We're All Winners!!!

Well, as an update to my post from a couple of weeks ago... (and as I'm sure y'all have just been sittin' on the edge of your seats...) We got the phone call today at work.
WE ACTUALLY WON THE POO~POURRI CONTEST!
Can you believe it?!? Is that not hilarious??
We won for "Most Poo-tiful". So, now we can truly reign over all on our now legendary Golden Throne!
And for winning, as I'd mentioned before... we will receive $200 worth of credit (which made Sally's day trying to end out the year!) and 4 lovely jewel-adorned t-shirts for us to don! :)
(I guess mom knows what to be expecting from Santa this year!)

And, speaking of Mom, I just got a forward from her, that was an update from her good friend, Melisa at the quilt shop... She and Sweet Home Quilt Co. were just selected the favorite Atlanta area quilt shop!! And you may not realize it, but there is a LOT of competition out there! And she's only been in business for a year or two. Great job, Melisa et al...!
(Below is what Melisa had to say to all her friends:)

"THANKS to everyone who took the time to vote for us in the Fox 5 Atlanta Hot List contest. Sweet Home Quilt Co. was selected as the favorite Atlanta area quilt shop based solely on your votes, and we so appreciate your loyalty to us!
Every time I feel a little stressed, all I have to do is go to the Fox 5 website and read your wonderful comments about Sweet Home Quilt Co. and I feel better in no time! It is so gratifying to know that our mission to be your "quilting home away from home" has been realized.
We firmly believe that you are the cornerstone of any success we achieve, and we pledge to continue providing the best value and selection for all your quilting needs. But most of all, we will continue to provide the fun and friendship you've come to expect from Sweet Home Quilt Co.!"

WHEW! What an exciting WEEK!

Mary's Lamb

Mary had a little Lamb

His fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went

The Lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school each day

T'wasn't even in the rule.

It made the children laugh and play

To have a Lamb at school.

And then the rules all changed one day

Illegal it became.

To bring the Lamb of God to school

Or even speak His Name!

Every day got worse and worse

And days turned into years.

Instead of hearing children laugh

We heard gun shots and tears.

What must we do to stop the crime

That's in our schools today?

Let's let the Lamb come back to school

And teach our kids to pray!

Ten Things that make me Smile

:)

1. Just the thought of Fall!

2. Watching Emery sing his ABC's

3. Hearing Savannah tell knock-knock jokes that don't even make sense!

4. Walking out of bible study on Tuesday nights, just having been totally blown-away and truly touched.

5. Seeing sweet faces at the gift shop that I hadn't seen in a while.

(and now for some kinda crazy ones...)

6. Seeing my sweet cranes (as previously mentioned a LONG time ago) out in the 'pond' just down the road from me. I love it! Unfortunately, they're developing all of that into more living space, so they won't be there much longer, but just this morning, I drove by and there were two (!) out there! Bright white skinny little things standing in that murky water, facing each other like mirror images. It was so cute! I wish I'd had my camera for that!!

7. Hearing one of my (many) favorite songs come on!

8. Actually, just hearing music... the other day, I was sequestered in the 'dirt dungeon' at work, unpacking Christmas going stir-crazy because I didn't have any music under there. Then, after lunch, I got back in there when all of a sudden... from a distance... I heard something. "Could it be?" I thought. "No. Not under here. There are no outlets." (Billions of cords to who knows what... but not an outlet to be found.) First I thought I was just hallucinating. But, as I followed the sound and crawled closer to the space beneath the porch, I realized I hadn't made it up! There, hooked up to an extension cord that disappeared up under the porch (I can only assume it went from that wall straight up to Heaven!) was my little radio (I just KNEW the guys had 'stolen it' from me!) playing Reba McEntire!!! I was absolutely beside myself! (Perhaps I had spent too many hours unpacking Christmas in the 'dungeon.') But, it just made my day!

9. The few rare times I've actually been able to solve a word puzzle without cheating!!

10. This may sound completely ridiculous, but it's the one thing that absolutely just makes - my - day. (Doesn't take much with me.) When I'm loading up a box, or sometimes even a drawer of some kind and everything fits in there JUST RIGHT?!?! Oh - my - gosh! I just LOVE that!!! And you'd be amazed at how many times that actually happens!! :)

~ I was tagged to do this by Jodi over at Fruit Inspection. So, I now would like to tag Michelle over at Hendersons Highlights as well as Dianne at Glasses of Grace and see what makes their day! :)

Doesn't everybody like a good Potty?!

About a month ago, Sally met with a sales rep who was pushing Oprah's new promotional product. It's called "Poo~Pourri":

"Spritz the bowl before you go
and no one else will ever know!"

Of course, Sally thought it was a riot and bought a sufficient order of it for us to sell.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, they sent us a letter telling us how they're having a nation-wide contest for those who set the best display to promote the Poo-Pourri. Sally tells her daughter, Sarah (whose husband is a plumber) and together they come up with the whole idea behind our new focal point of the store.

First, she had the guys paint a common commode (donated by said son-in-law) GOLD. Then, she had them paint a pair of crossed plungers GOLD with a feather duster to make it look like a coat of arms of sorts - to go over the commode. Behind that is a lovely GOLD lame encased in a black boa. And though you can't quite tell from the photo... two lovely crystal chandeliers shed light on it all. Oh! And the best part - Charlie Cherub that she happened to find over in the conference room! Although we have NO idea how he wound up in the conference room, I think he's finally found his calling and found a home on our new little 'golden throne'.

*

The prize for first place?

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$200.00 worth of product credit.

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So, I guess, wish us luck and you can all be expecting some to fill the ole stockings come Christmas-time!! :)

Menu Plan Monday Mystery

You know, every Monday I read on all the other blogs about what everyone's having to eat for the entire week. And although everyone else gets inspired by the menu ideas, I just find myself sitting back both impressed and intrigued.

First of all, because I am not a planner. For anything. I'd much rather take life as it comes and decide what to do when it gets here. The thought of planning out what I want to eat for the rest of the week... well, is just simply not me. Who knows what I'll be in the mood for by Thursday or Friday?

Secondly, I only buy at the grocery store what I can carry in a basket. It really tends to keep my budget in tact - especially when I need potatoes or Orange Juice - you know, things that already weigh half of what I weigh! So, although some really gifted short order cooks could probably whip up something from nothing... (and I have improved in this area) there's only so much you can do with bread, cheese, pasta and potatoes.

Thirdly, I only visit my lovely Publix up the road about once every two or three weeks. Basically, only when I have to. I avoid it like the plague. I don't mind it too bad once I get there, but it's just not very high on my priority list. So, I try to eat off of the little bit I have for as long as possible. By this point, I pretty much eat like a field mouse. I've trained my body to store what food I do take in. I make a little something from nothing from the little food I've accumulated and stored. And many days, I consume food that most would label "iffy" at best. But, I figure, "what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger!"

Lastly, is the fact that it's Monday. And although I always have great hopes and intentions for my beautiful day off, by the time it rolls around, I'm generally quite lazy. I might pick some things up. Do a little laundry. Pay a few bills. But, then I watch a little tv. Listen to a little music. Dilly-dally on the computer. Get a little side-tracked. Basically, I am the queen of procrastination.

But, because of all of my inpiring menu planning sisters out there... I did take the initiative today to take a look at what I had in my fridge and actually clean it up! (That's a start, right?) And, as you can tell by the before and after pictures, that was a bit long over-due. And just out of curiosity, I tried to determine what exactly was the most out-dated item lurking in there? It was a tight race between the strawberry gel filling that was out-dated in October of '04 and some honey mustard sauce that had April '04 on it!

I just wish I could say that now that I'm all cleaned up and ready to go that I am now all inspired to actually restock and cook to my little heart's content, but you know what? I just don't see that happenin'. After all, I still have enough in there to at least throw together a quick omelet!

Besides, I did already clean out the fridge and all and now I'm missing "Gilmore Girls"!

Maybe I'll join up with y'all should I ever actually have someone else depending on me to feed them! :)

(In the meantime, I will try to at least get some ketchup should the Yorks ever stop back by again.)

Hallelujah!

I just got out of church and do you know that the ice water I had left in there during service STILL HAD ICE IN IT when I got out?!? And Rob preached today! :) It was a good solid two hours! And you know I was in late service... so it didn't melt, even by NOON!

I never thought I'd see the day again, that I myself wasn't a melted mess by noon! Thank God for fall ~ Ahhhhhhhh ~ how nice to breathe once again.

You know, we're told in Ecclesiastes that "there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven."

A time for Summer.

A time for Fall.

A time for our endurance to be tested (Jodi wouldn't correlate this with Summer, but this is my blog and I do).

And a time for sweet relief! (of course, this would be Fall for me).

So, why is it, every year I'm always so excitedly surprised when Fall actually comes back around? Like I had convinced myself that the sweltering Summer would somehow just last forever?

It may just be me, but when I'm in a season of any testing, it's so hard for me to imagine that I'll ever see that season of sweet relief. But, I suppose that's the whole point of faith. Believing that which is often contrary to what you can actually see and feel.

"It's believing:

~in the sun even when it doesn't shine
~in love even when you don't feel it
~in God even when He is silent"

~in Fall, even on the 110 degree days!

And maybe one day, I won't be so surprised by my beloved, Fall when it rolls back around and instead knowingly look forward to it in the throes of my dreaded Summer.

"REEL" FUN at ECC!

~

7:00 pm

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Saturday, September 15th

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Eastridge Community Church

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Popcorn Bar, Pretzels, and

Nachos will be served along with soft drinks and water.

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Movie to be shown in the lower parking lot.

Please bring a lawn chair.

We just got back from "Chick Flick" night at Eastridge and I'm so glad I got to go! The girls put together a good time for us by providing some good movie-style popcorn, nachos with cheese and hot-served pretzels. Then they provided the entertainment via a big blow-up screen in the lower parking lot of the church.

We had AWESOME weather! By today the rain had passed on through and it was a beautiful fall evening.

And the video we watched was Anita Renfroe's latest "Total Momsense". She's the same one I had mentioned having seen and enjoyed at the Women of Faith Conference about a month or so ago.

She - is - HILARIOUS!! I'm so glad more of the women of the church got to experience her.

And I'm so glad to be part of a church that does such cool stuff together!! Thanks ECC girls! Y'all are awesome.

Going into our fourth week of the study on Daniel now, Beth Moore lovingly reminds me that which I already know. She sends us to Luke 9 wherein we are told that "if you want to be My follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily and follow Me. If you try to keep your own life for yourself, you will lose it. BUT, if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life." (Luke 9:23-24)

And, how I know those words are true! I've learned that lesson so many times in the past! And anytime I've let go and let God, it has always proven true!

And yet... Here I am, holding on tighter than ever.

More every day.

Why?

Nothing more than fear, disbelief, and the fact that I am as stubborn as anyone has a right.

Thankfully though, I know He has not given up on me (even through my doubts and distance from Him) and He is bound and determined to get my heart back. I only wish I could surrender my life as I know I should. But, for some reason, I insist on going about it the hard way... kicking and screaming.

As hard as I have tried, I cannot seem to relinquish the hold I've got on my life and my heart. Knowing full well, that I can trust Him and that He is much more qualified in life-management than I am! And wants to help me!!

If I would only let go.

But, it's so much easier said than done. And it is something I have struggled with for quite some time now. And I just cannot seem to will myself to do it, so...

If you all could please just help me pray that I will finally be able to once again turn my life back over to Him and find the "true life" that He has waiting for me.

I would truly appreciate it.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:13-16)

(Daniel 3:16-18)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point.
If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up!


I've been studying the book of Daniel under the teaching of Beth Moore. (Which, by the way, if you've not done a study of hers, I cannot encourage you enough to do one! Pick one, any one! You won't be disappointed, I guarantee!) But, in already dwelling on Daniel and his fellow Gentiles: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how they were so unmoved in their stand for faith, I caught on the radio yesterday, this question posed:

If you were persecuted for being a Christian, what would be the evidence in your case?

Wow. Really makes you stop and think. Especially in a country such as ours, where we are not threatened by the thought of persecution (thank God!). We have no excuse.
So, how much evidence can be built up 'against you'?

Do you simply just attend the church of choice?

Do you earnestly and consistently bow and pray to your God?

Do you join together with other believers regularly and worship together?

Do you witness to others whenever possible?

Do you testify all your God has done in your life?

Do you hold strong to the morals you believe in?

I encourage you to think, along with me, of all the possible 'charges' (aka- opportunities) that we, as Christians in a free nation should be proud to be held accountable for !

CELEBRATE FREEDOM 2007

Well, this weekend, we had the first annual (hopefully of many) Celebrate Freedom concert. It was totally free (right in my price range these days!) and all-day!

They were greatly blessed with the weather, as it had cooled off and held off from raining. And I was blessed that it was just held 20 minutes from home!

They had an awesome line-up of artists performing throughout the day, from about 8:30 am up to midnight.

I had changed my mind about taking the whole day off to attend, but did get to leave work early and my friend Michelle headed over there with me to check out: Avalon, Natalie Grant, Michael English, Mark Schultz and Steven Curtis Chapman.

We had quite a bit of a hike to get there, having to park down in the "Steeple Chase" (aka-horse pastures), but it well worth the walk.

Natalie Grant said that was the very first concert that her twin baby girls have attended, which was sweet. And Steven Curtis Chapman had two of his sons in his band with him. The drummer, and then his 17 year-old is the guitarist in the background of this picture I got.

And about 30 minutes after we got there and found a spot to sit, we thought we better go get some food before we got too settled in there.

So, we headed up to the tent area, just trying to see what all they had and where.

Walking through the first tent, all we saw were t-shirts and cd's... and then I looked over and there was my favorite, Mark Schultz! I think just finishing up an interview of sorts. Then he just headed over to a golf-cart and was hanging out, waiting to go to the next spot. I didn't want to "bug him" with the usual 'fan fare' or anything, but did get a snapshot of him!

All in all, a good evening! Thank you for going with me, 'Chelle!

If Jodi's life is coming up roses this week, I guess mine's been coming up poison ivy!!!

Let's see... after my crazy week last week (being stressed near tears Wednesday, near break-down by Thursday and just complete defeat by Friday) and having a nice little melt-down Saturday... I got up and went to church Sunday and felt MUCH better.

Good thing.

Went to my sis's to babysit in the afternoon. She and Jeremy got home from the wedding they attended and she says "You know you've got a flat tire".

I knew which one she was referring to, as it was the very one I'd been nursing all week long. And even though (or perhaps because) it had 'only' lost 20 lbs of air in 4 days, I figured if I added more air Saturday night, that would get me to my day off, Monday.

Wrong.

Jodi was not exaggerating. It was finally flat. Big-ole nail. (With the head completely worn down.) But thankfully, I have a brother-in-law who was 'on-site' and willing to patch it up for me. Buying me a little more time before I have to finally break down and buy the complete set of tires Dad's already been telling me I need.

Relieved about the fixed tire, yet dreading the $500.oo or more investment on the new tires... Wednesday night, I had invited Mom to go to church with me, for a worship night we were having. So, she comes over and we get in my car. I turn the key...

Nothing.

I try again...

Nothing.

Yep. Dead battery. I had assumed that since I had accidentally left my I-pod going for the hour before that, it had drained the car of its juice. Dad said he doubted that.

So, thankfully, since Mom had agreed to go with me and she had driven to my place, we were able to take her car. Had a GREAT service and I'm so glad I was able to attend. I had desperately needed it. And was glad she had gone, too.

Well, it was raining when we got home and the parking lot was full, so we decided to wait 'till morning to have Dad come out and jump my car before work.

He gets there about 9:00 am. and there are still cars all around mine (it's usually empty by that time). So, we give it about 30 min's or more and finally decided we might as well just take the battery down the road to be tested.

He takes it out and we're on our way. Find an auto parts place and sure enough. Bad battery. Completely dead.

Great.

So, we figure out which one to get, and go home with a new one... Drop it in...

Wrong kind.

We get back in the truck. Drive ALL the way BACK. Get the RIGHT one this time. Get it back to the car.

Praise God! It works!! :)

By this time, it's like 11:00/11:30 a.m.

Thankfully, I have a Dad who's ALWAYS willing to come to the rescue and NEVER complains about having to do so. And I have a boss who's also very understanding and laid back about the hours we work. :)

... so those are just the high-lights of the week for me. Just the ones concerning my car.

I also, somewhere in there, managed to buy the wrong kind of Drano (which, by the way, does not work at all, leaving my sink and tub still clogged).

I emptied my ice maker in the thoughts that I might have gotten raw chicken juice on my ice - only to forget to turn the thing back on! And thus, had no ice for my drink the next morning before work.

My computer (which is already rather lacking) decided to start just shutting down anytime I try to turn the printer on to print something??

After watching my new dvd's that came in the mail, my dvd player has consistently been flashing "CABL" - "CABL" - "CABL" and won't respond to its remote???

And in loading my dishwasher, while waiting on Dad to get my car battery out of my car, I managed to hit my cute little souvenir Rainforest Cafe glass on the counter just right and break it into shards. (Guess I know where I'll be going next trip to Orlando!)

But, by that point... I just had to shake my head and almost laugh.

It's either that or cry.

Whispers

A man whispered, "God, speak to me"

And a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear.

So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!"

And the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God let me see you."

And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle!"

And a life was born.

But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know You are here."

Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.

But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

~I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted... even in our electronic age. So I would like to add one more:

The man cried, "God, I need your help!"

And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.

But, the man deleted it and continued crying.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

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In going through all my old emails, I came across this great reminder.

And just yesterday, as I was sitting in the church I've found such solace, love and encouragement in, I realized just how much I've been taking for granted in my life. I, like this gentleman keep pleading with God to show Himself in my life ~ when He already does in so many ways! It's just that some I've been blessed with for so long now that sadly, I've begun to overlook them.

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Father, please forgive me when I take your many gifts to me for granted. Help me to have an awareness of all You do and share with me in my life. Thank you SO much. For Your watchful eye over me. For Your mighty hand in my life. And for Your heart ~ full of mercy and compassion. In the name of Your precious son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

"I thank my God every time I remember you..." (Philippians 1:3)

This morning in church, Pastor Rob challenged us: how would we be remembered? What kind of 'mark' will we leave on this world and the people we've encountered along the way? And I thought about how people see me. Then, I thought back to a class exercise I had done way back in one of my Psych classes at college.

The first day of class, the professor had us put a post-it on our backs and then we would go around the class and have all the other students write their first impressions of us on those notes. Then, the last week of the semester, she had us repeat the same exercise and write what we thought of each other by that point.

As you can see, mine didn't change all that much. (And I had a couple of wise-crackers in that class.) :)

I don't remember now what that exercise was for (sorry Dr. Vance) but now it serves as a reminder of how others view me and how influential I can be, if I want to be.

But, it also serves as an encouragement to me today. And reminds me, that I need to be an encourager to others as well.

You know, the clipping I had placed in my scrapbook next to these two little post-it notes reads:

"I've learned that how people treat me is more a reflection of how they see themselves than how they see me."

~

Still rings true, I think. And, as a Christian, if I were to see myself as the unequivocally loved child of God that I am, how powerful of a reflection would that be to those around me? And what better mark to leave?

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG WEEK!


For those of you who attended the Beth Moore pre-conference in Atlanta. You'll know what I mean when I say..

I AM JUST ONE BAGEL AWAY FROM COMPLETELY LOSING IT HERE!!!

... 'Nuf said.

(Thank you, Jodi for your memory verse this week. I needed that!
Well, that and a very relatable re-run of Gilmores...) :)

ILLUSIONS (and disillusions...)

Do you ever feel like you just can't see the forest for all the trees?

Like sometimes life just gets in the way?? And you can't seem to make any sense of it all... or find the way to where you want to be?

In the last several months, I have felt so disconnected spiritually. And it is extremely frustrating. To have such a close walk for awhile just to drift back to where you started, for me at least, has just left me disheartened on one hand, yet scrambling on the other.

I find myself (in true 'flesh form') wanting to just recreate it all. Or, 'if I could just find the right book, or hear the right song, or...' a million other possiblities - I could just get it back again. Obviously, that hasn't worked.

When, I think, all God really expects of me is to just keep my eyes on Him. Forget the rest. He'll uncover what I need for me as I need it.

I should know this. This isn't my first lesson in this. We've been through this all before. I'm so thankful that He's patient and not easily angered. I'm not exactly a quick study! :)

You know, going through some old "treasures" (mom has another name for them) in the basement a few months back, I came across a Magic Eye calendar I had in college. I don't know if you've ever seen or heard of Magic Eye, but it's a form of optical illusion where there's a 3-D picture inside of a design. It's not always easy. It takes some patience and concentration. And it really helps to almost look past all the confusion of the design at hand. And once you do, your focus is more able to pick up the true image and it's as real as ever!

(Here are a couple of examples...)

http://www.magiceye.com/gallery/071207s.html

http://www.magiceye.com/gallery/061407s.html

And I got to thinking... it's the same way with our relationship with God. You know He's right there somewhere, but when you spend so much time and energy focusing on what's right in front of you (or around you) you tend to lose your focus on Him. Which, if you're like me, leads to great frustration and confusion.

I heard someone say not too long ago (and I hate that I've forgotten who it was) - Are you looking at God through your circumstances? Or looking at circumstances through your God? I LOVE that!

Like I say, it's not always easy. It takes a lot of patience and concentration and effort on our parts, but how exciting when He shows up - real as ever!!!

(ps... if you are unable to uncover the 3-D pictures, click on the link below each one and it should direct you to the website I found these on... where it will show you what's hidden in the design!) :)

Waiting in Confident Humility

Jesus Calms the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27)

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

I just finished the book I've been reading "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat" by John Ortberg. And last night, as I was ending it out, I came across a part in it that just sort of stuck out to me. In the Chapter 'Learning to Wait', he talks about how as Christians, one of the hardest things to do is wait with 'confident humility'. ('Not so much confidence in myself as confidence in the One who sustains me.') And he brings into account the story of Jesus calming the storm. And how the disciples were all quite frantic, storm lashing them about, and here we find Jesus sleeping ???
Then Pastor Ortberg says that "it 'struck (him): There was one experience Jesus never had. He had experienced virtually every human emotion - sorrow, joy, pain. He had been tired, angry and hopeful. But there was one thing he never experienced: he was never frantic. He never panicked. And in that moment I realized that God is never desperate." He goes on to say "God's voice is never frantic. When you hear desperate thoughts, you can know that it is not God speaking. You can wait in confident humility."

What a good reminder!

(And if you need a good visual with this story, go check out Dianne's most recent post! For, we seem to be on the 'same page' once again!!) :)

Here's a little something fun I haven't tried in awhile. Talking about my most recent addiction to puzzles, here's a word puzzle for all those who feel pretty confident in their familiarity with the Bible. In this paragraph are 16 books of the Bible. Some are pretty clear to find. Others are broken up between words, but I promise there are 16!! Good Luck!


Find the books of the Bible


I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for facts and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalized, but the truth finally struck home to numbers of readers. To others, it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea, so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books in the bible in this story!

High School Memories...


Jodi just had this on her blog, and Michelle had it on hers a while back, so I guess I'll go on and participate while I'm 'sharing'... But, just to brief you and brace you, I'll have you know that I had to move from a high school of about 200 total students (where everybody knew everybody) in a quiet rural Midwestern farm community in Illinois to a high school of about 2,000 students down in the Deep South metro-Atlanta city of Covington. Before my move here, I just assumed all the KKK stuff was in the history books. I quickly realized it was still alive and proud as ever during our little 'racial riots' my first year at Newton High. To call it culture shock would be an understatement. It was going into my Junior year. So, now that I have your sympathies...



1. Who was your best friend?

In Serena ~ Michele Schnitz
In Covington ~ Amy Garrison


2. Did you play any sports?

In Serena ~ Volleyball
In Covington ~ there was no Volleyball


3. What kind of car did you drive?

I had a car in neither place. Can you believe I had the character-building experience of riding the bus all throughout my high school years! And here in Georgia, being one of the last ones on and nobody knowing me, there were many times (as a Senior, mind you) I would be left standing in the aisle the entire way to school. (Am I getting any sympathy yet??)


4. It’s Friday night. Where were you?

In Serena ~ at either Micki's house or mine.
In Covington ~ at Amy's house or out driving around and sometimes hitting TCBY. (Pretty crazy, huh!)


5. Were you a party animal?

In Illinois ~ all there was was farmland, as far the eye can see. Not much going on there.
In Covington ~ I didn't really know anyone. And I've never been one to go looking for a party. :)


6. Were you considered a flirt?

Not by any stretch of the imagination.


7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir?

In Serena ~ I played the French Horn. I had started it in like the 5th grade, and I guess was just expected to continue on through high school. But, I suppose after we moved, mom and dad felt the move was torture enough and I could then finally quit the band.


8. Were you a nerd?

I guess I was in the sense that I never really did anything wild, crazy and fun. But, as far as book-wormy? ~ No. I hated homework... still do. (Note from my last post, how far I am already behind in my new bible study!)


9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?

Are you kidding me?? I never even missed any school with an excuse! To me, it was too much work to lay out... and I'm SURE it was too much work to do anything that constituted suspension!! :)


10. Can you sing the fight song?

In Serena ~ I think we stole one of the big-named college's fight songs, didn't we? Like Notre Dame or something?? At least, that's what we played in 'pep band'. (I guess Tim McGraw's "Where the Green Grass Grows" song wasn't out yet.... you know, 'watch my corn pop up in rows!'...) :)
In Covington ~ I have no idea what it was?


11. Favorite teacher?

In Serena ~ Mrs. Martin (English) She was the coolest.
In Covington ~ I can't even think of one that sticks out.


12. What was your school mascot?

In Serena ~ We were the Huskers.
In Covington ~ We were the Rams.


13. Did you go to the Prom?

No. Sadly enough, I never got asked to the Prom in either place. And I wasn't about to go 'stag'. I guess my sister made up for my not going at all.


14. If you could go back, would you?

NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! or FOR A MILLION DOLLARS!!!


15. What do you remember most about graduation?

Sitting in front of class clowns and laughing at them. And then, at some point afterward, not really having anyone to 'hang with', I was just standing there with my family and I remember looking over and seeing a girl that had been in my physics class look over at me and just give me a little smile - which made me feel a little more like I belonged.


16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?

Probably at school, in class. Remember? Too much work to get out of work. :)


17. Did you have a job your senior year?

Nothing but just baby-sitting. I started at Stanley-Proto the summer of graduation.


18. Where did you go most often for lunch?

The cafeteria - though I usually didn't eat much.


19. Have you gained weight since then?

Sure... what? About 2 lbs?? :)


20. What did you do after graduation?

I remember my good friend Micki coming down with her mom and sister and aunt and we had a pool party the day after graduation. Then, I started work shortly thereafter.


21. What year did you graduate?

1992


22. Who was your Senior Prom Date?

N/A (though I did manage to go out on several dates with the former prom king, if that helps!)


23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion?

They already had it, back 5 years ago. I didn't go, and according to my friend Dwayne, I didn't miss much. He said nobody had changed one bit!

Terrible Two's

Dianne just posted her "terrible two's" the other day in response to her friend Kat's blog, so here are mine... Feel free to do your own!

1. Two Names You Go By:
~Jessica
~Jess

2. Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
~Tank Top
~Crop Pants

3. Two Things You Want In A Relationship:
~Dependability
~Honesty

4. Two of Your Favorite Things to Do:
~Hang out with my niece/nephew
~I've gotten hooked on Variety Puzzle books lately!

5. Two Things You Want Very Badly At the Moment:
~Cool, crisp fresh Fall air!!!
~Some sort of direction in my life!? (Probably have a better shot at the Fall air!) :)

6. Two Pets You Had/Have:
~Sammi (my very cranky, on-her-terms cat)
~L'il Bit (my spunky young, hip, knock-you-over-friendly, loves-to-play-fetch (I promise!) and drive-Sammi-crazy kitten) :)

7. Two People Who Will Fill This out First:
~Jodi (?)
~Michelle (?)

8. Two Things You Did Last Night:
~Went to mom and dad's to visit with them and my sister's family
~Played with my I-Tunes, finding new great songs to put on my I-Pod!!

9. Two People That Live In Your House:
~Myself
~I

10. Two People You Talked To Last:
~Grandma Lu
~Mom

11. Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow:
~Sleep in
~Catch up on my new bible study I'm already a week behind on!!! :o

12. Two Longest Car Rides:
~Actual longest was probably either our trip out to D.C. or when we drove out to Arizona?
~The one that SEEMED longest? ~ The one from Illinois when Mom was driving and I got so car-sick I actually threw up at the visitor's center outside in the bushes ('cause there was a line in the bathroom!)

13. Name 2 of Your Favorite Holidays:
~I LOVE Thanksgiving!!!
~Christmas

14.Two Favorite Beverages:
~Water (exciting, I know, but nothing quenches your thirst like good old-fashioned water!)
~Orange Juice (especially at night, with a little bit of chocolate!)

Thanks, Dianne for the fun post! :)

More on Moore...

At the close of Beth Moore's pre-conference last Friday, she had us all pair up in twos and turn to each other, hold hands, look into each others' eyes and repeat after her:

My Dear Sister,
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
Has His hand on you.
Don't trade what He has for you
For the comforts of this world.
Let the love of Christ compel you
And infuse you with courage.
God, even God, who created the heavens
Is the One who comforts you.
Whatever you do,
Don't refuse it!
His grace will guard you from bitterness
And Christ will turn your pain
Into Holy Passion.
Pour your life lavishly into others.
Humble yourself and share your hardships
That others may also share your comfort.
Live till you die!
Then live like there's no tomorrow!
For the King enthroned in Heaven
Is worthy of your all.
Now, go, Girl!
For the Father of Mercies
And the God of all comfort
Goes with you.
Bless be God
And bless be you!

To say that it was a bit out of our comfort zones' (which was the whole point of the message!) would be an understatement. But, you know, I think we were all better for it (the other lesson behind the message). As it turned out by our seating, I was paired up with mom's long-time friend, Mellie Watts. And I don't believe it was by accident. Even though I've never really had much opportunity to get to know her, she's just the type of person who makes you feel loved and comfortable around her. And as I understand, was one of my greatest prayer warriors a while back. So, as big a mess as I was by the end of the commissioning (sorry about that, Mellie!) I feel very blessed to have shared that moment with her. And I would just like to thank Mellie for all her support and concern over the past years ~ as well as understanding my dissolving into a weepy mess with the help of Beth Moore!

And thanks to Beth's daughter, Amanda for posting the copy of this for us to be able to keep and look back on!

*I tried to find some sort of link to the song "More Than You'll Ever Know" by Watermark, but couldn't come up with one. But, this post just really brought it to mind and captures the sentiments I feel toward many of the women of faith that I have come to know and love in the last couple of years ~ all of whom I treasure and don't know where I'd be without! (You can actually hear a clip of the song by checking out Watermark's website and in the audio player box, just skip ahead to #5 "More Than You'll Ever Know".) :)
But, here are the lyrics...


More Than You'll Ever Know
Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's ok to cry with you

Something about just being with you
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
And that's the way it ought to be, yeah

Chorus:
'Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
'Cause you've spoken the truth over my life

And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
More than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah

You had faith when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I've been hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be, yeah

Chorus
You have carried me
You have taken on a burden that wasn't your own, yeah
May that blessing return to you
A hundredfold
Oh oh yeah, a hundredfold

What's wrong with this 'picture'???

Tue Aug 14
Sunny 99°

Wed Aug 15
Sunny 103°

Thu Aug 16
Mostly Sunny 101°

Fri Aug 17
Partly Cloudy 100°

Sat Aug 18
Mostly Sunny 97°

Sun Aug 19
Partly Cloudy 89°

Mon Aug 20
Partly Cloudy 91°

Tue Aug 21
Mostly Sunny 92°


*And no sign of rain in sight!! And here, this week, I thought we'd get a little more back to normal and maybe see a little precip. But, boy was I wrong! All I can say (just as I did last August ) is: THANK GOD FOR WILLIS CARRIER ~ the "King of Cool"!!!

Women of Faith Weekend!

What more can you say?... If you've been before, you know what I'm talking about - if you've never experienced it, you cannot begin to imagine it!
We attended last year for the first time and made sure to go again this year, and we have not been disappointed. As a matter of fact, just when you think it doesn't get any better? ...it does!
This year, we were blessed enough here in Atlanta, to have the world-renowned Beth Moore speak for our pre-conference. And that unto itself was worth every penny spent for the entire conference. There is just simply none other like Beth Moore. She spoke Friday from about 9:00 'till 3:30. It was an amazing day with her. She chose 2 Corinthians 1:3-10 to focus on.

God Offers Comfort to All

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

She explained that it is better for us to find comfort in the arms of our Father (Divine Comfort) than search for our comfort in earthly things or people. He's the only One Who can fill that need for us completely. He longs to give us comfort, so that we may then, pass along that comfort to others. In other words, you will suffer in this life, but as Christians you will never have to suffer in vain. And in our troubles, we will get to realize just how real He really is.

Friday evening, we came back to the conference for the start of the actual Women of Faith conference. First, Nicole C. Mullen (my new favorite now!) kicked us off with some awesome praise and worship. And then Patsy Clairmont got us warmed up for the speakers. A woman who once suffered tremendously from Agoriphobia, who now speaks to MILLIONS every year and is the spunkiest, most out-going of them all! A living testimony indeed.
The next morning, after some more praise and worhsip, we were welcomed by dramatist Nicole Johnson. We missed her last year, so it was good to get to see her this year. Truly gifted in bringing the scripture to life, and entertaining as well.
After Nicole, was Denise Jackson - wife of country singer Alan Jackson. She was interviewed and spoke to the hardships that she and Alan have been up against and come through by surrending their lives to God.
Ending out that session was my beloved Sheila Walsh. Even after all the wonderful speakers and performers this weekend, I believe she's still my favorite. She went through so much at a young age, and now today, she fills others with the hope and comfort that she's experienced over the years.
After break, we got to come back to the most hilarious woman I have ever seen or heard! Anita Renfroe. Author of "Purse-driven Life" and "If You Can't Lose it, Decorate It", Anita was once a pastor's wife and is now a well-known Christian Comedianne. You just have to see her to know how funny she is... she had us all laughing 'till we cried!
Thirty minutes later, in true woman-style, we were crying sadly along with Carol Kent, whose only son is sentenced in a Florida penitentiary for life with no chance of parole. Unimaginable for any mother, I'm sure. And yet, she holds onto her faith more strongly now than ever before. In fact, she's been told that their family inpsires many in the prison every week when they visit and are seen praying together and actually laughing together.
After lunch was Marilyn Meberg. One of the veteran Women of Faith speakers. She's seasoned. She's wise. She's funny. One of my favorite books, as a matter of fact has been "God at Your Wit's End" by Marilyn.
Then, that afternoon, after yet another break and more good praise and worship by Nicole C. Mullen, we got an encore performance by Nicole Johnson. And then wrapped up with the one and only Luci Swindoll. One of the other veteran speakers, Luci is Charles Swindoll's (Chuck, as she calls him) sister. She is very well-rounded, quite talented, and EXTREMELY down to earth! As she says, when life gets tough just "show up and shut up". :) She said she got that from her brother, but it is definitely in keeping with her personality! She's a riot.
So, as you can well imagine, we had a truly amazing time this weekend. I just wish everyone I know could've experienced it... but there's always NEXT YEAR! And if you've never been, I strongly encourage you to check it out next time. It's a weekend you won't soon forget.

To give you an idea of the conference, here's what Sheila had to say, in part:

"I always find it very inspiring to see every seat taken and every woman joining in to worship God. This year Luci ends her talk with a story about...well I won't give it away as we might not have visited your city yet but it is one of the funniest stories I have ever heard. What makes it even funnier is that Luci can hardly tell it for laughing. On Saturday she had to hold onto a pole at the edge of the stage to stop herself from falling over. I looked around at the crowd many of whom had tears rolling down their cheeks from laughing so hard. I saw my friend who is in a wheelchair and facing fresh health challenges. I saw the young Mom I had talked with on Friday whose baby girl was stillborn four weeks ago. All across the arena there was pain and heartache and yet for just a few moments everyone was able to receive the healing gift of laughter. It is so good to be able to laugh. I thought of the Psalmist's words in Psalm 126:2: Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' "

~AMEN!

Living Example of Philippians 4:11

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

Most Saturday nights, I find myself tuning in to watch "The Hour of Power" from the Crystal Cathedral. They have some of the most amazing guest speakers there, and this one is certainly no exception.

Nick Vujicic is an Australian gentleman, not much younger than myself, who was born with no arms and no legs. Somebody who has every right to get down and out and feel sorry for himself and just exist - at best. And yet, through the love and support of his parents and the faith that he's maintained through his life, he has a spirit that can't be contained and a testimony that can't be denied.

So, I encourage you to watch this clip of what I watched last night. And if you don't care to watch the entire program, just click on the link, and then click on Nick's picture (bottom left) below the larger image. ("Victory in God's Grace and Perfection") And then, just sit back and be prepared to be encouraged!

http://www.hourofpower.org/video/video.details.php?id=2237