Pieces of our holiday...

Wow! I just scrolled through my Christmas pics...and I want to post about 20!! But I won't.. blogger probably won't let me anyway...here is a shortened version of our beautiful holiday....:)


Son and girlfriend (Rico, the bird perched on the couch hoping for a goodie)


daughter and new hubby (stockings hung by the chimney with care..:))


decorating the tree(everyone hung their own ornaments as they arrived)


THE LOOT!!


Enjoying the loot...Gigi and Jadabear...and yes, we had matching overalls..lol


Chillin by de fire at the end of a lovely day...full tummies and full hearts...

PRICELESS!!

I'm back...

..well for a day or two...then the New Year's weekend is upon us! I won't truly be back til next week...my mind is still in vacation mode. :)
so how was your Christmas? mine was good...no great!
lots of food and sweets and family and laughter...not much singing this year...mountains of gifts...we all went a bit overboard with the Jadabear....we'll know better next year, right?
My son and new SIL got to play santa and put some toys together...funny seeing them on their backs in the garage trying to figure out the bits and pieces of a Barbie hot cycle...lol
BBQ is the meal of the day on Christmas day(no cooking allowed)...and for icing on the cake the Cowboys and Eagles were playing football...Eagles win!! (did I mention we are big Eagles fans)...such a treat to have every one here and not for only a day or two...but long enough to really enjoy each other. I took about 200 pictures and my son turned me on to the movie feature on my camera so I have a couple of those too...I'll be sure to post a few..I promise, only a few...:).....
Now to try and focus enough to get a little work done so I can be off over the weekend again! Yay!...see ya...

Hark the Herald

Hark the herald angels sing” was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.

most of us know the original verses....

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;

Apparently the churches I fellowship with are not the first to modify exisitng lyrics to songs...take a look at these awesome additions...added by no less than George Whitfield...they really do bring the true meaning of Christmas home don't they? wow! His true purpose for coming...the glorious reality that goes far beyond the manger...

"Words: Hark How All The Welkin Rings, Charles Wesley (1707-1788), Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739
Amended by
George Whitfield (1714-1770), 1753
Martin Madan (1726-1790), 1760
And Others"

Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"

Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

I pray for each of us...that He has and will continue to make His home in our hearts...that He will continually efface Adam's likeness and replace it with that of His own...that He will impart Himself into our inner man til we look just like Him!
May your hearts be filled with the Light that is Christ this season and every season...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Twas the week before Christmas....

Good Monday, the week before Christmas, morning!!
We're getting excited at our house! I have spent the last few days working and making lists and trying to faithfully carry out my lists...lol
My son arrived early this morning!! yay!! He drove overnight from Philly and arrived about 7:30 am...much to our surprise and pleasure! He'll be going straight to bed I'm sure...His girlfriend will be joining us later today from FL...the other kids are making plans to head up on Thursday and we're getting set for a fun, fun holiday. The sea of leaves is growing smaller...the groceries are purchased...the house is almost decorated..(said son will be helping with that tree trimming thing :))...everyone has an assigned place to sleep...(big one) :) gifts are almost all bought...not wrapped but I'll have help by Friday...whew! its a lot to cover but we're getting there. It feels like an Andy Williams kind of Christmas...with out snow...its hovering in the 70s right now....

Guess what?? I am expending more energy than I am taking in calories!!! That means I am actually LOSING weight during the holidays!! Is that possible???! and more importantly, will it last? Don't hate me.....:) I promise to eat lots and lots of cookies and chocolate and have big meals every day for a week....then we'll see what happens...lol
Have a wonderful holiday week! I know I am!

Caroling Memories

Caroling has always been one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.
As a teen my youth groups visited retirement homes to carol and as a young wife I continued, along with my hubby, the tradition of caroling with our various church groups. Unfortunately caroling seems to have been sadly neglected...people are always surprised and pleased when they open their door to carolers...but for me...its a vital part of Christmas.
After I became the mother of 3 little ones, my holiday activity narrowed to basically just the kids and making their holiday bright...but as the children grew and as we took on more church ministry...it seemed right to get back out there at Christmas time and share the love with the rest of the world. One year, when the kids were little...maybe 5, 3, and an infant...we decided to take our little church family out caroling during the holiday season...I remember it was very cold for Alabama...we were walking through a neighborhood with a group of adults and my little ones along with a couple of other small children...at each door we stopped, sang one carol, said Merry Christmas and moved on...after a few stops the kids caught on to what we were doing...they started asking if they could sing...well of course they could join us...but no, that wasn’t what they wanted...my kids, being my kids...they wanted to do one by themselves..just them.
We thought about that for a minute....we remembered that they knew Away in a Manger quite well and had been singing it around the house...after stopping on the corner under a streetlight to practice a couple of times we decided to give it a try. At the first house...the kids, all 4 or 5 of them, ranging in ages from 3-7, stood in a circle with us adults huddling semi-circle around them…(we figured that we, the adults could help them out if they faltered)...as soon as the door opened, they looked to me for the ok and started singing...

Away in a manger
No crib for His head
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love thee, Lord Jesus
look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
Til morning is nigh.

....in the frosty silence their childish voices rang out clear as bells.
and with the porch lights shining on their little blonde heads...I have to tell you...nothing has ever looked or sounded so much like angels...5 little ones...standing in a circle...singing Away in a Manger on a starry night. ....it was amazing...and in the stillness of a quiet Alabama street I could almost hear the angels softly joining in. The kids made it through about 3 more houses before all our fingers and toes began to go numb and we all voted to retire to warmth and hot chocolate. It was one of the sweetest experiences of Christmas I have ever known...

Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask thee to stay
close by me forever
and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In thy tender care
and take us to heaven
to live with You there....

Amen....

Smile...its Christmas time!

Its a good ole Bama Christmas!!

Jada's visit....

Finally got some pics of Jadabear's visit downloaded....
Shes' a riot!
Isn't she funny in her dress up high heels her Poppy bought her and her biking knee pads?
Maybe a smart idea...those knee pads with high heels, that is...lol..Leave it to her Poppy to "match" her outfit...LOL

Then there's Gigi's play gound ( as Jada calls it)

And the sand box....currently buried in a sea of leaves....no matter...we play anyway!

News Flash!!! Jada and her mommy will be moving back to Atlanta and in with Gigi and Poppy as of Jan. 1st! Her mommy will be attending school beginning in Feb. Yeah!!

Christmas Memories and Sisterhood

I'm sure the first memory triggered all this...but I have had a few flash backs this past week and have found that if I take each one out and examine it...I can remeber SO much more than I originally thought..so I think I'll do this...sprinkle a memory here and there along the way through the 25th ...who knows...maybe it'll revive some of your long lost ones too....

We used to live in Pennslyvania...I was a young mother...my hubby was a young pastor...and we were trying to do something completley different as far as "church" was concerned....we had begun having "sisters" meetings as well as "brothers" meetings....this was apparently a foreign concept to the congregation but everyone took to it like ducks take to water...it appears to be natural for the sexes to congregate...humans love to hang out with those of like gender...
We had what I suppose could be called a core group...made up of what most churches would see as their front row people...the die hards who were very serious and very committed to Christ and the church...this Christian life was their life....these became the leaders of the sisters and brothers meetings...
There were 4 sisters in this core group...by that I mean spiritual sisters not biological ones...one of which was myself...(of course, being the pastor's wife I would be included...the Church was obviously my life...:)) Hey, not that I didn't deserve the spot...I did...LOL
It became the norm for the 4 of us to get together often...for planning, for prayer, for dinner :)...and being like minded in Christ, we became friends as well....
One of these girls was very much an artsy adventurer...she went to strange foreign films and out of the way art shows...she wore dangly earrings and flowing skirts ( i know, what's the point of that comment...so you can picture her...:))...any way...to say the least she was always seeking out interesting and low cost entertainment for her family....that talent naturally extended to us as a foursome....
When the holidays were nearing, she suggested that we, the four of us, do something together...besides the annual cookie swap or gift exchange...
She had heard of a Holiday Tour of Homes... if you know Philly you know that the place is full of historic homes that deck out at Christmastime, so we agreed, bought our tickets and made our plans....
We dressed the part, wearing our holiday garb and went out to dinner first, then we boarded the bus that would drive us around to the homes....
The tour was lovely...each home dressed in its finest....lights all around, music playing on the bus....bone chilling temperatures and hot cider or cocoa at every door....we rode from house to house laughing, singing and acting the silly way only girls can act when they get together without men...:) It was fabulous!

Though I didn't realize it at the time, something special, even spiritual was happening...the outing contained an element I had never experienced before and my spirit was being opened to something new...as we laughed, ate, sang, and shared life together I was catching a glimpse of something more... the realization came to me of a depth of kinship I had never even imagined existed...a peek, if you will, into the fellowship within the Godhead between the Father and the Son, or like that between Christ and His Church.

Here we were...4 women of varying backgrounds and varying ages...all deeply in love with our Lord ...and falling head over heels in love with one another...laughing together, eating together, sharing the Lord together in such a free way....all with the backdrop of Christmas time....it was a beautiful incredible thing...

This was my very first taste of "sisterhood"....I had experienced many relationships in the context of church in my life, but the bonding together of women with other women around the Lord Jesus...that I had never known to this depth...it was glorious....through those women, I saw Him in a whole new light....He suddenly became touchable, findable...full of expression and joy and variety,...like a diamond with many facets... I saw Him, I mean really saw Him, in their faces....
and perhaps, if I squinted my eyes...He might even be wearing dangly earrings and a flowing skirt....A light came on in my spirit that has never gone out.

We have long since gone our seperate ways.... walking different paths...I am happy to report that each of these sisters still holds to that same Lord.
I will always treasure the time we had together...It was the opening of a door in my experience with the Lord that I have since explored to a much greater extent...I have found that the Church of Jesus Christ is strong and powerful...She is radiant and encompassing, full of light and joy and endless variety....and much of Her strength lies with in the sisterhood....I am blessed beyond measure to have sisters in the Lord...

as s song from one of our churches reflects...

How pleasant and how good it is
When sisters in the Lord
In one another's joy delight
And dwell in one accord

Such fragrance like anointing oil
From head to body poured
Such oneness like the morning dew
With sweet refreshment stored

Work...work..work...repeat....

Somebody brought in goodies today to work..and yesterday....AND the day before....yum!... but at this rate I'm gonna gain 10 lbs before Christmas! Who can resist pecan squares or baklava, lemon cookies or mint fudge brownies?!?! Its just awful really....I'm finishing off the baklava even as we speak...apparently I am the only one who truly loves it... :) everyone else has deferred to me...lol
Busy week....as I suppose they all will be til after the New Year...
Worked Sat and Sun....my son was in town with his band on Monday which required a "mom cooked meal" and a trip to see the band perform...lots of new songs etc so it was fun...but I'm not really used to the smokey bar type atmosphere and staying out til all hours...what a way to start the week after finishing a week that didn't ever actually end....but I got to see my baby...:) my 26 year old baby boy..:) He's wonderful and I love him to bits! He'll be home for almost 2 weeks at Christmas time...yeah!! (blogger won't let me post pics...drat!! he's so cute!)
Working a lot...a lot!... didn't get home til midnight last nite...gotta be there again tonight...this 2nd job thing is rough during holidays when so much other is happening..
Hoping to be here on Sunday night for their Living Christmas presentation....
trying to get my lists in order so I get everything done over the next few weeks...
planning on a Thrasher Christmas for the kiddos, maybe a little ice skating here...and a Country Christmas here.....
Of course there are special meals to be planned and a family goodie making event when the girls all arrive....
so I have my work cut out for me.... working, shopping, cleaning and cooking...then repeat...lol...
I will finally be "off" on Sat so perhaps I can make a dent in the "other" jobs on my list....I think leaf blowing is first on the list(our yard is a sea of leaves)...then perhaps that Christmas tree will actually get put up and decorated(the decorations are currently strewn about the floor)...some shopping...the gift and grocery kind....hmmm wonder if I can squeeze in some house cleaning?...
whew...think I'll get to sleep any time soon? I keep reminding myself that I ran on 6 or less hrs of sleep nightly the entire time I was raising my kids...I can do this! (any words of encouragement will be greatly appreciated...:)) Work now and play later...that's my motto!
and who knows..maybe I'll actually burn more calories that I take in....
....naaah....

I had a memory...

I had a memory...not sure what evoked it, probably a song.....really just a flicker of a memory...til I took it out and examined it.....then suddenly it expanded....it grew into a full fledged remembrance complete with pictures and a sound track....
I was in the 4th grade, I think...really too old for dolls...in my mind anyway...still, I wanted one...just one more before I got too big...(because I always got one for Christmas...)...everything else on my list was grown up...clothes, a stereo, a tennis racket...or a badmitton set....but still I wanted just one more doll...a token wave to my carefree pre-school days before spelling tests and math assignments...
Christmas Eve arrived and my little sister and I scampered off to bed to await the arrival of Santa...Yes, we knew there was no Santa Claus but it was fun to pretend...presents still magically appeared in the night...and nothing was ever so exciting! Too exciting I suppose for we could never sleep...but this night...this Christmas Eve was different...we fell asleep easily, knowing the morning would bring fun like never before...(every year is like never before or so it seems)
Sometime in the night we awoke..I don't know who woke first...me or my sis, but wide awake we were....and all was dark and quiet in the house...just like in the poem...not a creature was stirring....
after lying there for what seemed like hours we made the daring decision to tiptoe to the living room to see if "santa" had arrived....
and sure enough...all the stocking were filled and there was a multitude of gifts stacked under the tree....being the very young girls that we were, we just couldn't go back to bed...no way! This was far too exciting! And then I saw her!....she was unwrapped and sitting on top of the substantial pile of packages.....yes, there was a doll...she was just the right kind of doll for a semi-grown up little girl...she had a cloth body with those soft rubber type arms, legs and head, just perfect for playing house. She had eyes that opened and shut and blonde curls... and what I remember the most...she smelled SO good...just the way a new doll should smell. I inhaled deeply and was intoxicated right away.
We jumped in head first and opened absolutely everything... our parents slept exhaustedly in the next room(they had probably just gotten to bed :))........Around 2am they were awakened by our squeals of delight over our new toys and I can still hear the disappointment in my mother's voice..."we can't even get any pictures...they've opened everything!"
By then we were winding down from our adrenaline highs and getting very sleepy so we were persuaded to go back to bed, taking our new dolls with us (I'm sure my sis got one too). We slept in til 10 am the next morning...the only time that has happened in the history of our family Christmases. We had forgotten one thing..the stockings, hung by the chimney with care..so mom did get pictures of something at least..and we had a bit more fun opening those on Christmas morning..in the daylight..:)
As I recall, that was the only Christmas I actually have memories of my daddy being present for gifts and breakfast, it was our last as a family unit,... my parents seperated the following spring. So I suppose it stands out in my memory as our only family Christmas, as a whole.

I kept and loved that doll for a very long time...far past the age for little girls playing house....and to this very day whenever I smell that smell, that new dolly smell...that old intoxication returns...I see her in my minds eye....and I remember 2 little girls surrounded by Christmas bliss in the middle of the night, the darlings and frustrations of their mommy and daddy... and I smile....

Hold Fast...

Hold fast, help is on the way...
Hold fast, He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife,
Is His grasp..
So hold fast
Mercy Me

I'm sitting at my desk at work, trying not to cry my eyes out....
Last nite I received a desperate cry for help for someone I love very much, from someone I love very much...both of whom I have seen the hand of God work so deeply and miraculously in over the years...yet still again they stand in desperate need of Him, where I have stood and stand so often myself...can we all say, "Amen"?
Today I received not one, but two, two announcements of miracles...miracles I personally have prayed for and believed for and held on to God for....true get up out of wheel chair level miracles!!
Its absolutely incredible....my spirit is shouting and dancing and crying and praying all at once...in joy and pain...all at once....thankfulness and desperation....all at once...
What a life of paradox we live in Christ...He truly is The All and in all....

Pray with me for my loved ones in pain...rejoice with me for my dear ones' miracles...
God is good...all the time...He does hear our petitions and He is a very present help in time of trouble.

Thank you, Lord that you are in control, you have ordered the footsteps of the righteous and you know their path....Your desire is to bring all things to completion in your Son...may your work be established in the hearts and lives of those in desperate need of You and may you complete that which has been committed unto you against that day....hold fast, Lord.

Its Here!

Yesterday I heard this song on the radio

Happy birthday Jesus

I'm so glad its Christmas

All the tinsel and lights

And the presents are nice

But the real gift is You.

Happy birthday Jesus

I'm so glad its Christmas

All the carols and bells

Make the holiday swell

But it's all about You

Happy birthday Jesus

Jesus I love You!

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

....and suddenly
it was Christmas!!

Some pics from the holiday

Courtesy of my new camera...:)















Me and my sibs....too many cooks in the kitchen? naaah

Nephew and his mom...silly



















Kate and her cakes...chocolate fudge cheesecakes....yum!

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's a repeat of my post from last Thanksgiving....hope yours is full of thankfulness...

So Excited!!

Guess what? I got my Christmas present already!
My new Canon Powershot A540 camera!! Got a printer/scanner too so now I can scan in any old thing for my blog AND get in some current photos of Jadabear among others...Yeah!! I wanted to have the camera before the holidays so I could capture every moment...:)..of course..:)..now to figure out how to work everything...:)
As for the schedule...I will be picking Jada up tomorrow from her other grandmother who will be spending the Thanksgiving holidays here in ATL...we'll have her for 24 short hours before heading down to Jax...she will be staying in ATL with her daddy's side of the family....:(...but we'll have her for Christmas!!
On Wed...both my sibs and their children, as well as my girls and son in law will all be making our way to Jax for a big family get together...we can't wait! Only my son and Jada will be missing.. we will be missing them too but soon...Christmas is soon....
Friday we'll be home and back to work on Sat...
Hectic, but worth it...
then we'll be in full swing for Christmas....so you may not hear a lot from me this week...K?

We have ritual foods we always make for holidays..
there MUST be turkey...although we never make it any other time of year...and I could easily live without it...its a must..as far as the hubby and kids are concerned...
I always make Cornbread dressing...or stuffing as its known in other parts of the country...though I do not stuff the bird with it...:)
Always have green beans...always have mashed potatoes...and rolls...usually sweet potatoe casserole with a thick crust of pecans and brown sugar on top and sometimes squash casserole too...we'll be having that one this year.....No wonder we have to sleep it off!!
Do you have a ritual meal for Thanksgiving?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all!!

Happy Birthday, Girl!!

Today is my Bekaboo's birthday...She is all grown up now...a married woman with a life of her own..but always she will be my little girl, my princess, my sunshine...my friend...
I love you Bek and miss you bunches...can't wait to see you next week!

Juggling

Its starting to rev up...the holiday season I mean...
and we are juggling...juggling money and work schedules and flight schedules and sleeping arrangements and..and..and...
Its busy, even stressfull... but fun...or it will be soon....right??
Next week most of my family will be getting together for Thanksgiving in Jacksonville, FL. We can't wait to see each other...to be together again...if only for a couple of days. Of course lots of juggling is involved.....:)
It will be the first time we have all been together since the wedding in April, but before that we hadn't been all together in about a year and a half so no holidays for a while. We haven't even seen Bek & James since April...a few dear faces will be missing ....but ahhh, that's life....what is new is that we are travelling to them this year...
....we'll get to have a few days off... we'll get to drive a lot....we'll get to see most of our kids...we'll get to see Jadabear...we'll eat a lot...we'll shop a little...and if we manage it just right...it will all have that oil we were talking about the other day and will actually be mostly pleasant and enjoyable...
Its a lot of work to make these things happen.....but that's just what you do when you really want something....you juggle...

Today was a perfect fall morning.....chilly...foggy...leaves carpeting the front lawn from the rain yesterday...and a friendly squirrel sitting on the corner of my roof eating an acorn and lording over me the fact that he was completely out of reach. ha!
No worries for him..he has tons of acorns buried in my yard...no juggling required...
Somedays I wouldn't mind being a squirrel.....:) Hopefully next Thursday won't be one of them.

...a merry heart...

Ahhh...much better today....
and now a dose of that humor I was prescribed..... sent to me by a fellow blogger...

Why kids should not be left alone.....LOL!!

Warning...not a particularly uplifitng post.....

Ok. ..I just lost my entire post!

...as I was saying...I had a kinda crappy weekend....
Oh, it looked pretty good from a distance...
a party...
shopping...
the opera...
shopping....
but it is the oil in between that determines whether a thing is good or not ....
Let me preface this by saying that we, my hubby and i, had a hectic week last week starting on Tues....
He had a lot of extra holiday work...I worked a lot too....on Thurs I drove an hour to mingle for an hour and a "work party" thing with no decent hor'derves in sight...then an hour home...
On Sat I spent the afternoon shopping and running errands and not eating much....hubby was running late for work soooo...forgot his phone so..... no communication after 3pm ...
I arrived home at 7pm starved...can't start dinner til hubby arrives (remember he forgot his phone...he has this illness..food is key...I can't start anything for dinner) did I mention I'm starving...he shows up at 7:30...starving...I'm grouchy and tired and hungry...he's grouchy and tired and hungry...sparks fly...and not the romantic kind either...(I'm sure you have no experience with this kind of thing...)
Sunday dawns...hubby goes bike riding...I try to relax...we have tickets for the opera...the Barber of Seville is intown....it is a very nice experience....now I can say I've been to the opera and I didn't even fall asleep thought I was tempted at first....
right after the opera we head for Sears..they are having their "Friends and Family" night where I get additional discounts....no food inbetween..hubby can't do fast food and nothing else is fast enough or cheap enough....
We do our shopping at high speed...not much fun but we do get a few things done....we are now starving...again...
Home and dinner by 9pm...we are grouchy and tired again...attitudes are everywhere again... as you can see, not the ingredients for a relaxing fun weekend...
So I suppose the "oil" in this case would have been more rest....more space between stuff...and MORE FOOD!
Does anyone see a spiritul lesson here??
So today we begin again....hubby is off...perhaps he will rest...
I will be home early...we will have dinner at a decent time....a few things could get done around the house....perhaps there will be oil....who knows...it could happen...

My Immovables....

Thank you to each of you who tried with human words to express who Christ is to you and in you. It seems we have much in common...a common theme is that of Love...He is love...and inspite of all...He Loves...He just does...its Who He is....
He is everywhere and in everything. This is critical in the deep places of my spirit and maybe yours too...He is our breath and for some of us, our song.
Most of us share in the knowing that He is our rock, our shelter and our comfort....I was a little surprised to find so many of us view Him as a comfort...though, of course He is, it was probably the most common theme other than love...it is encouraging to see that so many of us turn to Him for our comfort when there is no other...
One sister said "He is my Way"....He is ours too...perhaps we don't think of Him in that terminology but that is one benefit of sharing with others...you get new perspectives...How do you act?, how do you react?, what do you do in a given situation?...You act Christ, you react Christ, you do Christ...He is the HOW...the Way. He is flowing like water so each "how" is fluid and unique.
I love the thought from one sister...without Him, I am nothing, I am dead. Goodness how much truth is there in those few words! We are indeed dead already and without Him to raise us to new life we remain dead...dead men walking!
My immovables include many of these same thoughts....here are a few other things He has built into me...
The unshakable bedrock knowing that He is totally and completely in control. He is in charge of me, my life, my loved ones lives, His church, the elections, the war, everything. He knows what He is doing and He already knows the outcome. He is working all things for our good and His glory. He has a purpose and a plan and nothing can touch me except it pass through Jesus Christ...and I say that with fear and trembling, believe me...
I know that I am hidden in Him, marked off in Christ before the foundations of the world. He chose me and nothing can seperate me from Him... His grace is totally amazing!!

Another bedrock immovable in my spirit is that this is not about me..it has never been and never will be..I am a small, even microscopic piece of the big picture...this is really all about Him...His needs, His desires, His kingdom....and He went to extreme lengths and still does today to accomplish His purposes...I am so thrilled to be a part.

There was a time when I thought that if I tried harder, prayed more, obeyed better, the outcome would be different but I have learned that I cannot ever measure up, and that only He can live the Christian life through me. I have found that my spirit is alive and free, not fettered to this earth or this time frame but free to roam eternity with my Lord and search out the deep places of God...and He is anxious for me to explore Him.

Thank you, Lord for the building you have done in me and continue to do...never stop working in me and never let me forget from whence I have come. Please never leave me to myself but always draw me to you, for with out you I am dead.


I hope you gained from our little sharing time...I hope you felt your spirit leaping within you as you articulated who He is in you, :).... I hope your spirit resounded at the sharing of the saints together....I know mine was amening like crazy! :)
thanks, I needed that!


Eph 3:16-19
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Talk to me....

So the election is over and today I'm back to wandering...unfocused...drifting...
I really need to talk to someone about the Lord...speaking Him outloud makes Him more alive in me...stirs my spirit...lifts me to places I can't get to on my own....the bounding and rebounding of Him shared together in the spirits of the saints.... it gives Him volume and texture...makes Him more vivid.... you know all that, right?
Well, there's no one around I can talk outloud to.....Sooo....
How 'bout you?... yeah you,...help a sister out...
Tell me about your Lord...tell me what you really know of Him...deep down in the immovable places of your spirit....(I like that word, immovable, in relation to His work in me, don't you?)
Don't tell me what He's gonna do...what He is capable of.... or what your pastor says about Him...
Tell me what YOU personally know of Him....
by experience (key word here) ...
not what you have heard but what you have handled of the Word of Life.
Who Is This Lord to you??
Maybe this is a place we can meet and share Him together...in spirit...
and though its not "outloud"...perhaps it will suffice....

Get out....

I arrived at the cute little elementary school this morning amidst a drizzly chilly rain and trekked through red mud to stand in a line extending from the library down the hall and halfway to the front door. There was a nice variety of the populace represented.....black, white and some inbetween....men in business suits or work jeans, well dressed women with manicured nails...some in sweats.... high heels, workboots or sneakers and one lady in sandals despite the wet chilly weather of November...
There were older and younger, a few outrageous hairstyles, a balding gentleman, a 20 something with piercings and a large black man in a suit with a huge silver cross around his neck...one of the workers was inquiring of a young man if she knew his grandmother...she did....
Others were waiting with their young children...for some reason many schools were dismissed for the occasion...and though most were well behaved, one little boy of about 6 or 7 was crying huge sobs and begging to go home...his mother kept shushing him and possibly pinching him..:) but she didn't get out of line.... and no one asked her to...though I don't think I was alone in feeling relieved when they departed.
One lady seemed to be having some problem and had to wait for the workers to get more information on her....some were commenting that the crowd had grown from previous years...one was speculating as to the technology of the new ballot machines....
Cell phones were banned so it was rather quiet (an unusual environment in public place these days...) but sample ballots and amendments were provided for our reading enjoyment...
As I looked around that elementary school library tears filled my eyes....here we stood...the heart and soul of America...a living picture of freedom. Today we were democracy in action...my heart swelled with pride...
After 45 minutes I walked out of that school....a proud participant in our democratic process....
I did it! I voted!
I hope you do

This busy hectic life.....

Wow! was last week a burner or what?!? Hiking on Monday...working two jobs Tues and Wed...catching up on all the chores I'd missed on Thurs.....Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on Friday...(It was awesome, girls and a fun nite out with my baby)...Sat...finally some lazy time...run some errands, then work at 2nd job on Sat nite...Sunday....I am so fried I sleep in til 11am, then sit by the fire awhile and last but not least...clean the house...well vacumn, dust and clean my bathroom....Whoa! Is it gonna be like this til New Years?!?! Probably.....though this week should be easier...should is the operative word here.
Tonight I fancy doing some Christmas shopping...for me this is extremely early...:)

Its so strange but I find that I have nothing in my head, have you ever been there???...no deep thoughts...no problems to attempt to detangle....no bills on my mind needing paying...(that's a good thing :))....but it really is kinda strange that I have absolutely nothing on my mind or stirring in my spirit....fells like I'm in a bubble just floating along....i do have one thing kind of on the edge of my thoughts...maybe later I'll get focused on it...but for now...it doesn't seem to want to be thought about...:)...maybe I'm just tired....
Well, it can't last...and I wouldn't want it to....boring! But it is a nice break from the drama that can be life.....
So what's on your mind today?

DRS

Since birmingham girl was inquiring.....hubby and I are going to the Fabulous Fox Theater tonight, courtesy of our lovely bekaboo and her hubby. They provided orchestra level tickets to see the famed Broadway Play, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, as our anniversary gift (yes, this anniversary does keep on going and going...:)) and we are so excited to be attending!
I'll pick up hubby just after work, we'll grab a bite to eat...hopefully at some snazzy Buckhead hotspot, then we'll be off for an evening of fun....wish you all could join us...now wouldn't that be a blast?!?!

PIctures as promised...yay for blogger!

....we used hubby's new camera phone so we'll see how they turn out...:)

Hiking to the top of Amicalola Falls...this is a rest stop by the creek...its almost straight up but my hiking shoes were fabulous!

The falls, the highest in Georgia...a mile from top to bottom..

Does the sky get that blue everywhere??

That's me on the stairs...:) no doubt shouting Hallelujah! :)

I have to agree with Much Afraid...the water does sing a happy song on its way down the mountainside...

view from the top...well almost the top....

God made a glorious world..but God does not live in nature....

God lives in ME!

GA Mtns.

Has blogger been a bugger this week or what?!?!

We had a glorious time in the GA mtns last weekend. We had spectacular weather and the leaves were awesome!! We visited apple orchards and quaint little towns, saw incredible vistas and marveled at God's handiwork, saw pumpkins lying in the fields, hiked the Amicalola Falls and watched a raccoon struggle to hang onto a branch high above the highway....very funny little fellow...he made it to safety...but I'll bet his mama scolded him for being out in the daytime...haha..... We enjoyed gourmet cuisine and a roaring fire. We gazed at the stars from a lucious hot tub...yum! Hopefully blogger will let me post pictures...not of the hot tub...so forget that...lol

I wonder...do Christians appreciate nature just a bit more...does everyone feel that strong feeling of sheer joy with the urge to praise God when experiencing the glory of His creation? Can it even really be "seen" without Him? I suppose some do feel strongly, as that is where pantheism (sp?) comes from. But I know for me, something strong and perhaps supernatural wells up within me when I gaze upon His beautiful world. I cannot imagine living my life without the wide-eyed wonder that comes from knowing my Lord. He makes everything new, if only in my eyes for that moment...somehow I see it as new...so much beauty to marvel at...
and this is only a fallen world we are talking about .....

The joys of life and nature do seem to lose their glow when my eyes drift away from Him...
Lord help me keep the eyes of my heart turned toward You...in so doing, all the world shines brighter...

LIF- Taken In

I have been listening to Kutlass this week and was surprised to hear a very old chorus floating to me from the past...(this seems to be old home week :))...Perhaps you've heard this..perhaps you've sung it in your church...

Take Me In
Take me past the outer courts
Into the holy place
Past the brazen altar
Lord I want to see your face
Pass me by the crowds of people
The priests who sing your praise
I hunt and thirst for your righteousness
But it's only found in one place

Take me in to the holy of holies
Take me in by the blood of the lamb
Take me in to the holy of holies
Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am

Take me in to the holy of holies
Take me in by the blood of the lamb
Take me in to the holy of holies
Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am
Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am

So naturally I've been singing it around the house...I said to my husband.."remember this one?"...he just smiled...
then today he told me...that song was one of the first ones..one of the first times, I realized something was wrong..wrong with our Christianity...wrong with the way we "do" church...something was terribly wrong...

And you know, its true..
Do we have any idea, any concept of what was done for us on the cross...of what dramatically occured IN US/TO US when we became believers? I think not...else why would we continue in our Old Testament mentality of begging God to come to us, fall on us...bring us in...etc. etc. etc.

The work has been done...It is finished....He has already brought us into the holy of holies and changed us forever...but not only us...He changed the way of doing things...FOREVER...He has come to dwell with us and in us.... no longer afar off...

My friend says in her book.....Red State of Mind....if Christianity is true...why aren't we dancing in the aisles and shouting hallelujah...
It is true...it is dramatic and it is real...and it has ALREADY happened...to me...

I live in the holy of holies..where He lives....

Lord, give us a revelation of who we are in You, of where we are in You...of just what incredible thing happened when you died and rose again...


I would change the words to this song...and in my heart I have already...

Taken in to the holy of Holies
Taken in by the blood of the Lamb
Taken in to the holy of holies

You took the coal, touched my lips
Here I am......

Misc.

Our office is moving this week...just saw our new digs...very nice...
Free Chick fil a lunch tomorrow for our office provided by 104.7 the Fish , courtesy of moi....:)
I'm working 3 nights this week...
Going to the mountains with my hubby this weekend to celebrate that 30th anniversary.
Heard from our old friend and saw pictures of his family.....funny how you can not even realize you miss someone til you see their face or hear their voice....
Took my mom to her doctor's appt. today. She looks too young to be retired....my mom, that is...;)
Read some of my blog friend, Nancy French's new book...was laughing outloud in the doctor's office by page 7.
My sis is coming for a visit this weekend...yes, I know I'll be in the mountains...maybe I'll get to see her on Friday night.
She reports that Jada is taller.....

Hadassah...One Night With the King

Did I mention that I saw One Night with the King over the weekend? I'm all for supporting any decent films derived from the Bible that appear on the scene and from what I'm hearing Fox has created a division of their film company to do just that along with other family friendly fare. I'm happy to see Hollywood finally catching on that there is a definite market for this type of films and that Christians will not only go to the theater but they will purchase the DVDs, and assorted paraphanalia that goes along with them for themselves and others.

One Night with the King was a beautiful movie...wide and encompassing...epic like. The set and scenery were grand, the costumes were detailed, the actors were good...some even famous....the story was told pretty well although here's where my praise begins to falter....I decided that there was a good bit of talking and not nearly as much action as modern audiences are used to which is fine for kids but this is an adult themed story and it did deal with the warring nation of Persia. Although the story line was fairly clear...there were several places where had I not known the tale I would have had difficulty connecting the dots to understand the "whys" of it all. Also I felt that what should have been the most dramatic moments of the story were not highlighted quite enough...they seemed anticlimatic...for example...when Esther enters the Kings court, unsummoned the first time and he raises his scepter to her...the message is clear that she is facing death to do so...it is clear that the court is appalled at her action...but when the moment arrives...the drama is placed more on the body guard about to slay her than on the king raising the scepter to spare her....
I would also say that this is the only sexy scene in the film...which is fairly unrealistic I would think with harem girls "trying out" to be queen...if the king is smitten by Esther he doesn't really show it so when he does ask her to be queen it makes you wonder why...although he says he has been able to think of nothing but her...you don't see any of that in the movie.
The thing that bothered me most was a sort of secondary message, or perhaps it was the primary message, concerning the Greeks and democracy. The entire war with the Greeks and the blaming of the Jews for being sympathizers was centered around democracy and the Persians fear of it. I felt it was a thinly veiled ploy to deliver a moral to the story, a pro American/anti terrorist type message ... something you definitley do not see in the Book of Esther...and in my opinion inappropriate and unnecessary.
I do look forward to more groundbreaking Christian and family films in the future. Hopefully this one will pave the way a bit more.

Did you see it? What did you think?

Surreal

I had a strange surreal kind of weekend....On Sat. & Sun. my hubby was out of town and I had absolutely nothing on my mind....no errands to run, no chores to do...nothing...at least nothing I could think of. It seemed as if my mind was detached from the rest of me and floating aimlessly around with nothing to think about or accomplish, my body moved around but not too much came of it...:)....strange....I'm usually so focused.
Then yesterday I worked all day at Lands' End...well not exactly worked...actually I sat in a training session all day...it was fairly boring and again, surreal...out in the mall, business was happening, people were hurrying about but inside our conference room...nothing...reading and occasionally some discussion...strange and it didn't seem at all like a Sunday.....who goes to Sears at 8am on a Sunday?!?
This morning traffice was bizarre...and that's saying alot for Atlanta where bizarre is the norm....I sat through the light one block from my building at least 4-6 times, thought I would never get here and briefly considered parking at Wendy's and walking to work...I finally did arrive to find everything topsy turvy at the office...we are moving to a new location on Friday so everyone is in jeans(except me, I forgot) and packing....strange....
and to top it all off...I opened my email to find a note from an old friend...a very old friend - GC....
how in the world did he find us? Through my blog?!? Perhaps he read my post on our anniversary. He was there at that Tuesday wedding ceremony...:) but we haven't been in contact since our children were babies....wow!
So nice to hear from him! and isn't technology amazing...that someone from 30 years ago could find us and reach out to us...out of the blue....strange and surreal....
He did it once before...we hadn't heard from him in a few years...we were moving from our hometown in AL to the wilds of the big city of Philadelphia...literally, we were loading the truck, preparing to drive out in a day or two.....and guess who knocked on our door? It was GC....out of the blue...like today....just before we fell off the planet...well as far as AL would be concerned....PA might as well be the moon.
I guess he has a knack for finding us....back then we attributed it to the Lord...perhaps His hand is in it this time too...I never did believe in coincidences...:)

I think I'm gonna have a cup of Earl Grey....prepare my files for packing and see what this day may bring...wondering if the strange and surreal will continue....

*****************************
10:45 am update...
It continues...I just won lunch for my whole office from a local Christian radio station....

LIF

Heard this old chorus on the radio this week...and it must be the old version cause I can't find anything in Google about it...who sings it, who wrote it...nothing...but it comes back to me from out of the past and has more value and meaning today than it did years ago when I first heard it
It certainly speaks to where I live....hidden in Him , wrapped in His mercy and grace...and I am SO incredibly grateful that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

Be encouraged dear Christian....He cannot love you more, an dnothing you can do will make him love you less....cause when He looks at you ....He sees His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased....

When He see me, He sees His righteousness
He see His Holy Spirit filling up the emptiness
When He looks at me, He sees the blood He shed
I'm glad He sees Himself each time He looks at me!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Today's the day! It has been exactly 30 years since my hubby and I said "I Do".
Sometimes I can hardly believe so much time has passed....and sometimes I can barely remember not being married. :)
We got married on a Tuesday night...weird I know, but I never even thought it strange til we were planning my daughter's wedding last year...:)
Our friends were all highschool kids involved in band and football on weekends and everyone was local so a week night wasn't a big deal...
Yes we were babies...but very growny babies...LOL
fresh out of highschool...hey, at least we waited til we graduated...quite a few of my acquaintances did not....and it was quite respectable in those days and in the deep South to marry young...many of those couples are still together....
not one person questioned our decision...perhaps we looked perfect together...perhaps we were the "responsible" types...but no one, not our parents, our friends nor our respective pastors had one word of caution to offer. We were meant to be..:)
And it has turned out to be one decision I have never regretted nor questioned. Though I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.....
We have grown up together, practically and spiritually....We have seen some very hard days, experienced some incredible highs, produced 3 amazing children and seen much of the world together. We have had the priviledge of participating in the Father's business for our entire married life together. God has been very good to us....
so for us...it was the Right Thing to do.....

He is my sweetheart, my lover, my friend...he has shown me the Lord in such a way that I can never be thankful enough and often think that I might not know the Lord in any depth at all, were it not for my husband. He is the best man I've ever known and I consider myself the luckiest girl on earth....
and that aint too bad after 30 years...

My Sweet Tooth

I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately, as noted by my reference to an Oreo McFlurry in my last post.. :) I usually try not to keep too much in the way of sweets in my house...it seems the more of them I eat...the more of them I want and you know where that goes....straight to the bottom...mine that is...:) But lately I guess I'm just getting in the mood for the yummy stuff the upcoming seasons bring....

Today a co-worker brought in these awesome homemade chocolate-peanutbutter-fudge topped brownies...completely decadent!! They were soooo good! and sooo Southern (some of you know what I'm talkin about :)) these are Christmas goodie good....probably put me right to sleep in a half hour or so...:)
Makes me wanna break out the recipes I usually reserve for the holidays and make something really yummy....which I've been comtemplating for several evenings already.

Our family has a few things we make at holiday time that are surrounded by tradition and memories. My kids beg for them and beg to make them each year. One is sugar cookies which aren't special in the recipe but everyone loves to cut out and decorate them and all my kids have participated since they were 3...this year will be Jada's turn to get involved in the making and maybe I'll get her Poppy in on it too. He's very artsy so he would turn out some holiday shaped masterpieces, I'm sure, all the while educating Jadabear on how its done...:)

Another traditional goodie we made, usually as a family, is one we creatively call "chocolate balls" lol....they are a timeless tradition in our family and waaay better than their boring name implies....we usually end up making several batches so that everyone can participate and so everyone gets some to take home...because we eat a lot along the way... :)

Here's the recipe..straight from my memory...well I did double check with my mom to be sure... :)

1 C graham cracker crumbs (if you don't use Nabisco Honeymaid they don't taste right)

1 Bx confectioners sugar

1 & 3/4 sticks melted butter, margerine works fine

2 Tbls peanut butter

3/4 C chopped pecans

3/4 C shredded coconut ( we leave this one out...no one likes coconut)

1 tsp vanilla

mix well and roll this mixture into small one inch balls

place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper

insert a toothpick into each ball

freeze for 1/2 hour

meanwhile...

melt together 3/4 of a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and

2 oz. parafin in a double boiler

dip frozen balls into the melted mixture and set back on the waxed paper to harden, remove toothpicks.

makes approx. 100 pieces

YUM! we keep them in the fridge to keep the chocolate coating firm.

(Note: Parafin is wax...plain ole' candle wax, and can usually be found in the section carrying canning supplies or the baking section...it hardens the melted chocolate into a candy like shell)

Ouch, that sweet tooth is screaming! I may not be able to wait til its officially "holidays"..I may have to go home and make something tonight!

Do you have holiday cooking traditions or recipes you'd care to share?

G is for GiGi

Hubby has been visiting with my daughter and my Jada this past weekend....They called me on the phone to share Jada's amazing skills with the alphabet...she knows all her letters...the sounds that they make..and she knows that G is for Gigi...:)

He brought her a stuffed Babar elephant from Europe which he delivered along with a Babar story book we picked up...that child does love books...

Jada's mommy got some work done on her car this weekend and some much needed one on one with her daddy....

I missed the action but had a very pleasant weekend alone at home...did I ever mention that I love being alone in my house...especially on days like yesterday when the sky is blue, the air is fresh and the windows are open. I spent the day, reading, singing and sitting in the sun on my back deck, planting mums and arranging my fall decor, shopping for groceries and candles...and treating myself to an Oreo McFlurry...yum! Plus I haven't cooked since Thurs! lol

LIF and thank yous...

I truly appreaciate all the kind words, empathy, prayers and encouragement I received from my last post. I've said many times and will say again...my blogging friends have saved my life! and its true.... you have been the voice of the Lord to me over and over...and I thank you.

Last night I was going through some old songs looking for one in particular and I ran across this one. Often in the churches we fellowship with, we take familiar songs and re-write them changing the words maybe a little, maybe completely...this one is written to the tune of "Do, Re, Mi" from the Sound of Music....try it...:)
It is my Lyrics I Feel for today


When we call upon our Lord,
He becomes reality.
Life He gives abundantly,
As a river flowing free.

With a new Life we begin;
Joy is springing from within!
Love- He fills us to the brim,
And its all because of Him.

Hallelujah!

So we now can eat the Lord;
Thus He meets our every need.
Uncreated Life indeed,
He is true reality.

Life of Christ abundantly.
Flowing out from you and me;
Love and peace without, within.
And its all because of Him....

And its all- be- cause- of Him!


I love the realization that another Life, uncreated divine Life, is living inside of each believer and flows out from one to another to meet that deep need we have for more of Him. Thank you Lord, for my brothers an sisters in Christ!

There's gotta be more....

I'm not one usually to question why....my God is an awesome God, bigger and more complex than I can imagine (I well remember the day He got out of my box)....and He holds me and my world in the palm of His hand......
However for the last couple of days I have been thinking on the immortal question of "Why?"

I get up everyday....feed the dog, get ready for work...go to work, come home, eat, do a few chores, watch a little TV, sleep and start it all over again...with a second job thrown in for fun, and I mean that literally...my hubby pretty much does the same...we live in a city, in a state...alone...my mom lives with us but other than that...we have no friends, no family, no church, no anything...our kids are in 3 different states....each of them is on a similiar treadmill...waiting for their lives to happen....each of us are basically alone....each of us are bored and restless...mostly we each have very good reasons for being where we are...and the distinct inablilty to "get out" of our situations....and it isn't just for a moment either....this has been the situation for months...years for some of us.....so back to my question..."Why?" What is the Lord doing?
I am reading Hinds Feet in High Places....and like Much-Afraid...I have been to the Desert of Egypt, and the Mountain of Injury, walked through the Valley of Humiliation and suffered the Valley of Loss..maybe a few times on some of these...I have spent what has seemed eons near the Sea of Loneliness....
But just now,.... at this point in my life and my walk with the Lord...I have no idea of where I am...where we are, myself, my hubby, or my children....I have no clue what He is doing with us. It seems we are all wandering....it seems somewhat desolate....perhaps more for some of us than others....but it is not the desert...I sense my Lord is here...I can drink from His well at any time, there is food though is is not tasty.... but this is definitley not a lush garden or a valley of great beauty....it really just seems like a place of nothingness......and I'm wondering as I'm wandering ...."Why Lord?.... what purpose is there in this?.....how long, Lord? When do we get to start or re-start our lives? Is this it? (ok so I have more than one question..)
I really am getting the idea that Limbo is a real place...perhaps it should be written into Hinds Feet....the Plains of Limbo....
What of value comes from limbo...? hmmmmm?

Isn't this AWESOME!?!?

THIS IS A FIRE RAINBOW - THE RAREST OF ALL NATURALLY OCCURING ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA. THE PICTURE WAS CAPTURED JUNE 3rd 2006 ON THE IDAHO/WASHINGTON BORDER.

THE EVENT LASTED ABOUT 1 HOUR.

CLOUDS HAVE TO BE CIRRUS, AT LEAST 20K FEET IN THE AIR, WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ICE CRYSTALS AND THE SUN
HAS TO HIT THE CLOUDS AT PRCEISELY 58 DEGREES.

This is true according to snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/firerainbow.asp

All I can say is WOW!

Today's the Day!

Today is the day my friend Nancy French's new book is released! Yay!
CONGRATULATIONS NANCY!!!
See my recent post on it here...
and take a read to get better acquainted with this very funny author at Time Warner's "Author's Lounge" sites here and here .
She's a girl with a very humorous take on life who ....actually has something to say! :)

Order from Amazon.com and get your copy today! :)

Bits and pieces

I haven't had one song's lyrics pounding in my brain this week...which is strange for me...:)

Here are some bits and pieces of songs I have heard this week that have stood out in my mind...


You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
Worth living for
And still more awesome than I know
Enough by Chris Tomlin

Come along, I'll walk you through the world
And we will sing a different song
I Am by Bebo Norman


Every time I see You, all Your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song, rising up in me
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing) by Brenton Brown and Brian Doerksen


May God's song rise up in you.....

Like sheep led to the slaughter

Truly reflections of their Lord and Master....this article made me cry...and pray that, given similar circumstances, I would have the grace to live out my faith in such a Christlike manner as these.

Things I stop and say "Thank You" for almost every single day

1. My scrumptious NASA invented, molding foam, thermarest, whatever bed!
2. My cute little sporty blue car.... with a sunroof..:)
3. The sun...I can't get enough of it...I think I'm sun deficient....
4. My Hubby...he's just amazing!
5. The sky...I am almost daily awed and moved to thankfulness by either the endless blue, the fluffy clouds, the blackness with pinpoints of stars or the deep rolling grey clouds...especially the stars at night....
6. My children...Jeff, Bek, James, & Kate...I am so blessed! and so proud!
7 The Lord...thankful to the Lord, for Himself... :)
8. The flowers I drive by each morning on my way to work..they take my breath...
9. My Jada...Oh God! She is so wonderful!
10. The way the curtains and linens smell with the windows open all day....yum!
11. The wind...I close my eyes and feel His touch
12. My back yard....my peaceful refuge...
13. Sweet tea.
14. You, my blog friends...its true...

....and I had absolutely no difficulty coming up with this list...

Is there something you say thanks for almost every day?

Holy Smoke

What a gorgeous weekend in the deep South!! You feel as if you can almost breathe in the season! I bought mums! I got out my fall decorations, changed out my summer and winter clothes..and my mom bought me a leaf blower!! I'm more excited about this gift than you can imagine! :)
Yesterday, after watching the Falcons trash Phoenix,(if you've never been to a live pro ballgame you should go...its the All American experience) my hubby and I made our way to a nice little barbeque joint cause you just can't eat that junk they sell for astronomical prices at professional sporting events. (if you're Southern you know what I mean by a "joint" and this one...although I think a small chain...is nothing like the Smokey Bones of last week, which is a fine upstanding restaurant in the community- lol) This one is a real "joint". My hubby and I were born and raised in Alabama and as you may know, each Southen state has their own version of perfect barbeque....weeeelllll come to find out...this is a Bama chain...so perfection was at least a possibility! :)
We walked in the door...took one sniff and my husband proclaimed..."Holy Smoke!!" in deed it was...the real thing...and I'm sure God was involved in the makings.....from the lucious pink meat, to the collards on the side, to the fresh corn on the cob, to the cheese biscuits....Oh Yeah! Now I know there really is such a thing as Holy Smoke! and you can find it at Jim & Nick's on the corner of S Cobb in Smyrna GA.....

I know you guys must think we're Bar-B que crazy...but you have to realize, we lived in PA and FL too long and my hubby's diet is so limited, we are making up for lost time! :)......actually I've lost a couple of pounds since starting my second job...so I could eat extra chesse biscuits! lol

LIF from the Song of Songs

Now when the King at table sits,
My spiknard smelleth sweet,
And myrrh and camphire from my store
I pour upon His feet.
My thankful love must be displayed,
He loved and wooed a beggar maid.

Ye daughters of Jerusalem,
I'm black to look upon
As goatskin tents; but also as
The tent of Solomon.
Without, I bear the marks of sin,
But Love's adorning is within.

Despise me not that I am black,
The sun hath burned my face,
My mother's children hated me,
And drove me from my place.
In their vineyards I toiled and wept.
But mine own vineyard have not kept.

I am not fair save to the King,
Though fair my royal dress,
His kingly grace is lavished on
My need and worthlessness.
My blemishes He will not see
But loves the beauty that shall be.

Hinds Feet on High Places - Hannah Hurnard

Is there anything more beautiful?!?!
Yes, I was black without and within...made so by sin and still I bear in my body the marks of that sin...the kind with the capital S....ugly and commanding in every way...driving me to toil on its behalf...forcing me to work harder and harder in a battle I could never win.....

Then He came....
He poured out His grace on me...yes me...He pierced my heart with His love, dressed me in fine linen and invited me to His table and though I may appear the same on the outside to the casual passerby....
Nothing is the same....

A Red State of Mind

Hi all!
I'd like to introduce you to a blogging friend of mine, Ms. Nancy French. She is a southern girl like myself who grew up in Tennessee, not far from my neck of the south and spent some interesting time in the nether regions of the north such as NY and Philadelphia, as did I,... plus she is a sweet Christian as well.
A few years ago...during one of our recent Presidential elections, she found herself, an active Republican, plopped down in the city of Brotherly Blue. Much to her surprise...the majority of folks there have not only never heard of grits but they have never voted Republician either...she was shocked, appalled and goaded into action by such things as anti Bush posters at her daughter's school, the pledge of Allegiance with "under God" left out...and many other incidents that she retells to us with great hilarity in her new book, A Red State of Mind.
Her book can be pre-ordered at a discount through Amazon before the publishing date of Oct. 9th and although I haven't read it yet, I can't wait! I have read lots of Nancy's work and have found her to be honest, politically savvy, purely conservative and completely hilarious. Check her out for yourself.

Lands' End

For all you curios out there...Sears has either purchased Lands End or made some sort of merger with them and consequently you should have been able to buy some Lands End products at Sears for the last couple of years....Now they are opening a few Lands End Shops within a select number of Sears stores around the country....ours is one of them. It is conveniently located in the mall just across the street from my FT, decent paying, benefit providing yet boring job....the pay at this new PT job....well how shall I say it....it sucks...BUT...I do make the hourly plus commission...and YES, I do get a nice discount. I'm only working 15 hours a week...I go right over after my FT job with an hour inbetween to eat...it provides some exercise,(standing up for hours does count) some social interaction, a few extra dollars in my pocket....and a nice discount on some lovely things....:) I probably won't bring home a dime! lol
I have worked 2 jobs off and on for the past 4 years....it does take some getting used to and I was really tired this past weekend, but hey...it has its perks....

I for one am dying to get away to the mountians...they do not, however, look like that picture just yet. That is from last year....Right now I am researching cabins available the last week or two of October....my anniversary and the most gorgeous time of the year just happen to coincide so hopefully we will get up there to see those colors when they do arrive. It won't be exactly shabby around Atlanta either....we are already having some lovely weather though no turning leaves yet. What do you think of this one?

Its Monday again...and officially fall

Spent the weekend like this....
Sat. working at my new 2nd job here...
Sunday, rainy day... doing a few chores around the house but mostly laying on the couch watching football....
and eating out here... :)
How was yours?

Great comments to my Friday post...gotcha thinking didn't I? :)

Worship or Fellowship?

Remember the post I did last Friday for Lyrics I Feel....well its been bugging me ever since. The more I have thought about it the more convinced I am that I DO NOT believe we were made soley for worship.
Worship seems to me to be all about servanthood, and is rooted in the soul...now don't get me wrong. I do feel that we should worship our Lord...and if He has truly done a work in your life you cannot help but to worship and adore Him and it can be a very spiritual thing...However I am convinced that He is reaching out to lift us up from off the floor where we have prostrated ourselves and that His desire is to commune with us face to face. I am persuaded that we are actually made to fellowship...and fellowship is rooted in the spirit....
Our worship mentality is very old testament...where man and God were seperated by an endless gulf and God was fearful and harsh. We feel the need to fall on our faces and yes, as I said, when He has done incredible things in your life you really want to and should fall before Him in praise and worship but the cross changed everything...it didn't change the fact that He is deserving but it did change our position in the equation ...the gulf has been spanned, we have been made one with God through His Son and in such an intimate way that we can count Him our friend, our brother, the lover of our souls.
He is God, yes and it may seem weird to think of God having needs ...but in reality, this whole cross/God/ resurection thing was all about Him...He had needs...He needed to expand Himself, to have more fellowship ....so He made a plan...a way to increase Himself...it involved the slaying of His Son, the birth of His woman, the Church and it involves you and me.
He wants so badly to have fellowship, He wants to be seen and known for who He really is...just like we do...we get it from Him, you know...
Now He has called us "no longer servants but friends".... Amazingly, I was chosen before the foundations of the world to be IN Him...and through His work on the cross to be IN His body, His Church, His Bride.

Perhaps God and man are not so terribly different...both have need to be known, to be seen, to have companionship...

To my way of thinking I was not made primarily for worship ..... I was predestined for fellowship with God Himself...a much higher calling don't you think?

Stories to tell....

One of the places my hubby went on this trip was to visit a church he planted about 7-8 yrs ago in Tirana, Albania. The churches he plants are self governed with no appointed pastors or leaders. They are very hands on do-it-your self styled churches with periodic visits from him to encourage and offer practical help. He hasn't been to this particular group in a year and a half. They are very isolated, with few other Christians or godly influences around them so they offer a unique look into what first century church might have been like. My husband strives to give them Christ without damaging their own national personality, without Americanizing them, if you will, (Christianity is not synonymous with American...:)) so their perspective and understanding of Christ and His Church are very simple and pure.
It is a beautiful thing to see a group of Christians following after Christ with pure hearts while maintaining their own indigenous personality as a church. From such can come unspeakable depths and riches.
Here is a poem written recently by one of the brothers in this church, shared in the meetings of the church and now with us. It is a rough English translation but I think the message is clear.

YOUR HOME

I followed your steps on the snow

On the ices of this earth I slid

They brought me to this house

That your hand had built

There's a Fire inside this home

That fills it with warmness

It's a fire that never dies

And that fire is you Christ!

This is a home of living stones

Enfolded in embrace

Around the undying Fire

Singing unending praise

Your name was on the stones

Masterfully engraved

They held together in love

The love that only you are

A tree grew in the house

In the likeness of a vine

And its fruit is alive and free

For Christ you are that tree

There is a river running through

Overflowing living water

Pure water like crystal glow

And the river is You, I know.

A slaughtered lamb was there

At the foot of the door

With its blood, wounds are healed

Living proof of love that's Yours.

This is a house of wonders

Mind can never comprehend it

Full of eternal love

That pours from God above

Eden, The Tent and The Temple

Were this house's shadows

But now stands on living stones

Glory of Christ is this home