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