Life On The Potter's Wheel

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T22:35:00.000-06:00

It is officially 2012!!!!

I love the start of a new year. It always feels like I've been given a clean slate to write on. I had intended to spend part of the day writing out my new goals for the year, but instead I spent part of it catching up on sleep. I am showing my age and lack of physical agility I suppose, but sharing a bed with a 4-year-old grandson does not make for a good night's sleep for this Nana, but I can't make him sleep in the spare bedroom when he's slept with us since birth (when he's with us that is). I know at some point he will transition to the spare bed, but I'll just deal with it till then. :)

Anyway, Tom finally got the last window installed today. He will start casing them in this week and then I am going to start painting before we put up the new trim. Of course, I am also starting a winterfest class this week, so getting around to the painting is going to be a challenge. Hopefully, some of the kids will take pity on us and give us a hand.

I watched Facing the Giants this afternoon.. It was a good movie to watch on New Year's Day. It speaks to me so deeply every time I watch it and with all that the Lord has been laying on my heart in the past few months, it all seems to be pushing me toward some very needed changes in my spiritual life in this new year. I am scared, but excited. I know that whatever the Lord leads me to, if I am obedient, the end result will be better than anything my mind can imagine.

I am so grateful for all the Lord has done in my life in 2011 and all the many blessings He has given to us, but I am also looking forward to 2012 as I take my walk with the Lord to new depths and experience more of His loving kindness and grace and mercy in my life.

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

Today is Christmas Eve! Kayla got home last night and she looked a bit like Santa when she walked in the door, carrying a laundry basket full of wrapped presents. I got several of my gifts wrapped or bagged as well, but we still have several to do later today.

We are going to Tom's parents' house tonight to have supper with them and exchange gifts. I am taking deviled eggs, veggie casserole, stuffing, jello salad, cherry pie, and homemade rolls.

Tomorrow, we will open gifts with our girls, son-in-love, and grandson, then do another round of baking/cooking and go to my parents' house to have Christmas lunch with all my family and open gifts there.

I think this year, so far, has been one of the least stressed holidays I've had in a LONG time. I still could have done better planning for it, but overall it has been better and I am grateful for that.

Funny Sayings

2011-08-10T18:25:00.000-05:00

Our grandson has some of the cutest sayings. I personally think he is the smartest 3-year-old I've ever known (but I may be biased - lol).

We've been trying to teach him to say "oh my stars" and the other night I asked him to say it for me. His reply was, "My mouth is green and yellow and dirty, and I just can't say that." His momma has been working with him to learn his colors so apparently he thought his mouth was colored as well. LOL

July Greetings

2011-07-22T00:02:00.000-05:00

Okay, so my last post was a bit heavy.... I still feel very passionate about the topic, but am trying to temper my feelings with the love the Lord has for all mankind. :) And lest anyone think I am all about pointing fingers, I will say that I have been doing a lot of evaluating in my own life and making changes that I know God wants me to so that I can be a true and pure witness of His grace and mercy.

So, it is July and I have not kept up as I had hoped. It has been a busy summer so far and very hot. Unusually hot if you ask me, but I don't deal well with heat anyway.

My baby girl left yesterday for her first big church camp in another state! She has attended local church camps before but nothing as grand as this one will be. I am very excited for her and though she's only been gone just barely 24 hours, I already miss her more than anyone would imagine. :) But I know she will have fun and I am trusting that she will be encouraged and strengthened in her walk with the Lord during this time in camp.

I can't believe college will be starting up in 4 weeks. I have so enjoyed the summer off, but know I will really enjoy the classes too. I feel like I am making such slow progress, but in reality, December 2014 will be here before I know it.

Our garden is doing fairly well, kind of slow, but what that probably means is that everything will probably harvest at once and I'll be buried in the kitchen. I am anxious to get some things canned in preparation for the winter though. There really isn't anything better than home-grown food. Jalen ate the first cherry tomato today and we are hoping there will be many more ripening soon. He and I eat tomatoes like candy...LOL

I have many projects I am working on and hoping to work on. My first project of the summer was to get my office organized and I did get that done. It has been such a blessing to work in there without all the clutter. My next big project is decluttering one of the closets in our master bedroom and the master bedroom itself. I am hoping to get all the rooms in the house painted before winter, but we'll see. We have to refinance our house in August, so we are going to see about borrowing some equity to get some other house projects accomplished as well. I am also still working towards bettering my health through dietary changes. I have made several changes, but still have many more I need to make.

Spiritually speaking, I feel like the Lord has me in limbo.... I am sure that is not HIS intention, but is just my humanness showing. I do not feel like we are at the church we need to be, but I am not sure where He wants us. I have been leading a group study on the book by Francis Chan, called Forgotten God, and it has really made me aware of what I am missing in my relationship with God, so I hope as I learn more and apply what I'm learning that God will lead us to others who are like-minded and we can be encouraged and encourage others as well in this journey. I posted on FB once that it was an amazing revelation for me to understand that my Christian life was more of an Americanized Christianity than a Biblical Christianity. I only got a couple of comments on that, mainly asking what the difference was. I will save my explanation for tomorrow's blog post....:)

What Good Is The Modern Church?

2011-06-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

I have been wondering for a long while just what good the current church system is. Now don't get me wrong - I am not new to the faith, I cut my teeth practically on a church pew, so I've been around it for almost my entire soon to be 42 years of life. While I admit that this christian walk has not been done very well by me, it has not been until recently that I really started questioning just who/what this Christianity thing should really be/look like. What I am discovering is that we are Americanized christians, NOT Biblical christians.

Several weeks ago, I attended a graduation and I was "people watching". Having lived in this town my entire life, I saw many people I knew, many people who attended a local church, but as I was watching people, I saw afresh what God had shown me a couple of years ago. There is nothing different about the people who call themselves Christians and those who don't claim christianity at all. This was also the same weekend that the false prophet was claiming the rapture would be taking place by 6 pm on a Saturday night (the exact date eludes me right now, but I'm sure you all remember it - it was all over the news). Of course, 6 pm came and went and no rapture took place. But I felt the Lord dropped something into my heart that night as I was people watching. When the rapture does take place it is going to be a very sad day for most "Christians". Matthew 7:21-23 says:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

As I have been thinking about this over the past few weeks, it has gripped my heart in such a way that I cannot think about it without grieving. When/how did the church become nothing more than a social club? Why is sin condoned in our churches?

I grew up in church and one that was pretty strict as a rule, but rules did not keep sin out of hearts. Of course, I didn't realize a lot of it until I became an adult. Shortly after I was married and we moved into our first house, our neighbor and I were talking and he asked me if I was part of the local wife swapping club? I didn't even understand what he was talking about - that's how naieve I was. Then he proceeded to tell me names of people in the local First Baptist Church who were part of it, names of prominent buisness people I had known of my entire life! I was shocked! That was just the beginning of the unveiling however.... my brother worked for a local farmer who would cuss like a sailor then say he had to get home to study for his Sunday School class. The local lawyer in town is known to be a crook and also an "upstanding member of the local First Baptist Church". He and several cohorts (also fine members of same church) steal cattle and one of them is also a Sunday School teacher. But it isn't just in one church. The Christian Church has had some members attending for years who are divorced from their spouses because of their affair. They still attend and act like there is nothing wrong with their affair and, in fact, one even stated that God was okay with her divorce because her husband drank (though he never was abusive to her or their children). So, let me see if I get this right.... God approves of extramarital affairs but not drinking? And the local Methodist church had a piano player who lived with her spouse for 2 years before they got married and their current worship leader is living with his girlfriend - no plans to marry as of yet. And those are just the "biggies" that everyone in town knows and talks about.

But what about the homes of these people who call themselves Christians? Most of the people that I know who attend church have been attending for years, but what do their lives show for it? Very seldom do you see a woman or even a young girl dressing modestly. Marriages and homes are totally dysfunctional but bless God, they attend church so they are Christians. Is this what Scripture teaches? In the OT, multiple times God instructed the children of Israel to occupy/overtake a land that He gave them, but He told them to NOT take on the ways of the pagan culture. But time and time again, His people would convert to the ways of the pagans. God's anger would be kindled and He would send hard times their way and then in their distress they would repent, turn back to the ways of God and walk in victory again. But it never lasted long. They would always begin to conform to the ways of the culture they were living in. Doesn't this sound like the church you attend? I see nothing that separates the churchgoer from the nonchurchgoer. In fact, I think some nonchurchgoers are more honest and upright than many of the people I go to church with.

How can someone "get saved" and quit the obvious sins, such as drinking, smoking, partying, but still treat his wife harshly with his words and actions? How can you "get saved" and nothing about your attitude or work ethic change? How can you "get saved" and continue to have adulterous relationships? How can you "get saved" and practice ways to cheat people? And NEVER feel convicted?

This may be harsh, but pastors are not preaching or teaching the true Word of God if people's lives are not being changed. God describes for us what the symptoms of a lukewarm church are in Revelation and He also tells us what He does with those people - he vomits them out of His mouth. (Read Revelations 3 for yourself and see if you see yourself in it).

Bottom line for me is this - the church in America has become so far removed from what God established and what Christ died for, that I have serious doubts about how staggering the rapture really will be to the world we live in, or maybe I should say to America. Will we even notice when it happens? I think the churches are still going to be as full as they are now. What? You say that God is a God of grace and mercy? I believe He is a God of grace and mercy too, but I also believe He is a Holy and a Just God and His Word tells us too many times what He expects out of His children. After all, the price for our entrance to Heaven was very dear to God - it was the life of His Son, not only His death, but the staggering beating He took, the shame, and the humiliation He endured, all paid so that we could have eternal life in Heaven instead of hell. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so based on Matthew 7, but if I'm wrong, I still get to go to heaven according to the current church's practices. But if I'm right, then it really will be a sad day when the rapture takes place.

And lest you think I am just pointing fingers at certain individuals, I am not. I have been utterly convicted of my American christianity and I long to be a child that God can be proud of and one that will be truly welcomed into His kingdom, hearing Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Don't you want to do everything you can to be in that place too and not being told He doesn't even know who you are? As I have pondered this over the past few weeks, my heart has broken. No longer can I just sit back and "hope" that my friends and family are "good enough" to get to Heaven. God's Word is TRUE and we can trust Him to do just what His Word says, and He has already shown us how much he loves us by sending His own Son to pay the price for our sin. We can show Him how much we love Him by how obedient we are to following His ways.

I pray for you. I pray for us all.

The Challenge of Change

2011-06-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

I found myself in the drive-thru lane at KFC/Taco Bell last night and while sitting there I started to reflect on just exactly what had led me to be there. Over the past few months I have been seeing a "healthiatry" doctor in an effort to understand just exactly how my body works and to learn what right things to eat that will bring true health back to my body (KFC/Taco Bell is not part of that...lol). While some changes have been fairly simple, I still find myself bumbling along in regards to so many things. Primarily - meal planning. It's never been my strong point and even though many of the foods I'm incorporating into my daily diet are not difficult, they still take thought to prepare and plan for.

Change - some people are deathly afraid of it. I never have been but tonight I realized that maybe why I'm not afraid of it is because it is something I don't do well enough to be afraid of. Talking about change is fairly easy but when you try to reallly implement it, you see just how committed you are. I don't like what I see.

So, how does one really effect change? I don't have all the answers, of course, but after pondering on it for a long while today, I think the one thing I now understand is that you just have to make the choice to "do it". It will never be easy so waiting on it to get easy is never going to happen. But when you know from the depths of your heart that you need to change something in your life - whether it be eating habits, spiritual disciplines, etc. - you just need to start doing it. If we just take it one day at a time, one step at a time, then one day we will be able to look back and see the progress we've made. How said it is to look back and realize that you never made any efforts at all towards the thing you knew to change because you were waiting on it to be easy.

Yes, change is a challenge, but it is also something that we, as Christians, are supposed to be doing all the time anyway. We are to grow each day to be more like our Lord, so I'm going to get busy fighting FOR change instead of against it. :)

The Eve of a New Month

2011-05-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are at the end of one month and the beginning of a new one. I have only known 2 people in my life who actually celebrate the beginning of a new month. They inspired me with how they celebrate it to the point that I actually think of it on the first of each month, but as far as celebrating it, I haven't ever really done that. However, tonight I am thinking about it a little differently.

Sometimes we get so stuck in our ruts and every day is just as dreary and gloomy as the next. But that is not how we as Christians, especially, are to live our lives. I just finished an amazing book about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how we really don't understand just what that means for us. Do we really understand that each day we have is a precious gift to us and God expects us to use it to glorify Him. I don't know about you, but even though I call myself a Christian, most days I don't live any differently than my neighbor who doesn't claim christianity. I am ill-tempered, grouchy, quick to snap at others when they don't line up with my expectations, and tend to have a scowl on my face more often than a smile. Does that sound like the Holy Spirit living in me?

Last week I spent a lot of time working on decluttering and reorganizing my office and though I still have one spot to work on, it is very much more inviting to be in there now. It has a sense of peace and calm to it now that was missing amongst all the chaos that was in there before. I think that my spiritual life should be the same. I need to get the junk out so that the Holy Spirit that dwells inside me can be free to empower me to experience the inner peace and calm that He desires me to have. What better time to make this choice than at the beginning of a new month??? Actually, it would be a good decision any time of the month, but it's a little like the cherry on top to do it now, and I will be thinking of the two who inspire me with their monthly celebrations!

Six Months Later

2011-05-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

I need to face facts -- I may never be a blogger. I have made multiple attempts at being a blogger, but it just never happens. First of all, I am really not a writer. I can't come up with catchy things to say and though I think my family gives me a lot of fodder, so to speak, I can't really articulate it in a way that makes for great reading.

However, there are many times I feel a compelling urge to jot down my thoughts. So, I am going to try a new approach to my blog. I am just going to share what is on my heart and mind. If it's not appealing to you, it won't offend me in the least if you don't want to read it. I am not doing this blog for the sake of having multiple readers. It is just a place for me to get my thoughts out of my head where I can come back and look later.

Some of the interesting things going on in my life currently is that I just finished my freshman year of college. I got all A's this semester, so I am pretty proud of that. Only 3 more years to go! :) Kayla, our oldest daughter, has just finished her first year of nursing. It has been a difficult year for her adjusting to life outside of college and in the working world, but I think she has done splendid and her heart is still set on being a missionary to Haiti and the Lord is moving her along in that direction. Not as quickly as she would like, but He is moving and I know He has a perfect plan for her. Shelby, our middle daughter, is engaged and is planning on a fall wedding. Lindsay, our youngest, is still trying to decide what she wants to do. Right now she is working almost full time at Sonic and loving it and is saving money for a car. No firm decision yet made on schooling but we are still in negotiations. LOL Our grandson is growing like a weed and is the apple of our eyes! We get him every weekend as his momma works 12 hour shifts on the weekends at a local nursing home.

Lately, I've been reading several books that have really been ministering to me and causing me to question and think on deeper things. That is good.... but with knowledge also comes responsibility. The Word of God says that we are to be "doer's of the Word", not only hearers. I have learned so much recently in many areas of my life, which is also part of the reason I wanted to rekindle this blog. Even if it isn't eloquent, I want to keep a record of all that I am learning and thinking on and also record what I am "doing" in response to it.

So, we'll see how I do. Goodnight blog world....hope to see ya tomorrow!

Slacker!

2011-01-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

YIKES!!!! It's been a week since I posted! Didn't take me long to fall off the wagon, huh? Well, I would try to recap what the past 7 days entailed, but I can't remember. LOL Again, that is one of the reasons I need to blog daily, so I don't forget!

The highlight of the past week had to have been our grandson's birthday party! He turned 3 on Christmas Day. We held off on his party so that he could get the full enjoyment of a birthday party separate from Christmas. Actually, I think the guy made out better with his birthday gifts than he did for Christmas. LOL He got lots of nice gifts and all of his aunts and his great aunts and great uncles, as well as the great grandparents were there and even his great-great uncle was there. It really was a housefull but he had a great time.

It has been more of an adjustment than I thought it would be having Shelby & Jalen move out on their own. Though we still see them every day, it is just different. I miss the little guy giving me hugs and kisses before bedtime each night. But I know this is a good thing for them and I can see positive things coming from it already. Change is not always easy, but good things can come from it when we allow it to.

Here's looking to a productive week ahead!

Wisdom

2011-01-02T16:58:00.000-06:00

So this morning I was reading in Proverbs, chapter 2 to be precise, and I started thinking about all the references to wisdom and how to get it, etc. I've heard a lot of sermons that quote James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all..." Most of those sermons apply that verse to anything we need to know. But if you look at it in context, it is clear that what James is saying here is that if we don't have the wisdom to understand how trials and tempations work in our lives to make us mature, then we can ask God to give us the wisdom to understand "that". So, if that verse applies to wisdom for that specific thing, are there Scriptures that explain how we get wisdom for other things in life? I think that is what I discovered in reading Proverbs 2 today. It actually kind of reads like" "He is ____ for you or will do _____, if you are/do ______."

Proverbs 2:6-10 (New International Version, ©2010)

6 For the LORD gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8 for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

I just thought it was another great passage to ponder at the beginning of a new year, and how encouraging it is to know that HE GIVES US WISDOM so that we can understand what is right and wrong, so that we will know how to live our lives. We have no excuses....wisdom is ours!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:29:00.000-06:00

1-1-11 It is officially here! The beginning of 2011! It is the time when people make goals for things they hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. I, like most everyone else, have a list of goals I want to shoot for this year as well. I make them every year, but sad to say, for the most part, at the end of the 12 months I have not really achieved any of the goals I set. This year I hope to change that. At the top of my "list" this year is to "be intentional". If I can do that, then I should at least be able to end this next year with some success.

Every year one of my main goals is to get more organized. I can get things organized somewhat but maintaining it is where I run into difficulty. For years, I have heard how having a planner is the best thing for getting and staying organized and I would agree, I think. I have bought too many planners to count and while each one of them was "just the one" I thought would work, I just never seemed to get much past the "setting it up" stage. I do believe that using one would really help me in terms of keeping my life more organized and so it is one of my top priorities this year. There are many goals I have and maybe if I can get it organized on paper, I will eventually be able to see progress in every goal I've set.

I know I've said it before, but another top goal of mine is to maintain my blog on a regular basis. I have thought about setting a specific purpose for my blog so as to attract more readers perhaps, and I have had some ideas about how to do that, but overall, I really want my blog to just be an extension or record of who I am. So it will likely have many components. I hope to soon be able to design it better, but I haven't had the funds to hire a designer for it and I would honestly prefer to learn how to design it myself so I could change it as often as I wanted. In the meantime, I will just work with what I've got and be grateful for it.:)

So, as 2011 gets underway, I hope we all can believe for a better year ahead and that we will all be more intentional in our living, and that when the dawn of 2012 approaches, we can look back and see how far we've come!

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T01:17:00.000-06:00

Well, it's officiallly the day after Christmas now, but I can't sleep, so I decided to "blog". :) I am truly hoping to make a change this next year with my blogging habits and make this a much bigger part of my life. There are so many things that I think about that I would like to share, and also archive for my family, but I will share more of that in another post.

I have been pondering the idea of how New Years Day comes so soon after Christmas Day. For years I have always thought it was kind of aggravating that the 2 holidays are so close together because it just seems to make for a very busy time. However, today as I was thinking about goals for the New Year, I was also thinking about the real reason for Christmas. For those of us who believe in Christ, we acknowledge that God was the first gift-giver in that He gave us His son to become the sacrifice for our sins. What a humbling and sobering thought when we consider the gifts we give. As I started reflecting on this amazing gift we've been given, I then started seeing how amazing it is that New Year's Day comes so soon after. As we ponder the amazing gift we've been given, which when we accept it, wipes our sin slate completely clean, only then can we really appreciate the fullness of what a New Year brings to us as well - a similarly clean slate to begin life anew again so to speak. The two holidays really do fit well together - A gift that brings new life.

Christmas Eve Ramblings

2010-12-24T14:53:00.001-06:00

Well, it is obvious that I didn't reach the goal I had for my blog this year. :( But I do have some ideas about next year and I am hoping to find someone who is able to help me get a really good blog going. I do want to recap my year though. I didn't get around to sending out Christmas cards this year or making a holiday newsletter, so this will be my year-end wrap up.

January 2010 - Shelby & Jalen moved home only 3 months after her wedding. I decided to enroll in college after almost 20 years from my last class.

February 2010 - Tom & I celebrated our 22nd anniversary and Tom turned 41!

March 2010 - Kayla turned 21 and Lindsay turned 16!!!! Shelby passed her GED!!!!!

April 2010 - Shelby turned 19!!!! Lindsay hired at Sonic AND KFC/Taco Bell!

May 2010 - I survived my first semester back to college and Kayla graduated from college!!!!!! Tom left MO-DOT for Ozark Mountain Tour Trucking (assigned to the Justin Beiber tour!) Shelby's divorce was finalized!

June 2010 - Kayla started her new job at St. John's as a graduate nurse. She was hired on full-time (an unusual accomplishment for a grad nurse to get full-time to start off). I took a summer course in college (college algebra). Shelby started a new job at the nursing home and CNA classes.

July 2010 - Me, Shelby, & Jalen went to Kansas City to see Tom on tour. Lindsay, Britian, & I went to Memphis to meet online friends and to see Tom on tour there. I turned 41!!!!! Kayla took and passed her state board test- is an official RN!!!!!

August 2010 - I started another semester of college. Enrolled in 15 hours. Started a new job that was full-time. Lindsay went full time at Sonic and quit her KFC/Taco Bell job.

September 2010 - Tom came home for 4 days!!!!!!

October 2010 - Tom came home for 3 weeks. Got another job offer and turned in his notice at Ozark. Will be home November 5!!!

November 2010- Tom came home to start new job! Lindsay had a wreck that totaled her car, but God was with her and she and her friend and the other driver only had minor injuries. Thanksgiving with all the family!!!

December 2010 - Shelby found an apartment for her and Jalen to rent starting the first of 2011. Kayla came home day before Christmas Eve to have Christmas with us as she worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. First Christmas without all of us together on the actual day...:( We filed for bankruptcy. Maybe not the best thing to remember, but the economy hit us hard over the past 2 years and Tom has had multiple jobs, all of which paid much less than his previous job of 18 years, and we never could recuperate fully. We are grateful for the fresh start and hope that 2011 will bring many good things to our lives and to the lives of our children and our friends!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

Challenge

2010-11-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

A friend shared with me that November is the national blogging month and the challenge is to write on your blog every day of the month. Well, I already messed it up since I didn't blog yesterday, but I am going to try to still blog every day just to see how many days I actually succeed. :)

So many times I feel like the Lord puts things on my mind that I want to write about, but then when I sit down to actually type it out, it leaves me or I can't seem to write it the way I "hear" it in my head.

Anyway, I do have a couple of "topics" in mind, but I am going to save them for another day so I will be sure to have something to write about...LOL

So,stay tuned...:)

Not Sure Why I Bother

2010-10-25T16:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not really sure why I even bother to keep a blog. I certainly do not have the ability to keep it up or even come up with anything interesting to say. Which I guess is why I also don't have many "followers" either - lol.

I feel constantly weary. Part of it is physical as I am not in great shape, but I believe most of it is spiritual. I am just worn out. I am tired of the consequences of my own personal disobedience, I am tired of suffering second hand from the consequences of disobedience my family members are enduring, I am tired of Satan dogging my heels every where I turn. I am tired of the church being so worldly that you can't tell where the world ends and the church begins. I am tired of the ineffectiveness of the church because of their love affair with the world. I am tired of longing for something different, yet never being able to find it. I am weary of feeling like a failure every day of my life.

While I do try to encourage myself by reading Scriptures and reminding myself that the "joy of the Lord is my strength", I can't help but tell you that more often than not what my heart is sliently (and sometimes not so silently) crying out is this: "Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!" I believe that I am not the only one who is worn down and weary of this world we are living in. Even our earth, I believe, is crying out to God for His return.

Until then, I can only keep on putting one foot in front of the other and hoping that I can overcome the wearyness good enough that I can be a witness to others. For it is a sure thing, one day (and maybe very soon) our Lord is returning and I want to be found ready and I want all my family to be ready too, as well as my friends.

Lord, give me your strength and your energy to rise above the wearyness and to soar like an Eagle until your return!

A Week Gone Already?!?!?!

2010-07-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

Well, despite my goal of blogging more, I have managed to let a week get by me. Life is never dull around my home and there is always something to get in the way of my best intentions. Right now the heat we are experiencing is unreal and the best place to be is under an A/C vent. I am very thankful for our central air in our home and for the unit in my office, though I am not a fan of the electric bill that comes with it. LOL I just keep reminding myself that in January I will be wishing for this heat. :)

The past few days I have been trying to work on an area in my life that I know God wants me to work on. It is found in the book of James.

James 1:19-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Hearing and Obeying

19My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. 21You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you.

22Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But I find myself really struggling with all of it. I am not very slow at getting angry or speaking and I don't even think I am that great of a listener. But because this is on my mind so much I know it is an area God is really asking me to improve on. How can I expect my children to be obedient or submissive to authority if I am not setting the example? I am confident though that if I seek with my whole heart to apply these Scriptures to my life that God will be faithful and give me the grace (power and will to do) to be victorious in this area.

Life At Warp Speed

2010-07-15T17:03:00.001-05:00

Wow! These last 2 days have been crazy! Our oldest daughter who just recently graduated from nursing school and landed a full-time job purchased her first "new to her" car yesterday. It is a beautiful new car and we are so happy that she finally has a "nice" car. She has literally worn out her other car, but PTL it got her through college!

She actually lives almost 2 hours away from us and due to some miscommunication, I ended up driving her younger sister up there thinking that the plan was for us to spend the night there. That didn't work out so we drove back home after a very hurried shopping time and then discovered that the title to the "old" car was needed by our daughter so back we went early this morning. I did get to take advantage of the 20% off sale that Mardel's was having on homeschool materials before we had to hurry back home though.

Before leaving this morning, I took a minute to pull out a devotional book and read what was for today's date. The title was "One Day at a Time". Felt appropriate to me. The scripture was from 2 Samuel 22:3 and it says: "My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior--You save me from violence.

Life feels like it comes at me most of the time at warp speed, but I love how God never fails to show me that no matter what comes my way or how fast it comes at me, He is the one who shields me and protects me and I can always find a refuge in Him.

New Directions (And NO this is not a post about the show Glee!)

2010-07-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

For so long now I have dreamed of being a "blogger". I have made several attempts at it but for a variety of reasons I just haven't ever achieved it. I do think about it a lot and many times ideas will flood my mind that I think would make good blog entries, but again, I just never get it to the actual blog.

Then I thought if I had a fabulously designed blog like so many others that I see, maybe that would inspire me to be the "blogger" of my dreams. But truthfully, I know that even if that were to happen, it would not automatically make me a blogger.

Maybe I am being simplistic, but I have decided that blogging for me is going to have to be done like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. Too often, in almost every area of my life, I can dream big and I can even attain all the knowledge to make the dream reality, but in the end if I don't actually "do" it, all I am left with is unrealized dreams.

So, my new goal is to just simply blog about whatever is on my mind, however short it may be, daily. Perhaps as time goes on and I maintain faithfulness in sharing daily, one day I may wake up and realize I have reached my goal of being a real "blogger".

Midweek Musings

2010-03-31T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ah- the middle of the week. Before, when it felt like the weekend was different than every other day of my life, I used to look forward to this time of the week. And now with Tom working the weekends, I don't even have that to make the weekends look good.

This week has been especially busy. Classes resumed this week after a week-long spring break and Shelby started a new job, which has put Lindsay & I on more babysitting patrol than usual. Jalen is a pretty good little guy and we have had great weather this week, so he has been pretty content to just ride his little tryke on the deck while we schooled and worked.

I eventually hope to get a daily theme going with this blog, but for now, I am going to include a potpouri of things in each post. I have been interested for almost a year now in making a transition to eating/cooking more healthy and with real foods as opposed to those that the typical doctor tries to tell us is good for us. To that end, I have found a source for my raw milk and also a source for my raw cheese. We are all loving both of those things! So much so that we have even been tossing around the idea of buying our own dairy cow. We won't be able to act on that idea too soon, but it is definitely something we are mulling over. One of the things we are getting ready to venture out on is making our own mozzarella cheese. We have heard from many that there is nothing better and once you make it you won't go back to store bought again.We are excited to try our hand at it.

I think it is amazing to realize that no matter how great "progress" has been for our country, the reality is that we are also a more sicker people than we used to be also. Granted, with the discovery of antibiotics, we have been able to prevent a lot of serious illnesses, and I am grateful for that, but I think we still have a long way to go (or get back to) before we can really be healthy people.

I do plan to take pics of our experiments and test drives as we try out new foods and share about our likes/dislikes as we work on this transition. I hope you will check back often for updates as I sincerely hope to keep this momentum going.

Till the next post!

Donna

Sunday Wrap Up

2010-03-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are at the end of the weekend and almost the end of the month of March. Time, as usual, is flying by. It feels like we just finished celebrating Christmas and now Easter is upon us.

Several new things are happening in our home/family. Kayla passed one of her final nursing class tests and sent a text messsage telling us to order the cake as she was for sure graduating. LOL As if we ever doubted that. LOL Shelby passed her GED test and starts a new job tomorrow. Tom is slated to return to work in the oil field in May. We are still making the slow transition to get off processed foods and we have found a raw milk supplier as well as a raw cheese supplier. And I am still struggling to adjust to college at the age of 40+. :)

It is still my desire to blog regularly, though I don't know how/if that will ever become reality. Too much of my life seems to be lived in "reaction" rather than "proaction", but I am trying.

Something that a missionary said last week at our church really inspired me. He said "sometimes the road forward is found by going backwards". It is something I have really been pondering on. There are many things that I used to do much better than I do now and I think it was a timely word from the Lord for me to hear that.

So, here's to the end of March and the beginning of April, the end of the weekend and the beginning of a new week. Let's all be and do everything God has for us to do.

A Possible Phoenix????

2010-02-21T00:37:00.000-06:00

Could it be possible that like a Phoenix, I too could rise from the ashes and have new life? My last post was very depressing was it not? I very much felt at the end of my rope and could not see the hope of anything good in my life again. Of course, that is seldom ever true. Life is always changing and nothing ever stays the same. The bad times always make way for better times and yes, even the better times fade into darker times, but that is just natural. I know that, but when it happens to me, I always tend to forget.

In the past month the Lord has shown me in more ways than one just how very much He is for me and not against me as I sometimes am wont to think. My biggest struggle continues to be putting into practice what I know to do. That is an issue in almost every area of my life too, not just one or two areas. I sometimes feel like I will never get on top of it and really become the person God wants me to be. I struggle with feeling overwhelmed on an almost constant basis and when I know there are specific things He wants me to do, I find myself procrastinating or making excuses for why I don't need to do it "right now". But I really don't want to reach the end of my life and realize that there is no time left to do the things that I had always thought I would get around to doing, you know?

So, how does one go about getting their life on track and getting back on track when they fall off? I should know - I have a bookshelf full of books on organization and prioritizing, etc. I remember someone once saying that they had adopted the Nike slogan for their life motto - "Just Do It". And a wonderful friend of mine told me once that I shouldn't look at the whole picture, just do the "next thing". I think that is what I will start doing - the next thing. It sure sounds good anyway.

Again, I apologize to any who read my last post. I really want to rise above the circumstances of my life and use them instead as stepping stones to get me to the place God has called me to. I know that God has not given up on me and He never will. Even if I give up on myself occassionally, He will always stay with me and pull me from the ashes so to speak and give me new life again to move ahead, ever onward and upward.

To better days ahead!!!!!

Why Blog?

2010-01-23T14:36:00.000-06:00

I have always enjoyed reading blogs. Always so neat to see how other people live their lives, what habits they have, and getting a glimpse of their walk with the Lord is usually so inspiring. So, I thought I would start a blog. From day 1, I just haven't had much to say, and certainly nothing on a consistent basis. Then I realized why my attempts at blogging were so dismal - the cold, honest truth is that for the most part, all my life consists of are broken promises, wishful thinking and all those shoulda's, coulda's, woulda's.

I have been married almost 22 years and have 3 daughters and 1 grandchild and so the fruit of what I did during the first 15-20 years of my marriage has now sprung forth and is evident for all to see. It really is true that what you sow you will reap. The sad thing about that is that by the time you start to reap, you can't stop and replant. The seeds are already sown.

Now to my children, when they hear me say something like that, they instantly take it personally, and think I don't like them. Well, I guess they would be right at times about that. I don't like everything they have done in their lives, but I love them. I guess though that even though the oldest one is almost 21, none of them are old enough yet to understand that there is a difference between liking what they do and loving their person.

I had hopes that after such a rough year in 2009, that 2010 would be better. I really didn't think it could get much worse, but how naive was that??? And true, things could still be a whole lot worse than what they are, but where I am walking right now, it is a very dark and sad place.

I do not plan to blog anymore. It is a total waste of space and of anyone's time who has read it. If you learn anything from my life, let it be what NOT to do.

Half Gone

2010-01-16T10:42:00.000-06:00

Well half of the first month of the new year is already gone and I am just now getting around to blogging. Seems that some things just never change. LOL

I have had a very rocky start to this new year. I kind of had a feeling getting ready for 2010 that things wouldn't be great right off the bat, but little did I know just exactly what kind of things I would get hit with. This past week was probably the roughest for me in that I really let it all overwhelm me and I was having a very hard time struggling to get beyond that, but this morning I awoke determined to not let it beat me down anymore. Sure, times are hard and probably gonna get harder. I can either choose to focus on wondering how I will survive the harder times that are sure to come or I can choose to focus on my relationship with Christ who will be the one holding my hand and seeing me through the hard times that come.

I know every year most people set goals or resolutions for that year and I am just like everyone else. I write them down and dream big, but generally by the time the year rolls to an end I find I did not accomplish even one of the lofty goals I had and actually for the past few years I haven't even bothered to write them down new - I just recycle the ones from the previous year. How sad is that??? So this year I have decided that I am just going to pick a few things I want to work on (no more than 3 I think) and focus on those. Something I am just starting to learn is that it is not about how "much" one accomplishes, it is about what you learn in the process of accomplishing, if that makes sense?

So, to anyone who stumbles across this blog post, I challenge you to just pick no more than 3 things to work on this year and just focus on those and see just how much working on those 3 things changes multiple things about your life.

Terrific Tuesday

2009-12-29T23:04:00.000-06:00

Well, Tuesday nights is our usual bible study fellowship night, but we decided to combine it with a New Year's Eve party this year, so we moved it to Thursday night this week. Thought that would give me a night off of major cooking, but then Shelby called inviting her and the family to come eat with us. LOL That's okay - that just meant I got time with the grand younguns! Super fun time!

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. The work I do from home gets pretty slim through the holidays and for the past several days I have had no work at all to do. I was stressing about how pitiful my check was going to be and so after logging in this morning and getting the "no jobs available" message, I was a little frantic and threw up a short prayer that went something like, "God, I NEED work!" and then decided to reply to some emails. About 30 minutes later, I decided to check for work again and one came to my queue! I was elated, so I typed it, then got another one, and then another. I was afraid to take a break in case the work would run out. LOL I had a goal of 1000 lines today and after 5 hours of typing I had reached 972 lines and THEN I got the message, "no jobs available." God has a sense of humor, doesn't He? I was so very thankful for the work today. Of course, coming off of a week of severe back pain, all that sitting did not do me much good in that department, but the song in my heart knowing that God heard my cry for work and answered me so quickly made the back pain much more tolerable. So much so that I am asking God for the same miracle tomorrow and Thursday, which is the last day of the pay period.

We really do serve an awesome God and even if He hadn't chosen to answer my prayer and send work my way (and that has happened a lot too), He is still worthy of my praise and adoration. It is not because of what He does that makes me want to serve Him, but it is because of Who He Is!

The year 2009 has been a very difficult one for us financially and honestly, from my perspective, no change seems evident on the horizon of 2010, but you know what, whether or not we find financial stability again or not, I serve a God who is stable and who will never fail me and I am humbled to know He loves me enough to die for me and cover all my sins with his shed blood. Truly now, THAT is an amazing God!

Prepping for the week ahead

2009-12-27T22:18:00.000-06:00

It is Sunday night and my house is all quiet. Lindsay is spending the night with her sister at my parents' house and Jalen is in bed with his Papa. Not so sure that is the best idea since Papa Bear is sick, but I guess he has been exposed already so we'll see what happens.

My mind has been on the coming new year a lot. I guess it is the "season" to do some serious thinking about one's life and one's goals, but in reality, we can set goals for our life anytime we desire to do so. So, when February rolls around and you find yourself already behind in your "goals", you can just take a deep breath and remind yourself that a goal can be set anytime and you can always start fresh anytime.

My goals tend to be the same each year with only a small percentage gained on most of them. As we close out 2009 and look towards 2010, I do realize that there is one area of my life that I have improved upon a lot and that is my spiritual life. Now before you start thinking I am bragging or puffing myself up higher than I ought to, I will also say that no matter how far I have come I still have a very long ways to go and I am very well aware of that fact. However, it is nice to be able to look back and see where you once were and see that you are no longer there, but have in fact moved ahead a bit. It is encouraging to see growth in our lives and it also helps keep us motivated to continue growing.

As I ponder on these thoughts, my hope for the last few days of 2009, is that I can work on getting better organized and setting up a plan to maintain that for the year 2010. For those who think organizing is unnecessary, let me just say that if you want to be an effective person, you have to be organized. No, you don't have to be OCD about it, but general organization is critical to being successful in any area of our lives. It is what I will be working on in the coming year because there are many things I long to be effective in this next year.

So, as I finish up this blog entry, the last Sunday of 2009, I just want to remind you to look back at where you were and see where you are today and use that to motivate you to keep on keeping on.

The Day After

2009-12-26T16:56:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are, the day after Christmas. We survived it. This year for us was quite a bit different than usual. For one thing, our youngest daughter, who got married in September, was missing from our typical Christmas morning chaos. Secondly, due to financial hardships encountered this year, there simply was not much funds available for much gifting to be done. Despite the differences, I believe we had a very nice Christmas. Everyone in our family was well and together for the day. And really, isn't that what Christmas should be about the most - sharing and spending time with family?

Now as we get ready to begin a new year and a new decade, my thoughts turn towards what kind of goals I want to set. Every year I set goals and try to achieve them, but most years I fail to accomplish anything. In 2010 I hope to break that trend. I have learned a lot this year through various trials I have encountered that goals can be accomplished as long as one sets their minds/hearts on it and never quits. So maybe for me, the question becomes what "goal" (singular) can I set for myself this year that I can devote my energy to and see accomplished this year?

I know I have stated it often before, but I truly hope to start blogging again on a regular basis. It is a good way to share what is on my heart and in doing so, I think it helps me become a stronger person eventually.

So, Merry Christmas to my blog readers and have a wonderful NEW YEAR!

A New Era??

2009-08-17T23:46:00.002-05:00

So, in July I turned 40. I really thought it wouldn't bother me and had always said I couldn't wait to be 40. And it really hasn't bothered me, not the number anyway. It really is just a number. What has bothered me though is realizing that I really don't have that many years left to get in all the living I want to do still. Somehow, all those "I'll do it later" decisions have caught up with me and I am left looking at a lot of things not done that I had wanted to do.

Now I realize that life isn't over at 40 and I do have time left, but it really has been a wake up call to stop procrastinating and continuing to put off things I really want to do and make some decisions to "just do it" as the famous Nike slogan says.

I really do have a LONG list of things I want to accomplish and reality says I do need to prioritize it and really narrow it down to what the most important things are to me and get those set in motion.

I started this blog a long while ago and have never really kept up with it. Life just gets in the way and honestly, many times I just simply don't feel like anything I have to say is worth reading, by me or anyone else. My husband really is the one who has a gift/talent for writing, but I do hope that God will help me develop an ability to share the things that He puts on my heart, not for my glory, but hopefully that it will help inspire and encourage someone else who happens to read it.

One thing I have truly learned in my 40 years of living is that God never intends for us to be islands on our own. He created community and placed us in one to help us grow and thrive. We do ourselves a grave disservice when we try to avoid fellowship with others. Sure, relationships are not easy and community living is challenging many times, but the rewards and the joy that are found there cannot be matched by anything we can do by ourselves. So, God willing, this post will be just the first of many more to come as I share what God is doing in my heart and mind and teaching me as I journey through this life.

Tom's Word From California!

2009-02-26T16:48:00.002-06:00

No matter where my husband goes, he has the heart of a teacher and today he sent me a bunch of text messages asking me to please post to my blog and to Facebook. He felt it was urgent for someone to hear today. So below is what he sent me:

Don't allow yourself to lose control of your temper. If you are a Christian and you lose control of your temper, who has control? A Christian with an out of control temper is a devastating tool in the ready hands of a spiteful devil. Keep your temper under the control of the Holy Spirit.

What kind of temper control do you want your kids to use in their homes? They will follow our example and we must be faithful to show them the Godly way.

Be angry and sin not and do not give the devil a foothold. Never allow yourself to lose control because it is then that you will commit sin. And don't let the sun go down while you are still angry. Forgive offenses before bedtime so that bitterness will not take hold and become the stronghold of a grudge which leads to more anger and hurt and may well be a breeding ground for even more sin to be committed.

We are commanded to love one another and it is the Lord who says this.

The time is now to obey the Word of God, no matter how we feel, and be true disciples of Christ so that we can stand in the presence of God unashamedly. A Christian who truly follows after the law of God with his life on the altar sacrificed in the service of a Holy God.

Lesson in Faith

2009-01-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

As you may know, we have a grandson who was born to our middle child when she was just 16. The father of our grandson chose to not be a part of the pregnancy, then reappeared just before the birth of Jalen. He was around a few weeks after that, then dropped all contact. Amazingly enough, a couple of months after hearing nothing at all, our daughter was served papers which stated she was being sued for joint custody.

We have never had any situations in the past requiring a lawyer, and had no idea who would be a good lawyer for a case such as this one. My sister had been talking to someone she worked with who had been through a similar situation and recommended her lawyer to us, so I called and got the appointment made. It was for 2 weeks out. On the day of the appointment, just as we were getting ready to leave, we got a call from that lawyer's office saying we could not keep that appointment because the dad of our grandson had already made contact with them and had paid the retainer fee so we would have to find another lawyer.

I remember feeling just overwhelmed with devastation.My sister's friend had said this lawyer was good at getting his clients everything they wanted and that is just what we wanted. I actually started crying on the phone and was telling her this was all new to us and we just didn't know who we needed to find for a lawyer and that this one had been recommended to us, and I was just at a loss as to how to find someone else that would be good. And then, in a whispery voice, the receptionist of that law office said to me, "Mom to mom, call ______ office". I said thank you and hung up and called the office she recommended.

They were able to get us in the very next day and we paid the retainer fee and got the process started. During the next several months, we were stunned at all the good feedback we started hearing about this lawyer. One person told us that the DFS workers all know this lawyer well and know that when he is put on a case the saying from the opposing side is always, "Well, we have lost this case." Then we heard from someone else that he is the most expensive lawyer in our area but he gets the job done.

Slowly, but surely, I started to realize that God had shut the door in our face to the other lawyer for a reason - he had someone better for us - and he used the opposing lawyer's receptionist to point us in the way God wanted us to go. Isn't that just amazing?! And isn't that so like the God we serve?

If we can just learn to trust that God truly is in control and that no matter how bleak the picture may be, He has a plan for us and we just need to rest in that and follow Him.

Next Monday, I will share more of what God has done in this situation and another story that will hopefully build your faith!

Donna

Already Behind

2009-01-03T10:53:00.002-06:00

Well, the new year is here and I am already behind. But that's okay - it will get better.

Just after I published my last post on here, I got the news from my husband that he was losing his job. Somehow that news didn't rock my world as much as I thought it would. Maybe I was in shock, but then I realized that what was holding me steady in the face of such news was my faith.

Many times we wonder, "How much faith do I really have"? My husband has taught that faith is one of those things we measure by what we have been through before. Whatever we go through and come out on the other side of successfully we can say, "I have that much faith".

In the Word we read that faith comes by hearing and I know that my faith has been encouraged many times by the stories I have read of people such as George Mueller and others who have faced great obstacles, but their faith held them steady and God met their needs. As I thought on that, I realized that I too had stories to share of my faith that could possibly encourage others who were struggling with their faith walk and in doing so I could remind myself of all God had seen us through in the past and encourage myself as we face this new challenge of finding Tom another job.

So, starting on Monday, I will begin sharing stories from our lives of situations that looked bleak, but in hindsight we could see God at work, meeting our needs.

And about our current situation, well we are encouraged by our faith and how God has met our needs in the past so for the most part we are at peace as we search for a new job. Tom has been putting in applications with various companies and with much prayer we feel like we are starting to see a direction God may be leading, but we are still waiting on Him to open the door. We know God has a plan and we are excited to see where He will lead us next!

Donna

Almost The End of 2008

2008-12-26T21:33:00.002-06:00

Well, amazingly enough, here we are almost at the end of another year. When I was a young girl, my granny always told me that the older you get the faster time flies. Well, at 10 years of age, you can't really comprehend such a statement, but now that I am older, I comprehend it all too well and have to agree that she was definitely right.

The year 2008 has gone by rather quickly and as we near the beginning of 2009, I find myself doing what I always do at this time of the year - reflecting on what the past year has held and making goals for the new one to come.

One of the goals I have for this new year is to become a more active and organized blogger. I know God has filled my heart with a lot of things He wants me to share and I believe blogging is one of those doors through which I can share. It has been quite the challenge to get my blog designed the way I want. I see so many cool blogs when surfing through blog land, and there are so many neat things I want to put on my blog, but I am completely HTML illiterate. Trying to learn the basics over the past few months has been grueling and I honestly just don't have the time to devote to learning how to design one, so I have tweaked it the best I can for now and plan to tweak it more in the new year as funds allow.

My goal is to blog daily and the topics will be varied. Most of what you find on here will pertain to being a wife, mom, homemaker, etc., as that is the kind of clay I am. I hope it will be a place where those who visit will be encouraged and inspired to keep pressing on in their daily walk with the Lord and for those who may not know the Lord, that they will get to know the wonderful Savior I serve and wish to become one of His kids as well.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to be your child and for the opportunity to share with others what you have so wonderfully shared with me.

Donna

Still Under Construction

2008-07-10T17:32:00.002-05:00

Well, this summer has been busy for us and I haven't had the time to work on our new blog as much as I had hoped. I have learned some, but not enough to really make the changes I envision. But please check back often as we are planning on adding new entries whether or not the blog is customized the way we want it or not.

We have been busy with remodeling plans that are set to get underway in August and with all the rain we have been blessed with lately, the yard work is keeping us busy, as well as the garden. We are starting to get green beans, a few tomatoes, a bunch of zucchini, sweet banana peppers, and green peppers now. I need to get some parts for my canner so it will be ready to go before long. Also, my freezer is full to overflowing with beef and chicken, so I am going to have to can most everything this year. But that's okay, I am not complaining...:)

Our grandson is now 6 months old and is rolling over and just about to sit up. He is such a delight to us. The girls are all doing well. Kayla is working hard at 2 jobs this summer, saving up money to pay for her apartment until her school loan money comes in late fall/early winter. Shelby is working more days at Sonic and Lindsay is babysitting and spending time with friends. We plan to start our school year the last of this month. We decided to get a head start so we could take off more time for the holidays.

So, life is marching onward. God is good, ALL the time, despite what circumstances may try to convince us otherwise. I will sign off with a new favorite verse of mine. Lamentations 3:21-23:

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation: It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. (Amplified version)

Changes Coming

2008-06-21T17:01:00.002-05:00

As you can tell, I am doing some "remodeling" of my blog. Actually, there is more to come. I am chin deep in reading and watching tutorials on how to customize blogs/design websites, etc. Truthfully, I feel like I am drowning most of the time. However, I shall continue on and if need be, will call out the top guns to help me if I can't get it figured out before too long.

Some of the changes in addition to the cosmetic outlook of my blog will be that I will be sharing my blog with my husband. He teaches one of the adult Sunday School classes at our church and is a very gifted teacher. He is also an excellent writer and he has been feeling the call to start writing recently and so I am going to be publishing his writings on what will become "our" blog. At some point in the future, we may move into an actual website, but for now this blog will be more than adequate.

I am very excited about these changes and we will have a variety of categories that we will be posting in so hopefully there will be something of interest for everyone who stops by to read.

Tuesday's Thoughts

2008-06-10T17:51:00.002-05:00

Well, the Lord has certainly been good to me over the past few weeks. I am continuing on the path to personal revival and changes that are occurring inside my heart are starting to show up in my actions. Not that I am trying to toot my own horn there or anything, but too many times in my life I have gone through a time when I would get all excited about something, only to find that it was fleeting and didn't produce any lasting results. I just feel so different about all that the Lord is teaching me right now. I almost feel like a sponge in that everywhere I turn, there is another "something" to absorb. It is a great feeling and I know it is just preparation for what is to come.

Of course, all this has not come without a price. Satan is never happy when a lukewarm christian decides to get "hot", and will do whatever he can to intercept that. But strangely enough, I have met each derailment effort with a quiet calm and determination and an absence of fear. That has to be the best thing to come of this so far - the lack of fear. I have heard sermons by the boat load on fear, but I am finding out that for me at least, the deeper my relationship is with Christ, the less fear I encounter.

Lastly, a small update on the farm life here: We butchered a few meat chickens a couple of weeks ago, but they were a little smaller than what I wanted, so we are in the process of fattening them up some more before nabbing a few more. We have discovered though that there is a varmint of some sort under the chicken house (most probably a skunk) and it has killed one of our chickens so far. We are trying to figure out just how to fix that problem right now.

The garden is growing well. My dad brought over a large load of sawdust we are putting between the rows to help cut down on the weeds and add some nutrients into the ground. I am really getting excited about canning season...:)

We have several home projects we are going to be working on this summer. Instead of taking a small vacation we are going to put the money in the house. Though we do plan to do some camping and we will use our season passes to Silver Dollar City several times throughout the summer. One of the projects was finished today - a small one - a new shelf for my scrapbooking things. I am looking forward to getting more of my things organized and my table cleared off so I can actually have work space to craft again.

I guess that is all for now. Happy summer to all my blogging friends!

Thursday Ponderings

2008-05-29T11:39:00.002-05:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have just been more and more challenged, broken, etc., by my loving Heavenly Father. I hope to at some point be able to break down all that God has been doing in my heart and mind and share it with others in hopes of encouraging them in their walk with the Lord. I grew up in church, and have done a lot of "right" things, but never realized just how inconsistent my walk with Him was until these past few weeks as God has stirred my heart and mind.

As all this has been going on, I came across a snippet that got my attention and caused me to look for a more complete version and I found it on You Tube. I hope as you listen to it, that it will amaze and awe you and remind you of how special you are to our Heavenly Father as it did me. Just click on the arrow to play and be blessed!

Light Overcomes Darkness

2008-05-13T14:31:00.002-05:00

I read a statistic a while back that said 80% of Americans are Christian. Really? I would think that if that were true, then our country would be very different, don't you? In Sunday School class this past Sunday, Tom spoke about how we (Christians) are to be the salt of the earth and if the salt loses it flavor, what good is it?

Not only are we to be the salt of the earth, we are also supposed to be the light of the world. I am reading a book called Fresh Encounter by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King and in their book they talk about the darkness we live in and the light we are to be. Here is what they say:

Christians should not be surprised by the spiritual darkness around us. That is all it can be. Darkness is dark. The greater problem is not with the darkness. The problem is with the light. When light shines, it dispels darkness. We face a growing spiritual darkness in our land because the light is not shining brightly.

Jesus said that His disciples are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16). When the light of Christ in us is dimmed by the sins and cares of the world, darkness increases. When God's people are clean vessels, the light displayed causes darkness to flee. Darkness itself cannot overcome light. Light overcomes darkness!

Did you get that??? The problem is with "the light" - the problem is us, because we are what Jesus called "the light".

How bright is my light shining? How bright is yours?

I need to do some cleaning of my vessel so my light can be seen. Do you?

I think if the above statistic is even halfway close to being right, most of us have some cleaning to do so our light can be seen.

Repentance - Do I Really Know What That Is?

2008-05-08T10:41:00.002-05:00

As I continue on this path to personal revival, I have learned that true revival only comes about after true repentance. Now most of us think we know repentance, but as I have studied on it this past week, I discovered that there is much more to repentance than what I first thought.

I am concerned that too many of us confuse repentance with remorse. Remorse is a worldly grief, a feeling bad about our sin. Repentance is a Godly grief, and there will be outward evidence of it.

Real repentance influences behavior. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior.

C.H. Spurgeon said: "There must be a divorce between you and your sins. Not a mere separation for a season, but a clear divorce." What a picture that is! Can I truly say that I have so effectively removed sin from my life as compared to a divorce?

I want to bring glory to God and I want to be used by Him - that's what repentance will enable me to do!

Revival - How Bad Do I Want It?

2008-05-02T19:04:00.003-05:00

In the past few weeks, God has been stirring my heart to a deeper walk with Him, a personal revival if you will, and then the ladies group at our church decided to do a book study on Seeking Him by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. It has been an amazing study so far, though painful in many ways as God reveals sin in my life and asks me to get rid of it.

You really wouldn't think sin would be so hard to get rid of would you? I mean, just the word "sin" makes me think of something dirty or nasty, but of course, if we truly saw sin as dirty or nasty, we probably wouldn't be enticed by it, would we? Usually sin comes to us in these great little packages that look great, sound great, taste great, feel great, therefore, we are more easily snared by it.

One morning as I was thinking about all this, God reminded me of a story He told where a rich young man came to Him and asked Him what he had to do to be saved and Jesus told him that he needed to go sell all his stuff and then come back. Scripture records that the young man went away very sorrowful. Why did he go away sorrowful? He wanted a relationship with Christ, but he was sad when he realized he would have to give up his "stuff" in order to enter into that relationship with Christ. Ouch! Could this be me? Could this be many of us sitting in pews every Sunday morning?

Scripture doesn't say whether or not this young man ever returned to Christ, but it sure has got me to thinking. I want a deeper walk with God, I want to experience a personal revival, but to get there, Christ may, and almost certainly will, ask me to give up some of my "stuff". The question is will I be willing to do that or will I walk away sorrowful?

An Update

2008-05-01T00:15:00.003-05:00

Greetings to my blogging friends!
Sorry I have been missing in action for so long. There have been many things I have longed to blog about, but every time I sat down to write, I couldn't seem to get it out. Sigh...

Anyway, here we are at the end of a month and at the dawn of a new one. I have many personal goals for the month of May and blogging a LOT more than what I have been is one of them.

I hope to be able to share with you some things God has been teaching me in hopes that they will encourage you in your walk with the Lord. God is so faithful to take us to that next level if we only let Him.

Until the next post, may God bless and keep you!

Menu Monday

2008-03-24T12:58:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, a friend and I decided to try out "freezer cooking". I have several cookbooks that show how to take a recipe and double it or triple it and freeze it for future use. Well, who wouldn't like having a freezer full of meals that you can pull out in the morning to thaw and then cook that night and eliminate all the prep work? Our trial run went great and we plan to do it again soon. In the meantime, however, I am going to try making double of whatever it is I am fixing for supper and put that in the freezer. Not all meals are amenable to being in the freezer of course, but the ones that are will be what I will double. For instance, when my friend and I had our cooking session, we made a sloppy joe recipe that my family really liked, so when making the menu for this week, that is one my family asked for, so I am going to make a triple batch of it and put 2 of them in the freezer for later.

Here is my menu plan for the week along with what I plan to cook extra for the freezer:

Monday - Taco salad (will cook double the meat, season it and freeze)
Tuesday - Oven baked pork chops, cream cheese mashed potatoes, fried green beans
Wednesday - Beef roast, potatoes and carrots in the crockpot
Thursday - Sloppy joes (making 2 extra batches to freeze) with homemade seasoned potato wedges
Friday - Baked spaghetti, homemade garlic cheese biscuits, and tossed garden salad.

If any of you do this type of cooking, I would love to hear your tips, so please share!

Making Preparation

2008-03-21T10:33:00.005-05:00

It seems no matter where you go today, you hear something about the state of our economy. As we start to see the cost of fuel steadily increase and as we watch the prices of staples such as milk and eggs creep up ever higher week by week, I have started to feel a more increased urgency to "make preparations" for harder times.

Sometimes it is hard to know just where the balance is in that though. I really don't want to become one of those doomsayers who is all negative, like Chicken Little crying out that the sky is falling, but I also don't want to be caught on the opposite side of the spectrum either, with my head stuck in the sand not acknowledging the reality of our economic state.

As a family, we have started to think about ways we could better prepare ourselves for tougher financial times. Since our electric bill has also seen steady increases, we decided that one of the first things we could do is find ways to cut back on our energy consumption. To get us started, we recently bought 2 packages of the new energy-saving CFL bulbs to replace our existing bulbs.

They don't seem to be as bright as regular bulbs, but I am not ready to go to candles yet, so these will do...:)

This is just one of the many things we have on our list of things that we can do to cut down on our expenses. What are some things you are doing to cut back on your living expenses? I would love to hear about them and I plan to share more of what we come up with as well.

A Heart of Wisdom

2008-03-19T21:26:00.002-05:00

I have a calendar on my desk that has this scripture on it:

So teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom - Psalm 90: 12

As I have looked at that each day, it has me thinking. I want a heart of wisdom. I have prayed for a heart of wisdom before. So, what does this scripture teach me about getting that? That if I learn to number my days I can get a heart of wisdom. Hmm.... Numbering my days.

In the past month or so I have struggled a lot with feeling overwhelmed about most areas of my life. I constantly feel plagued by busyness. I find myself making frequent trips to town (thankfully to get to civilization for us is only 2. 5 miles... LOL), getting to bed way later than planned, and sleeping way later than I need to. I feel tired all the time and I am cranky. In the midst of all that crankiness, I hear myself pleading with God under my breath, "God, I am tired, Please help me!" So, for the 100th time I glance at my calendar and see the scripture above.

So what is it saying? Could it be that if I learn how to number my days I will receive a heart of wisdom? If I learn to embrace each day to its fullest and make time for the important instead of the urgent, if I learn to think and pray about things before making snap judgments or decisions, if I invest in the lives of others and put others needs ahead of my own, if I remember to make my own relationship with God a priority by making an appointment to spend time with Him daily, is that what God is saying to us in this passage, that will get us that heart of wisdom?

To be honest, I haven't taken the time to do a word study on this verse and really scope it out, but I do know that as I have seen this scripture each day, it has been speaking to me and making me really stop to think about numbering my days. We only get so many days in our life and I really don't want to think about how many I have already wasted on non-important things. I truly desire to see each day as precious and to seek God's heart for that day and maybe in doing so, I will end up with that heart of wisdom I have been looking for.

The Internet and Ministry

2008-03-06T20:37:00.002-06:00

The internet ---an amazing invention. Ministry --- something every christian is called to do. Put them together and you have one amazing and awesome tool to touch people's lives with.

While I am still learning how to tweak my space here in blogger world, I was thinking today about how much the internet has impacted my life, and in a positive way. Besides having an answer to almost any question you have (thanks Google!), the internet has allowed me to meet people that I would have never met and to develop friendships that have stood strong and helped me weather many storms. When I first discovered email lists, I was amazed at how many people had the same interests as me! I have a love for scrapbooking and so those were the first email lists I joined. Then I realized there were "christian" lists for women as well, so I joined several of those. It has been an amazing journey for me personally, meeting so many christian women online, sisters in the Lord, with whom I share many common interests.

Yes, I attend a local church and yes, it feeds me, but I have to say that the christian women I have met online through email lists and now through blogs have truly enriched my life and encouraged my walk with the Lord, as much as those with whom I share a pew.

Owning an email list and writing a blog has allowed me to explore new territory in my christian walk and perhaps go a little deeper into a call I feel is from the Lord. Many years ago, the Lord spoke to my heart about a ministry he had for me, but I allowed Satan to trip me up and though I never lost faith in God, I never felt I would be able to minister to others the way I felt God had called me to. Just recently, God has been stirring something within me and He is taking me to a deeper place, a deeper relationship with Him, and I am starting to believe that God may indeed be "restoring what the locusts have eaten", in my life.

I am excited about what God has in store for me, but I am a little scared of not knowing just how the journey will go. I guess that is normal. One thing I do know is that God can and will and has used the internet to bring His message of hope, healing, and deliverance to many, including myself, and my desire is to be able to give back and share what the Lord has taught me in hopes that it will bring encouragement to others and point the way to Christ as our only hope in this life.

Internet. Ministry. A Good Thing!

I NEED THE SUN OR IS IT THE SON I NEED?

2008-03-04T21:52:00.004-06:00

As winter continues to linger here in the Ozark mountains of Missouri, I have found myself saying repeatedly "I NEED THE SUN!" I just seem to function much better in life when I get sunshine. I have been more irritable and grouchy and I feel like I have so many things to get done, but no energy to do them. Then, this past weekend, we had unbelievable temps! It was in the mid 50s on Friday, mid 60s on Saturday, and on Sunday we hit 72!!! Woo Hoo! We got the carport cleaned off and reorganized, rearranged some furniture in the house, and got my office painted and carpeted! I was walking on cloud 9 from all the energy I suddenly seemed to have.

Then, the thought came to me - if my physical body responds so well to the sunshine, how much more does the spiritual side of me respond to the SON (of God)? Just as I was dragging and being grouchy and irritable because I didn't have the sunshine to energize me, could it also be possible that my grouchiness or irritability came from not spending enough time with the "SON"? How much time have I put into spending time with the SON lately?

These thoughts have really weighed on my mind over the past few days. My conclusion is that if I was spending a little more time with the SON, then I might be able to bear more gracefully the days without much "sun".

Just some food for thought.

That said, this morning we got about 6 inches of snow, but by afternoon the sun was shining bright and the snow was starting to melt already. Come on Spring! And I am looking forward to spring in my heart as well.

Today's Small Thing

2008-03-03T14:53:00.003-06:00

Several days ago I became a "Company Girl". What is a Company Girl? Well, click on this link: http://homesanctuary.typepad.com/rachelanne/ and you can find out all about it.

I have had a great time reading her blog and though I joined several days ago, I haven't made the time to do the "today's small thing" until today. Maybe it is because it is the first of the month and I always tend to get a little excited about "firsts" and the whole concept of starting fresh on something, but whatever it is, I am doing Today's Small Thing and I highly recommend you check it out as well! Anything that makes housework a little more "fun" has to be good for you, right??? :)

Sunday Night Ramblings

2008-02-24T20:39:00.002-06:00

Well, it has been a good weekend.

On Friday, I went to a friend's house and we cooked 3 meals and 1 dessert in about 3 hours time. They are all nicely tucked away in my freezer and we will probably eat them sometime during this week. I am already planning my next cooking day. It was so much fun and I can really see how this is going to save time and money. My friend and I even discussed that when we feel like we get this down to a fine art, we may offer to teach other ladies at our church how to do it.

Saturday was a shopping day. We went to the Super Center (Wal-Mart) and bought groceries, paint for my office, and computer equipment (to hook up the computer for the girls to use). We went out to eat at Colton's Steakhouse and then had a nice evening at home.

Today, I didn't make it to church because my back is still bothering me a lot (herniated disk flare up), but I did make it this evening and the service was our monthly singing/eating service. It was nice and I had a good visit with friends while we ate.

Some goals I have for the week:

Work on my daily bible studies more diligently
Work up a menu plan for the week
Work up a list of meals to cook for the freezer this weekend
Work on my price book (for comparison shopping- groceries)
Do extra MT work
Get school records updated
Start on Jalen's cross stitch project
Scrapbook 4 pages
Make 5 cards
Start my daily food intake/exercise log along with my blood sugar/blood pressure diary again

Do any of you set weekly goals? If so, how many do you set? What do you find to help you accomplish them better? Please share anything you want to!

Expressions

2008-02-23T18:46:00.002-06:00

Yesterday while running errands, Shelby made a comment that Jalen was "happy as a lark". I chuckled a bit at her phrase and she asked me what was funny and I told her it was just the phrase she had used. She laughed too and then said, "I don't even know what a lark is." LOL

Isn't it funny how we grow up hearing phrases and we somehow figure out the context they are used in, but we really don't know what they mean? So, according to www.wikianswers.com :

Lark may be a noun: 1. it is a bird 2. a prank
or a verb: 1. to have fun; to frolic and play 2. to make fun of; to tease

I am not really sure Jalen was happy as a lark after all, since he was just sitting in his carseat looking around, but the phrase matched the mood I guess...:)

Another phrase Shelby has been using lately when Jalen falls asleep is "out like a trout". I didn't look that one up, but I am assuming its only relevance is the fact that the first and last words rhyme.

So, what are some expressions you find yourself saying and do you know what they really mean? I would really love to hear them, so leave them in my comments, okay?

A Season for Everything

2008-02-20T21:49:00.002-06:00

A season for everything.....

I know that our lives are much like the seasons that most of us get to experience. We have spring, summer, fall, and winter in our personal lives, just like that which occurs in the world we live in. Sometimes I find myself, no matter how much I enjoy winter, when we have been under a barrage of sleet, freezing rain, and/or snow, longing for the warmer temps of spring, and seeing the new buds sprout on the trees and bushes. Then, before long I start finding myself longing for hotter days so we can go swimming in the river. And so on and so forth it goes....

But in my spiritual life, I find myself going through seasons as well, but for some reason I don't seem to embrace them as well as I do the seasons in my natural life. Yet God clearly states that there is a season for everything. (See Ecclesiastes 3:1-10).

So, no matter what season I am in my personal life, I need to recognize that it is not a shock for God to see me in that season, because He has clearly orchestrated the seasons of my life. So, if I trust Him, then I should be able to embrace each season and learn from each season what He wants me to learn. So much easier said than done though.

Currently, I am dealing with all teenagers and many times I find myself saying either out loud or under my breath, that I would rather change poopy diapers all day long than deal with a teenager's mouth or attitudes.

I remember an older lady who was a close family friend telling me one day when all 3 of my girls were very young that I should enjoy this stage of their lives because it would be gone all too quickly. And I can clearly remember thinking, "You've got to be kidding!" There is no way I can enjoy all the work it takes to care for 3 little ones when I get very little sleep, am always dealing with one fussy kid or another, etc., etc. Of course, now that I have teenagers I see the wisdom in what that dear friend was trying to impart to me.

So, what have I learned, after almost 20 years of being a parent/wife/adult? Embrace each season because it too will pass and you will be embracing another one before you know it. So now, even though some days I have to grit my teeth, I really do try to not rush the stages my girls are in. I am actively looking for the positives of each stage that they are in and I find that helps me to enjoy life much more.

So, no matter what season you are experiencing in your life right now, just remember, that God is in charge of the seasons of our lives and the seasons will come and go, but you can trust that God will be there with you through each season you pass through.

And we're off!!!

2008-02-19T11:03:00.003-06:00

Well, the New Year is certainly moving along isn't it? I can't believe we are already halfway into February. And of course, as you can tell by my blog, I haven't made but just one entry since 2008 arrived. I have great intentions, just not enough time to fulfill those intentions. Well, actually, time is not the problem, management of my time is the problem, which will definitely be the topic of future blog entries.

For now, let me just give everyone a quick update on what is happening in our lives.

Kayla got off to college again on January 22 and her classes have been going well so far. The newest thing happening in her life is that she is about to get braces put on. In fact, tomorrow is the day she gets the bottom braces put on. Then, somewhere between 6 and 10 visits later, she will get the top braces put on. The prognosis right now is that she will have them on for about 30 months.

Shelby is adjusting to life as a mama and is doing very well at that actually. I always knew that she would make a great mama as that is really all she has ever wanted to do. She wants to get married too (not anytime soon though), and of course her dad and I would have preferred the marriage first, then baby later for her, but things don't always go the way we hope or expect them too. But despite all that, God is good to us and Shelby is doing great. She just went back to work at Sonic also - she works twice a week for about 5 hours each time - and she is glad to do that, though misses Jalen when she is gone. We live just about 3 minutes from her work and are able to take Jalen to her when he needs fed and her boss is wonderful about letting her take a break to feed him, so she is really blessed.

Jalen is growing and getting bigger everyday. He is starting to actually smile now and not just when he has gas...lol He is staying awake longer and looking around at things, and especially loves to look at light. He really is a very happy and content baby and only fusses when he is hungry. What a blessing he has truly been to our lives!

Lindsay is doing well also. She is very diligent about getting her school work done and her dad is working with her on her science, which has been a good thing for the both of them. She is also very involved with our church's drama team and has been practicing a lot lately with them. She has also been working out with my sister in law as they have both joined a "Biggest Loser" competition at our local family/youth center.

Tom is doing well and his job is going great. There was an issue recently that he went through at work that we saw God literally do a miracle in that was so encouraging to us. Whoever says God doesn't hear our heart's prayers and answers them just doesn't know the God we serve. He is enjoying having a grandson too... he was great when our girls were little and he is still great with little ones. He is also still teaching Sunday School and that is going very well, to God be the glory!
I am still working from home part-time doing medical transcription work, and of course still homeschooling the girls and I am loving being a Nana. I always write out my goals for a new year, but most years I never make it even through a couple of goals. This year, I am doing better, but still not where I want to be. One thing though that has definitely changed for me though, is that I am doing a lot more bible study and praying than I have ever done before and I feel like I am starting to see results of that in my life, which is exciting, encouraging, and certainly builds my faith. I am really anxious to see what God has in store for my life as I continue to build this habit in my life.

Some other new things so far this year that I have been doing is I have actually set dates for scrapbooking days at our church and have been actually getting some scrapbooking done. And a friend and I are going to try our hand at "batch cooking" this Friday to sort of get our feet wet so to speak. We have chosen 3 ground beef recipes and will make them up for the freezer, then the next week or so, we will try some chicken recipes. We are excited about this and hope it works out well for us. Then, we might do it at our church and invite more ladies.

So, that is the latest in our lives so far. I do feel like God is taking me to a new level in my walk with Him and I will be sharing what I am learning here in this blog. Also, I am learning how to manage my time a little better also, which will enable me to have the time to share in my blog, so hopefully, you will be hearing more from me soon.

A New Year

2008-01-03T22:12:00.000-06:00

Well, 2008 is here..... I am actually very excited about that. 2007 held many difficult things for my family to process and go through, and though it ended in a very amazing and awesome way and though we saw God's faithfulness throughout every circumstance, I am still happy to see 2007 end and 2008 start.

Many of the blogs I read have recently moved to the blogger site, so I decided maybe it was time I checked it out as well. In the past I have had a hard time keeping up with a blog and am not 100% certain I will maintain this one as well as I would like, but I will do my best.

We were wonderfully surprised on Christmas Day by the birth of our grandson. He was not expected to arrive for another 5 weeks, but I think God sent him to us on Christmas Day as a special message to me that God always hears our heart's cries and will answer in ways we never expect. So, as our house adjusts to having a new baby to tend to and snuggle with, I have also created a list of goals for 2008.

There are many things that I want/feel the need to accomplish, but seem to always get sidetracked, so this year, I am determined to work more diligently at setting goals and then breaking them down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Many times I have cried out to God asking for more time and I believe He replied with "be a better steward of the time I have given you". So that, above all, is my goal for 2008 - to be a better steward of the time I do have and make it count.

I believe that as I spend more time on the Potter's Wheel that Iwill be made more into a vessel that He can use to bless, encourage, and reach others with His message of hope and deliverance and that as I seek Him, all the goals I have in my life and the extra time that I tend to crave will be added to me just as His Word says.

So, Happy New Year blogging buddies and see ya soon!