Pressing On

2009-10-05T20:11:00.003-05:00

If you have never heard of the Zoe Conference, you need to learn of this awesome opportunity in Nashville, TN every October! This was our 4th year to go and it was the best yet! The worship times were awesome, the classes were unbelievable, and the fellowship was soooooooooooooooooo fun!!!!! One (out of many) of my favorite moments was the renewal of our vow as the Bride of Christ to Him. As a body of believers all who wanted to do so were invited to stand and repeat their vows to Christ. The speaker then led the audience in saying the traditional wedding vows spoken by His bride – the church – to Christ. It was the most meaningful and moving thing I have experienced in such a long time! I knew in my head that the church is the bride of Christ, but I guess my heart had never completely embraced that concept. As we stood pledging our love, devotion, and honor to Christ in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, and forsaking all others because of our love for Him, my heart simply could not hold all the significance of those words. It was one of those moments that forever change you. There were so many ah-ha moments this weekend when I understood my Savior better. It was an amazing weekend to glorify an even more amazing God!

2009 thoughts

2009-01-05T20:06:00.000-06:00

I usually don’t make resolutions because they seem to be traps by which to measure failure. It’s not that I think they are a bad idea, but my personality doesn’t exactly shine in the consistency and long-term goal area. The only resolution I thought I had ever kept was one to not make any resolutions, but alas, in making that resolution I had already failed by making it!! AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! This year I’m making intentions. Somehow the word seems less binding than resolutions therefore my free spirit still has room to wiggle, soar, and chase the occasional chicken! Here are my intentions for 2009:

Spiritually – to seek God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a more intimate relationship. I want to explore spirituality and come to understand if there is a difference between it and Christianity. How are they different, how are they similar? Are they one in the same? I want to be very intentional about spiritual relationships. I want to have spiritual conversations and relationships that go deeper than usual conversations of friendships. I want to “live in the moment” of every moment with God close at my side.

Personally – I want to achieve some semblance of a healthy lifestyle. Hitting the amazing 50 this last year really got my attention. I celebrate my age and am very happy to have made it this far! I want to honor the temple God gave me by physically, emotionally, and mentally taking better care of it.

Now for just the fun ones:
I want to try one new recipe each week. I get so tired of the same ole’ things for dinner all the time!
I want to work on a different room of the house each month. I intend to clean, purge, organize and decorate! While it’s not all that consistent with my personality, I love to organize stuff! Those clear containers for storage are almost as good as diamonds to me! Good news for Van!

That’s it. I’m really a very basic and simple person. My goals are realistic and as random as the rest of me! I'll let you know how it goes! I'll try to post my recipe of the week and occasional other insights as the year goes along.

the Pledge of Allegiance

2008-08-17T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is worth your time to watch. Red Skelton is one of the first comedians I remember from my childhood. I love what he had to say about our nation and our pledge.

http://mpinkeyes.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/video-red-skeltons-pledge-of-allegiance/

Love, love, love, love (feel free to hum along)

2008-07-28T09:23:00.001-05:00

The theme of love keeps coming up all around me. That is just sooooo like God. It's that time of year when I begin "full steam ahead" into school planning. I had decided at the end of last year that our first Bible lessons this year would be about love. In my classroom, in a private Christian school, I have the privilege to explore with children how God meant for us to love one another. You see we are not just an assortment of people there to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic; we are a community of believers there to love and support each other while we learn reading, writing, and arithmetic! We are there as a community of believers to draw closer to God and each other. I just love that about teaching in a Christian school. I’ve taught this way for so many years now that I’m not sure I could do it any other way. I have the blessing of not only being able to talk about God openly, but He's part of the curriculum!

For all the Christian teachers out there teaching in the public school systems, you have my admiration and thanks for teaching God’s values and love to your students without violating school board policies and politically correct requirements. You are true missionaries and heroes in the Kingdom and greatly appreciated!

For our study, I don’t want us just to study how much God loves us – that alone is an amazing study! I really want to dig in with my students and begin to develop an understanding of how He requires us to love each other. As I was getting ready today this quote came through in an email from Real Simple magazine's quote of the day:

“Love is not blind–it sees more not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see
less.” Rabbi Julius Gordon

I love that! Here’s how God said it:

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

Proverbs 17:9
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

May we learn to love each other the way the Father loves us!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7

Why do we do that to each other???????

2008-07-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

Have you ever caught yourself saying or at least thinking, “I would never …” ? I think when looking at the lives of other people, rather than our own (Matt. 7:3), we often are tempted by satan to think these thoughts. I know I am.

A post by Shane http://shanecoffman.blogspot.com/ (God works powerfully through him) brought these thoughts to my mind fresh again today. How often when I see someone in a struggle with a particular sin, a fight for their child, their marriage, their occupation, or even their life do I immediately conclude, “Well, if they just would have …” or “Well, if they just wouldn’t have …”. Satan tempts us to pass judgment on others constantly.

Surely this is why scriptures speaks so much to Christians about not judging one another (Matt. 7:1-2) and yet admonishes us to “carry each others’ burdens”(Gal. 6:2), “cover a multitude of sins with love”(1 Peter 4:8), die to ourselves and serve EVERYONE !! What would our world be like if our love was so great for each other that it literally suffocated and choked out the sins of others? What would our churches by like if that was how we treated our brothers and sisters in Christ? Please God, help me to learn to love more perfectly!!!

Matthew 7
(1)"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (2) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (3) "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Galatians 6
(1) Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (2) Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (3) If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (4) Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, (5) for each one should carry his own load.

1 Peter 4
(8) Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (9) Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (11) If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Awwwwwww, summer!

2008-07-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I’ve been absent from the blog world for awhile! Since I lasted posted in April, my knee has gotten better and I’m doing fine most of the time with it. I also have turned 50 and don’t think I said much about that. Funny, but just today I came across a quote that describes the significance of being 50 yrs. old.

“The years teach much which the days never knew.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love that quote and I value every year. Yes, 50 is indeed fabulous!!!

In other news, school was finally out the end of May. This year I had taken the job of After Care coordinator as well as worker. I did so to pad the wedding budget which was good, but it really did add a lot to the stress and strain of the year. I’m glad it’s over, I glad I experienced it, and I’m glad I’m not doing it again next year! I’m looking forward to being able to concentrate my attention on just my classes. For now, I'm enjoying summer and finally getting to do some reading and studying that I've looked forward to. I'll share more on that later.

Still, in other news, our daughter, last child at home, our only girl and baby of the family – does that clue you in on how big a deal this was – got married on June 14th. I have to say it was one of the most wonderful, beautiful, and yet intense moments of my life!! She was absolutely beautiful and radiant, he was designed by God just for her, and the wedding was wonderful! She later thanked us for making all her hopes and dreams come true! I’d call that a successful wedding! I treasured each moment, but as with so many things in life, I’m glad it is behind us now.

Now, for the latest breaking news, WE ARE EMPTY NESTERS!!!! It is now just the two of us again. We are a couple again. Don’t get me wrong, your life is still blessed with your children and still very connected with theirs, but the dynamics do change. It is fun to suddenly be just the two of us. I just hope I can figure out how to cook for two again. Really, with our schedule from the last year, I just hope I can figure out how to cook again – period! We are enjoying more quiet moments even though our lives are still very busy and we talk to our kids quite often, being a couple again is amazing!

Ouch!!!!! Is it suppose to feel this way???????????

2008-04-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

Good news came today in the fact that I do not need knee replacement surgery! My cartilage depth looked good, but there is considerable grinding, popping, and crunching going on. The doctor actually chuckled when he moved my knee around and said, "Yeah, you've got a lot of noise going on in there!" He said the problem is my cartilage is actually very "roughed up" and there were two ways to treat it. Option 1 was an injection today of Kenalog into the knee joint to buy a little time and help relieve some of the pain. Option 2 is surgery to go in and smooth off the rough places and clean out my knee. My knee is in need of some spring cleaning! I asked if I chose Option 1 would I be able to avoid surgery. He lauged and said we would leave that option on the table for now, but he recommended going with Option 1 for now, especially since we have a major event coming up in our family soon!

The interesting thing for me was that I've had these type of injections several times before (elbow twice, left thumb joint, right toe joint, and both heals) and relief wasn't immediate but pretty quickly. I got the injeciton at 9:15 A.M. and it now hurts soooooooooooooooooooooooo much worse than it did before the injection!!!!! What's up with that???????

Can anyone shed any light on that for me?

What punctuation mark are you?

2008-04-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

Being an English teacher, this was one personality quiz I couldn't resist! Thanks to Brenda and Theresa for finding this one. I'm not very internet savy so I've linked you there the only way I know how! http://www.blogthings.com/whatpunctuationmarkareyouquiz/

Enjoy, and let me know what punctuation mark you are! Here's mine:

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic.
You enjoy almost all facets of life.
You can find the good in almost anything.
You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.
You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.
Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.(But with so many competing interests, your friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)
You excel in: Inspiring people
You get along best with: The Question Mark

From pigtails to wedding veils

2008-04-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

Where did the time go?????? Eight weeks from today my baby girl will promise the rest of her life to the love of her life. At times I’m giddy with excitement for her, and at times I’m overwhelmed with memories of a little girl who loved to pick flowers, play kitchen, and dolls. If I had searched the whole world over, I couldn't have found a better man to become my daughter's husband. He loves her way more than he loves himself and just a little less than he loves his Lord. As I said, he is perfect for her. They are such a fun couple! It is an interesting phase of life when your daughter moves from being your child to one of your best friends. It’s the greatest feeling ever! I’ve been a very blessed Mom; my children have all married (or are about to marry) amazing people! It's so like God to fulfill our heart's desires in ways that we never dreamed! Van claims that when we met, one of the first things I told him about myself was that I wanted six children! Well, my health only held out for three, but as of June 14th, I will have all six of my children - three girls and three boys! Isn't God amazing! We are in the midst of wedding mania and having a ball! I find myself, as Mary did, treasuring each moment in my heart.

Pets!

2008-03-08T19:23:00.000-06:00

We have a cat named Annie. She is sweet, cute, and cuddly, but sometimes she absolutely drives me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! As winter gives way to spring, she LOVES to be outside. You see she is somewhat of an indoor/outdoor cat. She prefers to go out at night under the cover of darkness. If the weather is nice, she will drive us crazy meowing at the door once twilight arrives and will usually stay out for quite a while. We’re not sure where she goes, but the neighbors’ backyard security light goes on and off a lot while she is out. Now, you would think that most indoor/outdoor cats wouldn’t still need a litter box, but not our cat!!!!!!! One night this week she meowed nonstop to get to go outside. We let her out and she had been exploring for a while when we heard her at the back door meowing to come back in. When we let her in, she ran straight to her litter box, took care of business and then straight back to the door and started meowing to go back outside!!!! What’s wrong with that cat?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?! What crazy things do your pets do??????

Four Days Late

2008-03-04T21:42:00.000-06:00

This song has been around a while, but has just recently caught my attention. While I am not a big Southern Gospel music fan, the lyrics to this song bring me to tears everytime I hear it.

Four Days Late

The news came to Jesus please come fast.
Lazarus is sick and without Your help he will not last.
Mary and Martha watched their brother die
They waited for Jesus- He didn't come.
They wondered why.
The death watch was over; buried four days.
Somebody said He'll soon be here
The Lord's on His way.
Martha ran to Him and then she cried
"Lord if You had been here- You could have healed him. He'd still be alive.
But You're four days late; and all hope is gone.
Lord we don't understand why You've waited so long."
But His way is God's way.
It's not yours or mine
But isn't it great when He's four days late- He's still on time!
Jesus said, "Martha, show Me the grave."
But she said, "Lord You don't understand- he's been there four days!""
The grave stone was rolled back.
Then Jesus cried, "Lazarus! Come forth!"
Then somebody said, "He's ALIVE! He's ALIVE!"
Right know you may be fighting a battle of fear
You've cried to the Lord "I need You now!" But He has not appeared.
My friend don't be discouraged
Cause He's still the same.
He'll be right here and He'll roll back your stone and He'll call out your name!
When He's four days late and all hope is gone
Lord we don't understand why You've waited so long.
But His way is God's way it's not yours or mine
But isn't it great when He's four days late- He's still on time!
Oh my God it's great when He's four days late- He's still on time!!!

Blessed beyond Measure

2008-02-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

Tonight was one of those nights you imagine in movies. I never thought I would ever get to sit outside my life and peak in on it and just study how incredibly blessed I am. I found myself sitting a little ways off from “the action” and able to just soak it all in.

Our kids planned a family evening of food and fellowship at a local restaurant where our oldest son is a waiter. Of course the plan was to get a big table in his serving area and all be together. Well, as things sometimes go, they had just seated a party of twenty in his area shortly before our arrival. They could split us up and put some at a booth and some at a table. We had them seat all our kids together and we sat at a table close by. Instead of being disappointing, it was amazing! We were just far enough away that they had their own conversations and interactions, but close enough that we were a part of the group. There was an awning over the area where we were eating and their booth was brightly lit so it had the feeling of looking into a window from the shadows outside. I know they caught me starring at them occasionally as they laughed, talked, and enjoyed each other’s company. I just couldn’t take my eyes off that sight! My blessings all in front of me; my children, my daughter-in-love and soon to be son in-love (I hate the "in-law" thing - it was love that brought these precious people to our family not law!), and my precious granddaughters! Van and I sat for a while in the shadows talking and giggling in our own world and then just soaking it in!! I am incredibly blessed!

Mother’s Day came early this year. That snapshot in my mind and in my heart that brings such deep and penetrating joy is priceless!! Thank you God for my family! I am blessed beyond measure!

A Child-like faith

2008-02-09T22:40:00.000-06:00

I haven't been on here in a very long time. It's been a very difficult school year and it doesn't look like it is going to get any easier anytime soon. My daughter and a dear friend have double tagged me so I will answer that soon; however, there is another post that must come first. When I got on my blog for the first time since this fall, I couldn't believe that my last post was about a student's death. That is what brings me here again. One of our precious 1st graders died one week ago of complications with asthma. It has been so hard to believe. We were just beginning to see daylight again since Ashley's death. We had just made it through homecoming on Saturday when she, as the reigning Homecoming queen, should have crowned the new Homecoming queen. Instead, her jerseys were retired and she was remembered and the tears flowed once again. Then during the night on Sunday, a precious little 6 year old boy gasped his final breath. J.J. had an enthusiasm for life that you couldn't help but catch. He found such joy in every moment of life. Despite his own hardship, he made everyone who came in contact with him feel like life was the greatest thing ever! His death has been such a shock. On Tuesday his parents and grandparents came to school to attend chapel with all his classmates, friends, teachers, and staff. It was a wonderful time of healing worship, and community. As the classes were dismissed from chapel, each class waited their turn to give his parents and grandparents a hug from every child and teacher. We all felt better by having the opportunity to love them. Later when the teachers were talking about the children and how it had gone, one of the teachers told what J.J.'s best friend had said when he found out. His words were profound, heart wrenching, and faith building all at the same time. He simply said, "Well, I guess it's all right if he's in Heaven and he doesn't have asthma anymore." Oh to have the faith of a child that it's all alright!! Those words of wisdom came from a best friend who shared a similar disability with his friend. He has cystic fibrosis and understands all too well how his friend felt and what his words mean. I want to have that kind of faith!

Life Is Hard - God Is Good

2007-10-29T17:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on here in a really long time so I'm not sure anyone still reads this little blog of mine. I've been making an effort to listen more and talk/type less. My heart can't hold the pain of today so I have to write it and let it out.

Life isn't fair. We all learned that early on in life on the elementary school playground. It’s funny how we still want life to be fair, at least when it comes to bad things not happening to good people. On her way home from church last night, Ashley Au (graduating class of 2007), a former student of mine, was killed in a car accident last night. You may have heard the news reports of the terrible accident on Highway 169 Sunday night. A car was merging onto the highway and clipped her back bumper which spun her into the path of an SUV which t-boned her car. She died around 11 pm last night. She was such a great person! She loved life and lived it so well. Even more than she loved life though, she loved her Lord, Jesus Christ. She was a tiny little spunky thing, but a mighty force athletically and spiritually. Her smile and laughter were that infectious kind and it didn’t matter whether you knew what was so funny or not, you couldn’t help but laugh along. She had a heart bigger than this world could contain.

Today students, faculty, staff, and graduates have held each other while we cried, remembered, smiled, laughed, and tried to just make it through the day. We’re holding strong to the fact that Ashley is now in Heaven and she’s getting the praise party started and waiting for us all to join her someday.

Peace has come today from Psalm 84 and the following song:

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints,for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. … 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Tears, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. … 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 LORD Almighty, blessed are those who trust in you.

Life Is Hard (God Is Good)
by Pam Thum

You turn the key
Then close the door behind you
Drop your bags on the floor
You reach for the light
But there's darkness deep inside
And you can't take it anymore

'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you
And sometimes living is all you can do

Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good

You start to cry
'Cause you've been strong for so long
And that's not how you feel
You try to pray
But there's nothing left to say
So you just quietly kneel

In the silence of all that you face
God will give you His mercy and grace

Jesus never said
It was an easy road to travel
He only said that you would never be alone
So when your last thread of hope
Begins to come unraveled
Don't give up, He walks beside you
On this journey home and He knows

Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good

Report from the front lines

2007-07-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Spiritual battle! It can be so intense sometimes. Satan is so crafty in his attack plans. He can take something that blesses me and draws me into a more intimate presence with God and twist and distort it until it becomes something that completely shifts my focus from being about God to being about me.

I grew up thinking I needed to be really good at everything I did. My parents didn’t place that burden on me that I remember, I just simply volunteered for it! Satan uses that against me to limit what I’m willing to do in the Kingdom and make my pride become more important to me than allowing my weaknesses to be seen. It can be so hard to allow others to see my weaknesses. It’s funny, most people (especially those closest to me) see my weaknesses with pretty good clarity, but I think as long as I don’t acknowledge that no one can really see them! Another line of deceit from the Deceiver! That’s why I love the apostle Paul. I’m so glad God put his story in the Bible. It let’s me know it’s okay to be human (that was God’s design for me), but long to be spiritual (that is God’s desire for me), and that Paul struggled between the two also! (Rom. 7:19 - For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.)

Do you ever struggle with doing something for God that you don’t have any confidence in your own ability to do? That’s where my struggle is; allowing my confidence in God to override my lack of self-confidence in order to serve Him.
In the midst of this struggle, the Spirit has led me to 2 Corinthians. Paul talks about everything they (he and Timothy) have gone through in order to spread the gospel. He makes the statement that all this has “…happened that we might not rely on ourselves but On God, …). So for today, I’ve picked back up my battle shield, fallen in line behind my Protector, and I’m willing to let Him do what I can’t do myself.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 (New International Version)
9 … "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (The Message)
My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Great news and a game of blog tag

2007-07-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

The latest news on the family front is that Abijah is at home now!!!! After 9 ½ days in the NICU at Southcrest Hospital, she is at home and doing fine! The rest of us are doing GREAT!! I got to hold her Sunday night and of course I think she is beautiful. I’ve never really been able to look at a baby and tell who they look like, but word is she looks more like her Mommy’s family than Ethne did. I think that’s great since I had three children and they all looked like Van, I’m glad Ashlee may have one that looks more like her side of the family!

Now I’ll catch up on a little blog business. I have been tagged by Dana.Here are the rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

So here goes my randomness…..

I had partial cornea transplants on my eyes when I was 4 and 5 yrs. old. (they did only one eye at a time) Thanks to those organ donors, I am able to see today. The prognosis would have been blindness without their gift of sight.

While in the hospital in Dallas during for one of my transplant surgeries, John F. Kennedy was shot and brought to the hospital I was at before they took him to the trauma hospital.

While attending a magic show of Henry Blackstone, Jr.
(http://www.amdest.com/stars/harryb.html) with my parents as a young adolescent, I was chosen from the audience to help the magician with “the Vanishing Birdcage” trick. When he made it vanish right out of my hands, it startled me and I quickly pulled my hands away backhanding him across the face – right there on stage in front of everyone!!

I lived on my grandparents’ farm every summer from 1st-9th grade. I lived the “Little House on the Prairie” lifestyle complete with washboards, outhouses, chicken coops where it was my job to gather the eggs, cattle round-ups, etc… I got to ride horses, chase the barn cats, plant gardens, pluck chickens, slop hogs, climb trees, grow watermelons, etc… It was a great life except for the days when we would brand the cattle, prepare chickens for frying, and I wasn’t crazy about the outhouse experience. They didn’t have indoor plumbing until I was in Junior High so we took baths the old fashioned way, just like on the old Western movies! Of course it was usually one tub bath a week (Sat. night), the rest of the time it was a sponge bath with a wash basin!

I’m terrified of birds. I got pecked by too many hens and chased by too many mean roosters. I’m not kidding, I’m really terrified. Once while looking at used cars at a lot, someone’s trained pigeon was loose and tried to land on my shoulder. I went into hysterics and it continued to try to land on my shoulder! To escape, I finally hid under a car!! The movie, The Birds, may just be a movie to you; to me, it’s my worst nightmare!!!!!

I swam on a synchronized swim team in Junior High. That’s what peer pressure will do for you! I hate to be in the water and to this day I hold me nose if I have to go underwater. I don’t know how I ever survived that experience!!!

I was the Drum Major of my high school marching band my senior year. I was told it was the first time a girl had been the one and only Drum Major. No, I didn’t wear a skirt; I wore the same uniform the guys did. I was tall and very skinny and you couldn’t tell I was a girl (I know that doesn’t say much for my figure at the time!) until we got in the stands and I took the big tall hat off and all my long hair would come falling down my back. It took quite a few people by surprise. I did the kick strut across the field and everything!

While on a date with my now husband in college at Pizza Planet in Edmond, I accidentally got locked in the restroom when the lock broke off the door. No matter how hard I pounded on the wooden door and yelled, no one could hear me. When our pizza arrived and I still hadn’t returned from the restroom, Van sent a friend of mine to check on me. I explained the situation to her, she told Van, the manager came and at the top of his lungs yelled, “Stand back M’am we’re going to kick the door in!” Let’s just say it was more than a little embarrassing to walk out after that, but hey, Van married me anyway!!!!!!!

Since almost everyone I know has already been tagged, my tagging will be limited to Betty (jettybetty) and John Cope!

The Days of Abijah!

2007-07-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

When a precious couple from our church faced life threatening complications during their son's birth, I was always touched by how he would allow himself to see the humor in some of the things that occur during this time. Let's face it - if you've never seen a baby in the NICU, you've missed some interesting equipment. So, as our little Abijah continues to grow stronger and anticipate her escape from the NICU, I give you some of the lighter moments of life in the NICU!

On the day of her birth, Abijah was immediately admitted into the Future Astronauts of America Training Program.

As the days went by, she didn't want to miss out on her opportunity to sport a tan when she left the hospital. Here she is catching some rays under the bili-light. Some women pay big bucks for tans like this!!!

And finally here is a musical tribute to a precious baby girl who can't wait to get home to her Mommy, Daddy, and big sister! If you know the song "The Days of Elijah" then hum along!!

The Days of Abijah

These are the days of Abijah,
Declaring to the world she is here

And these are the days of wires & monitors
respiration being restored

And though these are days of great trials
of oxygen and feeding tubes

Still there is a voice in the NICU crying
Prepare cause I’m coming home soon!

Behold she’s here! Such a precious one!
Stealing our hearts, with her tiny cries

So lift your voice & celebrate with me!
Baby Abijah is finally here!

There’s no God like Jehovah!
There’s no God like Jehovah!
There’s no God like Jehovah!
There’s no God like Jehovah!
(Repeat 3 times)

So lift your voice & celebrate with me!
Baby Abijah is finally here!

2007-07-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

Life can sure come at you fast sometimes. We are so thankful to God for watching over our sweet new granddaughter and her Mommy. Abijah (A-bi-jah, think Elijah with an “Ab” instead of an “El”) Linn Priest was born Thursday at 1:47 pm, weighing in at 6 lbs. 11 oz. and stretching 19 ½ “ long. Her name is found in several places in the Bible and can be a male or female name. Abijah was the daughter of Zechariah and the mother of Hezekiah. Her name means “My father is Jehovah”. She is, of course, beautiful!! Her mommy has had a really rough time the last several weeks. Two weeks before her birth, Ashlee began having contractions and continued to have them the whole time. Four different times they became so hard and so regular that the doctor had them go to the hospital to be monitored and receive medication to stop the contractions so the baby could grow and develop a little more. There has been some uncertainty about her due date, but the doctor had concluded July 8th from her ultra-sound. The contractions never stopped. By last Thursday, June 28th, there was no delaying any longer! We were all so happy for Ashlee because it had been a very rough and painful two weeks leading up to this moment. At the hospital, they gave her a spinal block and began preparing her for her C-section. After a little while they discovered the spinal had not taken so they gave her another one, waited for a few moments and then headed for the delivery room. At first, everything appeared fine so they were ready to proceed, but that is when the problems began. Ashlee felt some discomfort with the first incision but wasn’t sure what was happening. It wasn’t until they made the second deeper incision and she screamed that they realized the second spinal had not worked either and she was feeling everything!!!! At that point they put medicine into her IV to knock her out and hurried Michael out of the delivery room. During the delivery, Abijah swallowed some amniotic fluid so she has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ever since. One nurse referred to Abijah’s problems as “wet lung” syndrome which is apparently a common problem for C-section babies and something I read said even more so if the mother had been in labor before the C-section. Two weeks of labor prior to the C-section probably made this unavoidable. It was a good thing that they had taken Abijah this week. She was bruised across the top of her forehead and under one eye, and all down her back from the constant contractions Ashlee had been having. I can’t imagine how much more she would have been bruised if they had waited another week. Ashlee is recovering at home now, but without her sweet baby in her arms as Abijah remains in NICU on oxygen, a feeding tube, and under the light for jaundice. Please pray for our sweet Abijah to grow stronger quickly. Please pray for our precious daughter-in-law, Ashlee, as she struggles with aching empty arms that long to snuggle and cuddle her precious daughter. Please pray for our precious son Michael as he also longs to hold and cuddle his precious daughter and watches his wife’s pain and disappointment through something he can’t fix. Please pray for big sister, Ethne, who even though she is only 17 months old, knows that something really big is going on!

Discovery

2007-06-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

Earlier I mentioned the book I’m reading this summer, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ by Randy Singer.

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF:

* YOU WANT TO REMAIN CONTENT JUST GOING TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!
* IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK AT NOT ONLY YOURSELF BUT ALSO YOUR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

ENCOURAGEMENT: DO READ THIS BOOK IF:

* YOU WANT A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SAVIOR
* YOU’VE ALWAYS LONGED FOR RELATIONSHIP OVER RELIGON
* YOU’VE ALWAYS KNOWN THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE TO BEING CHRIST THAN JUST GOING TO CHURCH

The author points out how the Law mattered most of all to the Pharisees. It didn’t begin that way. In the beginning, their motives were purely to love the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (see Ex. 20:2) But somewhere along the way they traded their faith in God for their faith in the Law. It was originally based on the Law of God; however, being the humans that we are, they sought to improve on God’s plan and in the process made a mess of things!

The author makes this statement:
“… apparently all these religious leaders, who take such great pride in following every jot and tittle of the law, let their hatred of Jesus overpower their love for the law.”

He provides a detailed explanation of the trial rules for the Sanhedrin that were most likely in effect at that time of the trial of Jesus. He does make a point of saying that

“There is some uncertainty about trial rules in first-century Jerusalem. Later records describe these Jewish trial procedures, and it is probable that substantially the same rules were in place when Christ was tried.”

He further explains that most of the procedural safeguards for capital offenses (meant to assure a fair trial) were violated in the trial of Jesus.

It has served me well to step back from “religion” and examine exactly how much I too have added to the commands of God in order to protect my system of religion.
I have discovered some truths so important that Jesus was willing to die for me to set me free. Here’s a little bit of what I’ve discovered.

What really matters:

The Messiah, not the method,
Jesus, not the judgmental.
The Savior, not the system,
Christ, not the critics.
The Prince of Peace, not the pattern,
The Forever Faithful, not the five acts or steps of anything!

Row, row, row your car???????????????????????

2007-06-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

A funny thing happened on our way to New Mexico, well, actually it's funny now but it wasn't very funny at the time! Van and I went to New Mexico to visit his Mom and just relax for a few days last week. We planned to leave bright and early Friday morning and be merrily on our way! It didn't quite happen that way! On Thursday, I spent the day helping our oldest son, Jon, and his wife, Amanda, finish moving from Stillwater to Tulsa. It was a fun and beautiful summer day and I really enjoyed it. On the way home, I had the sunroof open just enjoying the sunshine and the day. When I got home, I parked Van's car out on the curb so I would have more room to clean out the car and get it ready for the trip. I then helped Van with the yard, packed, and got everything ready for the trip. While I finished laundry and packing, Van went to Papa Murphy’s and picked us up a pizza for a late dinner. Friday morning we woke up to heavy, heavy thunderstorms and Van commented that it had rained very heavily overnight. We wondered if we would have to drive in rain for the next several hours. Little did we know that we would be traveling in rain alright!!!!!!!! As we were getting ready, a sudden panic dawned on me. I asked Van if he closed the sunroof on my car when he went to pick up the pizza. His reply struck terror in my heart!! He hadn't taken my car to get the pizza; he took his car in order to put it back in the driveway!!! I went racing out to my car and my worse fears came true! According to the cup holders, it had indeed rained very hard that night. There was 3" of rain standing in each cup holder! The front seats, carpets, and console were drenched!! I called my dad who brought over his wet vac (first I closed the sunroof) and we vacuumed out as much as we could. An hour later we lined the seats with towels and set out on the road. It did rain off and on along the way, but as we finally approached the drier climate of New Mexico, we were able to roll down the windows and reduce the humidity level in the car. We could hardly stand to run the air conditioner on the way because we were so damp it just made you freeze!!!!!!!! When we pulled into his mom's driveway, we breathed a sigh of relief that we would be able to park the car under the carport, leave the windows down, and let things dry out in that wonderful drier climate. Much to our dismay, apparently we upset the humidity balance in New Mexico and it proceeded to rain every day we were there! Fortunately for us, there was just enough dry air that everything dried out just fine. We weren't even left with any foul odors in the carpet, and my carpet sure is clean!!!!

A summer journey

2007-05-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

Summer break has officially begun so maybe now I’ll have time to blog again! I’m currently reading, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. This book has challenged me in so many areas. Right off the bat, in the introduction, the challenge began! The author, Randy Singer, makes this statement.

“A strange and uncomfortable thing happened as I began writing this book. The more I studied Christ’s confrontations with the Pharisees, the more I recognized myself in some of these questions. I discovered that some of the folks really loved God but tried to show it with activity rather than relationship. A holy busyness – that felt familiar… I found religious leaders who didn’t spend much time with those outside their own circle of friends, who never dined with tax collectors and sinners. … That’s when I discovered this mind-bending truth: if I want to be like Jesus, I must first realize how much I am already like the Pharisees. In God’s paradoxical way, that humbling realization is the first step toward becoming less like the Pharisees we loathe and more like the Savior we love. All of our mental gymnastics and convoluted questions can’t make it any other way.”

Well, that was a lot to think about! I have spent much of my spiritual walk trying to put as much distance between me and the Pharisees as possible, and here this author is suggesting that in order to become like Jesus, I must first come to terms with how much I am like them! It was more than I could comprehend so I put the book down for several weeks. Well, I’ve picked it up again and it continues to challenge me around every corner! I’ve come to recognize some of my Pharisaical ways and it’s really shaking up my world. I have come to grips with requirements I had attached to the teachings of Jesus. The “right (and only) ways” I had decided or accepted from my heritage of how to relate, worship, and commune with God that Jesus never said anything about in all his teaching about God. It’s going to be a summer of discovery. I’ll share as I go, but please be patient. I can only digest this book in small meals. It’s that kind of life-changing, mind-challenging, heart-reviving book.

Not a happy kitty!

2007-04-14T20:23:00.000-05:00

There should be a rule in life that if you can't tell the difference between a happy and an unhappy kitty, you aren't allowed to hold them! This is hilarious!

A Good Friday to remember

2007-04-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a special day with my 5th grade class in Bible. We spent the whole part of our academic time on Bible. We have been studying the Old Testament this year and have really studied what sacrifice means. In the last few weeks we have been studying the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt and had just finished the plagues. The last and final plague was the death of the firstborn son of the Egyptians, slaves, and cattle. (Exodus 11:5) However; the difference would be in the homes of the Israelites which would be passed over. (Exodus 11:27) We then studied the Passover sacrifice and its meaning and symbolism. I helped them see that as long as they were inside and covered by the blood of the lamb they were safe from the final punishment of death. I drew a sketch on the board for them of the doorpost with the blood and how the sting of death would pass over those homes and the people that were in them would be led away from this scene of death and suffering into the Promised Land. Their captivity would be ended. We then went to Matthew 28. I showed them this chapter of the Matthew video series as they intently followed along in their Bibles soaking up word for word what was happening. When the video ended, I drew the cross on the board and drew the blood covering the wood. I then drew the tomb with the stone rolled away and bright light coming from the tomb. I explained to them that now we celebrate Passover because God’s people needed to be set free from sin and death once and for all. Because Jesus took the place of the sacrificial lamb, no other sacrifice would ever physically have to die again to make up for our sins. I explained that as long as we are in Christ, His blood covers us so that the sting of death passes over us and we are raised in Spirit from the dead and led away from death and suffering into the Promised Land of Heaven to be with Him for eternity. The expressions on their faces were priceless as they began to connect the dots of the wonderful mystery of God in their minds and in their hearts. My amazement of the wonder of God was renewed again as I watched their understanding become complete in what Passover, Good Friday, and Easter is all about.

We ended our day in the home of some precious friends with about 30 people for a time of fellowship, Praise & Worship, and communion. It was a Good Friday I’ll never forget!

A Battle Won

2007-03-31T18:22:00.000-05:00

My heart is so torn today! I’m celebrating for a friend who got to go home today, but I’m also grieving for her family and friends who now have a huge hole in our lives that she filled. Around 4 AM this morning Cindy Ezell won her battle with cancer. She got to leave her physical body behind and soar straight to the arms of Jesus. Cindy was one of those people that loved life, family, and her God passionately. She was a master teacher who taught us faith, hope, love, and confidence in God right up to the end. I learned the news early this morning and later went into the kitchen to do some things. As I was standing at my kitchen sink I flipped to today’s page of my devotional calendar and here is today’s message:

The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Isaiah 51:11 A

Our joys are made better if there be sorrow in the midst of them. And our
sorrows are made bright by the joys that God has planted around about them.

I thought that was a very fitting tribute to a wonderful lady who did so much to bring joy to everyone around her. Her joy is now complete in the presence of the LORD.

ISWW 2007

2007-03-30T17:31:00.000-05:00

Wasn't workshop wonderful this year? Of course, I think we say that every year! This year was somehow even more wonderful than ever before. It's so hard to pick a favorite moment but every class, every keynote, every worship, okay, everything was just running over with God's Spirit. Thursday morning while I was getting ready I read my daily devotional from a book I have. The following is an excerpt from that day's thought:

"He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less."
2 Corinthians 5:5 (The Message)

"... There's no confusing the present world with the eternal home that awaits you. But, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a taste right now. Close your eyes.
Think about meeting Jesus face-to-face."

The theme this year was Jesus: The Model, the Messenger, The Mission. That's why it was so wonderful and more. It was all about Jesus and if you were there you did get to see a glimpse of Him face-to-face. I've decided that 2 Corinthians 5:5 is my new definition of the ISWW - "...a little of Heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less."

Standing Empty Handed at the Cross

2007-03-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

In John 20:20 the account is given of when Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection. The passage says that He showed them His scars. Not His wounds, but His scars. That’s how it works. Life gives us wounds, God gives us healing, and while we will have scars especially if the wound was a deep one, we are not left with a festering open wound unless we won’t leave it alone. Yes, your mother was right when she told you “Don’t pick at that!” If we accept God’s healing, the wound will heal, but by allowing other people to see our scars they are able to see
God glorified through the wound we suffered. Just as Jesus showed His scars to His disciples, we owe it to each other to not hide behind our “church faces”, but to show each other our scars so that God may be glorified! I love the book, The Scarlet Letter. Wow! That's a powerful book once you get past all of the Old English and vocabulary. Hester and Dimmesdale are perfect examples of what happens when we try to handle our sin ourselves. We are destroyed in the process. Why do we find it so hard to let go of the past and allow it to be what it is - the past. Jesus calls us to daily pick up our cross and follow Him, but how can I if my hands are so full of my own baggage? Imagine packing every suitcase you own, carrying them all at once and then trying to pick up my cross and carry it too!?! In order to carry my cross I have to first lay down all my own baggage. Sometimes we have trouble doing that because our baggage is so comfortable. Don't get me wrong, we usually don't like what it contains - the pain, the tears - but at least we are use to it. It's not part of the great unknown out there. We know what to expect from it and we've grown accustomed to it. It provides us with all our excuses for why we can't be all He has called us to be. Isn't it strange how we pray to God to take away our pain, but then reach out and grab it back from Him. The challenge is to lay it all down at the cross and walk away empty handed so we can pick up our cross. It's not a one time decision, it's a daily choice. Every day we must go to the cross and begin there by laying down our burdens and picking up our cross. That's why the scripture says to deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Jesus promises in Matt. 11:28-30 that if we will come to Him and lay our burdens down, He will give us rest. He calls us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him for He is gentle and humble in heart and there our souls will find rest. He promises that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, not because He demands less of us, but because He carries the load with us!

Taking up my cross

2007-03-05T16:02:00.000-06:00

Then He said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) I've pondered this verse for a long time. It streams through my mind, makes my heart race, and my soul long for Him. Every time I think I get it the Spirit reveals more and more to me. I grew up hearing the saying "It's just my cross to bear" when someone was talking about a burden or struggle in their life. They were usually referring to some physical condition or pain, emotional pain, etc... that they had to endure. I don't believe Jesus was talking about our physical life when He "said to them all: Take up your cross." Paul referred to having a "thorn in his flesh", but he never called it his "cross to bear." Fix the mental picture in your mind. A thorn compared to a cross. It really helped me put my fleshly struggles in perspective. So what does it mean????? I'm discovering day by day more and more what it means to me. I have discovered that first I must have the desire to follow Him, "If anyone would come after me..." The desire's not usually the hard part for me (I'm such a Peter!). It's the follow thru that gets me. It's that next part that took me a long time to understand, "... he must deny himself ...". There it is; the step that I so often stub my toe on and stumble. How do I deny myself? Sometimes I get so focused on trying not to sin that the sin becomes bigger than the Savior. In order to deny myself it means I want what He wants for me. It means I long for life in Him not the life I create for myself. Jesus says just a few verses later that to find our life we have to lose our life for Him. That means letting go of things that come between me and my Lord.

2007-02-14T22:56:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that one year has come and gone and our sweet Ethne is already a year old. The day she was born time seemed to stand still. The first time I saw her was in her Daddy's arms as he walked her into the nursery barely a few minutes old. That sight took my breath away!

When I actually saw my child holding his child, it was such an amazing feeling. It was just a little glimpse of what the Father must feel as He looks down on His children learning to give life through Him to others. Such a powerful image that it still takes my breath away!

As the days have gone by I am still amazed by that sweet baby girl. There is no greater thrill than when I get to see her and reach out to her and those precious little hands reach for me! I love to "read" to her. Of course, at this point it is speed reading because we mainly just look at the pictures;however when she sits on my lap and we "read", the rest of the world just fades away.

When she comes to our house, she goes straight to her toys and playtime begins. It's funny that sometimes I avoid going upstairs if I'm tired, but if Ethne is there I don't mind at all. We might as well be climbing Mount Everest because we have such a great adventure! I had forgotten how much fun tupperware can be! Boy, have I been missing out! I love our conversations! I'm not sure exactly what she says except Mum Mum and Dada and some assorted animal sounds, but we talk about a lot of things! I tell her how lucky she is to have such a wonderful Mommy and Daddy who love her more than she can imagine. I tell her that Nana and Papa love her so very much. I tell her that God loves her even more than all of us and that He will always watch over her.

Happy Birthday sweet Ethne! May all your wishes come true!

The Reason the Savior is on Board

2007-02-10T17:04:00.000-06:00

This is the thought of the day on my devotional calender today. It was such an appropriate day for it to appear.

The waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
Matthew 8:24B

It is much easier to trust when the sun is shining than when the storm is raging. We never know how much real faith we have until it is put to the test in some fierce storm; and that is the reason why the Savior is on board.

We all have our personal storms. Some are very private while others are very public. I’ve endured both kinds more than once. I think there is strength in sharing our storm stories (one of my favorite programs on the Weather Channel – yes, I’m a Weather Channel junkie!) It is the shelter during the storm, and the rainbow after the storm that helps others draw strength from our story. We don’t share them often enough. Today my thoughts are with some precious friends who are enduring a raging storm in their life right now. They have sought shelter in the only safe place – God. Their faith is very real and strong and they are tethered to an awesome God so they will come through the storm okay. They may be a little battered, but they won’t be broken. Pray for someone you know, maybe even yourself, to seek shelter from the storm in their God and then share their rainbow after the storm as their testimony to His power living in them.

The Dilemma of Obedience

2007-01-30T21:11:00.000-06:00

This is today's quote of the day -

[Samuel] was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 1 Samuel 3:15

Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance (1Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, "Speak, Lord," and make time to listen. As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.

"My Utmost for His Highest" - Oswald Chambers - An Updated Edition in Today's Language

(Yes, that sort of Oswald Chambers for Dummies!)

What language does God speak?

2007-01-29T18:12:00.000-06:00

Life is moving very quickly for me these days! Some days I can’t even keep up with my own shadow so this is going to be short!! (Okay, quit rolling your eyes, yes, I can be brief sometimes!) I read this quote today and it just really struck me so I wanted to share it. I have often wished I could hear from God only to realize He was speaking loud and clear if I would just pay attention! Be blessed by this thought:

God speaks in the language we know best – not through our ears, but through our circumstances.

I've been tagged!

2007-01-23T21:23:00.002-06:00

Heather tagged me, how fun! Hopefully educators and legislators won’t get involved and decide it is too dangerous and that someone might get hurt and outlaw tag in blogland! Okay, enough stalling. Really, I didn’t know how to play blog tag so I did what I always do when I need technical advice – I phoned my daughter, Vanessa, for help! She scolded me today because I hadn’t gotten it done yet! Have our roles reversed here or what!!

Here is how it works:
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following three sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same

Here’s my quote:

“I think Satan sends our demons whose job it is to do nothing but repeat that phrase [questions from Matt. 6:31 – What are we going to drink, eat, & wear? Joyce Meyer – What are we going to do?] in the believer’s ear all day long. They fire off difficult questions, and the believer wastes his precious time attempting to come up with an answer. The devil is constantly waging war on the battlefield of the mind, hoping to engage the Christian in long, drawn-out, costly combat.”
Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer

This is a great study! I highly recommend it!

Now for the fun part:

Danna (there’s more than one way to get you to blog!)
Shane (I know you are currently reading a book so enlighten us!)
Vanessa (I’ll be checking to see how quickly you get this done young lady!)

TAG YOU’RE IT!

A thrilling thought!

2007-01-22T22:33:00.000-06:00

As I turned over the page for one of my "thought for the day" calanders, I was greeted with this thrilling thought, (actually it's tomorrow's thought but I peeked!) -

"If we could see as our Father sees, I'm convinced we would be amazed at the size of His family. If the spiritual iceberg were suddenly turned upside down and exposed for all to view, the magnitude of the Church He is building would literally take our breath away."

"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne." Revelation 7:9
The Grace of Encouragement Charles Swindoll

I am so thankful that God removed the religious scales from my eyes and that now I see the HIS family more completely! Why did I ever think we were in this all by ourselves?!? Praise God, there really is safety and strength in numbers! Praise God, HIS church doesn't have just one brand name! Praise God, HE is in charge of building HIS church! May we see HIS church for what it is - truly awesome!

The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney

2007-01-17T12:25:00.000-06:00

Well, … WOW, AMAZING, COMPELLING, THOUGHT PROVOKING …
Okay, so I’ll never be a professional book reviewer, but really, WOW! This is an incredible read! The author, Randy Singer, is a fiction writer and former trial lawyer. Singer does a masterful job of portraying a believable character, Oliver Finney, who is trying, just like us, to live out his faith so that others might see Christ. He’s not perfect; he has his own struggles, failures, and vices perhaps that why I liked him so much. The author weaves intrigue, mystery, humor, and a whole bunch of faith into a must read for everyone! It’s a lengthy but easy read, and so compelling you’ll have trouble putting it down. Thanks to snow days I did approx. 50 chapters in one day! Now that’s a good book! It will leave you reflecting on the kind of impact your life makes in His Kingdom.

I’m anxious to read his other book, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. Here’s what Singer has to say about his book –
“The purpose of this book, like the purpose of any effective cross-examination, is to reveal the truth – not just what Jesus taught but who Jesus is. His character. His intellect. His mission. The astounding depth of His love. Our verdict will be a lifestyle more like His.

Cross-examination, my professors stressed, is the most dangerous part of any trial. … That’s why you never ask a question if you don’t already know the answer.
The classic illustration goes something like this:
LAWYER (defending someone accused of assault): You didn’t actually see my client bite the nose of the alleged victim. Isn’t that true?
WITNESS: That’s true.
LAWYER: In fact, at the time of the alleged incident, there were several people engaged in a fight and your view of the victim was blocked. Isn’t that true?
WITNESS: Yes.
LAWYER: Then how can you be so sure that it was my client who bit the victim’s nose as opposed to one of the other men in the fight?
WITNESS: Because I saw him spit it out.

Tricky business, and dangerous, this road toward the mind of Christ. The devil is still a crafty cross-examiner, twisting the truth and distorting the testimony. Like Mike Tyson after his prime, Satan couldn’t land many direct punches on Christ, but he still had a nasty bite. At the cross, hell bit off more than it could chew.

“How do you know?” you ask (violating the cardinal rule of cross-examination).

“Because three days later they saw hell spit Him out.”

What do you long for?

2007-01-09T20:37:00.000-06:00

There are many things in life that I want, few that I really need, but only one that I have discovered that I long for. Only one thing that I truly and genuinely feel myself so drawn towards that at the thought of it my heart pounds with excited anticipation while at the same time a soothing, calming peace fills my excited heart. This “thing” that I have discovered is a sincere and intense desire to see Jesus face to face. I do believe that when we look at our brothers and sisters in Christ with our spirit eyes, we do indeed see a representation of Him. I have seen Him in many I know and love. However, lately I have been drawn to a different type of seeing Him. It began to come together for me recently when I believe He allowed it through worship to slowly and gently settle into my conscious awareness. I love so many songs that it is always hard for me to name any one song as my favorite; however, lately a beautiful spirit "eye opening" moment came all together. Not all in one day, but over a period of three days. It began on a Wednesday night when we sang one of my favorites – Jesus Let Us Come to Know You – it goes like this:

Jesus let us come to know you
Let us see you face to face
Touch us, hold us, use us, mold us
Only let us live in you

Jesus, draw us ever nearer
Hold us in your loving arms
Wrap us in your gentle presence
When the end comes, bring us home

It continued on Thursday night with this song – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

The awareness became complete Friday morning on my way to work when yet another song came across my heart from off the radio. This song is so much a favorite of mine that it was my ring tone on my cell phone until I had to change brands of phones and it wasn’t available for my new phone! Everytime I hear the song "I Can Only Imagine" I am swept into His presence!

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face Is before me, I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all I can only imagine
I can only imagine When that day comes
And I find myself Standing in the Son
I can only imagine When all I will do Is forever
Forever worship You I can only imagine
I can only imagine ,I can only imagine
When all I will do Is forever,
forever worship you

My question for you is this, what has the Spirit brought into focus lately for you? What do you long for in the Kingdom?

Christmas with Ethne!

2007-01-03T17:17:00.000-06:00

The shirt may say "Bah Humbug", but the smile says "I want more presents!"

A Christmas surprise!

2006-12-29T10:41:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, we have a new home. When we decided to build this house, we were blessed with an opportunity to purchase an unusual lot and build a new floor plan that had never been built before. Our neighborhood is built around a golf course so some of the lots have unusual shapes to them, ours included. Our builder did not have a floor plan that would fit on our lot (until the one we built) so this lot had remained vacant for a couple of years. Because of the irregular shape to the lots, some of the houses are tucked back in and beside other houses. This is where our neighbor’s story begins. When she built her home on one of those lots that is tucked in behind and to the side of our house, it was explained to her that since they did not have a floor plan that would fit on our lot, they had no current plans to build on this lot. When they began breaking ground for our house, she was quite concerned and upset since it was her understanding that they were not going to build a house on this lot. She now has a view of nothing more than the side of our house and our bathroom window! I can understand why she was upset that now they were building on this lot!! Anyway, she has always been very nice to us, but I have hoped and prayed for an opportunity to get to know her better, something to break the ice. We don’t see much of her with our work schedule and the fact that we live in our car on the go more than we seem to live here! Anyway, on Christmas day as my parents were leaving our house, I walked them out and helped them get everything in the car and waved goodbye and came back to the house. The next thing I knew, my dad was back at the door and asked if I had a minute to come outside. I came rushing out afraid something had happened to Mom, only to find our neighbor and her mom at the pick up talking and hugging on my parents! As I approached, she reached out to me and gave me a big bear hug and excitedly said, “I didn’t know they were your parents!” Her mom proceeded to give me a big hug and say, “We just love your parents!” By this time I was up to speed and asked them if they attended Crosstown where my parents go and our neighbor replied, “Oh yes, and your Daddy will always be my elder!” Come to find out our neighbor use to attend Garnett where her husband was an elder until his death a few years ago and she now attends Crosstown where I grew up and my dad served as an elder for 30+ years. Needless to say the ice is now broken and the spring thaw has begun in our relationship! Isn’t God good!

Mrs. Hinky-Dink has arrived!

2006-12-21T13:07:00.000-06:00

As you may have noticed, I have a new hairdo. I have also been experimenting with contacts and decided I would wear them too when I went to school the next day with my "new look." I knew I was in shock over the new me, but I hadn’t really anticipated how my 4th graders would react when they saw me the following day. There were various comments and shocked looks and suddenly one of them exclaimed, “Who are you and what have you done with Mrs. Priest?!?” Well, me being somene who is always up for a little fun and secretly always wanted to be an actress (or a preacher) responded, “Didn’t she tell you I would be subbing for her today? I’m her identical twin sister, Mrs. Hinky-Dink!” That kicked off what would be a two hour long practical joke that ended with an awesome God moment. They quizzed me intensely and I was very impressed with the thoroughness of their questioning, but for every question from “How did I know their names already” to “How come my jewelry matched hers identically”, I came back each time with quick and easy logical answers. I created a complete new identity for myself being careful to take notes on where I said I lived, taught school, etc… so I wouldn’t get myself confused! By the time I took them to their computer class and dropped them off, I had several of them so confused they were almost convinced I was my own identical twin sister! They simply could not find a reason to doubt my story even though they knew deep down in their hearts that something just didn’t add up. When I picked them up from the computer class, I had put my glasses back on and said, “Oh, I’m so glad to see you guys! Did you enjoy meeting my twin sister?!?” They were so confused and thinking I was really quite crazy by now! We went back to class and started our Bible lesson. We have been studying Abraham and what it means to have faith. I confessed that I was indeed me and had been the whole morning. We talked about that even though they knew deep down in their hearts that it had to be me, I was able to cause them to doubt when I could answer every question they posed to me with a deceitful answer and be quite convincing too! I told them that sometimes the world will try to convince you that there really isn’t a God. That no one could possibly love you enough to die for you. That heaven and eternity don’t really exist, it’s just something adults make up to try and make kids mind and be good. I told them faith is knowing deep down in your heart that God does really exist, that He does love you so much He died for you so that you can spend all of “happily ever after” with Him in heaven, and believing it no matter what the world says. I told them to never doubt what they know deep down in their hearts to be true and they too would have the faith of Abraham! Thank you God for teachable moments!

Daughters!!!!!

2006-12-20T08:56:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when your daughter knows your password! Well at least she used a picture of me from when I had hair! I'm afriad to think who my look alikes would be with my new hairdo!!!

2006-12-19T23:46:00.000-06:00

The joy of the struggle

2006-11-30T20:15:00.000-06:00

Shane’s current blog really got me thinking – thanks Shane! If you haven't read it yet, make sure you stop by. (http://shanecoffman.blogspot.com/) The struggle is part of life. After all, life begins with a struggle; it’s not easy being born! Why are we so ashamed and embarrassed by our struggles? Why do we try so desperately to hide them from others? For Jesus to be fully man, He had to experience the struggle – in the desert with Satan, in the garden with God, His Father, and all those moments in between. Jesus warned us there would be a struggle, “In this world you will have trouble…” (Jn. 16:33a), but He also told us He had armed us for the fight, “the Father will give you the Counselor, ... the Spirit of truth …” (Jn. 14:16-17), and how the battle would end, “Take heart, I have overcome the world!” (Jn. 16:33b) and, “I’m getting home ready for you and I will be back to take you there with me.”(Jn. 14:3). I think we misunderstand the point of the struggle. We should be comforted by the struggle (Jm. 1:2-3) because if we aren’t struggling then one of two things has happened. Either we’ve already been won over by Satan because we just gave up and quit fighting, or we’ve ceased to live this earthly life and the struggle is won! So, here’s to the struggle, may we share our struggles openly, carry each others’ burdens lovingly and willingly, and celebrate each other’s victory when the struggle is won!

A Thankful Thanksgiving

2006-11-25T22:48:00.000-06:00

We had so much to be thankful for this year! We had all our family together (12) for a huge Thanksgiving feast! It was Ethne's first Thanksgiving and the joyful announcement that she will be a big sister in July made our celebration complete!

Home, Sweet Home!

2006-11-16T22:15:00.000-06:00

Well, if you heard the Hallelujah chorus being sung in Owasso last week, it's because we are finally in our new home! It is wonderful! Ethne had no trouble going immediately to the top of the stairs all by herself! Our decorating style right now is cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard!!!!!!!! We have had a little trouble finding some things, for instance, we have a home phone number, but we can't find our phones! I did finally find the silverware which was good news since we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house! We will have 12 adults and one baby, and probably one puppy here for Thanksgiving. Hopefully, it won't be long before we are organized enough to start welcoming guests into our home. We have a tremendous amount to be thankful for this year!

2006-11-03T15:25:00.000-06:00

You Are Cindy Brady

Warm hearted and sweet, you have a childlike innocence that lets you see the good in everyone.
But you're also a bit of a baby. You stick your nose where it doesn't belong... and cry when you get caught!

What Brady Are You?

Who ever thought breathing could result in an injury?!

2006-10-29T15:26:00.000-06:00

This is one of those entries that will make you feel better about yourself because you’re at least not as pathetic as me! We all have those moments when we suddenly realize our age, or the shape (in my case, lack there of) that we are in. As a rule, I rarely “feel” my age and it comes as quite a surprise to me that I’m quickly approaching the age of 50. However, this week I was reminded of my age by how pathetically out of shape I am. A generous friend has allowed me to have two of his sessions with his vocal coach because I have really been struggling with my voice ever since having a tube down my throat during surgery. Well, last Monday night was my first session and it really was great! She helped me with so many things, one of which was how I breathe. So in an effort to do it the right way I have been faithfully practicing how to breathe deeply. Here’s where the pathetic part comes in to play. I’m moving muscles I had long forgotten existed and they are rebelling!!!! In my over-exuberance for breathing correctly, I actually strained a muscle in my rib cage. So for several days I couldn’t take a deep breath without feeling like someone was stabbing me in the ribs!!!!!!!!! I actually had to break out the stinky liniment stuff to get it to loosen back up! Feel better about yourself now? If you’re feeling down about yourself sometime just let me know, I’m sure I will have done something else pathetic by then that I can share to make you feel better!

An anniversary of sorts

2006-10-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

My husband came home from work today exhausted, on day two of a killer headache, and ready to just collapse in front of the 3rd game of the World Series for a very deserved rest. That's what he should have done, but that's not what he did. You see today is an anniversary of sorts for me. One year ago today I had major surgery that took me out of school for 6 wks of sick leave and really out of most of the rest of life for several months. Having fibromyalgia makes recovery from any illness a challenge, but this was especially hard. It took months to get back any strength or endurance to do anything more than go to school and church. All the while the doctor kept saying, "Just give it one year and you will be amazed at how much better you feel!" Well, it has taken the better part of a year to get there, but today is the day. I'm happy to report that the doctor was right and things are so much better, but that's not what this post is really about. Back to my husband who by all rights had earned and needed a night of peace and quiet. He knew today was a big deal to me which made it a big deal to him too. He's just like that. He came home and said, "Let's go!" First, he took me out to our new house to get a glimpse of the new carpet going in. Then, he did the most perfect thing! Fall is my favorite season, fall colors are my favorite colors, I absolutely LOVE FALL! A few weeks after my surgery, as soon as I could walk as far as the car and sit up for a short while, he took me for a drive on Highway 20 between Owasso and Claremore. It's not a long drive, but there is a short distance where the road winds along a tree lined road that is absolutely beautiful! He knew seeing the colors would make me feel like I was part of the world again last year so to celebrate this major landmark in my life today, he took me back tonight to the same path. As we were driving down the road tonight listening to a Zoe CD, the pasture land was pretty and the trees here and there were pretty too, but as we suddenly came around the bend on each side of the road as high as you can see you are suddenly immersed in color from the trees, tons and tons of trees! The song on the CD was the last chorus of "How Great is Our God!" I was so overwhelmed by the love of a God that would love me so much to create the perfect husband for me and the beauty of the perfect season for me that I wept tears of gratitude for my healing that is now complete. Isn't love an amazing thing! Thank you God for husbands who love us as you meant for wives to be loved, for seasons of unexplainable beauty, and for times of healing for our bodies, minds, and souls.

Taking up the cross

2006-10-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

Lately my thoughts have been all around the cross and my relationship to it. The power of the cross intrigues me and holds my attention captive. I find my mind staring at it, trying to comprehend all it means, all it's meant to be. It's like those crazy 3D pictures! If you stare at them long enough supposedly the image emerges from the color scheme. I've never been able to see those pictures, I just have to trust those around me that there really is more there! That's sort of how I see the cross. I see some of what is there, but I long to see more. I believe it holds more beauty, grace, and love than my feeble brain can comprehend. Just like staring at the 3D pictures, I long to see more, to fully understand with my mind what my heart finds so easy to understand.

Every week should start with a hike in the woods and a picnic!

2006-10-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

What an incredible weekend! The Zoe conference was amazing, which to those of you who have been, that comes as no big surprise. I was a first timer and I don't ever want to miss it. I told both of my principals first thing this morning that next year I want to go for the whole thing! Our life has been so crazy for the last three years, there hasn't even been time to breathe. This weekend I caught my breath and I'm refreshed, renewed, and ready to keep pressing on. There's nothing like intimate, passionate worship, learning how to be a spiritual friend, Sunday morning at Otter Creek church, bonding over some really great meals and some not-so-great meals (sorry about the chili cheese nachos with onions at a truck stop! What was I thinking?!?!), and a LONG ride home to laugh, sing, and share our hearts, hurts, and dreams to bring you closer to Him and to precious friends. I thought it couldn't get any better than that, then God gave me Monday too. It was the perfect Monday, God was so gracious to continue my heart's flight for me. We took the 4th & 5th grade to Oxley Nature park today. I found myself hiking through the woods enjoying nature and humming "How Great is Our God" for an entire mile. My students would look at me and just smile, not the "what a crazy lady smile", but the smile of understanding and acceptance because they could tell that my heart was light and they were just enjoying riding along as my heart soared. God is so good. Just when you think you can't bear up any longer, He gives you an indescribable weekend with Him and relationships with brothers & sisters that can only grow deeper in Christ, and a great Monday too!

Once a teacher, always a teacher!

2006-09-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

My heart hurts today because a precious friend received the kind of news that knocks the breath out of you and leaves you gasping. She has cancer - very advanced cancer. She is one of my mentors, role models, and friends. She helped shape me into the teacher that I am today. I learned so much from her. I learned from her that you could be a student's friend and still be an authority figure. I learned that if you respect your students, they will respect you. I learned that humor goes a long way in making learning fun for everyone, including the teacher! I learned how to manage a classroom and still manage to have a family life too! I learned to love teaching! She taught me all that and so much more, and she is teaching me still. When I visited with her yesterday, she said instead of worrying about how many days she had left, she was going to live - really live - and cherish each moment of every day. Instead of us comforting her, she was comforting her family and friends who are struggling to accept her news. That's just like her, a master teacher. Always teaching no matter what the subject or the circumstance - still helping others to see and understand. I love you Cindy!

Coming Attraction!

2006-09-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

Well, we are getting closer and closer to that magic closing date of Nov. 13th when we should once again be homeowners! Our life has been pretty crazy since we decided to build a house back in June, but God has been so good in providing a reconnection time for me with my parents that I didn'teven realize was needed. Things progressed more quickly than we had anticipated with the selling of our house and we found ourselves sort of homeless. My parents, being the hospitable people that they are, offered their home to us. So, on July 13th we moved in with Mom and Dad. God knew where I needed to be not only for my sake, but for my parents as well. My mother's health is not very good at all. I hadn't realized just how much she had declined over the past year until we moved in with them. As we were moving our stuff in, my dad turned around at the door and said, "Have you noticed how much your mother has declined?" I shook my head yes and he quickly said, "I'm so glad you're here!" That's how God works - He put me right where I needed to be and it has been a bittersweet and precious time for us to be together. I thank God for the time I have had with my mom and dad. There is no end to what parents will do for their children - even taking in their cat! Cat tales to follow in a later post!

2006-09-12T22:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I've been absent from the Blog and Xanga scene for a long time now. Life has been a little crazy since April. God's been very busy in our life recently and it's been quite a ride! Since April I've changed the direction of my career; I moved from teaching high school to teaching 4th & 5th graders! It has been such a culture shock, but I am loving it. I do miss the relationships I had with the high school students; however, I still see them and they are sweet enough to drop in on me in my room and let me know they haven't forgotten me. We also decided to sell our house and move. Life got really crazy then. There is an awesome God story about how we ended up living with my parents while we are having a house built in Owasso, but I will save that for another post. Let me just say, God does move in mysterious ways! I love being His child and being a part of His plan.

the Bride

2006-03-21T10:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a time of awesome discovery of my place in God's Kingdom. If you are part of the PLACE study make sure you do the one-on-one session where all the information you've discovered about yourself becomes real. Not just letters and descriptions, but it all comes together and helps you see why He called you to His kingdom and where you fit in the picture. It was comfortable, easy, and fun. Jason did a great job!

Our Beth Moore study has come to an end and I thought I would be so worn out, but there goes God doing His "God thing" again! I'm so energized and now we get to attend the International Soul Winning Workshop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is soooooooooooooooooo good!

One of the thoughts from this week's study that my mind keeps lingering over was when we were looking at the new Jerusalem ... prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. This peaked my interest and I starting reading about the church as the bride of Christ. Weddings have been a big part of our family's life over the past two years. All the preperations, joy, and excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being the mother of the groom, one of the snapshots in my memory from those wonderful events was the expression on the faces of my sons when they caught their first glimpse of their brides. My gaze was fixed on them to capture that recognition of someone they knew so well, that they had chosen and loved so much, and yet had never seen in this way before. The sparkles of light in their eyes, the joy that erupted across their faces in smiles so massive a face could hardly contain it, and the tears of pure joy and wonder that filled their eyes caught me up in that breathless moment as I saw the bridegroom waiting for his bride. I just love how God gives us those earthly moments to capture little bits of understanding into how He sees us. We, church, are His beautiful bride and He is preparing to receive us with all the joy and excitement of a holy wedding that only the splendor of Heaven could stage. Feel the joy and assurance that He has chosen you to be His bride and that He waits to rejoice over you.

"...as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."

My PLACE in the Kingdom

2006-03-20T11:49:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited! This afternoon I'm sitting down with someone whom I have tremendous respect for to continue discovering my PLACE in the Kingdom. This has been such an awesome experience and God's timing just gives me "Godbumps"! I've learned that God created me unique - uniquely different in my personalaity, spiritual gifts, abilities, passions, and life experiences. I've learned that He has a place for me in His Kingdom that has been prepared for me since the dawn of time - THERE"S A PLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess I've always known that; afterall, I have read 1 Cor. 12 about the body and all its many parts, but I guess I never fully understood that the diversity of creation and His Kingdom was His plan. Instead of trying to fit into one puzzle piece in order to accomplish His will for my life, He designed multiple pieces all with their own unique shape and purpose for the specific purpose of His will being done. What a picture of His plan! A beautiful picture that's not complete without each piece doing exactly what it was designed to do! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what a concept! What a God! Diversity of believers was HIS idea!

Quite a year!

2006-03-06T23:46:00.000-06:00

It’s been quite a journey for me so far this school year. I have faced so many challenges professionally, personally, physically/emotionally, and spiritually. Yes, it has been a very full year, but God has been there waiting for me to take His hand every step of the way.

Professionally:
New high school teaching assignments (that means all new preps for every class = long hours of preparation)
New curriculum for all my classes (that means out with the old and in with the new = more long hours of preparation)
Reaccreditation year for the school (that means extra work & extra stress = now is the time to be at your best)

Great timing for an off year when you feel far from your professional best! I have always loved being a teacher, but this year has been a challenge for me. One of my greatest joys in life is relationship with my students. My students are wonderful and so easy to love; they have kept me going when the “job” part of teaching seemed way too hard. Yes, the Lord had a message for me. Thank you God for students and relationships.

Personally:
August: took my baby (Vanessa) to college (a bittersweet moment between a mother & daughter)
October: oldest son (Jon) got married to a wonderful girl
February: middle child (Michael) and his wife made me a grandmother

I always thought when the “empty nest” time came our life would slow down. However, I have discovered that it actually requires more time because now instead of one nest where we all meet together at the end of the day, there are three nests that we spend all our time running between! What a joy and yet another adjustment! In the celebration of all these transitions with our children, tremendous blessings were gained. I am amazed at the incredible people they are. When times have been tough this year, they have always managed to make me feel loved and helped me to laugh. Yes, the Lord had a message for me. Thank you God for my children and the richness and blessings they bring to my life.

Physically/emotionally:
Major surgery in October which led to 6 wks. of sick leave from school & life in general

This has made it an especially tough year. Surgery has corrected the problem, but recovery is slow. I get impatient when life is slow. The side effects of the surgery have been harsh and tough to adjust to emotionally, but healing is happening. My health has always been an issue for me and is a place that Satan can use as a source of discouragement. Yes, the Lord had a message for me. Thank you God for bodies and minds that are so well designed and capable of healing. Thank you for Doctors who have dedicated their lives to making our lives better.

Spiritually:

A Beth Moore study group on Monday nights

The last thing, I thought, I had time or energy for was another place to be and more studying to do! Yet, over the last few weeks I have found myself with a group of women pouring over God’s word and having new strength, joy, and peace sweep over my heart. I have been blessed with new relationships with sisters, strengthened relationships with other sisters, and been food for my soul. Isn’t that how God works? The very thing I thought had the least time for was the very thing I needed the most. He made that very clear to me tonight. Yes, the Lord had a message for me. Thank you God for Kingdom lessons revealed through the precious gift of sisters in Christ.

His message:
His provision - “My grace is sufficient for you, for MY power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9

The secret to contentment – “I can do everything through HIM who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

His power – “To this end I labor, struggling with all HIS energy which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:29
Thank you God for weakness, for struggle, for working through me and yes, sometimes in spite of me. May my life be an opportunity for YOU to be seen and be glorified

Do You Now Believe?

2006-02-28T19:54:00.000-06:00

Today when I flipped over the date on my Oswald Chambers desk calendar (for those of you who are Oswald purest - this is "an updated edition in today's langauge" in other words, an Oswald for Dummies - much more my speed!) this is the message from the Truth waiting for me:

This makes us believe..."You believe at last!" Jesus answered. John 16:30-31

Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on its own religious understanding. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them.

Wow! That really hit home with me. God, forgive me when I reduce You to my limited understanding of who You are. Please release me to fully know You, beyond human understanding, beyond the confines of my religion, beyond my own commonsense reasoning!

Make Me More Free...

2006-02-22T16:48:00.000-06:00

The Beth Moore study is truly incredible. I feel like an edition of Extreme Home Makeover spiritually as God keeps making over my heart and expanding it into areas of Him that I couldn't have even imagined a few years ago. This quote from our study last week has lingered on my heart.
"Christ is making heavenly rooms for us while making earthly room in us."

Sunday morning we sang the song "Make Me More Free". It has been my theme song ever since. I drive home from school with the sun roof open(yes, even when it is cold - gloves are a wonderful thing!) and that song blasting from my speakers, through my heart and straight up to Him. It is the prayer of my heart this week...

Make Me More Free
Dennis Jernigan

Make me more free, free me, more free from my old life,
More free in my new. Make me more free, free me,
more free in loving You.

With wings like an eagle, my heart made to fly
over sin, over sorrow, to new realms of life.
From glory to glory, my gaze fixed so high
that I only see Jesus, the love of my life.

Make me more free, free me, with power over sinning,
more power to love. Make me more free, free me, fill
me with Your power and love.

With wings like an eagle, my heart made to fly
over sin, over sorrow, to new realms of life.
From glory to glory, my gaze fixed so high
that I only see Jesus, the love of my life.

Help me to see, free me to see You and know You,
to know I am known. Help me to see You see me
and know I am Yours alone.

With wings like an eagle, my heart made to fly
over sin, over sorrow, to new realms of life.
From glory to glory, my gaze fixed so high
that I only see Jesus, the love of my life.

Till I only see Jesus, the love of my life.

2006-02-20T19:24:00.000-06:00

Being a Grandma is sooooooooooooooooo amazing! When I actually saw my child holding his child it was such an amazing feeling. It was just a little glimpse of what the Father must feel as He looks down on His children learning to give life through Him to others. Such a powerful image that it still takes my breath away!

Our sweet Ethne Jane arrived on Valentine's Day at 10:44 am. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 18" long. She is so precious, but of course that is a totally unbiased opinion!

2006-02-07T22:29:00.000-06:00

Well, it's getting closer! I'll be a grandma soon and I can hardly wait! My arms already ache to hold our sweet Ethne and tell her how much her Nana loves her! Yes, I'm already hopelessly in love with this sweet baby and we haven't even met yet. I am constantly amazed at how constant God is. In the good times and in the bad, He's always there loving me constantly and consistently. I don't have to do anything to earn His love it's just there for me whether I choose to bask in it or not. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

To Heather, Heidi, and Marcy, you were greatly missed last night. Our hearts weren't complete without you there! Hope to see you next week. Love ya!

2006-02-01T16:37:00.000-06:00

Have you ever felt that far off feeling from Jesus your Lord?
Peter did, he understood what it felt like to have really
blown it big time. How could he ever prove his love for the
Lord again after denying Him not just once, but three times.
After insisting emphatically that he would never deny his
Lord even if everyone else did (Mk. 14:27-31), he did
exactly what he said he wouldn't do. Sound familiar?
We constantly mean to do the right thing, but sometimes
all we seem to do is the wrong thing. So now what do I
do? How do I find my way back to Jesus when I've
wandered so far away? I do exactly what Peter did. I
profess my love for Him. Peter did not try go back into
his past and fix things that he regretted, or wished he could
have done differently. He did not allow his past mistakes
to hold him hostage and keep him from moving on with his
role in the kingdom. He simply responded to Jesus right
then and there in spite of all that he wasn't, but because of
ALL JESUS IS. Peter said it this way, "Lord, you know
all things; you know that I love you." (Jn. 21:17). That is
how you find your way back to Him. You profess your love
for Him, you accept that He knows and sees your heart,
and in spite of the past you allow it to be the past and
you move on in step with Him. Don't forget His parting
words of comfort and encouragement, "... I am with you
always to the very end of the age." (Mt. 28:29).

2006-01-30T22:07:00.000-06:00

Wow! Having sisters in Christ is an amazing blessing. Thank you for loving me. My daughter created a xanga for me back in November when I was home on sick leave recovering from major surgery so I could stay in touch with my students. Now she has moved me into the world of blogging. I thought I would just share my xanga entries from where I was studying in Nov.-Dec. It's amazing how God weaves our life and experiences together. I found myself in study of this passage again tonight.

If you haven't read John 21:15-25 do that before continuing. Can you imagine how emotionally
charged this moment must have been? Hollywood can't even create this kind of intensity.
Make sure you see this scene in your mind. You have Peter, precious sweet, bumbling Peter, standing there possibly even dripping wetfrom his most recent "man overboard" moment (read vs. 7-11.) Jesus looks him in the eye and straight through to his heart and asks the question, "Do you truly love me?..." And even more than that (as if that weren't powerful enough) "Do
you truly love me more than these?" Do you think Peter even heard the whole question? Who do you mean, "...more than these"? Do youremember who told Peter it was the Lord who was speaking to them (vs. 7)? Oh yes, John "the disciple whom Jesus loved". He is one of the "these" that Jesus is referring to when He said, "more than these". Wait, isn't this the bobbing for Jesus Peter (Mt. 14:29-30), the "give me a bath" Peter (Jn 13:6-9). The "I'll stick like glue! Peter (Jn.13: 36-37), the slice 'em and dice'em Peter (Jn 18: 10-11), and even the "Who me? Never knew him!" Peter (Jn 18:15 ff). Yes, all of them. That's the Peter Jesus asked, "Do you truly love me more than these?". The reply was simple and yet so profound. Almost instant, without hesitation or reserve (after all this is Peter we're talking about!) Peter didn't make excuses, he didn't try to justify his failures and place blame anywhere. He didn't try to "measure up" to the others, or cut anyone else down to size. Just as he was and with all that he wasn't, and maybe was finally beginning to understand all that he would never be just on his own but only through the power of Jesus. He simply just focused on Jesus, his Savior and Lord,and said, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." I don't think the question was for Jesus's information.Yes,
He did know. The question was for Peter. Yes, Lord. Yes, yes, yes! I love you! Just like
Peter, may we never stop proclaiming it!

2006-01-28T14:35:00.000-06:00

I am constantly amazed at the goodness of God. His design of life in the family of God is such a blessing. I'm currently reading the 21st chapter of John, verses 15-25 when Jesus reinstates Peter. I have found myself drawn this passage over and over lately. Take some time to read it and let the power of His word sweep over you. That's all for now.