The "pig" in me....?

I dropped in at Walking Circumspectly today for a visit and Kristen had a pig drawing posted on her site with a link to another gal's site. I followed it and took a Pig personality test by drawing a pig. The site, if you are so inclined to pursue it, is here.

2 Corinthians 5:7

"For we walk by faith, not by sight..." I Cor. 5:7.

Do you sometimes think to yourself that all you need is more faith? I bet most people, if they are honest will think this at some time or another. But, faith is not a warm, positive feeling you need to 'get'. It is by far something more. It is giving mental assent to something. Faith is making a decision to trust, lean, or depend upon someone or something. That means faith never exists alone...it always has an object.

We have faith in a chair to hold us up when we go to sit in it. We have faith in a friend who says she will meet us at a certain time and place. We have faith in our spouse that he/she will stay committed to their wedding vows. We have faith in God. Our perception of the object of our faith will determine our actions. Personally, I think it's kind of difficult (and maybe absurd) to place one's faith in someone or something in which you know very little.

When you go to sit in the chair you 'know' it will hold you. You 'know' the character of your husband or friend, thereby you trust them (or not). When it comes to Biblical faith it involves trusting God alone. Here is the kicker....faith involves 'knowing'. I dare say there are many who do not know much about the character of God and how it is relevant to living our daily lives. To lean on God alone, consistently, we must "know" Him. We must know what He is like to "know" Him. As we discover for ourselves the amazing truth of what God is like it encourages us to place our faith in Him. If one "knows" their God then when desperate times come along one's stability is fixed and unmovable. Anyone who desires to know God better through His Word will be transformed.

How does one go about finding out what God is like? We look at Jesus Christ, for "He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature. He is the image of the invisible God...In Christ there is all of God in a human body...He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15; 2:9, Living Bible, John 14:9). You see, it is through the intimacy of a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ that all which God is becomes alive in our daily experience.

"To come alive spiritually we must meet God.
To live abundantly we must know God."

Yea!!!

I'm telling you folks, I'm as a happy as a bug in a rug!!! Yes, indeedy! Why? Well, I don't think I've posted about this (probably because I was embarrassed) but my feet, ankles and legs swelled up big time. They looked worse than elephant legs!!!

I was emailing with Hey Jules last week right after I received my compression stockings. Now, I'm well aware that I'm 52 and some people (ahem, Pilot James) might consider 52 OLD. However, I do not think of myself old. My "image" of myself is much younger! :D It used to be when I was in my twenties and thirties I probably thought of myself as still feeling like I was 19 with just a touch more maturity (Lol!) than normal 19 year olds. However, a number of years ago I was around a group of 19 yr olds and I thought to myself, "Heavens! Surely I am not like them!" Do I really think and act like them?" So I re-evaluated myself and decided that I feel like I am more in my early 40's. Lol! Probably James would say that even THAT is old! LOL! :D

All of that to say that when I emailed Hey Jules about the compression stockings I told her that there is absolutely nothing that makes me feel more old...way older than even 52, than wearing compression stockings!!! I have died a thousand deaths and yet, I'm still here on God's beautiful white snowy patch of ground in Utah!

My question to my doctor since I was beginning to feel much better from having the whooping cough is "what has caused this awful swelling?" He told me he thought it was a combination of coming off the prednisone medicine, the low pressure in my lungs from the whooping cough, and my high blood pressure med, Norv*sc. He decided on a plan of action which was to change my diuretic to lasix, elevate my feet and have me wear compression stockings. *sinking heart*

Well, it didn't work. I spent all of my time with my feet elevated...HIGH! And, the lasix didn't even begin to kick in for 3 1/2 days! It didn't seem to make a difference at all. By this time I thought I would be destined to go the rest of my life having legs that looked like they belonged to MUCH older people. I may not be the skinniest person but I have always had skinny ankles and feet. My goodness, I can't even buy "narrow" shoes because they are too wide for me. I have to buy "slender" shoes. You can imagine what a nightmare that is to find stylish shoes that are narrow enough to fit me! (Yes, sad to say, I do admit to some vanity.)

Anyway, back to my problem. I went back in (yes, I've gone weekly to have my progress checked) and it was decided to double my lasix. Well, whoo hoo! That seems to have done the trick! I'm telling you, I've got ankles, feet, toes... EVERYTHING! And they are SKINNY!

Since yesterday mid-day, I've not worn my compression stockings, nor have I had them on today and I STILL have skinny ankles! I'm very hopeful when I go tomorrow my news is good...no, better than good; GREAT! No more compression stockings. I can go back to being a very young at heart 52 year old wife, Mom, daughter, sister, and Aunt!

Monday Night Thoughtball....

It's that time again for Monday Night Thoughtball over at Hey Jules' place, Faith or Fiction?. Hope to see you there!

Southernisms

My Aunt sent these in an email today and I thought I would share them with you so you can have a laugh! Have a great weekend everybody! :D

Southernisms

1.) Only a true Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption, and that you don't "HAVE" them, --you "PITCH" them.

2.) Only a true Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc. make up "a mess."

3.) Only a true Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

4) Only a true Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is - as in: "Going to town, be back directly."

5.) All true Southerners, even babies, know that"Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl on the middle of the table.

6.) All true Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

7.) Only a true Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. (If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'!)

8.) Only true Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

9.) Only a true Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' whitetrash.

10.) No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make aturn.

11.) A true Southerner knows that "fixin'" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

12.) Only a true Southerner knows that the term "booger" can be a resident of the nose, a descriptive, as in "that ol'booger," a first name or something that jumps out at you in the dark and scares you senseless.

13.) Only true Southerners make friends while standing in lines. We don't do "queues", we do "lines," and when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!

14.) Put 100 true Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

15.) True Southerners never refer to one person as"y'all."

16.) True Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

17.) Every true Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that redeye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

18.) When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin' .. ," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

19.) Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweetmilk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it - we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.

20.) And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say, "Bless her heart" and go your own way.

A Thought from Watchman Nee

"Christ is the Son of God. He died to atone for men's sin, and after three days rose again. This is the most important fact in the universe. I die believing in Christ." ~Watchman Nee - Note found under his pillow, in prison, at his death.

Watchman Nee was born in Swatow, Fukien province, China in 1903. He became a Christian at the age of 17. Watchman Nee was arrested and imprisoned by the Communists in 1952, he was never released and died in prison in 1972.

A thought for the day....

"Those who would like the God of scripture to be more purely ethical, do not know what they ask."
--The Problem of Pain

~ C. S. Lewis

Who yearns?

"....I am convinced that God yearns to be known by us far more than we want to know Him, and His great work in us is to increase our passion for knowing Him until it is stronger than all other passions." ~Larry Crabb

The Wheels of Life

This is pretty self-explanatory. I hope it brings a laugh to you!

 

Difficult Days...

A brook would lose its song if God removed the rocks. ~Anonymous~

Often, in the midst of great problems, we stop short of the real blessing God has for us, which is a fresh vision of who He is.

~Anne Graham Lotz~

As we all know, some days are just plain difficult. We face days when the baby is sick, or in my case, my mother and I are both sick, when the laundry is piled high, the bills are piled even higher, the dishes aren't done, and you cannot for the life of you figure out what to fix for dinner.

When I find myself overtaken by the inevitable frustrations of life, I must catch myself, take a deep breath, and lift my thoughts upward. Although I am here on earth struggling to rise above the distractions of the day, I need never struggle alone. God is here...eternal and faithful...and, If I reach out to Him, He will restore perspective and peace to my soul. (The Hallelujah Chorus fits in right here.)

Sometimes, even the most upbeat and jolly person can become discouraged. After all, we live in a world where expectations can be high and demands can be even higher.

When I find myself enduring difficult circumstances, I need to remember that God remains in His heaven. He has not been usurped. If I become discouraged with the direction of my day or my life, I need to take a moment to offer my thoughts and prayers to Him. He is a God of possibility, not negativity. He will guide me through my difficulties and beyond them.

Welcome!

I would like to once again welcome any readers, new or old, to my blog. I hope as you take the time to visit you will like what you find and, when you leave, I hope you leave refreshed!

If you haven't already signed my "Frapper Map" letting me know where you are from, would you please take a moment now and please do so? Even if you never plan on visiting my blog again (oh no!) you can still mark the Frapper Map. You can access it here or you can click on the icon on my sidebar.

Thanks ever so much!

Monday Night Thoughtball....

Hey, everyone! It's Monday Night Thoughtball over at Jules' place, Faith or Fiction?. Pop on over there for an interesting discussion. Today's topic is regarding illness and sin. Very interesting. Hope to 'see' you over there!

Another H*nda Commercial

Here is another Honda commercial which is just as innovative and unqiue as the first one I posted on. Check it out.

Check it out!

I was popping in to visit today and found a very convicting post over at Christa's A Tale of Two Blakeys where she talks about The Gospel On Display (dated Thursday, January 19) . If you have a moment I would highly recommend reading this very convicting post of hers. Christa has such a heart for the Lord and it comes out in her eloquent writing. May we, as Christians, always be aware of what is coming out of our hearts.

Winter Look?

Your Winter Look is Cute

You always bring color to a dreary winter day!

What's Your Winter Look?

Sunday Praise....

Psalm 150

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Cleaning House

Over the last several days as I have been dropping in to visit some of my blogging friends I've noticed several references to "cleaning house." And, just by a "Godincidence" [most of you I'm sure know I don't believe in coincidences] a friend of mine emailed me this piece today. I thought it might be pertinent to some people out in blog land.

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to drop in to Christian Chapter Chat!

House Cleaning

Last week I threw out worrying. It was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have time to read it anyway). Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories (remember how I treasured them so)? Got me a new philosophy too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I Can, I Will, and I Must. Threw out I Might, IThink and I Ought. WOW! You should've seen the dust.

I ran across an old Friend. Haven't seen Him in a while. I believe His name is God. Yes, I really like His style. He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself...like prayer hope and faith. Yes, I placed them right on my shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door. "I FOUND IT".... its called Peace. No-thing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice. Looks good around the place. For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning; get rid of the old things on the shelf. It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF.

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!!

Self-Worth and Patience?

Being patient with other people can be difficult, But sometimes, I find it even more difficult to be patient with myself. I have high expectations and lofty goals. At least, I think they are lofty goals. :P

When I look around me I see people who want to receive God's blessings now, not later. And, of course, there are many times we all desire our lives to unfold according to our own wishes and our own timetables...not God's. Do you see that happening? I know it is that way with me sometimes and I doubt I am the only one in the world who is like that.

Yet, throughout the Bible, we are instructed that patience is the companion to wisdom. Proverbs 16:32 teaches "Patience is better than strength." God's message is pretty clear: I must be patient with all people. For me, that means beginning with that particular woman who stares back at me each time I gaze into the mirror.

Faith in God leads to self-acceptance. Without God, I may be plagued with doubts about self-worth and self-esteem. But, it seems to me, that I need to remember that God created me in His image and that I was created anew by my belief in Christ.

The Bible affirms the importance of self-acceptance by exhorting believers to love others as they love themselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that when I genuinely open my heart to Him, God accepts me just as I am. And, if He accepts me....faults and all....then who am I to believe otherwise?

Join With Me....

Jules, of the famous Faith or Fiction? blog site mentioned to me she was starting up a Christian Book Club Blog. I jumped on board at once. I'm so excited about this!

The first book we are undertaking is "Moments with the Savior" by Ken Gire.

If you would like to read along with us AND post your comments on each chapter directly to the blog, leave Jules a comment on her blog with your email address or email her and say, "I want in!" She will send you an invitation to join our new blog so you can post along with us as we go. If you would rather just read our comments as we read from chapter to chapter, you can find our new blog, "Christian Chapter Chat" HERE.

This first week we are waiting for some people to get their books so it has been light posting and commenting. The chapters are really short so it isn't like it's a heavy duty reading schedule. We plan to spend a fair amount of time thinking, discussing, and bouncing ideas about what we each got from the chapter back and forth.

There is still time for you to get a book and jump in to the fun. Once this book is over then we will pick a new one to discuss and we will be sure to announce it in plenty of time for anyone who would like to join us for the next time.

Come join us in some fun!!

Do you know my King?

Jesus As King

My king was born king. The Bible says He is the seven-way king. He is the king of the Jews. That’s a racial king. He is king of Israel. That’s a national king. He’s a king of righteousness. He’s a king of the ages. He’s the king of heaven. He is the king of glory. He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now that’s my king.

Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my king? David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. That’s my king. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s august. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology. He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. That’s my king.

He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick, He cleans the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?

Well, my king is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That’s my king. Yeah! That’s my king.

His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you. But He’s indescribable. He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him. Well. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses [at his trial] couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king. Yeah!

He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign. Praise the Lord! That’s my king. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well. All the power belongs to my king. We around here talk about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power. Thine is the power. Yeah! And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forevers, then “Amen.”

Dr. S. M. Lockridge, Dallas, Texas, quoted by Max Anders in Jesus, Knowing Our Savior, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publ., 1995), pp. 33-35

I have been thinking so much here of late about Christ, focusing fully on Him. Everytime I read this or listen to Dr. Lockridge's sermon I am deeply moved. Christ is indescribable! I long to share Him with anyone who doesn't have a relationship with Him and desires to.

If anyone reading this has any questions please feel free to contact me through my email address located in my Profile. I would love to discuss any difficulties you may be having. Blessings....

What is of value?

The person who doesn't know the Lord, who is working in the flesh, achieves nothing of permanent value. In the flesh he may gain the whole world but he loses the thing of most value to himself, his own soul. The most valuable possession a person can ever have is Christ. He is the pearl of great price. To have Him is to have the greatest possible profit.

H*nda Commercial

I was visiting over at Dave's Place today and he has a great link to a new H*nda commercial. You need to watch this. It is excellent as far as ads go. Very creative!

Go to www.honda.co.uk/civic/ and when it loads click on "WATCH".

Sunday Praises....

Psalm 108:1-6

My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.

Awake, harp and lyre;

I will awaken the dawn!

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples,

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,

and Your truth reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your truth reaches to to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above all the earth.

The Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and answer me!

Friday Feast on Saturday...

AppetizerName
One chore you don't really mind doing.
I guess I would say vacuuming. However, there really isn't any one chore I like to do. However, I LOVE the results that come from doing them!

Soup
How many times have you moved homes in your life?
I think about 12 times.

Salad
How old were you when you had your very first kiss?
I'm sure I was just hours old before I received my first kiss! ;D

Main Course
What time of day do you usually feel your best?
Oh mid-morning for sure. It takes me a little while to wake up. Then I want to get everything done at once so I can rest for a short while in the afternoon and then evening is for fun. I stay up late at night but I wouldn't say I feel my best.

Dessert
Using three words or less, describe your current local weather.
Sunny, spring like. We had about 3 inches of snow the other day but today, the sun is out, there is a slight breeze and warm temps. I think snow is forecast for tomorrow.

Nobody's tagged. It's just a for-fun thing.

The Day is Done...

My day has come and gone. As far as birthdays go, it's been a good one, just very different. I was pretty much homebound because of Nana being worse. I called the doctor's office and he decided to begin a different antibiotic. If she isn't better by Monday then he will see her.

She didn't feel well enough for me to go to my ladies Bible study group. But Carolyn brought me the left over birthday cake and cards that the ladies had brought. That was fun. She also brought me my birthday presents from her because she didn't/couldn't wait until Saturday to give them to me. She is big on giving the presents on the actual day. :) Well, that is fine by me.

Jim came home with flowers! Wonderful! He went with me to my light appointment. We were almost home when we noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The battery was smoking. We went and bought a new battery and came home for Jim to put it in. In the meantime, he's talked with our mechanic, who is as honest as the day is long. A super guy! He thinks there's a problem with the alternator/voltage regulator thingy-bobby. Jim tries to get the old battery out and can't so we put the new battery in the trunk and called AAA to have it towed to our mechanic. We should hear tomorrow (Friday) what we are looking at and the cost.

Meanwhile, Jim went to bed and I sat with Mom and tried to get her to drink etc. She is still running fever and just feels bad. Once the Rx was done I went and picked it up and got her started on it. She felt better this evening.

Since we couldn't go out to eat, Jim grilled steaks and we had baked potatoes and salad and chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Then he did the dishes! ;) Nana finally ate pretty well tonight. She didn't set the world on fire but after not eating anything but half of a poached egg at noon, I was pleased.

Jim's left for work. I've got Nana settled in bed and I am following shortly. I received tons of cards as well as email wishes and blog comments! All in all a wonderful day, just different. If Nana is so we can leave her for a while on Saturday we are going to our favorite Mexican restaurant out in Grantsville. It's a whole in the wall...but the BEST Mexican food ever! We'll go with our good friends, John and Carolyn. Tomorrow we hope to see Glory Road in the afternoon. Jim has a three day weekend for the holiday so that will be lovely! :)

Maybe we will be able to finally get our Christmas tree taken down this weekend. With all of us being sick and having no energy, that just hasn't been taken care of yet. My birthday lunches with my friends are being put on hold till next week, at least, until we see how Nana is doing. I have to admit that I do have a certain 'talent' or ability to stretch out my birthday celebrations for a week, at least! :)

So now that I've spent a whole day being 52 I can honestly say it is better than 51. First off, it's an even number which is much better than an odd number. And, I had not one but TWO birthday calls from James today. I'm sure that I only received one for my 51st birthday.

Truly, the Lord has blessed me tremendously throughout my life and I am grateful for every day which He gives me. We are never guaranteed our next minute of life. Life is so fleeting. So I enjoy every minute that I am able. Now, bring on my new year! Yea!!!

Come celebrate with me! :)

Funny, Funny!!!

I was over visiting at Pam's blog, Ramblings and Other Things, today and these just cracked me up. So, I'm sharing the links with you all and hopefully you'll find them as funny as I did. :) Lol!

http://gprime.net/video.php/animallaunching
http://gprime.net/video.php/musclerelaxers

I would really, really like to blame today on not sleeping much last night. Alas, I can't really do that and be truthful with myself. I had my doctor's appointment today at 10:50 a.m. I get up and get ready, wake Nana up and feed her breakfast, finish getting ready and off I go.

Arriving at the doctor's office I sign in and go sit down. In a few minutes they call me up to tell me that my appointment was for 9:50 am. At least I had the correct day. When they called to remind me I thought they said 10:50 to me. But, I know better. They didn't.

The gal at the desk says to me, "You probably don't want to wait around...there are 3 people ahead of you and they haven't even been taken back yet."

Me: Well, what is the soonest I could get resheduled?

Gal: Feb 7th.

Me: I don't mind waiting. So do you think it will be an hour or so?

Gal: (not really wanting me to wait) At least.

Me: (knowing that she really didn't want me to wait, but I, knowing that SHE was the one who mentioned it decides I'll press for waiting) I don't mind waiting in the least.

Gal: Would you mind wearing a mask since you ARE coughing?

Me: Oh no, not in the least. I would love to wear a surgical mask. (smiled sweetly)


Since I really can't blame it on lack of sleep (because I had it fixed in my mind waaaay before I even thought about sleeping), and I don't think I can really blame it on my age even though my birthday is tomorrow, I guess I'll just blame it on not looking at my calendar to confirm what I thought I had heard. *Sigh*

The good news, I did finally get called and it was a good visit. I just didn't take time to do my lab work. I'll do that another day.

I do think it's time for a nap. Yes, indeedy! :)

Delurking Week....

I would love for all of you who just 'lurk' out there in the netherlands of cyber space to drop me a comment. You know who I'm talking about....yes, YOU! I love to have visitors and I love it even more if you would just say, "Hi!" You don't need to be fancy or have an opinion one way or another (even though that IS okay). But do take a minute and let your presence be known. Come on in, relax, put your feet up. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea? Hot or iced? Anyway, I hope you take the time to let me hear a word from you. I'd love to meet you! :) And, I promise, I don't bite! Lol.

Something to do at 3:30 am

what decade does your personality live in?


quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd

Cough Syrup by the Liters....

THIS is what I need!

Maybe this is what we need to do.....

It's Monday Night Thoughtball....

Hey everyone! It's Monday Night Thoughtball over at Faith or Fiction?. Head on over and check out the topic for today. It's dealing with the Holy Spirit.

Suffering....

I think you all will agree that the Lord will lead a Christian during his life. How does He do this? He may lead us through a trial to develop us...to develop our character, or to impact another person, He may lead us through a time of prosperity, He may desire to strengthen your faith in Him. How about trusting Him? Sometimes there is even discipline. But, what about suffering? I do believe that the path of every believer will, sooner or later, include suffering. The Lord gies us these trials to keep us humble and dependent on Him for our sustenance.

First Peter 4:1 states, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in His body is done with sin." Brother Yun in his book, The Heavenly Man, makes a statement which he says, "I believe when suffering and pain increases, sinning decreases. I've certainly not yet reached the point of being "done with sin." I still complain to the Lord when I suffer." Here is a man who has suffered unbelievably for the Lord. The torture which he has endured for the sake of Christ is mind boggling; all for the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus with people who seem to have no hope.

Maybe how we mature as Christians largely depends on the attitude we have when we are faced with suffering. Think about the people you know who have faced suffering. Some try to avoid it or pretend it doesn't exist but doesn't that just make the whole thing worse? Others try to endure it grimly, hoping for relief. Maybe this is better? It still falls short of the full victory God desires to give to each of His precious children.

So how do we approach suffering? Brother Yun says, "The Lord wants us to embrace suffering as a friend. We need a deep realization that when we're persecuted for Jesus' sake it is an act of God's blessing to us. This might sound impossible, but it is attainable with God's help. That is why Jesus said, '"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."' Matthew 5:11-12. The more we are persecuted for His sake, the more reward we will receive in heaven.

"When people malign you, rejoice and be glad. When they curse you, bless them in return. When you walk through a painful experience, embrace it and you will be free! When you learn these lessons, there is nothing left that the world can do to you, " says Brother Yun. This from a man who has spent over 7 years of his 20 year marriage in prison labor camps in China where all kinds of torture were used.

Is this possible? Well, this is what he says, "God is my witness that through all the tortures and beatings I've received I have never hated my persecutors. Never. I saw them as God's instruments of blessing and his chosen vessels to purify me and make me more like Jesus."

When asked by Western visitors what seminary they (Chinese Christian house church leaders) attended they jokingly yet with underlying seriousness reply that they have been trained in the Holy Spirit Personal Devotion Bible School (prison) for many years. In that prison seminary they have learned many valuable lessons about the Lord that they could never have learned from a book. They've come to know God in a deeper way.

"Christians who are in prison for the sake of the Lord are not the ones who are suffering. When people hear my testimony they invaribly say I must have had a terrible time in prison. But that isn't so. I was with Jesus and had overwhelming joy and peace in His intimate presence."
(Brother Yun)

According to Brother Yun, "The people who really suffer are those who never experience God's presence. The way to have God's presence is by walking through hardship and suffering...the way of the Cross. You may not be beaten or imprisoned for your faith, but I am convinced each Christian will still have a cross to bear in his or her life. In the West it may be ridicule, slander, or rejection. When your're faced with such trials, the key is not to run from them or fight them, but to embrace them as friends. When you do this you'll not fail to experience God's presence and help."

Brother Yun shares what he thought about his first time in prison. He struggled, wondering why God had allowed it. Slowly he began to understand He had a deeper purpose for Brother Yun than just his working for Him. God wanted to know him, and Brother Yun to know Him, deeply and intimately. He knew the best way to get his attention for a while was to give him rest behind bars.

Brother Yun feels strongly about this. Whenever he hears a house church Christian has been imprisioned for Christ in China he doesn't advise people to pray for his or her release unless the Lord clearly reveals they should pray this way. "There is always a purpose behind why God allows His children to go to prison. Perhaps it's so they can witness to the other prisoners, or perhaps God wants to develop more character in their lives. But if we use our own efforts to get them out of prison earlier than God intended, we can thwart His plans, and the believers may come out not as fully formed as God wanted them to be."

One final thought. He says pastors have no rights, except the rights of a slave! Everyone in this world is a slave. They're either slaves to sin, or slaves to Christ. Brother Yun says, "Our 'rights' are in the hands of Jesus. We must fall on our knees in complete dependence on Him. The world can do nothing to a Christian who has no fear of man."

One of our Christmas presents!

This is the new desk we received from James for Christmas.
We absolutely love it! :)

 

And Can It Be....

Click on "X" in square.

Morning Sunrise...

"This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope. The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentaions 3:21-23

What are you doing with His Word?

God's Word is missing. Oh, yes, there are many preachers and we have an abundance of tapes of Bible teaching, but often times so little of it contains the sharp truth of God's Word. It's the Truth that will set one free.

Not only is knowledge of God's Word missing but obedience to that Word. Have you noticed there isn't much action taking place around you? Why is that? I just finished reading the book "The Heavenly Man" which is about Brother Yun and his work in the Christian Church in China. When revival came to believers in China, the result was thousands of evangelists being sent out to all corners of the nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. Brother Yun makes an interesting statement: "When God moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His presence and blessings too long, and build an altar to your experiences."

Oh how easy we have it here in North America. Our churches are comfy, filled to overflowing with 'things', i.e. hymnals, musical instruments, Bibles, outreach material, people in the pews. I had a visitor one time in our home from Zimbabwe who made the comment to me that even our bag people were rich compared to the poor in Zimbabwe. We go to church to be fed. What do we do afterward? We go home and take our Sunday naps. Do we do anything with the Word of God during the week? Do we make application? Do we reach out and share this Good News?

You can never really know the Scriptures until your willing to be changed by them. That is when the rubber meets the road. All genuine revivals of the Lord result in believers responding with action and soul winning. When God truly moves your heart you cannot remain silent. There will be a fire in your bones, just like Jeremiah, who said, "His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Jeremiah 20:9.

We need to step in obedience and share the gospel with people. Even if you are shy. I am shy. And I can honestly say that the Lord met me right where I was and has enabled me each time I've shared with someone...in spite of my dry mouth and knocking knees. It's when we share the gospel with people that we come to know God's blessing in every area of our lives. That is why Paul wrote to Philemon, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon v.6.

I think there are multitudes sitting in church who are satisfied with giving their minimum to God, not their maximum. This type of attitude will never do! It's unacceptable! Think people! Jesus gave His whole life for us, and we give as little of our lives, time and money as we can back to God. What a disgrace this is. The Lord will never pour His blessing out on unsanctified and selfish flesh. The cross of Jesus must be at the center of everything we do!

Nana

My little Nana now has the whooping cough. The Health Department called me this morning to ask me questions. Their recommendations are for everyone who spent Christmas in my home be put on the antibiotic.

Today I do believe I feel like I am in the land of the living. So far, no fever. Yea! I'm terribly sore around my rib cage from coughing so hard. And, I'm tired. I did manage to get my kitchen cleaned up for today...that was a major accomplishment. Now I'm going to go lie down and rest.

Tagged Again!

I've been tagged by Patty over at Home and Family!

Four Jobs You've Had In Your Life: Wife, mother, office manager, accountant

Four Movies You Would Watch Over and Over: Apollo 13, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seatle, Cinderella Man

Four Places You Have Lived: Germany, Colorado, Montana, Utah

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch: E-Ring, Lost, Invasion, Medium

Four Places You Have Been On Vacation: Washington DC, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Corpus Christi, TX

Four Websites You Visit Daily: Faith or Fiction?, Journey of the Heart, Psalm 127, Ramblings and Other Things, Hotel California and tons of others...I have my list which I visit everyday.

Four of Your Favorite Foods: anything chocolate, steak and potatoes, classic coke, combine chocolate ice cream with coke for a Coke Float, chocolate chip cookies....did I mention I love chocolate?

Four Places You Would Rather Be Right Now: I love being home and I really love being home when I'm well. If we're talking about vacations then I would love to return to Europe, I would love to visit Canada, also Scotland, and England.

I am going to tag: If anyone wants to jump on board let me know so we can check out your answers! :)

Year End Meme

Year End Meme
Tagged by Pam over at Ramblings and Other Things. Here is an interesting meme for you to do....

1. What did you do in 2005 that you had never done before? Well, the biggie for me would be Blogging! I didn't even know what it was until Claire shared all about it with me.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? New Year's Resolutions? What are those? ;) Seriously, no I haven't. I will take some time to think and pray through my spiritual walk. There may be areas which the Lord will show me which need improvement.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, that is reserved for 2006! My niece, Claire, is due toward the end of March to give birth to a little girl after having 4 boys! :)

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, not personally close, but yes, someone who was very close to my sister and all of their family. It was quite tragic.

5. What countries did you visit? No countries this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005? Off hand I can't think of anything which I lacked.

7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 13 and December 16. May was when James found out what his Track Select would be (what he would be training to fly) and December 16 was when he pinned on his Wings.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Pinning on James' wings.

9. What was your biggest failure? Making sure I had clearly communicated an important piece of information to Nana.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Let's not even go down this path. There have been way to many health issues this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My outfit for James' Wing ceremony.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Our son, James.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My own.

14. Where did most of your money go? Our trip to Corpus Christi, TX. And, we take Nana out to eat a lot. It's a way to get her out of the house so she isn't quite so homebound.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? More than James getting his wings? I would have to say having opportunities to be involved with ministry.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005? Hmmm...I have no idea.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? a) MUCH happier b) Thanks to prednisone, MUCH fatter c) Monetarily I would say about the same but spiritually I would have to say FAR richer!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Exercised. And prayed. One can never pray too much.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Procrastinated. *sigh*

20. How will you be spending New Year's Eve? WE spent New Years Eve with good friends playing games and then praying in the New Year. We have done this for about 15+ years now.

21. Did you fall in love in 2005? I love to fall in love with my hubby all over again.

22. How many one-night stands? I won't even answer this one.

23. What was your favorite TV program? Wednesdays became our TV date night. So we watched "E-Ring," "Lost," and "Invasion."

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Oh I couldn't possibly hate anybody. The best way to move past hating someone is to begin praying for them.

25. What was the best book you read? This is hard because I read several that I just loved. Comes a Horseman is one I just finished. Chosen by God was another excellent read.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Some new Praise and Worship songs. If you read my blog at all then you know that I have absolutely ZILCH musical talent or musical anything.

27. What did you want and get? A trip to Corpus Christi, TX. And, a new desk!

28. What did you want and not get? Absolutely nothing.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? "Beyond the Gates of Splendor." Excellent movie.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Celebrated with friends. I do have a knack of stretching my birthday to a week. It's an art form I've been told. ;) I was 51.

31.What one thing made your year measurably more satisfying? The new medicine for my neuropathy.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? Fashion concept? Is there such a thing? Comfortable....that sounds tons better than 'frumpy.'

33. What kept you sane? The Lord! I cannot imagine going through life with all of it's ups and downs without knowing the Lord. If that's a crutch...then bring it on.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I really don't keep up with celebrities.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Gay "rights", Terri Shiavo, abortion.

36. Who did you miss? Well, that's a given, James. However, I miss being near family.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Gayla from Journey of the Heart. :)

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005. It isn't a new lesson but it was certainly reinforced in a big way for me. If God has called you (or someone) to a particular "thing" (i.e. job, ministry etc) then He it is up to Him to equip you with the skills needed to accomplish His task. And, He WILL do that!!!!

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "And Can It Be".... No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Well, you know me...if you would like to jump in and do this, please let me know so we can drop in and get to know you better! :)

Still sick....

Woe is me. I'm STILL sick. The blood work came back positive for whooping cough. I went in and had a chest x-ray today and saw the doctor. We're waiting to see if the chest x-ray shows pneumonia. He did give me a Rx for a much stronger cough med and I am happy about that. (So is Jim.) Jim still ran a fever last night so he didn't go into work. I, too, ran a fever. So far, Nana isn't catching what Jim or myself has. PTL!

Gosh, I've sat here trying to think of 'something' spectacular to share and I'm telling you, there just isn't anything getting through the old grey brain matter right now.

I am reading an excellent book titled The Heavenly Man. It's the story of Brother Yun and how he came to know the Lord and how the Lord subsequently has used him in building up the Chinese Christian church in China. A very powerful, moving story. It's like a real modern day reading of Acts!

Time for more water....will catch you later.

Comment Section....

My "Comment" section on my post "Back to Normal" isn't working. I assume it's a Blogger thing since I haven't done anything different. Feel free to comment on any post regardless if your comment 'fits' right there. I apologize on behalf of Blogger for any inconvenience.

Back to...Normal?!

It's quiet now. He has driven off in the rain. Snow is forecast for the mountain passes.

I actually slept some last night...from about 1:00 to 4:30 when he woke me up. I fixed sandwiches etc for him to take with him. Everything of his is now gone. He took his golf clubs and the last of his boxed things which he had left here a little over a year ago.

What a whirlwind it has been since mid December! Actually, it was beforehand also, what with all the illness etc. but from the 14th the "pitch" raised dramatically. He said that he enjoyed this Christmas even more than last Christmas because he actually was able to relax and have fun. Unlike last Christmas where he was at the beginning of flight training and needed to study, this Christmas he was totally done so he had lots of time up in the mountains hiking with his friend, Ben, and with our friend, Lana. There were good times with friends and tons of relaxation, good food, laughing, and, of course, heart to heart talks with us. I really felt like he connected and shared. *BEAMING smile* :0

Dear friends of ours celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on the 29th by renewing their wedding vows. The three of us went to that and it was a wonderful celebration! James counted up all the different years of marriage represented there by all of us guests. Pretty impressive for this day and age when it seems like one can get divorced on-line. What a rich heritage to be able to share with our children showing that hard work, dedication, love, committment, sacrifice are not out dated words but rather things to be grasped and embraced with fervor.

Yesterday, James and I went to Communion Service together, leaving Jim home with a high fever and the aches. Praise the Lord, he seems to be better this morning. He is scheduled to return to work tonight. What a blessing it was for Jim to be able to have all this time off from work.

Now, I'll begin to pull my house back into shape. I'm off the whacky medicine as of today! I do believe my vision has improved some this morning. I can actually see my typed words on the computer screen! Yea!!! Things are looking up!

For now? I am heading back to bed for a few more hours of much needed sleep. I can hardly wait! :)

I'll catch up with everyone later on! Have a great day!

He's Gone!

Pilot has taken off.

A Happy and Blessed New Year!!!

May your 2006 New Year be grounded in the only One who can satisfy! May He meet you right where you are.