More Than Wonderful - LIF

My family is a family of singers...my great grand parents taught singing school, have you ever heard of singing fa so la?? :)
My grandmother on the other side played the piano by ear and I'm sure sang along...
my mom sings...my dad sang and played guitar, my sisters both have been singing publicly for years.....my son sings and plays saxaphone in a band right now.....my daughters sing...one in musical theater and one to her baby....its in our blood.
A long time ago...I used to sing publicly....I sang whenever and wherever I could. I sang in choruses and choirs...in ensembles and a band...I sang at weddings and graduations.....I sang in my car and in the shower....I sang alone or in groups.....but mostly I sang in church. I loved the Lord and I loved to perform.......After rehearsing for a performance one Sunday, I remember one church member, at a church I had recently joined, saying..."I knew you could sing...but I didn't know you could sing!" :)
Songs move me...they speak to me and for me....such deep things that I cannot articulate nor communicate by myself....God surely did an awesome thing when He created music and song and shared them with us.
One of my sisters and I often sang together, in the good ole days...she alto and I lead.....I heard this song we used to perform, last weekend....the first time in ages....and I've been singing it all week long....
It is more powerful to me today than it was then...maybe I've grown...I hope so!...but it resounds even deeper in my spirit now that it did 25 yrs ago. Wish I knew how to link the sound of it for LIF....

More Than Wonderful

Gary Valenciano

He promised us that He would be counselor
A mighty God and the Prince of Peace
He promised us that He would be a Father
And He would love us with a love that would not cease

Well I tried Him and I found His promises are true
He's everything He said that he would be
The finest words I know could not begin to tell
Just what Jesus really means to me

For He's more wonderful than my mind can conceive
He's more wonderful than my heart can believe
He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams
He's everything that my soul ever longed for
Everything He'd promised and so much more
More than amazing
More than marvelous
More than miraculous could ever be
He's more than wonderful
That's what Jesus is to me

I stand amazed when I think that the King of Glory
Would come to lie within the heart of man
Oh, I marvel just to know He really loves me
When I think of who He is and who I am

For He's more wonderful than my mind can conceive
He's more wonderful than my heart can believe
He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams
He's everything that my soul ever longed for
Everything He'd promised and so much more
More than amazing
More than marvelous
More than miraculous could ever be
He's more than wonderful
That's what Jesus is to me

She's going Home!!

Jada Update...
Yaay! Doctor says there's no foreign matter in there, after an early morning CT. He is sending her home with 10 days worth of IV antibiotic, they put in a pick line so her mom can administer it at home...(has anyone ever heard of that??).
We are all so thankful!
Her mommy has another log to add to the blaze... last night her window was smashed and her car broken into...nothing stolen, but still..one more headache..when it rains it pours....

thank you all so very much for your prayers!!

My Sister

I love my sister! Well, I love all my sisters and though I only have 2 biological ones I have many in the Lord. They have stood by me through thick and thin and I can't thank the Lord enough for them....however....right now I am particularly grateful for one of my biological sisters... She is 8 yrs younger than I and we grew up in different worlds so she has always been a bit seperated from me...just by practical dynamics. Still she has won my heart and we are sisters in two realms which is by far the very best kind of sister to have!

She moved into my house to live when she was 18. I had 3 small children so to them she was their radiant big sis. Always time to play and bringing them presents and such. When we left our home town and moved 1000 miles away to Philadelphia, she came with us.
When I couldn't get to the class party for one kid because of a sick one at home..she went...
when I could only get a few simple gifts for Christmas or birthdays because of the demands of a house and family...she bought great surprises.....she always had time to read stories or go shopping or to the movies with them and some of my kids' best childhood memories are of her and her hubby taking them out, playing games with them, or taking them to MickyDs...

She was the "emergency" number on my kids' lists at school and strangely enough...each time my youngest, Kate, needed someone in an emergency, I was away and my sister was called. She has been there and held Kate in crisis many times. Through hospital trips and stiches as a child to broken hearts and trying circumstances as a teen, to baby sitting for Kate's own baby when she as a single mom had to get a job and go to work at the tender age of 18.
Now in this crisis, she is there...acting as my surrogate once again...standing in, standing by, supporting my baby, loving her and loving me in doing so....bringing cash for food, books for Jada, calling me and filling me in as an objective voice when my little girl is overwhelmed and stressed beyond her 21 yrs.
Thank you Lord for always having her nearby when Kate is in trouble, for providing a second mommy for my little girl who has had so much life dumped on her door step at such a young age. Lord, you are good! We are so blessed! You are there in that hospital room with my girls in many ways.... one is in the form of my sister.

Jada update....
They are still keeping Jada in the hospital. She is getting 2 antibiotics by IV and her face is red and swollen but then whose wouldn't be with a stick stuck into their sinuses...yuck! If there isn't significant improvement by tomorrow they plan to do a CT scan to make sure no pieces of stick or rock candy are still in her nose/sinuses.
She is feeling fine and dandy and very tired of the whole hospital experience. She keeps asking to go home. So does her mommy. :) The hospital brought round a goodie bag with play doh and coloring books to entertain and they have an awesome playroom at Wolfsons Childrens Hosp. where she is so they are surviving. It is a hard and stressful time but surely they will send her home tomorrow...how could an infection even get started with all that antibiotic?! Thank you all so much for your prayers...we need them/Him still.

Drama in the House

Got a midnight call last nite...and you know that's not good news...
Yep, the baby is in the ER....she fell over a doll and rammed a lolly pop stick up her nose...
Oh Lord, how do they live to be grown?!?!

I asked my daughter what was happening...she says...we're waiting to be x-rayed before they pull it out...to make sure it hasn't punctured her sinuses....Jada is asleep.....
I ask, are you alone?, Who's with you?...she says...Everybody!....I say, who is everybody? She says...James(Jada's daddy), Jamar (Jada's uncle) Jiselle (Jada's aunty), Maimaw and Papaw and Gili (her best friend)....

I go back to sleep peacefully....there is an army of people standing by who love my daughter and my grandbaby. Thank you , Lord!
One hour later she calls back...they are keeping her overnight for observation and antibiotics (the stick was wooden and had been in her mouth) ....

This morning I spoke with Jada....she told me all about it very articulately and said she was a little bit scared but OK now. She will come to visit me next week and play on the swings and ride her bike with her Poppie...she's fine.....Thank you, Lord!

Kate's a bit on the frazzled side....ahh the joys of motherhood...and allniters in the hospital.....

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4:00pm UPDATE
Jada may not be responding to the antibiotic...her face is very swollen...they are trying a different antibiotic and keeping her again overnight....apparently this is a dangerous area for infection.....her young mommy and daddy are very stressed.....Please pray

Name Droppin...

My hubby is doing a fashion layout for some magazine today...he's dressing up a young upcoming star who's just finishing shooting the latest Matthew McConaughey movie....
He gets all the fun jobs!!

Ain't he purty? I do believe I could survive my Sunday drive with a few more distractions such as this along the way....lol

On a more serious note...I can actually FEEL you guys' prayers...thanks! They don't have to be long and loud for God to hear them....:)

Sunday drives, lawnmowing and other meanderings

I don't really like Sunday drives....you know, the aimless, lets just wander around and see what we can see kind of drives....I need a direction...a destination...a clearly defined route between point A and point B. I always take the Interstate when I travel so that I have more time at my destination...no detours....well, only if a detour is planned...then I'm OK with that...:)

I like deadlines...I like due dates... I need to finish things....goals and accomplishments are important to me. Bill paying and balancing the checkbook are, if not pleasurable, at least satisfying...(unless there isn't enough to go around...:))

I like to cut the grass...I can clearly see where I have been and where I am going....and when its all done, I can look over my handiwork and be satisfied in a job well done....there is nothing I enjoy more than looking over my lawn and seeing everything neat and trimmed, blooming and beautiful.

Now I realize that all of this can be taken to the extreme...and believe me, I have been there...obsessively, compulsively cleaning my house or critiqueing my work. Staying up into the wee hours just to finish some self imposed project deadline....I can be a very hard taskmaster....yet when something important to me is finished I feel a real sense of completion...a deep satisfaction. It is just the way I am made...the way God has hardwired me so to speak.

Unfortuanately I also like real, I don't do superficial very well although I have learned to make "small talk" over the years...:)
....I like to feel as if my life matters, that the things I say and do change things somehow, for someone, for the better...is that unique to me? I don't think so...lol...that's why so many of us blog...:)
But it is more important to some than others, hence the reasons people chose to work in healthcare or volunteer. I find a deep sense of fulfillment in making a difference somehow..... My life in the church has always been where I felt I really mattered, other than to my husband and in raising my children, of course. The church has always been the place in this world that I could make a difference. I am experienced, I've been a believer for years...I have seen absolutely everything in the church and I have seen God...I know Him....therefore I have found great satisfaction in sharing my faith and my experience. In some way, I suppose I think I'm aiding God....:) funny huh?

So this is what makes me uncomfortable in the position I currently find myself....a new empty nester...so no children to oversee with their many demands....my household runs very smoothly with few messes to clean up and few scheduling conflicts. I tolerate an unsatisfying and boring job with no deadlines, projects, things to take ownership of or anyone to aid....so although I make decent money, I feel pretty useless and unfulfilled there and worst of all, I have virtually no church life. My situation is such that I cannot simply "find" a local church, its not that easy for me, so....I have few outlets for sharing my faith or sharing the Lord with other believers, which is the core of my life, so all this is adding up to pretty frustrating.

Basically...I have no purpose and no direction with very little satisfaction or fulfillment and this is driving me nuts!!
Per my personality, I'm sure you can understand...
I am asking the Lord for direction, so far He's not answering... LOL...
any kind is fine...a new job?... hey, I'm game and I'm looking.
A new group of Christians to fellowship with?...sad to say it takes so long to build relationships that I don't forsee this one happening quickly by maybe He'll surprise me....
Some big new project?....I'm up for that as long as I know its Him and not me, and that there is a purpose that has some real benefit to it....
For now, I'm drifitng...I'm willing to go in any direction...really, I am...but for now the current is just floating me along aimlessly....

I don't like to waste time.....I need to see things happening.....things getting done.....making a difference somewhere or to someone, a point to it all....
I don't drift very well....

I've heard that patience is a virtue...:) so I'm trying.... I need all the virtues I can get :)
Pray for me...

Lord!

Hooray its SUMMER!

Hey, its the first day of SUMMER!!!! Of course here in GA its been summer for at least a month but we'll celebrate anyway! Forecast for today is sunny and 97 degrees...How's that for a summer kickoff? I'm always up for anything cool and fun during these hot summer months so heres one for you........

This is pretty cool and fun!

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read ...
Be sure you don't read ahead until you've worked it out!

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator.

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1756 .... If you haven't, add 1755.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are .......

YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2006) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS...

Hooray for summer!!

Christ the Fountain

When I spend time alone with the Lord I almost always have the thought, impression, sense...whatever....of water.....
usually bubbling springs cascading over mossy stones, but sometimes quiet rivers or ocean waves crashing....I suppose depending on what He is saying in me at the time....

Here's an excerpt from a book I often peruse ....
"If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink!"......He does not draw from others His supplies for humanity; He invites everbody to come and draw from Him. He is not a reservoir filled up from some other sources and liable to be exhausted; He is an original, self supplied Fountainhead.....He is more than a teacher giving instruction .....He is more than a miracle worker giving healing or meeting needs.....His supreme gift to man is Himself. From Himself flows forth the recovering influence: from the inexhaustible depths of His own being, as the very God of very God, a whole thirsty race may draw refreshment. "The water that I give you shall be in you a well of water springing up into everlasting life." It is not simply profound truths that Jesus offers, or a system of doctrine, or a beautiful model of right living. He offers Himself as the satisfier: Drink me, take me into your souls, and ye will never die of thirst.....my soul thirsts for the the living Christ! .....this fountain never dries up, is never frozen over, and no sediment defiles it.....But we must drink from the fountain, if we would receive strength, joy, life. The proclamation is not, Come to the Bible and read; or, Come to the church and listen; or, Come to the altar and pray; or, Come to the font and be baptised; or, Come to the sacramental table and partake. It is "Come unto Me and drink."
The best argument for Christ is that He alone satisfies me."

Theodore L Cuyler, "Wayside Springs from the Fountain of Life"

Amen!

The Word of our Testimony

I was hitting up some of my favorite blogs this morning and this one really struck me. The Lord has really shown me a lot about sound and words so this blog stirred up some things He has shared with me. There is much power in simply speaking outloud...now don't get me wrong, I am not caught up in the "speaking things into existence" craze the "faith" movement or any of that stuff. Not to offend but it just seems too superficial to me, but hey, that's no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. There is most definitley something to the whole speaking of things. God Himself spoke the world into being. Rev 19:10 ...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. I fully believe that by speaking who He is and what He has done, you are proclaiming who He continues to be and what He is fully capable of doing.
My hubby and I are sometimes priviledged to share the Lord with groups of people and one of the most powerful tools we have is that of telling stories of God's interaction into our lives...we tell personal stories, our family's stories and stories of the churches we have fellowshipped with. They are powerful and speak louder than the mere words we use. When visitors come into our churches the saints there are encouraged to tell their stories, how they met and became a church, what God is saying in them as a church...this practice is ancient and if you think of it....very similiar to the way Jesus ministered to people and taught His disciples....He really didn't preach very much but He did tell a lot of stories.....
Also I have found that often I don't even know what I feel or think regarding a particular something until I have spoken it out loud, formulized thoughts into verbalization.....its good for me...good for others to hear...

Below I have included a quote from my very first blog post....it has similiar thoughts ...
"I have been thinking lately about His voice. I have learned that sound can actually be seen, science has proven it. But I really already knew it inside myself. I already knew that when He speaks I see Him and when His church speaks, I see Him and upon the hearing Christ is formed in me. Science suggests that sound is possibly the basis of everything. Perhaps this is true. It lends a whole new meaning to "In the beginning was the Word" and "He upholds everthing by the word of His power" Something inside me says "Amen". "

For more on this subject you might want to check out this old blog post

Had to post this...

isn't she gorgeous?!?! I know...I'm pregidious...can't help it....she's my one and only.....

Birthday weekend

fun weekend....
drove over to Birmingham(to the mall where Taylor Hicks performed on AI) on Sat to pick up my mom......on Sunday, slept in, lazed around for a while then my hubby took me out for my birthday....allll the rest of the day...we had lunch, then went shopping (he bought me some D&G Light Blue), went to dinner and a movie...love just hanging with him. Lovely day...lovely weekend...all the kiddos checked in too....:) (they love their mamma:) )
got a few cards and well wishing messages, a singing voice mail, and a wonderful beaded necklace...and that rounds out the Birthday celebration this year....
Not telling how many years but......when I was in highschool......these were in
and this was hot .......
How was your weekend??

LIF-Only You

Often, in the churches I know, we borrow the tune to a well known song and write words to it, words that reflect what the Lord is speaking in our lives and in our meetings. They are easy to learn and easy to sing and often quite humorous as in the time someone wrote "church words" to the tune of the Budwieiser commercial "When you say Bud"... LOL (we still get a kick out of that one)
Its been done for years, of course....with many Christian hymns being written to bar tunes in past history. Even the National Anthem was a poem set to the tune of a popular song of the day. Sometimes we find a song that says something close to Godly and we re-write it....borrowing the idea and the tune to suit the message of the Lord. I find it a great advantage to hear Him in a variety of ways and this practice opens my ears to hear Him even more in unexpected places....
Perhaps we should just throw off our constraints and see Him everywhere in everything...novel idea, yes?

You know this song as a Motown tune by the Platters...but I think you'll find it suitable to our life in the Lord...after all...
Only He can right this upside down world and bring light into darkness. One touch of His hand causes everything to make sense.... sing along....

ONLY YOU (AND YOU ALONE)

Only You can make this world seem right
Only You can make the darkness bright
Only You and You alone, can thrill me like You do
And fill my heart with love for only You.

Only You can make this change in me
For it's true, You are my Destiny
When You touch my heart, I understand
The love You have for me,
You're my dream come true
My one and only You.

Blogger seems to have returned to some semblance of normal....we'll see how the day goes.....

It seems terrible to rejoice that anyone is dead....but Zarqawi......I'm glad....

Variety is not always the spice of life.....

2.61
2.66
2.81
2.76

these are some of the prices of gasoline around my house in the past 10 days....


2.76
2.83
2.89

these are some of the prices of gasoline I passed on my way in to work today.....

Is anyone really in charge? and does anyone really know WHAT is going on??

the language of God...

Ahhh, Michigan was lovely! I've only been there when it is lovely....springtime, summertime, wintertime....each time beautiful. This time, flowers blooming, trees waving gently in the breeze, sun shining, temp around 73ish....yum! Very fresh and bright!
We spent a lovely 24 hours with some lovely saints.....that too, very refreshing. thank you, Lord!

A thought for you...
Revelation is the language God speaks...some speak English, some speak French, some Chinese...God speaks Revelation...
the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of that language in your ear, in your heart...

thoughts anyone????

Just in

I finally have a few cute wedding pics sent in from friends that I can post. We have almost none of myself and my hubby (all eyes were on some other gorgeous couple, imagine that!!) but had to post these adorable pics....

Hubby and I admiring our daughter and new son-in-law in their very first dance....bittersweet moment...

THE GIRLS! aren't they adorable?!?!

Me and my sis, dancin the nite away...yes, girl dances are fun, fun! :)

SIL and daughter #2

Adorable nephews!

Worse things.....

Sorry to do this 2 blogs in a row but this is too funny and I can use the humor right now.
Since I have had teenagers to deal with in the past....I can so totally relate. LOL and it never hurts to be reminded that there are worse things....
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A father, passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see the bed was nicely-made and everything was picked up. Then, he saw an envelope propped-up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed: "Dad." With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands. It said...
Dear Dad,
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Joan and she is so nice. I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, her tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes and because she is so much older than I am. But, it's not only the passion, Dad, she's pregnant. Joan said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Joan has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for us and trading it with the others in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so Joan can get better; she sure deserves it!! Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grandchildren.
Your son, Chad
P.S. --Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in the center drawer of my desk. I love you! Call when it is safe for me to come home.