God, Creator - Elohim

Elohim (e-lo-HEEM): God, Mighty Creator.
In the beginning God (Elohim)...Genesis 1:1

It is the first name ever used for God. Before He was anything else to us, He was our creator.

He created light when there was only darkness, He created land, sea, and living creatures when there was only void and silence. He created man from the clay of the earth and His very breath.
He created order from chaos. He created companionship. When He was finished, He looked it all over and declared it to be "very good."

Elohim (e-lo-HEEM): Plural form of El.
Then God said, "Let us make..." Genesis 1:26

He is God of gods. He is Three in One. He is magnified above all others, the One True God. He is bigger than what can be contained in one, singular, name.

Elohim (e-lo-HEEM): Giver of Life
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." Genesis 1:26

We are made in the image of God. Does my life reflect His likeness? Do I bear His image to the world?

Do I live a life of order? Of companionship? Of generous creativity? Of gratitude to the One who created me? Do I show Him proper respect? Do I reflect His light? When I go to bed tonight, will I be able to reflect on this day and say it was "very good?"

....meditating on this today.

Sucking up the Word

A couple of weeks ago, I found a vacuum cleaner on clearance at Sam's Club and bought it. I needed a new one which was evidenced by the amount of icky stuff I pulled out of my living room carpet when I used my new Hoover for the first time. Yuck.

Last weekend, one of my loving family members graciously tidied up the house while I was running errands, including vacuuming the entire house. Lord, please bless them! As they finished up their task in the master bedroom, the brush in the vacuum stopped spinning. We checked to see if there was something stuck in it and couldn't find anything. We declared the belt to be broken and decided to stop by the home improvement store to purchase a replacement.

After taking a couple of days to locate the replacement belt, I waited not-so-patiently for either my husband or the daughter's boyfriend to fix the vacuum for me. They were busy, so it didn't get done. The mess of five grown people, two adult dogs, one cat and a rambunctious puppy was accumulating quickly. Today I couldn't take it anymore and decided to examine the vacuum cleaner myself. There was note on the vacuum cleaner to consult the manual for instructions on changing a belt. Check. I pulled out the manual and followed the instructions to the letter.

Guess what I discovered when I opened up the vacuum? The belt wasn't broken. It had just slipped off the "motor shaft," whatever that is. I slipped it back on, put the vacuum back together and plugged it in. It works like brand new (which it is, by the way)! I felt so good about myself when I was done. I knew more about how the vacuum cleaner works and am completely confident that, if a belt does break one day, I can handle it.

After I got the dogs all riled up from all my celebratory jumping around and high five-ing myself, I realized how much time I wasted by not tackling the issue myself in the first place. I knew there was a problem, but I waited for someone else to solve the problem for me. The longer I waited, the more annoyed and discouraged I became. If I had just turned to the manual written by the company that made the vacuum cleaner in the first place, I would have been able to tackle the issue immediately, eliminating the mess that piled up as a result.

I started thinking about how much we treat our spiritual lives the way I treated that vacuum. We feel like something is amiss and start blaming it on our Sunday School class or our Pastor or the lack of a special Bible study that we'd like to complete. We think, if our church would get all its ducks in a row, I'd be so much happier. We might even take it further and decide that the church isn't "feeding" us the way we need to be fed.

Instead of pointing the finger at everyone else when we feel a bit spiritually dry, maybe we should look at the manual our Creator left for us. The Bible. He left it for us to encourage and instruct us until He returns. We don't need to wait for our Sunday School teacher to read it to us; we don't need our Pastor to explain it to us; and we don't need a special Bible study to help us make sense of everything. All those things are wonderful blessings to us, but they aren't the most essential thing. Knowing God's Word for ourselves; seeking His truth on our own and applying it to our lives and circumstances as His Word instructs is such a better plan. Once we begin to understand for ourselves how God has set up this planet and how He expects us to live in it, we can deal with a lot of stuff without waiting for someone else to solve our problems for us. We will be able to live in confidence, knowing that when the day-to-day stuff happens, God and the Truth of His Word can get us through.

Of course, there are times we all love a supportive group around us as we find our way. That's why we have churches and families. God set up this world to provide those support systems for us. But knowing what our Savior expects of us, understanding our role in this world, is really our responsibility, not our Pastor's, Sunday School Teacher's, Deacon's, etc.

I'm certainly not saying there aren't times we NEED some outside guidance when things get overwhelming. When we really can't do it on our own, we absolutely should run to Godly counsel. I thank God He has placed people in our midst with the ability to shine a light for us when our spiritual batteries seem completely dead. But, for the daily stuff, and even some of that angsty why-isn't-my-life-turning-out-the-way-I-want baggage, the answers can be found in the truth found in our operating manual, the Bible. The problem is, if we don't read it, consider it and apply it to our lives, we'll never really know how effective His Word can be for us. We were created to function well; we just need to read the manual.

I Am Enchanted

If you have a chance to take your kids to see this one, you HAVE to do it! Our internet was down for most of the day yesterday and I took my daughter to see Enchanted. It was so fun! If you don't have any kids to take to see it, borrow some or be brave and go sans children. It is so worth it!

I dare you to watch this video and not smile!

That's How You Know

Schooled in the Wal-Mart Parking Lot

As rain fell sporadically this afternoon, I popped into the store I hate to love to pick up some diet cola and eye makeup remover. You guessed it, I'm planning an amazing night of soda consumption and beauty treatments. It is Friday, after all!

$50 later (never knew eye makeup remover was so expensive, did ya!), I took my full cart through the checkout line and headed for the car, only I can't see my car. I knew exactly where I parked it, but I couldn't see it. I sped up my pace, hoping to be able to see past the minivan blocking my view to confirm my car is still where I already know it is. Confusing and silly enough? Oh, it gets better, my friends!

This obsession with laying my peepers on my car has me all befuddled. I'm pushing the cart, craning my neck, rushing to find a better vantage point when it happens: I skip into the deepest, dirtiest, widest puddle in at least a 100 foot radius. Muddy, smelly water fills my last pair of Vans (lost my other pair in the bathroom flood last week - still not ready to talk about the loss), soaks the lower half of my right leg and splashes me up to the waistband of my jeans. Yuck.

I swim my way out of the muck and realize that, from the other side of the cavernous puddle, I can see my car perfectly fine. It is exactly where I left it. Duh. I was so embarrassed! Thankfully, no one I knew saw me...at least I don't think they did.

After shaking the drippy water off, loading my trunk with shopping bags dotted with mud and heading home, I had a moment of clarity.

How often do I waste my time focusing on things that either don't matter or I already know the answer to while neglecting to be alert regarding the stuff that really does matter?

Who cares if so-and-so said something thoughtless that bothers me? God already knows about it! Why should it matter if my efforts are not recognized? God sees the heart. He knows my motivations. So what if I don't know exactly what is in store for me in my life over the next few years? God is already there and will equip me for whatever comes my way.

In the meantime, I didn't read my Bible this morning. I was running late. I neglected completing a task I need to finish. I didn't want to face it. I ate cookies for breakfast. I didn't feel like going to the trouble of making my planned oatmeal (and it didn't sound appetizing). As a result, I am not meditating on God's word, I have an unfinished task nagging at every thought and my stomach is not happy. Wouldn't it be better to focus on those things I can control, knowing God's got the unseen stuff covered? At the very least, I'd have more peace in my life as a result. That, and I'd have less clean up to deal with this afternoon.

Class dismissed.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:33-34

A REAL SUPERBOWL VICTORY!!

Churches can return to having Superbowl Parties beginning next year!

YAHOOOOOO!!!! Here's an excerpt from the article:

The NFL, which found itself on the receiving end of protests and controversy after it objected to churches showing the Super Bowl on big-screen televisions, has reversed course and will now permit the viewings.

In a letter to Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would not object to "live showings -- regardless of screen size -- of the Super Bowl" by religious organizations.

In response to questions from Hatch, Goodell said in the letter, dated Feb. 19, the NFL will implement the policy starting with next year's Super Bowl.

Read whole article here

I LOVE THIS!!! Bring on the 7-layer Mexican Dip!! Better yet, I propose my church have a Chili Cook off next Superbowl Sunday!!! (Of course, I nominate Cynthia to plan the whole thing. I may not be able to pass a football, but I can sure pass the buck!)

Here's my blogging history regarding this issue. I can now put this issue to rest. Yay!!

Planner Pages : FlyLady Control Journal

I'm moving full steam ahead with my day planner, adding an item or so per day. So far, it has not become overwhelming at all. I am so grateful to Donna Partow for getting me started through her study: Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be.

Today, I decided to incorporate some home management tools I have used in the past into my new planner. Many of you probably already know about FlyLady. She has a GREAT website with fabulous tools to help those of us who are organizationally challenged get our lives in order. One tool she offers is a "control journal." It breaks down household obligations/chores into daily activities, reserving a specific day each week to tackle recurring tasks and reminding us what things need to be done daily.

Her plan is extremely useful, so I decided to format this list to fit my planner. Since I went to all the trouble to put it together, I thought I'd share it with others who can use it here.

Control Journal 5.5 x 8.5 **sorry, link doesn't work anymore. I'll post it somewhere else and re-link soon**

Set it up to print by telling your printer you want to print two pages per sheet after clicking the "properties" button before you actually print the page. Also, tell it to print two-sided. The pages look out of order in my pdf document, but when you print two to a page, two-sided, you'll cut each page in half and they'll be set up perfectly, beginning with the Monday routine on the front page and finishing with the Weekly Checklist on the back. I put it behind my tab marked "daily" in my planner.

Don't Tug on Superman's Cape or Mess Around with My '70s Music!

Travis Cottrell spent some time compiling a list of his favorite '80s music on his blog today. I was a teen in the '80s, but had older sisters who sowed their wild oats in the '70s and took me along for the ride. Without my precious big sisters, I might still think "I've Got a Mansion," is the most rockin' tune ever. Although I still like that song a lot (and In the Garden), I cut my musical eye teeth on popular music in the '70s and feel like I need to represent for my fellow flower children.

I have to say first, though, that my most favorite popular song in the history of history is Respect by Aretha Franklin. I even named my Ford FiveHundred Aretha. I am serious. Ask my kids. Since that amazing song was done in the late '60s, I can't officially put it on this list. Just know it's #1 on any list for me.

The title of this blog entry comes from one of the songs listed here. Any idea which one?

Now, without further ado, the best of the '70s according to me:

I Go Crazy (No smarmy comments, please. Too obvious.)
Just The Way You Are (Sing to me, Billy!)
The Closer I Get To You (I'm getting swoony!)
Reminiscing (top ten for sure)
Always And Forever (theme for my 8th grade graduation)
Whenever I Call You Friend
Car Wash (Go ahead, start clapping to the beat!)
Fly Like An Eagle
Easy (like Sunday mornin'. Yeah.)
Don't Stop
Cold As Ice
Boogie Nights
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)
Love Machine
Boogie Fever
Right Back Where We Started From
Baby, I Love Your Way
Shining Star
Best Of My Love
I'm Not In Love
When Will I Be Loved (Those three listed consecutively like that make me look pathetic)
You Are So Beautiful
How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you)
Show And Tell
Time In A Bottle (Jim Croce wrote it for his newborn son. Sweet)
Then Came You
Crocodile Rock
You're So Vain
Superstition
Midnight Train To Georgia
Papa Was A Rolling Stone (kind of an angry sort of song, but I really dig it)
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Lean On Me
You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Joy To The World (Jeremiah was a bullfrog)
You've Got A Friend
Aint No Sunshine
Amos Moses (One of the great story songs of the '70s)
Mr. Bojangles
Proud Mary
If (Don't judge me)
Close To You
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
O-o-h Child
Signed Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)
Fire And Rain (It's cool to hear my name in a song even if this particular Suzanne met an untimely end)

Admittedly, most of these songs are from the early 70's. Something happened in the music industry in the latter part of that decade that no one seems to be able to explain. (My Sharona? Y.M.C.A?)

So, did I leave any of your faves off the list?

Valentine's Dessert

Chocolate Heart-Shaped cookies

piled atop a scrumpdiddlyumptious

Red Velvet Cupcake.

Placed on my favorite thrift store find ever...fine china!

Tied with an adorable ribbon,

Dusted with powdered sugar.

Perfect!

Valentines Madness

This morning, the hubby surprised us all by actually participating in Valentine's Day! Indeed, he did write "This is a made up holiday" on the envelope of each of our cards, but he actually gave us cards! Then, if that wasn't enough, he gifted us with an entire CASE of our most favoritest chips in the WORLD...Taco Works Tortilla Chips! You can only get them on the California coast (they're based in San Luis Obispo). He went there for business last week and bought a case in anticipation of Valentines Day. Will wonders never cease??

The kids and I were already in total awe at his generous gift and amazing advanced planning when, nestled in the case of chips, we discovered a jar of the most amazing honey we have ever tasted. Lavender Honey from Clairmont Farms in the Santa Ynez Valley region of California (they filmed the movie "Sideways" there).

If I wasn't feeling loved already, I was able to go to church this morning for a special praise and prayer time before I took the kids to school. We lifted up love songs to our Lord and He loved us right back. I was a weepy mess!

Fresh off my Jesus high, as I am driving the kids to school, we spot an elderly lady crossing the street using a walker. The cars in front of us slow down to give her some comfort space as she crosses and we notice her waving at everyone as they pass once she is safely across. I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy with love until I notice she's only waving with her middle finger.

Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Happy Love Day, everyone! Don't forget to wave with all five fingers!

Planner Pages to Print

I am on day 8 of Donna Partow's newest Bible study: Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be. You can still access the FREE downloadable study here. I am really enjoying the process of getting my life in order one day at a time.

One problem: The forms she offers in the downloadable book are not formatted for my 5.5x8.5 planner and the link she provides for finding the forms online are not yet active. So, I used the information provided in her study and formatted the forms to fit my planner. Since I went to the effort, I thought I'd try to share the forms I have completed so far here.

When you click on the link provided, the PDF file will open up on your computer. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read them, though.

Let me know if these are helpful to you. Please.

link: Printable 5.5x8.5 Bible Study Page for Planner

link: Printable 5.5 x 8.5 Daily Planner Page

link: Printable 5.5 x 8.5 Blank Lined Paper

You'll notice a bit of naked space in the margins, especially on that last page. That's because the pages actually have to be a bit shorter than 5.5 inches to fit in the binder and still be able to see the divider tabs easily. I printed each form on two sides of the same sheet of paper, trimmed about 1/2" off the edge, then cut the page in half. All you have to do after that is punch holes and put them into your planner.

Posting this now. Fingers crossed! Hope this works!

The Great Bathroom Flood of 2008

Dateline: Bakersfield, California

The sun was shining for the first time in many days. One recently-returned-to-homemaker status woman was capitalizing on all the warmth and clear skies by giving her oven a good scrub down. She was expecting her sister, niece and nephew the following day for a weekend of family togetherness and wanted everything to be nice for them.

Then it happened. She felt the urge to visit the most private of rooms. She drew closer and a chill ran down her spine as a distinctive hissing sound emanated from behind a closed door.

::cue theme from Jaws::

She opened her bedroom door and every nerve in her body leaped to full alert status. A lake was forming throughout her master bathroom, threatening to engulf her bedroom as well.

RED ALERT!! DEFCON 5!! WHOMP-WHOMP-WHOMP!!!

Faster than she thought she could move, she swiftly lept over the pile of clean laundry at the foot of her bed, threw open the door, navigated the torrential waters spilling from the shower drain and spun the shut off valve into full stop mode! Now ankle-deep in water, she frantically searched the far reaches of her mind for any tool she could think of that would help her in this situation.


She remembered the Wet-Dry vacuum, purchased at a yard sale over 20 years ago and rarely used. Wading out of the bathroom, she squished her way to the garage where she last gazed upon her saving hope. It was perched on a window sill. She embraced it lovingly and carried it to her source of distress. But, alas, the yard-sale find had a power cord that had obviously been repaired more than once; it was only about 2 inches long.

Again, homemaker-woman sought a source for rescue in the garage. This time, she found an industrial extension cord. Dragging it up from the ground and winding the cord as she ran, she approached the flood zone one more time. With both tools hooked together, the suction device sprang into life, only to be gummed up by the dirt already inside the tank - a small detail missed by H.W. Following a quick and messy mud removal surgery, extraction began with gusto.

Nearly one hour and 25 full tanks later, the bathroom was spongy but navigable. By that time, the husband had come home to help with the heavy lifting. Dressers were moved, desks rotated, carpet and pad cut out and dumped; after 4 hours of hard work, most of the damage had been mitigated.

Assessment:

Lost in flood:







Favorite Cook Book. That's what I get for reading while indisposed and not picking up after myself. I'll miss you, Angel Biscuits.











Digital Scale with body fat analyzer. Purchased recently. Full understanding of product functions not yet realized by any member of this family.










Most beloved pair of Vans. Not ready to talk about it.



Gained in flood:

A renewed respect for the way hubby and I work together in a crisis. We may be impatient and demanding from time to time, but, when the chips are down, I wouldn't want anyone but him by my side.

Getting rid of that nasty bathroom carpet. Who puts carpet in a bathroom? It was there when we bought the house, so we lived with it. I'm glad I don't have to live with it any more...even though I may have to put up with nothing to walk on but a cement floor for a few months while we save the money for tile/re-tile supplies.

Confidence in myself. I didn't collapse into a heap when everything was crashing around me. I handled it, messy as it was. Good for me!

An opportunity to discuss with hubby how we can have joy in all situations; not because we like the situations, but because we serve a BIG God who is going to bring something good from this.

Hopeful anticipation of what good God is going to bring from this. Will we improve our budgeting skills? Will we end up with a beautiful retreat when all is done? I can't wait to find out!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. - Romans 8:28, NLT

My Life in Six Words...

...My Faith has set me FREE!

From an article in the LA Times about a challenge issued by "SMITH, our online magazine" to summarize your life in six words. Try it yourself!

Go RED Today!

February 1 is National WEAR RED Day!

The goal is to raise awareness of heart disease among women. We are more at risk than we want to consider, ladies. We have people whom we love very much depending on us. As busy as we are, it is in the best interest of not only ourselves but also our loved ones to take the time to assess our risk for heart attack and stroke. I lost my father to heart disease seven years ago and know I am at risk of facing the same fate. Still, it has been awhile since I've visited my doctor to have my heart health evaluated.

Take the time to go to Go Red For Women and take the FREE Go Red Heart Check Up. If you know your Cholesterol level, Blood Pressure and Fasting Blood Sugar level, they'll send you a FREE Red Dress pin when you complete the Check Up online. Do it for your family. I will if you will!

And WEAR RED TODAY!!