This Treat Takes the Cake!

I found this at Sam's Club tonight and it is rocking my world! It is reduced calorie ice cream that tastes like the delicious cupcakes I remember gobbling as a kid. It is described on the container as Yellow Cake Flavor with Frosting and Sprinkles. It is 120 calories for 1/2 cup (3 weight watcher's points), and is worth every calorie!

It seems to be connected with some sort of American Idol contest. There are five flavors in the running for favorite American Idol flavor. You can vote for your favorite at www.slowchurned.com . I'm headed there right now. It is not even a fair contest. Nothing can beat yellow cake, frosting and sprinkles!

Here is a picture of my 1/2 cup of lovely deliciousness:

I like to make treats like this really special by serving them in my vintage china cups I found at Goodwill a couple of years ago. What a tasty treat!

Mid-Life Crisis: The Continuing Saga

As we approach a certain age, many human beings do a bit of a review of how their lives have gone so far. Then we decide to do something drastic to hold on to the last vestiges of our youth. Men get a red sports car. Some women turn to plastic surgery.

I signed up for guitar lessons.

Playing an instrument has been a lifelong desire, but there never seemed to be enough time or money to pursue that dream. For Christmas, my husband gave me the green light to charge down my hoped for musically-filled future. Our holiday season doesn't end until the second week in March, after 3 out of 4 of us have had our birthdays. Now, in the fourth week of March, I have carved out the time each week to take lessons and took my first lesson this past Tuesday!

I feel like an old fogey. There were three people working in the store and I'm pretty sure I was old enough to be any of their mothers. The whipper-snapper who gave me my first lesson asked me what kind of music I was interested in playing. When I told him Praise and Worship music, he stared at me blankly. Then he gave me an indulgent smile and showed me a couple of "bright" chords that might be helpful to me. I spent the rest of the half hour doing scales and practicing the two chords he showed me. I felt so clumsy as I tried to arch my fingers just so and move from fret to fret, trying to make the strings sound like something other than my first guitar that I made out of an oatmeal box and some rubber bands when I was 7. TWANG!!

When my time was up, he told me I needed to practice for one hour per day and sent me on my way. I walked out of the practice room, past the other two young things, and straight to my car. As I left, a 10-year-old was walking in for his guitar lesson. I put my guitar in the trunk of my car and, for a moment, questioned why someone my age was doing something people normally do when they are pretty young. Maybe I am too old for this.

Maybe I look foolish.

The Lord quickly but lovingly told me to hush up with that kind of thinking. He is the author and the completer of my faith. He wired me to be extremely blessed by singing praises to and about Him. When I am singing praises, I know that I know that I know I am doing exactly what He wants me to do. Playing the guitar will help me praise him in new and exciting ways. I am looking forward to that, even as I nurse my sore fingertips!

I found this verse today and I knew God showed it to me to make me smile. I just love his sense of humor. This will be my motivational verse for this guitar-learning adventure I have just begun:

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. ~Isaiah 42:16

Right now, I feel clumsy and blind around my beloved guitar, but He will make the rough places smooth. He will not forsake me! He is SO cool!

Answered Prayer

Friends, I whined about my back hurting a few days ago. Well, someone or someones got busy and prayed for me! I know this for sure because last night I had the most peaceful sleep I have had in ages and I woke up with nary a twinge of discomfort in my back.

It is easy to be grateful for things like this when they happen, then get caught up with the busyness of life and forget to acknowledge the loving attention God pays to us. He hears us when we call, and when others call on our behalf.

So, to those of you who prayed even though I didn't ask, Thank You! And to the God of the universe, who set the stars in place, who formed mountains in the blink of an eye and who brought us life through his very breath: Thank you for seeing one daughter and gently easing her pain. To God be the glory!

Romance Novel Alternative

I have calmed down a bit since my earlier rant. I won't apologize for anything I wrote. I meant every word. One thing I neglected to do was to provide an alternative to typical trashy romances.

This novel, If I Gained the World might just ruin you for those other books forever! Linda Nichols is a wonderful writer. I reviewed one of her books, At the Scent of Water, a few months ago. You can read that review by clicking the link at the lower right hand of the screen on my blog. To read a review of this book, If I Gained the World, follow this link. And here's a bonus: Follow this link to Amazon.com and you can find used copies of this book for as little as .02 (plus shipping)! For that price, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Fill your mind with good, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts!

Here's some footage from the Living Proof Live Event in Bossier City last weekend:



From what I gather, Beth Moore gave a fabulous message. I'll let you know if and when we can purchase an audio copy of her lesson.

A REAL Man?

link: Romance Novels search for "Real Men" for book covers

Where on earth do I begin??! There is so much wrong with this that I am not sure how to address this, but for some reason I am compelled to comment.

The article basically states that middle aged women don't like seeing young, studly, way too skinny men on their kissing books because they aren't what middle aged women desire. They want to see older men who have a little more meat on their bones so they have a more realistic image to drool over as they fantasize about making out with a strange man. And the publishers are going to do everything they can to please their reader base.

Problem #1: Why on earth are grown women reading this tripe?! I would like to think we have better things to do with our brains than pine away over some non-existent man who always says and does exactly what we want them to in every situation. And, for those of us who are married, how on earth does this benefit our marriage??? There is absolutely no way a real man could measure up to a fictionalized version of "ultimate male-ness". And, by the way, no fake man would ever measure up to a real one in the slightest. The former only has to be charming for about 120 pages, the latter must love you, exactly as you are in the real world, for the rest of your lives. Why would you compare the real thing to a one-dimensional caricature of a man?

Besides, if your man was spending his leisure time drooling through the pages of playboy, I'm guessing you wouldn't be all that thrilled. Well, men are visual and women are relational. They get their porn from pictures and we get ours from the written word! We will never measure up to airbrushed images of pouty-lipped 20-year-olds and our husbands will never measure up to some pretend guy who can save you from a burning building, fight off the bad guy and rub your feet with lavender oil...all at the same time. Grow up! This is inappropriate reading material for a woman who wants to nurture her marriage. If you are not married, it is even more inappropriate because they will poison your mind about what marriage really is.

One guy who was auditioning for the role of cover guy accidentally stumbled on the truth. He said, "From what I understand, (Harlequin) readers are women who want to escape from the relationship that they're in," said auditioner Carlos Troccoli, 30, who was tall, sturdy and muscular. "I can bring that to them."

If that doesn't make your skin crawl, I don't know what will. How embarrassing to know even these air-headed models get it and middle-aged women don't.

Problem #2: When they say they are looking for "Real Men" for their covers, they do not mean REAL MEN. If women were satisfied with their fellas, they wouldn't be grabbing these dime store novels off the shelf in the first place. They are simply looking for slightly older, slightly heaver, yet still self-involved men. Honestly, do you know a REAL MAN who would even consider allowing his likeness on one of those books? The whole concept is a lie.

We all have desires and longings. It is part of us. Those desires will never be fulfilled by reading a few paragraphs about some sweaty sailor. Yes, it might distract you from your real world stuff for awhile, but when the book is over you will still have your same home, your same husband and your same troubles. If you want real change in your life, look to the One who made you and knows exactly what will fulfill you. What He offers is life-giving, joy-producing, and chain-freeing.

His name is Jesus and he already loves you exactly as you are right now. He wants to bless you AND your marriage! Dump those trashy books and start spending your time reading words that will draw you closer to your mate, not further away.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

An Old Story

I have spent a good part of the afternoon laying in bed with a heating pad on my back. After a couple of hours, lying down held no more appeal, so I decided to get up and get busy. I was stiff as a board! Then it occurred to me:

I am getting old.

I understand that 41 is still pretty far from OLD old, but it is beginning to become apparent that the aging process is well underway. When it really began, I may never know. What I do know is the signs are finally evident in my life.

I know I am getting older because:

1. If I want to read without glasses, I'll need longer arms.

2. Those little lines on my face that I used to call "pillow marks" no longer fade away by the time I'm out of the shower. They no longer fade away at all!

3. The phrase, "Back in the day," has become a regular part of my vocabulary.

4. I actually consider safety issues before I hop on a roller coaster!

5. Fiber intake has become a part of the meal planning equation.

6. My Doctor AND my Pastor are both younger than me!

7. I caught myself referring to a teenager as a whipper-snapper.

8. Favorite movies from my teen years are now considered classics.
The Breakfast Club? A Classic?

9. I choose shoes based on comfort.

10. I keep a pair of tweezers in my car and they're NOT for plucking my eyebrows.


It is times like these when I appreciate a good piece of advice a lovely 70-something woman gave me when I was in my early 20s. She told me one day my face would show the evidence of how I lived my life; smile wrinkles are much more pleasant to behold than frown wrinkles!

I choose to keep on smiling!

Lessons Learned from the Science Fair

Every year my family is tormented by the same affliction: Science Fair. Our children have to come up with an idea, develop a hypothesis, plan some sort of experiment, conduct the experiment, then create a report that is then glued to a set of cardboard panels. No matter which teacher was in charge, any instructions that were given regarding the project were ambiguous and incomplete. Every year my children's projects have received deductions for missing an item that was supposed to be included, or including an item that was supposed to be excluded. Because we have never been able to be clear about what is expected in a science project, we have never placed any pressure on our children to conduct anything but the most hum-drum experiments. They are to respect their teacher and complete the assignment, but we sincerely don't care what grade they get. In our family, we have insisted our children do the project themselves with minimal help from their parents. Of course, when they turn them in and they are lined up along other kid's projects, it is obvious that not all families have the same guidelines. I have actually had parents tell me how they worked all night to get their kid's project done! As a result, no one in my family enjoys these science projects. Until this year, that is!

My son conducted an experiment that had something to do with the heat transfer rates of different metals. Definitely my husband's area of expertise, but something I can't even offer the most minimal of advice about. My two men worked together to conduct the experiment safely (it required the use of a torch, or some kind of fire-producing device), but our son planned the experiment and put together his project pretty much on his own. He turned it in and forgot about it. Then his project was awarded a third place ribbon and he was sent to compete at the county level. Well! NOW this science fair thing was getting interesting.

When he competed at the county level, he was given no medal, not even an honorable mention. We were supportive of him, but could sense his disappointment. At the end of the awards ceremony they asked everyone to wait because some professional organizations had some special recognitions to present. Although the academics judging my son's project didn't believe it was worthy of recognition, a professional engineering organization did. He was given a great certificate and a $100 gift certificate to our local book store!

My son was proud of that certificate and the recognition those engineers bestowed upon him far more than he would have been if he had received a medal. The reason? Because those engineers knew the value of my son's project in the real world. They weren't interested in how it compared to anyone else's experiment. They evaluated his project on its own and they liked what they saw!

Our heavenly Father is just like that! He isn't interested in us because we're cuter, taller, more talented, or more articulate than anyone else. He sees our value in how He made us. We were His idea! He compares us to no one else. He blesses us as we use the gifts He gave us in the real world! If a bunch of stuffed shirts don't think much of you, I pray you won't give that another thought. You were placed on this planet to glorify God, not to glorify anyone else. As long as you do what you were called to do while you are here, God will like what He sees!

Deeper Still: Sightseeing

One of the great benefits of having the Deeper Still conference in San Francisco was all the beauty and diversity we were able to experience. Well, that and the food!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our weekend:

My favorite shot of the Golden Gate Bridge

Chinatown is amazing!

A view from near our lunchspot in Yerba Buena Gardens.

The Streetcars of San Francisco



Street Vendors were lined up along the main

thoroughfare along Fisherman's Wharf

A spectacular view of the city
from the Golden Gate Bridge!

Pier 39 is a great place to hangout

Thanks for indulging me as I took some time to remember such an important weekend in my life. For those of you who were there with me, I love you and am so glad we shared this experience!

You are my sister-friends and I thank God for each one of you!

Deeper Still: Kay Arthur

Mrs. Arthur was the Grand Finale of the Deeper Still conference. I was blown away with the way scripture was always on her lips and in her hands. The last portion of the entire event was a Q & A with all three speakers. As Priscilla Shirer read the questions, Kay was opening her Bible to the exact scripture needed to answer the question. This is a woman who has spent an incredible amount of time immersed in God's word!

Before this weekend, I had not been privileged to hear Mrs. Arthur speak, nor have I ever done one of her Bible studies. Is it shocking to admit that? It seemed like everyone else at that conference knew all about her. I didn't. She only shared a bit of her personal testimony, but what she shared touched me deeply. She is a shining example of how God uses anyone who is willing. ANYONE! You can't out-sin God's Grace. He is always waiting for you to turn to Him. Don't ever think you've done something so horrible that God will never be able to forgive your sin. He can. Our spotless, sinless Savior, Jesus Christ, the son of God who is God Himself, paid the blood sacrifice necessary to atone for any sin ever committed. All we have to do is ask.

Mrs. Arthur talked about the life of David after he returned the Ark of the Covenant to the children of Israel. God used a man who had done despicable things: David was an adulterer, a murderer, a liar, and a thief. Yet, God Himself called David a man after God's own heart. How can that be? It had to do with David's acknowledgement of God's authority and God's sovereignty. Yes, David messed up. Multiple times. But he loved God and ultimately wanted to do what was good in the sight of God. As messed up as David was, God allowed the most precious gift He ever gave us to come from the lineage of David. Jesus Christ, Himself!

God does not want perfection, God wants passion. God does not ask us to be wimps, He asks us to be willing! He wants children who are completely sold out to Him. Just like the three women I was so blessed to hear this year at Deeper Still: The Event.

A Matter of Perspective

I had the great honor of working in the church nursery this morning. I sat on the floor and hung out with one and two-year-olds for an hour with my shoes kicked off and a smile on my face. Most of these little ones have been known to me since they were precious promises growing inside their mothers bodies. Now they are toddling around, talking to each other, even negotiating the sharing of toys. I had a blast.

If you ever lose your sense of wonder and joy, volunteer to hang out with the little ones in your church. Everything is amazing to them and you can't help but get caught up in their enthusiasm! And, sometimes, they just might teach you a lesson or two.

As the children were playing, we pulled out some 3 x 5 cards with pictures of animals on them. We'd hold up a cow and ask what it is and one, or some, of them would yell "COW!" We'd ask what sound it makes and some of them would sing out "MOOOOO!" I just love listening to their sweet voices! Everything went along great, they knew the kitty cat, the sheep, and the duck. Then we got to the fish. We held up the card and said, "What is this?" Three of the kids said, in unison, "Cackle!" Huh? "It's a pretty fish," we said. "So, what is this?" They sighed, "A CACKLE!" We were a bit befuddled. Suddenly, I figured it out and started laughing so hard I couldn't speak. They were saying "A Cracker!!" A fish cracker! Of COURSE it is!

They were absolutely right, it did look like a cracker. We were also right, it was a fish. So, how could two completely different answers both be correct? Perspective, my dear. It is all how we look at things.

In our lives, we often face things that look like one thing to us, but in reality are something else entirely. I've been studying the book of Philippians for the past few weeks, and Paul has a great deal to say regarding perspective in this book. Sometimes we face difficult circumstances. Our first instinct is most likely going to be hurt and disappointment; that's a very human response. Paul, however, faced trials far greater than any I've experienced and found the good in each one. He opens his letter to the church at Philippi, what we call the book of Philippians, with greetings and thanksgiving. And He was in chains, imprisoned for sharing the Gospel message. But, he didn't look at those chains as limitations; he viewed them from a different perspective. He saw them as another avenue for ministry. He says in Philippians 1:18:

"The important thing is that in every way...Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."

This week when you face challenges, and I know you will, I urge you to make a concerted effort to prayerfully look at these trials with a different perspective. How can God be glorified through this difficult circumstance? Once you figure that out, DO IT! Glorify Him so all might see the light of Jesus in you.

Deeper Still: Beth Moore

link: Living Proof Ministries

On Day 2 of Deeper Still: The Event, we were priveledged to hear from the woman who, by her example, helped me break free to be a dynamic woman of God without shame or fear. Personal testimony time:

Those who know me already know this: I have a very strong personality. When I was younger, this got me into trouble. I would assert my opinions over everyone else's no matter the circumstance. I had the courage of my convictions, but not the discernment necessary to know when to speak and when it was appropriate to be silent. As I moved into adulthood, my limited Bible study and comments from others led me to believe to be a Godly woman, I needed to be meek; that whole "gentle and quiet spirit" thing. I went through my mid 2os-to mid-30s frustrated and confused. I knew what God's word said, but I did not want to be judged as pushy (which would be equal to ungodly in my thinking at the time), so I kept my thoughts about how scripture applied to our lives to myself. I threw myself into the busyness of doing church. I sang in 3 choirs, worked in AWANA, taught a children's Sunday School class, taught VBS, led praise and worship time at our church's women's events, and anything else anyone threw at me. And I kept my mouth shut regarding my belief about scripture.

It wasn't until I began to do a Beth Moore Bible study that the light began to turn on in my mind. Mrs. Moore is not a meek person, but she is an incredibly loving person. She knows the Bible and through God's Mercy and Grace, shares Truth in love....in the very real sense of the term. As I grew to know Mrs. Moore through the videos I watched and grew closer to my loving heavenly Father as I benefited from her teaching, I realized that a gentle and quiet spirit was not the same as a gentle and quiet personality. God made me exactly who I am for a reason. He has blessed me with the ability to share truth in love! He has matured me to be able to understand and share the truth from the scripture with others! Most important, I know God loves me exactly the way I am. To be anything other than what He made me to be would be to spit in His face. I would be telling him I didn't like the way he made me so I'll just be something else. Trust me, I spent years in that mode and it is depressing and unfulfilling.

Mrs. Moore's influence, along with other people and circumstances God has brought into my life, has allowed me to begin to embrace the person Christ made me to be. This freedom I am experiencing in Christ is why my blog is called "Singing Like Myself." Mrs. Moore helped bring me to a place in my life where I understand God created me to sing a song that he gave only to me. He wants me to sing that song in my unique God-given style. And when I say "song", I don't mean a literal song, I mean the song that is seen in the way I live the life God gave me. Thank you for that, Mrs. Moore!

Mrs. Moore's teaching at the Deeper Still event was incredible! She spoke about David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to it's proper place...the second time. The first time, David tried to bring the Ark back his own way, not God's way. As a result, sombody died. David became angry at God for taking someone's life over it. Mrs. Moore reminded us that many of us might be angry at God for something He did. Oh, I wish I could share what she shared, word for word, but it is too much to type here. Read 1 Chronicles for the account of David returning the Ark properly. He learned that God is sovereign. God is loving, and He is Holy. There are consequences to our disobedience, even though God loves us, and we simply have to accept that. Parents who love their kids discipline them. God loves us. He is our Father. He disciplines us.

She asked us if we were holding an offense in our lives against God. If so, we needed to surrender that offense to God's sovereignty and restore our relationship with Him. Look at David's life after he returned the Ark the way God intended. He grew to have an even more intimate relationship with God. He was blessed and his family was blessed.

God has so much more to show us in this life. If it weren't true, he'd take us home to glory right now. But in order for him to take us where he wants to take us, we have to be willing to go with Him. If you are hurt and are blaming God, I pray you will let it go. God is sovereign and He loves you. He has so much to show you. Let Him!

Diving In

My kids have officially lost their minds. Today the high temperature in Bakersfield was 83°, just warm enough for my children to justify their first dip in the pool for the Summer 2007 season. The water was freezing and my daughter screamed like someone was trying to drown her for a good portion of the time she was in the pool. Really; at 16, she should be past this screaming thing, shouldn't she? I told them they were both crazy, but they just laughed at me and kept on swimming.

They lasted a bone-numbing five minutes before they declared themselves Grand Conquers of the Pool and ran for a hot shower. Nutbags. Both of them.

Then again, exactly what is so crazy about pursuing your passion even when others might ridicule you? I'm reminded of how crazy so many people considered Paul as he spread the message of salvation all over the known world. Some people verbally chided him, some people physically bullied him and some even tried to kill him. Yet, for the sake of the passion of sharing the Gospel, placed in his heart by God during their encounter on that road to Damascus, Paul risked it all. He was willing to be suffer any indignity for the sake of Christ.

We have been given the same gift of Salvation that was given to Paul. Look at his passion. He is a shining example of how we should live out our salvation while we are on this planet. Imagine yourself as a beacon of light in this dark world. Imagine sharing Christ the way Paul did. Will you be ridiculed? Will some think you have lost your mind? Might someone call you a "nutbag," or worse? Most definitely. But it is worth it for the sake of Christ and His saving Grace, don't you think?

I love what Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12-14 . He was imprisoned because of his passionate witness for Christ and here's what he had to say about the whole thing. "I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ." NLT

When I ridiculed my kids, they acknowledged the truth that the water was very cold and they understood that I thought they were bananas for doing what they were doing, but they were so caught up in the pure pleasure of the experience, they refused to quit. Paul, in Philippians 1, also acknowledges that he is in a difficult circumstance, but refuses to stop enjoying the journey because the pleasure of knowing God was more important to him than anything the world could use to try to keep him from pursuing his passion: To glorify God.

If we encounter persecution and react as Paul did, with joy, we will not only be living a great testimony of Salvation, we will be encouraging other Christians to do the same.

I don't want to live my life any other way!

Deeper Still: Priscilla Shirer

link: Priscilla Shirer's Website

Our Deeper Still event introduced me to a new teacher: Priscilla Shirer. Mrs. Shirer is a dynamic speaker who has an incredible passion to share the truth she finds in God's Word. She had the entire stadium laughing one minute and crying the next. I loved to hear what she shared about her life growing up. I, too, am a preacher's kid and don't have a shocking testimony. Her resolute conviction that God is God and we need to hear what He tells us and ACT on it was the kind of testimony I can personally identify with. It is very easy to be lazy and take my salvation for granted because I have no memory of ever being without Jesus. Priscilla demonstrated the depth of confidence and knowledge those of us who grew up in the church can have. We can be a positive influence on those around us because our lives speak volumes about God's ability to protect us from all the negative things this world threw at us as we were growing up. Thanks for that, Priscilla!

And, this woman can prea...ahem...teach!! I think she spoke for almost two hours and the time just flew by. She spoke on I Chronicles 14:2 and I Chronicles 13. David gave God the credit and the glory for everything He had done. He recognized that God had made him king because He loved his people Israel. God got the glory, not King David!

I don't want to give too much away because the ladies may want to share the same passages at the next Deeper Still event, but I want to at least share the highlights of what Mrs. Shirer shared.

1. God is my source for everything in my life. God is the one who starts it. It is God who establishes us. Since He does the establishing, He does the maintaining; not us. Think about the freedom in that. I am not the one keeping my life together - GOD IS!

2. We are not children of God in name only. David wanted not only to be called God's, he wanted a God awareness. Just like David, what we want is the presence of God. What we want is the power of God.

3. God is not interested in perfection, he is interested in passion. I LOVE THAT!! God is looking for women of passion.

Priscilla jumped over to 2 Samuel 5:17 for a more detailed account of what we read about in Chronicles and pointed out something very important. The first thing David did when he realized he was in trouble was to go to a quiet place (the stronghold) and seek God's plan.

He asked more than once and never assumed what God wanted him to do the subsequent times was the same as what God had told him to do the first time. Here's where Priscilla really spoke to me. She said:

Sometimes the biggest hindrance to a fresh work of God is the last work of God.

Ain't that the truth! When God does something incredible in our lives, it is in our nature to hold onto that. But, if we never look forward to the next thing God will do, we'll miss it.

There is so much more I took from the session with Priscilla, but I could never begin to contain it here. If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, take it. She's speaking in Irvine, Ca in October and I will be there, Bible, notebook and pen at the ready. Check our her website and see if she will be near you this year. You'll be glad you did!

Deeper Still: The Event

I spent the weekend in arguably the most beautiful city in the world, San Francisco. While I did some sightseeing, the things I saw were not the highlight of my trip. The highlight was what I experienced while I was there:





I sat at the feet of three women who are entirely sold out to Jesus. They opened their hearts to the Lord's leading and to the 9000+ women who came to the Moscone Center and absolutely blessed our socks off! Of course, the praise and worship music sent us all at least halfway to heaven, too! The event ended Saturday night and I'm still high on Jesus!

These three ladies, Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer, were completely transparent with us. It was obvious from the moment we approached the venue that Jesus was already there. I sensed a spirit of peace over that entire place. In all sincerity, I have been to women's events in the past where it is all about buying the speaker's books, getting them signed, and maybe grabbing a t-shirt to make us look extra holy when we get home. This was nothing like that! The vast majority of the people there, including the speakers and coordinators of the event, were there to glorify God. And they did! I like to think He was glad we all took some time to talk about him and to get excited about the kind of loving God He truly is.

On a personal note, I actually interacted with Beth Moore. I absolutely had no plans or expectation to have a one-on-one moment with her and I certainly did not manipulate events to make it happen. The third session was about to begin and my friends were not back from their...hmm...private moment of reflection yet. I went to find them and was stopped by a long line of people heading for the center (stage area) of the stadium. Before I even knew what was happening, Mrs. Moore was right in front of me, looking me in the eye! She smiled, touched my arm, and greeted me. She made my day!

Let me quickly say, I think the world of Mrs. Moore, but I do NOT worship her! That moment touched me because of what God laid on my heart about it. I felt Him say in my spirit something like this, "In a stadium of all these people, one person - one very busy person - you don't even know took the time to greet you. You weren't invisible. If one woman can find you in a crowd like that, don't you think I, the God of the Universe, know exactly where you are?! I see you, baby girl! You matter to me!" Man, I'm crying all over again.

Don't we serve a GREAT God?!

I've got to pick up the kids from school now. I want to share some of the lessons I took home with me from this conference and I'll do that in another blog post, although that may not happen until tomorrow. I'm facilitating Bible Study at church tonight. My life is full of His goodness, God sees me and God loves me. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Book Review: Quaker Summer

Have you ever read a book and been overcome with the sense that the author knows just a little too much; not about the characters in the book, but about you? That was the feeling I had as I walked through the chapters of Lisa Samson’s latest work, Quaker Summer.

Heather “Hezz” Courage is a woman at a crossroads in her life. While her faith is extremely important to her, she has reached a place in her life where she isn’t clear how her faith should be lived out. Is it enough to go to church every Sunday, give to charity and stay actively involved in your child’s Christian education? Or is faith more than that? For Hezz, it must be more than these things because these things leave her feeling empty. It is not only that these trappings of a monetarily blessed life are not enough; she wonders if she is not enough. Or, maybe, she’s too much.

She prides herself on her amazing cake making ability; yet, the results of her talent do not seem to be wanted or appreciated by those she is trying to bless. She loves to make her home beautiful, but the credit card bills are beginning to take a toll on her loving, hard-working husband. Just when Hezz thinks she’ll never make sense of her life, God takes her on the most amazing summer vacation a woman in her situation can experience. By the time school begins in the fall, Hezz is moving outside her comfort zone, reaching out to help people she never thought she’d meet, let alone grow to love.

Quaker Summer is about one woman’s journey to learn to love as Christ taught us to love. In the process, she must let go of things she once thought were important to make room for a life of significance; and she finds out these changes bring her more joy than any accolades or new furniture ever could.

If you struggle with your place in ministry; if you wonder how to balance work, family and living out your faith, read Quaker Summer. You will be blessed.

Birthday Greetings!

These pesky birthdays sure seem like they are coming faster and faster! This year, my family gifted me with some wonderful furniture for our back patio. It's like being given an extra room! I am so excited I can hardly stand myself! We swept off the concrete, rinsed all the winter gook off everything and now we have the perfect place to enjoy all those spring and summer barbecues!

I am so glad my birthday lands on March 4. Did you know it is the only day that is also a command? "March Forth!"

I share my birthday with Patricia Heaton, Chastity Bono, Gloria Gaither and Bobby Womack (who wrote this great song), among others.

Ronald Reagan wed Nancy Davis on this day in 1952.

In 1849, it was the only day in history when the U.S. did NOT have a President! Polk's term ended March 3, and Taylor couldn't be sworn in on that day.

Here's something super-cool: the song, "Happy Birthday to You," was published by Clayton Sunny on this day!

And I was born on my Great Grandmother's birthday!

So, if I must get older, I am glad it the day is marked with such special events as these!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I Look Like Judy Garland!

Is this awesomely cool, or what?!!

My Collection

When I was seven years old, I won a prize at a birthday party that changed my life. The prize? The Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, Third Edition, Second Printing. Up until the day I received this book, I was clueless - but interested- about cooking. I had tried to make peanut butter by putting peanuts in the oven with only the pilot light burning (I wasn't allowed to actually turn on the oven). No, they didn't melt. I had also tried making whipped cream by stirring milk really, really fast with a fork. Again, No luck.

The moment this precious gem was in my hot little hands, I began reading it cover-to-cover. The penciled-in check marks next to favorite recipes are still visible in my book and the page of my most favorite recipe is warped from all the butter and sugar splashed on it in my frantic rush to get my Cinnamon Twists in the oven. To this day, my sister and I make the same Cinnamon Twists for our children and their friends (OK. And for ourselves, if you must know!). From the basic instructions and descriptions of common utensils at the front of the book, to the table setting suggestions and manners information at the end, this book makes me smile even now.

This one book spawned an entire Cookbook collection. My favorites are those from the 1950s, although many cookbooks from the 60s and 70s are also great sources of inspiration and fun for me. Just yesterday I indulged my hobby while I was at the thrift store. I bought two adorable vintage cookbooks. One is a privately-assembled cookbook from Chino. It was published in 1981, but the homespun cookbooks have the greatest recipes...as long as they were published no later than 1985. That is only my opinion, but it is true nonetheless. It even has recipes for pickles and marinated olives. The other cookbook is copyrighted in 1971 and includes some of the sweetest finishing instructions. Read this one included in a recipe for Chuck Steak in Papillote:

"Transfer steak, still in foil, to serving platter; open up foil, fold back edges, exposing carrots and steak... Nice served with broiled frozen french fries, succotash, and chocolate layer cake."

Doesn't that make you want to listen for your mom or grandma, calling you to supper? I'm not even sure exactly what succotash is and I want to have some with that steak! I have to be careful, because I can read a cookbook cover-to-cover and not get one other thing done. There is something so comforting about the idea of planning a meal around which your loved ones can gather and spend a relaxing time together.

I love cookbooks way more than I like cooking. The former endulges fantasy while the latter is often simply hum-drum reality. If I make any kind of steak, it is likely ground chuck on the grill, not Chuck Steak in Papillote. I might serve it with fries, though. Maybe a bag of salad, if I'm really making an effort. Dessert? You have GOT to be kidding! But, oh, the idea of putting on an apron and spending an afternoon composing a dinnertime feast is such a lovely, romantic notion, even if the reality is sometimes drive-thru at the nearest fast food place. If I can't make every dinner a beautiful time of special flavors and memories, reading these fun books reminds me that the effort to make it happen even once a week is something that needs to move higher on my priority list.

So, why do these books inspire and comfort me? I think it is because they bring me to a time in history where family really was a priority. When raising our children well was something everyone did, not because they consciously thought about it, but because it was the right thing to do. It was a time when kids still prayed in school and you likely went to church with your neighbors. If the neighbor kid misbehaved, they were corrected and sent home, only to be chastized by their mom, who recieved a phone call about Jr's behavior before he even made it across the street.

It was a time when we all were in this thing together.

Together. Unity of purpose. Maybe that's what I long for. Yes, I think it is.

Philippians 2:1-4

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

That unity includes unity in my home. I need to not only look to my own interestes, but also to the interests of my husband and my children. It is a sacrifice of love and a way to bless a precious microcosm of God's babies: my family.

Maybe I will make Chuck Steak in Papillote this week; or, at least, some Cinnamon Twists!