Living Interpretations

Courage

2012-02-02T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well ...Donna and I are trying to hear what God is telling us to do and to act upon it. This is our first try at taping a segment on Courage.. I feel like the lion in the Wizard of Oz...I need courage! I hope this encourages you in some small way to have courage!

1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Verses we reference:

Exodus 31: 3.." and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship."

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

After you watch the video I invite you to leave a comment.

Be a living interpretation of what you believe!

Light from the Lamp Exposes Darkness

2012-01-25T09:06:00.005-05:00

Our Wednesday night class is studying the book of Luke and in preparing for class I read the following passage.

Luke 11:33-36 "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, a when the light of a lamp shines on you."

The most important part of this passage to me is that my eyes have to be good in order for me to see the Light correctly. Good is meant as "sound"; Greek: "single." That is focused, single-minded. I am to keep my eyes focused on Christ and the Word. When my eyes are not focused on HIM, looking around at the things of the world that I think are ok and putting more time into things that do not bring me closer to the Lord, I have opened my eyes and allowed things that are not of God to enter my mind.

I have also created dark places where I don't want the light to shine because if it does then the evil within me is exposed. The darkness of a critical spirit, selfishness, greed, the list could go on. But I want to be a women after God's own heart and full of His Light. Conviction from the Holy Spirit has already begun and it stirs within me a desire to read the Bible more to be single-minded.

Am I a living interpretation of His light? Forgive me Lord! Please fill me with spiritual understanding and insight.

The Good News from Pedicure Chair

2012-01-17T08:21:00.001-05:00

Recently a young lady who is struggling with life and her lifestyle, told me of her encounter with God at the most unlikely place. She was fired from her job for being tardy and even though she knew her employer was justified to take that action it still took her into deep depression. She spent one full day in the bed with the covers over her head and pain in her heart. But the next day, the single mother of four realized she had to get up and get going and so she got her hair cut, a manicure and a pedicure.

When she entered the nail salon she was met by a man with tattoos and piercings and she really didn't want him to touch her. But then again, he didn't know her and so when he asked how she was, she let it all out and told him her life was in shambles. Much to her surprise and delight this man told her God was there for her and that she needed to let go of the past and push forward into the future. She said it was if God Himself was talking to her and guiding her.

That encounter would have been a blessing enough but then the lady sitting in the next chair said she had overheard the conversation and while listening called in a favor...she had set up an interview for my friend with a new establishment in town.

"When?" she asked.

"As soon as your toes dry!"

And so my friend went to an interview and is waiting to be called for the second one. God works in such a crazy way sometimes when you least expect it. You just never know through whom He will talk to you.

Being Content with Life

2012-01-14T20:47:00.001-05:00

My hubby and I have a standing lunch date on Fridays. We have been doing this for 15 years and today my hubby asked me if I enjoy it as much as he does. Funny how after 28 years of marriage...soon to be 29...I still enjoy being pampered by him and treated like the most important entry on his calendar. There were times when both of us were in managerial positions and we had small children and little time to be together, but now the kids are out of the house and we have so much more free time. Sure we fill up our days and evenings with church events and community meetings but we also have the freedom to say "no can do!"

I enjoy sitting here blogging or reading interesting information on the web as he watches football and reads the newspaper. We just can't seem to do one thing at a time though, unless we are watching a movie in the theater, (although he sometimes falls asleep unless it is a really good movie like the one we saw last night). "Joyful Noise" had wonderful music and it was a cute movie. Not one that sent me home wanting to better my life but it wasn't one that left me feeling blah. It was a feel good movie with Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton. Just wish Dolly wouldn't have messed with her face so much.

Getting older isn't something that I am afraid of or feel I have to get a face lift to be accepted in society. I realize Dolly is in the public but what ever happened to just aging naturally? She was trying to play the part of a hot grandma and it just made the hubby and I both feel sorry for her in real life. I don't know much about her life but I hope she has a good man that loves her no matter how she looks.

Being content with life is a gift from God and a maturity in His ways. I remember the days when I worried about all kinds of things but now....I enjoy my life just the way it is!

Kingdom First then Food and Clothes

2012-01-10T07:54:00.005-05:00

Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 12: 22-23, "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

What do you think about when you wake up? Still in the dreamy stage I whisper, "This is the day the Lord has made...I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT." Sometimes I have to say this as a command to myself so that I will not focus on the problems that need to be taken care of but that I will be thankful that I have the ability to take care of them. For instance...my business laptop crashed yesterday which means that my cash flow reports from the last 3 months are now gone and the end of the year reports for 2 businesses are now gone and all the emails I have sent cannot be retrieved. A techie friend told me to go to our local Computer Guy and he should be able to help me. So this morning saying my morning breath prayer was to remind me that I am to rejoice and be glad in every day that the Lord allows me to spend here on earth.

The very next thing I think about though is what will I eat and wear. I must eat to have energy for the day and clothes are kinda important if you know what I mean. I must confess though the older I get the more my life seems to be centered around food. What should I eat ...what shouldn't I eat. Only a few seasons of my life did I really get into cooking and though I did enjoy making gourmet meals for my mom and dad as their monthly Christmas gift, it took a lot of time and money. And for what? one hour of pleasure.

But there is something about sitting down with family and friends over a good meal. And it does seem like fellowship in the Bible and at church is centered around food. But I do understand how I stress and worry over what to fix when we have company. Sometimes the anxiety level dampens my desire to entertain more and maybe that is the point. First I am not fixing a meal to entertain but a meal to serve along with conversation and friendship. The food is not the important element of the gathering.

Now to clothes. Well I really don't like to shop and in 2007 after my mission trip to Haiti I didn't buy clothes for a year, but I can't honestly say that I don't think about clothes and how some items make me look fat (surely it isn't that I have gained weight!). I don't think I am overly concerned with my looks but then on a Sunday morning after trying on 3 outfits, I get so disgusted with myself and how I look that I just want to stay home. That shows me just how much attention I put on my clothes and appearance. When in fact very few people even notice me.

Jesus said. "For the pagan world runs after all such things, and you Father in heaven knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom first and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Well....it's time to eat my breakfast, get dressed and exercise....then take a shower, get dressed, work at home with Quick Books Online and go to lunch with a dear friend. Ok so twice I am eating and putting on clothes .....but I won't worry about it and praise God that He has provided and I will try to seek His ways all day in everything.

Don't Worry About the End Times

2012-01-06T09:27:00.001-05:00

When Jesus talks to the disciples about the end times in Luke 12, He sure doesn't sugar coat it.

"8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." 10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them.

This will result in your being witnesses to them! We will go through all of the horrible events above to be a witness to them? How will we do that?

14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.

Well that makes me feel better, how about you? I hear people almost daily talk about how the times are getting so bad and the time is near for Jesus to return and we need to be ready. But they are usually talking about having cans of food ready in the pantry and items stored away that can be bartered for things needed. And especially needed is a gun to protect your family and belongings. Those preparations should be made but Jesus tells us not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. It will be with words and wisdom not from what is within our heads but what comes from our spirits as He gives us His words and wisdom.

Lord, help me to listen to YOU and stand firm!

Widow's Lesson

2012-01-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

I have been randomly opening my Bible and reading in the morning and lately it seems everything has something to do with end times. Today my Bible opened to Luke 21 where Jesus talks to the disciples about the future, about his return and about us remaining faithful. It starts out though with the story about the widow...

¹ And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. ² And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. ³ And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; ⁴ for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on."

I wish I could be more like this widow (not the widow part) but that I could truly offer out of my poverty and not my surplus. What would that really feel like to know that you are giving unto the Lord all that you had to live on. There are days in my past that I as a single mom had very little resources to use to provide for my 2 sons but during that time I didn't go to church on a regular basis and if I did I never tithed because I thought I had to have every penny in order to live. After my husband and I married and became a part of a church, he decided that we should tithe and not that I didn't think we should ( I grew with a father that strongly believed in tithing) I was just so afraid of not having enough to pay bills and feed my children. I had to really trust God and my husband. God blessed me with contentment and security and after 28 years of marriage, He has proved over and over that if I surrender my money to Him, He will continue to provide what I need! Not only money but everything!

Why do I worry about the future when this women wildly gave all she had? I want to give more...more money to help people like those in Haiti, more time to help people that are all alone, more use of skills and talents to help the church....more glory to HIM and not to me.

Many or Few Blows?

2012-01-03T08:36:00.001-05:00

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for the servants whose master find them watching when he comes." Luke 12:35-36

"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:47-48

In my Study Bible it reads:
People who are ready for their Lord's return are:

not hypocritical, but sincere
not fearful, but ready to witness
not worried, but trusting
not greedy, but generous
not lazy, but diligent

May your life be more like Christ's so that when he comes, you will be ready to greet him joyfully.

I am not ready....I have a lot of changes to make so that I will be better prepared for HIS return!

Twenty Twelve - Anticipating the New Year!

2012-01-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

WOW! 2012 is here and all the hoopla regarding the end times has hit even the secular news. Interesting times we live in but for me right at this moment I want to concentrate on what God wants me to be DOING to promote HIS KINGDOM here on earth. I also realize that I am nothing without HIM and can do nothing without HIM. He is the vine and I am but one small branch. Even so, I don't want to be unproductive but fruitful and it is in that context that I want to start the year out with some alone time with the Lord.

I have been blessed with three days of no one at home but little 'ole me and the Lord. This may have been the first time since I have been married to my hubby of 28 years that I was alone on New Year's Eve. It was a quiet evening and I truly tried to keep the day covered in prayer and meditation but well...the laundry needed done and the Christmas decorations begged to be taken down and put away. This Christmas was one of the best as all my children and grandchildren were with us but that also makes for cleaning and that's alright...but it can wait until my alone time with God is over. I just have too push it out of my line of vision and keep my head down with my eyes on God's word.

So Saturday was wonderful and Sunday was filled with God's goodness; a time of musical worship, a great sermon from my pastor, a wedding feast for 2 friends, and a visit to the funeral home to show respects for the mother of a friend. Then as I settled down in the evening in my new comfortable chair I asked the Lord to reveal to me what I need to change...about me....about my daily activities....about my ministries. How can I change for the better to serve Him with my best. (There's so much to change...where will He start?)

This morning He gave me Hebrews 12:1a-3 ( I like to read it as if it is written to me personally so I will write it as such) "...let me throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let me run with perseverance the race marked out for me. Let me fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endures such opposition from sinful men, so that I will not grow weary and lose heart."

Today I will meditate on what is hindering me (it could be good things), what sin is entangling me (sin I don't recognize as sin), and what race I am running that is not mine to race (I have a tendency to do that). That should take me all day!! But I have all day and I know that if I ask Him He will deliver. As Hebrews 12:10a-11, "..but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I want peace that comes from His righteousness therefore I am ready to take the discipline. Hebrews 12:12 says, "Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."

Well it's time for me to get in my exercise today...my feeble, flabby arms and weak knees need to be strengthened so I can be strong enough to do His biding! Discipline! Just not that excited about it though! But praise God that I am able to do so!! I want to be a living interpretation of what I believe!

Luke - Introduction

2011-09-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

   Luke, the doctor and Gentile Christian is writing to followers of Jesus, so they would hear the true details about the life of Christ. One verse to remember is from the 18th chapter, verse 27; "What is impossible with men is possible with God." A theme of the book to consider is that Jesus communicates the love of God through his relationships with people. Luke's emphasis on women and how Jesus included them in his ministry encourages women today to stay focused on Christ and know that you are part of His ministry team.
   Luke was not an eyewitness but a very good investigator and spoke to those that were with Jesus and witnessed the miracles and signs that he performed.  Luke wrote this orderly account for Theophilus which means "one who loves God". Well there are many of us, then and now, who loves God, so in essence Luke has written it for you and me. Oh, it is going to be so interesting! So go ahead and read it on your own and I will highlight the women Luke writes about.
   Read the first chapter and you will discover two women, Elizabeth and Mary, relatives whom the Lord will use to birth sons of importance. An old lady will give birth and a very young woman will give birth. One son will bear witness to the other.  One son born to die as a ransom for all. One child was conceived by his earthly father and one was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
   There is doubt and belief, little faith and much faith,  prophecy and singing! Read Luke's account as if you know all the characters and have a relationship with them. Feel their pain and sorrows and rejoice with them in their blessings.

God Used Women in Battle.

2011-08-29T08:48:00.001-04:00

Women have always been worthwhile to God and their service fulfilled His purpose. We sometimes get caught up in the familiar of only men being able to serve the living God as it is played out in the traditional churches. We must not use that as an excuse to sit back and do nothing but allow the Lord to show us through studying the Bible that He did in fact employ women to be utilized in promoting the kingdom of God here on earth. First of all He has used a woman to bring forth His word according to His timing and to nurture the Christ in the ways of being fully human.

In the Old Testament we saw Sarah being used to begin the nation of Israelites and Esther saving the same nation later on. Deborah was not only a wife but a prophetess and a judge. She was a warrior leading a group of men to victory in the book of Judges “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman." [1] That woman would not be Deborah but another woman, Jael.

Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, `Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, `No.' " But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple. [2]

What about Tamar, Ruth and Naomi? And Abigail? God used all of them in a special way. Take the time to read about them in the Old Testament. As we look into the New Testament specifically the book written by Luke, we learn He was not a Jew but a Gentile, a doctor and a historian of sorts. He included more details than any other writer regarding the devotion the women of that day had to Jesus. Just as their male peers, the women had a purpose and a plan from the Father to further His kingdom. My goal today is not to downplay the role of the dedicated men or to exalt the role of the devoted women but to show the women of today, that we can look at the lives exemplified in the Bible and know without a doubt that the Lord Almighty does not want us to take a backseat and do nothing. We are to stand up, be accounted for, prepare for the battle and engage in the war against evil. The battle does belong to the Lord, and Jesus already has the victory but we must stir up the troops and be ready to be used in anyway the Lord sees fit. So let us walk together through the book of Luke and open our hearts to the lessons we can learn.

[1] Judges 4:4,5,9

[2] Judges 4:17-22

We're getting ready for another Spiritual Spa

2011-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Even though we are in our 8th year of pampering women, I still get excited each time I put together the supplies, music and make the schedule. I am so blessed by the spa TECHS (Telling Everyone Christ Heals) as each one of them has made a commitment to our Lord to reach out to ladies and spend time helping them to relax and rest...at least for the day, Our desire is to provide a day of rest that will encourage them to spend more time praying and reading the Bible so that they can get to know who their Savior is and know his comforting arms.

Here's a picture from one of the spas....the ladies are listening to the Spiritual Spa CD and spending time alone with God. That was a wonderful group of ladies and I'm sure the 11 guests that are attending the spa this Saturday will be just a beautiful.

2011-08-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

My granddaughter watched me as I cleaned the skimmer in our swimming pool. She was delighted that there was a tiny frog frantically trying to get out before the humans came. Normally I just take the bucket out and toss any critters over the fence. Last week I found a small, bright green snake curled up into a ball and hiding off to the side ...it scared the living daylights out of me!

I was going to do the same and give this little frog a chance to jump away but the little princess just had to touch the critter. She picked him up in her hand and off she went to show her little brother.

They passed the frog back and forth and finally my grandson wanted to take a closer look. As you can see from his face he was thinking this small creature was going to do something wild and possibly give him the willies. They had so much fun touching and holding the baby frog and I totally enjoyed watching them do so.

Thank you Lord for providing us with wonderful creatures great and small to enjoy!

Will You Be My Grandma Forever?

2011-07-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

My granddaughter really surprised me the other day when my hubby and I were taking her back to her mom's house. Grandpa was telling her how much we loved her and asked her if she understood that. He has said that to our children and me for years and it is part of his everyday conversation...he just wants to make sure he tells his loved ones that he loves them. But when our granddaughter asked if we would alawys be her grandpa and grandma were we a little stunned. "Of course!" I told her and then explained how her daddy is our son and we will always love him and that she is his daughter which makes her our granddaughter and that we will always love her.

She thought about it for a moment than said that she had some grandparents for awhile but now they aren't. You see her mom remarried and then divorced so those step-grandparents are no longer in her life. Her older brothers have different grandparents and we were once considered their grandparents but now we aren't. Her mom has a new boyfriend and well....they may become her new grandparents. Whew! Life is complicated!

I wondered if her daddy thought the same thing for by the time I had married my my hubby, I had divorced my son's father and remarried only to divorce again. Life didn't turn out like I thought it would. But now I have been married for over 28 years and I think it is being committed through thick and thin and allowing each other to mature along the way, taking the good, the bad and the ugly with a grain of salt. For me the most important thing is having a relationship with Jesus that sustains you when you think you will fall apart.

But our granddaughter and grandson do have 2 sets of grandparents that have been married for a long time. Her maternal grandparents have been married close to 40 years and her great-grandparents have been married for over 65 years, so they do see that marriage can last if you persevere. She knows her mama and daddy will always be there for her and I want her to know that we will never leave her or forsake her. I want her to know that Jesus will never leave her or forsake her. She tells me she loves Jesus and that she wants to know more about him. What an opportunity to teach her about her Creator and Lord.

California Here We Come!

2011-07-01T07:41:00.000-04:00

When I graduated from high school 40 years ago ( I remember as a youngster I would say that time frame as if it were forever!) my friend, Angie and I agreed we would buy an old van and drive to California. Well, that didn't happen! After graduation I decided to get married at the end of the summer and she went to college, so we just enjoyed some California dreamin' and grown up reality. But even though it may have taken me 36 years to get to California to drive the Pacific Coastal Highway I enjoyed it so much that my husband and I are going back to the sunny state to explore the northern area and see the amazing redwoods.

After my 20 year class reunion my husband accepted a transfer with his job to the wonderful state of North Carolina and so I have missed seeing my good friends in Ohio. That is until a couple of weeks ago when I visited Angie and found out that she has been traveling...ALOT! 59 countries. I have a lot of catching up to do. This year alone my hubby and I have been to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl...interesting place; Haiti...a wonderful mission trip; The Shenandoah Mountains on a road trip...beautiful drive; The Biltmore in Ashville...I never felt so pampered; Ohio with family....my favorite; and now on to Northern California and then in July, Lake Cumberland in KY with my family again. Still the best is seeing my mom and dad!

Women at the Well Spring Conference taught me about praise and worship!

2011-04-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

My husband and I took a road trip to the western part of our state where the rolling hills and flowering dogwoods and azaleas were a delicious treat to our eyes. Elizabeth asked me to perform the drama of the Samaritan woman at their first annual Spring Conference and I was delighted to accept the invitation. Even my husband was excited about traveling with me and accompanied me to the event...there were a few other men. Thank you Dale for befriending Ron!!

The pastor started off the event with a brief message (more like a prophetic word for the women attending) and it was followed with 40 minutes of praise and worship. It wasn't a live band but a power point with music and words in place...it showed me that what we truly need to worship are hearts ready and open to worship. I feel I have earned a right to talk about praise and worship since I have been on P&W teams in 3 different churches over the last 18 years. WOW! Eighteen years is a long time. I began under the leadership of a very capable music pastor who played the guitar along with a pianist and three singers for Sunday mornings and a full band on Sunday evenings. The congregation eagerly participated in worship with genuine hearts as did those in the small church where I was the leader of the P&W team. That was a stretch...a big stretch, but the pianist in that small church was a new member just like me and together we came with experience outside of old hymns and along with the new pastor who lead praise and worship in his former church, made up the first team. After a few months we had a drummer, 2 guitarist and a few singers that joined us. We made a joyful noise unto the Lord and the congregation responded to our meager efforts allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them to the altar. Now I am one of many singers on a team and we have a full band of wonderful musicians. Most of our church, I think, would say they enjoy our style of worship and are ushered into the presence of God.

At the Women at the Well event, Elizabeth brought a message that captivated the women the entire forty five minutes! In most churches it is stressed you loose people’s attention after twenty minutes. Not so when the message follows forty five minutes of worshipping the Lord and getting hearts ready to receive from the Holy Spirit. We seem to rush into church, rush into singing 4 songs (no more than 4), rush into the message and then ...do it all over for the second service. The music can be uplifting, the sermon can be convicting and encouraging and we can truly meet the Lord in those short services but I have seen what a difference not only at the WATW Spring Conference but also in others where the time spent before the sermon was praising God for who He is and asking the Holy Spirit to move among us. The difference is at the close of the service when people are flooding the altar for more of HIM...flooding the altar for prayer to be better followers of Jesus....flooding the altar with pure grateful hearts that want only to do the work He has created them to do.

During my Living Interpretation of the Samaritan Woman, the eyes I looked into were so soft and ready to hear about this woman's encounter with Jesus. They felt her pain and her joy. Is that because all of us have sins we do over and over and we know that it is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that we can overcome? It was such a beautiful sight when I opened my eyes after singing "Alabaster Box" to see women praying for each other with tears streaming down their faces yet with a glow about them that only come from the radiance of being in the presence of the Lord. Yes, it was a real blessing to be with this group of believers and one night I don't think I will ever forget!

He's THE Christian!

2011-03-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

I have been working with my sons who are 24, 36 and 38 in the big city and I so enjoy the different conversations that are tossed about like a pitch and catch game. Back and forth, back and forth, dropping the conversation to answer the phone and then picking it right back up. It is invigorating to be with them and their friends as they discuss new business ventures and make strategic plans to get them up and running.

Recently I was invited to join them as they met with a group of 30 somethings to discuss an initiative to help the Boys and Girls Club in their area. They were all so very nice and seemed to have such good hearts as they wanted to offer their assistance by using their talents and skills used in their various businesses to bring about a product that could help TB&GC. As I looked around the table I wondered what their backgrounds were as far as their beliefs. Well, I soon found out.

One of the members was unable to attend and in order to describe him to the others the leader said, "He's a red head! And he is THE Christian!" My son asked what he meant by that and the reply given was, "Well you know we say we are Christians but he is a real Christian." His tone of voice told me that he admired his friend and I really want to ask what was so different about him, but it wasn't the time or place. But I do hope I meet him someday.

I have thought about that one sentence over and over and I have told several people about this young man I do not know. I also wonder if anyone would ever say that about me....without me telling them first that I am a Christian. Could they tell that I am sold out to the ways of Christ by my behavior? Do the words I speak influence them to want to know more about Christianity or does it make them turn and run? What makes this young man so different than his friends who call themselves Christians? Maybe if I brought to my mind everyday that I am an ambassador of Christ, I would act accordingly. Lord, help me!

Should I Really Write Out My Rambling Thoughts?

2011-03-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

Recently I had a friend suggest that I should write a devotional. Last month an older women (I use that term with much admiration) emailed me that I should write a book. Through the past ten years, I started both endeavors many times over only to throw up my hands and throw out my thoughts; who in the world wants to hear the ramblings that go on in my head? Some of them, no, most of them, are so random that I wonder how they even entered my brain. Certainly God sends out ideas and notions that I am to ponder, go to the Bible for clarification and grow in my understanding of Him. But I worry that some things are not of Him but of my own pitiful mind or worse, of the devil who deliberately keeps me off track.
So here I am thinking about writing out my own interpretations of life…again. This time I will not hold back even if readers may think I am stepping on sacred ground with dirty feet. I believe in the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that Jesus is my only way to the Father and the Holy Spirit guides me in all things. I want to engage with God and if by doing so I write about things that you do not agree with, please know it is not my intent to upset or enlighten you. Please do not judge my ramblings as gospel truth but a way of sorting out my real beliefs. Please share your thoughts with me. Maybe we will grow closer to the Lord together.

My first interpretation…The title is shocking but the surge it gave me in my Christian walk is electrifying.

If Virgin Mary were a whore would they call her Whore Mary?

As I read this status on Facebook I was instantly upset. What would ever posses anyone to think of Mary in those terms and post it on the web for all to see. This nineteen year old college freshman was someone I taught in Sunday School and I knew without a doubt that he believed in the Lord. How could he make light of the Lord’s mother? I was so disturbed about it I called him and asked (well, told him) to remove his status! He obliged, but it had already received comments from other young people who liked his post. What’s up with that?

The next morning the Lord spoke to me as soon as I opened my eyes and He reprimanded me for the way I handled the situation. Wasn’t this an opportunity to have open dialogue with this young man? He also brought to my mind that if Mary were a prostitute, He would have called her as such. God does not sugar coat anything in the Bible. There are prominent women in the Bible that are described by their sexual condition, like it or not.

Write down what comes to your mind first as I mention the names of Biblical women; Sarah, Rahab, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, the adulteress woman. Did you write words such as, barren and told her husband to sleep with her servant, prostitute, demon-possessed, married 5 times, and promiscuous? Unfortunately, most of us were taught those adjectives to describe these remarkable women as bad girls of the Bible. Are we missing what God wants us to really take away from their lives? Wouldn’t it be more encouraging to think of them as; mother of nations, helper to God’s people and great, great grandmother to King David, freed from bondage and then possessed by Christ, first evangelist in Samaria, and forever grateful. Each one had an encounter that changed them forever.

The next phone call to this young man was an apology for my outburst but also a plea for understanding. What was going through his mind to bring up such a thought? “Well,” he said, “When I was out raking leaves I was just having random thoughts and wondered why there is a sexual word in front of Mary. I know why she had to be a virgin but what would it be like if we gave sexual titles to everyone? Instead of introducing you as my mom, would I have to say this is three times married Barb? Or this is my never married aunt? Or this is my childless aunt?” Wow! What a deep thinker my son is! I had jumped at the chance to defend what I thought was an attack on Mary without even asking my son what he was contemplating. Now I was the one thinking about how I mentally label people.

God stated the facts about a person to show the condition of their heart before encountering His divine intervention. We state the facts as if making a derogatory remark about the person to make them lower or raise us higher. Did God really intend for us to remember Mary as the Virgin Mary or that she was chosen by God for a specific purpose? Did God want us to remember that Elizabeth was barren or that He created a child within her when it was seen as impossible? Did God want us to remember the woman at the well as the one who had been married 5 times or that she accepted Christ as Living Water? Did God want us to remember the harlot who came uninvited to Simon’s house or that she boldly worshipped him when she washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair?

Why do we always look for the bad in a person instead of the results of an encounter with God?

It still bothers me that my son would even put the word whore in a sentence with the mother of my Lord, but I am delighted that he was thinking of Mary while raking leaves.

Because of the teachable moments that occur afterwards, I have asked my son to tell me whatever roams through his mind.

Kyria Blog: Embracing Idols

2011-03-25T11:05:00.000-04:00

When I read this blog it spoke directly to what is in my heart as a member of the Women's Ministry Team at my church. When I was in Bible studies that stretched my way of thinking and convicted me of my actions that were not God pleasing, I grew closer to the Lord and my life was balanced and blessed. And yet even knowing that, I put aside study for just about anything. Shame on me!!! Read this blog and tell me how it motivates you to seek the Lord.

Kyria Blog: Embracing Idols

Miss communications!

2010-10-15T17:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read an email and totally misinterpret what the writer was saying? I did that and it was a business transaction. Not good! It has been awhile since I have been in business. I owned a cross stitch shop and managed a banking center... at the same time for a year. During that time, no one emailed. Of course it is not because they didn't want too; it was because there was no such thing as email. Isn't that weird! Now it seems as if no one hears the voice of their co-worker or boss. Unless of course, the situation requires face to face, and it is of the utmost importance. But an email can suffice in most cases.

The girl who sent me the email was not quite sure what I was referring to when I sent my response. The girl is not really a girl but a woman. It is just that I am old enough to be her mother. She is very qualified for her position and I do need to stay on her good side because she has a wealth of knowledge about Quickbooks Online and she has offered to help me at anytime. It's not her fault that I am not familiar with the lingo yet.

I felt foolish that I did not take time to read her second email which would have cleared things up a bit. Before I could make clarification, my son, the boss, sent me an email telling me to copy him on any communication to the staff...at least for right now. What an embarrassment to me. I wanted to say, "Hey, you asked me to come to work" I got my cup of coffee and sat on the couch thinking of how old I am to start something new. Poor me! Can I really keep up with a cutting edge business?

Once I thought it through though, I realized how awesome it is to be a part of my son's business and his life...and the lives of the 2 more sons that live and work for him. It's a family affair! I am the oldest and I have made contributions to the betterment of the company. Managing people was my strong point. I want to be a team player...not sure if that term is used anymore. Whatever! I am thankful I have a job with wonderful people.

I turned 58 and started a new career!

2010-10-05T21:16:00.000-04:00

I really thought that once my youngest son went off to college, life would slow down. What a joke! I feel like I am just waking up from a long nap and it is time to learn new things and enjoy a good challenge.

So...my son who has a business in the Raleigh area ask me to work for him. I thought it through...

For so long I wondered what it would be like to go back to work. I managed a bank 19 years ago until I was bed-ridden while pregnant, and once my son was born I dedicated my life to raising my boys. At first I missed working and the performance reviews. Yep! I needed to hear I was doing a good job. But then I found volunteer work at school and church can be very rewarding. Now, it was time to re-enter the work force and even though it was quite a drive to work for my son, I couldn't imagine a better boss.

The 90 minute drive to his house, (which is also his office) gives me time in the morning to pray for my family. I have been able to call my mom who lives in Ohio and check on her and call my sister in Texas. There are even quiet moments when I clear my head of any thoughts and try to listen to the small wee voice guiding me into this new season of my life.

Learning Quickbooks Online has been a challenge, since I haven't done bookkeeping professionally. The books for my small cross stitch shop was simple; very simple! In fact I used pen and paper...no computer. Coming from a family of bookkeepers, accountants, CFO's and business owners, it is in my genes. Never thinking it would intrigue me so, I have found instant gratification when I have accomplished my to do list.

Another son also works with us and he has taught me how to use QB online and I am rather surprised at his patience. He does often tell me to try to figure it out on my own and if I can't, then I can ask him for help. That's weird...taking directions from a 23 year old. The son who owns the company is 35 and has a lot of patience too. A lady on his staff asked him if he could fire his mother if I wasn't doing my job. He smiled. I wouldn't want to put him in that position. I am trying my very best to his best bookkeeper!

Make sure your shoes are shined...or at least a match!

2010-03-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

   I gotta laugh at myself. I go from one adventure to another. One dream to another. My good friend, Donna was asked to put together a seminar about Professionalism in the work place. That includes Attire, Speech and Attitude.  She asked me to help her and right away I was on the internet finding points we should make. Every article said there were two things that must be clean and neat for your appearance to be above reproach. Your shirt and shoes!
   That isn't like a breakthrough concept for me, but I don't always look at my shoes as needing polished or shined every time I wear them. This may be a downfall for me and after my recent doctors visit, I may never leave the house again without at least looking down at them.
   There was no need for me to rush, even though I had a long drive (one and a half hours) to see Dr. E., and so I just enjoyed the beautiful sunny day taking in all the sights as I drove to Chapel Hill. My microphone was in my hand and everytime I would think of something pertaining to the seminar I would save it for later reference.
   I arrived at the office early and was called in right away. Paula, the nurse, came in and took all my vitals and asked me questions.   She said Dr. E. would be in shortly and left the room with a great bug smile on her face. She is so nice and amiable. No problem.. I crossed my legs and started reading the magazine about hearing loss.  All was good until I looked down at my shoe that was on my left foot as I was swinging it back and forth.  I thought it strange that I had on my black shoe with the tassle. I thought for sure I put on my blackish brown shoes with the buckle.  There are times when I do forget things, so I must have put on the wrong shoes. No problem, my outfit could handle black shoes. Except...I looked down at my right foot and...Oh NO! I had on my blackish brown shoe with the buckle. I uncrossed my legs and took a long hard look as if they would magically match. But I did manage to laugh instead of cry, as my two different shoes hugged my feet.  The more I laughed the hotter I became and sweat was starting to form on my brow.
My face was getting red and I could feel the heat running down to my neck. I started to fan myself and guess who entered the room? Yep! Dr. E.  He extended his hand to shake mine and I gave him the magazine; he smiled, took the magazine and placed it on the stand. Then he shook my hand with a grin on his face.
   I figured I would just not say anything and crossed my legs at the ankles, trying to hide my left foot with my right foot. I know what you're thinking. Yes, he could still see that I had on two different pairs of shoes but I knew if I didn't say anything, he wouldn't. And he didn't.  As soon as he finished checking out my sinuses, I almost ran out of his office.
   I had planned on shopping while I was in the Raleigh area but I sure couldn't do that with 2 unmatching shoes.  Sometimes I think God has such a sense of humor.  Here I was planning what I was going to say to people about dressing professionally for work. I even talked into my microphone as I drove and thought I was going to be on top of things. Well....I guess the joke was on me. Now I have a story to tell during the seminar of how important it is to check out your shoes before going to work and especially before a job interview or meeting.
   I wonder if Paula and Dr. E had a good laugh after I left...with all the people in the waiting room!

2009-12-27T15:57:00.001-05:00

Wrightsville Beach, Shell Island Resort, December 27, 2009

Ron and I took a walk on the beach this afternoon. The sun was shining and even though it was 48° it wasn't warm to me. I wore my jacket with a hood lined in fur. Yes, I did get some looks as if I came from the tropics and this was very cold to me. In the ocean you could see men dressed in wet suits trying to catch a wave as they rode their surf boards. The waves were not huge by any stretch of the imagination but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were using paddles as they stood on their boards; something I have not seen before.

The beach is so white that it looks like the dessert or in some places as snow. The seagulls swim close to the green water in a line as if they are surfing the waves too. Off in the distance the water is blue and you can barely tell where the ocean ends and the sky begins. The white clouds fill the sky and look like cotton candy …it is absolutely beautiful. We were able to walk on an area of the sound where there is normally water but for some reason the water had receded and made designs in the sand. I know people probably wondered why I was taking pictures of the sand, but nature has a way of making the most intricate designs that man can only imitate.

When the ocean waters covered the sand, I looked at that as being the most beautiful sight. Sand is pretty but it doesn't compare to the water. But then when the water was taken away, it is like God says, "look under the cover and see that beauty is also there. Beauty is not just on the surface but under the surface. Maybe even more so.

God convicts even through movies!

2009-12-18T08:24:00.001-05:00

Life sure is happening all around me. Loved ones going through difficult times and yet growing into in their compassion and love for others. Isn't that how it works? We think we want absolutely no suffering in our lives but it is through our suffering we see the truth about the life here on earth. The Lord did not say we would not suffer but He said He would be with us as we suffered.

Last night Ron and I saw the movie, "Blind Side" , and it was awesome! I tried to hold back the tears because there was only one other couple in the theatre. Two couples, one white, one black, in this big room. The story line is a white upper class couple takes in a young black man who has never had his own bed and helps him get an education and football scholarship but most importantly they give him love. It's amazing what love, genuine love, can do for a child. Love as a verb; an action that produces fruit.

I say I love my children and grandchildren. Do my actions, say that also? I love my husband. Do I put his needs and their needs before my own? In the story about Michael Oar (a true story) his mother loved him, but she was unable or unwilling to give up her drugs and show him how much she loved him.

Do we as parents understand just how much we change the lives of our children if we withhold affection? Little girls need their dads to be active in their lives just like little boys do. Even if their parents are divorced, children need to have both parents active in their lives. You don't feel like a princess if the King in your life makes you feel like a peasant. That is why it is so crucial to tell young ladies that the real King, Jesus, has made them princesses.

If part of your holiday tradition is going to the movies...like ours is...don't miss Blind Side. Very rarely do I purchase a movie, but this is one that I would not only buy, but one that I would watch over and over and show it to my grandchildren.

We can make a difference in the lives of others. I can make a difference....if I weren't so selfish. That is why I wanted to cry at the end. What do I do to help others? There are so many hurting. I guess it is to help one person at a time. As the song goes..each one reaching one.

The signet ring.

2009-11-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

Haggai 2:23 "On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."

Life Application Bible has a footnote that reads...

A signet ring was used to guarantee the authority and authenticity of a letter. It served as a signature when pressed in soft wax on a written document. God was reaffirming and guaranteeing his promise of a Messiah through David's line. (Matthew 1:12)

God closed his message to Zerubbabel with this tremendous affirmation: "I have chosen you." Such a proclamation is ours as well- each of us has been chosen by God (Ephesians 1:4). This truth should make us see our values in God's eyes and motivate us to work for Him. When you feel down, remind yourself, "God has chosen me!"

Haggai's message to the people sought to get their priorities straight, help them quit worrying, and motivate them to rebuild the temple. Like them, we often place a higher priority on our personal comfort than on God's work and true worship. But God is pleased and promises strength and guidance when we give Him first place in our lives.

I love to cross reference, so I went to Ephesians 1:4, "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will..."

My Interpretation: Praise God!! I so love Him. We are not to be the frozen chosen but actively participate in the work He has for us. He has chosen us and predestined a work for us. He has a plan for each of our lives. It has taken me so long to understand my calling and yet I still have times when I am not sure I have heard Him correctly. But the Holy Spirit in me is the signet ring that seals this love letter.

Fordham Manor Reformed Church...here I come!

2009-11-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day it is! The sun is shining and yet the air is so crisp and cool. This is my favorite time of the year. The beauty of the leaves changing color excites my senses. I even enjoy raking the leaves in my yard. How weird is that?

I have been preparing for my trip north to the Bronx. My costume is ready and I have packed my suitcase with the supplies I will need to pamper them at a mini Spiritual Spa. I have been emailing back and forth with Millie and I was able to talk to her on Monday. What a blessing! I could hear the love of Christ in her voice and I am so excited about meeting her.

Donna and I will first visit her friends in Piscataway, NJ, and then we go on to the Bronx. On Friday night we will join Fordham Manor Reforemed Church for a meal and then the service. We will start with worship and then the drama of the Samaritan woman, followed with my testimony and a message about worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth. The next day, we will have our mini-spa. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will move among us and we will stand in awe of His marvelous love.

Please keep us in your prayers as our desire is to glorify the Lord in all we do and say. He is so amazing, isn't He? AMEN!

Shoes....why so many kinds?

2009-10-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

I love this weather! It is drizzling a little rain but...we need the rain. It makes me want to sit on the couch bundled up with a blanket and watch "Dancing With The Stars." The guys in my house say they hate it and would rather watch a ball game. There was a time when my hubby and I loved to dance. I used to dance with my little guys in the kitchen when disco was in; now they are 36 and 34. When I was dancing I was in much better shape than I am right now. Maybe that is what I need to do; join a dance class.

My granddaughter, the Princess, takes dancing lessons. Sometimes she likes it...sometimes she doesn't. She is just at that age where she is involved in everything like she is trying on a pair of shoes and seeing which ones she likes best. Tap shoes do well. Ballerina shoes are ok. Soccer shoes are fantastic! But probably play shoes are her favorites. She is also practicing for the Christmas musical and she wears whatever shoes she has on at that moemnt. Last week it was her soccer shoes. She didn't have time to change after her game. Busy, busy!

I like high heeled shoes, but I have noticed that my feet are screaming for some shorter heels. My back starts hurting and I want to kick off my shoes... not dance in them. Then of course I have my tennis shoes and my flats and my sandals. I like them all but they are so hard to keep them nice and neat in my closet.

One of my pet peeves is the clutter of the shoes in my laundry room. TD has soccer shoes, football shoes, basketball shoes and "mowing the grass" shoes and they are thrown in the laundry room as if that is his closet. His regular tennis shoes are in his bedroom along with his only pair of black dress shoes.

Do shoes tell us anything about how we live and what we think about? In Haiti the children pray for a pair of walking shoes (tennis shoes). That is for survival as they walk miles to go to school over rugged terrain. Our shoes seem to be for entertainment or sports. I am not saying that is a bad thing, it's just that do we really need all those shoes?

Sinus Surgery...Dr. Ebert at UNC is the best!

2009-10-09T08:22:00.000-04:00

The night before surgery my hubby and I stayed at my son's house in Raleigh, which meant we would not have to get up so early on Wednesday morning. My surgery was first scheduled earlier and we had to be there at 7:00 am. Then it was changed to 10:00 and we had to be there at 9:00. I was thankful for the extra time especially when we were maneuvering on I-40. What a mess of traffic! I wouldn't want to drive that every day.

I have had several groups of ladies pray over me and for me. The Spa TECHs have been for praying for several months as they saw how the headaches were affecting me when we had the spas over the summer. My Tuesday group, "Women on Purpose" have been praying and anointed me with oil. And then on Tuesday night I received a phone call from our elders. They put me on speaker phone and Bane prayed for me. I was very touched that this group of godly men who spiritually guide our church, would take time during their meeting to call me. Granted I know that they would have done so if I asked them, but I have felt God set this surgery up, but to have them call showed how they care about their flock.

My surgery was at the UNC Ambulatory Care Unit in Chapel Hill. From the time I arrived until I left, I felt pampered...as much as you can be while having needles stuck in you. Their kindness and assurance that all would be well, had a calming affect. Even my blood pressure wasn't as high as it gets when I go for a doctor's visit!

Each nurse and doctor came in and asked me what I was having done. I guess this was their way of making sure we are all on the same page. At first I wondered how necessary it was to repeat it several times, but then I overhead the older lady in the next bed tell her doctor that they were repairing her eye to see far away, but her surgery was for her to see close up. After several minutes or repeating what she wanted the result to be, her friend was able to get both doctor and patient on the same page. After that my doctor came in and put a little star on my right check, so they would know which maxillary sinus was to be operated on. I was relieved.

I remember the nurse telling me she was putting something in my IV that would put me out and I told her, "It's not working." She smiled and said it takes some people a few minutes and others go out as soon as they lay their head down. The next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and seeing my husband's smile. A nurse was sitting beside me and within what seemed minutes I was getting dressed and being wheeled out the door. The ride home was a blur.

Of course, I wasn't feeling any pain because of the anesthesia, and I had no bandages. Everything was done on the inside of my nose. To look at me you would not have even known I had surgery. My nose and sinuses felt stuffy and there was pressure, but there was no pain. All the horror stories of the packing and the severe pain, was not present. I am so thankful Steve B. called me and told me about this new procedure and the doctors at UNC. For ten years I have feared this procedure. Now it is up to me to cleanse my sinuses out three times a day with 4 large syringes filled with a salt solution. This will keep me from scarring and I know how that is so important.

Dr. Ebert was fantastic and even called me yesterday to see how I was doing. He placed a splint inside my nose where he removed a small bone in my sinuses. It was as if he removed a wall in a hallway, enlarging the passageway into the sinus. This splint will have to be removed next week at my first post-op visit. I will have to go in weekly for the next 3 weeks and then at the 5th week and 8th week. Already I can breathe better, but the whole purpose is to have my sinuses to drain better so the yucky stuff doesn't stay in the cavity and become infected.

If you have to have sinus surgery, check out Dr. Ebert at UNC ENT, and ask about the FESS procedure. Even though it is only day 2 after surgery, I feel good enough to clean and get back to my routine. I do know my limits and so I will not allow myself to get too tired. My throat still hurts where they put the tubes in to help me breathe during surgery and I would love to blow my nose, but I know that's a no no.

God is so good to give us such smart people who can come up with new procedures and doctors and nurses who are so skillful. Most important He gives us caring friends who pray and bring us food! We all need each other.

I'm getting a little nervous about my sinus surgery.

2009-10-02T08:19:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, the reason I went to the ENT was because of the severe headaches I was having. After examining me the first doctor didn't think anything was wrong with my sinuses but thought he would rule it out before sending me to a neurologist. Of course, after the CT scan, he found I did indeed have a sinus infection and put me on Augmentin for 14 days and I started squirting Nasonex in my nose. Nothing happened!

Then I went to UNC Hospital and Dr. Ebert examined me and thought it was probably migraines, as he didn't see any signs of sinus problems. He ordered another CT scan, and found my maxillary sinus cavity was completely filled with infection and possibly fungus. YUK! After 21 days on Prednisone and Levaquinn, the headaches eased up but the infection is still there.

The passageway needs to be enlarged so the fluid can drain from the maxillary sinus into my nose. Nasonex helped with the inflammation in my nose, so the passageway is not blocked but it still needs enlarged. A couple of days ago I felt great but today my face hurts and I know I need this surgery. I have mentioned to some that I was having sinus surgery and everyone gets that "Oh NO!" look on their face. I am told by my doctor that this new procedure is much better...no packing!

I was told not to take any aspirin or ibuprofen for 7 days before surgery. I have not had any major headaches this week, so all is well. But I am going to the beach for the weekend with some friends and I am worried I will get a migraine... what will I take? I don't want to ruin our time there. I am so ready to get this over and behind me. I can't imagine what it is like to breathe from both sides of my nose!! It has been blocked for at least 9 months.

Why did I wait so long? I just didn't think it was an infection. I had been told for years that I needed surgery because I had a deviated septum. That wasn't the problem at all. Thank God I had the headaches that got me to the doctor. Thank God, Steve called me and told me about the doctor he saw and how the procedure was new and improved! Thank God for doctors!!

But I have to tell you, I am a little nervous about the surgery. Being put out and having something stuck up my nose doesn't thrill me. Plus, so many get sick just being in the hospital. I can't let myself think too much about it, so I focus on the positives. No more aching face...no more headaches...lot more air...

Pray for me!!

Suffering People

2009-09-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

Well today I begin my journey with Dr. Ebert and who will be operating on my sinuses, October 7th. I have put my trust in him...mostly in God who will direct his hands! I will have my right maxillary sinus cleaned out and one of the passageways enlarged.

When I went for my pre-op, I was stunned by the number of people waiting to be seen by a doctor who specializes in ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat). There was a lady with a growth on her chin, a man with some kind of apparatus on his nose, little children and teenagers with different ailments, all crammed into the waiting room. Some even had to stand and wait.

It reminds me that life happens and as much as we may pray and ask the Lord to heal us, He may have other plans in mind. My good friend Donna went with me and she, as I knew she would, befriended a lady sitting with her son. The lady is from the Bronx, where Donna and I are going next month to speak at the Fordham Manor Reformed Church. They had invited me to perform the Woman at the Well drama, and Donna so graciously accepted my invitation to join me. She will be "setting the stage" for my entrance and following up with a Scripture reading.
The lady gave Donna hints on what we should and shouldn't do while in New York. God is so good to give us some practical tips on travel.

While at UNC Hospital, Donna and I were able to pray for all the hurting people. My surgery seems so minor to what others are suffering through. God be with them!

What does Mikveh, Washing of the Disciples Feet and Christian Baptism have in common?

2009-09-21T08:41:00.000-04:00

As I study about the Jewish marriage, I understand more about my relationship with Jesus and His bride, the church. There are so many interesting facts ...Here is a sample of what we are studying today from "Attending the Bride of Christ...preparing for His return" by Martha Lawley.

Prior to their betrothel ceremony, the Jewish bride and groom separately prepared themselves to enter into covenant relationship. This preparation included the ritual of water immersion known as the mikveh. Ritual immersion represented spiritual cleansing. When Jesus washed the disciples feet at the Last Supper he was symbolically preparing the bride for covenant relationship. Christian baptism represents spiritual cleansing. Isn't that so cool?

At the betrothal ceremony the bridegroom gives the bride a gold ring to wear...on her finger or in her nose! That ring set her apart exclusively for her groom. They shared a cup of wine, symbolizing the blessing of their new covenant relationship. This betrothal covenant was not a promise to marry; instead, it was the initiation of the marriage relationship. Continuing to live apart, the bride and the bridegroom each prepared for the fulfillment of the marriage covenant.

This is a very interesting and enlightening study and I highly suggest you get a copy from Lifeway Bookstores and join us on Sunday nights or study alone. Martha has a unique way of bringing the Old Testament, New Testament and life application together in a single setting.

As I think of Christ as my husband, I am reminded of my earthly husband and Ephesians 5:25-33...

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

My Interpretation:

I am washed by the blood of the Lamb! Jesus sought me and bought me and now I am part of His Bride. Also, Jesus washes me through His WORD...that is, when I take time to read His WORDS!! And my earthly husband shares with me what the Lord has revealed to him when he reads the Bible. Cleanse me Lord!

Attending the Bride of Christ by Martha Lawley

2009-09-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

Sunday night we started the study, "Attending the Bride of Christ" Preparing for His return. It was like sitting around the dinning room table with your friends talking about wedding preparations and what role we will play. Are we the friend of the bridegroom, the bride, or the bridal attendant...or are we all three? That's what we are going to learn about this week. It is a wonderful study and since this is the second time I am doing it, I am learning even more.

Have you ever thought of your relationship with the Bridegroom, Jesus? You, if you are a believer, are part of His church which is His Bride. So we have a relationship with Him individually and yet we are His bride collectively. He has gone to prepare a place for us and will some day come back for us. That is when the Father says the room is ready and the bride is ready. The symbolism between the Jewish marriage and wedding feast to Jesus and His bride is exciting and opens the eyes of your heart.

Check out Martha Lawley's website, http://www.attendingthebride.com . We are doing the study at church but you can do it on your own; I did the first time. Familiar verses will take on new meaning. Enjoy!

Fantasy Football and the difference between boys and girls

2009-09-08T21:50:00.000-04:00

There are times when my seventeen year old son gets on my nerves. Like when he doesn't clean his room and it smells like a gym room, or when I have asked him for the tenth time to take out the trash. But then I have to remind myself that he is a good kid...a good man. Right now as I write this blog, he and 5 of his friends are sitting in my TV room putting together their Fantasy Football draft picks.

I am sitting in the dining room and even though I am not listening...honestly....I can hear their chatter. They are so NOT like girls when we get together. They don't mind calling each other names and disagreeing with each others picks. Girls on the other hand, have a hard time making choices because they don't want to hurt each others feelings. I love having them here and I love hearing them laugh. I know they must have said something I wasn't supposed to hear because they got real quiet and then giggled. I didn't hear what they said and I made sure I didn't react so as not to embarrass them. Boys!

I just received a cute email from my sister...about the differences between men and women. Read it and enjoy! I love my man, but we are like most of what is written below!

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel .
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

Sinus Problems- UGH!

2009-09-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

WOW! Time sure has flown by! Celebrating my 57th birthday was such a treat. mY hubby and I woke up laughing at how old I am. I just can't seem to believe I am 57. Especially while I am on Prednisone and my whole body is in fast gear. I will soon be returning to normal...whatever that is...and hopefully my sinus infection will be gone.

Today I had to go to the dentist and have a tooth reparied. No decay; it just fell apart. Of course, then the dental assistant had to tell me how to brush my teeth...like i haven't been. Why do they do that? I had no cavities and my gums looked good other than one little spot. It always irritates me when they treat me like a child. Plus I read when you go through menopause it can affect your gum tissue and there might be some receeding.

One more week and I will off Levaquinn and we will see how it worked. I was able to go to YouTube for a look at a procedure I might have to have. So, take a look, especially if you have sinus problems. It's kinda gross but so informative. It didn't dowlnaod but if you go to Youtube you can watch different ones.

REST not from sleep but from the Lord

2009-08-28T07:49:00.000-04:00

All the meds I am taking now for my sinus infection is starting to wear me down a little, yet as I am typing this, my insides are a bit shaky and my fingers can't move fast enough! Why are there so my side affects from something that is supposed to make me better? The Prednisone makes me wired so I need a sleeping pill, Ambience, that gives me four hours of deep sleep...usually. But last night I think the popcorn messed me up because I didn't even get three hours of tossing and turning rest. REST...I need REST.

I love how God always talks to me in the wee hours of the morning, when I am fading in and out. And the last couple of weeks I have been awake to hear Him. So when He began to put His imaginations in my brain as I lay on my bed, I knew He would give me more than I could possibly write down. Spiritual Spa Ministries, I feel, is a gift that God has given, not only me but to the Spa TECH's who minister to our guests. And the TECH's are gifts to me in every way. I cherish their friendship and I am awed at their dedication to help other ladies REST!

For several years God has shown me that my job is to be a promoter of gatherings for women and to use Spiritual Spa as an additive (promoter in chemical terms) that will increase the efficiency of the Catalyst (Holy Spirit). Not that the Holy Spirit needs me but, in a sense, He does ask all of us to take His Spirit into the fallen world. Through Spiritual Spa, hearts are provoked (stirred of an emotion within) to actively participate with God in their journey here on earth. Prayer easily flows from a soul at REST and we find a peace that passes all understanding. When we find REST we become poems of the Living God. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. " Ephesians 2:10. Workmanship in Greek is poeima, which is where we get our word, poem! We are His poem, created in Christ Jesus for good works and when we walk in them, others will become acquainted with God. From there the Holy Spirit woes them to Himself!

So I have been asking God if I and Spiritual Spa are on the right track. Do I understand what He wants from me. Not always, but this morning He gave me Psalm 16.

A miktam (silent prayer or a prayer that someone might be covered with protection) of David.

1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
3 I say of the godly who are in the land, "They are the noble people in whom is all my delight."
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out their libations
of blood or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful
inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one
see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with
eternal pleasures at your right hand.

REST....Retreat, Engage, Surrender, Transformed!

Dreams and Goals

2009-08-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

I can't believe TD is a senior in high school! Our youngest son soon to be 18 in November. Yet when I looked at him today asking for a trip to Dairy Queen, I still saw the little boy with the great heart and big smile. His shoulders are broader and his voice deeper, but his humor shines through as he curls up his eyebrow and gives me the "please" look. I can't seem to resist it!

The time has come though for him to begin thinking of what he wants to have as a career and we want him to decide right now. How unrealistic is that! You would think after having three older sons we would realize it takes time and each son has had to find his own way at his own pace. Do they even know how much I dreamed about their futures and still do, except now I know it is in God's hand, not mine.

My mother always dreamed about the future of her six children too, and would even write out her goals and plans for them. Not sure if any of us ever met her standards but I know she is proud of us no matter what. And I am proud of my children too.

Is that how God looks at us. He has these plans and dreams for us and wants us to walk into our destiny, yet He has given us free will to make the choices needed to accomplish His will. But He knows what we will do and He is sovereign. It all makes my head spin. I am just glad He loves me so much that He allows me to stumble along on the journey without giving up on me.

Thank you Lord!!

Trust in the Lord and be like a TREE.

2009-08-22T21:44:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 17:

5 Thus says the LORD,
"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 "For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
8 "For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

I understand these verses, oh' so well. For I have been in the wilderness when I put my trust in the strength of my flesh and not in the Lord. But now I trust in the Lord and trust the Lord. Even during my latest sinus infection and the weird feelings that go along with the medications, I trust the Lord will get me through this. My roots are extending into the stream of Living Water that Jesus provides and His Holy Spirit gives me guidance and reassurance that all is well.

Snake in the Pool!

2009-08-21T15:43:00.000-04:00

Today my granddaughter and I were trying to cool off by swimming in the pool. I don't know what the temperature was today but yesterday the heat index was 105 degrees. I always sweep out the leaves and do a good check but today I forgot to check the skimmer. Should have! We were swimming around and doing some exercises when I noticed something moving in the distance. The sun was glaring off the water and I couldn't make out exactly what I was seeing, but I knew it wasn't good.

In a very stern voice I asked my granddaughter to get out of the water. At first she asked why and then she realized grandma Barb was very serious. She immediately obeyed and once out of the pool she asked me what was wrong. I then told tell her there was a snake in the pool and I was so proud of her for following my orders quickly. She stood off to the side as I scooped up the snake in the net. She followed my command to get uncle TD to kill the poisonous water moccasin. Yep! A poisonous snake could have hurt my little princess. Lately there have been reports of people getting bitten by snakes, and I am so thankful that we aren't going to be on that list.

Recently I was put on some medication for a sinus infection that can produce heart palpitations. Well I don't know if it was the meds or the presence of danger, but my heart was pounding. We sat on the edge of the pool for awhile and I kept a close watch on the clear cool water. What caused me to notice the small squiggly creature taking a dip in my pool? How the outcome could have had a bad ending! I wondered how this could be used as a life lesson.

So many times I am in the cool waters of life, nothing dangerous by any means, but not paying attention to my surroundings. Then all of a sudden it feels as if something or someone is after me. The devil is ready to pounce and attack. My husband has a keen awareness, a discernment that tells him when he is in danger. It is a spiritual awakening to take physical action. It has happened so many times that I, like my granddaughter heed his warning. I must admit I used to question, but now I follow his lead and when out of harms way, he tells me what the Holy Spirit has revealed to him.

My Interpretation:

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober {spirit,} be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in {your} faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

David Tyree is a great role model!

2009-08-15T20:35:00.000-04:00

I just watched a program that I really didn't want too, but my teenage son had the controller. Of course it was on ESPN and it was about athletes. Not sure of the name of the show but they highlighted different athletes from a young boy playing little league, getting shot in the head while at bat (he lived...amazing!) to David Tyree who plays professional football.

On national TV, David told about his drug addictions and how Satan possessed his soul. He went on to say he stopped into a church and cried out to God. He ended up in a mental institute for awhile but God healed him totally! Now he goes around and talks to teens about abstaining from drugs. http://www.montclairtimes.com/NC/0/1085.html

As much as I complain about the poor role models in college and professional athletes, it was awesome to watch this show with my son. Shame on me for clumping all athletes into one bad pile.

She has been asked to abort one twin.

2009-08-12T19:32:00.000-04:00

I met a young woman who is pregnant for the first time. I don't know if she is married or if the father is there to help her. All I know is she was told that one baby is 4 oz. lighter than the other twin. One weighs 10 oz. the other 6 oz. I guess that is normal for a 3 month old fetus. The doctors have told her she needs to abort the smaller twin. I realize I do not have all the facts, but I know a mother's heart and hers is hurting.

God says He is like a mother hen spreading her wings over her chicks. What a loving God we have that He has put this wonderful characteristic of Himself inside us. We want to protect our young ones and to nourish them to good health. When we can't we feel like a failure but truly in this situation the mother has no option...other than prayer.

Please dear friends, keep this young mother in your prayers. May the babies in her womb grow strong and healthy and yet if this is not to be, may she find peace in the arms of the Lord.

I love to hear my grandchildren sing!

2009-08-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

It was one of those Sunday afternoons when you just wanted to lay on the couch and do nothing; especially while fighting a sinus infection. The meds made me sleepy and well...a little grumpy. I heard the phone ring and thought for sure no one would answer it. But my hubby surprised me and I heard him call my name and as I looked up he motioned for me to get up and walk into the kitchen to take the call. I just wasn't in the mood to talk. But ...

"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear grandma, happy birthday to you!" My grandchildren were singing with voices like angels and I could hear their mother's voice joining with theirs. I was so surprised and I hated to tell them that it was not my birthday!! How can you tell the sweetest people who cared about me, that they made a mistake.

My daughter-in-law and I started laughing and she realized she was a month early on wishing me well. It was her first senior moment at 35. Then the children were asking to talk to me so they could tell me how much they loved me and how they hoped I was having a great birthday. I guess when my birthday comes around next month they will think grandma is getting old fast by having another birthday.

This phone call really touched my heart because my son and his wife divorced last year. I have had to learn new boundaries as I strive to keep an open heart. So for her to think of me and make the call for my grandbabies to sing to me, really made my "not so great" day, very special.

My grandson tried to eat his hand!

2009-07-30T22:33:00.000-04:00

Today I was called upon to pick up my four year old grandson from day care. He evidently wasn't feeling good and vomited all over himself. YUK! I rushed over to see him sitting in the office laughing and listening to the secretary read him a book. He seemed pretty jovial and didn't look like he felt bad, so I asked him if his stomach hurt and if so, was that the cause of him vomiting. "Well," he said as if he was thinking about how to tell me, "I put my hand in my mouth and it made me sick!" At first I thought he had already learned a way to get out of school from his big brothers, but then I realized he was just a little guy trying to see if he could fit his whole hand in his mouth. Since his clothes had to be changed and the teacher didn't know the cause, his mom was called. I loved that I was chosen to spend the day with him!

Later after lunch, my seventeen year old son had a doctors appointment for a physical..no big deal. Except that my grandson had just been to the same doctor last week and received three shots and it was not a good experience. He wanted to see if his uncle would cry like he did. Uncle TD told him he wasn't getting a shot; so he thought. Of course at seventeen you don't cry even if it does hurt, but the little guy took notice of the big guy and how he handled himself. It was one of those moments that I was so proud of being a mom and grandma. Both boys love each other and I know TD will take care of his nephew if the need ever arose. Family is so great!

My Interpretation:

Children learn from those around them. Older brothers and uncles have a great impact on how they view life. They watch to see how they handle tough situations. I pray that my grandchildren will learn a few things from me too.

Life Coach or Mentor

2009-07-27T15:09:00.000-04:00

Life coach or mentor? What is the difference and do I need one? My mother has always been my mentor and when I hear people say that every women needs a mentor, (I have said those words myself) I wonder if they had a mother. Isn't that the mothers job to be a mentor? My mother showed me how to be a wife (mom and dad had a passion for each other that was so obvious), raise a family (she was a mother of 6), a business woman (my father would tell you if it weren't for her money management, they would not have had a very successful business), and she made sure I knew how to can and freeze the harvest from the garden my father tended. She is my mentor. I want no other.

Yet, my mother was not one to read the Bible or tell you stories of life. She lives her life in the moment looking toward the future. Even at 76, she engages in world events and watches CNBC every day. So I was surprised today when she called and told me she read the book I had given her months ago; 90 Minutes in Heaven. My mother is an avid reader but Christian novels never interested her and the Bibles my sisters and I have given her throughout the years still have pages stuck together as they have never been turned. She did read and loved the series "the Mark of the Lion" by Francine Rivers and "The Shack" by William P. Young. Those were the only two authors that excited her enough that she called me to see if she could pass the books to one of my siblings. That is until "90 Minutes in Heaven".

But as far as a life coach, my mom helped as much as she could; but I needed someone to help me make career choices and a plan of attack. I don't remember ever having a school counselor in the small Catholic school I attended and I didn't take advantage of the counselor at OU-L. If I had maybe I would have attended college more than one year. But now I want to expand my horizons and I have a friend that is great at pulling out my desires and wishes and putting them in an organized form and helps me with an action plan to accomplish my goals.

My husband is a fantastic life coach for our sons that are in business because he has been a manager for over 30 years. He lights up when they ask him for advice and I find myself just beaming with pride. His insight into how to handle HR problems, including firing people (ouch!) and giving performance reviews that propel the employees to do better and not to make them bitter, are qualities that some managers need to learn.

The trend right now for the over 50 gang, is to reinvent themselves and one way they get on the right path is choosing the right life coach. Of course to me the best life coach is Jesus Christ and I know when I seek Him first all else falls right in line!

Your Brain and Menopause!

2009-07-26T20:40:00.001-04:00

I wish I didn't know this first hand, but I do...the brain's RAM is affected by the hormonal changes during menopause. I could share my journals with you so that you would know I am speaking the truth, but really, let's face it, those of you who know me personally know the train leaves without me quite frequently. Although I am doing much better since I take USANA fish oil and Ginkgo along with my multi-vitamins and minerals, I still seem to make up words as I go and don't use correct English. I know I sound like an advertisement, but it's true. When you feed your cells, they work better.

What 's really funny is when I am talking to some of you and you understand what I mean! My sisters, Carla and Cyndi have a way of making me feel better...we talk each others language. It does make our husbands wonder if we have some secret code of communication, but hey, what they don't know won't hurt them!

Read the article below and visit the website if you have any questions about menopause.

Your Brain’s RAM and Processing Speed ARE Impacted by Hormonal Changes During the Menopause Transition

Posted using ShareThis

Baby Boomers remember the moon landing

2009-07-21T16:34:00.001-04:00

Baby Boomers remember the moon landing

Posted using ShareThis

Click on the above link to read the article. Below are my thoughts...

Well what about you? Do you remember watching the moon landing on television? Wow, does that make me feel old! But that's ok. I thought that visiting the moon would become an annual event after the historical landing; but it didn't. Visions and dreams of flying to the moon were often floating through my head. The thoughts must have camped out there fueling my imagination because I never made any move toward being an astronaut. Could you see me jumping up and down on the moon, giggling like a little girl, thanking the Lord for His awesome work of art. It would be the only time I could do the famous Michael Jackson moonwalk, that's for sure.

My grandmothers could remember when the horse and buggy was the best form of traveling. Of course the also enjoyed the train and cars. When my grandma Huber went to Israel at 82 years old, that was her first and only trip in an airplane. So many events happened during her 98 years here on earth.

What are the memories, us baby boomers will pass on to our grandchildren that will totally amaze them? Maybe that we had to use clunky typewriters and a lot of white out to present a book review to our teachers. My younger sons can't even imagine life without their own personal laptops. Times have changed. Honestly, I love my laptop!

Baby Boomers are now receiving Social Security checks in the mail and trying to figure out what to do with the last half of their lives. Some have lost the security of their long term careers and are now reinventing themselves to bring in an income. Others are at the height of their careers, making a good wage and yet feel they are ready to tackle new challenges. Life can get stale and the baby boomers are not used to settling in and doing nothing. We still have a lot of living to do!

Living, Loving and Giving

2009-07-20T09:33:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my hubby and I took our Sunday afternoon excursion and walked four miles along the Roanoke River Canal Trail. Four miles may not seem that far to you, and actually I could have walked longer if I had water with me, but we normally don't go more than two miles when it is so hot outside. One Saturday we walked seven miles and every muscle in my legs and feet ached!

We saw two young deer and a groundhog, along with butterflies and birds. Of course on the trail you will also encounter little bugs and spider webs...and we always check us for ticks, but walking the trail is so worth the effort. It is in the shade so the heat of the day doesn't keep me inside and the beauty reminds me of my Creator. It gives us time to dream about where we could travel; places we have never been before (which could be a lot of places). We are ready though to take a few more risk as we have been very conservative and now we are in our fifties and ready to enjoy our lives before we have health problems. My hubby has gotten his diabetes under control and we are in relatively good health for our age and our youngest will graduate from high school next year and off to college. So we are going to start planning some trips. If you have any ideas let me know!

Just after having our dream talk and before we could even procrastinate we received a phone call in the early hours of this morning and a good friend was shot while vacationing at Myrtle Beach. He had taken a late night trip to Walmart and went to a carwash to get the sand off his car. It was there that he was shot four times. Now, I don't have all the facts but I do know he came through surgery and is still critical. It is a reminder that your life can change at any moment when you least expect it. Lord be with James and his family!

Life is so precious and our families are so important to us. This act of violence reminds me that we need to enjoy our families before something happens. Not that I want to live my life as if something horrible is going to happen soon but that I will live my life to the fullest! During our walk my hubby said how his view on life changed dramatically at 18, when his mother died. Her death and his life went hand in hand. Without her in the family the five children went into adulthood without the physical love of a mother. Being the mother of four sons and mother-in-love and grandma, I want my children to know my love, not just the thought but that they see me helping them in tangible ways. For when I am gone it will be the memories I make with them that they will keep in their hearts.

Please keep this family in your prayers.

My Interpretation:

Living, Loving and Giving all with the love of Christ, is the desire of my heart. NOW…TODAY…I want to live in the present moment.

Something Wonderful by Sonya Speed

2009-07-17T16:31:00.000-04:00

Sonya Speed is a new artist...well not new...but she is selling her sculptures for the first time, and I was delighted that I was her first customer! Sonya is a Spiritual Spa TECH (Telling Others Christ Heals) and she is teaching Scripture through sculpture. The Woman at the Well has become so special to me for so many reasons. We have a lot in common. For Spiritual Spa I become the Samaritan woman and tell her story through drama. Visit www.spiritualspa.net to find out more.

God has given us all talents and gifts that we can use to glorify Him and I am so happy when I see another creative soul using and sharing their gift. Thanks Sonya!!

The Lord makes honey!

2009-07-16T19:34:00.000-04:00

Busy little bee! That's how I felt today; like a busy little bee. Bees are so important to our Eco system and if you have allergies, eat the local honey as they help your immunities. Even though I understand how this small bee helps me in so many ways, I still don't like to be stung. Which happened to me last week. I want to stay busy taking care of my family and yet I want to stop and smell the flowers and spend time with God.

Right now I am watching a television show on DOC. It is called Prophets Rising...Nashville, Tenn. has become a hub for the modern prophetic movement. Several young people are convinced that God is moving and maturing them at a much faster pace than what older Christians have matured. I believe Christians have been in a slumber and the winds are changing and we are better equipping our children for their faith. The youth of today do not want to play church, they want to understand what it truly means to be the church. The pastor just said the teens have been to the circus and seen the show and now they want reality...and Jesus is reality! He is my reality.

Bees take pollen from one plant to another and then they make honey. (Ok, that's a simple explanation, I know.) I see the Holy Spirit taking His love from one Jesus lover to another and making honey! Taste and see that the Lord is good. Yes, He is good!

The real fishermen in our family!

2009-07-13T16:42:00.000-04:00

Yep, my three year old grandson (will be 4 next week) caught his first fish and if you had seen how we reacted, you would have thought he hit a home run at the World Series! He was so excited he reeled in a big fish (well for him it was) and his big sister was thrilled to touch the scaly thing! I thought it was rather funny though that when they wanted to remove the hook from the mouth of the fish, mama had to hold the fish. None of the guys would. I was so proud of myself! See, I can be tough when necessary.

And my youngest son (17) was the other fisherman of the group. I don't want to leave him out...he thinks I think of the grandkids more than of him. Not true and I am glad TD and I have a great relationship, so I know he knows he's loved!

Jesus told Peter He would make him a fisher of men. Today we think it is so hard to witness to people about God. We really don't want to be fishermen. We want to put the bait on the hook and then sit on the sidelines relaxing; maybe even fall asleep. I watched my son patiently wait as the fish would go back and forth without noticing the tiny fake fish on the hook. He moved the pole gently back and forth as if to tease the fish. Well it must have worked because he caught three fish that day. But my son really didn't want the fish, so he threw it back into the water.

Are we like that when we are fishing for men/women? Do we patiently wait for the Holy Spirit to move or do we move the bait back and forth, taunting and teasing the hurting and hungry people who want to meet Christ. Sometimes we move so quickly that we don't give them ample time to ask us questions about our Lord. Honestly, there was a time in my life that I really didn't want anyone to ask me questions about Jesus. I just knew enough to love Him and I thought I would totally mess up if I were to quote Scripture and explain doctrine, so I didn't say anything.

If I am to fish for women ( I leave the men for my hubby) I must learn to be patient and know the Holy Spirit is the bait. When the lady is pulled in by the Holy Spirit in me all I have to do is tell her what God through Jesus has done in my life. I could talk about that for hours! I don't need to tell her the doctrines or the views of my local church...I just need to tell her of the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit does the rest. Whew! that takes me off the hook!!

My Interpretation:

I am holding the fishing rod, Jesus, the WORD, that God uses to place the bait, the Holy Spirit inside of me, that will lure the fish to HIM. Instead of throwing the fish back into the murky water, I am to show her the love of Christ. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Fire Alarms Blaring yet No Fire!

2009-07-11T21:29:00.001-04:00

All the children went back home and so hubby and I was the only ones at the lake house on our last night. As we were watching the movie, "Thelma and Louise", I accidently pushed a button on the controller and the movie went off. Ron was not thrilled that I couldn't get the TV to work and it was right at a good point too! Funny how just a little thing can get so blown up. Soon we were not happy with each other even after we did get the TV working again, and we went to bed without the usual kisses and "I love you." A good night's sleep would help us. We had grown to enjoy the early mornings on the deck, reading and looking out over the water and that time together would mend any little spat.

I was awaken out of a very deep sleep with a piercing beep; just one beep. A few minutes later, two beeps…then we were both awake wondering what was beeping. Maybe the dishwasher had ended the cycle and it was letting us know. Maybe one of the batteries in the smoke alarms was weak. Maybe… we didn't have time to even think about it what it could have been because the piercing beep turned into a prolonged shrill. We couldn't smell anything and we went downstairs and out the front door to see if the other units were on fire. Nothing. We went from room to room investigating, looking for smoke. Nothing! The noise was almost unbearable and now it wasn't just one alarm going off, every alarm in the house was blaring!

It was 2:22 am and we didn't want to call the fire department if nothing was smoking or burning. What would they think? We ran through the house touching the walls and ceilings to see if anything was even warm. Ron had to get the bar stool to stand on so he could reach the fire alarm in the entry to reset it, then he went to the fire alarm in the Master bedroom and reset it. I have never heard anything that instantly gave me a headache. After 15 minutes the penetrating noise stopped abruptly. We looked at each other and wondered what had just happened.

Our minds were really wandering in some strange ways, although we didn't talk about it. We tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't stop thinking of the "what ifs" and I know hubby was still awake because he was tossing and turning. My heart was pounding and I was so glad that the grandchildren weren't with us because the shrill alone would have scared them and then they would have been crying. It was so weird! One good thing though…I made up real fast with hubby and was so glad he put his arm around me.

Sleep did not come easy but eventually I could hear the familiar snore of my husband and since he was alright then I was alright. So I fell asleep…for awhile. Once again at 4:20 am, the alarm went off, but this time it was for only a couple of minutes. What in the world was going on?

We decided we would get up and leave early for home. Going over the events and trying to figure out what had happened and what we would have done if it had been a real fire or a burglary. We were in a new townhouse in a new subdivision one mile from the main road. In fact, the other three townhouses were empty and so we were all alone. I had no phone numbers I could call for help other than the fire dept. and 911. I know we sound foolish but hey what would you do?

Danger! Man’s quest for adventure!

2009-07-09T11:29:00.001-04:00

He took off his sunglasses and jumped in the choppy water. The knee board was the only thing my husband could use to help him swim to the boat where his youngest son, Timmy, was in trouble. There was no life jacket at the dock. The life jackets were on the boat and the three boys were obviously having problems and not able to get the boat started. As Ron and I were watching from the upper deck, we thought the boys had decided to jump in the water and swim for awhile before coming in. But they took such a long time and then it appeared they were in the water pulling the boat to shore. He had to swim out to them and bring them home. It was a, "I'm his dad and I have to help my boy" moment.

My heart pounded for my husband more than for the boys because they could get back in the boat and wave down another boater for help. There were several boats in the area…that was another problem for my husband. The farther he went out the harder it was for me to see him as the sun was going down. The glare on the water made him disappear. So if I couldn't see him then I knew boats flying on the water wouldn't be able to see him. In fact, earlier in the day, Jacob, Timmy's friend, was knee boarding and when he took a fall two boats whizzed past him without even seeing him. ..and they never even looked back. The thought that Ron could get ran over made me very nervous.

Water was splashing as Ron was kicking ferociously as the current was taking him the other way. Then he stopped. I thought he fell off the knee board. Yes, he did fall off. My mind raced and I thought if without a life jacket would he be able to swim to the knee board or would he have enough strength to reach the boat. It was only a few seconds but it seemed much longer, when he grabbed the knee board and pulled himself back on top of it. Then I yelled to warn him a boat was coming his way, but the boat turned and I said a breath prayer. Actually I began saying breath prayers as soon as I saw the boys in trouble.

Ron is diabetic and his blood sugars were spiking ever since we came to the lake house. He had just had a drop earlier and I worried that the stress would also drive his blood sugars down while he was rescuing our son and his friends. What would I do if he had a cramp and fell off the knee board? I tried to run different scenarios through my mind so I would be able to make a quick decision if that happened. I also knew that the love of a father is stronger and more propelling than anything and Ron was determined to save his son. I was never prouder of this man I am married too.

The boys were using the skis as paddles and someone was in the water pulling it as they swam. When Ron reached the boat I let out a thank you prayer, but then I noticed the boys were still in the water swimming toward the dock. Ron had taken the helm and it looked as if he was drifting with the current. I was totally confused. Why were the boys swimming and not in the boat? Was the motor running? Were they going to swim to shore and then get help for Ron?

Finally I heard laughter and saw them floating on their backs flipping over often and talking casually to each other. I think they thought that if Ron had swum out they should be able to swim in….boys !

My Interpretation:

There is something inside each man (boy) that requires "danger" to make them feel alive. Well that's great for them but for the women watching it can be terrifying. Although I must admit, it made my heart swell up with pride and admiration. Maybe that's why we read in the Bible …men love your wives, wives respect your husband. I saw both my hubby's love for our son (and me) and my respect for him grew. Ain't love grand!

Relaxing at the lake with our loved ones!

2009-07-07T19:35:00.001-04:00

My hubby and I are sitting in Lake Pitt ( a gas station and convenience store) hooking up with the Internet. That has been the only problem we have encountered while we are here at the lake. Not that we have to be on the Internet constantly, but we have grown fond of being able to keep in touch with everyone via the air waves. Our cell phones can't get a signal...just when I get a Blackberry too! What good has it done for me?

Our four sons and the grandbabies were with us the first three days and we enjoyed water skiing and swimming. But now they have all gone home and our youngest went back home to pick up some friends so they can ski and swim for the rest of the week. We know he is old enough to take the boat out on the lake without us, but boy does that seem weird! Our baby doesn't need us. We do pray a lot though that he will use his head when out on the water. Things can happen so fast and someone could get hurt. But we have faith ...in him and in HIM.

Our grandson caught his first fish! I wish I could show you the picture but that will have to wait unitl I get home. We were all screaming like the child had just won the lottery. He kept the fish out so long so we could see it that it died before we got it back in the water. Poor thing!

I know I have said this so many times, enjoy your family...TODAY! At Clyde's funeral, I watched three of his four sons standing side by side and looking lovingly at their mother. One son was missing. I remembered Clyde and Joanne telling us that their son David died some twenty years ago. Life happens and so quickly a young man's life was shortened and his parents grieved for many months and years. Now Clyde is rejoicing with his son in heaven. In his son's place stood his friend, Jimmy. Even though David had been gone twenty years, his memory is forever sketched into Jimmy's heart and now he held back the tears just as a son would.

My hubby and I talked today in the quietness of the pool...we were the only ones there...about enjoying every moment as it happens. Not thinking about what we were going to do in a few hours or a few days; but being focused on the present. The present is a gift, a precious awakening of the soul to the love flowing one to another. I love that feeling. God is with us and we so grateful for His love and through His love we can love more deeply and passionately, for God is love.

My Interpretation:

When I live in the present, I embrace the present God has given me, my family!

A tribute to a godly man, Clyde Spence

2009-07-03T19:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday evening Joanne called to tell me her husband was in his last few hours here on earth and she knew he would want to see my husband. As we entered his room, I was reminded how life is but a breath and we should enjoy every moment we have with our loved ones. My hubby loves to read Ecclesiastes and so did Clyde. Here is a passage that helps us to make sense of life.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peacce.

Clyde was called home in the early hours of this day, July 3, 2009. He was a wonderful friend and mentor to my husband. A couple of years ago Clyde asked him to be a pall bearer with his 3 sons and 2 grandsons. This is an honor that humbles my husband. You never know how much you mean to people. Joanne also asked my husband to say a few words at the grave yard service. May God give him the words to say that will encourage Clyde's family!

Beautiful Ohio!

2009-07-01T20:36:00.001-04:00

What a wonderful trip to Ohio! All of my siblings (there are 6 of us) gathered at my parents for a summer time party and most of their children came too. My children were not able to be there. So here's the list: Sister C and her husband, her three daughters and husbands/boyfriend with five little ones (and one on the way); my brother and four of his six children, my sister from Texas, her husband and son, my sister from Delaware, Ohio, her husband and two of her children, my brother from Lebanon, Ohio and his three children. That's 33…and then my aunt and cousin came…35 of us! It was noisy, fun and you could feel the energy of love!

I have not lived in my home town for over 15 years and only a few times have we gathered there during the summer at my parent's house. We have gone to the beach several times as a group and to the mountains, but with mom and dad getting older it's easier on them for us to go to Ohio. I had forgotten just how beautiful Ohio is and I'll download the pictures soon.

We did have a scare on our way there. I called my mom to tell her our estimated arrival time and she seemed a little disoriented. She was talking slow and couldn't remember things...like my husband's name. We've been married for 26 years! She told me her fingers were going numb and she thought maybe she had a stroke. I called my sister who went to their house and they called the squad. It wasn't a stroke but they think a seizure. I hope she tells her heart doctor because it really sounds like she is not getting enough oxygen to her brain. She said she has told her doctor that recently but he didn't think it was anything. Hope he's right. She was fine within a few hours and she will have a follow up in the next week.

It is so relaxing being around people who love you no matter what. They know the good, the bad and the ugly of me and may even at times get upset with me, but their love covers a multitude of sin. We are blessed to be a part of a God fearing family for when we go through crisis, such as divorce, job loss or when Jamie and Brittany were called home to be with the Lord, we have the common thread of prayer and the strength of the Lord to get us through. I am so thankful God put me in this family and I only pray they feel the same.

My Interpretation:

There is a marvelous ethos that has been created within my family that gets better and better each year.

Love, Respect and No Drips!

2009-06-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Last night my hubby and I attended a class on marriage. The focus was love and respect; how a woman needs love and a man needs respect. We have been married for 26 years now and have been very committed to our marriage and have pursued each other passionately. We have attended several marriage retreats, classes, done bible studies on marriage, taught classes on marriage, read many books, and practiced what we have learned. But we have also found that we can never rest on our laurels and think we don't have to work on our relationship. Sometimes we slip up and within a few days we find ourselves fussin' and fightin' over silly things and driftin' apart. It doesn't take long to go from a fantastic marriage to an irritating self seeking existence. When that happens one of us will hear God's voice and wake from our stupor and apologize. Even when I want to stay mad, I can't for the words, "I'm sorry, I was a butt head" melts my heart. Weird how that works!

No matter what we read or study, we always need...yes, need....to stay in close contact with God through prayer. God is so gracious to us when we humble ourselves and ask for guidance. Why does it take me so long sometimes to humble myself? Why do I want to have my own way and find ways to manipulate my hubby into doing what I want? Shame on me!!

It still amazes me how much we have grown closer together as we individually grow pursue God. I have been studying Proverbs in preparation for the message I will give at the Woman's Day in July, and I have to admit that the verses about the nagging wife upsets me. First of all because I am in denial and then because I am convicted. Could I possibly be a nagging wife? "A nagging wife is as annoying as a constant dripping on a rainy day" (Prov. 27:15 NLT) I would rather be considered as "more precious than jewels." (Prov. 31)

This morning when hubby left for work, he told me as he always does that he loved me, and for a change I told him that I respected him. We both laughed! He still wants to be told that I love him, and I want to know that he respects me. Love may be my top need, but respect is a close second.

My Interpretation:

It is through our relationship with God that we have a great relationship with one another....without God's intervention, our marriage could be just two people sharing a house and children. We want passion, love, respect and adventure! No dripping here...from either one of us!

Vacation Bible School…Queen Esther and gifts.

2009-06-24T07:25:00.001-04:00

If you read my blog yesterday, you realized I was a little disturbed about the whole point system and rewards for giving money and gifts to the missions. Please know that I totally support missions, financially through my family's individual efforts and our church contributions. What I was worried about was the child being singled out for not giving. Last night the gifts were collected during the opening ceremony and the child just left it in the pew. The teacher made a note on her score card if the child brought something; so the other children, I don't think, even noticed if a gift was given or not. I think this is a better way than in a small group.

There are so many dedicated volunteers it's amazing! Every age group has at least three teachers and the younger group has even more. You can tell, they love children and want them to experience God. As the different groups came into my classroom to visit with Queen Esther, I was able to see how interested the children are in learning about the characters in the Bible. From first grader to fifth grade, the children were well behaved and listened intently on what Queen Esther had to say about Mordecai, the good guy, Haman, the bad man, and how Queen Esther was able to beg the King to save her people, the Jews.

My little princess (granddaughter) was in the first grade class and she made sure everyone knew I really wasn't Queen Esther but Grandma Barb. I am hoping being Grandma Barb is better to her then me being Queen Esther! I want so much for her to understand that God has a plan for her life just like He did for Queen Esther, and that one day she will walk into her destiny if she seeks God with her whole heart and soul. That was one point I wanted the children to take away …God has an individual plan for each of us. Amen!

My Interpretation:

God is in control and He watches over the little ones. His Holy Spirit will teach the children and lead them along the path holding their hands and guiding them into their destiny!

Vacation Bible School...what's our focus?

2009-06-23T07:41:00.000-04:00

I have always enjoyed Vacation Bible School, watching the little ones learn about God and His people. There is this sense of awe in knowing the children will hear that God loves them for if they live in a home where those words or even the word love, is not spoken, they will hear it during VBS week. My grandchildren love the crafts and music too. Baby Hay, 3, remembers usually one thing, and tells me all about it. Princess, 6, remembers the songs and wants to sing them over and over.

Having been a VBS director, I certainly know the time and effort that goes into planning the week. Finding other volunteers who may be coming home and then quickly changing clothes and grabbing a bite to eat before spending three hours in a noisy environment, can be challenging. But God calls His people to help him get His words to the younger generation.

Missions has become a very important focus of VBS, rightly so. We want our children to know about the efforts of our missionaries and how we can help them. We take up an offering at the beginning of the VBS, every day; boys against the girls, to see who can bring in the most money for the mission. That in itself doesn't bother me, except for those children coming for the first time to church and not understanding (nor do their parents) how God is the One who propels us to do good by helping others. At the end of the day, our focus is how much money was brought in by the children and if they bring in enough they will have breakfast with the main characters of the theme. Are they giving because they understand how they help people or are they enthralled with all the hupla and reward.

The children have several ways to earn points so they can receive a prize at the end of the week. The point system involves, coming to VBS, coloring a picture, memorizing a Bible verse and bringing items for the missions, such as toilet paper, garbage bags or paper towels. So when the children are in their small group, they will be singled out if they do not bring an item. Let's say, little Susie comes from a family that brings 4 children to VBS, and they are not financially secure themselves. This causes undue stress upon the parents who tells the child that they just can't afford to send any items. Little Susie then goes to class and everyone else gets extra points for bringing paper towels. At the end of the week, Susie has done everything else asked of her but because her parents wouldn't send an item , she doesn't get as many points as the others in her class and therefore feels shame. Why would we put our children in this position?

I just can't imagine Jesus using our children to raise money. I can see Him using VBS to reach the children and their parents, telling them biblical truths and encouraging them to help others. But let's face it, if you are using this to teach the children about giving in secret as Jesus requires, we have missed His lesson. I took a child home and explained to the mother about the gifts and offering to the missions. She is a single mom with 4 children and a limited income and she loves the Lord. But her response surprised me yet it supports my stand. She jokingly replied, "Well we can't have people looking down on us, so I'll get something for them to take!"

Some people may have that attitude for real and it certainly is not what God requires. Now, I know she was just joking but for those not in church, what does this say to them? I believe in VBS and how it is vital for a church to reach the children. I want my grandchildren to attend and they love going to church, but I don't want them to think that they are to give money so they will be held in high esteem and win a prize. We give because God owns it all and we are to help others. Plain and simple...it should not be an extraordinary thing but an ordinary everyday choice we should make without even thinking about it.

My Interpretation:

That's just it...this is my interpretation and you may not agree with me at all. I am just trying to work through what I feel about how we use VBS as a means to support a mission and not as an outreach to teach Jesus and His ways only.

Father's Day!

2009-06-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

My husband deserves the award for the best dad! He not only married me but he married my two sons who were then 8 and 10; now they are 34 and 36! Later we had two more sons who are now 17 and 22. My boys have a good role model and I am so proud of my hubby. Being a step father...a term we never use...is not an easy task. But my hubby has grown in his faith and he tries to be a godly earthly father so they will see the characteristics of our heavenly Father.

Oh, I can remember times when tempers would flare and I was caught in the middle, but once I realized it was a man thing and I didn't interfere, they worked things out. Now my sons, all four of them, call and ask for advice and when they are together they still play basketball. Of course, I was the one who taught them how to do the lay up. Ha! Ha! We laughed about that yesterday.

I know I have talked about my dad before, but he is an amazaing dad and he is the best dad for me!!

Getting Ready for a Spiritual Spa

2009-06-18T21:56:00.000-04:00

We, the spa TECH's, got together tonight to pray over the Spiritual Spa we are having on Saturday. I can not express in words what it is like being with women who are so on fire for the Lord. This group of women want to pamper other ladies, physically, emotionally and spiritually! What does that mean exactly...well, you need to come to a spa to find out! So many who are invited are not comfortable with the unknown but when they finally take the steps to join us for the day, they are happy they did. We have a lot of fun and yet there are serious times when God reaches deep into our souls and tells us He loves us.

I met with our Women's Ministry team this week too, and this is another group that loves the Lord and allows Him to guide them on what programs and Bible studies to offer to other that will bring women into a closer relationship with Him. He is the ONE we want to glorify.

I love how God weaves these precious sisters in my life. Never a dull moment.

Pretty Face, Beautiful Heart!

2009-06-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

I received the above poster in an email many months ago and stored it in my files. I don't know Martin Buxbaum but I wonder if this is a picture of his mother or grandmother. For him to see the beauty of a woman as more than an outward appearance, says a lot about a man's heart. Maybe the beauty of his face is now in his heart or maybe he is the recipient of a beautiful love shown to him by this woman. I just don't want to think the composition is made up from faces of ladies that he doesn't know at all. (Which is more likely.)

Putting together a power point for the Senior Saints at my church, was such a joy for me. The pictures of years gone by, were place side-by-side with recent photos. Some of the older ladies in my church were down right gorgeous! They could have won beauty contests and gone on to be movie stars, but they chose to be mothers and nurses, teachers and mill workers. Their faces are still beautiful but they also have a beauty that emanates from their hearts . They are kind and compassionate and so non-judgmental. They have lived their lives with integrity and their children call them blessed. Even if they have anything in their past that would embarrass them, I don't know about it and I don't want to know about it, for I can see Christ living in them and working through them.

Wonder what my face will look like when I am in my eighties? More important, will there be beauty in my heart. Some days I imagine my older life and I always think of me and my man cuddling up together on the beach. Of course both of us are in good shape and look fantastic for really old people. Ha! Ha! Our love is strong and we hold hands as we walk along talking about our hopes and dreams....the ones fulfilled and the ones yet to be dreamed. My heart is overflowing with love for my children and grandchildren and everyone is together and happy. Life is always good in my dreams. Actually, real life isn't too bad either!

My Interpretation:

A pretty face would be nice, but a beautiful heart filled with God's love is worth more than silver and gold!

Precious Face!

2009-06-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

Kindergartners and Meeting a new friend from Latvia.

2009-06-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

Looking into the eyes of my granddaughter as she saw me enter her classroom was priceless. I happened to be the only parent...well, grandparent...to join the teacher as she walked with the 16 kindergartners to the house hosting their end of the year party. I could tell they were excited by the high squeals and constant motion. I felt like I was herding young calves (which I have done) trying to spur them to walk a little faster and to stay in line. Actually they were very good listeners and the journey was fun.

The backyard was filled with the blow up water slides and the children had no problem jumping in and having fun. After a few hours in the sun, the teacher even climbed up the slide (which is harder then you think) and slid down amongst the giggles of the kids. Us adults were having a good laugh as we cheered and encouraged her to do it again. I'll give it to the teacher; it would have taken a lot for me to go down the slide in front of all the parents and grandparents.

My little princess loved having her face painted and her hair sprayed green. It was interesting to see how they interacted with one another. Of course, they have been together for 9 months, so they should know one another pretty well. The parents on the other hand, only see each other at special events, and for me I was meeting most of them for the first time. One lady was new to the area and so we talked about living in a small town as opposed to the large city in Virgina where she was raised. A pregnant mom and her mother were also there; so three generations raised in this area were able to enjoy an afternoon together. That was nice.

My favorite new person was a young lady who was there painting flowers and animals on the faces of the children. She is here from Latvia. I hope I spelled that right. What a treat to talk to this 21 year old who is a believer of God and is here doing research on American idioms. I told her about my trip to Haiti and how seeing their poverty changed me. Her insights into the American culture and our over indulgences with food were right on target. We fix more than we can possibly eat and then we throw away good food because we don't want to eat left overs. I am so guilty of that! I hope I can meet with her again before she leaves in July.

Yep! Today was a good day. Meeting new people and enjoying my little princess.

My Interpretation:

God's people are all around us. Sometimes we may seem to be alone and wonder if we should even mention His name in conversation, but when we do in a casual way, His people take notice! When Aggie and I realized we were both Christians, our conversation became even more interesting!

Freedom Today!

2009-06-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

Last Monday I received an email from Amy Swoope with "Freedom Today" and she asked if I would be interested in giving my testimony on their (Robin Bertam, is the co-host) TV program that will be aired in Norway, England, Africa and some places in the US. They were also interested in Spiritual Spa Ministries. I was elated to be able to share what God has done in my life! I told Amy about my Tuesday group and how we meet to encourage one another in our businesses and ministries, as we walk into the destiny God created for us from the very beginning. So they invited my friends too!

Three days later, Caroline, Donna and I went to Wake Forest for the taping and met two women who are running to keep up with God! He has opened so many avenues for them to shower people with His love, that they can't even stop to write it down in a journal; which Caroline encouraged them to do. You can go to Robin Bertram Ministries (just click on her name) to get a glimpse of who she is and what she's doing. Her niece, Amy Swoope, and husband, Ken, greeted us like we were long lost friends coming to sit for a chat about our lives.

I gotta tell you though, it was hot under the lights and they had no A/C, so we did have to blot our faces a lot, but being under HIS LIGHT while we were talking with them was amazing. I have no idea when this will be aired and I am hoping we will get a copy before it does. I wasn't nervous but very excited and so I did ramble a bit....well more than a bit, but they will splice and dice so hopefully they will have enough video to put together a segment for their show.

Robin read my testimony before the interview and then asked me about the love letters to God that I wrote years ago and about my God encounters. Then we did a brief segment on Spiritual Spa. I kept thinking what does God want me to do with all this. I am still trying to process it all. Who knows what may come of this encounter...God certainly does. Those of you who read my blog, please keep me in your prayers. I only want to do His will. Spiritual Spa Ministries has been in my heart for going on seven years and the ladies who minister with me are so godly and precious to me. Susan, Polly, Tracy, Nancy, Patti D. and Patti Y, Diane, and now Jo, Sonya and Kristy willingly pamper other ladies with the love of Christ.

We not only want to serve other ladies during the one day event but we also want to teach them how to have their own Spiritual Spa. We have had churches close to us from towns in North Carolina (Rocky Mount, Wilson, Gaston, Ahoskie, Garysburg) and a church from New Jersey! Our visitors have been from Ohio, Texas, Florida and of course, North Carolina. I can't wait to see who God calls to us next!

My Interpretation:

I am at a loss of words....God is up to something and I hope I hear Him correctly so I can obey!

Women, Take Charge!with Carolyn Castleberry (from an Word of Life! devotion)

2009-06-05T08:25:00.000-04:00

"Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:29)
This week's devotional is adapted from Carolyn Castleberry's book Women, Take Charge of Your Money: A Biblical Path to Financial Security God can bring a number of people into your life to show you how to be victorious in the frightening area of finances. You can learn from many of them in regard to both success and failure.

But as someone to learn from, one person in particular stands out, and I love the fact that she is a woman. I hope you also discover that she is someone much like you, though she lived in an age that was less kind to females than ours, one that didn't afford them all the opportunities we have now. She juggled relationships and career and took it one step further: she became an investor, just as you can. An investor in God. An investor in her family. And an investor in business, in something that would provide financially for her family long into the future. This was her field of dreams, and my goal is to help you consider and find your own field to help provide security for your future in peace in your present.

Let's take a closer look at this remarkable woman from Proverbs 31. Love her or hate her, you have to admit she is a breath of fresh air in a long lineup of other female mug shots depicted in Proverbs. Proverbs overflows with less-than-glowing descriptions of women. There are wayward wives, prostitutes and women with smoother-than-oil lips. We find strange women, loud women, defiant women and wives who are like a continual drip on a rainy day or decay in their husband's bones. There are women whose feet never stay home, brazen-faced women and even a woman so repulsive she's likened to a gold ring in a pig's snout!

However, the book of Proverbs opens and closes with positive portraits of our gender: first, a woman personified as wisdom (Proberbs 3-4, 8-9), then in Proverbs 31, an "excellent wife" who seemingly can do no wrong. In contrast to the nagging, adulterous, mean-spirited female images in much of Proverbs, the woman in chapter 31 is God-fearing, strong, wise and immensely capable.

She puts God at the top of her priority list (v 30). She made family her next priority (vs 21, 28). She had a positive outlook (v 25). She put her creative talents to work (vs 13, 24). She was a careful investor (v 16). She was a hard worker (v 19). She was generous (v 20). She was tough (vs 15, 17, 18, 25). She reaped positive rewards (vs 11, 31).

Do you hate her yet? Many women do because her example has been thrown in the faces of ordinary women who feel they cannot possibly live up to her standards. But let's take another look.

I have decided to give this capable lady a fictional name, because referring to her only as "the Proverbs 31 woman" can seem so distant and impersonal. So I named her "Proven" -- combining the beginning of the word Proverbs and the last letters of women.

Proverbs + women = a Proven, winning plan

Clearly, Proven was very much involved in her family's financial life. She made linen garments and sold them. She considered a field and bought it. From her earnings she plants a vineyard. And remember, this resourceful lady didn't have a laptop or any other high-tech tools to work with. Proven worked with what she had the time.
Notice that the passage doesn't say her husband did all the work and gave her shopping allowance. In fact, it mentions that she plants a vineyard with her own earnings. She created both immediate and future wealth and provision for her family. Proven’s model for financial well-being can be summed up in three simple words: create, consider, and invest. She created products, she considered her field of investment, and then she actually bought it!
You can do the same thing in your life -- in God’s unique way for you.

This WeekStudy Proverbs 31 and let the Lord inspire you in new ways.
Prayer"Father, make me a woman who proves your Word and glorifies your kingdom in every way."

Newlyweds and New Beginnings and still Sharing with Others

2009-06-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

My third son and his wife finally moved into their own apartment where for the first time since they became husband and wife, will be alone. My son just graduated from UNC and so they have been living with my second son in his house where also my first son now lives. They all work together for Accounting Squared, which is the company #1 and #2 sons founded and #3 son's business Layman Financials does projects for them. It is all quite amazing that they have survived the living arrangements. My sisters and I tried that for brief times but it didn't last very long. Maybe it is because you can only have one woman per household. Bless my daughter-in-love for putting up with three brothers.

So I have been in Raleigh painting and putting up pictures. I am so happy they asked me to help because sometimes I feel neglected....pity me, please! I am not a decorator at all but I can paint walls if they pick out the color. This was a gift my father gave me when I was very young. He showed me how to hold the brush, roll the paint on the wall, and most importantly, how to clean the brush. Cleaning up afterwards took the most time and usually I was so tired I wanted to skip that step, but he insisted I do it right. I am so glad he did.

So now the bright yellow room was changed to Sweet ?, can't remember the name. But I do love the color green and this shade is especially calming (and it made the hardwood floors look great). This will be my son's office and weight room...I guess he can work out as he is thinking his way through projects.

Those two young love birds will only have two months to themselves before her brother moves in while he goes to college. When I said something about it has to be tough living with other people when you are newlyweds, my son said, "My brothers helped me and now I wnat to help K's brother. It's the right thing to do." Oh my gosh! He lives his Christianity and doesn't just talk it like I sometimes do. I gotta admit I am not sure I would want someone to live with me. He not only doesn't care that his brother-in-law lives with them, he sees it as an offering of love.

My Interpretation:

Living your life as a Christian is so much better than just speaking about your life as a Christian. I can learn so much from my children.

Small Business Expo

2009-06-01T12:29:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I along with my good friend Donna, went to the Home-Based Business Expo in Rocky Mount. The class we attended was put on by the Small Business Administration facilitated by Mr. Ivan Hankins. The information was very valuable for anyone who wants to finance a small business. I also met Joyce Siler, the director of Women's Business Center from Raleigh. She is over the northeastern section of NC. I could tell she loves her job and truly wants to help women pursue their careers.

Small business owners had booths set up in the Conference and Training Center of the Edgecomb County Business/Industrial Incubator. There were various types of businesses represented from toys to make-up to jewelry.

God always has a plan when he sends me to something like this. I wasn't sure why I was attending and I don't think Donna did either but we were so blessed by the people we met and we walked away saying, "WOW, how is God going to use this information and networking to bring Him glory?"

I was able to share about Spiritual Spa to a lady who is a Silpada representative. I had never heard of Silpada and even though I don't wear much jewelry, I loved the artistry of the necklaces and earrings. Kendal Hartel was so pleasant and I was immediately drawn to her spirit. As it turned out she is a strong Christian and a godly parent of a teenage girl. I could tell God is important to her and the Holy Spirit is in her. I am overjoyed that she is doing so well with her business and I pray God will bless her richly. I am giving her information to my Kendall and maybe, just maybe God will use this as a business for her. He works in mysterious ways.

I also met a woman, Jackie, who is starting a business for children, teens and their parents where they can come for good recreation. She was a teacher in New York and has moved to the Rocky Mount area. During a class we were to tell what we did and when I said Spiritual Spa Ministries she turned and gave me the "He's my God too" look.

It was a good morning and I felt if nothing else, God let me meet two of my sisters (in Christ)!

My interpretation:

God is everywhere and when we listen to Him, He will show us His people are everywhere too! He wants to bless us financially so we can bless others.

God-given talents are to be shared!

2009-05-30T22:02:00.000-04:00

My sister has a wonderful artistic talent that she uses to bless her family and friends. She composed my new header and I am so thankful! That is me looking over the Roanoke River yet it is really a composite of pictures. I wish you could see the scrapbooks that she has put together...they are amazing and her Christmas cards are better than Hallmark's. She could be a highly paid graphic designer! You can check out her website at http://carlacrosbycda.com/default.aspx .

God has given each of us a talent. I can hear some of you saying that He must have skipped over you and gave someone else your portion. Listen, there are women who can whip up a meal for fifty people without event thinking about it. I on the other hand, sweat over a cookout for four. I plan the menu days in advance and try to figure out what can be prepared early and then worry about how to keep the food warm so I can serve it all at the same time. I feel more comfortable speaking in front of 500 ladies than cook for 5. Please don't think that when I invite you over for dinner that I won't enjoy it because I will. The focus will be on conversation not on food!

Another talent I envy is making small talk. Now I can talk and talk when I am familiar with you, (probably more than you want to hear). I remember when my grandma Wildermuth went with me to the hospital when my son had pneumonia. Several young moms were upset and all alone as they stood by the beds of their young children with various medical problems. It didn't take Grandma very long before she made contact with everyone in the room and they were smiling and laughing and giving her hugs. I have to admit that at first I was a little embarrassed by her boldness but then I realized God had given her the gift of hospitality.

So look within and find your talent, your gift from God, that you can use to show His love to others. If your talent happens to be cleaning house and you want to express it...my house is open! Just kidding!

My Interpretation:

Open your mind to what talent God has given you. Be thankful and then bless someone!

Slideshow: 10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

2009-05-28T22:09:00.001-04:00

Slideshow: 10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Shared via AddThis

Friendly Ostrich Rider

2009-05-28T21:17:00.001-04:00

This is a tribute to a great young man that will be graduating next month from high school. He is the brother of my daughter-in-law and a student in my high school Sunday School class. He has a wonderful sense of humor and I am sure he will have a fun time in college! If you see this ostrich rider please let him know you saw him on my blog...

I have been thinking a lot about the kids graduating this year from high school and college and how their plans for the future probably changed from last year. With the economy taking a dive and now in a recovery that is slower than a southern drawl, (if in fact it is recovering) it is difficult to start a career and some will settle for any job to make ends meet. Those that aren't going to college will be looking for work that will provide a substantial income while the college bound teens will need summer jobs to make some extra cash. The advice we gave our UNC graduate was to go back and get his Masters. He thankfully has been able to start his own company and is doing ok. The entrepreneurs may be the ones to make the economy turn around by providing jobs for others.

With people like my friend who calls me Grandma Barb, we will surely have some good laughs to keep us cheered up. I really like being around his family because of their ability to make the ordinary and mundane events of life into funny stories of human nature. I'm glad God made some people funny!

My Interpretation:

Even though I am old enough to be his grandma...he still calls me his friend....and I am thankful for his friendship.

Resistance Training - 1 Peter

2009-05-27T22:03:00.000-04:00

Resistance training is a form of strength training in which each effort is performed against a specific opposing force generated by resistance (i.e. resistance to being pushed, squeezed, stretched or bent). Exercises are isotonic if a body part is moving against the force. Exercises are isometric if a body part is holding still against the force. Resistance exercise is used to develop the strength and size of skeletal muscles. Properly performed, resistance training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being.

The goal of resistance training, according to the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), is to "gradually and progressively overload the musculoskeletal system so it gets stronger." Research shows that regular resistance training will strengthen and tone muscles and increase bone mass. Resistance training should not be confused with weightlifting, power lifting or bodybuilding, which are competitive sports involving different types of strength training with non-elastic forces such as gravity (weight training or plyometrics) an immovable resistance (isometrics, usually the body's own muscles or a structural feature such as a door frame). Full range of motion is important in resistance training because muscle overload occurs only at the specific joint angles where the muscle is worked.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Resistance training strengthens bones, joints, and muscles. Perform resistance training three times per week, resting one to two days before working the same muscles again.

1 Peter 1:6-9 "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."

To me, Peter is saying that even though we may not like the resistance training that we are going to go through, it is for our benefit and to bring glory to God (when we handle our trials and sufferings rightly). 1Peter 1:7

Peter gives us examples of the weights of the opposing force and how it will help us to get rid of the toxins in our bodies and build up our muscles of faith. As one body the church in the NT grew under persecutions and because of persecutions. We see this happening in countries such as India and Haiti….the church is growing as Christians families and homes are being destroyed.

Our ‘weights’ could be:
Grief in all kinds of trials – 1 Peter 1:6
Painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 1Pt 4:12
Insulted because of the name of Christ 1Peter 4:14
Suffering as a Christian (not as a murderer, thief or criminal) 1Peter 4:15

"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" 1Peter 5:8-11

Our training should include:
1. prepare our minds
2. be self-controlled
3. set our hope on Christ
4. be obedient
5. don’t conform to evil desires
6. be holy live as strangers here in reverent fear
7. purify yourself by obeying the truth
8. love one another deeply
9. submit to the Father and each other

Get rid of:
1. All malice
2. Deceit
3. Hypocrisy
4. Envy
5. Slander of every kind
6. Sinful desires

My Interpretation:

I must train every single day because I get flabby and out of shape really quick. I don't like to train because, well honestly, I'm lazy! (My husband is doing sit ups as I write this!) So I pray...Lord, please help me and thank you for your Holy Spirit who is the ultimate personal trainer!

2009-05-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

Lisa asked for a picture of the new do...Here it is.

Cloud Watching!

2009-05-23T18:53:00.000-04:00

Today I planted flowers in the warm sun as the blue sky dotted with clouds passed overheard. I could smell the dirt as I mixed Miracle Grow into the soil as I prepared the garden bed. Working in the dirt always reminds me of my dad and growing up on the farm. I also raked the remaining leaves and pulled out some of the dead ivy. As I was wiping my brow I looked up at the beautiful sky and it beckoned me to take pictures. So I ran in the house and grabbed my Canon.

Being able to view the pictures right away is so cool and when I looked at this picture I thought I saw a face. Do you see a face? Funny how the mind works. If you want to see something you can almost create it in your mind's eye. My husband didn't see anything and now I have to look really hard at this picture to see it. Please don't think I'm really a weirdo but I must admit that I felt God was saying, "I'm watching and I like the flowers you planted." Of course He might have been saying, "It's about time you did some yard work!" I choose to think He was smiling over me.

In this picture I see a foot and I am reminded of the following OT verses in Isaiah 66, that Luke quoted in Acts.

Acts 7:46 "{David} found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 "But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 "However, the Most High does not dwell in {houses} made by {human} hands; as the prophet says: 49 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? 50 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?'

My Interpretation:

God wants to communicate with us in our everyday lives through His creation. When our hearts are ready to see through supernatural eyes we will see His glory.

This is my prayer for this evening…

2009-05-21T23:17:00.001-04:00

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness,

Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

{Then} I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners will be converted to You.

Psalms 51:7-13 -

Thank You Lord for saving a sinner like me!

Memories, Laughter and Family

2009-05-21T21:02:00.000-04:00

My sister and her husband along with my dad and mom were the highlight of my week...maybe even my month. Even my seventeen year old son commented on how happy I seem when I am around my family. Now don't take this wrong, but I laugh a lot more with a belly laugh when my sister and I get together. It's not that my husband and children don't make my life enjoyable, because they certainly do; and it's not that my grandchildren don’t' bring me joy because they are the joy of my life; but there is something about being totally transparent and well...goofy around my siblings that makes for better times.

When my sister and I get together we revert to our late teens and early twenties. Lucy and Ethel were our role models! I remember when we putting up wall paper for the first time in my house on a wall that was no longer than 12 feet. Straight shot. No corners. And it took us all day to hang about 4 sheets. We were laughing so hard as we got wrapped up in the wallpaper, stepped in the water tray and ended up with as much glue on us as on the wall. That was so much fun!

Then there were times when we each had two little ones and there was no seat belt law. Come to think of it there were no seat belts in the car. All four kids would jump up and down in the back seat of my green LTD (a big old car) and my sister and I would have the radio jammin' as we sang along. God was looking over us because no one was hurt even though big sis did drive over one of those cement blocks in a store parking lot in her new Mustang. We sure did laugh about that!

Yep, this week I was in my twenties again and we were talking nonstop. But I could tell my parents are getting older, especially my mom. It is harder for her to walk any distance without holding on to my dad. Actually it is very endearing to see how they take care of each other. Their love has lasted since she was 16 and he was 21; 60 years last April Fool’s Day. They are fools for each other.

My interpretation:

I want to make memories every single day of laughing with my loved ones and singing with my grandchildren (since my sons are all older and T gets tired of hearing me sing around the house) so that they will have something to look back upon in fondness.

Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Ps 47:1 - O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.

Family Visit!

2009-05-18T23:07:00.001-04:00

Family has always been important to me and since I have lived away from my parents and siblings for over 15 years, I am delighted that my sister and her husband brought mom and dad to visit me. They came from Ohio to North Carolina bringing their swim suits and ready for some good ole southern climate, but unfortunately the weather changed and the rain came along with much cooler air. Oh well, we have enjoyed playing cards and telling stories and my sides hurt from laughing so hard.

Today we drove to Weldon and watched the Roanoke River rapids and stood in awe of the beauty of the water. Then we went to the new antique mall and we were impressed with the local artisans. The pictures were the most interesting for me and they inspired me to pursue my passion for photography. In order to get some fresh air, we took a walk along the Canal Trail of the Roanoke River and my sister and I took several pictures of the flowers, ferns and greenery.

I wish my sister lived closer …we could have so much fun taking walks and capturing the beauty in pictures!

Spiritual Spa in May

2009-05-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

We were so blessed at the Spiritual Spa yesterday with eighteen beautiful women who brought us much joy. I love meeting new people and pampering them. The Spa TECH's, Nancy, Susan, Polly, Diane, Kristy, Patti and I pray for days and weeks for the ladies before they attend Spiritual Spa. Our prayer is that they will experience a fresh awakening of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

I don't want to tell you too much about the spa in case you visit us one day, but please know that there is power in human touch...especially when God is the One using your hands to touch His daughters...a hug, a massage, a pat on the back, holding praying hands...His love just flows, one to the other.

Our desire is to bless the ladies but we are the ones who receive the blessing.

Clothe me Lord!

2009-05-15T13:37:00.001-04:00

I didn't want to leave you hanging...my husband liked the new hairstyle. What is it about getting older and finally feeling content and then we get this notion to change things up a bit. I really was fine with the hairstyle I had but there was something inside yearning for a fresh look. When Kendall finished coloring and cutting my hair I must say I thought I looked a lot like my 6 year old granddaughter and that was a little too youthful! But once I got home and put some spice into it, I felt sassy. Just the feeling I was looking for.

The shopping trip was a real treat since I didn't purchase any clothes last year and only a few necessities this year. As I get older I feel less and less comfortable buying clothes. First of all, my size has shrunk...what in the world did the clothing industry do...did they mean to make clothes smaller? Second, I like the styles for twenty, thirty and forty-somethings but where are the styles for the 50 somethings...what happened to clothes for the curvy woman?

I have been talking to so many women who are ready to throw in the towel, sit back and grow old. I really don't think that is what they want for themselves but they settle for that because that is the expectation for the more mature woman. But there is something happening in the over 50 group that is sweeping the nation. There is a strong desire to reinvent themselves, go to college, change careers and enjoy challenges not hide from them. Sometimes just changing your style gives you a new frame of mind.

There should not be any worries in my life about what to wear. For God has clothed me with His garments. For those of us who believe Jesus is the way, truth and the life we are clothed with His righteousness. He clothes us with His compassion and love and fills us with His joy. He is all I need and all I want. This earthly tent will go away and my spirit will endure forever.

My Interpretations:

My earthly clothes makes me happy and helps to lift my spirit...but the Holy Spirit of Christ in me clothes me with His JOY and gives me eternal life!!

New Hair Do and Shoppping!

2009-05-14T21:59:00.001-04:00

I had the most fun today! My good friend Donna went with me to Raleigh so I could get my hair cut by the best stylist, Kendall Walls. I took a deep breath and decided to go short, or at least shorter than my usual cut. By the time my husband saw my hair though, I had it held back with a clip and it really didn't look all that good, but I thought he would at least have noticed that it was shorter. NOT! He asked if I spent all day in Raleigh while he was looking at me like he knew he should say something but wasn't sure what to say. So....after he left to meet our youngest son and his freind at the local Wings and Rings to watch the final hockey game, I took a shower and freshened up my new do. We'll see if he notices when he gets home!

He just walked in...and he noticed!! Gotta go! I'll tell you about the shopping trip tomorrow.

The Pool is filling up with water and I can get back to blogging!

2009-05-12T21:50:00.000-04:00

Well today was sunny and the guys came to fix the pool and right now we are filling it up with water. Hopefully tomorrow everything will be finished and just in time for the weekend. Even though it isn't warm enough to swim, it will be pretty to look at. I have 20 ladies that will be attending Spiritual Spa and we go through our yard to the river and my parents and sister and her husband are coming to visit...so I am thankful!

Now I can get back to blogging about the "change of life" that so many of us are entering. I was in Walmart yesterday and overheard three ladies talking about how one of them was having some aches and pains and the older lady just laughed and said, "Girl, you're going through menopause! You'll be alright!" I wanted to say something but how rude that may have seemed...listening in on their conversation.

I want to look up some statistics because it sure seems there are a lot of us in the same boat. Instead of using the paddles to hit ourselves and others we need to use them to reach out to those who have jumped in the swirling water. We don't always have sympathy for ladies who are angry and upset. Maybe, just maybe they are menopausal and need extra kindness.

My Interpretation:

"Girl, you're going through menopause! You'll be alright!"

2009-05-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

I love this song by Amy Grant. To all the mothers who have given their children the love to be unafraid....GOD BLESS YOU!

Enjoy

Truth spoken with grace.

2009-05-10T18:01:00.001-04:00

What a wonderful Mother's Day! The sun was shining and it was just the right temperature. Going to church was the best antidote for me to get over my frustration with the pool people. Actually I think I felt better after writing my feelings in the last post. Sorry I'm using this as therapy! :) But guess what happened when I got home from spending time with the Lord's people? The pool people came to drain the water and prepare the pool for the liner tomorrow. I wasn't rude and I felt God gave me the right words and they received them well. They assured me that all will be taken care of and the pool will be ready by the weekend. Providing the weather doesn't turn wild on us. And I put my trust in them.

I know some of you may think that I am weird to think the Lord answered my prayer for wisdom in how to handle this. But I believe He helped because I asked. He knew I would make a total fool of myself and I am thankful He interceded. There was a lesson in all this I am sure, but right now I don't know what it is....it'll hit me later.

Then 3 of my 4 sons and my 2 grandchildren came for the afternoon. We enjoyed a meal and a walk along the river. Oh' I love my children ...I missed our youngest son and his wife. But I will see them next weekend. Spending time with family reminds me that we use the pool to gather us together in the summer but it is just a pool and not what makes the times good. It is being with the people I love that is most important. As we talked about in Sunday School class, our reality is in the heavenly realm with Christ and this world and everything in it will one day be gone, but we will live on in the spirit.

My Interpretation:

Trust God to give you the right words to say...and then say them with grace.

Swimming Pool Fiasco!

2009-05-10T07:34:00.000-04:00

Here I am at 7:30 on a Sunday morning...Mother's Day ...I'm ready to go to church and I am so upset! I have established this little routine when upon awakening in the mornings, I go to the window and look out. The view from our bedroom is awesome because you can see the river and trees. But for the last 5 weeks I have looked out and seen our swimming pool a mess. Our only Swimming Pool dealer in town, told me it would take no more than 10 to replace the liner. They had to remove the liner (which they did the week before we went on Easter break, April 9) and order the liner (took 7 days) and then they were to patch it and replace it (they said 2 days tops). Well, it is 4 weeks later..28 days later and the pool has been exposed to a lot of rain and now the boards are warping.

So I am sitting here trying to calm down. My husband deals with businesses and people who do not do what they say will do all the time, but I don't. He wanted me to call them everyday, but I couldn't. I did call once week with legitimate concerns, like when they told me I needed to skim the bottom of the pool with concrete...an extra $8,000. NOT! So what was minor repairs they would patch free, they now wanted an extra $1,200 from our original agreement. Then I called to ask if the wind and rain would hurt the pool and should it be covered. The receptionist told me if it needed to be done they would do it. Well they didn't and now the pool is much worse than when they removed the old liner.

This is when being a Christian gets tough for me. Yes, I am upset because the quality of workmanship that we are paying for, with our hard earned money, is poor, very poor. And yet I talk to these people and they are nice...is that PR? How do I handle this? Do I get demanding and rude to get their attention, because being nice has not gotten me any results? They called and said they will be here tomorrow. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow and the forecast is for 69 degrees and it needs to be above 75. So now who can I blame for that...God? Heavens no! But it would have been nice if they had covered the pool.

Now I will see what kind of business people they are, for if they offer to fix the warped boards caused by their practices I will be satisfied. If not, I will be upset. What do I do then? I did think of contacting "5 on Your Side", which is the local TV station from Raleigh, who loves to handle problems like this. But I don't want to ruin their reputation, I just want quality work.

So now I am trying to calm down, change my frame of mind, and get prepared to go to church to worship the Lord, and teach Sunday School. I must focus on extending grace but ...
Dear Lord, help me to know how to handle this. Give me wisdom.

It's just a swimming pool. But it does matter. It's just a swimming pool. But we want it to be repaired correctly. It's just a swimming pool.

What would you do ?

I will not age!

2009-05-09T21:54:00.000-04:00

I'm not ready to get old!

2009-05-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

There were times during my menopausal years that I felt I was just shrinking back from life. Had God brought me to this point in my journey to have me sit on the sidelines and watch others as they struggled through familiar territory I had already traveled? I wanted so much to be used by God and yet I had no formal training in anything. I was a mom and soon to be a grandma. My life experiences with marriage were not exactly what I wanted to talk about unless I could just talk about my wonderful husband of 25 years. Past failures and poor choices made me feel very vulnerable and I wasn’t up to that either. So what did God want from me? He had showed me glimpses of what I am doing today and I thought surely He wasn’t going to ask me to stand in front of people and talk.

Why do we as older women feel we are to step aside and let the younger women do all the work? I must admit though there are times when I use the excuse I am tired and can’t do everything like I used too. That is so lame, isn’t it? But for several years my mind seemed to be in a funk and my memory was …well I had no memory. I would go to introduce a good friend to another and forget their name. I would be in the middle of a sentence and forget what I was even talking about. I heard an older lady once say, “it’s a senior moment” and everyone laughed and then she changed the subject and just went on like nothing happened. To me she was hard to follow, but not anymore. I find the easiest people in the world to converse with are the ones that just laugh and go on. We can always go back to that topic….when we remember what is was!

Our society tells us that we must stay pretty, thin and up-to-date on the latest styles and the current events. Well I tried that but soon the current events started to run together and I never got any of the facts right. Well that was embarrassing. The latest styles made me look like an older women, trying to look like a younger women and it was so uncomfortable. Why did my waist have to grow out the sides, anyway? My daughter-in-law is also my hairstylist and I want to have the latest hairstyle and she certainly helps me in that area. If it is something I wouldn’t look good wearing she lets me know.

The very best antidote to menopause is HUMOR! When I was finally able to laugh at myself, my outlook improved and spirit was lifted. When I was able to talk openly about my panic attacks, the fear subsided. When I was able to accept the aging process, God granted me peace.

My Interpretation:

LAUGH! LOVE! LIVE! Ask God for peace and a sense of humor. Remember none of us are going through something strange as if women before us did not experience menopause.

The Happy Hormone.

2009-05-07T22:26:00.000-04:00

In very plain and simple terms, so I can understand, I will share with you what I have learned lately about the "happy hormone" called serotonin. I watched a video regarding depression and Dr. Hagar said that men make more serotonin than women, but the estrogen in women acts as a multiplier of the serotonin which then gives us as much as men. But what happens when our estrogen levels drop...like in our cycle so we will have our periods...and when we go into menopause, we experience depression. Now some of us may feel down for a few days and then perk back up, but some of us, especially during menopause, experience severe depression. Again there is so much more to it than what I have written so get on the Internet and check menopause out for yourself.

Don't for a moment, think you are going crazy or you're the only one struggling with your raging emotions and physical changes . Find a friend (preferably one who has already gone through menopause) to invite over for a cup of coffee or tea and conversation. Keep your ears open and when you hear ladies talking about it, ask them questions. Ask your mom how she coped in her later years. My mother never really talked about any problems but honestly I don't think she had time with six kids to tell us what was going on with her body. And I wasn't interested then, but now I am and she is glad to share with me. If you need someone to talk to email me or leave a comment and I 'll get up with you. There is no reason to go it alone!

I have a few websites to check out that sound pretty good about menopause. If they are worth the trip to the site I'll post thier URL in my next blog. I don't want to pass on anything that takes up your time. Thanks for stopping by and reading my thoughts.

My Interpretation:

Life is hard sometimes but when you have someone who can help you navigate through the storm, it gives you clearer vision and a brighter day. God is so good to give us woman who have been there done that and don't mind sharing what they've done.

Menopause is becoming a familiar topic!

2009-05-06T16:10:00.000-04:00

In the last several weeks I have had the pleasure of talking with women a little younger than myself who are experiencing the symptoms of menopause. Not that that is a pleasurable topic by any stretch of the imagination but one can find pleasure knowing others have struggled through the change of life and are now experiencing freedom. For so many, going through menopause sucks the life out of their lives and for those who do not have any difficulties (I think they're in denial of getting older and won't admit it) they have no compassion for the hurting friend.

I always seem to run around with ladies who are younger than me. In fact, my husband is 5 years younger than me and that might be a contributing factor. So when I started into "the change" I described my symptoms to a close friend and was surprised at her response. She felt that it was all in my head and that when she reached my age she would be able to pray it away. Well, I gotta tell you that I was hoping she would feel my pain when she reached my age. Not a real Christian way of thinking but I must tell the truth. And so I didn't tell anyone else for fear that they would think of me as a whiner and complainer. Once the panic attacks started though I had to talk to someone, anyone...besides my family.

My husband is the one who loved me through the transition. And now looking back I really did put him through a lot. Even though we had a good marriage, the tension was oppressive and our emotions got away from us at times. I can't say that I am completely on the other side but I can see the shore. And it's a beauty! I feel more alive and free to be me than any other time in my live. And so I am happy and even excited about sharing my tough times with other women. My hope is that every lady will have that special person to love them through the difficult journey; be it their husband or close friend. We need to know we are not going crazy and yet we must learn how to handle our raging hormones and the anger, depression, and weight gain that goes with this normal change in our lives.

Medications can be helpful and many that I have talked to are under a physician's care, but I chose not to take hormone replacements other than a low dosage of birth control for about a year. The pill helped with some of the symptoms but the side effects were horrible for me and so I just tolerated the hot flashes, night sweats and sleep deprivation. If I were to have a do-over, I would take sleeping pills. And there is a good reason for that but right now it's late and I'm sleepy. Now I have no problem falling asleep and oh' that feels good too! So I'll pick this conversation up again tomorrow.

My Interpretation:

Menopause is a normal function of life and one that we should embrace as a passage into a free and wonderful "new normal" as an older wiser woman.

The Bible Verse of the day....

2009-05-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

As I read that verse this morning, it reminded me that it is not God who is far away, it is me. When I stop fluttering around and draw near to Him, He is always available and He then draws near to me. But I must first wash my filthy hands and purify my heart. I can not be double minded thinking about how to make it in this world by human standards and thinking about how to live out my life according to my reality in Christ. Those are not two separate lives that I have, they are the same life. I must choose who it is that I will serve and obey. I want to serve Christ with all my heart, soul and strength and so I MUST draw near to Him on a daily basis.

My Interpretation:

Lord I can only obey you with the help of Your Holy Spirit, so I must draw near to You continually so I can accurately hear Your will for my life. Help me draw near to You.

Tea Party and Fun Lovin' Ladies!

2009-05-03T21:10:00.000-04:00

There is something about being in the presence of older ladies who aren't trying to impress anyone. The popular song that sings, "girls just want to have fun"...should be rewritten to "older women know how to have fun!"

The Mother's Day Tea was held at a personal residence and when Lois came with her hat perched on the top of her head, the mistress of the home donned her yellow hat. Well, that started something, for another lady wanted a hat then I wanted a hat then...and so we ended up with 7 ladies prancing around wearing gorgeous hats for the tea party.

Sarah sang a beautiful song about moms being hero's and of course tears fell on the checks of a mother and daughter who are experiences the separation stage as the daughter goes off to college. Our first speaker, Joan, shared her journey as a mother, grandmother and now a surrogate mother to her granddaughters. Joan's daughter-in-law passed away then her mother and so her role as a mother has not stopped but taken new turns along the way. She had to become the mother to her mother as she took care of her in her last days here on earth and now she is helping her granddaughters with all those girly things dads just don't know about. Once a mother...always a mother. Her message encouraged me to realize the role I play in my grandchildren's lives.

As I write this I am smiling because if I were in my twenties what happened next may have shocked me or made me think I was with a group of strange women. But since I am over 50, I so think it was a very funny way to show how we are all little girls inside wanting to make people laugh. Our speaker, who is one of us, began her message by telling us her pantyhose were falling down and were in fact close to her knees. It bothered her so much she just let them fall even lower and she took them off. Yep! Right in front of us. Of course she was completely discreet...we didn't see anything gross but it was a memorable experience! Her talk was funny and lighthearted and yet she reminded us of the awesome influence we have on our husbands and children. She influences me with her love for the Lord and her take-life-as-it-comes attitude.

My own mother is in another state and I am so thankful that my sister and her husband are driving my parents down for a visit in a couple of weeks. I would have liked my mom to share the laughter at our Mother's Day Tea Party but maybe we can have our own small party when she is here.

After the tea party I went to a wedding and then later in the day I attended my granddaughter's dance recital. I watched as she pranced around on stage with no cares whatsoever. I remember those days when you didn't know what was planned for the next hour or so and you didn't care; for you lived in the present moment. I so often exist physically in the present with my mind either focused on what I did wrong in the past or what I have to do in the future.

Today I was able to enjoy the present, moment by moment, because it was a day that required my attention continually. I LOVED IT! No worries just a lot of laughter, joy and contentment that God, my heavenly Father said to my heart...enjoy this day, enjoy your friends, enjoy life! He has given us such a wonderful gift of fellowship and yet we fail to pursue friendships because we are so busy with our daily lives. I want everyday to be filled with loved ones...even if I can only reach out to one, I want to show love.

My Interpretation:

Don't worry about the future or beat yourself up over the past. Live in the present. Kiss your husband and children, dance with your grandbabies and laugh with your friends. Most importantly, be thankful for the Lord's loving kindness.

Psalms 92:1-6
It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music upon the lyre. For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.How great are Your works, O LORD!

Plastic, Football and Butterflies!

2009-05-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

This blog is for my good friend Kris.

We go to the same church and we were acquaintances but it was at the high school football games where we really got to know each other well and became great friends. We talked more than watched but hey, we didn't have children playing. I think she was actually there to watch the games but I went to support my hubby so he wouldn't have to sit by himself and to socialize.

I was a fair weather fan but I made an exception one night...it rained and my hubby gave me a plastic outfit to wear over my clothes. Yep, you read that right. I thought this was something that every good fan did, so I donned the plastic and went to the game. I am SO GLAD that there weren't very many people there!! Kris couldn't stop laughing and that has been a joke between us. I love making memories with close friends and I will never forget the rain game and Kris.

I haven't worn the plastic suit since, but...today my granddaughter was visiting and it started raining as we were planting flowers. A plastic poncho was close by so I put it on her and she loved it; she felt like a butterfly. Of course she looks so much cuter than I did wrapped in plastic. She danced about in the rain and then hid behind the flowers trying to be seen as a flower. What a beautiful daffodil she made among the azaleas!

Making memories with my granddaughter is so important to me and I am so thankful to the person who invented the camera. Now if I would just be more vigilant about keeping them in scrapbooks or on CD's.

My Interpretation:

Memories made with friends and family fill the empty spaces in my mind with laughter and love to replay over and over when I need a good pick me up!

2009-04-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

I took this picture when the raindrops were still dancing on the white azaleas in my front yard. The crystal clear water reminds me of the purity of our most holy God. A beautiful gift from the Lord.

My sisters and friends are like pretty flowers in my love garden!

I loved this day!

2009-04-28T16:36:00.001-04:00

The sun is shining and the air is so warm that all I want to do is stay outside and look at the beautiful sky. I am really into skies and I have quite a collection of pictures that I have taken in different states and venues. The rising sun is one of my favorites but then so is the setting sun. Well there you have it...I like the sun too. I have also become enthralled with our canal trail that follows the Roanoke River and I have been working on a calendar with my pictures included. We'll see what comes of that. I guess I see God in His creation and I am drawn to His majestic artwork.

I loved my morning with my French Press Connection gals, Donna and Jen. We dream aloud and encourage one another to walk boldly into the destiny God has for us. Our conversations go from one bunny trail to the next and yet we stay on the same path with one another and don't seem to be bothered by retracing and refocusing....we seem to do that a lot. It would drive my husband nuts if he were included in the conversation but hey, we like it that way. It actually sharpens our minds.

Even though I received some rather annoying news today...the truck needs major repairs and the swimming pool needs to be skimmed with concrete before they put in the new liner, life is still good and I feel fortunate to have the money to fix what needs fixed. Yesterday we had to have the A/C fixed...I remember when I didn't have air conditioning but a fan and the breeze at night. It really wasn't that bad...come to think of it, it was romantic with the curtains blowing and crickets chirping. I would cuddle with my man and all was well.

It's amazing how some days go by and you think life just couldn't get any better and then other days you wonder if life will get better. There is one constant though; the love of God. I know that if I have a great day, He is there rejoicing with me. If I have a horrible day, He is there with a sympathetic ear and loving heart. The Spirit of Christ never leaves me and therefore I can experience Him in good times or bad. So my reality doesn't change because I am in in kingdom of heaven.

My Interpretations:

The sky is the limit when you don't limit God!

Good Morning!

2009-04-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

This will be a brief blog as I must get some housework done today! It's like I just can't seem to get in gear. The sun is shining so brightly and I want to go outside and work in the yard, plant some flowers, and get a tan doing it, but I have chores inside that are screaming my name. I wish my son would hear his room screaming for attention. I wake him up every morning with the same banter,

"This room is a mess and I want it cleaned up tonight before you do anything else."

Well of course he has track meets and yards to mow and homework to do, so I give him until the weekend. Then I look into my room and the bed isn't made, there are clothes to put away and the bathroom needs cleaned. WOW! I feel rather foolish. And so today I will get my house in order.

But today is my standing date lunch with my knight and so that takes a chunk out of my day. Don't get me wrong, I love my date lunch and wouldn't change it for the world, it's just that I think I would get more done if I didn't have to stop in the middle of the day to spend time with my hubby. That's the problem though, I don't get things done that need to be done and the things that could wait is what I want to do. Like read and write and learn new things about the Internet and blogging. For some reason I feel God is saying to learn what I can so I can show others how to do it. If God wants me on the computer then who am I to say no? Really now, do you believe that God wants me on the computer? I am wondering though why I have this desire to learn about Tweeter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and blogging. Is it that I have a need to connect with people or is it that I just want to write out my thoughts so I can better understand me?

The mind is a terrible thing to waste...who said that? As I get older I must actively pursue new things so my mind doesn't turn to mush. My parents are avid readers and are constantly on the go at 81 and 76. I want to be like them...I want my marriage to be like theirs and so I must forge on to open my mind and heart to new things.

I just love my mom and dad. Aren't they a happy looking couple? Married over 60 years and still in love!! That's why my knight and I got married on their anniversary....on April Fool's Day. ...because we are Fools for each other!

My Interpretation:

I don't want to waste my time on things that don't matter but I need to take time to figure out what does really matter ...to God!

Staying Balanced!

2009-04-21T20:52:00.000-04:00

Aren't these little birdies cute? Notice how they stand on one leg? Most of them were until I came up to take their pictures and then I must have knocked them off balance and they had to put down their other leg. I did a little research and from what I've read the scientists guess (since they can't actually talk to the birds) that it is a way to conserve energy and to warm their bodies. Something like when we are out in the cold with a short sleeve shirt on, we might take one arm out of the sleeve and hold it close to our bodies. Also, if the bird is in water, it might want to take the leg out as not to get the "prune" look. Whatever the reason it sure seems funny that they would stand on one leg when they have 2 perfectly good legs to stand on.

There have been times when I felt as if I was standing on one leg trying to keep my balance. I think I forgot I had two legs and all I needed to do was put my other leg down. Simple but....? I have been practicing yoga lately and standing on one leg isn't as easy as it used to be. I start out ok and then one little move to the right or left, I start teetering and then it's all over. If I concentrate on one unmovable point on the wall I am able to stand for a considerable amount of time. The key is concentration. Focusing on one spot that does not change or sway back and forth. When I look at the source of my focus I cannot allow myself to look anywhere else.

That's how it is with my whole being (spiritually, physically and emotionally). I must stay focused on one thing. That one thing is my faith in God. God is unchangeable and I want my faith to be also.

In order for me to keep my focus on God I have to read the Bible as a personal love letter written to tell me how much I am loved by Him,

study the Bible as a history book of how God works in and through people and as a manual for living so I will obtain the abundant life,

and then teach the Bible to my children, grandchildren or someone, anyone, so that, together we will complete Christ's joy by loving, living and giving to the next generation.

As long as I keep my focus on Him and not sway to the right or the left, I can keep my balance and the abundant life flows from within me. But as soon as I decide that I am too busy to read the Bible, too lazy to study the Bible, then I become too lethargic to teach anyone anything. I know the birds can stand on one leg for four hours and then they have to switch it up. Well, for me I don't want to only stand for 4 hours and go back and forth on my legs. I want to stand on two legs balanced at all times and forever; but I know that often I want to do something different or my own way, s0 I pull up a leg and teeter and totter and fall down.

My Interpretation:

God created us to have good balance. I am not a bird but a real chick, and I need to stand firm on two legs, focused on Him and walking on the right path.

2009-04-20T11:22:00.000-04:00

After a night with Advil, Icy Hot and heating pads, and most importantly prayer, I woke up with some discomfort but not enough to keep me off the beach. Through my pain I was able to get a wonderful glimpse of how my son will be an attentive and loving husband. God is in control and maybe that is why I went through this hiccup in our vacation.

Once we got on the beach T stayed with me while my knight went on a run. Almost as quickly as he ran a storm brewed in the sky. I took pictures and stood there in total awe of how the sky changed from beautiful blue to wild and gray. You could see the clouds roll over and over. I could hear my hubby yelling for me to stop taking pictures and take cover just in case it would start lightning. But I was just so caught up in the wind as it brushed against my face and blew my hair around that I really didn't think about the danger. I guess that's why storm trackers get so excited as they put themselves in harm's way just to take pictures or videos. It was a rush.

We got back to the hotel with only a few drops of rain on us but it was really blowing and raining when we got to our room. I opened the patio door and we listened to the rain hit the metal hand railing and watched the flags blow. It reminded me of the song...Rain drops keep falling on my head, just like the guy whose feet are to big for his bed, nothing seems to fit, oh' I'm never gonna

stop the world by complaining.... I forget the rest of the words. But I do know that complaining doesn't stop the problem and right now nothing seems to fit. (As far as my feet, they aren't too big for the bed.) Watch this video of the storm coming in.

There have been times in my life when the sky was blue and things were going well and then all of a sudden a storm brewed and dark clouds rolled in. I felt like there was nothing I could do but watch with mixed emotions. I was caught up in the storm for whatever reason and couldn't see the true danger. The excitement of being in something bigger than myself held my attention too long and then I got rained on!

After years of wallowing in the mud, Jesus changed my life and turned my storms into beautiful sunny days filled with His Light. Now the Holy Spirit of Living Water reigns down on me!

The next morning the sky was again a beautiful blue with fluffy white clouds that looked like cotton balls. The beach was peppered with shells and cabana's and those who came for the beach and sun were happy as larks.

My Life Interpretation:

God is in our storms and in our peaceful times. He is sovereign and in control of all.

Treasure Island

2009-04-14T07:55:00.000-04:00

I am sitting on the balcony looking over the sandy beach and beautiful Gulf of Mexico. The air is so warm and the gentle breeze is helping me to relax. We, my husband and son, had a wonderful drive Sunday after Easter service on our way to Florida. The two guys sat up front while I read and I could hear their banter about baseball and basketball and when we stopped for the night, my son was real quick to get on the Internet and learn more about the Tampa Rays (Pro Baseball team) who we are going to see tonight. Well, I am hoping to join them.

You see, as soon as we got into our room at Treasure Bay Hotel and Marina, I bent over to pick up my bag and....the most terrible pain went up my back and down my leg. I went to the floor and thought for sure I would pass out. My son said I turned white then green...could have been a reflection from the green bedspread. All I know is it hurt. After a night of applying Icy Hot and heating pads, I was able to walk this morning to the bathroom, make a cup of coffee (that always makes me feel better) and get out my computer so I could write (almost as good as coffee) and so God heard our prayers. I have sent emails to some of my prayer warriors for help! If I didn't send you an email it isn't because you aren't a prayer warrior, it's just I can't think very well right now.

I noticed a young woman running down the street and I thought of how blessed we are when we have good health. I certainly have taken that for granted. Yesterday we waited too long to eat lunch and it was really hard for my hubby who is diabetic. Another disease that even though it can be controlled, it changes your whole lifestyle and those around you. My son and I were ok with eating a late lunch but we could tell it was affecting my knight. Right now I would love to be able to sit here without the pain in my lower back, and yet I am so fortunate that I can be sitting here at all. So many deal with chronic pain and never complain. Forgive me Lord.

I took the pictures with my webcam since I don't have the cords to hook up my Canon. It's 8:00 am and overcast but it is still so enjoyable. The guys are still sleeping and I think I will try to walk around and maybe work this muscle loose. They went to a place last night called Bubba Gump's (I think) and said it was a place I would like. So I want to make their joy complete by being able to shop today! Ha!Ha!

Mary and the risen Lord!

2009-04-10T23:23:00.000-04:00

I was preparing for Sunday School class and read the Matthew Henry Concise Commentary about John 20. It sounded as a wonderful poem of Christ's love and our response in faith. I read it over and over, taking in every word and meditating on the meaning. The words in blue spoke to me the very most. I hope you enjoy reading this commentary but first read the Scriptures.

John 20

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary John 20: 1-10 If Christ gave his life a ransom, and had not taken it again, it would not have appeared that his giving it was accepted as satisfaction. It was a great trial to Mary, that the body was gone. Weak believers often make that the matter of complaint, which is really just ground of hope, and matter of joy. It is well when those more honoured than others with the privileges of disciples, are more active than others in the duty of disciples; more willing to take pains, and run hazards, in a good work. We must do our best, and neither envy those who can do better, nor despise those who do as well as they can, though they come behind. The disciple whom Jesus loved in a special manner, and who therefore in a special manner loved Jesus, was foremost. The love of Christ will make us to abound in every duty more than any thing else. He that was behind was Peter, who had denied Christ. A sense of guilt hinders us in the service of God. As yet the disciples knew not the Scripture; they Christ must rise again from the dead.

Verses 11-18 We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with affection, and seek in tears. But many believers complain of the clouds and darkness they are under, which are methods of grace for humbling their souls, mortifying their sins, and endearing Christ to them. A sight of angels and their smiles, will not suffice, without a sight of Jesus, and God's smiles in him. None know, but those who have tasted it, the sorrows of a deserted soul, which has had comfortable evidences of the love of God in Christ, and hopes of heaven, but has now lost them, and walks in darkness; such a wounded spirit who can bear? Christ, in manifesting himself to those that seek him, often outdoes their expectations. See how Mary's heart was in earnest to find Jesus. Christ's way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word applied to their souls, speaking to them in particular. It might be read, Is it my Master? See with what pleasure those who love Jesus speak of his authority over them. He forbids her to expect that his bodily presence look further, than the present state of things. Observe the relation to God, from union with Christ. We, partaking of a Divine nature, Christ's Father is our Father; and he, partaking of the human nature, our God is his God. Christ's ascension into heaven, there to plead for us, is likewise an unspeakable comfort. Let them not think this earth is to be their home and rest; their eye and aim, and earnest desires, must be upon another world, and this ever upon their hearts, I ascend, therefore I must seek the things which are above. And let those who know the word of Christ, endeavour that others should get good from their knowledge.

Verses 19-25 This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards often mentioned by the sacred writers; for it was evidently set apart as the Christian sabbath, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. The disciples had shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and when they had no such expectation, Jesus himself came and stood in the midst of them, having miraculously, though silently, opened the doors. It is a comfort to Christ's disciples, when their assemblies can only be held in private, that no doors can shut out Christ's presence. When He manifests his love to believers by the comforts of his Spirit, he assures them that because he lives, they shall live also. A sight of Christ will gladden the heart of a disciple at any time; and the more we see of Jesus, the more we shall rejoice. He said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, thus showing that their spiritual life, as well as all their ability for their work, would be derived from him, and depended upon him.

Every word of Christ which is received in the heart by faith, comes accompanied by this Divine breathing; and without this there is neither light nor life. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or felt of God, but through this.

More pictures of our schoolhouse get-a-way!

2009-04-09T12:40:00.001-04:00

Some of you asked me for some pictures of the inside of the schoolhouse where my husband and I spent a romantic weekend. Well....here are a few of them. For those of you that haven't read the blog about our weekend, just scroll down the page!

Extraordinary Women Conference

2009-04-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

Well the seven of us were off to High Point for the EW Conference and we were expecting a good time...and we got what we expected! What was really neat (that was a new phrase for our youngest member) is that a young-at-heart woman in her 80's and a young lady in her 20's joined us who are from early 40's to late 50's and we all had fun! It is amazing how we can be different ages, from various backgrounds, married, divorced or widowed, with children or no children and yet have one common thread that is so strong it holds us together as friends. The cord of hope is Jesus. Even though some have walked with Jesus for over 50 years and some only a couple of years, our salvation is the same....Jesus has no favorites!

The message of the conference was to keep your Christian walk REAL. For we are FREE TO BE REAL! Why do we have the tendency to want people to look at us like we have it all together? I guess we think that if people see Christians falling to temptations and tripping over trials, they will think that Jesus isn't real or powerful enough to help us. But what they don't realize is that life happens to all of us and if it weren't for Jesus we would go through life without the hope of a better life...eternal life! So when we go through trials ...just like everyone else in the world...and keep our focus on Christ, we are assured that the living God is watching over us and using our suffering to strengthen us for future attempts on our lives from the devil or our own bad choices. The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom to us as we read the Word of God and when we act upon that wisdom in obedience, we find the abundant life!

Our young friend has known about Jesus all her life and now she is getting to know Him personally as she starts on her journey. May I be able to be real and share my stories with her, in order that she can see Jesus is still in the restoration business!

My Interpretation:

When we aren't real with each other then how can those that don't know Christ believe he is real? Jesus set us free...free to be real!

Romantic Get-a-way!

2009-04-02T09:11:00.000-04:00

We arrived early at the Bed and Breakfast in Orange, Virginia. It is an old mansion on an Italian Plantation. You feel as if you are going to a castle where you will be the princess and the prince will take you in his arms and carry you to the most romantic room. Well it would have been that way except I thought we would want our privacy and so I chose the old schoolhouse. The inn keeper opened the door to our intimate house for the next two days and I noticed my husband was looking...looking for what? The TV! It just happened to be March Madness and there was no TV which I thought would drive him mad. He remained cool and collected but as soon as the inn keeper left he had a few insights to share with me.

Not that he wanted to spend very much time in front of the television set but he did want to watch just one game that happened to begin at 9:00 PM. In order for him to watch UNC play we had to go to the 'mansion' which the inn keepers were fine to indulge us this one favor. Everyone else went to bed ...I guess the whole romantic get-a-way got to them, and at half time doors were being locked and lights turned off. Our signal that it was time for us to go back to the schoolhouse. Fortunately the game was a blowout and we didn't need to watch the second half.

It was very quiet and serene in our small quarters. We watched the flames dance in the fireplace as we listened to Frank Sinatra crooning out love songs, ate strawberries covered in chocolate and held each other tight. Life and love is good when celebrating your 26th wedding anniversary. When we have gone away to other places that had a TV, we rarely turned it on. We prefer reading and looking out over the ocean, so please don't think we are attached to games and such more than spending quiet time alone. But not having the option forced us to think about how we do like to sit in front of the wide screen and be entertained. Not a good thing...but not necessarily a bad thing either. Sometimes we just need to stop thinking about everything going on in our lives and watch others run up and down the court chasing a round ball. A mindless task to me, but not so for my husband who would like to do the same.

Our favorite time over the weekend was visiting a church and singing to the top of our lungs praises to God. We weren't expected to do anything but rejoice with our fellow believers giving honor and glory to the King! It refreshed our souls and brought us into His presence. God spoke to us individually and as a couple and we thank Him for giving us each other wrapped in His love. Oh' it is so good to feel loved!

My Interpretations:

Mindless is good, romance is better, but praising God is the best!

I need a performance review!

2009-03-25T16:49:00.000-04:00

The three stooges......the three amigos........the three musketeers........the three ? whatever.....the three of us found each other in 2006 and then became friends while we worked on a women's conference. Yesterday we met to catch up with K's pregnancy and life in general. K recently quit her job to prepare for her baby boy and to rest while waiting. We talked about putting your career on hold and the impact that has on your inner desire to be a success in the business world. I was reminded of my departure from corporate America and after being home for 6 months, my husband came home to find me reduced to tears. He asked me what was wrong and all I could think of to say was, "I needed a performance review". Why? Because I needed to hear I was doing a good job and that I was very valuable to the success of the team!

I know that makes me sound like I am a very needy person , but don't we all want to think that we have something of worth to contribute to our families and society? After raising four sons...well I still have a seventeen year old in the house...I realized I have contributed to society by giving them four wonderful men! My sons are 36, 34, 22, and 17! So I have been a mom for a long time and I know that it is hard work but oh' so worth it. I worked full time when the first three boys were young as a banking center manager, so I know what it is like using every minute of every day to the max. Then I became bedridden while I was pregnant for my last child and I consoled myself by cross stitching and reading and keeping the little one inside!! But after his birth I never went back to my career in banking.

So I have experienced being a full time mom and career woman and a full time mom working at home. Both were fulfilling. I believe it is a choice to enjoy life; although I have had some major downs, I have had some amazing ups! I try real hard to remember that in God's economy when He gives me a performance review and disciplines me, it is so I will change for the better. I will always stack up because Jesus has taken all my shortfalls upon himself and so the Father only sees His Son in all I do. Knowing that makes me want to do my very best so He will be glorified!

My Interpretation:

At my final performance review I pray I will hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."