turn her life upside-down. Even so, she accepted it. Yet, as soon as she began to wrap her brain around the concept of being the mother of the Messiah, the only one who could tell her what to do next left.

Left!

The reason this has stuck with me is that this is exactly the situation we can find ourselves in when we feel God calling us to make a change in our lives. We may feel convicted to become more involved in serving in our local church through teaching Sunday school or helping with Awanas, for example, or maybe we have been struck with the need to take better care of our "temples". Then, the minute we make that commitment we are struck with the challenges we may face as we seek to fulfill that commitment. God convicts us, we submit, then -BAM- we're on our own to actually do the thing we said we'd do.

Many of us use this time of year to review our habits and commitments of the past year and resolve to make some positive changes. We may even pray about them and truly believe God wants us to make those changes in our lives. We'll commit to them then -BAM- one week later, we're filled with guilt and regret at our failure to follow through. Obviously, I've experienced this scenario more times than I will ever admit to anyone!

This year, I would like to make some positive changes in my life and believe those changes are fully based on how the Bible teaches me to live. I am convicted to make those changes and I desire to follow through. I am so glad the Lord revealed through Mary's example some ways I can be successful, even when I'm on my own to see things through.

1. Seek out support.

Once the angel left, Mary packed and hurried to Elizabeth's house. They were both facing pregnancies that would shock their communities. They helped each other through the tough stuff.

Finding others who are on our same path of change to take the journey with can be the greatest success tool there is. There's nothing like having someone to celebrate and commiserate with who knows exactly what you're going through.

2. Stay positive.

Mary focused on the blessing she was receiving, not on the upheaval caused by an unexpected pregnancy. (v46-47, 49)

We can keep our minds on the positive aspects of the changes we are making. For example, if we commit to teaching a Bible Study once a week, we could focus on how much time we have to spend preparing or we can appreciate how much time we now make to study God's word. What a gift we give ourselves when we spend more time in Bible study!

3. Keep the result in mind.

Mary praised God and knew that she would be revered for all generations to come for the sacrifice she was making now. (v.48)

What will our lives look like once we are successful in our quest for improvement? How will our friends and family see us differently when we meet a goal we set for ourselves? Will these changes improve our relationships? Those are all great things to keep in focus!

4. Focus on others, not yourself.

Mary could have become self-indulgent through her entire pregnancy. After all, she was giving birth to the Word made Flesh! Who would fault her for wanting to have someone rub her swollen ankles or maybe even sleep in? Instead, she made herself useful in Elizabeth's home. Using my limited math abilities, it appears Mary was told of her pregnancy in Elizabeth's sixth month and stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Sounds like she stayed until John the B. was born to me. How nice it must have been for Elizabeth to have someone to help her with the household chores during her last trimester.

When we face challenges and changes, it can be easy to fall into a mode of self-pity. Feeling sorry for ourselves because we feel deprived, restricted or whatever gets us nowhere and sets us up for failure. Instead, we can turn our energies toward blessing others. If we decide to fast once a week, how about serving a meal at a shelter that day? If we start feeling overwhelmed by leading a study group, we can stop and write a note to a member of the group, encouraging them to keep up with their studies. That's the crux of loving our neighbors as ourselves, I think; placing their needs before our own.

I'll be keeping Mary's example in mind as I face changes in my life in the coming weeks. If you, too, are planning to make some life improvements, I hope these ideas help you as your journey begins. Blessings!

Now I've Done It.

My sister invited me to check out a website that, she said, is a free comprehensive weight loss/healthy living resource on the internet. It's called SparkPeople. I had never heard of it, but they have about a jillion members. I've been checking out the site for the last few days and am very impressed and encouraged by what I have seen so far.

SparkPeople is very much like having a personal trainer online. The site will tailor a fitness program to your needs and resources. It offers a healthy eating plan that can be customized to your nutritional requirements or food aversions. For example, I loathe seafood and indicated my disgust of all things that come from the ocean depths when I filled out the initial information form upon joining. There's no seafood in the eating plan set up for me.

There are groups to join where you can meet people with similar needs, personalities, religious affiliations or lifestyles. I've already joined the Biggest Loser Fans group (I LOVE that show!) and the Conservative Christian Women's group. It even has a bit of a reward system to encourage you to explore the site's seemingly endless resources. There are motivational articles, nutrition information, even a place to look up illnesses and their symptoms!

I'm sure I have only touched the surface of this site. If you are considering making some healthy changes in the new year, SparkPeople might just be the place to start. Here's a link button for those who might want to take advantage of this FREE resource.



Get a Free Online Diet

If you want to learn a little more about the man who began this website and why he did it (it's a pretty interesting story),follow this link to a news story about the founder.

Right now, I'm still getting a feel for the site and putting their advice and tools into practice. My plan is to be ready to roll by January 2. I'll probably blog a bit about my progress and the tools I am using through the coming months, but I promise not to obsess here about any of that. SP has a blog tool that I'll use to share those thoughts.

Here's my first blog entry from there to give you an idea of why I'll keep my weight loss/healthy living diatribes safely enconced at SP:

Here's where the rubber hits the road. I'm overweight, my cholesterol levels are through the roof, my stress level is rising and my energy level is dipping precariously in the opposite direction. But it's not time to beat myself up. It is time to give myself a stinkin' break.

I am not my weight.

I am an intelligent woman. I write some mighty fine articles and prose that have been appreciated by many. I can problem-solve and multi-task as well as any CEO out there. Plus, I can complete a level "hard" sudoku puzzle!

I am not my weight.

I am a funny woman. I have been blessed with a quirky way of looking at the world. I like that about me! I love ending up in the midst of a group of people and making a casual comment that elicits cackles from everyone. I love being alone, seeing humor in something and laughing out loud.

I am not my weight.

I am a loving woman. Nothing is more important to me than relationships. First, my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. Then, of course, comes my husband and children. They are the neatest people in the world! Seriously, you will likely hear about my children on the news one day. For a GOOD reason! Making the time to nurture growing friendships is a growing priority for me. I hosted a movie night with some girlfriends last week and had a great time. The week before Christmas no less!

I am not my weight.

I will not puff myself up with false pride, but I will no longer beat myself up constantly about my shortcomings. It is time to focus my energy on what I am doing right then build from there. I cannot build a new lifestyle on a foundation of failure; I need to begin with a solid footing. To that end, I will focus on my strengths, gaining momentum as I grow. Yes, I am overweight and that needs to change. But,

I am NOT my weight!

Feel free to join me...if you can stand me! Blessings to you in the coming year!

Paul Potts Surprises Them All

This one made me cry.

There is something about humble people finally recieving recognition that touches me deeply. Most of the world has probably seen this already, but it was new to me. Wow!

Christmas Rant 2007

I didn't intend to make this an annual event, but since I ranted last year, it appears to have become a tradition. Sorry in advance, but I simply can't keep this inside. I know those of you who read this would NEVER be involved in any of these activities. This is a safe place for me to let out steam. Better here than in the middle of Sears, right? Here goes.

All-Christmas-music-all-of-the-time radio should not begin until December. Playing any Christmas tunes before Thanksgiving should be a punishable offense. Have mercy. If someone will start a petition to ban Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" altogether, I'll sign. Twice.

To those of you who think the mall parking lot is your personal race track: You people need to get a grip and possibly some medical intervention. Slow down!!

To those of you who think driving to the mall and waiting for a parking space is a great excuse to have your "quiet time:" It isn't. Pay attention or get out of the way!!

Some parenting advice: Begging is not acceptable under ANY circumstance. You're whiny kids are driving the rest of us nuts. If they're tired, take them home. If that's the way they've learned to ask for things, some adjustments need to be made. Allowing them to argue with you in the middle of Target is out of line. Here is one of the most important rules in our family (my kids can recite it in their sleep): Don't Embarrass Mom in Public! It works for us; give it a try.

Once you have negotiated the checkout line and reached the register, shopping is OVER. Sorting through your shopping cart, making the checkout person (and those of us in line behind you) wait while you continue to shop is inconsiderate. Here's a novel idea: Wait to get in line until you have made your final purchase decisions.

Save the Santa hats for the week before Christmas. I beg you.

Done.

A Christmas Carol

OHMYGOSH. This never fails to make me laugh!

It's an oldie but a goodie. Enjoy! Or plug your ears, depending on your taste in music...if you can call this music. Too funny!

LINK: O Holy Night

The Key: Communication

After work, I needed to stop by church for a quick meeting with the pastor. Once that task was completed, I had just enough time to drive through Mickey D's for chicken sandwich and a Diet Coke before I picked the kids up from school. Imagine my embarrassment and surprise when my credit card was declined for a few pennies over $2.00!

A quick phone call to the C.C. company revealed my kid's school transposed the first two numbers of the tuition fee we pay through that credit card and the mistake put us over our limit. I called the school to get them to correct the problem and was told they had voided that charge on the day the mistake was made. They even emailed me a copy of the void! I called the C.C. company with that information and, - here's a shocker - I was told there was nothing they could do about it until they could speak to the school directly to confirm the void. It appears the void shows up on the school's machine but not on the C.C. company's records. The school has to contact the company by phone to correct the error. If the school had simply called right away, this whole fiasco would have been avoided.

In this technologically advanced age where people can electronically charge beau coup bucks to a random card, the credit cannot be issued until actual voices are heard. Grrr....

Now that I am beginning to calm down, there is a definite lesson to be learned here. How many misunderstandings could be kept to a minimum or avoided completely if we would just discuss things directly with the parties involved as soon as possible? I am as guilty of that as anyone. Someone asks me to do something, I tell them I will, then promptly forget all about it. If I would contact that person as soon as I recognize my error and humbly apologize, the matter would be dealt with and we could move on. Instead, I realize I forgot, then go out of my way to avoid that person for as long as possible, creating an unnecessary strain on our relationship.

During the Christmas season, gatherings occur at least weekly. Each one of these events has the potential to be wonderful or extremely unpleasant depending on the quality of our relationships with the others in attendance. Here's an idea: If there is something I haven't communicated properly about with someone who will be there, I am going to make a point of contacting that person before the event to settle the matter. Eating a little humble pie beforehand will make all those Christmas treats taste even sweeter when we arrive without any bitter baggage to mar the flavor.

I'm off to make a phone call!

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

And For Dessert...

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting!

These just scream Christmas, don't they!

My daughter has already placed her birthday cake order for next year: She doesn't care what kind of cake she has, but it must be frosted with this white fluffy stuff!

I know I overmixed the cake batter. The cupcakes shouldn't crack like that.

Fluffy frosting covers a multitude of sins! Well, at least baking sins...

I found the recipes at allrecipes.com.

Link to frosting recipe.

Link to easy, if not authentic, recipe for Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes.

These treats may become a Christmas tradition at my house!

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of H.S. Musical

Perfect, just perfect. Love it! Someone else blogged this one and I simply HAD to share it here!

Oh, Christmas Tree

These little trees served as the centerpieces at our Soup Social last night. Aren't they cute?! I made them myself, so I guess I should be more humble about them, right? Nah. They're cute.

They took a bit of time to make, but they added the perfect mood to our evening. Plus, they served as door prizes. Two birds, one stone. I love that! The original instructions called for using two shades of green on each tree, but I really liked how they looked when I made them all one color. The dark green ones were nice, but I really liked the lighter green ones best. How 'bout you?

My Delight

Praise God, the Soup Social is now history! We had a wonderful time and enjoyed amazing homemade soups and salads!

I thought I'd go ahead and share here what I shared there. I was so nervous! I am definitely a writer, not a speaker! Sorry about the length. I guess speeches are longer than what I traditionally write. Oh, well. Without further ado, here it is, in writing:

I am one of five daughters. Two sisters are a decade older than me and I am the middle daughter in the youngest grouping of three girls. We were known as "The Girls." Any of you from families with more than one female child can probably relate. We were most often seen as a single unit, "The Girls, " rather than individuals. That worked out pretty great most of the time.

We were able to share any punishments fairly evenly.

When we asked our parents to watch us, they could watch "The Girls" instead of having to watch three individual performances. Between the three of us, we could do a pretty passable rendition of the Wizard of Oz!

Sometimes "The Girls" scored a bigger present at Christmas than we would be able to coax out of my folks individually.

For example, one Christmas when we were all still elementary school-aged, we charged into the living room at the crack of dawn....OK, maybe it was still dark outside, but morning is anytime after midnight. At least, that's what we convinced our parents. We began the exciting task of discovering the treats in our Christmas stockings and opening the presents when one package - one really big package - caught our eye. It was leaning against the wall, sort of behind the tree and it had no tag; no name was attached to it. We stole glances at each other, communicating in a language only close siblings can understand. We were fairly confident it was a present for "The Girls." When I couldn't stand not knowing any longer (I may have lasted one full minute), I asked my parents who the present was for and, with a twinkle in his eye, my Dad confirmed our suspicions.

I could tell from his expression that this was something B.I.G. I knew immediately what it must be: A Barbie Townhouse! My mind snapped into warp speed, imagining my Sweet 16 Barbie riding up and down that super-cool elevator, making dinner, taking bubble baths and maybe even driving around her estate in her new convertible (my birthday is in March and I was planning ahead). After what seemed like an eternity, my dad finally picked up the box, laid it on the floor and had us sit around it. One...two...THREE!! We tore into that paper, desperate to be the first one to glimpse that townhouse. We squealed as the paper flew into the air! As the confetti settled to the ground we saw our prize:

A train set.

We tried to be happy. We really did! My dad seemed so excited. I exclaimed in my most fake/happy voice, "Oh...a train set!" Not an oscar-worthy performance, to be sure. We could tell my dad was bummed that we were disappointed, but he tried to laugh and make the best of it. Poor Dad.

Now, a model train set is a very special gift. He probably spent more on it than he would have spent for a Barbie Townhouse. So why would we be disappointed?

Because our focus was on what we wanted, not on what our father wanted for us.

Many of us struggle the same way in a spiritual sense with our Heavenly Father. Our prayers are often filled with our requests to Him.

"Help me pass that test."
"Let us be able to buy that house."
"Lord, I just want to lose these last 10 pounds!"

These are the desires of our hearts and it is certainly not wrong to want to have our desires fulfilled. Besides, who better to share our desires with than our Savior? The problem is that, just like my sisters and me, the focus is on our wants, not on what God wants for us.

As we mature in our faith, our desire often matures to become a bit more selfless, but often with conditions. As a child and into my teen years I regularly prayed, "Lord, I want to serve you, but please don't make me a missionary!" It wasn't that I didn't want to share Christ; I did. I just wasn't sure I could do it without access to running water, which, for some strange reason, was what I concluded all missionaries had to endure.

So, how do we find a way to serve God selflessly and still receive our heart's desire? The key lies in Psalm 37:4. This passage says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart. That word "delight" means, "To be soft, delicate, be pampered, to make merry over." I think the term "tender-hearted" sums up that definition for me. So, how can we be tender-hearted to God? We can begin by making note of how tender-hearted God is toward us.

Deuteronomy 30:9 says, "Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers..." In this passage the Lord is completely focused on us, he is tender-hearted to us...even indulgent.

And here is a promise about how delighting in Him can bless us:

Isaiah 55:2, "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

And we are even given directions for how to begin delighting in God in Job 22:21-26:

Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your fact to God.

From this we learn that when we study the Bible, determine to stay close to the Lord, day and day out, pursuing a holy life; when we become more concerned with the richness God offers than the riches the world offers we surely find delight in Him!

I want to revisit the story of the train set. Fast forward 15-20 years. When my sisters and I ("The Girls") reached adulthood and had children of our own, my dad made a point to give one of us a small train-themed trinket each Christmas. We treasured these gifts and hoped we'd be the one he chose to bestow the train upon each year. When we were the recipient, we felt so special. What was different? We knew our dad so much better as adults and we loved having something special to share with him. Because we were tender-hearted to our dad, because we delighted ourselves in him, his gift became special to us. We wanted to receive it: We desired it!

When we steep ourselves in God's love for us, as it is described in Job, we begin to know our Savior better and we love to have something special to share with Him. We become tender-hearted to our Heavenly Father. We delight ourselves in Him! Then His gifts become special to us. We want to receive them: We desire them!

I pray Christ is our focus - our Delight - as we enter this Christmas season. He has a wonderful gift waiting for you to open. It will be something that blesses you and something that brings you joy. What that gift is, I don't know. It will be something unexpected - something you may not have even thought you wanted. But, if He is your delight, His gift will delight you!

What Would Lottie Say?

I know I've been awol for awhile. Vacation + planning a ladies event at church + work + a mother-in-law struggling with dementia and all that comes with it = my plate is incredibly full. I'll post my impressions of the Grand Canyon and my adorable centerpieces soon - promise! In the meantime, I just HAD to share this one:




Oh, my. What would Lottie say??

I think she'd laugh her head off! Go Grandma!! Oh, and support church missions (that's a link to the missions Christmas emphasis through my denomination)!

Back soon. The soup social is Thursday night. Say a prayer for me, I'm speaking and I haven't done that since college which was - ahem - a few years ago.

Living Statue of Liberty

This is a photograph made up of 18,000 WWII soldiers. It seemed fitting to share it on Veteran's Day. God Bless our Veterans!

"On a stifling July day in 1918, 18,000 officers and soldiers posed as Lady Liberty on the parade [drill] grounds at Camp Dodge. The photo, taken from the top of a specially constructed tower by a Chicago photography studio, Mole & Thomas, was intended to help promote the sale of war bonds but was never used."

More info here. You can click on the photo to see a larger view.

Marching One-by-One

Did you ever see the movie, "A Bug's Life?" If you have kids or grandkids, I'm sure you did. One of my favorite scenes is when the ants are all marching in a row, bringing the food to the big rock for the crickets (they were crickets, right?) to eat. While they are marching, a leaf falls across the path and panic ensues. They have absolutely no clue how to get where they need to go if they don't have a path to follow! Luckily, Flick shows up and guides them along another path they can take to reach their goal. Whew! I was always amazed at the sheer stupidity of the ants for being such blind followers that they would have walked off a cliff if the bug in front of them did it first.

Yesterday I was made keenly aware of how ant-like I can be. To drop off the daughter at school, we drive through a big circular drive in front of the administration building. At the end of the drive, we can turn right or left; both directions lead to a driveway that takes you to a city street. 90% of everyone goes left, though, because that particular exit is the most direct route downtown. The line to get out that way gets long at times, so I turn right. Not the most direct route, but it gets me there with less frustration. Back to yesterday. I drop the girl off and proceed to plan the rest of my day. Before I know it, I have played follow-the-leader, turned left, and am stuck in the infinitely long line to get out of the parking lot. Sheesh. That's what I get for not thinking. I followed others into a mess.

On a spiritual level, this is a really easy trap in which to fall. It is much easier to not think for ourselves and follow people's teaching who seem to know more than us about the Bible and spiritual things. The problem with that is even smart people do dumb things once in awhile. And sometimes people who we think are smart are really diabolically clever and intentionally leading us astray. I have a great deal of respect for my pastors and other leaders in the Christian community, but I hope I would never blindly follow any of them. My standard needs to be God's Word, not the word of any man (or woman).

I know people who consider themselves Christians and ask me questions they should be able to answer for themselves with a small amount of Bible study. They respect me and trust what I tell them, but I could be lying to them. I encourage them to seek out the answers in scripture for themselves, even give them the verses, but they'd rather just follow what I tell them to do and not take the time to know for sure that I'm telling them the Truth.

Such laziness is tempting. Reading and studying scripture takes time and can be confusing. Certain books in the Bible are downright frustrating or scary (Revelations, anyone?). Seeing the Truth with our own eyes, discussing what we are studying with God through our own prayer time and weighing what others are saying on the scales of scripture through own efforts is imperative if we want to follow the correct path; the path set before us by God, not by man.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16

Just One Word

WHY?

Thoughts on Friendship

I love spending time with friends, especially really good, best friends. Over time I have had to face the difficult truth that while many friendships can last a lifetime, the depth of those friendships is fairly transitory. Maintaining closeness when there is so much in this world to distract us is difficult. Family commitments take priority and occasionally need to be our primary focus. Our jobs can require a large chunk of our attention at times. We may enter a season where the Lord has reasons of His own to call us away from close friends, either for a short time or forever. The important lesson in all of this is when close friendships seem to stall, no matter what the reason, we shouldn't take it personally. If the friendship was as deep as we think, such friends would discuss anything that might leave hard feelings. Most likely, it is life circumstances that take our friends from us, not anything we've done. All relationships experience a certain ebb-and-flow according to life circumstances, but the best friendships endure over time. Knowing this, we need hold our friends closely, but with open hands.

I made a list of the qualities I enjoy in a really good friend and found I have one friend who fits the bill 100%:

- Someone who is willing to hear me out when I am struggling with something.
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears. - 2 Samuel 22:7

- Someone who enjoys my company.
But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me -Psalm 42:8a

- Someone who's company I enjoy.
and through each night I sing his songs,praying to God who gives me life. -Psalm 42:8b

- Someone who challenges me to be my best self.
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. -Ephesians 4:1

- Someone who is not afraid to have difficult conversations with me.
For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life -Psalm 6:23

- Someone who isn't easily offended when I do something stupid.
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. -Psalm 86:5

- Someone with whom I can let my guard down.
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." -Genesis 16:13

- Someone who lets their guard down around me.
This is real love -not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. -1 John 4:10

- Someone who stands by me when others walk away.
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother -Proverbs 18:24

- Someone who's affections are with me, even when we can't be together.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:20b

My Lord is all of this and more. Earthly friendships come and go, wax and wane, but my friendship with God is eternal. Bless His Name.

Puttin' on the Brakes

Dear hubby came down with the flu on Wednesday evening. By Thursday morning he was more miserable than I had ever seen him, so I sent him to see the doctor. He has the flu and this flu has triggered shingles! Poor thing. I have never seen him in such acute pain before. He's a tough guy and hasn't even missed a day of work over this, but the slightest touch can make his knees buckle. He works in a relatively isolated office surrounded by a welding shop, so there is no risk of encountering pregnant women or children. Still, I wish he would take the time to rest.

Why is it that we are prone to looking at resting time as wasted time? Why is there such a push to be constantly productive? When did we demote stillness to a status somewhere below taking out the trash?

I don't have a deep spiritual answer for this one. I'm a little tired and in need of rest myself. Say a prayer for my fella when you can. Pray for moments of rest. Thanks.

Pink Toenails

I painted my toenails, though some may never see. The cool weather has forced me into warm socks and sneakers so my toes are hidden to most of the world. As a result, almost no one will ever see how cute my digits look when dotted with this shiny, downright girly shade of pink.

My husband will see them. He pretends to be indifferent to such things, but I think he secretly enjoys it when I add a little sparkle to my "temple," so to speak. My kids will probably see them. The boy will likely question the logic behind putting forth such effort on something that will not be seen by the general public. The girl will want to borrow my polish so she, too, can enjoy pink toenails.

Beyond this small crew and the occasional houseguest, few will notice my efforts and even less will appreciate them. Most people I encounter will never know the beauty hidden in my Keds. So why do I bother? Because even on the most wet and dreary days, I have something bright and hopeful to hold on to. My toes bless me. When I feel blessed, I can't help but spill that hope and blessing onto others. In short, my hidden beauty brightens the lives of those around me as well as myself, at least in a small way. Some will want to know the source of my beauty while others will be satisfied by my pleasant disposition and not have a deeper curiosity.

I think of my private spiritual life in similar terms. Most people will never know how much time I spend alone with the Lord, reading my Bible, praying and meditating on the Word. Those closest to me will. They will catch a glimpse of me as I highlight favorite passages or research verses in a commentary or lexicon. They might even see me praying. Some will be glad I'm maintaining my spiritual temple. Others may not understand why I take so much time with the Lord alone when I already go to church a couple of times a week. A few might ask me to help them begin a deeper relationship with the Lord. A significant portion will be glad my "Christian-ness" makes me nice and leave it at that.

But, whether or not anyone ever notices my time alone with the Lord, I will continue to reach out to Him. Because even in the most difficult and painful circumstances, His mercy and grace give me something to hold on to. He blesses me and I can't help but spill that hope and blessing onto others. There is nothing better than hearing someone say, "I don't know what you have, but I want some of it," and being able to tell them all about the joy that comes from our Savior.

Of course just as there are seasons in the year when my pink toenails are exposed for the world to see, there are times when I share my faith boldly. It is welcomed by some and ignored by others. No matter the outcome, growing stronger in my faith by growing closer to the Lord is something I will never give up.

I'll keep painting my toenails, though some may never see.

Infection Precautions

The recent news regarding MRSA infections caught my attention. The thought of not being able to protect my children from this is difficult to consider. After some research, it seems the best protection from this and other life-threatening infections is prevention. I have compiled a list of steps to take to minimize the risk of infection. I'm sharing it here for your benefit and the benefit of my family.

• Wash your hands often, especially when exposed to someone with an infection or when you touch objects that may be contaminated. Wash thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.



• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered until healed. If a sore or cut becomes red, oozes, causes pain or isn't healing, see a doctor.



• Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.



• Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sports equipment, razors, water bottles, etc.



• Shower after any contact sports or after working out in a public facility and change into clean clothes.



• Children who have draining wounds that cannot easily be contained by dressings should be excused from sports participation and in some cases should be kept home from school until the draining stops or can be easily contained, particularly if MRSA infection is known or suspected.



• Don't insist on antibiotics for colds or other viruses.



• If prescribed antibiotics, take all the pills, even if you feel better before they are all gone.

An ounce of prevention...

Update on Taylor

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!! He has answered our prayer more wonderfully than I could have ever expected!

If you missed my original prayer request for this little girl, you can read about it here.

Here's the GREAT news:

The doctors have decided that whatever is bugging Taylor's eye is NOT CANCER!!

She is being treated with steroids right now and some vision has returned. Continue to pray for complete healing for her. Thank you for your prayers this far!

Words will never express my joy over this. God answered our prayer and this time He said YES!

Oh, God, I am in awe of you right now. You heard my cry and answered. I know you are sovereign and how this turned out was completely up to You. Your willingness to reach out to Taylor and her family has left me overwhelmed. You are a God of provision AND a God of miracles. You are so good. Thank you for saying yes. I love you, Lord. I don't love you because you answered this the way I wanted, but because I know you hear me when I call. Thank you for being our Abba, our Dad. amen.

Bless the Lord, Oh, my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!

The Real Deal

Isn't this pretty? I bought this candle recently and am thoroughly enjoying it. It is my favorite color and my favorite candle fragrance (spiced pear) in one! The scent fills the area around me and soothes my senses. I, for one, think every home should be equipped with at least one nicely scented candle at all times. Simply having a candle out and lit seems to make everyone speak more softly, doesn't it? Then again, maybe that only happens at my house.




Here's the weird thing about this particular candle: It isn't real. It smells like a real candle, glows and flickers like a real candle, and even looks like a real candle...as long as you don't look too closely.



If you were to evaluate my new candle more thoroughly, you'd notice a light bulb artificially flickering where a wick and flame should be. Can you see the difference? The "flame" is too perfectly round and the glow isn't quite right. Plus, the sides have "melted" in a perfectly round, uniform fashion. Real candles are much less tidy than this one.





Here's an image of a real candle burning. Simple observation shows us the flame is irregular, as are the melting sides of the candle. It doesn't take much to observe the difference, especially when you compare the fake candle to the real thing.

Both of these candles smell really nice when they are on, they both emit a glow and both bring comfort. The real candle, though, brings a brighter light and warmth the other candle cannot replicate.

A fake can never replace the real thing.

That phrase is never more true than it is when it comes to our faith. So many times we want to mold a savior of our own design. For whatever reasons, we aren't satisfied with the Christ of the Bible. Maybe we think He's too harsh or sets standards that are too high to reach. So, we set aside the Bible and, instead, make up a "Jesus" who is more palatable to our senses.

Fake God:

"What she did to me will never be forgiven. There are some things God won't forgive."

Real God:

Mark 11:25: And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Fake God:

"God doesn't mind if I tell a few 'white lies' that protect other people's feelings...or keep me out of trouble!"

Real God:

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Someone actually said this one to me. I'm not making this up (Fake God):

"I left my husband because God sent me a different man to love. I know God put us together!"

Real God:

Hebrews 13:14: Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

The God we serve sets a high standard for us, not because he's mean, but because He made us and knows how we will live the most successful, God-honoring lives.

A god of our own design might seem to make things easier initially, but will never mature us to be the kind of people God made us to be. Plus, we will miss out on the warmth and light that God alone can bring us.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12

His path is narrow, but living in His light will take us through that path where we can enjoy the greatest beauty He has to offer. He is Real and He is Good.

HOME

As the weather cools, the sun sets earlier and the flies begin to die off (thank you, Lord!), my thoughts turn to home. I make plans to deep clean each room, add festive touches here and there, and make big pots of soup. Blankets cover the backs of sofas, slippers are always within reach, and the mugs move to the front of the cabinet.

Why? I want my family to feel comforted when they come through the front door at the end of the day. I want them to feel safe, loved, warm, relaxed and expected. I want them to feel like they are HOME.

What does "home" mean to you?

The dictionary has a nice definition: the place in which one's domestic affections are centered

Home is the place where my affections are centered. The people who mean the most to me are there. I fall asleep best when we are all home, safely tucked in and healthy. I love sitting down at the dinner table to discuss the happenings of the day with everyone. I love laughing with them when we play bananagrams or apples to apples. I love shouting out our favorite quotes after we watch a great movie or The Office together. I love sitting bedside, discussing deep truths or untangling emotional messes.

For some, "home" paints a different picture in their minds. There is pain, instability or even abandonment connected with that word. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Psalm 90:1-2 says, "Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God." (NLT)

Our true home is God! He is preparing a place for us to dwell when we leave this earthly home, but in the meantime He is our home. The word translated as "have been" in this verse means, "to abide, remain, continue." He is our place to abide continually and has been our home since before he even made the earth. He is the best of what home is: Safety, laughter, a listening ear, comfort, a hiding place and so much more.

If you have ugly pictures of home, ask God to replace those images with images of Him. You can find those lovely images in His Word. Read your Bible and find out what home looks like.

He is your home. Isn't that great news?

Unexpected Serenade

MoooOOOooo. MooOOOooo. That was the music lilting through the air last night; all night last night.

We live in Bakersfield, California. I know most people think it is a town full of cows and guys chewing straw, but that is far from accurate. This is a city of about 300,000 people, bustling with all sorts of activity. We have professional and semi-pro sports teams, at least 5 hospitals, a state-of-the art arena and convention center...James Taylor is performing here in a couple of weeks, for Pete's sake. But, indeed, we also are home to some amazing farm land and cattle ranches. I just didn't expect to have such a ranch near my big-city back yard. Our neighborhood is zoned for large animals and I have always found comfort in the rooster who wakes me up every morning. When we purchased our home a few years ago, we knew large animals living among us were a charming possibility. We just never thought it would really happen. Famous last words

Our lives often go this way, though. We find that comfortable rhythm, working with the quirks and bumps along the way, and make it all work somehow. We know there is always the possibility of something dropping into our life that we are not going to particularly enjoy, but we try not to think about it. Then it happens. It could be something as simple as our longed-for new baby having colic. It could be as complicated as our teenager making decisions we never expected they would make. Or maybe there is a deep desire that looks, for now, as though it is impossible to attain.

If we will allow it, God will use these times to help us grow into the people he wants us to become. I love what I read in Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured" (emphasis mine).

He not only wants to mature us through these disappointments and trials, he also wants us to be certain about who He is. He will see us through, but we will never know that for certain until we actually move through that disappointment or difficulty and look at it from the other end.

It is so cool that we serve a God who uses everything for His good. Sometimes he uses rebellious teenagers. Sometimes He uses cows.

Dan in Real Life

We just got home from a sneak preview showing of Dan in Real Life.

It was so great! I cannot believe how much I enjoyed it! Basically, Dan is a widower with three daughters who stumbles into an opportunity to love again. It is PG-13, but I was comfortable watching it with my 13 and 16 year old...and the 16-year-old's boyfriend. OK, one scene made me wriggle a bit in my seat, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. It has been a looong time since I've laughed that hard (hubby ribbed me to settle down a couple of times). I even shed a couple of tears.

Steve Carell is so wonderful in this movie. I watch The Office faithfully every Thursday night and, honestly, this felt like watching an entirely different person. He loves his girls and the rest of his family so much. Somehow he was able to convey such a deep sense of love and heartache for his deceased wife. Of course, watching new romance develop is always nice. The guys in our group enjoyed themselves, though, so I don't think you could classify this as a "chick flick." I have to see this one again!

Dan in Real Life was the perfect respite from my real life. I will be quoting this movie for a looong time!

What is Getting Me Through

Made Me Glad - Hillsongs Australia

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There's none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Psalm 46:1-7

I Had That Annoying Dream...

...where I'm trying to stop my car and the brakes don't work. I end up pushing on the brake as hard as humanly possible and the car finally comes to a rolling stop. Grrr...

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure that one out. My life is moving in a direction where things are happening that affect me, but over which I have no control. I'd sure like this to stop, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. But, hey, like it says in 2 Corinthians, His strength is made perfect in my weakness, right?

I like how the verse is stated in "The Message:"

My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. - 2 Corinthians 12:9, the message

So, if I really believe God's Word, I need to trust that God will either stop the car for me, or make that baby fly. Either way it will be a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. And I need to be glad for the result He brings to bear no matter what.

That's a tough one. I really want the car to stop.

Learning from Grandma

I have never been more proud of my Boxer dog than I was last night. Ruben is my hero!

My MIL's back procedure was safely completed, although she did suffer some after affects of the anesthesia. I'll leave what particular affects those were up to your imagination. Poor thing. She's feeling better today, but we had a loooong night. For some reason, she constantly felt the need to visit the restroom throughout the night. Each time she did, she couldn't remember how to get back to her bedroom (two doors down). Bless my sweet Ruben, he woke up and let us know Grandma was wandering the house almost immediately each time.

My husband found her in the kitchen at about 1am, the laundry room at about 2:30, and entering our bedroom arount 4am. By 5am, he decided to just get up and see if his mom could keep down some breakfast. Each time he found her he would whisper, "Mom, do you need anything?" Each time she'd respond, at the top of her voice, "No, son! I just need to find my room!" And she'd go on and on about how she was sure she knew the way and can't figure out how on earth she ended up where she was. The kids, in true teenage fashion, slept through everything.

Along with feeling really tired today, I am also aware of the object lesson I was given last night.

Proverbs 4:12 tells us,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (NIV)

My MIL went the way that seemed right to her, but following her instincts could have caused her harm if we hadn't been there to redirect her.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Point made and taken. I think you get the gist.

You Never Know Who's Listening

Another good life lesson about guarding our conduct at ALL TIMES!
(and it makes me laugh, too)

Pa. Woman Cited for Cursing at Toilet

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Talk about a potty mouth. A Scranton woman who allegedly shouted profanities at her overflowing toilet within earshot of a neighbor was cited for disorderly conduct, authorities said.

Dawn Herb could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300.

"It doesn't make any sense. I was in my house. It's not like I was outside or drunk," Herb told The Times-Tribune of Scranton. "The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen and I was yelling (for my daughter) to get the mop."

Herb doesn't recall exactly what she said, but she admitted letting more than a few choice words fly near an open bathroom window Thursday night.

Her next-door neighbor, a city police officer who was off-duty at the time, asked her to keep it down, police said. When she continued, the officer called police.

Mary Catherine Roper, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Philadelphia, took issue with the citation.

"You can't prosecute somebody for swearing at a cop or a toilet," she said.

Patient Endurance

My Mother-in-Law has come for a visit. This stay was supposed to be an overnight event, but the doctors planned something a bit more extensive. Instead, she will be with us, in need of medical supervision, for about a week. This was not on the agenda for her or my family, so we're all a bit stressed out. My MIL's spine will be injected with some sort of bone-strengthening substance this afternoon.

She's putting on a brave face, but I know she's scared and a little confused. She's 78 years old, getting frail and she lost her husband -her rock- almost 2 years ago. She is also in the early/mid stages of dementia; far enough to be forgetful & occasionally irrational, but still aware enough to know such behaviors aren't normal for her. Scary. She knows she is slowly leaving us.

At dinner last night, she fought to find interesting things to say to her grandchildren while being unable to hear their responses. Conversation was strained, but we all tried to give her the opportunity to connect with her beloved grandbabies. We sat with her while she watched her favorite show, Wheel of Fortune, and followed it up with Dancing with the Stars. Then my husband, her baby, helped settle her into bed for the night. It must be a strange sensation to tuck your Mommy in at bedtime.

Selfishly, I am struggling with all of this for my own reasons. This week was already full enough without adding caring for my aging Mother-in-Law all week into the mix. I am juggling so many other responsibilities. The laundry list of stuff I have already committed to do this week leaves me frustrated and feeling inadequate. As soon as our house guest was down the for the night I retreated to my bedroom to have some alone time with Jesus.

I read a bit of Jeremiah -interesting, but God's disappointment with His chosen people has been going on for some time now in this particular book and, quite frankly, it's bringing me down. I moved on to 2 Thessalonians and found this little gem:

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 3:5. (NLT)

Patient endurance. I can be patient. I can endure. What does it take to combine the two, though? This phrase is translated in the NIV as Steadfastness. The word means "firm in purpose" and "fixed in direction." I like that. I also love that such steadfastness comes from Christ. I don't have to conjure it up on my own. If I did, I'd never make it. What a friend we have in Jesus.

Like Ayiesha Woods says in one of my new favorite songs:

Don't you wish that every day
Was an easy day
And there was nothing that you couldn't do?
But if every day
Was an easy day
You'd never be able to say that Jesus brought you through!

Bring me through, Jesus!

What Teens Want is What We All Want

The Barna Group recently released the results of a study they conducted regarding the spiritual lives of teens. Specifically, they looked at what teens want in a church.

link: Barna Group's Teen Church Study

The results are worth reviewing. Even if you don't have kids at home, this is the generation we need to reach for Christ. Their responses were not surprising, but they were disappointing. These kids aren't being discipled. They are searching for something, but they don't even know where to begin. They hop from one idea to another, picking and choosing what aspects of faith tickle their fancy. For example, 31% of these teens say they read the Bible, but only 18% say they are interested in studying the Bible.

What they seem most interested in getting from church is "making a connection with God" (45%), whatever that is supposed to mean. Many of them attend church to be with their friends (34%).

After reading the survey, I don't think teens are much different than their parents. We are a lazy population, wanting everything easy and instant - even peace of mind. The idea of counting it joy when we face trials leaves us cold and disappointed. We want the Jesus who feeds the multitudes, performs miracles and rises on the third day. We don't want to consider the 30 years of prep time He had before his ministry began. We want conferences with awesome praise singing and dramatic "words from God" to keep us at the peak of our spiritual mountain top. We don't want to get up early to be silent and still with the Lord.

It is much more fun to be on the winning team in a spiritual "world series" of sorts than to change dirty diapers in the nursery, clean up after the potluck or even get up early for a prayer meeting.

Feeling good about ourselves is great, but that can't be the whole point of drawing close to God. How do we meet the immediate want of comfort and a sense of belonging while meeting the deeper need of learning to abide in Christ no matter the circumstance?

Maybe the answer lies in the greatest want in the survey: Connection. One significant way God shows His love to me is through His children. I have learned a great deal about walking with Christ alone, but I have also grown a great deal by listening to the insights and teachings of others who are walking with Christ, too. So, if people are coming to church to be with friends, maybe we need to make a point to become friends who introduce them to the best friend they will ever have. Of course, that takes time. Are we willing to make the effort to welcome people coming to our church for the first time? Will we call and visit those who occasionally drop off the church map? Are we willing to hear their struggles and pray with them even if it means we miss the kickoff of the big game?

Why do we go to Church? What are we looking for? What do we want? Is it all about us? Shouldn't it be about ministry, too?

Getting to the Point

This past weekend, I was privileged to participate in a conference led by Priscilla Shirer. The whole thing was great and I'm sure I'll share more about the experience in the days to come, but one task she asked us to complete has gotten me over a difficult hurdle and I wanted to share what I learned.

During our final session, she gave us some tools to use when we are studying the Bible on our own. Then she gave us a verse and gave us a chance to use those tools. The verse was Colossians 3:1-3 and that's when the Lord spoke to my heart.

I have been hurting over a child's recent diagnosis of and treatment for cancer. I knew another little boy (her cousin) who died of brain cancer a few years ago. It has been difficult for me to cope with the knowledge that God sometimes says no, even when our prayer is on behalf of a child.

This passage, although contextually related to submitting to human regulations, brought a big issue into focus for me.

My thoughts need to focus on eternal things, not things of this earth. I need to remember my loved ones (and not-so-loved ones) in prayer, but then I need to trust God for the outcome. I need to let it go. There is no magical prayer formula we can pray and always receive the answer from God that we want.

If I truly believe God hears me when I call on Him, then, once I have prayed, the ball is in His court. I think I have been subconsciously guilty of the belief that if I stop wringing my hands in despair, then I have stopped caring. That is simply not true.

So, I will continue to pray for Taylor as new issues arise. I will pray for her family, her friends, for courage, strength, peace, even joy in the struggle; I will pray for the doctors and nurses who care for her; I will pray when circumstances grow difficult. Then I will let it go so He can do what He knows is best for Taylor and everyone involved.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Most of us know that portion of Galatians 5:1 by heart. Do we know the rest? "Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." I wonder if this verse would apply to being severely burdened by worry? Matthew 11:28-30 tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. His burden is light. If the burden weighs heavy upon me, it is not the burden God wants me to bear. He will take that burden on Himself if I will just let it go.

I'm letting it go.

Jesus Hold Me - Let's Celebrate!

I'll share more about how the Lord is walking me through my current struggle, but first I have to show you only one of the ways he's reaching out to me. This morning on my way to work, this song came on the radio. This song sings out my lament of the last week from a different perspective - the perspective God has revealed to me over the last weekend. Yes, I need my Lord to hold me, just like I shared in my poem last Friday. But, when he holds me, I no longer need to despair. He's got it covered!

Thanks, Jesus, for holding me! If you can listen to this song and not want to dance with the Lord, I don't know what to say to you. Be blessed! Thanks, Andrew Carlton, for sharing such a song of encouragement!

I just found Andrew Carlton's MySpace page. You can find it here. You can hear a ton of his songs there. I think I have discovered a new favorite!! Listen to "This is Faith" if you have time. Wow.

Hold Me, Lord

Sometimes I am a warrior,
Filled with passion unrestrained;
Sometimes I am a journeyman
Great wisdom sought to gain;

Today I am a helpless child,
Stuck in doubt and fearfulness;
In all these times what I need most is
My source of strength and rest.

Hold me, Lord
Remind me how
Your mercy reigns
When my heart doubts;

Hide me, Lord
To You I flee
When I am weak
My stronghold be.

Whatever comes, I love you so
You know that to be true
Sometimes the hurts of life - and death -
Bring pain tough to get through.

Right now I cling to what I know
You are my All in All
Alpha Omega, Beginning, End
You hear me when I call, so

Hold me, Lord
Remind me how
Your mercy reigns
When my heart doubts;

Hide me, Lord
To You I flee
When I am weak
My stronghold be.

Faith and Trust

I've been quiet for the last few days. Sunday I received some news that is difficult to hear and to accept. A short while ago, I mentioned the spiritual struggle I went through after the loss of a young boy in my church family. Sunday, I found out that his 8-year-old cousin has just been diagnosed with cancer in one eye. She has already lost her sight in that eye and has begun radiation therapy this week.

I don't know what to do.

I want to pray, believing 100% for the miracle I KNOW God can provide. What I also know with 100% certainty, however, is God does not always provide that miracle.

This family is very close and went through every step of treatment together until that precious little boy went home to Jesus 3 years ago. They live in the same community, so they will now be revisiting all of those places together as they support this little girl as she undergoes treatment. I can't even begin to imagine what they must be feeling right now. I was only a third-party onlooker/prayer partner the last time and it brought my faith to my knees.

I long for the time Isaiah talked about:

They will not work in vain,
and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the Lord,
and their children, too, will be blessed.
- Isaiah 65:23 (NLT)

I don't know how to pray. I love my Lord so much, but I don't trust Him to answer. At least, I don't trust Him to answer the way I want Him to. I accept that He is sovereign, but I don't like it.

Oh, Lord, help my untrusting heart. I love you, Lord. I know you love Taylor more than I can imagine. She needs a touch from you. You know my heart, Father. I want the miraculous. I want Taylor to have a testimony of healing to share for the rest of her long, healthy life. I want Taylor's family to be able to believe you are a God of miracles. They already know you are a God of provision. You saw them through a very tough time once before. They need you even more now. I don't know their hearts, but I suspect they are all very afraid for Taylor right now. They've seen the worst that can happen. Please, Lord, show them the best that can happen. Give them a reason to hope. Give me a reason to hope. You are a God who can sustain us through anything that comes our way. I know that. This time, can you be our Father who heals? Rain down on us, Abba. We need you. Taylor needs you. This family needs their Dad. I need my Dad. Be that for us I pray. Amen.

Setting the Pace

On our bike ride this morning, my son became the teacher. One of my muscles kept cramping up and I could not keep up. When we reached the point about halfway to our turnaround spot, I got the boy's attention; we stopped and had a meeting. I shared my problem with him and offered to wait at this spot while he rode to the turnaround spot and back where I'd rejoin him and we'd finish our ride.

He would not allow it. Instead, he told me I could lead out and set the pace. I could stop whenever I wanted and we could go as slowly as I needed to keep my thigh from twisting in a knot. He wanted us to do this together, no matter how long it took. Dang.

I took a minute to rest and refresh, then led the way. I moved gingerly and slowly along the path, trying to go as fast as I felt comfortable going so my son would have a reasonably OK time with his mom this morning. After a few minutes, this sweet boy rode up next to me and told me I was doing just fine and the pace I was setting was very comfortable. However, if I wanted to turn around at any time, he would be OK with that.

There was no way I was going to rob that boy of meeting his goal this morning, so I kept pressing on. Forty-five minutes or so later, we had completed the entire planned course and had returned to our car. We went a little slower than usual and stopped a couple of times for water breaks, but we were successful in our quest.

Isn't that exactly how we are told to treat our Christian family as we grow together in Him?

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

If my son's goal had been to finish his ride well, he would have been better off leaving me at that first stop and picking me up on the way back. But that wasn’t his goal. He wanted us to experience this ride together. The enjoyment was in sharing the experience. As we grow in our spiritual walk, our Christian siblings are right alongside us. Sometimes, I can get so caught up in pursuing my spiritual goals I forget to encourage those who may be struggling.

The "lead, follow, or get out of the way" approach may work in some circumstances, but not when we are supposed to be finishing this race together. Sometimes we need to be willing to slow down and work side-by-side with our struggling siblings. It might not be the pace we prefer, but it is the pace God prefers.

Lesson learned, babe. Thanks.

To Tell The Truth

Can someone explain to me what is so dadburned difficult about simply being honest? I have reached my limit of people telling me they have done something only to find they have not. Especially when the information they give me results in me making commitments and answering questions in ways I know now are dishonest. Right now I am livid, but moving from that into severe disappointment. I'm sure I'll get to forgiveness eventually.

We all want to be seen in our best light. But "fudging" the truth or telling "little white lies" to make ourselves look better in the short term severely damages our testimony in the long term. Not only does it damage our personal testimony, it damages the credibility of the Christian community to non-Christians. Whether we like it or not, the lost world is watching. We all mess up occasionally (Romans 3:23), but our goal should be to avoid that at all costs. When we allow sinful behavior -such as lying- to become habitual is where we not only hurt ourselves but potentially others who are watching us.

If we don't look different than anyone else in the world, why does the world need Christ? Why should they voluntarily place themselves under the authority of some unseen being if it won't bring them some positive change in their life? If Christians are guilty of the same garbage as the rest of the world, trapped by the same sins as the rest of the world, damaging their reputations and their families just like the rest of the world, then what's the difference?

I see the world's point.

It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free!!! We have the potential to be free from the consequences of sinful behavior because we were given the supernatural ability to flee from that sinful behavior in the first place (James 4:7). We have the potential to bring healing to our families (Eph. 5:21-28, Psalm 68:6). We have the potential to encourage others to enjoy the same freedoms (Matthew 28:19). Why do we squander our freedom in Christ for short term comforts??

Rant over. For now.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. - James 5:12

Our OFFICE Par-tay!!

This is how we are celebrating the long-anticipated premiere of season 4 of our favorite show, THE OFFICE!!

It is a Fiesta to celebrate Oscar's Mexicanity (a la a special Office event from last season)! They served frozen Swanson Chimichangas, but they were sold out at our local grocery store this afternoon....I wonder why....

Instead, we made mini-chimis, tacos with freshly fried taco shells with all the fixins and

lemoñadé

You east-coasters are already enjoying it, but it's 2-1/2 hours away for us. Oh, the anticipation!

And we have ice cream sandwiches for dessert (another tribute to a memorable episode)!

YAY!! I can't wait!!!

UPDATE: "I'm not superstitious...I'm just a little-stitious." Favorite Office quote EVER. I may turn it into a t-shirt.

Some of the gags stepped on the line, possibly crossing a bit. I really don't like it when that happens. I did laugh a lot. Either you love it or you hate it.

Thoughtful Worship

I was transfixed by a passage in 1 Corinthians yesterday, specifically Ch 14:10-20. The passage discusses the usefulness of speaking in tongues in worship, but that is not what captured me. What I fell asleep considering was verse 15:

"...I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind."

So often, we find ourselves in two camps: Those who interact with God full of emotion and those who interact with God on a very logical plane. I have noticed, sadly, a very judgemental attitude pointed at both points of view, usually from someone who holds the differing opinion. Our churches are often placed in one "camp" or another, based on these two ways of communicating with our Savior.

But this scripture and the surrounding passages tell us neither approach is fully correct. We are called to worship God with our spirits (emotionally) while being conscious of what we are doing and why we are doing it (using our minds). Approaching God completely caught up in the emotional aspects of worship is no more complete than approaching God solely through intellectual pursuits. Neither approach is wrong, but limiting our method of interaction with God limits our experience and understanding of this Great Redeemer whom we serve.

It also limits our ability to draw others into a closer relationship with Him. If what we do to worship God doesn't make sense, some will never understand. If what we do is without emotion, some will never recognize the healing and freedom they can experience in Christ.

We are called to pray emotionally and logically. We need to be thoughtful of how we approach our Sovereign God while fully enjoying our ability to come boldly to the Throne of Grace! We are to sing as though we are children at a choir recital, excited to show our Dad what we can do for Him. We need to consider the words we sing, too. Like my earthly Daddy always said, don't sing it if you don't mean it.

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior's love for me!

Are you overwhelmed by the thoughts shared in this verse? If we sing it -and mean it- we can't help but get emotional over the whole thing!

It is great to know that, when it comes to worship, emotion and thought go hand-in-hand.

Different Troubles, Same Need

My fall allergies came at me all at once this past weekend. I am only now getting to the point where I can function well again. For me, my first clue that it is allergy season for me is overwhelming fatigue. The constant searching for moments to sneak away for a nap or 'just to rest my eyes' gets ridiculous within the first 24 hours. I am on my allergy medication now and expect to be my old bike-riding, gym-going self in short order.

When I shared my troubles with a friend she was surprised. As most people do, she assumed allergies are at their worst for everyone in the spring and summer seasons. For me, they come on soon after the first good rain. I suspect mold is the culprit. Whatever the source of my allergies, finding a proper treatment and using that treatment makes all the difference in the quality of my life and the lives of my family (I can be a little grumpy when I feel tired all the time. Anyone else?)

Isn't it interesting that, although God made all of us in His image, we are still very unique? We have endless combinations of eye, skin, and hair color, size, shape, etc. We also are unique in the way we interact with the world. Some are very sensitive to light, others aren't. Some love broccoli, some don't. Some struggle with allergies in the spring, some are more sensitive in the fall and some don't have allergies at all. We are also unique in what tempts us to sin.

Although we all sin, we are all tempted in different ways. Some are more likely to sin when alcohol is present. Some can fall into the sin of gossip pretty easily when surrounded by talkative people. Some are quick to start cursing when placed in frustrating situations. Some are more tempted by inappropriate movies or music. Some people are not tempted by any of these situations while others are tempted in ways we would never suspect.

We all engage in activities we enjoy and love to include friends and loved ones in our endeavors. When we encourage others to participate in our stuff, we need to be sensitive to their weaknesses as well as their ability to enjoy the activity with us. As Christian siblings, part of our role is to keep each other accountable to the standards placed before us in the Word. We might be fine watching a PG-13 romantic comedy, but it might cause our friend to begin to fantasize about someone other than their spouse. Enjoying a glass of wine might be relaxing for us, but it could open a door to drunkenness for those we care about who are tempted by alcohol. Including a friend in a game of bowling might tempt them to use an expletive or two when that ball doesn't go where they want it to go.

We can't assume that because we know all a lot about temptation that we know what issues tempt others. Such an assumption can cause us to place someone in a situation that is tempting to them even if we can't see why such a situation would be a temptation. I guess this is another example of why we need to be in constant communication with those we care about.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. - Romans 14:20-22

Horrible Hyphen Halt!

link: Thousands of Hyphens Perish

"Bumble-bee is now bumblebee, ice-cream is ice cream and pot-belly is pot belly.
And if you've got a problem, don't be such a crybaby (formerly cry-baby)."

They say it is because most people don't know how to use hyphens properly. I'd be horrified, hurt or even huffish, but I didn't even realize 'ice-cream' should be hyphenated in the first place. If you aren't part of the solution...

Seeking Comfort

Fall has come early to the desert hot spot I call home. Last night the wind blew, lightning flashed and a bit of rain kissed our parched landscape. It was the perfect night for Tamale Pie!

To me, it is the quintessential comfort food! Seasoned beef and beans, covered in a cornbread blanket: what could be better? I decided to fancy it up by purchasing a she-she cornbread mix instead of my tried and true Jiffy cornbread mix. That's where things went south. The dadgum fancy cornbread would not cook all the way through! I ended up scraping chips and salsa out of the cabinet for everyone to snack on while we waited for the gooey yellow concoction to firm up. We did manage to eat before 8pm, so I will count the meal as a success!

I will not stray from my basic, proven cornbread mix ever again. It does what it was designed to do and doesn't cost me an arm an a leg (the fancy stuff cost about 2x more - don't tell the hubby!). I may add some corn to the basic mix, though. The expensive mix had corn in it and that added a nice touch.

Seeking the new, shiny, fancy thing is a temptation all of us fall into, I suspect. The packaging makes it looks so good it is certain to be better than what we already use, right? Last night was a prime example of 'new' not necessarily being synonymous with 'improved.'

We can have the same misleading thoughts about where we choose to worship, don't you agree? Once we've spent a few years serving in a local church body, it can become a bit hum-drum to us. We might want to seek new experiences elsewhere; not because there is anything particularly wrong with our local church, but because we desire something 'different.' We see fresh paint, cool signs, or a lot of cars in the parking lot of another church and think, "Hey, that looks like there is some exciting stuff going on. Maybe I should check it out!"

That is a sure-fire way to spend the rest of your life as a church-hopper, my friend.

Every church has times where it is changing and dynamic. Every church also has times where, for whatever reason, things slow down and stabilize for a time. In order to grow as Christians and grow closer to our Christian siblings, we need to use those times to deepen our walk together, not jump ship, searching for more emotional experiences to keep us on that spiritual high we are constantly seeking. Our faith is not a feeling, it is a lifestyle.

The next time your church home enters a stabilizing time -and it will- make that body of believers your mission field. Pray for the church and its individual members. Pray for your Pastor! Look for ways to encourage your siblings in Christ. If there is another church in your community that is growing, learn from them. Seek ways to freshen and add spice to what is going on in your church. Growth always necessitates change, but it will never change if those who can change it stop caring for it. Hang in there! God will bless your tenacity!

... And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1b, NLT

For those who are interested, here's my recipe for Tamale Pie:

Ingredients:
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pkg Jiffy Cornbread Mix

Preparation
Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until browned, stirring frequently to crumble the beef. Drain the beef mixture in a colander.
Return beef mixture to pan. Add chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, tomato sauce, pinto beans, and chiles; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray; set aside.

Combine the milk and egg in a bowl, and stir well. Add the cornbread mix, and stir well. Pour the cornbread mixture over the beef mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the corn-bread topping is lightly browned.

YUM!!