God's Providence :)

This is too cool. Seriously.

Okay, bear with me while I set the stage. We are in the middle of the Esther Bible study written and led by Beth Moore - Thank You, Father, for a teacher who GETS You and GETS women. What a blessing she is as Your vessel. This study really is a study in the amazing providence of God and, in Beth's words, 'some mighty good theology' of knowing God's presence is always with us even when we can't see Him or feel Him. We got a little taste of that tonight.

As the facilitator, I have been trying to come up with little gifts that tie in to the study for our ladies -things that have to do with parties or entertaining, beauty treatments, just girly-girl things. Like candles (who ever has a party without lighting candles!!), bracelets, picture clips with a star (one of the Hebrew meanings for Esther), etc... I bought padded hangers to give them, but have literally hauled them in 3 - count 'em THREE times - only to forget to give them to them. I get way too caught up in the whole Bible study thing! :)

One of the things the study has used as a central theme is focusing on scenarios that complete the statement, "It's tough being a woman..." and then the blank gets filled in with different situations where it can be really tough being a woman.

Okay - now stay with me- the good part is coming.

Today is March 10. It is Purim on the Jewish calendar - which is the celebration of the 'reversal of destiny' experienced by the Jews when Esther's actions saved them from complete annihilation. So I thought that was cool- to be studying the event while it really is occuring - but...GET THIS - Tonight was session 7 of the series - the night when Beth starts teaching us the way our Sovereign God reverses all of those "It's tough being a woman" scenarios for us!!!! SOOO...we are studying our own reversals during this celebration of Purim - Don't tell me we aren't God's adopted children!

AND as if that weren't enough, someone pointed out that they were given lovely, perfumed, padded hangers on the night we talked about Haman's hanging!! I know, it is one of those things that your thinking, "I guess you just had to be there." And you may be right, 'cause those precious ladies and I got a big ol' kick out of those little kisses from God tonight!!! We just giggled and oohhed and aahhed Him!!!

His timing - ALWAYS right!!

Youth Sunday

I've been waiting to post this because I was supposed to get some pictures sent to me that I wanted to post with it. 'Cause the last thing I was thinking about was pictures or a camera!!!..but no pics, delayed post, yadda-yadda.

I'm pushing on.

Sunday morning was an amazing day for our kids. We had one of our guys read a beutiful piece of scripture out of Psalms then pray. Another young man did the welcome. The guys leading praise and worship were awesome. And our sweet girls who had practiced so long for creative movement NAILED IT!!! We even had several of our guys act as usher and they didn't even drop the offering plates or anything!! :)

Then, sweet Zack took the pulpit and delivered a message. He was funny, charming, humble, and I must say brave. It's tough to get up in front of people and speak...let alone be a junior in high school and get up in front of your church on a Sunday morning...with a full house I might add. They even had to bring in extra chairs. Zack did a fabulous job.

Then my precious boy, Corbin, got up and did announcements. He cracks me up! He even announced the birth of his second cousin, but just introduced him by name and said, "I know he's a relative, but I don't really know what he is to me." Perfect.

All in all, the kids did a great job, but more than anything, God was awesome!
Congratulations to a great group of kids, and to God be the glory!!

And now, we get ready for Spiritual Preparation Weekend starting tomorrow night. And just wait until Sunday morning. My guy is going to sing a very special song. Can't wait!!

Eavesdropping...again

I'm sitting in my bedroom listening to my husband in the next room with some of the guys from the youth group. They have been practicing for our first Sunday MORNING youth service. We've always done Sunday night. Our creative movement praise team, For His Glory, will be doing two routines, our kids are leading worship, serving as ushers, praying, and reading scripture. And one of our precious young men, Zack, will be bringing the message. AND one of my favorite funny guys, Corbin, is doing the announcement. This is usually what Jimmy does at the end of the service, so I am thinking we may be about to see a great Saturday Night Live skit based on my husband!! If you read this, please PRAY for Sunday morning's service!

The three guys that are here are playing guitar and singing. I must admit I love to hear my guy sing even if it is with other people and through the closed door. I've always loved to here him sing. And I've always loved to hear him with the kids. I hear him talking now...teaching. Not really meaning to, but he is. 'Cause he is talking...anyone who knows him is probably laughing and thinking, "no kidding?" The boy CAN talk. I will never be one of those women who complain about a husband who doesn't ever communicate. And I'm so glad. I LOVE my guy.

Guitars - a few hundred dollars-
Chips & drinks - a few bucks
Listening to him invest Jesus in some kids - priceless.

On her 20th birthday...

My precious Chelsea is turning 20 in a couple of days. AMAZING. Both because the time has flown and because she simply is...amazing that is. I was beyond thrilled when I found out I was pregnant, and I must say it has been thrilling ever since. Not always easy or joyful, but definitely thrilling! So this entry is really for her - in her honor and to make sure she has all of this written down in some form!

Pregnancy was easy and exciting except for the morning sickness which was actually morning, noon and night nausea, but no throwing up. I've actually probably never felt better than when I was pregnant with Chelsea. Although it was during that time that I found out what heart burn was- I thought I was having some sort of attack, like maybe of the heart. Oh so young and dumb - Y&D syndrome.

When she finally came it took a little over 17 hours for her to make her actual arrival...two weeks early. I'll never forget the moment they laid her on my stomach and in all my vanity, through the tears I said, "Oh, Chelsea, you have hair!!" It has been a dominant topic in our conversations ever since. Along with all things girly. What fun to have a daughter. (Before you think me too shallow with her hair being the first thing noticed, remember that I had seen a sonogram showing all her fingers and toes, so I didn't need to count.)

And how wise of God to give me girls. I don't know what I would have done with a boy. I have had a BLAST being their mom!! As for her 'growing up years', in many ways Chels and I were sort of on our own. Her dad and I were married, but he was gone - a lot- so she and I spent so much time together. She was a beautiful, funny, and bright child. For example...Chelsea was 7 when I finally got pregnant with McKenna. One day she walks in as I'm getting dressed - this is late in the pregancy and I'm wearing one of those oh-so-feminine-NOT maternity bras. She wrinkles up her face and asks, "Why are you wearing THAT?" As I start to explain, she pipes in and fills in the blanks about making milk for the baby, boobies get bigger, yadda, yadda. Then she looks up at me and says, in all seriousness. "But, Mom. Your boobies didn't need to get ANY bigger." Thanks, kid. This would be the same child who when being potty-trained busted into the bathroom as I was getting out of the shower. Sitting on the potty, she looks up at me and says, "Hey, mommy. Your boobies are big. Big as your head." Sweet darlin' child. Ugh. I'm sure it was a perspective thing. She was sitting; I was standing. HAD to be perspective. Oh, whatever. She has learned a little tact since then, but don't ask her if you don't really want to know!!

Teen years were tough, as they are for so many, and even now, at 20, we have our moments. I think one of the primary problems is that when you devote yourself to loving in someone's best interest, it is tough to let them not always love themselves in their own best interest. In other words, letting life and their own choices bounce them around is tough to watch. It's one of the toughest things about being a mom. And although I watch my heart walk around outside of my body everyday in the form of two lovely daughters, I wouldn't take it back for anything. They are so worth it.

So as my oldest leaves the teen years behind, I am blessed to know that I did the best I could to lay a firm foundation...and on most days and in most ways, she is choosing to stand on it. She is fiesty, funny, oh-so fashionable, and above all she is my beloved first born. I can't wait to see what her life holds, and am fully prepared to celebrate it with her and walk the journey with her. It has been evident since her earliest years that God has a plan for her. What fun to watch it unfold and how humbly blessed I am to be her mom. Thank You, Sweet Jesus, for the privilege.

What's in a name?

Okay, so I posted a couple of weeks ago about the great loss in our family...our sweet dog Gracie having to be put "to sleep"...I always think of Paul telling us not to be ignorant about those who are asleep...yea, he was referring to death, too.

Anyway, my guy has been looking for a new dog since not long after Gracie went to the big dog house in the sky...or whatever happens to precious rottweilers that think they are lap dogs. Now this has made me wonder what might happen if I ever went to sleep...ya know...like that. I mean he couldn't hardly walk through the backyard without Gracie there. So if it were me, would the kitchen be the tough place? But alas, I digress.

Okay, so he finds several rescue rotts that he is interested in. One is named Ogre...no I am not kidding. The next one he is interested in...Fiona. I mean seriously. Even McKenna made that face where you know she is thinking..."What kind of wierdo..." She even said, "So what's the deal with the whole Shrek themed dog names?" Must admit, I was wondering too.

So Fiona came for a weekend visit. I'm sure we will be keeping her. She is very sweet and submissive, but last night get this. I am sitting on our bed and she can see me from where she is sitting in the living room. She looks in there at me and starts growling. Seriously. And then tonight she wasn't really looking at anything and she starts growling. What in the world? I've decided it is her name. So we're changing it. Actually we decided to change it before the whole growling nuerosis showed up. But Fiona? Seriously, who names a dog Fiona. Not us. Nope, we now have Minnie Pearl. Seriously.

Popcorn

No deep, passionate thoughts tonight. Just this. Jimmy burnt the popcorn. My whole house stinks. Ewwww. Stinky, smelly eeewwwwwww. Men should learn that the popcorn button on the microwave doesn't mean you can camp in the bathroom while it pops and expect it to come out perfect. Can I get an amen? God love him.

He showed up...again

I am sooo sleepy and about to hit the hay, but I just had to share something. I'll try to keep it short! Tonight was a Wednesday night so, of course, we had The Edge (youth worship). Jimmy wasn't feeling so great so he asked me if I would look over his notes in case I needed to pinch hit for him. He came back just as we were starting the praise and worship time, but about half way through the last song interrupted me (ie. my eyes closed, hands raised, praising like crazy) to tell me he was stepping out of the room. So I sang the words with a new fervency:

"Your will above all else.
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
To bring you praise.

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Neverending
Your glory goes beyond all fame.

In my heart, in my soul
I give you control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord...

And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord, my soul cries out..."

I offered it as my prayer of surrender and asked Him to use me as His vessel.

Now my guy is very supportive of all that I do, but he doesn't sit and watch my Beth Moore video at home with me in preparation for our ladies' study and he definitely won't come to our actual group time! So imagine my shock when I flipped open his Bible, and see the title, "Where Is God?" WHOA. WWWHHHOOOAAA!!!! I had seen Beth's intro video for Esther twice now ~ where she teaches us about how important it is to know that God is there even when you can't feel Him. I stood up in front of almost 60 kids and said, "I feel Him here tonight." Then proceeded to explain with a quavering voice what I just told you. And thus, with NO preparation, I winged a 20 minute lesson on what to do when you can't find Him or feel Him, and how important it is for them to KNOW Him, not just settle for a relationship based on surface emotions ~ to know Him by the truth of His Word~His faithfulness, His promises, His enduring love. And so on...

Afterwards, several kids came to me and said how much they appreciated the lesson, how it spoke to them, etc...so...yea, I'm pretty much crying again 'cause I know that was all HIM. ALL HIM.

How good He is to us. How gracious. How loving. How cool. I don't ever want to get over Him. Be glorified, my sweet Savior.

Holy Smokes!!! - Literally

Okay, God has just been stoking my fire about our new Bible Study group. We started the latest Beth Moore study on Esther tonight. I have just about been inside out over the deal the last few weeks - Holy Smokes from a Holy Fire!!! Well, tonight we FINALLY got to get our feet wet.

And what sweet feet we are wetting!!! We had such fun as we introduced ourselves. I asked them to share either what brought them to this study, their most cherished beauty tip, or a great party tip. FUN!!~and funny!

Such an incredible, diverse, precious group He gathered tonight - younger & older, veteran Bible Studiers & novice Bible Studiers, single & married & divorced & dating & engaged, moms with young children & moms with new grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but all Jesus seekers. WOW!!!! And I'm thinking we will have a few others join us next week. There was already such a sweet spirit of fellowship tonight. Can't wait to see what He does with this study and this group.

Beth shared in the intro that the study would, in part, be a study about our destinies. Our personal destinies. I began to ponder the idea of Esther and her destiny...and ours. At the end of the session, I had the ladies close their eyes and envision the most beautiful starry night sky they had ever seen. I reminded them of God's promise to Abraham about his descendants outnumbering the stars. Then I asked them to find the brightest one in the night sky they were seeing. I told them THAT star was them. They are the spiritual descendants of Abraham and reminded them of the incredible spiritual heritage they have as a result. I reminded them that as a star in God's sky, they not only have a heritage, they also have an incredible spiritual destiny as well. I am so excited that I get to observe their sweet destiny unfold for these next 10 weeks!

Those who might read this ~ please pray with us and for us!
BE HUGE, FATHER!!! BE HUGE!!!

Happy New Year!!

Blessings to all eyes that might fall upon these words. As I type this, I pray - "Father, in Your infinite wisdom and omniscience, I pray that while I may not know exactly who might read this, or when, I do ask that because You do know, You will bless each one in the coming year with this simple request; one which I seek for myself. In finding our purpose, my Sweet Lord, I pray that love abounding will be the watermark of this year. Let us love You with abandon and each other with a love that looks like Yours. Becky, illustrated the perfect request, Lord, in her new calendar. Please, Father, more of You, less of me. In the MIGHTY name of our Jesus, Amen."

In Memory of a Sweet, Special Girl

This is our Gracie. We found out a few weeks ago that she had cancer and wouldn't be with us much longer. We had to take her to the vet this morning before she began to really suffer.

Jimmy rescued her as a puppy and when he went through his divorce, I believe she rescued him right back. She was the biggest chihuahua ever! She wanted so badly to be a lap dog! As you can see...not happenin'! But she would just lean into you trying to get you to love on her. She was a sweetheart until the very end.



So if you read this, please say a prayer for us, especially my sweet Jimmy. He is having a hard time. We are drawing comfort in knowing that He cares about our hurts and that if He watches over the sparrow, then He surely must our beloved pets.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Luke 12:6 NIV

The words of two comedians seem to resonate...In the infamous words of Bob Hope, "Thanks for the memories," and in the infamous words of George Burns, "Say goodnight, Gracie."