Time is of the Essence

So, I ran into town to run just a couple of 'quick' errands today. Basically, deposit my check in the bank and pick up a few things at Wal-Mart.
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Sounds quick enough, right?
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Of course, I am not the quickest to get going (especially on my one day off when I don't have to get ready to be somewhere at a particular time). So, I didn't hit the road until about 3:30 or 4:00. But, just thought: "How bad can it be... really? It's just like 15 min's there and another 15 back. And about 30 min's shopping time... I should definitely be back in time for Gilmore's at 5:00."
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Guess again.
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I got the bank deposit knocked out fairly quickly. But, I'm still just not used to the Wal-Mart food section, so it took me forever to find everything I needed. And it's so HUGE it took me probably 30 min's just to cross from one side to the other! Then, on the way home, I have never hit so many red-lights or been behind so many slow people in all my life. I started to doubt the possibilities of my ever making it home again!!
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And, truly, I was only gone for 2 hours.
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But, it was 2 hours I didn't want to be squandering out in traffic and in the craziness that is Wal-Mart.
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I was getting so aggravated on the way home, at the person going about 20 mph in a 55 and I realized... this is the same anxious feeling in my gut that I've been fighting for no apparent reason? Like the feeling you get when there's somewhere you want or need to be and something is holding you back from it. And I thought: "Bingo. That is exactly how I feel about my life at this point. Like I'm stuck sitting here, just waiting for the okay to go ahead on to where I'd rather be."
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Then I thought back to the last entry I read from "Streams" last night:

Moving the hands of a clock to suit you does not change the time. You may be able to rush the unfolding of some aspects of God's will, but you harm His work in the long run. You can force a rosebud open, but you spoil the flower. Leave everything to Him, without exception. 'Not what I will, but what You will' (Mark 14:36)

And as David Jeremiah reminded me this morning... it is "they that wait upon the LORD (that) shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31).

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So, I suppose in the meantime, as I sit at this 'eternal red-light' in my life, tempted to just 'blow right through it', I will try to remember that the wait need not be in vain. And that, every tick of the clock that I feel is another just wasted and gone, is another moment that makes me that much stronger. And a moment spent in God's will.

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And for that, I am grateful.

Johnny's Mother looked out the window and noticed him 'playing church' with their cat.He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it.

She smiled and went about her work.

A while later, she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back to the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water. She called out, 'Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!'

Johnny looked up at her and said, 'He should have thought about that before he joined my church.'

~

This is a cute enough story for just about anyone who's received it via e-mail. However, I think my sister and I have an entirely different appreciation for it, set apart from most.

Growing up in the country, we had cats.
Multitudes of cats.

We also grew up having an aunt who happened to be a Catholic Nun.

And I can remember her bringing us a little plastic bottle of Holy Water each on one of her visits to see us.

Being like, 7, and Lutheran - as it were - we politely accepted our gift, knowing it was something to be cherished and not tossed... although not exactly sure what to do with it?

So, we decided to baptize our newest kittens!

Oddly enough though, I don't remember how it all 'went down' from there? Maybe Jodi does. But, I'm thinking they were such little kittens that they didn't know any better. And, thankfully for the kitties, we were more accustomed to 'sprinkling' than to 'dunking'.

But, I do remember coming away from that feeling pretty good about it afterward.

Even if the kitties didn't!!

~

Mark 1:8 "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!" (NLT)

All Is Well

The white of Winter
Now wears a shawl of green
For all the trees are budding
And flowers can be seen.

The snow that chilled us yesterday
Has melted like a dream
For now the stone is rolled away
Beneath the sunlight's gleam.

How sweet the sound of Spring
As songbirds now return,
And here below the rainbow
Earth makes another turn.

For Spring's a noble season,
One of show and tell,
When God reveals His Majesty
And shows us all is well.


~Poet, Clay Harrison

The Week in Pictures...

Well, it's been awhile since I've shared any of my personal pictures with you all (aside from my sunsets), so here are just a few of my most recent shots.

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It took me a whole week before I realized that our apartment windows had been pummelled in the recent hailstorm. I pulled back my curtain in the bedroom one evening and saw what looked like gunshots through the glass! Thankfully, they are double-paned windows so it just flew through the screen and then through the outer pane of glass. (Otherwise, I'd like to think it would've taken less than a week for me to notice.) It wasn't 'till I realized my breakage that I then walked out to discover that indeed the whole building had been severely damaged!

The guys were great enough to replace the windows yesterday; however, I realized this morning, while bent over blow drying my hair, that there were bunches of shiny little shards in my carpet! They must've dropped some on their way out! It's a wonder I didn't have feet full of glass last night, going to bed!! Can't imagine how I missed it all.

Here are the kids on Easter Sunday, after finding their respective baskets.

... Note the family resemblance. : )

I had asked them each to "show me your goodies!" And they both proceeded to hold them up in front of their faces.

But, alas, here is one of the sweet faces not hiding behind the candy.
Savannah and I got to playing around with the camera.
We took a bunch of silly shots, but actually had a decent one or two of the bunch. That girl is a born entertainer. All she needs is an audience and the world is her stage!!

"And be sure of this~

I AM with you always,

even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20

Things I'd like to share this Holy Week...

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There have been two amazing really thought-provoking posts I've read this week that I'd like to share with my readers. (I hope they don't mind!)

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The first was posted by Dianne over at 'Glasses of Grace' Tuesday. She was passing along an email that she had received and it is just such a simple, yet poignant message. It's wonderful!! And her closing comments are the icing on the cake. Check it out: http://glassesofgrace.blogspot.com/2008/03/are-we-blind.html

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The second was a post from a girl whose blog I hadn't found until this week, through the help of Joanne. She's an amazing writer who has penned her thoughts on the Last Supper and it will absolutely just take your breath away. She uses words as an artist uses a paintbrush and creates an image in your mind that makes you feel as if you are actually a part of it all. She's over at: http://chandacanup.blogspot.com/2008/03/communion.html

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Thirdly, for any of you who may not have caught my post on Feb. 16th, about the movie "Most" - I encourage you to watch the clip. It's a really well-done movie, helping our hearts to grasp a little more tightly onto the true extent of the sacrifice given us all, of a beloved son by His father. And it really makes you realize how easily we take it all for granted and just so easily go about our personal business, not acknowledging it at all. And so many others, not aware of it at all.



Lastly, a video of "Passion of the Christ" put with the song 'New Again' by Brad Paisley and Sara Evans. Awesome.

A Couple of Updates...

For those of you who were tuned in last week as I had struggled with my ability to draw close to God. And to those of you who had prayed for me... Thank you!! Since my post last Tuesday, He has shown up in many ways and reminded me in His own way that He is right here with me and is very much so 'on the same page' as I am.
As you already know, He awakened me Thursday to the truth of 1 Peter 5:6-7. "Cast all you anxiety on Him, for He cares for you." Well, then, the sermon this Sunday? - You guessed it. "I Promise Peace!" Pretty much tailored just for me this week.

• I can be at peace with God. (Romans 5:1)
• I can be at peace with others. (Ephesians 4:3)
• I can have peace to endure life's storms. (Mark 4:35-41)

And, speaking of 'life's storms'... ! Did we ever get some this week in the Atlanta area!! Friday, as you may recall, was when the tornado hit downtown Atlanta. Then, Saturday afternoon we got slammed, thankfully not by any tornadoes where we were, but by hail! Biggest hail I have ever seen and it lasted about 15 minutes. Of all days not to have my camera! But, I just noticed that my friend, Michelle posted some pictures on her blog. I was at work, so I was pretty well held captive until it all finally got past us, but it was truly something. Now, I'm not the type to come unraveled by a storm of any kind, but even I was willing and ready to head for the basement of the restaurant to watch from there! Now I just need to decide if it's worth it to claim the lovely 'hammered' look I have going on my car now, along with the cracked mirror. (!) Oh, well! At least my car was still in the parking lot, and not 10 blocks away! : )

And, one more 'little' reminder that He truly is "Emmanuel- God with us"... I'm proud to say, I finally picked my "Breaking Free" study book back up this weekend and got crackin' on that... got to a scripture referring to David and Bathsheba. Beth didn't really go deep into the whole story there, as she was just using that scripture along with several others to make a certain point. But, I was curious "now what was the rest of that story? I wish I knew, but I don't remember covering that one before now". But, not wanting to get too far off-track with my studies, I just finished my work and put the workbook down for the night. Picked up David Nasser's book to go to bed with and lo and behold... what does he use as his illustration for the next chapter: "Glory Revealed through Sin"? You guessed it again! - David and his rendezvous with Bathsheba! Pretty much spelled out for me in those 5 little pages!! And even explained into further detail for me. So, what else could I do, but look up and give a grin and a nod to God saying "Thanks. Got it!" : ) Then, tonight, as I continued back into "Breaking Free", Beth had us over in the Psalms and while she had us looking up the 55th Psalm, I wandered over to the 51st, where it even has the coordinating Psalm of David during that time of sin with Bathsheba! Tying up even more loose ends for me! And, now, of course, I have a new burning passion to finish the Max Lucado book I had started a while back on David: "Facing Your Giants"! I mean, there must be a lesson for me in the life of David - or perhaps the lesson just lies in His reminder that we're 'on the same page' - which is even more awesome to me! Thank You, God!

~ Oh. And the song "Surrender" by Barlow Girl that several of you mentioned from my post last Tuesday... I have to give all the credit to God on that, too. I had my little heart set on using "Lay it Down" by Jaci Valesquez and was so disappointed when I couldn't find it on the playlists. But, then just 'stumbled on' the one by Barlow Girl and I had never heard it before in my life. (Though it is sure to show up on my iTunes SOON!) And it just fit better than I could've ever penned myself. Exactly my thoughts and feelings - word for word. And just in that little instance, I've been reminded all week to be an open vessel for Him 'into which He can place what He wants and out of which He can take what should not be there' (Sheila Walsh).

One Moment at a Time

Well, I may not be as on-track as I would like to be, but God is still here with me. He reminded me of that first thing this morning.
Last night, in looking at Nancy Guthrie's website and listening to one of her sound bytes on there... (basically, still avoiding my homework) I ended up in 1 Peter. And though she was speaking on chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 my eyes wandered over to something I had underlined many moons ago now. 1 Peter 5:6-7 ~ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
"Wow. Great reminder. Thank you, Father. I'll have to commit that one to memory this week."
I go to bed.
Then, this morning, having the opportunity to sleep in a later than usual (as I had to work to close tonight) I rolled over and thought: 'Oh. It's 9:30. Ravi Zacharias is coming on. I need to turn on the radio.'
Well, it happened to be a minute or two before, because I turned it on just as Anne Graham Lotz was coming on. She just has a little 'thought' for the day before Ravi comes on. Not long at all. Literally, just a moment of scripture and a thought she shares at the end.
Well, she no sooner said "1 Peter 5:6-7" and my eyes were just brimming up. It was like God was there, just saying "Just in case you might have forgotten while you slept... or just in case you were wondering if it's really true... I assure you, I have you in my hand and I truly do care."
What a wake-up call, huh. :)
It's said that the devil's in the details... well, it appears that God's not too far from them either!
Then, on my way to work, Mercy Me came on the radio with "Here With Me". And I found even more comfort in those words. I thought about my 'wake-up call' and how I felt His presence right there with me. Then, I thought "Here in this moment, I surrender" - that's all I really have to worry about. This moment.


Here With Me

I long for Your embrace
Every single day
To meet You in this place
And see You face to face

Will You show me?
Reveal Yourself to me
Because of Your mercy
I fall down on my knees

And I can feel Your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within Your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of Your touch
Here in this moment ~ I surrender to Your love

You're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as Your own
To know You and be known

You are holy
And I fall down on my knees

I can feel Your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within Your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of Your touch
Here in this moment ~ I surrender to Your love

I surrender to Your grace
I surrender to the One who took my place

I can feel Your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within Your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of Your touch
Here in this moment I surrender:

I can feel Your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within Your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of Your touch

Here in this moment ~ I surrender to Your love

'Normal' is a Relative Term

Well, for all of those still wondering about my lab results, I received a letter in the mail Friday that states that they have found me 'normal'. Surprising, considering the way I left their office last Monday! So, they must strictly mean my bloodwork. :) In which case, I am relieved to know that I'm okay as far as blood is concerned (and that they didn't need to do another draw!!!)

However, now I'm left thinking: "Well, that means the imbalance is not in my bloodwork. So, it must mean that the imbalance runs a little deeper than blood."

And now, how to go about addressing that.

And should it all boil down to 'anxiety' - I think Beth Moore hit the nail on the head tonight. And should I actually pick up my workbook and put forth the effort that is expected of me... I think I'll definitely be on the right path to feeling MUCH better (and hopefully done with any more faint spells!)

I only wish I knew what was keeping me from delving head-first into this most amazing, applicable study that has come into my life at the most appropriate time?!? UGH!

Do any of you remember that image of Christ knocking at the door? The door has no handle on His side, signifying that it must be opened from the inside. I remember seeing that picture back in college and it really struck me, even then. And now I'm reminded of it once again.

And it just feels like right now, for whatever reason, I know He's knocking. I know He's right there - "on the other side". I know what He's asking of me. I know that if I listen and obey, I'll feel more peace than I have in some time. ...and yet... I just find myself, standing on the other side of the door... face pressed against it, wanting to feel His embrace... wanting to hear His voice... longing to see His face... but not willing to surrender and just open the door to let Him in.

Funny, I don't remember closing Him out, let alone dead-bolting it behind me. Please pray that I find the key that lets Him back in. I miss Him terribly.
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John 20:19 ..."the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid... Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! 'Peace be with you,' He said." (NLT)

Book Meme
(passed along by Stephanie)

The Rules...

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences.

5. Tag at least 3-5 people.


I saw this on "Notes from the Soul" the other day and thought: these kinds of things are always fun and interesting, so just out of curiosity picked up a book (one of the many) that I'd begun a while back and had not picked back up again - "Glory Revealed". Headed for page 123 and this is what I found...

"Turn your wrist over - look at it. How would it feel to have a rusted nine-inch spike driven between your bones? Isn't it ironic that we struggle with life being about our glory, right up until it comes to this moment? We want to play God and rule our own lives... until we're faced with being in Christ's shoes on that gruesome Friday. We live our lives struggling to let Christ be the Lord of our lives. We ignore Him and try to save ourselves until we reflect upon the cross. All of a sudden, our perspective changes."

I picked up a sentence or two before it, just because it's so much more powerful with it as a prelude to get the whole impact of David Nasser's point, and... Wow. What a great reminder coming up on the Easter season, but what a powerful reminder to me, personally in my own struggle for control. Just the perspective change I needed!

Some bloggers I would love to have participate in this 'meme' would be:

~Joanne

~Shana

~Lyndy

~Michele and Michelle :)

~Dianne

Women Of Purpose One-Day Conference
March 8 at Eastridge Community Church
Doors open and registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

Relevant Breakout Sessions — Praise & Worship
Food & Fellowship

Guest Keynote Speaker: Marie Tittle
Marie Tittle is a gifted communicator and frequent speaker addressing the issues of women’s hearts. She is passionate about living a totally surrendered life to the Lord and for viewing everything in the light of eternity. Her message is effectively communicated through her keen sense of humor and down-to-earth spirit. She was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ International for five years, where she led Bible studies, served on local ministry field teams, and worked as a national fundraiser in the Orlando campus ministry headquarters. She has led numerous Bible studies and enjoys coaching women at various stages of life. Marie currently resides in Woodstock, Georgia where she works alongside her husband Scott, in their financial advisory business. Marie and Scott have a six month old daughter named Suzette.

Other Speakers:

("Daisies in Disguise")

Laurie Baggett

Ronda Neff

Gay Nash

Jamie Savage

"Digging Deeper" w/ Tracy Moore

God longs for us to know Him and walk with Him. And He has graciously given us the tools to do that. This class, led by Tracy Moore, will help engage women in the pursuit of a lifelong adventure in learning to love God with all out heart, soul, mind and strength.

"got dirt?" w/ Renee Rutledge

Finding God's purpose for our lives by allowing Him to use us... 'dirt' and all. Presented by Celebrate Recovery director, Renee Rutledge. "God uses our dirt for His good purpose and plan! God's purpose for you is for YOU only!"

~And, these are just the sessions I made it to! There were many others offered throughout the day! I know I've said it before, but I thank God every day for this church. I have never known a more genuine, God-adoring group in my life. And I am so proud to be a part of it.

As you see, we had a women's conference yesterday, from 8:30 - 4:00 and it was so amazing. I can only imagine the work that went into pulling it all together, but it certainly wasn't in vain. It was a huge success. We had praise and worship, followed by a wonderful guest speaker to start us off. Then we were treated to snacks at the cafe. By then, it was time to break off into smaller groups and head to our first class. At the end of that, they presented to us a HUGE, wonderful lunch brought to us by our own Ms. Hilda. From there, we went back into main session for more praise and worship. Next, we headed off to our second class of choice - followed by more snacks and then on to class #3. To wrap it all neatly up, we had more worship and praise (so well done by our musically-gifted girls!) and Marie Tittle to close us out.

SUCH an awesome day for all who made it out! And I am just so thankful for each of the girls who made it happen. For all those who donated their time and energy. For all those who labored over the delicious food. And for all those who humbled themselves enough to bare their souls in order to glorify God and encourage each and every one of us participants.

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" The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.

When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Well, no sucker for me...

I finally made it to a doctor today and I didn't exactly fair as well as I had hoped. I won't know any test results for a couple of days, but I just didn't fair well getting the tests taken!

But, I had warned them.

Knowing that I would most assuredly be giving blood today, I opted not to eat anything for breakfast. Doctor said that was good. But, seeing as I'm already in there for feeling faint and I'm already not good with needles... that on top of an empty stomach... not so good.

Sure enough, I get back there, and one minute into it, my whole world just goes blank and I just hear voices. "Nurse... don't go far." "I don't like her color." (or lack thereof) "We're almost done." "Here, drink some water." "Lay your head down." "Go get that fan for her." ... FINALLY, it's all but said and done and I start coming back around. Sitting in a chair this whole time, mind you! Albeit slumped over!! And between the cold damp rag on the back of my neck and the cold breeze from the fan, I started feeling much better.

They said "Well, she did warn us." : )

Hey. I do what I can.

My memory verse for the ride up there:

Isaiah 40:31 ~

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

I guess that wasn't necessarily meant to be taken in the most literal sense.

Not in my case anyway.

Let's just hope this one blood test carries me through for awhile. I don't want to have to go through that again any time soon.

Mama said there'd be days like this

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So, after having more 'faintness' episodes here lately, I finally decided that everyone is probably right. I really do need to go see a doctor to see what my problem is. Now, with me, you would think the biggest problem would be in actually getting me to go to a doctor... but, turns out... I just can't seem to find a doctor in the tri-county area who is willing to take my blood (and my money)! Evidently, all the good ones that people have doted on are already filled to capacity and not accepting any new patients. I really kept pressing with one office, the one my parents go to, thinking that would be my best chance... seeing as I'd been there before years ago and there are 12 (no lie) 12 different physicians in that one office. Nope. No new patients. Anyone not seen in 2 years time - kicked out of the system. Gotta go back to square one. But, they did seem a little more inclined to help when I mentioned my parents are patients there. (Like, is this a doctor's office or some sort of fraternity or something??) So, I will try - once more - tomorrow to pull the 'family' card and see what they have to say. But, I just can't believe it is so dang difficult to get into just a regular doctor's office! I mean, c'mon people! I just need some lousy blood drawn at this point! And I haven't been in years, so obviously, I don't intend to be a 'regular'! (Good Lord willing and all I have is some sort of imbalance or something.) Who knows... maybe one day I'll actually find someone willing to get down to the problem at hand! Wish me luck!

Oh, and then, we had a managers meeting at work this morning. Business is wayyyy down, even for this time of year, which is always slow. We knew that. But, we had no idea how grim it really is or at least can turn into. Gas, we all know, is a-bust these days. And projected to go up even more next month. That affects everything. Gas goes up - freight goes up - freight goes up - product goes up... Our head 'chef' said that much of the food has doubled in its price in a short amount of time. Eggs used to be $25 a case... now they're $50. Ouch. Add that to the housing market and election year, where everybody is just either financially hurting or just holding on to see what happens... not good. So, as it stands now, it looks like Sally and I will pretty much be holding down the fort, working day and night, seven days a week between the two of us. We've cut back before on our help, but never like this. All he would afford us was, on average, 3 hours a day's help. That's not much, in case you were wondering. But, after the mention of possible 'furlough' (forced unpaid 'vacation') for managers, I will gladly keep my little overworked salaried position! I just hope to keep it for a good long while!

So, please would you all pray, not only for my health and answers regarding that, but for our little business and those laid off, as well as all the other little businesses out there that are suffering - and that our nation would just get back on track with the economy and farming and gas........ !

Thank you!

His Love Endures FOREVER

(Did you happen to catch that, Jessica,

or should I say it 26 more times?)

After a very long night of not being able to sleep with an 'unspoken' on my heart and mind, I got up this morning extremely drained, both physically and mentally. Spiritually, I felt determined, but just didn't know 'where to go' from here. What I should or shouldn't do. What I should or shouldn't say. And fighting the tendancy to get discouraged all the way.
I got in the car to go to work and looked down at my 'travel' Bible that I keep in my car. I opened it up to look for some sort of guidance or at least reassurance. And I turned to Psalm 136... as there was a Baskin Robbins sample spoon still stuck in there (not literally stuck however... I assure you, I managed to get every last drop of that Chocolate Truffle off of that thing last week!). They had been discussing one of the other chapters from that page last week on the radio, but this time when I opened it up, I looked down at chapter 136 and read:


New International Version (NIV)Passage Psalm 136 :
~Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

5 who by His understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to Him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to Him who led His people through the desert,
His love endures forever.

17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to His servant Israel;
His love endures forever.

23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.

25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever!


And I just thought: "Wow. Do I need to be knocked upside the head to get a message, or what!" : ) I'm surprised Chris Tomlin didn't just pop up on the radio belting it out and that I didn't literally just get struck down by a flash of lightning right then and there! Was He like telling me in no uncertain terms that He had it in the bag or what? Not to worry. Just let Him deal with it and all I needed to do right now was trust Him and have a spirit of thanksgiving? I mean, if He can not only understand the heavens and earth, but actually created them and thought them up and keeps them all in perfect tandem? ... I'm feeling pretty certain that He could 'tackle' my measly problems without so much as batting an eye.
And just in case I didn't get the full grasp of how intricate a system the 'heavenlies' actually are this morning when I read that passage... tonight we watched the total lunar eclipse. And instead of being enlightened, I think we all ended up with more questions than answers!! : ) I guess there are just some things that were not meant for us to know or understand. For, therein lies both faith and reverence.

Thank You, Father. For those things we can't see with our eyes or even our spirits at times. And thank You for the reassurance that in those times, even though certain things are hidden from our view, much like in the eclipse tonight, You still have it all in Your hands, understand it all and don't miss a thing!

~Amen

Tonight, I had the opportunity to 'hang' with Jennifer and her friends again and finally made it to '722' in Atlanta. I had intended to go check that out some time ago (like YEARS and YEARS ago now) but just had never made it over there. And it was really good!

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Kristian Stanfill lead worship and I really like a lot of his songs. Salina Beasley sang, too and she was great.

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Then, Jeanne Stevens spoke to us on learning how to wait. To wait with God, as opposed to just waiting for God to move for us as a means of just getting what we (think we) want. Another lesson on letting it go and releasing it all to Him. A lesson I just can't seem to get through to my heart these days!!! But, good to know He's still working with me on it! :-)

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Anyway, had another great time with 'the girls'. And after a somewhat 'crazy' kind of day at work, it was a very welcome opportunity.

Before...

and After

Well, here are a couple of pictures I had taken of the gift shop with all our changes being made last week. Should've gotten some during the progress, but didn't! It was a mad-house. We had three days to completely make-over the shop. Sunday night was moving everything on one side of the shop to the other side. And if you've ever been in there, you can only imagine what an undertaking that was! All day Monday was the painting, caulking, cleaning up of displays... Tuesday, was getting the new carpet laid and the 'tile' in the middle. Then, throwing everything back over to the finished side to get ready for the next day. Wednesday, was painting... on the unfinished side and then getting the carpet laid... to then, hurry and move everything to where it should be before having to open up Thursday morning for Valentine's Day! It was crazy! But, glad we had the chance to do it.

However, now we're all in contention. (Go figure.) Of course, after the week of 10-12 hour days, we're tired and cranky. But, half of us like it. Half of us don't. We all agree it's better than it was... much cleaner, brighter, ... But, I personally am one of those (along with the owner and his wife) who just feel that we've gone from one extreme to the other. Gone from clutter (...clutter, clutter, clutter...) to nothing at all. Don't get me wrong... I think it looks great! - as an art gallery. A big concern of ours before was the ability to get wheel chairs down the aisles... however, now they can have races up and down the shop!

I just think we need a 'happy medium'. But, that's just me. See what you think...

(I didn't get a very good shot of the 'before'. Don't know why it turned out so dark. Guess I didn't use my flash... it wasn't quite that much darker than it is now.)

Anyway, that's our week in a nutshell! Now that we've all gone nutty!!

My Girl

Well, as of today, I've had my little crazy 'street' cat one year. I can't believe that I even know that. I just remember that it was early Sunday morning the weekend following Valentine's Day.

Outside my window in the parking lot just talking away. So, as is customary for me with any strays that show up, I threw on my robe, called her up to my apartment and she just ran right up the steps and walked in like she owned the place. Made herself so at home that I didn't have the heart to follow my usual protocol of: let them in, warm them up, see if they're hungry, send them on their way.

There was something different about this one. Sounds crazy, but there was more of a 'connection' with her. (Okay, so call me Crazy Cat Lady.) Now, granted it has caused for much frustration, as she drives cranky Sammi crazy and they fight incessantly and contrary to how involved she likes to be in cleaning up (as you can tell from the pictures) she can make a bigger mess of this place than most dogs could!

But, she's sweet, loving and fun to play with. And, I think we're both just here to get each other through life a little sweeter. And she is welcome here as long as she likes! (Sorry, Sammi.)

Friday night fun with new friends!

Last night, I was invited for a single girls' Valentine party by Jennifer, a friend I'd gotten to know through our Daniel study last year. She's the one I mentioned back in December having such a heart for missions, especially regarding the Chinese people. And she is just the sweetest girl. And I'm so glad she had thought of me and included me in her get-together last night. I had such a good time!!

We had pizza and fresh-from-the-oven peanut butter cookies. And then, we had a cake decorating contest. There were eight of us, so we paired up in teams and pictured is our lovely 'winner'. :) And I got, as a prize, a lovely hand-painted flower pot with a chocolate heart sticking out of it.

Then, her roommate suggested we all watch a short movie that they play for new members at Northpointe Community Church (north of Atlanta) any time they get involved in a small group. I had never heard of it, but it's called "Most". It's Polish (?). It's got subtitles. It's very heart-wrenching. But very powerful. I'm not sure if the writer had intended it to be such a Christian parallel, though it wouldn't surprise me if he had, but watching it from the Christian perspective, you really get just a glimpse of what it would be like to truly sacrifice your Son in order to save others. I had tried to find it on Amazon and even Google, but didn't have much luck, so not sure where Susan had found it, but if you're able to get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend it! Especially for a study group of some kind. It's amazing. I'm so glad she shared it with us.

We wrapped the night up with a good game of "Catch Phrase" and I can't remember when I've laughed so hard. One of the younger girls in particular (on my team) was cracking - me - up! When the other girl was trying to get us to say 'put them on ice', saying "It's what you do with fish! ... you know, after you catch them! ... before you kill them!" ... And Mara just said mildly and sweetly, as if in all seriousness "You love them". :) That, and then when Susan was telling us how this young man she knows had "to flee from Cambodia and came to the U.S. ..." Mara, with total concern for the guy said "He had a flea? ...did he get rid of it?" (That time she was serious.) !!! :) Too funny. Now, maybe you had to be there, but they were all just cracking me up.

Such a good time. Especially after the crazy week I've had!

Thanks, Jen for thinking of me!

Had a blast. :)

~Okay... did a little more research and finally found the trailer of "Most" on Youtube. First, here's something put together by a pastor on the movie. Sounds like it really was intended to bring home the message of the sacrifice of Christ by His Father. This piece is very well-done, and I encourage you to watch it, but it is pretty in-depth and just know that it's not 'fluffy'. Also, you may want to wait if you do plan on watching it in its entirety. It's not 'easy' - it's not meant to be. But, it offers an encouraging ending and is definitely worth the soul-changing lesson that comes from it. (I've also included the clip of the trailer at the bottom, if you don't want quite the extended version of the pastor's clip.)

Pastor's Clip

Movie Trailer

~Be Mine!~

Breaking it down on Valentine's Day...
~After having spent more Valentine's Days alone than I ever would've anticipated as a young girl, I've decided to research the exact meaning of the word "Single". Here's what I found on Dictionary.com...

sin·gle /ˈsɪŋgəl/

1.
only one in number; one only; unique. (Unique? Now, that makes me sound a bit better already!)

2.
solitary or sole; lone. (Okay... yeah... that definition... not so uplifting...)

3.
pertaining to the unmarried state. (Point-blank. I can appreciate that.)

4.
of one against one, as combat or fight. (Yes... ME -vs- TIME.) ;)

5.
sincere and undivided: single devotion. (Now that one I like!! Charles Stanley spoke once to this point, telling all us singles to take advantage of this time and take it as a compliment that God wants your undivided attention and time to spend with Him!)

6.
separate, particular, or distinct; individual. (Particular? I s'pose I can be at times... others may just call it OCD though?) :)

7.
uniform; applicable to all. (I do try to apply myself most of the time and do get on well with most everyone... that's not a bad thing, right?)

8.
to pick or choose (one) from others (usually fol. by out). (So, this would make me the 'chosen one' right?)

9.
one person or thing; a single one. (Think we've covered that.)

10.
an unmarried person, esp. one who is relatively young. (Now I am lovin' the little added bit at the end of this one!!)


Now, putting my selective memory to good use here, I could safely deduce that:
I am a unique (relatively young) particular individual who has been chosen by God Himself! to serve in devotion apart from anyone else!
Wow! I feel better already!
In which case, I can consider my Heavenly Father my amazing Valentine... and it doesn't get much better than that. After all, I can buy myself chocolates all year long (and generally do), but Who else knows my heart even better than myself and still loves me unconditionally and brings forth endless flowers, of all varities, free of charge, just because He can!! :)

Father~
You are all I need. My Comforter. My Provider. You are my love. And You will have my heart until the end of time!

John 15:9: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Now remain in my love."

This week I would just like to stop and take the chance to give thanks to those things that have meant the most to me in recent days/ weeks...

Some big ~ some small, but all things I am grateful for.


1. Quality time with my niece and nephew all weekend, while their mommy and daddy were away on retreat.

2. Mom and Dad for their endless support, in so many different ways.

3. An opportunity to really revamp the gift shop at work (new carpeting/paint and all!) A lot of hard work, but worth it! And LONG overdue!!

4. Steve, at work, for getting the kinks worked out with my new computer and getting me up and running and FINALLY on DSL!!! YAY!

5. A 'snow day' of sorts yesterday (even though it was a gorgeous sunny 60) also thanks to Steve who insisted on having my modem sent to my home address instead of my parents' - so I had to hang back at home all day, awaiting UPS (who didn't show 'till 3:30) causing me to miss out on all the painting of the shop that took place yesterday! *Oh, Darn! (But, just for the record, I felt so bad about that, that I actually went in early today and ended up staying 10 hours.)

6. My church home and bible study group of ladies. All so different, but all just amazing in their own ways... I HATE that I missed tonight!

7. These great blogs/bloggers I have the pleasure of checking in on and getting inspired by.

8. The rain that just began (we are still in need of any rain we can get).

9. Edy's Grand "Girl Scout Thin Mint" Limited Edition ice cream!

10. D...S...L !

"It Must be my Thyroid"!

Well, we just had the best time last night, getting to see Anita Renfroe at her most personal and finest. We're fortunate in that Anita is 'home-grown' here in Georgia, so we just had to go down the road to be a part of her upcoming release: "It Must be my Thyroid". Now, if you're familiar with her, you know just how funny she is, but with it being a taping, we got to experience a 'behind the scenes' sort of look at the routine. And, hey, you never know! Some of our little faces may just pop up on the dvd! It releases at the end of April. And I highly recommend it. It was hilarious.
*
Before Anita came on, she 'warmed us up' with a musical performance by her youngest son (he did a great job) and a couple of her fellow comedians. One in particular struck my group funny. Bone Hampton. I had not heard of him before, but he's been a part of the "Thou Shalt Laugh" project. His favorite (and the part that REALLY stuck with us - as we could not get the song out of our heads the rest of the night!) was in talking about living on his own, in a cluttered place and having to do the electric slide to get through all the junk to 'his theme song' "I got clutter... I got clutter, clutter, clutter... I got clutter..." to the tune of Sanford and Son. Who knew there were words to that song! :) You might have had to been there to get the full humor of it, but thanks to Project Playlist, you didn't have to be there to get the song stuck in your head!
*
On a serious note though, even in all the silliness, when he wrapped up that segment and was joking about how he never has people over, because he just has too much junk in his place, he said he could just see Jesus coming to his door to call him home and he'd have to say "I'm sorry! You just can't come in! 'Cuz I got clutter... I got clutter, clutter, clutter..." But, I thought: "You know. How many times do we just look at all our 'clutter' in our lives or in our hearts and hear Jesus knocking and respond by turning Him away on account of our 'mess'? When He loves us regardless of our 'mess', already knows about our 'mess' and is more than willing to help us clean it up!"
*
Thank God for that and thank God for good fun with good friends!



If you're not already familiar with either entertainer and care to get a taste, you can also check them out on You Tube:

Congratulations, Lynn!!

*

Last Saturday, all the girls from work had the chance to get together to have our sweet Lynn a bridal shower at El Charro's. She started work at the Blue Willow 3 years ago this month and she's been a dear friend of mine ever since. We're so excited for all her upcoming changes! She is long overdue and it couldn't happen to a sweeter girl.

*

(pictured: Carol, Leslie, Sharon, Joan, Lynn, Sally, Sarah, Debbie, and me)

Ten 'Nuggets' I've picked up along the way...

1. Patience is trusting in God's timing.
(Church sign on the way to work)

2. Faith adds its "Amen" to God's "Yes" and then takes its hands off, leaving God to finish His good work in you.
(Streams in the Desert)

3. Unbelief looks at God through the circumstances... but faith puts God between itself and its circumstances, and looks at them through Him.
(Streams in the Desert)

4. Faith is believing what we do not see; and the reward for this kind of faith is to see what we believe!
(St. Augustine)

5. The One Who loved me enough to die for me can be absolutely trusted with the total concerns of the life that He saved.
(Wow! I love that one... from, you guessed it: Streams in the Desert)

6. Our hope in Christ enables us to come to God with open hands into which He can place what He wants and out of which He can take what should not be there.
(Sheila Walsh from "Life is Tough, but God is Faithful")

7. In checking a tire for holes or weak points, you must add pressure to it ~ our faith is much the same.
(Pastor Rob)

8. Sometimes, you have to Fake it 'till you can Make it!
(I cannot tell you how many times that one has helped me - when the heart is just not in it!)

9. Submission to God's will is the softest pillow on which to rest.
(Streams in the Desert)

10. You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.
(Perpetual calendar at work)

11. I have come to understand that the spot in my heart that never loses its tenderness keeps me knowing that it was real.
(Beth Moore: "Feathers from my Nest")

12. How can you be so quick to open your heart to someone who broke it into pieces and yet be SO resistent to open it to the One who wants to heal it?
("Men in Trees", of all places! Just proving God can use any outlet He chooses.)

13. Know that if God's not changing your circumstances, He is more interested in changing you!
(Nick Vujicic -from "Life without Limbs")

14. Faith honors God and God honors faith.
(Streams in the Desert)

15. We must take our troubles to the Lord; but we must do more than that ~ we must leave them there.
(Hannah Whitall -Smith)

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Okay... so I ended up with 15, but I just couldn't stick with the 'ten' once I really got going! Too many tasty tid-bits to share.

Obviously, many of these have come from Streams in the Desert (a devotional introduced to me several years ago that I have truly come to treasure) - but they are all just little 'nuggets' I've picked up along the way. And now they all live together in my 'Ebenezer Journal' that I've compiled over the last 2 years now. Them and all my other 'little' reminders that God is there and truly cares! And, I tell you what, I never dreamed it would fill up so fast!!