Red Writing

Making My Bed

2012-01-18T14:54:00.003-06:00

I made up my bed today.

I know--for most people that is just a given. But it's pretty significant to me. A few years ago I could have convinced Martha Stewart that making up a bed was absolutely insane. I said that it was a pointless task. I hated it and I never, ever, ever did it.

Thankfully, a couple of years ago I began to learn that my mind, emotions and physical state all work together. It turns out that every area of my life is inextricably linked. Who knew? So basically what I realized is that when my house is a wreck then I am kind of a wreck as well.

Eventually I had to do one of the most difficult things we have the option to do in life and admit that maybe, just maybe, I could have been wrong about some things. For starters--accepting that perhaps making up the bed could somehow be a good thing?

So I did it. I made up my bed. I decided that everyday I would just pull up the sheets, throw on the pillows and make it up. It didn't have to look perfect. That wasn't the point. The point was just simply to get it done. So I did it.

Over and over again.

It may not seem like a huge thing. Making up a bed? Not a big deal. It's really not. The habit created itself so quietly that I didn't even realize it was mine until today. When I looked at my bed and thought, Now that's nice. You stubborn old mule--THAT'S NICE! And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Obviously it's not pointless and I don't hate it. It's not insane. Insanity is always doing things the same way but expecting different results...

And I hope it's apparent that this is not about whether or not a bed should be made. At all...

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Andy Warhol

It was one thing. Just one small thing. That I changed.

An accomplished housekeeper I am not. I will never be. Actually, you know what? Scratch that. Maybe I will be one day! Maybe one day my house will be on the cover of Martha Stewart's magazine and she will interview me about my mad housekeeping skills. Yes! And we will laugh about how I used to never make up my bed.

You just never know... Right, Martha? But for now, a made-up bed is good enough for me.

Thank You, Charlie Sheen

2011-12-29T20:02:00.000-06:00

A couple of funny things from the kids mouths today...

First was Glory. We received some chopsticks for Christmas and she wanted to eat her macaroni and cheese with the them. I told her she could try but it would be pretty difficult. She asked why it would be difficult and I told her because we weren't used to eating with chopsticks, we always eat with a fork. And then she asked who did eat with chopsticks. I told her that lots of people do but that Chinese people are really good at eating with chopsticks because in China they eat with chopsticks like we eat with forks.

Then she said, "Mommy, I know how to say 'Chinese' in Spanish." I asked how. "Oklahoma," she informed me.

Okaaaay.

Then for Jonah's funny. We were driving home in the dark and he and Glory were in the back. All of a sudden I hear him yelling, "I'm WINNING! I'm WINNING!"

(Just let it be said--I am such an idiot.)

I yell, "JONAH! Where did you hear that!?" He just kept yelling I'M WINNING over and over again. I was astonished that he was saying this. Finally he said "What mom? I'm winning! Me and Glory are racing."

Oh, yeah. Get a grip, Mom.

*Sigh*

Books for 2012

2011-12-26T23:42:00.001-06:00

I have purchased several books on my Kindle that I have not read entirely. I just keep buying new ones, reading about 1/3 and then getting the next one. It is so EASY to do on the Kindle and for a book lover it can really get out of hand. I have got to stop it. So for 2012, I am not going to read any new books but rather finish the ones I have already started. It happens that there are 12, one for each month.

Here they are:

The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
Jesus + Nothing = Everything, Tullian Tchividjian
The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul
What is the Gospel?, Greg Gilbert
You Lost Me, David Kinnaman
Give Them Grace, Elyse Fitzpatrick
Gospel, JD Greer
The Discipline of Grace, Gerald Bridges
Freedom of the Will, Jonathan Edwards
The Reign of Grace, Scotty Smith
To Live is Christ, Beth Moore
The Problem of Pain, CS Lewis

Perhaps I will write about each one as I finish in an effort to hold myself accountable. Perhaps.

What are you reading?

I am thankful for the gospel.

2011-11-24T20:05:00.001-06:00

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9

"Our greatest need before conversion is the gospel, and our greatest need after conversion is the gospel. We never move on, only deeper in." Burk Parsons

Thankful for to be moving deeper by His grace.

On Tolerance

2011-11-23T12:11:00.002-06:00

Is putting up with someone the same thing as loving them?

Suspecting that I already knew the answer, I recently asked the Lord to shed some light on this for me. If I don't agree with someone or don't relate with them...if I am annoyed with them or maybe they are just not very nice to me...as a Christian I am commanded to love these people. I know this. But as a human, I am inclined to reject them. So the solution for me has always been to just "put up with them." But is this love? Putting up with people?

The word that the Lord first brought to mind as I contemplated this is tolerance. I came to realize that what I do much of the time is merely the practice of tolerance. Somewhat of a buzz word in our culture today, tolerance is generally considered to be a good thing and apparently I have embraced it, too. I have believed that if I just put up with these people, behave myself around them, keep my thoughts about them to myself, then I am demonstrating love. If I can just manage a smile and some formal niceties when I am around them, then I am being a good Christian.

But the practice of tolerance, or putting up with people, is a far cry from the love of Christ. Think about how God demonstrates his love: "while we were still sinners he died for us" (Rom 5:8), and that Christ suffered...for the unrighteous...to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18) Christ suffered, to the point of death, for a relationship. Not tolerance.

Tolerance is everything we can give of ourselves without suffering. It's literally all we can do to tolerate someone. It is a man-made plan that leaves God totally out of the picture. Tolerance is a way that seems "doable." Loving requires something more. Loving will always require us to suffer. Loving will always require grace. Loving will always require surrender and dependence. What God has revealed to me is that I'm tolerating quite a bit, but not loving much at all.

We are certainly called to tolerate people. But there's more to it than that. The question is, am I tolerating someone in love or out of a self-righteous attempt to be good or even politically correct? The way to tell the difference is by asking the question, Is the goal of my tolerance of this person to have a relationship with them? If the answer is no then we have tolerance with out love. The result of tolerance alone will always be indifference while the hope and goal of tolerance in love will always be relationship.

When we settle for tolerance, we ignore what God does through Love. Intentionally, sincerely, selflessly, sacrificially, relentlessly--He pursues us, He loves us. Tolerance is a cheap substitute for Love.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Eph 4:1-7, NASB)

I'm thankful for the truth.

2011-11-15T08:48:00.001-06:00

The truth hurts, but it sets us free.

The significant moments of my life, or times that I can look back now and see breakthrough, are all marked with a stark realization of truth. The truth was usually painful, whether to me or someone else. That it was painful never changed the fact that it was truth.

I think sometimes the truth can seem so overwhelming because we don't see how it can ever be worked out in our lives. There are many times that I run from the truth because it seems impossible to deal with. But Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”(Luke 18:27 ESV) Even when we don't want to believe the truth, God can help. He will do it. (1 Thes 5:24)

The truth is that Jesus came to set us free from the lies that Satan has been whispering in our ear since the beginning of time. I'm so very thankful for the Truth that is the power to demolish strongholds. I'm thankful for the Truth that came to set captives, like me, free.

Truth = Life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)

I'm thankful for the moments.

2011-11-08T14:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the kids and I were driving down a country road. We rounded a corner and looked up to see a huge rainbow. It was awesome. We talked about the promises of God. Soon we noticed that we were surrounded by the most beautiful fall foliage that I believe I have ever seen in Texas. We were talking about the amazing artist that God is. Jonah was saying things like, "This has got to be some of God's best work!" I just love that kid.

I couldn't imagine this little after-school drive getting any better until Jonah suddenly broke out into the sweetest most loving rendition of This is My Father's World. The mother-tears were falling and I was just beginning to construct the Face book post in my head that would basically say "My child is perfect and awesome. Don't you wish you had a child like mine?" when a text pops up on my phone from a friend whose child was with Jonah at recess. It reads: Word is, Jonah kissed a girl on the playground today.

Say whaaa? Nice, God. Thank you for that huge piece of humble pie right in the middle of this perfect moment, I thought. But the more I pondered, I knew what my Father was doing. He is always revealing himself. Even in the small, seemingly insignificant moments of our lives.

What happened yesterday is something I'll never forget. The rainbow reminded me of the mercy and promises of God. My kissing kid reminds me that none of us, even our babies, are basically "good" at heart, rather we are rebellious at heart. (Jonah knows not to kiss girls. Ugh.) Despite this, there is always the artistry and changing power of God for us to behold. And definitely my favorite part was the sweet song of praise--the response of a child who knows he has been promised a Savior, yet is still very rebellious, and is daily being changed by God's love.

The Gospel. All of it right there in the moment.

I'm thankful for snuggling.

2011-11-07T15:06:00.000-06:00

Snuggling is something we like to do around here. It's really an awesome expression of love; one of my favorites. It requires a commitment. You can't do a quick snuggle. You can't force snuggling and you can't really fake it. If snuggling could talk it would say: "I don't need your words, I don't need your actions. I don't need anything from you. I just want to be near you and want you to be near me."

Snuggling. Yep, its pretty great.

2011-11-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

Day 5: I'm thankful for doubt.

2011-11-05T07:15:00.001-05:00

Doubt. Seems like an odd thing to be thankful for. For many years I was so afraid of the doubts I had, that I spent much of my energy trying to not even think them. Finally that kind of bottling up became too much to handle and my doubt, or unbelief, basically exploded. Thankfully it landed at the feet of Jesus. He picked up the pieces and slowly began to put them back together, but in a way that made sense.

I was afraid that my doubts would be too big for Him, but they weren't. In fact, He was just waiting for me to bring them; he already knew. He wasn't afraid of my doubts or shocked by them as I had feared. Quite the contrary. Fully knowing and anticipating this, He died for my unbelief many, many years ago. I know this may seem confusing because to "believe" on the name of Jesus Christ is what saves a life and yet I am saying that unbelief lead to my life being saved. What happened is that my unbelief, when cast upon the Living Word of God, turned into belief. One by one my doubts were settled and faith arose inside of me. A dead heart was made alive. I began to truly believe.

The interesting thing is that doubt and unbelief continue to pop up in my life. Every day. At the root of every sinful act is a lack of belief in the promises of God. That HE knows best. That HE is faithful. That HE will provide. That HE is in control. That HE has the plan. That HE loves me. How many times do I not believe?! Many. This is my skeptical, unbelieving nature. This is the nature that so desperately needs the touch of a Savior, every single day.

Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrates His love for me in this: even knowing I would be a sinner, Christ died for me. The payment has been made. It is finished. But He demonstrates this love every day as I am reminded that it is finished. This knowledge is what allows me to truly live. He died for the sin of yesterday, today and every tomorrow. Even my doubts...even my unbelief...all of it covered by the blood, once and for all, at the cross. Removed as far as the east is from the west. This is the vast, incomparable, unfathomable love of God.

If I never had any doubts, I wouldn't have gone searching for the Truth. So thankful for that doubt and the God who handles it.

Mark 9: 20-25

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Day 4: I'm thankful for perfectionist tendencies.

2011-11-04T07:28:00.001-05:00

I have to wake up every morning and remind myself that today is not the day. Today is not the day that I am going to get perfect. It's not the day that I am going to do everything just right, please every person, get it all done, avoid every temptation, reach every goal, meet every need. Not today. Today I will try. I will pray and I will lean. I will lean on others to bear my burdens and I will lean on God so that his strength can be made perfect in my weakness.

Today is not the day that I will get perfect on my own. But I'm thankful for the desire to be perfect because it makes Ecclesiastes 3:11 so very real to me:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

In the deepest part of my soul I long for perfection and the reason is because God has set eternity in my heart. An eternity with Him, with no sin. Perfection. That is what I long for but I rest in knowing that it will never happen in this messed-up world or in my messed-up heart until we are all face to face with Jesus Christ.

Everything beautiful in its time. I can not imagine that place but I know it is my home. This world is not. Thank GOD.

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” ― C.S. Lewis

Day 3: I'm thankful for the ability to create.

2011-11-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

On the season's first crisp, cool morning like today, I am always reminded of "what might have been." When I was in the 3rd grade my mother would wake me up every morning to take a shower. I had to walk all the way to the other side of the house and for some reason it was way colder over there. The commode seat was painfully cold! I distinctly recall the moment that I invented the commode seat warmer. I told mom about it and that there should be one. Sadly, I was eight and did not know how to get a patent. So every November when the shouts of "Woah!" or "Aye-yai-yai!" come from the bathroom, I can only imagine what my life would be like if my invention had become reality. If you love this idea, it can become a reality for you. Apparently someone knows how to follow their dream. Get your toastie tush here.

When I think about the toasty tush idea, I realize that from very early on I had a desire to create things. More than just things, but also a desire to create ideas and stories and relationships. The more that I learn about my Creator, the more this innate desire makes sense. Indeed we were created by a Creator and in the image of a Creator, therefor we are prone to create. Culture is proof of this, according to Andy Crouch, who wrote a hugely important book entitled Culture Making. He says, "Culture is, first of all, the name for our relentless, restless human effort to take the world as it's given to us and make something else. This is the original insight of the writer of Genesis when he says that human beings were made in God's image: just like the original Creator, we are creators."

I am a creator. I was made to be. We all were. When people say, "I'm just not creative..." that's balogna! Your Creator says you are (Genesis 1:27). Creativity is simply taking what you have, right where you are and making something with it. Creativity might mean coming up with new and fun ways to engage your children in meaningful conversation. It could be as simple as starting a new dialogue "around the water cooler" that promotes a positive way of thinking about the high calling of our daily work. It could mean that you invent the most amazing product of this century and when people look at you, you point to your Creator. We have to think, and strive to be creators. It's not easy, but engaging in creativity is our responsibility. It's an amazing tool God has given us to show the world who He is.

Sometimes I think we (especially women) confuse being "crafty" and being "creative." There is absolutely nothing wrong with being crafty--that means having the ability to execute a plan. That can be a perfectly good thing. But, it is very different than being creative (which remember, we all are) Creative means:

1) marked by the ability or power to create
2) having the quality of something created rather than imitated.

Creativity does not equal "crafty." Ironically, crafty is a word used to describe Satan (Genesis 3:1). Hmm. Satan uses all of God's ideas and tweaks them just a tiny bit. But he can't come up with any of his own material. His only plan is to diminish the glory of God and is dang good at executing it. I think a huge way that he does this is by convincing people that they aren't creative. That they are like him. So they never try to make anything of the world around them. They settle and they copy. Because they believe that's all they are capable of. That's a lie. God's creation has been given the ability to not only execute a plan but to create. Not to copy the world around us but to create by using the things that the ultimate Creator has made out of nothing! This is a wonderfully exciting picture of how God desires to use his people.

In our efforts to create, let this always be our hearts aim--To point back to our Creator. To point others to our Creator. To use this mind and the hands that God has given us to bring him glory in different, special, creative ways! What an offering that would be.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:17

Day 1: I'm thankful for the coffee.

2011-11-01T23:38:00.007-05:00

I thought I'd start this month of gratitude off on a lighter note. You know, save the biggies for later in the month. Although coffee does hold a pretty special place in my heart.

Coffee is basically awesome.

It is, it really is. You can make it taste like fruit, dessert...diesel as I sometimes prefer. It is versatile. Tastes good hot or cold. In ice cream and chocolate frosting. I even have a candle that smells like coffee for when I am not consuming it.

Coffee travels well and makes traveling delightful. Even a trip to have a mole removed becomes a joy when you are able to bring along a nice, hot, huge disposable cup of coffee with lots of sugary, syrupy creamer in it. What mole? Coffee. Yum.

(I've never actually had a mole removed but if I did have to, I would want coffee, I'm sure.)

Coffee attracts people also. Really awesome people who naturally love to chat. Coffee always=chat. Sometimes coffee=deep, life-altering conversations. Either way it's coffee+talking and that always =FABULOUS in my book. If you've shared coffee with me, chances are you share life with me, too and I love you. And I'm thankful for you, you coffee-loving fool.

What can make an ordinary, loathsome trip to Wal Mart just a smidge tolerable? I'll tell you what. Knowing that for a few bright shining moments, right before you hit the freezer section, you're gonna get to experience the greatness that is "The Coffee Aisle." Multiple brands, strengths and flavors of java. When you consider that very close by is the vast array of creamers that change with the seasons, just like decor at Hobby Lobby, you remember that the combination possibilities are endless. This is what you put your focus on for the remainder of the shopping trip--brewing the strongest pot of coffee you ever had as soon and you get home. Even before you get the groceries put up. Either that or you think about driving through a Starbucks as soon as you check out. All of this hope in the middle of the most horrific place in Grayson County! It's beautiful.

I love the anticipation during a meal shared with friends, "Who will want to have coffee with me? How many cups will I need to make? How strong should I make it? What flavors will I offer?" (By the way, I can't really trust anyone who drinks weak coffee. Just saying.)

Anyway, I'm thankful for the coffee. And for the people who drink it with me, in person and in spirit.

Meekness & Not-So-Precious Moments

2011-09-05T19:16:00.003-05:00

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Psalm 37:5-11

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Matt. 5:5

Recently, I have been feeling like I need to learn about meekness and what it's all about. Because I know I'm a lot of things, but pretty sure meek is not one of them. For some reason, anytime I think of or see the word meek I get an image of a little girl. Specifically a Precious Moments girl, cleaning. Weird, right? Funny thing, I just googled "Meek + Precious Moments" and this is what popped up:

Ha! Apparently I was exposed to this mug at some point in my life because this is the quiet little cleaning girl that I have always associated with meekness! I am going to have to get one of these mugs, for sure...

Thanks to the people at Precious Moments (and to this John Piper sermon from 1986) I now have a pretty good initial grasp of what meekness looks like and look forward to learning more. I highly recommend listening and studying the scripture, but here is the short version:

The Meek:

Trust in God

Commit their ways to Him

are quiet and wait on the Lord

Don't fret over the wicked

Posses peaceful freedom from fretful anger

Roll their anxieties onto the Lord

are not defensive

are eager to learn

are slow to speak and quick to listen James 1:19–21

are slow to anger (note: this is different from never being angry)

are open to reason

are open to correction

Count the blows of a friend as precious (ouch!)

Critique others only from the deep conviction of their own fallibility Galatians 6:1–2

Care more about the truth than being right (whoa!)

Loved this insight:

"Too often we think this is the spirit of meekness. Two people making no claim on the other person's opinion, refusing to submit their own opinion to an independent standard of truth, unwilling to make themselves vulnerable to the claims of truth and the possible need to admit error—that is not the spirit of meekness, no matter how soft-spoken or self-effacing it looks on the outside. It is not self-effacing. It is self-protecting and truth effacing. What could be more serviceable to the spirit of pride than the view that neither you nor I have to give an account of our opinions before any standard but our own private selves."

One other thing Piper talked about in this is when you are having one of those days that is absolutely rotten, everything is going horrible and just when you think it can't get any worse...you bang your head on a cabinet or something like that...and you just want to go off on anyone or anything you can. Well, meekness doesn't do that. Meekness just absorbs that blow and keeps on going, joyfully.

So being the Teacher that He is, of course this morning I dropped my coffee cup on the floor and it went everywhere. All over me, my computer, the floor and just a bit ago I saw that it had even splashed up on the ceiling, too! The morning I had leading up to the coffee was NOT the greatest and I was thinking that the cup of coffee was going to be God's little gift to me for making it through everything else meekly. Ha! I won't say what actually happened when I dropped the cup (What do you think happened?!)

Me, meek? Not so much. I was kinda scared to learn about meekness because I thought I was going to have to stop talking as much and like dusting more. Turns out--it's going to be waaaay harder than just that! But the good news is that I have a Helper and the most valuable of rewards awaiting.

"The quietness and openness and vulnerability of meekness is a very beautiful and a very painful thing. It goes against all that we are by our sinful nature. It requires supernatural help. And that help is available, thank God!

And the primary way that he will help you is to assure your heart that you are a fellow heir of Jesus Christ and that the world and everything in it is yours. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not freely give us all things with him? All things! No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

*All quotations in this post came from Desiring God, Blessed Are the Meek.

What Joplin Taught Me

2011-08-08T20:34:00.004-05:00

Piles of stuff. That is what I saw the most of in Joplin this past weekend. Not piles of whole things but piles of pulverized things. It felt strange to sift through belongings, things that had probably taken years to acquire. All of it was literally rubble. Things people had worked so hard to get. Tiny little pieces of things that we were once whole. Things that people had dreamed of, things people had used in their living. Not just smashed and scratched things but fragments, pieces...trash.

What I have wanted probably more than anything in life, as far as material things go, is a house. My dream house is one that I would plan and design and draw the details of. It wouldn't be too big or fancy, but it would be just right. I would stand with my hands on my hips trying desperately to make the builder understand my vision and my dream. I would search high and low (and all over Canton) for the perfect things. A house that has special little things around every corner and a house that is comfy. A house that is beautiful and has beautiful things.

After a weekend of raking through demolished things, I remember that I don't need the things...or the design or the plans or the special little touches. All of that is destined to be debris. No matter what, that stuff will eventually become fragments and pieces and trash--that someone else will be sifting through.

And when they are sifting, I so want them to realize what Joplin taught me:

What will survive the literal and metaphorical storms of life are the things that relationships are made of. Things like laughter and tears, conversations over coffee, hugs, jokes, stories shared, help extended, lessons learned, games played, prayers, high fives, and encouragement. Simply--time spent with one another. All of these kinds of things, when built upon a foundation of Christ and held together with His love, form something that is very strong and indestructible Things of eternal value, relationships built on Truth, are what we need to be working at, searching for, pouring our time and our talents and our hearts into. Relationships based on truth do not turn to debris.

Thank you, Jesus, you have given me those kinds of relationships. I don't need the house or to spend my time searching for the things; I don't need my dream anymore. I need your dream and most of all I need you.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Pray for the people of Joplin. It is such a special place. If you would like to serve or donate, please contact Mission Joplin.

Open Letter to Everyone

2011-07-25T10:26:00.001-05:00

Dearest You,

At some point, I made it my chief goal in life to fix you. I've always been good at recognizing just what needs to be fixed in another person's life. Family, friend, acquaintance, fellow blogger, the person who slaps their kid in Wal-Mart, the cashier who is rude (and seems to be on something), the person who doesn't believe in Jesus, the ungrateful, disrespectful student, the lady who wears her skirt too short, the obese person who is alone and eating a super sized combo in the food court, the person who has hurt me so deeply that the wound will not heal. All of you and more--I want to fix you. There is something wrong with you and I want to be the one who has the answer you need to be fixed. I will talk and type and think for hours...about what needs to be done to get you fixed. I will suggest, I will prod, I will remind, I will shake my head in disgust. Why can't I fix you?

Why can't I make you the way I think you should be? Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you do the right thing? Why won't you at least try to change? Why won't you make an effort? Why won't you grow up? Why won't you just get over it? Why won't you admit that you are wrong? Why won't you just get fixed so that I won't have to be bothered by your problems, imperfections and weaknesses? Why won't you get fixed so I can feel good about fixing you?
I am so tired of this. My chief purpose in life, to fix people, is hopeless. I give up. I quit focusing on everyone else and their issues and faults but what I am left with are my own. Oh yeah. I need to be fixed, too. I am broken just like everyone else in the world and I need to be fixed. It makes sense now. If I need to be fixed I can't possibly fix anyone else. That's the problem. I must fix myself so I can get to the hard work of fixing everyone else. Yeah! I need to work hard to get fixed. I need to get fixed fast because there are so many people who need me to fix them.

Mission: Fix self. There is something wrong with me and I want to be the one who has the answer I need to be fixed. I talk and type and think for hours...about what needs to be done to get me fixed. I suggest, I prod, I remind, but in the end I shake my head in disgust. Why can't I fix me?

What is wrong with me? Why can a dang french fry bring me to the brink of insanity? Why do I yell at my kids for laughing and running joyfully around the house? Why do I sit and think about something that needs to be done for 3 times as long as it would have taken me to just do it? Why have I hurt people so badly that their wounds are still gaping? Why do I still think that somehow physical beauty is going to help me? Why do I fall into the same destructive patterns over and over and over again? Why do see the worst things in others? Why do I see the worst things in myself? Why do I try and try and try but nothing changes? What is wrong with me? Why can't I just get fixed so that I won't have to be bothered by my problems, imperfections and weaknesses? Why can't I just get fixed so I can feel good about fixing myself? Why can't I fix myself so I get on with my life?

I need to be fixed. But I can't fix me. You need to be fixed but I can't fix you either. Ever. I think I get that and now...I must learn to stop trying. I need to truly grasp that "being fixed" is not a prerequisite to living.

I believe there is a prerequisite for living, though. It's Love. I will choose to love and receive love. No judgement, no analysis, no expectations. Just love. I will love myself and others because I know that He loved us first, even though He knew we would need to be fixed.
Love is what binds us together and we need to be bound. We need one another. Loving one another is the closest to fixed we will ever be here on earth.
1 Corinthians 13

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

We will be fixed one day, when we see him, the Ultimate Fixer, face to face. This is our hope, this is our faith. I'm so sorry I tried to fix you when I could have been loving you. Because loving is the most important thing--the only thing--that will matter for eternity.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So sincerely it hurts,
Keelie

Best Dancer

2011-06-30T14:58:00.003-05:00

This week I have had the opportunity to help with our church's version of VBS called Mega Sports Camp. It is a neat little camp and in the spirit of nostalgia, I volunteered to help with cheerleading. Practicing the moves and jumps and going over cheers and chants and dances has taken me back to my childhood and teenage years of being a cheerleader. Lord, have mercy.

The dream of being a cheerleader was planted in my head at a very early age. I attended a cheer leading camp when I was in grade school and at the end of the camp, when all the awards were handed out (LOTS of awards) I was presented with the "Best Dancer" award. That little certificate in my hands had amazing power. I went most of my life thinking I was "The Best Dancer" no matter where I was or who I was with. Even in high school I remember always thinking that I was an awesome dancer and I had nothing to base that on other than the little piece of paper someone handed me back in the 2nd grade.

Years later I became a teacher. Once I was preparing to present individual awards to an entire class of kids when I came to a sobering realization: Oh wow, sometimes you have to make this crap up! I really have no idea if those cheerleaders just randomly gave me the "Best Dancer" award or if I really did know how to shake my booty best (I have a pretty good guess), but that's not really the point of my story.

This is the point: children are impressionable. Children generally believe whatever they are told and sometimes will hold onto it with everything they are for a very long time. I know from experience that a child will base her entire identity around something she is told by a trusted adult.

These facts beg the question, what are we telling our children? Are we telling them they are good and they can be anything they want to be if they just put their mind to it? Are we telling them they are the best little dancer...football player...gymnast... out there even when they're not? Are we building them up with no solid foundation to stand on?

Or are we telling them that God is so good and He has the best plans for our lives? Are we telling them that they can do nothing of any worth apart from the God who saves? Are we telling them the Truth? Are we helping to build a foundation that will never crumble beneath our children? Because that is what they need to be told the most.

Lord, help us.

Can you spot the "best dancer"?

Pray for Joplin

2011-06-05T23:13:00.001-05:00

Jesus is the only one who can fix broken hearts. We can pray.

This video was made by my pastor after a recent trip to help with relief efforts in Joplin, MO.

Graduation Kiss (How I Met Your Father)

2011-05-27T23:09:00.000-05:00

Every year when graduation rolls around I think back to that night in 1998 when I walked across the stage. Not really because I graduated (that was cool) but because it was the night my husband and I had our first kiss. Our courtship in it's entirety is documented here: How I Met Your Father .

Ahh, the memories...

Grammy's Treasure Box

2011-05-23T08:39:00.004-05:00

Yesterday at my mom's, I found a box filled with notes written by my maternal great-grandmother, Grammy. The notes are a mixture of scripture, quotes, note-worthy ideas from various readings, etc. It is basically her journal in a box. A literal treasure box, in my hands. The words are so simple and yet so relevant and full of wisdom. I just had to share some of this sweetness...

Bad habits are like a comfortably bed--easy to get into but hard to get out of.

Read Psalm 90.

Since every day is a gift from God, I live every day enthusiastically for Him.

Please obey the voice of the Lord--Jeremiah 38:20--The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience.

The best thing to spend on your children is time.

"A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." Vance Havner

Remember to pray for world rulers--God rules the world by the prayers of his saints.

How would you feel if God gave you the same amount of love as you devote to him?

Plan your work well and don't let Satan sidetrack you. It may be some slight irritation or some pleasure calling that keeps you from pursuing what you know you should be doing. Duties delayed are the devil's delight. What we are as Christians and what we will become should greatly influence our lifestyle. An awareness of who we are and what we are to become should transform our daily routine into a training ground for the future. The subjects of the King should always display the manners of the court.

I didn't really know my Grammy. She was leaving as I was coming, but she left behind a hand-written legacy that shows me what she was all about and what she hoped and prayed that I would be about. What a blessing. More from Grammy to come...

“All people are like grass,

and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.”

Isaiah 40:6-8

There, but for the grace of God, go I...

2011-05-05T23:26:00.005-05:00

When news broke of the death of Osama bin Laden, it definitely sparked an array of emotions. Facebook went crazy, at least a lot of my Facebook friends went crazy. People were posting all sorts of thoughts, quotes and articles. My brain went into crazy mode. For someone who already thinks way too much, this was just making me go insane.

At some point, and I'm sorry to say I don't remember where or who I was reading, a man said that he and his wife had prayed that Osama bin Laden would become the modern day Paul before his death. They had prayed that he would meet God, as Paul did on the road to Damascus, have the scales fall from his eyes, and go on to proclaim the name of Jesus.

Wow. What an interesting concept, I thought. Hmm. To pray for the enemy, for the glory of the Lord. I never prayed for Osama bin Laden and most certainly never prayed that he might become the modern-day Paul. I really began to consider what I know about Paul and was shocked to realize that there were definite similarities.

Paul was a persecutor of Christians. He stood by and "approved" as Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the Word of God.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him. Acts 7:59-8:1

Two things stand out to me in this. #1 Stephen was forgiving the people who were killing him as they were killing him. Paul witnessed that. Can't help but think it had an impact on him in later years. #2 Paul approved of the killing. In a Beth Moore biography of Paul, To Live is Christ, I read that the original Greek word for approval is suneudokeo; it means "to take pleasure with others." He wasn't just witnessing the murder of Stephen, he was enjoying it. Sound familiar?

But one day in the life of Paul (Saul then)...

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:1-6

And Saul, who became Paul, was never the same again. Changed. Adopted. Used. Perhaps this is where my comparison of two hugely influential men in history begins to unravel.

I can't think of anything good that came from Osama bin Laden. When I reflect on the lives that were lost September 11, 2001 it nearly takes my breath away. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling I had as I watched people jump from flaming windows, seeing the buildings plummet to the ground, the face of people who were searching for missing loved ones...the devastation was unthinkable. I have no clue as to what those directly affected must have been and continue to go through. Whoever could stand by and approve of that act should rot in Hell. Yes, I will agree with that.

Again I am drawn to think about the suffering a martyr like Stephen endured as he was stoned to death. Stone after stone after stone beat against his flesh until he could breathe no more. The participants in his murder were taking pleasure in seeing his pain. Anyone who stood by and approved of that death, and enjoyed watching it should also rot in Hell. That would be Paul.

And then we know that the most agonizing suffering that ever took place happened when Jesus Christ bore the entirety of wickedness and evil of all humanity as he hung on a cross and died. People watched and cheered as it happened. Should the evil that required His death rot in Hell? That would be me. I can't ignore the fact that it was the evil within my heart that put Him there. It was me. Should I rot in Hell? Absolutely.

There, but for the grace of God, go I...

I believe God is just and that I can and should rejoice in that justice. His justice prevails always--I don't even think I have to wait until a terrorist is killed to celebrate that. HE IS JUST. Osama dead or alive. Yes, let's rejoice that justice was served and perhaps the world is a safer place...but we do it with a generous dose of humility. As a follower of Christ, I do so knowing that my "Damascus road encounter" is essentially the only thing that separates me from Osama bin Laden.

And who knows? Maybe he had one, too.

“When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it.” Lewis Smedes

Going to the Cellar

2011-04-23T21:45:00.015-05:00

Tonight I had just put Glory to bed and was getting ready to turn in myself when I heard a loud banging at my door. It was my dad. He had come to my house to get me and the kids. Tornadoes were coming, he said. My dad is always very concerned with the weather and with good reason. He takes after my Grandad who was always going bonkers over the weather.

Before I go any further I should make it perfectly clear that I really appreciate this concern and especially my dad's willingness to come get us and always make sure we are safe. Lord knows I don't have a clue when the weather is about to get bad. That being said...

As I got in my dad's pick up tonight and heard the National Weather Service buzz going off on his radio, I was instantly taken back to my childhood. My Grandad had a weather radio that sat on the table beside his bed and went off every 5 seconds, it seemed. It was on 24/7.

I loved to spend the night with my grandparents so this was a very familiar sound to me. As soon as it started buzzing, my granddad's feet hit the ground. He had to wake us all up, which he liked to do by flinging on all the lights in the house and throwing huge, smelly raincoats on our beds. He would pace the halls yelling, "We've gotta get out to the cellar fast! IT"S COME A BAD ONE!"

It freaked me out SO bad. His sense of urgency combined with the weather radio and the thunder was not an ideal wake-up call for a seriously anxious youngster (anywhere from 5-8 yrs old at this time)

The worst part was the walk out to the cellar. Imagine it--I've just been told that the weather is so dangerous that we need to take shelter underground to make sure we don't die and now I'm being told to go out into this weather. It was probably about 30 yards from the house to cellar but it seemed like 10 miles. The wind would be blowing, rain definitely coming down, sometimes hail hitting my head and lightening all around. I often wondered if the walk from the porch to the cellar might have actually put me in WAY more danger than I would have been inside the home. Looking back on it now, I think I was a pretty smart kid.

My grandmother shared my logic. I can see her so clearly standing in the kitchen, puffing on a cigarette, telling my grandad there was no way she was going out there--"If I die, I die." And then she would go back to washing dishes. I thought she was so cool.

The cellar in a word: awesome. There was always an inch or two of murky water in the bottom. There was a shelf in there where my grandmother would keep her canned vegetables. The reject lawn chairs that were barely standing... My grandad would stand on the steps the whole time pulling the cellar door down and yelling about how bad it was and assuring us it was a good thing we were in there. Then he would say something about how dumb Grandmama was for staying behind. Still thought she was way cool.

It was during this time I would start worrying about the pets. Once, I guess my dad was in there because I remember asking him what was happening to the dogs and he said "Oh, they're fine. After tornadoes you always see dogs and cats walking around even when houses are blown down." Really, dad? Nice try... But I still kind of believe that. Tonight I pictured our house in a pile of wood on the ground but our chickens were strutting all around the rubble, unscathed.

A storm never passes through that I don't think about the times we spent in the cellar. It really was a significant part of my growing up. As scary as it seemed at the time, I think a small part of me enjoyed the excitement of it all. Especially from the warmth and comfort of the bed after the storm had passed and knowing the cellar-goers were all still alive. And Grandmama was still puffing away.

When I Survey...

2011-04-22T07:01:00.007-05:00

“If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:12

Daily.

Follow.

Self-denial.

Come after.

Me.

The Great I AM.

The Beginning
and the End.

A Gift.

The Substitute.

On the Cross.

For all.

For those who spat. Cheered. Denied. Nailed. KILLED.

For you. For me. That's Love. Controlling. Compelling. Guiding.

So Daily...I follow? Simple. Beautiful. Protection.
Love.

Growth.

Life.

Step by Step.

Walking.

Away from me.

Losing me.

Dying to me.

Burying me.

Walking.

To Him.

Behind Him.

In Him.

Through Him.

For Him.

This.

Is.

Life!

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Dear Lord--

Today, as I meditate on what my sin is responsible for, I must still ask things of you. If I didn't know better, I would be ashamed of that...but I do know better. I am totally dependent on you and you are waiting to hear from me. So I ask: Will you break my heart on this day? Will you show me what it really means that He died for all? Will you teach me what it means to regard no one by the flesh? Will you help me realize the magnitude of being made new? This gift from you is too great to not receive in full the understanding you are willing to give. I am listening. I am dying to know you more. Be glorified today. I am asking in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior--Amen.

New Around Here

2011-04-18T13:33:00.003-05:00

We have a new RED Shed behind the house and new sidewalk chalk.

We have a new RED back door. Have I mentioned I like red?

We have 12 pet chickens. One really loves us and her name is Henrietta.

One hen is a double yolk "layer." These eggs are so big the carton won't close on them.

We have a new arrangement in the living room.

My new deal is planting stuff. This is English Ivy planted in the cracks of the old well.

I didn't plant this but it is a new hanging basket that I am trying to keep alive.

NEW! Herbs sprouting up in my window sill. (The rosemary won't come up--WHY?)

Okay this is not new--cheese in my bed. Totally gross--but I'm okay with it. It means there are still sticky-stinky-fingered, cheese eaters snuggling up in there.

Puking, Weeping, and The Bigger Picture

2011-04-09T22:00:00.005-05:00

I'm sitting on my bed listening to the wailing cries of my 2 year old. She has had a tummy bug this weekend and I thought it was just about over when she up-chucked right into her plate at Cracker Barrel tonight. Sorry. But that's what happened. Afterward she acted perfectly fine and so I gave her more to drink and even let her have a biscuit (dumb!) and then she threw up again, this time in the car. I hate these viruses. Ugh.

She was still pretty perky even after all that but I knew that to give her little tummy a rest and if we were going to get even a few hours of sleep, she had to go down without drinking anything. Well, that's kind of tough for her, especially when she's not feeling 100%. So we rocked and sang and I told her what was going to happen about the "ba-ba"--that there wouldn't be one. Then I put her in her bed and shut the door.

And now, like I said, I'm in my room listening to the unbearable sound of her screaming and crying. Even though I know she is going to be fine and that I am doing the best thing for her, it still breaks my heart to hear her cry like that. My natural response is to go give her whatever she is pleading for, but I know that I can't do that because it is not what's best for her. I know this. She doesn't; she is two. I even tried to explain it to her, but that didn't matter. She is not capable of understanding.

This is a picture of what is happening when we are crying out to the Lord and thinking He's not answering. We're not understanding. We desperately want relief. He has told us that this is what's best, but we don't get it. We can't, fully. He's still there, he's hearing us even though we can't see Him, but it seems like He's not there. What we have is a fleshly desire to be relieved of something--a situation, an emotion, a life that is not turning out like we had envisioned.

If the thing we are asking for is not specifically being granted, we can be sure that our Father, our Creator, who loves us in a much grander way than anyone else in the universe is capable of, knows that there is a greater need to be met than what we want. He cares enough not to bring us the milk we are begging for, that in truth would actually make matters worse. The thing that will bring Him GLORY the most--that is what's best for us and that is His plan. There is absolutely nothing that can stop that kind of Love. Not even our cries.

We do know that Jesus is compassionate and he is sensitive to our cries. In fact, in John Chapter 11 we read that "Jesus wept" as he witnessed dear friends mourning the loss of Lazarus, who was also a friend of his. It also says that Jesus was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled" in this situation. It wasn't because Lazarus was dead that Jesus wept and was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled. He knew that he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, for crying out loud! The reason He wept is because he shared in the passion, the suffering, that His people were experiencing. And he still does.

The closest thing I personally have to compare to the compassion that Jesus has is the way I feel each time that I know my child is hurting and there is nothing I can do to help them in their present pain that would be beneficial. So I suffer with them but I stay focused on the bigger picture.

One day we'll understand why our Father lets us cry. In the meantime: "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30

When we are glorified and with The Father--then I'm pretty sure we'll be okay with all the crying.

Obedience is a Beautiful Thing

2011-03-28T14:37:00.005-05:00

I am thankful for obedient people. Any spiritual gain that has ever taken place in my life has been the result of another human being's obedience to God. I am overwhlemed by the beauty of God's ways and I am amazed by the steps of obedience in the lives of those near and far that God has used to draw me closer to Him.

So many times when I am trying to be obedient it is because I want to be "good" and I think that God is going to smile down on me for my obedience. That's not why God wants me to be obedient. There is nothing I can do to make Him smile down on me. He already did that and it had nothing to do with something I did.

God uses the obedience of His people to carry out His plans. It's not that He's dependent on us or our obedience. That's just how He rolls. In fact, God chose to carry out his divine plan for the salvation of all mankind through the obedience of one person.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth...Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. John 1:14, 16

Jesus became a man to set the example for us all. Because of His obedience, we are free! And with that freedom comes the desire and the help we need (through the Holy Spirit) to obey. I see the obedience of others as an overflow of His grace in my life each day. Obedience in all different forms, but all for the same purpose--His glory. It's such a beautiful thing.

Phoebe Update

2011-03-21T22:40:00.001-05:00

Phoebe Abigail (7 weeks old today:-)) is still being treated for a bacterial infection in her blood. As you read this, she is undergoing 7 days of hospitalized aggressive antibiotic treatment. This is not meningitis, praise the Lord! But still scary, nonetheless.

Please pray for Phoebe - a quick and full recovery, for mom - peace and comfort, for siblings - as they hurt when little sister hurts too, for dad - wisdom and grace to care for his family and hold the fort down at home and for the staff assembled at the hospital - that God would continue to enable them to provide excellent care for little princess Phoebe.

If you have prayed for this family, thank you! God hears our prayers.

Please Pray

2011-03-20T22:14:00.000-05:00

If you have a moment please stop and pray for friends of ours with a 7 week-old, Phoebe, who is currently being hospitalized with a bacterial blood infection. We are praying that it is not meningitis. Please also pray for Phoebe's parents and 3 siblings to have peace, rest and trust during this time.

Thank you so much!

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

My Response to the President's Response

2011-03-11T12:40:00.008-06:00

As I sit here listening to the President answer questions about our nation's response to the natural disasters that have taken place today, my heart goes out to him. I have to admit, about a week ago I might not have been inclined to empathize with his situation. I would have probably been thinking about what was being done wrong or not handled correctly, in my own eyes.

This past week, however, I spent time studying what God's word has to say about authority in our lives. What I was reminded is that all authority has been put in place by God, the ultimate authority over all. He created everything, and His purposes will ultimately be carried out, no matter what. We can trust in His plan and therefore we can trust that the authority placed over us is part of that plan.

When I think of all the times in my life that I have disagreed with an authority figure, it is made clear to me that I have a rebellious heart. We learn from King Saul that a rebellious heart comes at a very high price. He only followed the parts of God's commands that he deemed important. He also did what was right in his own eyes. When we rebel against any authority, whether it be government-related, work-related or home-related, we are ultimately rebelling against GOD. And a rebellious man grieves the heart of God.

Because we are all in fact human, there will be a misuse of authority from time to time. Am I to sit quietly by and watch it happen? Not necessarily. In Esther, we see an example of how we can appeal to authority in a prayerful, humble and submissive way. This type of appeal must be accompanied by a heavy dose of patience and the understanding that our desired outcome may not actually happen. Our motives must also be appropriate. Not for selfish reasons or out of a prideful need to be "right," but rather out a desire to see God glorified in all situations.

In the case of Saul, he rebelled against God's authority and lost his position of king as a result. This goes to show that God is just and in control. He will take care of what needs to be taken care of. We don't have that burden to bear.

If we just want to get right down to it, we should probably look at how Christ handled authority, no? When Jesus was face to face with Pilate, the authority that would ultimately hand him over to die, he was humble, respectful, and submissive. Knowing full well the evil, cruel, unjust and ungodly ways of this man's heart, Jesus "committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:19-24

It's pretty clear. Jesus didn't sit around and bash the authority placed over him. He didn't question it. He didn't have to because He knew that this was part of the bigger picture of God's redemption for all mankind. He had the end in mind, always. He was expecting to suffer. As Christians, we should expect the same. If we believe that God is sovereign, then we must realize there are bigger fish to fry than picking apart those in authority over us.

Prayer seems like a good place to start.

Beyond a Fixer-Uper

2011-03-02T14:35:00.006-06:00

I run down this road most days. A landmark along my route that always intrigues me is an old, abandoned house. I love houses and especially ones that whisper, "home." This place was definitely a home at one time. Although it is now falling apart and has unfortunately been vandalized on the inside, I can still see the beauty that was once there.

Attention to detail. Character. There are interesting windows, great lines. A brick chimney causes me to imagine a crisp but cozy fall evening. A family gathered around the fireplace focused on nothing other than the faces in front of them. It's a delightful thought.

Today my curiosity got the better of me. I decided to walk around to the back of the house and check things out. This is what I saw:

A Secret garden! Further evidence of loving inhabitants and their admirable efforts to make this a special place.
God's glory is never more apparent to me than when I am in his creation, alone with my thoughts. There is something in every single part of creation that is pointing to God, if not screaming His name. If I look closely, I see always see it.

Standing in the garden behind this house today, I was reminded that originally we were all created perfectly and with a special purpose in mind. Yet sin crept in and broke us, vandalizing our hearts. There is still beauty, but it doesn't come from us. Ultimately it comes from the Planter. Absolutely, there are buds of green in and around our lives--this the Grace of God.

While we are sill standing we are imperfect and in need of restoration. Unfortunately I don't think this house could be helped with a coat of paint or a few patches here and there. No, a superficial change would never do.

It's beyond a "fixer-uper." And so are we.

we need a total restoration!

We are promised one in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

It just occurred to me that I probably would have never been enticed to explore this home if not for it's brokenness. God speaks to us through brokenness. Broken is not bad; it leads us to a Savior.

Lilly Update

2011-02-17T11:37:00.004-06:00

Lilly is out of surgery. They did a biospy of the area in question on her leg early this morning. From a preliminary look it does not look like cancer! They do feel like it is an infection in the bone, which they'll treat with antibotics. Just wanted to update you all. Thank you for all your prayers!

Grace is the Theme

2011-02-16T07:03:00.014-06:00

Sometimes I recognize that God is weaving together a theme in my life. Through Bible studies, Bible readings, articles, devotionals, conversations, books and such that I come into contact with, everything seems to be coordinated with a central theme. There is no question that God is trying to speak. Early this year it became quite obvious that the theme I would claim as mine for 2011 is "Grace."

In preparation to share my testimony in January, I kept peeling away layers and layers of what God had done in my life and the reason for the hope that is in me. I began a Bible study around that same time called Walking in Grace. As I was working through that book and writing out my testimony I came to this conclusion: the reason for the hope that is in me can be summed up in one word-- Grace.

I happened upon this as I prepared my testimony and I know it wasn't by chance:

Truth #1:
The spiritual life which I have is not my own. I did not induce it, and I cannot maintain it. It is only and solely the work of Christ. It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me. My whole life is His alone." John Owen

Well, there you have it folks. I didn't create it, I don't sustain it and I certainly don't deserve it--my relationship with The Father is purely his doing and upkeeping. Any efforts or desire that comes from me toward the cultivation of this relationship is not because I am "so good," it's because He makes it happen.

The next thing this theme of grace presented to me is that I am a works-happy Christian. Funny, because I've almost prided (sick) myself in the fact that I know I can't earn my way into heaven. I grew up being taught that. I grew up being taught who did think they could earn their way there. Silly people...

Well, turns out I have been one of them. Constantly searching for the "that thing" I am supposed to be doing that will please God and make him love me more. When the one thing I am doing doesn't feel like enough or isn't going the way I thought it should, I tend to start something else and hope that it will bring make me feel significant. Many times I have created a sort-of checklist of things that I need to do to keep in good standing with God. To make him "smile down on me." Which leads to...

Truth #2
There is nothing I can do to make God love me more. Or less.

He is not happier with me when I am doing really special stuff and being dedicated to my study than he was when I went a year without praying and lived in complete and deliberate sinfulness.

Amazing grace? That concept is starting to make a little more sense to me now. It seems weird to me that I have been taught about grace my enitre life but yet I am just now beginning to grasp it a teeny tiny bit. I mean, I have heard everything that I am typing before. I heard it, but I just didn't get it.

My mom has been reading a book called Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel and just hearing her recount some of the stuff in that book it makes me realize that from a very early age we are teaching our kids that the love we recieve is in direct proportion to our obedience. That is not perhaps the intention, I know I certainly didn't purposely impose this way of thinking on my son. The way we live just seeps into their hearts. Last night I asked him if he thought God loved Jonah or the Ninevites more, or did He love them the same. Without pause, "Loves Jonah more. Becuause he isn't evil."

Whoops. Sorry,little guy.

Truth #3
I'm evil and my son is, too.

We really are inherently evil and actually there is nothing we can do without at least a tiny smidgen of pride welling up in us. Ever since I watched a Friends episode nearly a decade ago that posed the question "Is there such thing as a self-less good deed?" I have been tormented by the thought that I might never actually be able to do something "good" without having some self-centeredness mixed in. I have come to the conclusion that I won't. Ever. It's just who I am. It's who we all are. Sometimes the "self" will be larger than other times, but it will always be there, lurking around.

Truth #4
As far away as I run, God can run infinetely farther. He can also have me swallowed up by a big fish.

Here is a dialogue from one of my favorite movies...

George: Michael's chasing Kimmy?
Julianne: Yes!
George: You're chasing Michael?
Julianne: YES!
George: Who's chasing you... nobody! Get it?

If you've seen the movie, My Best Friend's Wedding, you know that Julianne had just kissed her best friend, unknowingly in front of his bride-to-be. The bride of course was upset, ran off and the chase ensued. But as Julianne's friend pointed out to her afterward, no one had been chasing her.

I know I have felt like this in my life. I have felt like no one is chasing after me but I am forever chasing. Chasing after stuff, material things. Chasing after relationships that I thought could give more meaning to my life. Chasing after roles and responsibilities that could provide significance in my life. Sadly, I have never been able to reach anything that I am chasing. It's almost like chasing the wind...

Ecclesiates 2: 4-11
4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

Meaningless. Life is a meaningless chase. At least it was for me, until I realized that absolutely, 100% there is somebody chasing after me. His name is Jesus Christ. He pursues the wicked, the evil, the mean, the nasty, the self-centered and he chases them down because he LOVES them. He loves me. He loves a loser. But he will let the loser fall on her face. Only then will she stop long enough to look away from what she's been chasing to see realize there is someone chasing her. Someone who can provide meaning. Significance. Affection.

Truth #5
Grace is not the theme of my year. It is the theme of my life.

I guess the reason I never paid much attention to grace, is because I thought that it happened in the moment of my salvation and then that was pretty much it. Wow, that was a huge mistake. I need God's grace just as much today as I did that day, if not more so. We all do. Just to make it through one day--one hour--without being totally consumed, grace has to be there.

I highly recommend Tullian Tchividjian's book, Surprised by Grace. It was a huge help to me in understanding what grace has to do with me today and every day. It provides an in-depth look at the book of Jonah and God's relentless pursuit of rebels.

Update on Lilly

2011-02-15T15:13:00.003-06:00

I recieved this info from Lilly's mom today:

We got a call from oncologist this morning. She said all the doctors looked at the MRI & they believe Lilly has a bone infection. As of right now they do not believe this is consistent with cancer. So, we got an apt at 1 with an orthopedic doctor. He said "Common things are common. None of what is happening with Lilly is common." He could not give diagnosis. They will biopsy & culture on Thursday at 8:45 am. They will immediately begin antibiotic. We might have more answers a week from Friday. It takes time to grow cultures & get test results.

Please just keep on praying! Thank you all.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.

Please Pray

2011-02-14T14:44:00.005-06:00

I am asking for prayers again today! Lilly is having an MRI right now. It could take up to three hours. She is under anesthesia. Tomorrow her parents will find out results of the MRI as they meet with the oncologist. Please pray for peace, rest and a benign diagnosis. God has already been glorified through what this family is experiencing and will continue to be, no matter what. We serve a faithful Father and we are believing him.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Misunderstanding & Psalm 139

2011-02-12T21:57:00.007-06:00

It's easy to be misunderstood now-a-days. It's hard enough to say what you really mean face to face, much less communicate clearly via email, texting, facebook and a myriad of other social networking tools. It's very likely that something is almost always lost in translation.

I have a problem of wondering and worrying if what I meant to communicate is actually what was communicated. I analyze. No need for a tape recorder, I can replay a conversation a million times over in my head. And believe me, I do. Thinking I should've said this or I shouldn't have said that. I can't tell you how many times I have immediately, upon leaving someones' presence, contacted them in some form to re-explain what I "really meant."

Why? Because I want everyone to like me. I want everyone to be happy with me. If I even suspect that someone is displeased with me it just eats away at my mind and heart. It consumes my every thought until I have somehow resolved the matter.

I know this isn't healthy. I do it ALL. THE. TIME! Tonight as I was driving home from a party I fell into one of these things. It was dumb. I had been talking and joking around with several people that I don't even know and as I drove away I began to fear that I had offended them in some way. I analyzed and I worried and I replayed my words in my head to the point of giving myself a headache. Ugh!

I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could just know for sure that everyone always understood exactly what we meant when we said something? Wouldn't it reduce a lot of stress if people could always understand the sarcasm, the joking, the "dry humor" or the meaning of the ideas that we just can't express clearly enough to one another?"

And then, as it often does, God's Word hit me like a ton of bricks.

Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

I am reading these words in a new way tonight and I'm so thankful for the living Word of God! What this tells me is that he always understands me. When I am trying to be silly and someone else doesn't get it--God does. When I can't think fast enough to explain what is going on in my head, God gets it. Before the words even come out of my mouth He knows them. He is familiar with me. He gets me, completely.

Even more mind boggling is that not only does he get me--he still loves me. I can't fathom it. He knows me. All the less than kind things that I think but don't say--he hears. All the plans I've had to hurt someone else but not carried out, he is aware of. The words and thoughts that spew from a heart that is so covered in mud it can barely beat...

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

I remember thinking when I was a teenager, "If someone really knew what went on inside my heart...if someone really knew the deep dark me, there is no way that they could love me." And the more I think about that today, it's probably true for the people in my life. But the Psalmist says here that there is no where to go from the Spirit. There is no past, no choice, no sin, no word or thought, no darkness that could ever keep away His Light. He knows all of my stuff, and yet:

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

He still made me--even my inmost being! How precious to me are the thoughts of my Lord and Savior. Nothing about me is hidden from Him and even so--he loves me more than any person on earth is even capable of. My unrelenting desire to secure the approval, validation or acceptance of man is life-sucking and it is futile. The need we have to be understood and yet loved was met before we were even created.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Thank you, Lord, for having heard me, for having seen me, and for having always loved me. El Roi--you are precious to me. Amen.

Failing at Love

2011-02-09T16:00:00.003-06:00

This week I have been reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 13...the LOVE chapter. I have heard or read this passage many times before but I have never studied it in context or studied it at all, actually. As I attempted to do just that this week, I became surprisingly convicted and somewhat discouraged. This is what got me:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Yes, it's the lovely part that shows up on wedding invitations and greeting cards this time of year. A seemingly "feel-good" passage--it was a hard pill for me to swallow.

First of all, I studied the word patient. Some translations use the term long suffering which is way different than my idea of patience. Long suffering is like the restraint exhibited by Jesus as he was beaten, ridiculed and hung on a cross without exercising any form of retaliation. He had all the power and every right to lash back but he didn't. Restraint. That is different from being patient while your kid takes forever in the bathroom or you are waiting in line at the grocery store. It's more of a "turn the other cheek" patience...an "I don't have to have the last word" patience. Yeah, I don't have that kind of patience.

Then there are all of these other things that we're told love doesn't do: envy, boast, be proud, dishonor others, seek self, get angry, keep a record of wrongs. Problem? I do ALL of those things. A lot. I find myself doing those things all the time and as much as I don't want to--I can't help it.

I can't NOT be envious of someone who has a really nice house with more than one bathroom. As hard as I try not to, I still envy that. Self-seeking. Hmm. I get so disgusted with myself because I am constantly thinking of myself! I wonder about what others think of me, what my actions look like to the world. I try not to, but I do. I am proud of myself. There. I said it. I love to accomplish things because then I can be proud of myself and hopefully other people will be proud of me too. I try to keep it in check. I really do. I know that apart from the grace of God I can achieve nothing. I know that apart from Him I am nothing. And yet, I am proud. Do I keep a record of wrongs? Oh my. I try to forget things. I really do. I have committed so many wrongs that it is ridiculous for me to hold onto even a smidgen of resentment for wrongs committed against me. But I do. I know it's wrong, but I do.

I do, I do, I do. I do all the things love doesn't do. Therein lies my frustration. Have I ever actually really ever loved in my life? Because all of the things love is supposed to be and not supposed to be are a far cry from who I am. I'm like the total opposite of love.

Paul explains exactly how I feel in Romans Ch. 7:

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

These scriptures do two things: #1 Make me feel better since Paul said the same thing I was thinking and #2 Point directly to the problem: my mind. Sin is the "default," if you will, that is at work in my mind.

Mind...mind...what does the Bible say about the mind? (Eph 4:22-24 and Rom 12:2) The mind needs renewal and a new attitude so that we can be transformed . Although the transformation will not come apart from grace (a whole lot of grace), I know that I have to be an active and obedient participant in the transformation process that I so desperately need and desire.

I have to pursue love. It's easy to get this pursuit mixed up with selfish pursuits. So often I am looking for the things I can dream up to do for God to make him happy with me, while neglecting the basics of what he clearly asks of me: being constantly in His Word, hiding His Word in my heart, praying without ceasing--abiding in him. Simple obedience is what will lead to a transformation of the mind and ultimately the heart.

Even in this silly writing about my ability or lack of ability to love well, I have demonstrated my point quite effectively--I am all about me. In examining this passage about love, I am completely focused on my shortcomings while I should be focused on the One who has no shortcomings. The One who never fails; HE IS LOVE. A beautiful and powerful reminder is this passage, of the magnificence of Jesus' love for a sinner--a short-suffering, proud, self-serving, envious, bad-mouthing, easily angered sinner such as I.

Update on Lilly

2011-02-08T11:46:00.003-06:00

This is Lilly. I am praying for her this afternoon as she is visiting a doctor (oncologist) to get some answers about a tumor that was found in her leg. Will you join me?

Lilly is in the 3-year-old class that I help teach at our church on Sunday mornings. She is a little burst of sunshine. The sweetest thing Lilly does is that anytime we ask a question, no matter what it is, she always answers with an emphatic, "JESUS!" So in keeping with Lilly's example, my prayer is that no matter what uncertainty, no matter what questions may arise for this sweet family that the over-powering answer for them will always be JESUS.

Lord--please cover this family in your grace today. Fill Miss Lilly with courage and strength as she goes to the doctor. Give mom and dad peace and courage as well. I pray that you will show yourself strong to all who are watching and waiting. We are trusting you! Amen.

***Update--Yesterday at the doctor's office they re-did Lilly's X-rays and did blood work. The orthopedic, radiologist and oncologist could not diagnose. Lilly will have an MRI Monday and another appointment on Tuesday with oncologist. Please keep praying if you will--that all will cling to God's grace for each day--He is in the waiting. Thank you, sweet friends! I will keep you posted on Lilly.

The Wisdom of a 31 Year-Old

2011-01-26T23:01:00.006-06:00

What I learned in my 30th year: I am nothing; He is everything.

Resting in Joy

2011-01-25T11:09:00.004-06:00

The thing I notice about the world's idea of "a good life" is that happiness always seems to be the goal. Whether we are trying to earn more money, impress people, or find that thing that we are meant to do, the end result we are hoping for is essentially happiness. As humans, we long for that kind of feeling. The feeling of comfort and security and well, happiness. The only problem is that happiness is slippery; always escaping us. Consider this:

Happiness is a temporary reaction to fleeting circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is the response of the believer to good news...The word for "joy" in the New Testament is chara, meaning cheer, gladness or celebration, and its root word is charis, meaning grace. Joy is an attitude shaped by God's grace in our lives, not a reaction. (from Walking In Grace, First Place 4 Health Bible Study)

It suddenly becomes very clear to me why life can be so frustrating and tiring at times. When happiness is the goal--we are destined for defeat. Happiness comes and goes. In fact, it can "go" for a long time. Some people suffer their entire life. (Ever heard of Jesus?) How is one supposed to do that apart from the grace of God? We can't.

The crazy thing about grace is that it takes this idea of "happiness is the goal" and completely blows it out of the water with something called joy. Joy says of itself, "I don't need something good to happen to exist. I can exist right through the bad things, the hard things, the horrible things. In fact, I thrive in those things."

Peter says it really well:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

Joy is something that's living...something that can never perish, spoil, or fade. It's never ending. Happiness can fade. It can and will spoil. Happiness is anchored in "good" things happening to us. The life of happiness is dependant on a fallen world and a fallen people to sustain it. Whereas joy is dependant on the very Sustainer of all things--Jesus Christ.

This is the picture I have in my head: I am very thirsty. I imagine going to the faucet with my cup and only drops of water come out. The drops are few and far between. There is no rhyme or reason to when the next drop will come. I am so thirsty that I put my head under the faucet to catch every drop that I can. With each drop that I swallow my thirst increases. I am desperate for more. I am desperate for something that may or may not come. I become tired. My neck and body begin to hurt, but the thirst won't go away...

We are a thirsty people. Happiness will never be enough to quench that thirst. It will never be more than a tiny, unpredictable drop in the bucket of unrelenting joy afforded us through God's grace. When we come to Him with our cup in hand, He will fill it completely time and time again. We don't have to remain prisoners to the stingy faucet of happiness.

Think Orange

2011-01-20T22:03:00.007-06:00

I attended a family ministry training today called Think Orange. It was a fun and interesting day of learning and bonding with other teachers/leaders within my church body. This was actually the first time I had been full-on exposed to the "Orange Philosophy." I copied this from their website in case you haven't heard:

An Orange thinker asks, “What if church leaders and parents synchronized their efforts to fuel wonder, discovery and passion in the next generation?” By combining the critical influences of the light of the church (yellow) and the love of the family (red) the Orange Strategy shows a generation who God is more effectively than either could alone.

The training was very informative and practical. This is what I took away:

Teaching alone does not equal discipleship. Discipleship is teaching within a RELATIONSHIP.
Kids need to hear the Truth from their parents. They need to hear it from other adults, too.
Until you allow kids to do something significant, they will not understand their own significance.
We all have a "picture" in our head of what a family should look like. We need to put away our picture. We are not part of a picture (a snap shot), we are part of a story--God's story of redemption. Families don't need a better picture; they need a bigger story.
The Gospel is transformational. If kids participate in The Great Commission, their faith will stick.
As a leader, it's not about what I want from people but what I want for people.
Kids need leaders who love and value them for free. (Grace)
We never have to work at complicating things. We must work diligently and continually to simplify things.
It takes a true leader to kill something that is living so that something more significant can thrive.
No one has the influence that a parent does. But others do have influence. Who will the "others" be and how will they influence our kids?
It's less about our ability to be appealing and more about the ability to be authentic.

I was very pleased with all that I was able to glean from the training. The bottom line: Whether it's with my kiddos at home, my kiddos at church or anyone at all, actually, the most important things I have to offer are my time, my love and authenticity.

Culture Making

2011-01-18T09:33:00.007-06:00

I am reading a book entitled Culture Making, by Andy Crouch. My brother gave me this book as a gift last Christmas. I have tried on multiple occasions to read it and could never seem to get past the first chapter (kind of like when I try to read through the Bible. Ha!) Let's just say that I lose patience when I have to re-read every. single. sentence. at least 2 times to even grasp a tiny bit of it's meaning. This book is over my head, there is no doubt about it. But I have a couple of other books that I would like to give a go and I have resolved to finish Culture Making first.

Last weekend I sucked it up and read through Chapter 1. And yes, I did re-read every sentence and it took me about 2 days to do it. But I actually began to understand what the guy is talking about, sort of (I think) and now it is really turning out to be a very interesting read. I told my brother last night that I am having to fight against my pride when I actually understand a sentence on the first read-through, which is happening more and more often as I get further into the book.

In a nutshell, this is the premise of the book: It is not merely enough to condemn culture. Nor is it sufficient merely to critique culture, copy culture or consume culture. The only way to change culture is to create culture, hence the title. Crouch spends a lot of time in the beginning of the book expanding the reader's idea of culture. It is much more than the opera or the type of clothing worn by a certain people group. It includes everything from what what Adam and Eve did with the garden, to what our government did with the interstate highway system. Crouch defines culture as "what we make of the world." This book is calling Christians to not only be culturally aware, but culturally responsible.

So far, the concept that has been most intriguing to me is how Christians like to "copy culture." The authors explains it in this way:

"Another, rather different approach to unsatisfactory culture is to imitate it,
replacing the offensive bits with more palatable ones. A subculture within
American society might decide that the best solution to the desultory state of
the film industry is to start their own movie industry, complete with producers,
directors, writers, actors and even theaters, and create a kind of parallel film
industry that will fix the apparent problems in mainstream cinema. The new
movies created and distributed never shown in mainstream movie theaters--if,
indeed, they were created and consumed entirely by members of a particular
subculture--they would have no influence on the culture of mainstream movies at
all."

Sound familiar? This happens in everything from Christian music to Christian apparel. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, heck I am listening to Christian radio right now. It's fine for our enjoyment and fellowship as Christians. That's fine. I just hope we aren't fooling ourselves into thinking that these types of "culture-copying" are doing something to change the culture around us. As in, I shouldn't think that I am "doing my part" as a Christian simply by having my radio tuned to the Christian station or by only watching movies that are made by a "Christian movie studio." That would be culturally irresponsible:

"Our copy-culture by definition will never be seen by the vast majority of
the mainstream culture. And in this way, when all we do is copy culture
for our own Christian ends, cultural copying fails to love or serve our
neighbors."

One of my favorite examples of culture making in the book so far is this: When The Da Vinci Code came out several years ago, Christians became outraged. Plans to boycott and protest the movie sprouted all over the country. This is what Barbara Nicolosi, a screenwriter and Christian leader in Hollywood had to say about it:

"Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they
make all Christians look like idiots. And boycotts and protests do nothing to
help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will
make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make more movies that
will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up)."

Nicolosi went on to offer an alternative for the would-be protesters and boy cotters. (And this is where the culture making comes in to play!) She suggested that Christian movie-goers pay cold hard cash, the only thing that really speaks in Hollywood, and cast their vote by choosing another movie that weekend. Without boycotts, without arguments. Although this approach would do nothing to truly change the way that Hollywood makes movies, as was proven that week when The Da Vinci Code opened and blew every other movie out of the water, Nicolosi had offered up a new cultural good: an othercott. An idea that required her creativity... an open and active mind. And it was a term that was picked up by Christian and mainstream media alike.

We are made in the image of our Creator, and so it should come as no shock to us that one of the most basic things were were created to do was--to create--and to create for His glory. It should come as no shock, but it did shock me to realize this. The thought is as exhilarating as it is shocking to me, however. I love to create. I have just never thought of creating in these terms.

We can't change the culture by condemning, complaining, copying or even engaging in it. I don't think Crouch is trying to say that we can't or shouldn't do any of those things--just that we shouldn't expect any of those things to change the world. The only way we can change culture is to create more of it!

More on Culture Making to come...

Motivational Speaker

2011-01-17T10:35:00.003-06:00

A motivational speaker? Never has that been on the short list of things I hope to be/do in life. In fact, I have always hated speaking in front of groups of people. So it came as quite a shock to me when I recently accepted an invitation to share my spiritual testimony/weight loss journey with a group of women I do not know.

I think those people who know me well were a little shocked also. When I told my BFF, she replied in a text: OMG! You are totally a motivational speaker! I remember when you didn't want to make calls in college because you didn't know what to say.

She is so right! I have always been terrified to make calls or go to meet new people in person, etc., much less be able to speak to a group of people about private, personal stuff. I kind of chuckled at that, but when she used the term "motivational speaker" I cringed. The only thing I could think of was this:

* This is an SNL clip that references drug use so if you are afraid it might be offensive to you, don't click.

Oh my goodness. I don't really care for Saturday Night Live, but I saw this one when I was in high school and it just stuck with me. I kept thinking all week leading up to the event Am I a motivational speaker? Will I be crazy like Matt Foley? Will I fall and break something? What is happening here? What is God THINKING? The strange thing (to me) is that in all of my thinking, and you have probably realized by now that I do a lot of that, I never once thought about not doing it.

My husband had given me the day before to spend on my own to prepare for my First Place meeting and this speaking thing. Of course, I went to the motherland: Starbucks. I spent 5 hours there listening to Pandora Shane and Shane radio, typing, praying, and reading. It was a magnificent day. (I plan on doing it WAY more often.) What I realized by the end of that day of outlining what I wanted and needed to say to the group was quite the opposite of what I was expecting. There was not a problem coming up with the words--I have SO much to say about what God has done in my life!

I was never really scared or nervous until maybe the 5 minutes right before I was introduced. The actual speaking went much better than I expected. (Do we see a pattern here?) When I am typing up a blog post, I am actually saying the stuff in my head. So when I say something louder in my head or pause or whatever, I try to make that show up on the page. In writing terms, I believe that is called "voice." Well, it turns out that my voice on paper translates to my voice in real life. Who knew?

I had a blast with those moms. They are such a neat group of ladies. It just seemed like we were all sitting around relating to one another and having a big time, at least I was! It was my hope and earnest prayer to be an encouragement and a motivator to them but in the end I was the one who received encouragement. It was truly an amazing night and as I told my host for the day, Gina, it was a defining moment in my life. As I finished up what I had to say to the women it hit me, in a rather emotional way, that something I have always seen as possibly the greatest weakness in my life God has allowed me to face and to conquer. And it has nothing to do with my weight.

Someone shared this with me recently:

"The greatest freedom is found in being so changed by God's Spirit that you can do what you love to do and know that it conforms to the design of God and leads to life and glory." -John Piper

As I was driving home from my speaking engagement, this quote came to my mind and for the first time I really understood what it meant. The funny thing about it is that until we are changed, we may never know what it is that we truly love to do. Our own fears, the lies we tell ourselves...those are the things that keep us from being who God has planned for us to be all along.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Thank you, Jesus.

Red-Headed Blood Runs Deep

2011-01-03T13:25:00.010-06:00

Earlier this week my husband and I got into a little tiff over the equivalency between Reba and George Strait. I called them "equivalents" and my husband proclaimed that "Reba should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as George." As I pondered the argument and was baffled by the fact that my significant other could so despise a voice that I so dearly loved, I took an unexpected trip down memory lane.

The first cassette tape I ever listened to as a child was Reba McEntire's Greatest Hits. That was about 25 years ago and yes, she had already racked up enough #1 Hits to make up an entire album. I fondly remember climbing into our navy blue and wood veneer station wagon and hearing the click of the tape being pushed into the player.

...How Blueeeeee can you make me? How loooooooong till I heal? How can I go on lovin' you when your gone? How ba-luuuuue can I feel? Oh hoooooney why did you leave me? Ain't you got a heart left in your chest? I sweeeeeear to you that I'm dyin'... 'cause my miiiiiind won't let my body rest...

...I read a book, you watch TV. AS our love diiiiiiiies quietly. But what about those babies down the haaaaaaauwl. Somebdy should leee-eave. But which one should it be? You need the kids and theeee-ey neeeeeed meeeeee. Somebody should leee-eave. But we hate tooooo give in. We just keep hopin'... we might need each other... again.

...I've packed your bags and left them in the hallway, but before you leave again there's just one thing you ought to know. When the icy wind blows through you remember that its me. who feels the cold most of all. When whoever's in New England's through with you....Ohhhh and Boston finds better things to do....Oh you know its not too late. And you'll always have a place to come back to. When whoever's in New England's through with you.

Okay, so that's some pretty heavy stuff for a 5 year old. It probably should have scarred me, but I don't think it did. I sang my little heart out in the car and in my bedroom and right along to the CMT videos when that became a "thing." Reba was a red-headed pistol who could sing and I wanted to be just like her. I trained my voice to dip and drawl just like hers (THAT is still something I am trying to recover from.) I attended my first ever concert in Denton, Texas to see Reba perform for the workers of Peterbuilt, a Truck Manufacturing Company. It was amazing. As a college student I had the opportunity to take an Interior Design study trip to New York City. While there I saw Reba perform in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway. Truly, one of the most magical experiences of my life. Talented--absolutely, no doubt.

So you see, Reba has meant a great deal to me over the years and I hold her and her music close to my heart even though I don't really listen to her stuff anymore or watch her television show. I think it is corny. Nevertheless, I tried my best to defend her honor. At one point the feud between my hubby and me got moved to Facebook as I was sure I could gain support for my position. The post generated quite a few responses, some valid and some asinine. (Someone said the male equivalent to Reba was Dan Seals. Seriously?)

In the end, I had to concede to the fact that no one in country music really has achieved all that George Strait has. While there is no denying this, I still think that Reba is to Female Country music what George is to Male Country music. If any female comes close to him in terms of success, popularity and talent, annoying as her talent may be, it has to be Reba.

Through it all, I learned 2 things I don't guess I really knew before:
1. Lots of men AND women like George Strait but mostly just women like Reba.
2. Red-headed blood runs deep.

Hello Again

2011-01-01T14:24:00.010-06:00

Is it excessive to have two blogs? I just told my brother that I was rekindling my "old blog," Red Writing. He somewhat jokingly asked me why it wasn't enough just to share my thoughts with a few people in real life rather than share them with the whole world via computer. Jerk.

Just kidding. He makes a good point. I get it--some people feel that social media has sucked the life out of real life relationships. We allow it to stand in the place of phone calls, visits, face-to-face conversations thus bringing an end to authentic fellowship and acquaintances. I guess to an extent that can be true. When that does happen it really is a shame, but I don't think that is happening here.

Since I began blogging about 2 years ago I feel like I have, in a sense, reclaimed my mind. (I did lose it at one point last year, but that's for another post.) Suddenly reserved for determining how much formula to put into a bottle or how many poopy diapers I had changed since morning, my brain was slowly slipping away from me in those days. A good friend of mine had started a blog and when I finally got around to looking at it I thought it might be something I would enjoy. So in between naps I created this blog and began to journal my thoughts. I loved it.

Before long I would catch myself analyzing everything from news stories to scripture. Surprising to myself, I always had something to say and in effect something to blog about. What blogging did for me was not so much disconnect me from others as it did reconnect me to myself. Blogging, I feel, is an art...that brings me joy. And if for no other reason than that, I will continue to do it.

Last year I began another blog that had a very specific focus. My second home, if you will. I tried to keep both blogs going but I quickly learned that my focus on the second wouldn't allow my attention to be divided. That other blog would play a significant role in what was arguably the most defining year of my life. I thank God everyday for orchestrating that.

Lately I have been having lots of ideas and thoughts swirling around in my head that I can't seem to fit into the genre of my other blog. Instead I find myself typing little blurbs into the notepad app on my phone and that's just...hard. I have fat fingers. So, hello again my original, first-home blogger friends. If you started reading Red Writing when I became a craft nut and nearly lost my mind trying to make my house look like something off the pages of Better Homes, then you might be a little disappointed from here on out. There won't be much of that content anymore.

Nope. It's just me, Red, writing.

The Fireworks Stand

2010-07-06T10:29:00.005-05:00

My kiddos at the family fireworks stand. Good times!

What a salesman he was!

My pyro-maniac (bandna) and his cousin, owner of the stand.

Bake Off Round 2

2010-07-03T10:09:00.008-05:00

Long time, no blog. I'm still alive though. See:

Alive and well.

For the time being I have switched over to my weight loss blog REAL FAT, where you are more than welcome to join me. I have lost nearly 50 pounds and have learned so much along the way.

I haven't had time to focus on many of my extra-curricular activities such as crafting or blogging about daily life in our household. I know that one day (realtively soon) I will, so that is why I keep Red Writing around. Please stay with me!

But I was reminded of this post I wrote last year right around the 4th of July. It was about a baking contest I wanted to enter at our community 4th of July festivities. The whole post was about simplifying life.

I think I have made significant strides in simplifying over the past year. It was kind of refreshingt to read that and know that I haven't had many days like the one I described in quite some time.

However, I really do want to try again for the Bake Off this year. Hopefully I will have a better entry this time around. Maybe I will get it together and have something exciting to share in a day or two. Two Red Writing posts in one week? What?!

So I just wanted to check in. Everyone have a fabulous Independence Day!

Resurrection Day Play

2010-04-04T18:05:00.008-05:00

Idol Thoughts

2010-03-18T13:23:00.002-05:00

Siobahn Magnus

I am hesitant to say that I think this is going to be our winner. I do think that right now, but there are a lot of weeks to go. She is going to have to come up with something different than screaming the high notes for her "moment." Although those notes she hits are insane and cool, that is going to get old if she does it every week. I don't think she will, but I'm not sure what she's going to do. Siobahn is my current favorite and my early pick for American Idol winner.

Paige Miles

I have not been impressed by Paige. While she is beautiful and has a great voice, it seems like there is nothing beyond that. There is no personality. Nothing to set her apart or make her stand out to me. I guess she could improve but I don't really see how someone can figure out what kind of artist they are or "who they are" in a couple of weeks. That just seems like something either you know or you don't rather than something you can develop overnight. I guess with Paige, we'll find out.

Michael Lynche

Micheal is cool. He is just a likable guy and he sounds great. He always has a real connection with the song he is singing and he seems so comfortable. I think he has the potential to be a star. I personally would not be one to go out and purchase his record but I'm sure millions of other people would. That said, I don't think he will win. I bet he is in the top 3 though.

Lee Dewyze

Lee is good. I like his sound because it is different. It doesn't sound like he is mimicing other popular singers--it just sounds like that is him. He says that next week he will let go and have one of Simon's so-called "moments." If he can do that I think he will go far.

Katie Stevens

I don't really know how Katie got this far. Yes she can sing, but she does not belong in this competition. She is one of the ones you are wincing at the entire time because it is just not easy to watch. She has some pitch problems, not a lot, but I am always waiting for the ball to drop. I think she will be the next to go. Very cute, though.

Didi Benami

Didi has a cool sound. I just don't think she can hang with some of the other girls. She does not have the consistency needed to impress the judges week to week and I'm just not sure what kind of voting audience she will continue to draw as the competition progresses. She is mediocre in my opinion.

Crystal Bowersox

Love her because she is so real. She is very easy to watch. I would totally love to go see her play at a small venue. I just don't think she has the "star power" associated with winning American Idol. I do think she is a front-runner, however. I am looking forward to seeing what she will bring to the table for the remainder of the season. I think she will be in the top 3.

Casey James

I think he has an unfair advantage with all the Kara hype that has been going on since his first audition. I mean really--I like Casey but the shirt is much better ON him in my opinion. I think he could be a really good "Texas Country" singer (like the first good one ever) but an American Idol? I don't think it will happen. He adds a neat dimension to the show so I hope he stays around for a while and if they keep up the Kara/Casey affair, I presume he will.

Andrew Garcia

I think he gave all he had to give during Hollywood week with his Paula Abdul re-creation. He seems nervous and not very confident. I think it's possible that he could come out with something as great as Straight Up, the question is, will he? And even if he can do it one more time I don't think that will be enough. I predict that if he does something extraordinary next week he will stay, otherwise I think the end is in sight for Andy.

Aaron Kelly

When I am watching Aaron I am always wondering if it's past his bedtime. He seems so YOUNG! This week he came on a little stronger than any other week. I think his confidence is building. He is one of those people who is a bit uncomfortable to watch. It's not that he messes up too much but you are always waiting for it to happen. I think the young girl audience will keep him around for a while.

Tim Urban

He's so pretty. Seriously. He's so pretty I can hardly concentrate on the singing. I think he's pretty good at the singing but as one of the judges pointed out earlier in the competition, he seems more suited for acting. High School Musical type gig or Broadway. I don't think he'll be around many more weeks. I do think he will find success somewhere in the entertainment industry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I gotta say, it really isn't as fun to write about these guys as it was last year. I mean, last year we had Adam, Cheeseball Michael, Weird Dancing Girl.... There was just so much more to discuss!Maybe as the group gets smaller I will have more interesting things to say about them. Very curious to hear your thoughts on the 2010 season though...

Fashionista Learns a Lesson

2010-03-14T15:09:00.008-05:00

In a recent post I mentioned my new fascination with fashion. Well, last week I reached a new weight loss goal and I rewarded myself with clothes! Two tops. Just thought I'd share. (Sorry if you follow both blogs...this is a bit of a repeat.)

The jacket in the top photo was a gift from my mom a couple of years ago. This week was the first time I have been able to button it!! I wanted to wear it to church this morning but the lining was getting messed up and making me look bigger than I actually am. (We CAN"T have that, now can we?)

Well, last night I was watching What Not to Wear and they mentioned a little trick where you can cut the lining out of pockets and sew them down to make your pants lay down nice and flat. So I thought I would apply this principle to the jacket. I got my scissors and started cutting away at the inner lining. I finished up and thought, "Man! That was easy!" I put my newly tailored jacket on and off I went to church.

It wasn't until I was nearly at church that I happened to look down and notice this:

Turns out there was a REASON for the lining. Who knew? I just went ahead to church like any self-respecting fashionista would do. Who says I can't start a new trend?

Here are some current progress pics:

Blogging 101: No-reply Commenter

2010-03-08T14:33:00.003-06:00

I just recently learned about the no-reply commenter. I was one and I didn't even know it. I am happy to report that I am no longer a "no-reply" commenter.

The reason?

If you have your account set up just right you can respond to comments on your blog in email form. It is very cool. If this appeals to you, then this is what you need to do.

Go to your dashboard.
Right beside your profile pic, click on edit profile.
Make sure the box that says "show email" is checked. Save.
Go to your blog Settings.
Click on the comments tab.
Scroll all the way down and enter your email address in the email notification box. Save.
You have to do steps 4-6 for each blog that you have.
That's it.

Now you will receive an email each time someone leaves a comment on your blog. If that person has checked the "show email" box on their blog, you can click "reply" on the notification email and send an email directly to them. Other bloggers will now also be able to reply to your comments in email form. If a person has not done this, in the "from" line of the notification email it will say "no-reply commenter" and you will not be able to reply to those comments. Clear as mud?

I LOVE this! I always want to respond to comments on my blog, but am afraid that the person who left it will not come back to check. This way I can be sure that I haven't wasted my time and they will hear from me.

Thanks to Mandy @ Finding Home for bringing this neat little trick to my attention. Now everyone go do this! If you don't mind sharing your email addy with the whole world, that is.

Glory Sue

2010-03-04T18:59:00.001-06:00

17 months

Me, a Fashionista?

2010-02-27T19:05:00.008-06:00

Fashionista (n.) A person devoted to fashion clothing, particularly unique or high fashion.

I have lost nearly 30 pounds and things, they are a changin'. My body is changing, my behaviors are changing, and I have even noticed that my interests are beginning to change a bit.

Tonight I found myself searching for fashion blogs while watching the style channel! Funny, because a few months ago, fashion was the furthest thing from my mind.

I have always loved design of any kind so naturally putting cute outfits together is fun for me--but even the cutest of ensembles would never look right on my body. Not to mention the selection of clothing for "big girls" isn't that great either. But that's another post...The point is, I gave up on fashion a long time ago.

The thought that I could actually find enjoyment from styling myself rather than just advising my perfect size 4 mother (which is really fun, don't get me wrong) is so EXCITING to me! I haven't really been a size that I could take pride in dressing since I was in high school and back then the clothes were so grungy. YUK!

Anyway, I seriously think a fashionista could be in the making here. The more shapely my body becomes, the more I think about what to put on it. Of course I will have to be a frugal fashionista but that's okay. I have already proven that I can do that by cutting my own mod bangs--my first step to becoming a fashionista?

We'll see.

Confessions of a Bible-Reading Bailer

2010-02-23T09:38:00.009-06:00

Yep. You read correctly. I have fallen behind in my year-long Bible reading mission.

Shoot!

I did not intend for that to happen. I really don't know what I was thinking when I committed to about 50 million things in the New Year. I got resolution happy.

This is what I signed up for:

First Place 4 Health Bible study (Sunday night meeting, 7 day/week lessons)
Women's Bible Study at my church (Thursday night meeting, 5 day/week lessons, also agreed to lead a worship segment each week)
Commitment to get fit (eating better, planning meals, exercising daily)
Commitment to get house in order (weekly cleaning schedule, not going to bed before sinks are clean, etc.)
Previous commitment to Wed. night and Sunday pre-church praise team practice and managing music folders for Praise Team
Commitment to be a wife and mom (24/7, duh!)
Read through Bible in a year (at least 15 min. a day, most days a week)
Previous commitment to "direct" a non-profit organization

Okay. You get the idea. Lots and lots of commitments.

I write all of this not to say "Hey! Look at me! I am awesome. I can do all of this stuff and again--I'm awesome."

No. I write this to say "Hey! Look at me! I'm an idiot. No one can do all of this stuff and do it well or completely. I am failing at most of it. What in tarnation (that's a word, trust me) was I thinking?"

Actually, I know what I was thinking. Each of these things on its own seems innocent enough...even admirable. When someone asks you to do something that is admirable and isn't that hard, it seems like you are lazy if you say no. When something like a Bible study comes up you think that you might "look bad" if you don't do it.

Well, let me tell you that I know better than this. It only matters what I "look like" to my creator and right now it's pretty ugly. Because of all the admirable things I am trying to do, I have managed to push aside the one most meaningful thing of all--spending quality time in God's Word.

Oh sure, I've been in there alright. Digging, flipping, snorting through a week's worth of Bible study scripture look up just so my neighbor won't look over at my workbook and see empty pages. But has any of His Word actually penetrated my heart? Not so much.

So it's time to reorder my commitments. Bible reading goes to the top of the list. If I double up for a month I will be back on track. I do not want to miss out on this experience.

Anyone else losing sight of your New Year's resolutions or commitments? It's not too late to reclaim it! Or chuck it, if needed. :0)

Priceless!

2010-02-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

Miss Me? I'm Up to Something...

2010-02-09T11:22:00.018-06:00

Last night my husband made the totally random observation that I had not been posting on my Red Writing blog very much. He said that was not really fair to all the people who had started reading it. Hmmmm. That's strange because he is not really one to I don't know... NOTICE things. So I thought if he noticed that, then maybe I should come on here and show a little love.

Before the end of the year I did decide that I wouldn't be able to spend as much time blogging because it was taking too much of my time. Mainly because it was making me do crafts out the wazoo. So I basically put a halt to all crafting and have turned my energy to other pursuits...

Before*****************20 lbs. lost************

Weight loss. I am going full steam ahead with getting my body in the shape God intended it to be. I am keeping a journal of my progress almost daily at REAL FAT. Yes, I know it is a bit ironic that I gave up blogging to start another blog, but the new one doesn't really take much time. And it helps me to stay focused on what I am trying to accomplish.

Before*****************1 mo. of working out later

So, if you really miss me then you might want to hop over to REAL FAT where I am spending most of my bloggin time these days. (Probably more entertaining than Red Writing anyway) I will continue to recap my weekly Bible reading on Red Writing and share family stuff from time to time.

Well, that's all for now. Toodles.

Come see me!

Kitchen Invaders

2010-02-01T18:19:00.002-06:00

It has been quite a while since Red Writing has shared something from her kitchen. But today, something extraordinary was going on in there! Look who had taken over...

That's right! Hottie was cooking (some MEAN chili) and Cutie was washing dishes. Kind of.

At one point he said, "UH! My hands are dirty now." Yup, that's what happens when you clean dirty things.

He's adding the secret ingredient to the chili. Yum!

I wonder how long these people will keep up the hard work in my kitchen?

One Month Down

2010-01-28T08:46:00.003-06:00

I have completed my first month of reading through the Bible. Whoo hoo! Technically it should be a habit by now. I don't know about that, but I sure do look forward to reading it everyday! I feel confident that the Lord is going to help me complete all 12 months of reading.

This week I read:
Matthew 9-10:20
Acts 13-15:21
Psalms 21-23
Genesis 46-50

Matthew
In Chapter 10, Jesus is sending out his disciples. He said to them, " I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." vs.16. Since we are disciples of Christ, this is his warning/advice to us as well. I am called to be wise, equipped, prepared but ever-vigilant of the enemy who is waiting to destroy me and my testimony. It is only by the power of Jesus that this delicate balance can be maintained in my life.

Acts
We are free from the law!!!
7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

We had an interesting discussion in my small group class at church on Sunday regarding the laws and regulations of various religions. It was pointed out that if Christians, even though we are not bound by the law, would follow our commission as diligently as many other religious groups follow theirs--the impact on the Kingdom would be remarkable. Something to chew on...

Psalms
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

In death, LIFE!

Genesis
I am sad to leave this book. I know it is time to move on to Moses, but these guys were a blast. Reading this book gave me a much clearer picture of God's forgiveness and restoration. The accounts were almost always a reminder that even when God seems far, far away, he is still very much THERE. Also, He can do great things with some very BAD people.

If you are reading through (no matter what plan), please leave a comment to let me know what God is teaching you!

A Weekend of Surprises

2010-01-24T19:26:00.008-06:00

What a weekend! I am blessed so greatly by wonderful family and friends. You see, I have a birthday coming up in a few days. It's kind of a big one...to me anyways. I will be 30. So apparently this was the weekend to celebrate!

On Friday night 4 of my girlfriends surprised me with dinner at my favorite restaurant. The weather was so nice we were able to sit outside by the fire and surrounded by twinkle lights--my favorite. The atmosphere was wonderful---like a Parisian bistro. We ate and talked and talked and ate some more! It was so much fun! I felt like a real live "housewife."

A little side note about this group: We started getting together this summer to watch The Housewives of Atlanta (which we no longer watch together because some of us felt guilty...but I think we all still watch it separately and secretly. For shame. Ha!) Anyway, we dubbed ourselves the Housewives of Gunter and the acronym HOG was a quick keeper. I love my HOGs to death and look forward to many more adventures with them in the future :) MV, here we come!

Then on Saturday night came yet another surprise. My husband sent me a text from work the night before saying he had made reservations at Ruth's Chris steak house for Saturday night and the kids were going to stay with his parents. Whoo hoo! So Saturday afternoon I got all fixed up and as we were headed out the door my dad called and asked if we could stop by and help move a piece of furniture before we left. Hmmm.

As we topped the hill where you can see my parents house, all of my family and friends were standing out in the driveway waving at me. Surprise! I felt so special! I was greeted with a smashing pair of "30" glasses, necklace and tiara. We had great food, visited and just had a wonderful time.

This is Kristi--my best friend of about 29 years. I believe she was the mastermind behind the festivities. She did a wonderful job decorating, making the cupcakes and gifted me with a beautiful scrapbook documenting our life-long friendship. I always thank God for her and could not ask for a more caring, compassionate, understanding, and faithful friend.

Jonah is right in the middle of a cousin sandwich. No where else on earth he'd rather be!

Cute cupcakes made by Kristi--in the shape of a '30' :)

I was very proud of my hubby for helping keep the secret and getting me to the party. I gave him a little scare as I tried to change our plans late on Saturday. He held firm, took the advice of my mom (acted like I'd hurt his feelings when I tried to change plans) and the surprise went off without a hitch. Love my man.

Now, I'm going to enjoy the last couple days in my 20's! Next time we talk, I'll be all grown up...

Confessions...

2010-01-24T13:14:00.004-06:00

For those of you interested in weight loss, dealing with obesity, healthy living, etc. I have been inspired to blow the dust off (yet again) my Confessions of a Hungry Girl blog. Come on over if you want.

Forget About the Pigs!

2010-01-21T14:21:00.004-06:00

In my journey to read through the Bible in 2010, this week I read:

Matthew 6:16-8:34
Acts 9-12
Psalms 15-20
Genesis 34-45

What I am learning:

Matthew

6:19 Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In light of the recent catastrophic events in Haiti, these words from Jesus seem so powerful. I am forced to look at what I treasure--not only treasures purchased by money but the treasures I "purchase" with time, energy, and thoughts. When the end of this earthly life comes for me, how will my treasures up there compare to those down here? It made me think of one of my favorite songs by Shane and Shane, Waging War. Part of lyrics are:

To see the Lord, the promised land
Where in sin's pearly gates look bland
And what was once a pearl now sand
That blows away in light of Him

What magnificent imagery!

8:28-34 This is where Jesus drove demons out of two men and sent them into a herd of pigs. The demon-pigs then went crazy and ran off a cliff and died. Those tending the pigs were outraged and went to others in the town who were also angry about losing the herd of pigs. They came to Jesus asking him to leave. They were more concerned with this loss than the fact Jesus had delivered two men from demons! I think this happens to me a lot--losing sight of the big picture of God's goodness...becoming so focused on my own upsets and trials that fail to recognize God's work.

Acts

9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. Sometimes, God's children suffer. Is this news to anyone? It's a hard pill to swallow, but suffering in humility is one of the most Christ-like things we can do. No one will ever have to suffer as Jesus did, with the sins of all humanity weighing heavily on his shoulders.

12:1-19 Peter's Great Escape! This was so fun to read. As the church prayed earnestly, God paved the way for this disciple to miraculously escape prison. Although it was a miracle, Peter did have to take action. I think so many times that we pray for something and just wait idly by for it to happen. Miracles do happen, but obedience and faith are required. As I learned in a Beth Moore study once, God will provide the manna but we have to go get it!

Psalms

I have been having a difficult time getting to sleep lately. I find the Psalms to be so comforting and really the best sleep aid I can find.

16:9 -11Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

17:14-15 You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Genesis

The story of Joseph and his brothers should be made into a movie!!! I can't believe I have heard/read about that story so many times but I don't guess I had ever read it in my Bible from beginning to end. I think what we can learn from Joseph is that no matter what is happening to us in our life, we are still in control of our response. If we are standing on the Rock, then we are better able to look beyond our circumstances and see God--and react accordingly. That said, Joseph was WAY nicer to his brothers than I would have been...

Hearts on the Wall

2010-01-19T14:15:00.004-06:00

I haven't had any crafty projects to speak of for weeks. It's killing me!!! I have GOT to find some time for a DIY day or I am going to go insane {quite literally}. Maybe later this week...

Last week I finally removed the last sign of Christmas from the house when I changed the Christmas quilt cookies out for fabric hearts. Easy and effective transition. Someone suggested this when I posted about "quilt cookies" for the first time. So whoever you were, thanks!

This is my kitchen "mantle." It is my favorite spot to decorate in the house.

And of course--I mean the Jesus kind. 1 John 4:19

Wrestling and Righteousness

2010-01-16T08:47:00.019-06:00

Reading through the Bible continues! This week I read:

Matthew 4:12-6:34
Acts 5-9:43
Psalms 8-16
Genesis 24-35

What I am learning:

Genesis
And the soap opera continues. Lying, stealing, raping, cheating, murdering...you name it, it happened in these families. I am still trying to get past the picture of a man who is so hairy he could have passed for a goat. Just sayin'...that's weird.

I'm also amazed, yet could relate to a woman who would do anything to have a child, even share her husband with another woman. Story after story yields the same basic scenario: people trying to control everything in their life so that it turns out just the way THEY think it should. The result? Heaping portions of trouble, pain, and misery stretching through generation after generation. It's been 2000 years--you'd think we would have learned something from them by now! Gee whiz.

In 32:22-31 Jacob wrestles with God. He grabs onto God and doesn't let go. I am comforted in knowing that blessing will come to those who persist in the Lord. To know that Jacob, one who stole, deceived, literally came out of the womb grabbing something that wasn't his, eventually became Israel, and was grabbed by God. The grabber became the "grabee," if you will. God changes people--even a wretch like Jacob...and me. Hallelujah!

Be encouraged to persevere with whatever struggles you are facing. God is faithful and even if he seems far away, he is right there with you and me in the struggle. He is still there!

Acts
6:8 (Stephen) a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 6:10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. Many times I have wanted to do great things for God and even attempted to do them, but without being filled with faith and the power of the Holy Spirit these attempts prove meaningless and fruitless.

Psalms
Chapter 13
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

I read this the same day I read about Jacob wrestling with God. Wow! What a neat correlation. In addition, the memory verse I have been working on this week is Psalms 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain it.

Love how the Lord is weaving all of these ideas together! What a blessing.

Matthew
5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

So I figure this righteousness is a pretty important thing to have seeing as how Jesus said so and then kept repeating it. What is righteousness? According to my dictionary it is acting in a morally correct manner and to receive a right standing with God. How can we develop an attitude of righteousness?

John 16:13 (reliance on the Holy Spirit)
Philippians 3:9 (by trusting in Christ)
2 Cor. 5:21 Christ died so that we might become the righteousness of God.
In Genesis 15 Abram believed God and He credited it to him as righteousness.

6:22-23 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
You know how someone might be described as a person who really has a "good eye" for fashion, color, design, etc? Well, here we are basically told to have a "good eye" for Godliness. If our eyes stay focused on Him, righteousness is sure to follow.

Whew! Moving on to week 3...

Idol Thoughts Return

2010-01-11T13:28:00.003-06:00

I am kind of a big fan of American Idol. Last year I took the liberty of posting a commentary of the show every week. I have opinions. Lots of them. At that point only about 10 people read my blog but most of them (family and friends) were faithful to chime in with their comments and opinions from week to week. It was fun and I am so excited that the new season starts back up this week--whoohoo!!!

I am super excited to tell you that there is an added element of Idol-hype for me this year. One of my husband's relative's friends makes it to Hollywood! That's all I'll say for now as I don't want to give it away but this is certainly going to spice up my Idol Thoughts for 2010.

I'm practically related to the next possible American Idol!

The first two episodes air Tuesday and Wednesday night. If you are an Idol fan, check back here on Thursday. Oh, and if you're wondering about my credibility as a commentator, I was pretty much on the mark all through last season and my favorite became the American Idol. I KNOW what I'm talking about, people. Just kidding! But seriously, I do.

Here are some examples of my Idol Thoughts from last year.

God Who Sees Me

2010-01-07T20:52:00.004-06:00

I just finished up the first week of my year-long Bible reading plan. Yea! I am praying really hard that God will give me the endurance to finish this. He will.

Reading for this week:
Matthew 1-4:11
Acts 1- 4:37
Psalms 1-7
Genesis 1-20

Here are some of my reflections through the week. Note: Most of this may not make sense. Love to hear any additional comments/insight.

Matthew
*(1:5) love the fact that Rahab is in the lineage of Jesus--God's work is not limited by human mistakes.
*(3:7) Do not put the Lord your God to the test. We shouldn't try to manipulate God by asking for signs...
*When faced with temptation (4:10) worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.

Acts
*(3:19) Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed to you--even Jesus.

*This verse pairs nicely with one of my favorites in Hosea (6:3)Let us acknowledge the Lord, let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises He will appear; he will come to us like the winter rain, like the spring rains that water the earth. Repentance is SUCH a difficult thing. It seems painful and honestly my flesh always wonders if the trade-off can really be worth the effort. Shame on me. The Lord's refreshment which will come as "surely as the sun rises" has got to be better than anything my flesh craves.

*Peeps in the early church really knew how to live:)

Psalms
(5:1-3) Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. At the encouragement of my pastor some years back I had memorized this passage of scripture. I really love it--the part about waiting in expectation. Like we are just waiting to see how God will work--fully knowing He will.

Genesis
*I thoroughly enjoyed reading from Genesis. I guess it's because I can relate to so many of the people and how messed up they were! The last part of chapter 18 had me rolling! I don't know why. It seemed like a biblical SNL scene as Abraham kept asking "but what if 45 are righteous? but what if 40? but what if? what if? what if????" I guess it shows that God doesn't get tired of our questions. On the other hand, He was about to destroy an entire city. That part was not funny but rather a sobering reminder of the justice that we all deserve but are spared because of His mercy.

*(18:13-15) from The Message (for comedic effect) God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby." Sarah lied. She said, "I didn't laugh," because she was afraid. But he said, "Yes you did; you laughed."
I know, I'm weird but this was also comical to me. It's just the way God is like "uh, YEAH ya did. You LAUGHED." and then Sarah must have thought to herself, oh yeah he's God. He knows if I laughed or not. I remember the day I finally realized that I could be honest with God--since He already knows my heart.

*Love the name Hagar gave God in 16:13--God who sees me. I LOVE that. I'm going to start calling Him that.

Resolutions for 2010 (Or Any Year)

2010-01-03T20:29:00.007-06:00

Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.

Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

Live in peace with each other.

Warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always.

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.

Test everything. Hold on to the good.

Avoid every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

****************

Test everything. Hold onto the good. Let go of the bad. And make room for His Glory. Sanctification.

This is my prayer for 2010!!!

Wild Thing

2010-01-02T20:13:00.003-06:00

I think I LUUUUV ya...

Bible Reading Plan "B"

2009-12-30T21:11:00.005-06:00

So I am changing my reading plan. Sorry if you already printed out the other one and secured it to the inside of your Bible as I instructed you...ha! I found out on Sunday that our entire church is reading through the Bible together (AWESOME!) and we are using one of the plans that pulls from several different places, as some of you indicated being your preference. It looks like a really good plan so I hope you'll consider it for yourself.

I found a link to the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan so you can go check it out. I think you might actually need to purchase it on their website to be on the "up and up" rather than just printing the link out. It was probably purchased by the church who has it posted. I would encourage you to visit the Navigators website and purchase it right here.

The thing I like most about this particular plan that there are only 25 readings per month so you can avoid falling behind--which I am ~~likely~~ guaranteed to do. Anyway, that's the plan I'm using so if I do end up journaling much on here, I wanted you to know why I started in Matthew rather than Genesis.

365 Days of The Bible

2009-12-26T19:42:00.004-06:00

That title is just my funny way of inviting you to join with me in reading through the Bible in 2010. I'm not going to give away prizes or host linky things or even promise to post every week... I am just putting it "out there" that I AM going to do this and you are more than welcome to join along.

I have attempted to do this many times before, but I don't think I can claim I have actually read the entire Bible straight through. {Sad, I know} There is no doubt this will be a life-changing experience and I am very excited.

I just thought if anyone else is doing this it might be fun to blog about it from time to time. I was thinking of using my blog as a year-long journal. The plan I am using is here. I am going to print this out and secure it to the inside of my Bible. You could also just use the links for each day and do your reading online. That would be easy! Supposedly this plan takes apx. 15 min a day.

As one very wise momma likes to tell her children from time to time, "Jesus died on the cross for you; I think you can do {fill in the blank} for Him." Hmm. Good point, Mom.

Let me know if you're in!

TWOC Week 11 Winner and Super-Duper Grand Winner

2009-12-26T14:47:00.002-06:00

Crystal from ScrapCandyDesigns is the winner for Week 11 (Wrapping). Please send me your address and you will receive a wonderful assortment of wrapping items to put away for next year! (keeliesue@live.com)

The Grand Winner who linked up each and EVERY week for the entire 12 Weeks of Christmas is...

Shayna from Our Life with Our Monkey!!!!

Congratulations, Shayna! Please send me your mailing address also. I am still getting it all together but I will be sending you a big package of Christmas love sometime after New Years!

The 12 Weeks of Christmas has been so much fun! Now I'm off to "put up Christmas" and start thinking about my winter projects!

TWOC: Tour of Homes

2009-12-21T13:23:00.002-06:00

Well, we made it! Can you believe Christmas is actually upon us? I can't. And I know its really bad timing asking you to share pictures of your house right now, but chances are you have already done some post that gives us a glimpse into your decorated Christmas home. I hope you will link up at the bottom so we can all see and enjoy the creativity and beauty that abounds this time of year! {I hope to post mine in the next day or so!}

If you have linked up to each and EVERY TWOC post, please leave a comment letting me know so I can enter your name in the final and grand prize!

Thanks to all who have participated--it really has been so much fun!

TWOC Week 10 Winner!

2009-12-17T19:37:00.003-06:00

Whoops!! I forgot to do the drawing for a Week 10 winner! Sorry ya'll, but you know what it is like right now!

The winner of the Holiday Party Coasters from Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous is....

Sandy! I am so glad you won those, Sandy. Send me your address keeliesue@live.com.

How Many Kings?

2009-12-16T19:26:00.003-06:00

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for coming to this earth to be one of "us." This is what sets you apart from so many others who have claimed to be who You are. You became NOTHING for your children. I am so humbled to be one of them. Why you did it all for me I can't understand but I joyfully receive the gift of your Son and celebrate Him this Christmas! Amen.

TWOC: Gift Wrapping

2009-12-14T08:08:00.006-06:00

I found all of these great wrapping ideas at http://www.marthastewart.com/. Now I want to see yours! Simply link up your post about Christmas Gift Wrapping and be entered to win an assortment of wrapping supplies for next year! Thanks to Kristi for the prize this week!

You can leave me a comment that you are a follower who wants to win for an entry also.

*Sorry, I am late getting this up but I could not get online last night!

Easy Kolaches

2009-12-10T19:04:00.003-06:00

Kolache (n.) (Czech and Slovak plural koláče) is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits (including poppy seed, raspberry, and apricot) to cheeses inside a bread roll.

Here's the Southern-American version...

Ingredients:

melted butter
canned biscuits
cinnamon/sugar mixture
jelly
cream cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Open the can of biscuits. If they are "Grands," cut in half. Roll in melted butter. Roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet and make a little indention with your thumb. Fill with jelly {and cream cheese if you're inclined}. Bake according to biscuit directions. Enjoy!

These would make a FABULOUS Christmas morning treat!

Glory's Chocolate Facial

2009-12-09T22:57:00.001-06:00

Tonight was Daddy's turn to give Glory her bath!

TWOC: Week 9 Winner!

2009-12-09T13:32:00.002-06:00

The Winner for last week in TWOC, O Christmas Tree is Jeanette! She shared her beautiful crystal and pearl tree. Thank you, Jeanette! Please send your mailing info to keeliesue@live.com.

TWOC: Holiday Parties

2009-12-05T23:35:00.015-06:00

So this week is all about Holiday Parties. I have to tell you about a little party I have every year. It is called the Annual GirLiE Christmas Party.

It all started 7 years ago when my brother was engaged to my sweet sis-in-law Alicia. I thought it would be fun to have a Christmas get-together for the girls in my family and the girls in her family so we could all get to know each other a little better. Add a few great friends into the mix and it was so much fun that we have continued to have it every year and it just keeps getting better.

The party is always the Sunday before Christmas. Everyone knows. So that when the planners start to fill up for the month of December, this event is already on the books. No one can miss the Annual Girlie Party!

Here's the breakdown of the party elements {it is really quite involved}:

Attire: PJs. Everyone wears pajamas. This was a new tradition implemented last year. It really takes the fuss out of having to look cute {although everyone still does) and it gives us an excuse to buy new Christmas jammies! Win-win.

{I added the zit for effect...not!}

Food: I love to make A LOT of very fattening, yummy food for the party. This year I let everyone make a request on the Evite for the dish they would like to have. So far this year's menu is Spinach/Strawberry Salad, Tuna Sandwiches {think Panera}, Spinach Artichoke Dip, some type of soup, and enchiladas were requested, but I'm still trying to fit that one in. Maybe enchilada soup? I am glad I did the request thing this year because now I don't have to plan the menu.

Annoying Ornament Game: Everyone brings an ornament. We begin the party by doing a little ornament swap. Each guest pins the ornament they end up with on their shirt. {This was really funny last year because I didn't tell anyone what the ornament was for and some people brought HUGE ones that nearly touched the ground.} There is a designated word such as "gift" and if you ever hear someone say that word you can take all their ornaments. Guests get to take home all the ornaments they still have at the end of the night. Pretty fun! Here is a pic of my sis-in-law sporting her ornaments mid-party last year.

Gift Exchange: We have a traditional "Chinese" gift exchange. The kind where everyone argues over the rules from year to year and you get to steal stuff. That one. Everyone brings a $15 "girlie" gift--jewelry, frames, home decor, candles, etc. We really get down and dirty with this game. Stealing is the name of the game. But in the end everyone is happy because all of the gifts are always great. This year I decided to change things up a bit by having a theme for the gifts. We are bringing Christmas platters or cookie jars. I can't wait to see all the beautiful selections!

Game: We always try to play one game. The favorite of years past has been Catch Phrase. It is fairly simple and fun for everyone. I tried Bunko one year and it didn't really go over too well. Any game will do.

And finally! The best part is the...

Cookie Swap: YES! There is a cookie swap, too. Everyone brings a lot of a unique cookie or bar to share. At the end of the night I give everyone a box to fill up. That way we have just enough sweets to carry us through to Christmas just a few days away. Here is a pic of the goodies last year. Sorry for the poor quality--it really is a sight to behold in person, but I had to scan these.

I think that's it. Whew. You know those movies where they take parts from a bunch of different movies and put them all together as a parody? Well this is kind of like that for Christmas Parties. Except for the parody party... It's a lot of stuff going on for one party but it is so much fun and worth every second of planning and prep! I can't wait 'till Dec. 20th!

It would be awesome to have one of these parties with all of you gals who have been participating in TWOC! We could really have some fun! I know I haven't been able to comment a lot on all of the posts that have been linked up in recent weeks, but I have been to visit you! Each and every link is so inspiring! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all a little bit through all of it! Only 2 more weeks after this one!!! Where has the time gone?

The Giveaway!
This week Linda from Craftaholics Anonymous is giving away some really cute Party Coasters for a random winner. You can click on the picture to find out just how she makes them. I just love them. The coasters for this giveaway will be Christmas themed. Craftaholics Anonymous is a GREAT blog for all you DIY'ers so go check it out! It will make you smile:)

For 1 chance to win these Nifty coasters, link up a post that is about Holiday Parties.

For 1 chance to win, leave a comment letting me know you are a follower who wants to win.

Do both and be entered twice!

It's that simple! I can't wait to hear about all of your holiday festivities!

Click above to find out about TWOC or to view previous weeks!

"Our" Tree

2009-12-05T22:25:00.008-06:00

Tonight was the night I finally made myself begin the arduous task of decorating our Christmas tree. When we got married 8 years ago the narrow, 7.5 ft, pre-lit tree was just perfect. We were low on ornaments, short on space, and the lights being already on there made it so easy.

Now...

Now we are SO NOT low on ornaments. The narrow tree looks like it might have a hernia every year. And the lights. Uggg! Don't even get me started on the lights. {Most do not work so I have to string on others that do work and it still gets to claim the title of "pre-lit"}

Nevertheless--I began.

After an hour or so, the tree was looking good. Here is a close up of how I used my ribbon this year. Normally I put all the bows at the top and let the ribbons cascade down. This year I randomly (but not really randomly) placed the bows and let the bottoms twist and twirl around the body of the tree.

It ended up being not so bad. It seemed like the process went so much faster and the tree actually looked somewhat...well, you could actually see some tree through the...stuff. That was strange. But good.

Until...

Until I went to get out a few more decorations for the rest of the house and found this:

"What's that?" you ask?

Oh, that would be the MAIN box of ornaments. Oh my. How could I have forgotten these? These little trinkets that document 8 years worth of happenings in our happening little family. I guess I was just in denial.

However, I have now come to terms with my tree. Folks, we do not have a "My Tree" and a "Their Tree." This is an "Our Tree" which has all the glam of a designer tree (well, some of the glam) and all of the hodge-podginess of a family tree.

Hey...

It may be a crazy tree. But it's OUR Tree.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go give "Our Tree" it's hernia.

TWOC Week 8 Winner

2009-12-02T11:22:00.004-06:00

The Week 8 (Christmas Wreaths) winner is Yvonne from Stone Gable! {You must head over to her blog for some really beautiful Christmas Tree inspiration--appropriate for our Week 9 O Christmas Tree theme} Congratulations, Yvonne! You need to email me with your mailing info so I can have your beautiful door hanging sent to you asap! keeliesue@live.com

Okay--I am headed to the trenches of my Christmas tree...will not return till I have photographic evidence of completion!

O Christmas Tree Giveaway

2009-11-30T20:39:00.005-06:00

The winner for this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas will receive a pair of these cuties! These knitted mini tree ornament stockings from Georgina Kay Designs are so beautiful. You will get to pick your favorite color and believe me--she has them all! Actually, don't take my word for it. Head on over to Georgina Kay Designs and see for yourself!

If you would like to be entered for a chance to win this giveaway, simply link up your Christmas Tree Post RIGHT HERE.

You could also leave me a comment on this post (or there) telling me you are a follower who wants to win.

Do both for 2 chances to win!

For more information on The 12 Weeks of Christmas, click below...and then join us!

O Christmas Tree

2009-11-30T17:54:00.002-06:00

Hello there, my friends. I hope that you have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! You should be sufficiently stuffed, have some shopping under your belt, and at least pulling out the Christmas decorations by now!

I guess I thought that most of us would have our trees up at some point this week. Whenever you do, please link up below so that we can see it! Or if you have seen some cool ideas for trees, share those too. I am still needing a little inspiration. My tree is up but nothing's on it yet. I am about to work on it tonight.

For now I am going to share two Christmas tree crafts that I did MacGyver style {with stuff laying around the house} And hopefully I will get some pics of my actual tree up later this week.

The first idea I got from Robin@ All Things Heart and Home. She shared a great idea for Fabric Scrap Trees. The only adjustments I made were that I used a cardboard coat hanger rod instead of a dowel and an empty ribbon roll to hold it. Not that a dowel and stand would be too expensive at the craft store, but I just didn't want to leave the comfort of my home {and pjs}. Thanks, Robin, for the super cute idea! Go see hers--they are actually finished and beautiful!

And here is the other tree I made:

Burlap Scrap Tree

Materials:

burlap

posterboard

scissors
hot glue

First I made a cone out of posterboard. You could use any kind of stiff paper..probably even cardstock or scrapbook paper. Then I glued little strips of burlap together at the ends to make a loop. I started at the bottom and glued the loops to the tree over lapping them all the way to the top. I tried to stagger them. That was pretty much it.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

This week's Giveaway: Read all about it HERE!!!

Ellen's Tassel

2009-11-25T10:06:00.005-06:00

I will soon bid farewell to this big bundle of beautiful ribbon and send her on to sweet Ellen who won last week's 12 Weeks of Christmas Prize. I sure will miss her, but I know she will have a happy home with Ellen.

Happy tassel making! It's fun.

A Bread "Winner" and a Turkey Tip

2009-11-24T07:59:00.004-06:00

I made these Parker House Rolls! I am so excited and proud. I have never made a real bread product from scratch before. It was so rewarding! {Cheesy though it may sound--it WAS!} The recipe must be GREAT because I have never worked with yeast before and these turned out near perfect!

They were REALLY, REALLY good and relatively easy. {See the shiny stuff on top? That's melted butter. Just wanted you to know} I will share the recipe in case you have a few extra minutes or hands around this week. These would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving meal--well worth your trouble.

***If you're not interested in this but are in charge of the turkey, keep scrolling!

Some Lady's Grandmother's Parker House Rolls
(That I altered a bit)

1 cup whole milk
2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
4-1/2 cups bread flour
more melted butter {oh, yeah!}

Preparation:
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a thermometer to make sure it is between 100-110 degrees F. I gather this is VERY important. Mix 1/3 of the milk with the dry yeast in a small bowl Make sure the yeast is completely dissolved into milk--should be a smooth consistency. Let sit until bubbly, about 15 min. In a large bowl, combine remaining milk, melted butter, salt and sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the beaten eggs and bubbly yeast.

Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on high speed of stand mixer. This step should take at least 5 minutes. When the dough gets too stiff to beat, stir in rest of flour by hand, if necessary, to make a soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, a couple minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and roll out on floured surface to 1/2" thickness. Cut with 3" round cookie cutter. Brush each roll with melted butter and fold in half (butter inside) to make half circles. Pinch edge lightly to hold, so the rolls don't unfold as they rise. Place in 2 greased 13x9" pans, cover, and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and brush with more melted butter. Don't use the same butter you used when forming the rolls - melt some fresh just for this step. Makes 24 rolls

Turkey Tip

If you are making a turkey for Thursday then you do yourself {and your family} a HUGE favor and watch this video! It shows you the best way to carve a turkey for optimum moistness. You won't regret it! I promise.

TWOC Week 7 Winner

2009-11-24T07:48:00.004-06:00

The winner for last Week 7 (Christmas Accent Craft No.2) is Ellen @ Creative Passage! She shared the how-to for these little beauties:

Don't you love it!!? I think they are so festive and sweet!

Ellen, I am still working on your tassel, but send me you address (keeliesue@live.com) and it will be in the mail sASAP!

TWOC: Christmas Wreaths!

2009-11-21T19:00:00.020-06:00

This is a special week for TWOC. We are going back to where it all began--

Wreaths

You see, a couple of months ago I hosted a Fall Wreath Party. Somewhere along the way I became smitten with MckLinky... and people were saying stuff like "Hey, let's do this for Christmas!" and "I hope you'll do something like this again!" So one thing led to another and the idea for 12 Weeks of Christmas was born.

If you want to join in the 12 Weeks of Christmas fun, click here.

I decided it would be only fitting to dedicate one of the 12 weeks to Christmas Wreaths. Here we are, in Week 7, and it's time to show off our wreaths once again! So get out some junk and make one :) Then show us by linking up at the end of this post.

The Giveaway

I am so excited to tell you about our giveaway this week. Back during the wreath party I found an idea for door decor at Six in One Hand that I absolutely fell in love with. Visit Angeliqué to see how awesome all her ideas and creations are. You will be INSPIRED!

This is her arrangement that inspired my MacGyver Backdoor.

I swear I spent hours looking at this thing! It is so unique and beautiful! {You can read all about it here.} So I went and begged Angeliqué to link it up to the fall wreath party, then I begged her to let me copycat, and THEN {I have no shame, people} I begged her to offer a giveaway for TWOC. And guess what? She said yes! {to all 3}

Just take a look at what you could win this week...

You know you want this!

So here are some ways you can enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment letting me know you are a RW follower who wants to win
2. Link up your own Christmas wreath/door decor post
3. Do both and be entered twice!

I am so excited to see all of these wreaths! Be sure to grab the TWOC button for your post!

{And if you see a cool wreath or door decor idea out in blogland, be sure to send them this way!}

Susan's Sweet Potato Souffle

2009-11-21T09:28:00.005-06:00

This is my aunt Susan's Sweet Potato Souffle recipe. {Being a southern girl, I just call it a casserole!} I love this recipe because I have never liked sweet potato casserole until I tasted hers. I believe the key is that she uses fresh sweet potatoes, boils and mashes them rather than using a canned product.

Sweet Potato Souffle

3 c mashed sweet potatoes
1 c sugar
1/2 stick butter - melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and salt together and whip with mixer. Turn into buttered shallow baking dish and top with:

1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/2 stick melted butter
1 c pecans

Mix brown sugar, flour butter and pecans together. Topping will be chunky. Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

There really is something special about this recipe! I hope you will try it this year. I am about to make it for 200 people coming to a community meal this evening. Wish me luck!

A Year Ago Today...

2009-11-17T09:28:00.009-06:00

A year ago today I clicked 'publish' on this blog for the first time. I really can't believe it!

Blogging has encouraged me to think about things a little bit deeper. It has pushed me to finish the projects I begin..most of the time. It has caused me to self-examine a lot more. It has been an invaluable source of education for me in the area of homemaking. And most importantly it has helped me to remember how much I love to create.

Whether it is writing, cooking, crafting, decorating...anything that begins in the mind, filters through the heart and eventually makes its way out into the world, I had forgotten how much joy that process brings me. It's not a good thing to forget or abandon what you are passionate about. So I am very thankful for what blogging has brought back into my life.

As much as I do love tending to Red Writing, I feel that this particular season of blogging is drawing to an end for me. I have two precious little people, one beloved big person, a perpetually messy house, and a very special ministry that need all of my attention right now. Don't get me wrong. I think it is totally possible to properly maintain a blog, family, work, etc. for some people. For me--not so.

So beginning in January {After TWOC is over--don't worry!} the posts on Red Writing will be much fewer and further between. It is going to take me a while to stop thinking of how I can turn any situation into a blog post. But eventually...

Thanks so much to each of you for joining me in my blogging adventure of the past year. It's been a blast! I hope that you all are doing the things that YOU are passionate about and living life to the fullest.

"Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self. "--Cyril Connolly

TWOC: Week 6 Winner

2009-11-16T20:00:00.003-06:00

I have to tell you that when I first found Heather, she had just posted a recipe for SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES on her blog. Oh, yes. She did. When I saw that I immediately went searching for her little follower box because I knew I could expect great things from this gal! I think it is so fitting that I drew Heather's name for the winner of the Week 6 Starbucks giveaway! Congratulations, Heather!

Email me with your mailing info at keeliesue@live.com.

TWOC: Christmas Accent Craft No.2

2009-11-14T22:00:00.004-06:00

{New to the 12 Weeks of Christmas? Click on the button.}

1. Starbucks Inspired Ornament Wreath

I'm not sure who was the originator of this, but this is the tutorial I used. So stinkin' cute and EASY. All you need is a coat hanger and some ornaments. Seriously! I love the way it turned out.

2. Dollar Tree Styrofoam AWESOMENESS

This is made of Styrofoam. It was $1. I don't know if you can tell, but it ain't purty. Yet.

A little craft paint , hot glue and burlap later... I LOVE this!

3. Burlap Pillow Cover with Felt Cut-Out

White felt cut-out: $1. Half yard of burlap:$1. Itchy, messy brown holiday pillow: priceless.

{This is ~~where I hot glued two pieces of burlap around an old dirty accent pillow~~ a very rustic look.}

The Giveaway

Tonight I got crazy and made a tassel. I was inspired by Linda. I tried to do it the professional way. It looks kinda gaudy. Okay. It looks really gaudy, but it's my first try. My second try will be the TWOC Week 7 Prize. You are just gonna have to trust me on this one. I will make it really fancy and chic for you! If I get good I might make 2. Ya hear that? Double giveaway! Maybe.

Want to win a tassel (but not this one)?

Share your Christmas Accent Craft by linking up below.

Followers who leave a comment receive an entry also.
Do both--you're entered twice

Warning: Excessive Cuteness

2009-11-13T16:00:00.002-06:00

This is my beloved Glory who is just over a year old. Our recent "photo shoot" captured many of her new expressions and showcases her budding personality most perfectly.

Bathtub Miracle

2009-11-12T18:59:00.016-06:00

Since we moved into our {older} home over two years ago, the state of our bathtub has been on the decline. We were faced with a couple of problems:

1. We used the wrong type of caulk when we made initial improvements to the house. This type of caulk seemed to pull away from the surface and let water seep in. In addition our water has some elements that cause an orange build-up over time. This made the tub look...disgusting.

2. The bottom of the tub was partially worn away leaving a rough, porous grey area right where you sit. This is what bothered me the most. This is why my 4 year old took baths in a baby tub, inside the big tub every night. (aka: his boat)

Solution: purchased new caulk and a resurfacing kit for about $50 at Lowes and went to work.

I can NOT believe I am actually showing these before pictures!!!

Please understand that this was what the CLEAN tub looked like before.

Without further delay...

BEFORE

AFTER

There were 4 steps to resurfacing the tub. The kicker--you had to do the 3 of the 4 steps 3 TIMES. And 1 of the 4 steps 2 times. :)

The steps were:

1. Clean surface with special cleaner powder diluted with water.

2. Scrub entire surface with steel wool.

3. Dry completely.

Repeat.

THEN you spray on the white stuff. Wait 15 minutes. Spray again. Wait 72 hours. All done!

BEFORE

AFTER

This was just a matter of ripping all the old caulk out, spraying down with bleach, rinsing, drying, and re-caulking. I used the tip of a plastic spoon to get the smooth bead of caulk.

BEFORE

AFTER

Rub-a-dub-dub...

I am proud of this tub!

TWOC: Week 5 Winner

2009-11-08T14:49:00.003-06:00

If you are the winner of Jane's beautiful frame, email me keeliesue@live.com!

TWOC: Shopping!

2009-11-07T20:02:00.008-06:00

When I planned out the themes for each week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas, I thought that this would be the week I was really beginning to think about Christmas shopping. I was right!

My husband and I will sit down together at some point this week and make a list of everyone we will be giving a gift(s) to. We will then attempt to decide on the gift(s) for each person, estimate the cost and effectively create our Christmas List/Budget.

Then He turns me LOOSE!

What do I LOVE about Christmas shopping? What's not to love?! First and foremost I just enjoy the atmosphere so. Christmas trees are everywhere, larger-than-life ornaments hang from ceilings, big beautiful bows dot the displays, Christmas music is playing all around, and the people are hustling and bustling about.

I love the satisfaction of checking off a purchased gift. I love the dilemma of finding two perfectly suited gifts for one person and having to pick one. Or not picking and getting both. {bye bye budget} I love asking for gift boxes and finally getting a "Yes, how many?" I love that I can usually be wearing a jacket and scarf while doing all of this shopping. I love hopping in and out of the car all day long.

Mostly I just love being with whomever it is that I am with while doing all of this shopping. I love shopping with my hubby for the kiddos...trying to decide if what he wants to get Jonah {4 yr. old son} is more for him or really for Jonah. I love shopping with girlfriends and the occasional movie-going experience that is the perfect ending to a long day of shopping madness. I love going shopping with my mom, as we have for so many years...

I am SO ready! Bring on the SHOPPING!!!

This week's giveaway is the perfect companion for the avid shopper. One of the places you simply must visit in the midst of a Christmas shopping spree...

You guessed it! The pride and joy of Seattle...

Starbucks

The Week 6 winner will receive a $25 Starbucks gift card!
{Order a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate for me, will ya?}

And remember, even if you don't like this place, someone you are SHOPPING for does ;)

To be entered in the Week 6 giveaway you can link up a "Christmas Shopping" related

post. If you are a follower who would like to be entered in the giveaway, leave me a comment.

If you do both--2 entries.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now--let the Shopping{posts} begin! Make sure to grab the 12 Weeks of Christmas button on my sidebar for your post. Thanks!

{Find out how to join in 12 Weeks of Christmas by clicking the button!}

Two Heavenly Homemade Gifts

2009-11-05T13:42:00.003-06:00

The original and ultimate Homemade Christmas gift was Christ himself. Handcrafted by The Maker of all, Jesus is Teacher, Friend, Lord, and Savior all wrapped up in one package. This unfathomable gift has been extended to all of mankind and offers the promise of hope, love and His amazing, saving grace. It is my sincere prayer that you have accepted this precious homemade gift from above. All others simply pale in comparison. If you would like to know more about this gift, please email me! keeliesue@live.com

Now after having said all of that, sharing my cocoa mix recipe seems a bit insignificant. Oh well. You NEED to know this too.

Keelie's Perfect Hot Chocolate

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Hershey's cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk (processed to fine powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 T flour

Mix everything together and store in air-tight container. Put 1/3 cup mix in cup. Fill with hot water. Stir and Enjoy! Super secret: use this instead of sugar and creamer in your coffee. Ohhhh, yeah.

I made up several bags of Cocoa mix for gifts. I think it is a good idea to have some go-to gifts ready way before the holiday season gets in full swing. These make good gifts for hostesses, teachers, or Santa ;)

Here is the simple way I packaged the cocoa:

The cute little sacks were only 25 cents each at Wal-Mart.

A Better "Before"

2009-11-04T17:37:00.009-06:00

Remember my Procrastinators Progress post? The one where I showed you this and asked for your help:

Well, here we are half-way into the update. I am loving the chairs painted with ORB. Why didn't I think of this in the first place?

The table is obviously still in progress. I want the checker board to be very worn looking--just visible enough to be able to play. I am going to use an almost-empty can of ORB to achieve this. More about all of this later.

I am still studying the wall and planning my course of action. I really want to hang my Christmas Quilt Cookies here...is it too soon?

By the way, here is one of my red sofas.

Again I thank you for all your help. Let me know if you think of anything else. Stay tuned for the final "After."

TWOC: Homemade Gifts

2009-11-01T21:48:00.004-06:00

For Week 5 of The Twelve Weeks of Christmas we are posting ideas for Homemade Gifts, but first I want to share our giveaway item. It is a beautiful and unique Christmas accent piece that is handmade with love by Jayne from My Song Within. If you are participating in TWOC, it is very likely that you have received one of her heartfelt comments on your blog. Such a sweet spirit! She makes one-of-a-kind handcrafted items that you may check out at her website. This is what one participant from Week 5 will win:

This unusual wire, horizontal black frame holds a great new holiday decoration for your home. A Merry Christmas message on warm-white card stock on the front side; a piece of sheet music taken from an old copy of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" is on the back side.

The picture is held in place by just sliding it into the wire clips on the top and bottom of the frame; embellished with rhinestones, red and green taffeta ribbon and a little pine cone pick; the handcrafted picture is 4 x 6. The frame measures 14 1/2 h X 6 1/2 w X 6 1/2 d.

Isn't this gorgeous!? I hope you win--I really do! All you have to do to be entered in the Week 5 giveaway is create a post that somehow relates to Homemade Gifts and link to the end of this post. Be sure to grab the TWOC button on my sidebar!

Want to be entered in the giveaway but not able to link a Homemade post? Leave a comment that you are a follower who wants to WIN and I will enter you as well!

Do both and you are entered twice! Yipee!

Click below for all the details of 12 Weeks of Christmas!

TWOC: Week 4 Winner

2009-11-01T13:13:00.003-06:00

The random winner of Week 4 is Ruby Red Slippers @Lions, Tigers and Boys, Oh My! Be sure to check out her recipe for a 3 ingredient appetizer! We likey!

Congratulations RRS! You won an awesome Fit Band and set of cards. Email me, keeliesue@live.com and I will put you in touch with the Fit Band girls! Thank you so much, ladies, for offering this prize!

Week 5 Homemade Gifts will begin tonight with another WONDERFUL giveaway!

Procrastinator's Progress Recap

2009-10-28T14:30:00.002-05:00

So, I decided to be brave and put myself "out there" last night. Okay it was my living room, not me, that I was putting "out there" but it was a tad bit uncomfortable, to say the least. I felt like I was sitting in a Design I critique. But then I got over it. I am so thankful for all of your ideas! I could not believe how much time some took to give very thoughtful, detailed, and all-around GREAT suggestions. I appreciated each and EVERY little bit of feedback.

One thing I realized I should have mentioned is that the love-seat and sofa in this room are RED! Many of you suggested painting either the chairs or table red and as much as I would LOVE to do that--it would actually be too much red. Wow--can't believe I typed that.

Anyway...I just wanted you to know that I have a game plan now. I used many of your suggestions to comprise this to-do list for the random living room wall:

1. Repaint chairs--black. I know! This is probably what everyone wanted to scream at me but I told you not to. Cause I already knew. I just wasn't ready to accept it yet. The blue paint was still tacky on my fingers as I typed the last post! I couldn't give up on it yet. It will be leaving us soon, though. So Kathy, tell your "friend of a friend" that she was right. I really wanted an unexpected pop of color in the room somewhere but this was not the correct way to achieve that.

2. Paint Table--black. I will distress the table and chairs to match. Checkerboard is going to "make" this whole area. I just know it.

3. Possibly will tea stain the zebra fabric if test area looks good.

4. Add small {blue} pillows to chairs. That will provide the color "pop" I was looking for.

5. I will take all wall items down and re-work. Star will most likely be moving to another wall in the room. I am fairly certain we will have b&w photos on the wall.

In addition to getting a game plan, something else monumental happened last night. I was forced to confront my decor and claim a style that I had not been ready to ~~commit~~ admit to until now. Country. Someone said the chairs weren't as "countryish" as the rest of the area (and they were absolutely correct) but I gasped. My house is COUNTRY? What!? And then I realized that yes, this home does a have a country vibe. A fresh pile of cow poop sits less than 10 steps from my back door. YES! Heavens to Betsy. This is a country house. There's no denying it, no fighting it. Let's refer to it as "The New Country" though, mmm-kay? ;)

I am excited about this mini design challenge and that means it will probably get done quickly! I have also been inspired to rework some of the other areas in the living room to make it more cohesive. I will show you everything when I am done. Thanks again for all your help!

A Procrastinator's Progress

2009-10-27T20:20:00.004-05:00

Finally, I have a "before and after" to show. I have been putting these chairs off since April, believe it or not. The past few days have been so stressful (nothing horrible--just STRESSFUL!) I had to do something creative and artsy today. It relaxes me. So--the chairs finally got done. Hooray!

Unfortunately, I'm not thrilled with them. I do think they are cute, but the zebra print fabric was an instant buyer's remorse item, or more accurately could be described as a buyer's REGRET item. It is just a bit much...but it's what I bought (back in April) and you can't return fabric. SO--I used it. Now I will spend however long it takes changing everything around the zebra chairs to make them fit in.

Take a look at this wall. It drives me INSANE. I left it blank for 2 years because I couldn't figure out what to do. I finally started hanging stuff at random one day and now I just sit in the living room and stare at this wall. It bugs me like a splinter in my finger!

Can I ask you a question? Or two?

What is the PROBLEM? (You may suggest anything other than changing the blue paint or the zebra print because that is pretty much a done deal and I am already self-conscious about it.)

What COLOR should I paint this table? ( I am going to paint a black and white checker gameboard on top but what about the rest of it? Will painting the table solve my problem?)

Help me! Ya'll know how annoying a splinter can be!

I Will Rise

2009-10-27T09:18:00.002-05:00

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (The Message)

Read this in another version if you want. I thought The Message translation was pretty neat. Either way, what a message...and one worth sharing! Jesus has overcome!