10 things...

I was tagged by Jess at Bittersweet to play along with this meme..."10 things that make me smile." It sort of intrigued me because I really didn't know that I could come up with 10 things offhand that make me smile. I am a major thinker and ponderer though, so this challenge was right up my alley! I finally had the thought, "If something makes me smile, it has to be something that makes my heart really happy." It's taken me a little bit to come up with these things, but thinking about it that way made it seem a little easier for some reason, so here we go:

10 things that make me smile:

(and not necessarily in this order)

1. My sweet nieces

2. My goofy cat

3.Rain

4. Fall weather that is just around the corner

5. God's PERFECT timing

6. Getting home in the afternoon and seeing that

my grass has been cut (!!)

7. My wonderful friends

8. This one is silly, but hearing wind chimes

makes me smile for some reason! :-)

9. The thoughtfulness of others

(which can also make me cry!) :-)

10. The end of tax season every year (!!)

So there it is! Nothing profound, just a post that really made me have to think. If you read this, I'd love to have this glimpse into your life as well. If you will play along, leave me a comment so I can go check out your blog too!

Life

“Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”
Henri Frederic Amiel (Swiss writer known for his masterpiece Journal intime, 1821-1881)

Amazing Grace (my chains are gone)

We've been practicing this song for weeks in choir and sang it this past Sunday morning in church. I know it is applicable to all of us who are Christians, but it was hard, at least for me, because somehow on the heels of Bev's death, it seemed extra-poignant, extra-powerful and extra-meaningful...'my chains are gone, I've been set free.'

A Tribute

Just a word of thanks to those of you who have offered prayers for my sweet friend Bev and her family when I've mentioned them these last few months. Bev passed away this afternoon and as much as I know I have bragged on her, her testimony and her brave fight against cancer, I wanted to share the e-mail her husband sent after her death....again, another testament to a life well lived and a God who is faithful.

Hello:
Bev passed away today (Friday) at about 4:30pm. All of our family was at her bedside and we witnessed the entire 23 Psalm and we saw Bev walk fearlessly through the valley of the shadow of death. An amazing wife, mom, friend and Mimi. We will follow-up quickly with funeral celebration plans. Her last words were "To God be the Glory!"

Thanks for all your prayers.........God is Good and Great!

Blessings on You

The picture above was taken one month ago when they were on an extended family vacation in Florida and looking at it now, God was SO good to give their family that time together. They did not know then that cancer had gotten to Bev's liver. I went to see her this past Monday and prints of this picture were by the door for visitors as a thanks for their (our) prayers through the years. I met Bev through another friend when I was 11 or 12 years old, then we grew to be friends as I became an adult as well. Little did I know as a child what an influence she would have on my life as an adult! God has been good to bless me with her friendship. She has left an amazing legacy and I am proud to count her as a friend.

I can only imagine what she must be experiencing now!

Bev's life is one of the many reasons I ask you to click this link often!

Inquiring minds want to know....

In comments from my last post regarding the Middle Name Meme, a couple of people asked my first name, so below is a repost from August 2006:

This is from the wedding I went to on Saturday night....the end of my busy week. It is a picture of my mom (on the right) and her friend Brenda, one of her best friends that I am named after. (The other person I am named after is Brenda's sister, Dianne....so I'm Brenda Dianne....cool, huh?) Anyway, it was a very nice wedding...absolutely HUGE, but very nice. Unfortunately Brenda's husband died last March, so the bride's nephew gave her away. That was both extremely sweet and sad at the same time....my sister didn't even need to look at me, she just passed the tissues! Good thing she knows me so well!

Anyway, my mom sent me this picture tonight, so I thought I would post it along with a funny story from when they were teenagers. My mom didn't have the best home life with my grandparents, so she spent LOADS of time with Brenda and her family growing up. One time when they were teenagers, before they could drive, they were in the car with Brenda's mom, Mrs Bowman and they asked her to drive by the house of this guy that was good looking and they sort of liked. Well, this guy lived in a cul-de-sac and was out in the yard cutting grass, so my mom and Brenda both hit the floorboard to hide so they wouldn't be seen as Mrs Bowman went down there to turn around. Brenda was yelling at her mom (rather anxiously!), "Just turn around....turn around mama!" So, here's what Mrs Bowman does...she rolls down the window and hollers, "David....DAVID....I have Brenda and Anna Jean over here hiding in the floorboard. They just wanted to drive by and say 'hey'!" Brenda is, in the meantime yelling at her mom, 'MAMA!!!......Just go!' If my memory serves me correctly, he came over and poked his head in the window and spoke to them! This story STILL makes me laugh to this day. Brenda's spirit is infectious and I just adore her, but with a mom like that, it is easy to see where that comes from! I was glad to get a chance to visit with Brenda and her mom last night. I asked my mom how old Mrs Bowman is now and my mom said she has to be at least 81 or so, but she still looks great, has a sharp mind and has her fantastic sense of humor. If I get a picture of her via e-mail, may post it too just because I love her and want to.

Are YOU named after anyone?

An award, a meme and a prayer

I don't even know what to say to this. It's nice to get such an award from friends I haven't even met yet! I got this award on Monday from someone I have just recently learned reads my blog, Joan, then my friend Jean passed this award on to me on Tuesday. WOW! Who knew?? I have a hard time knowing WHAT to post sometimes, but to think that people actually smile and enjoy it....that is humbling! The idea is to pass it on to others who make ME smile, so I'm passing it on to Amy. Her blog is one that I randomly found and I loved her the minute I read she was a Donny Osmond fan too! I am also passing this award on to my friend Leanne although I know she has more on her plate than is humanly possible to cope with and may not have the time to pass it on. Just know Leanne that you are dear friend and that this award has been well-deserved. You've been an awesome friend these last several months.

Second, Tonja passed on a 'Middle Name Meme' to me this past Wednesday. The rules are as follows:

"You have to post these rules on your blog. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, choose one you would like to have. When tagged, write your own blog post containing your middle name facts. At the end, choose one person to tag for each letter of your middle name. Then leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged."

Of course, you would know my middle name is Dianne, so here goes:

D -- dog-gone tired right now!
I -- intrigued by the things God is putting my life these days
A -- always grateful for my nieces! :-)
N -- not perfect (ummm.....AMEN!)
N -- never too busy if a friend is in need (or I try not to be too busy anyway)
E -- empathetic (please notice 'EM' in front of 'pathetic'! :-) )

I am tagging Kat and my new friend Karen for this one, so 'you go girls!' and good luck! This one is kinda hard!

Lastly, I would ask you to pray for my friend Bev who I have mentioned from time to time on my blog. She is an AWESOME woman and someone I am honored and priviledged to count as a friend. She found out she had breast cancer what will be 7 years ago at the end of this month and while this cancer has gone to her uterus, lung, heart and bones through the years, it is now in her liver and her prognosis doesn't appear to be very good. God can do anything though and none of her family and friends are losing sight of that, but please say a prayer for her and her family if you read this and if they come to mind any other time. My heart is heavy for them, but Bev is a Christian as are her husband and children, so that is one major good thing. It's just difficult to think about. I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Thank you!

Let me just say....

I am not a political person, but this was evidently part of a Republican debate recently...and here's what I have to say about this...'WOW!' I LOVE his answers!

I'm lovin' this!

Market Place Moments: Appreciation, by Michele Howe


Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50 TNIV).

"The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. One comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out." (Dale Carnegie in "How to Win Friends and Influence People")

There is something wonderfully enigmatic about sensing that another person notices your efforts -- weak attempts though they may be -- and kindly expresses such recognition with even a single word of thankfulness. One paltry word, even? Yes. A mere word can make or break a person's spirit.

On any given day, individuals, young and old, from every life background have an inner, and frequently unidentified, hunger for a bit of expressed goodwill. Dale Carnegie knew this secret over fifty years ago and spent his life reminding others that all people have this need. It's a "craving" to receive validation for their accomplishments, their purpose, and their very person. Carnegie notes that, "... the rare individual who honestly satisfies this heart hunger will hold people in the palm of his or her hand."

Cynics may grouse that there's a fine line between appreciation and flattery or between affirmation and manipulation. Well, it isn't so. Flattery is simply verbal manipulation that benefits the speaker alone. The words may be true or not, that's not the point. Flattery is about the one speaking it and his or her gain, not about the person receiving a false or exaggerated compliment.

Cynics may grouse!

Appreciation runs deeper. It marks another's actions or attitudes and sees the benefit in the attempts ... no matter how insignificant. Real appreciation also alters both the speaker and the recipient, for the good. It spawns renewed vision, encourages continued efforts, and lights a fire for ongoing perseverance toward excellence.

Perhaps the most significant difference between flattery and appreciation is that one offers life in abundance while the other signals an inner death knell to the listener. People instinctively know if they're being schmoozed and it's always an ugly thing.

The question then is how to offer praise genuinely when someone is glaringly lacking from every visible vantage point. Again, wise and resourceful Carnegie offers this quote as a starting point for zeroing in on others' strengths, hidden though they might be: "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Wise words and utterly true.

In short, as we practice the art of identifying people's strengths and offer words of consistent appreciation, we will take part in their success. This will naturally spill over positively, affecting countless others. Today, begin focusing on the strong points of people and then commit to communicating daily sincere appreciation to all. These few powerful words, which cost us so little, will be treasured by the recipient long after we've forgotten them, and there's nothing insincere about it.

---------
(c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published
by Josey-Bass. A Wiley Imprint. 989 Market Street. San Fransisco,
CA 94104-174. www.joseybass.com

The whirlwind

I realize I have not cornered the market on being busy, but these last several days have just been a whirlwind of activity and I haven't even had time to check blogs, much less post anything!

After that Women of Purpose meeting last Thursday night (which is practically the last time I posted!), Friday and Saturday night, my friend Gina and I babysat three children for some friends that went away for a few days. They have a 3rd grader and a set of twins that are in first grade. I'm tellin' you, if you haven't spent 48 hours in that world, you don't know what you're missin'! Friday night was fine....we just ordered pizza, played, then Gina had bought some make-up for them, so we let them play around with all that. Bet you can't guess how long it took for them to want to do a makever on ME, huh? I haven't figured out how Gina got out unscathed! I was a sight to behold, trust me! She took a picture with her phone, but neither of us know how to download it. In the event we figure it out, I'll post it. No sense in my friends missing out on such a sight!

On Saturday, they all had football games to cheer at. The twins cheer for the same team, so we had to be there by 8:40 on Saturday morning. After that, we went to their house, let them change clothes, then we headed out for lunch and to the second game which we had to be at by 1:30. You would know that the second game went into overtime (!!), so we left there about 4:30 or so, made a quick stop by the store, came by here to check on my cat (she's spoiled and not used to me being away....although she hid under my bed and behind my washer while we were here because she's afraid of everyone), then we stopped by Wal-Mart for some Funny Foam for them to play with in the bathtub. They were playing with shaving cream the night before during the make-up event and I asked them if they'd ever had any Funny Foam. They said they hadn't, so I told Gina we had to find some Funny Foam on Saturday. Anyway, we got home, painted some Halloween masks their grandmother had bought for them, ate dinner, then it was time for bath....the Funny Foam was fabulous! Since they'd never seen or played with it, they were in heaven! After that, we watched a Disney movie, then it was time for bed. I slept like a rock!

Sunday, we got everyone up, fed and out the door to church. We were even there early, believe it or not, and we'd even gone by Gina's house to pick up her son and drove him through somewhere to get breakfast! It is amazing because when I have just me to get ready, I am borderline late, but when there are 3 kids involved, somehow it works! :-) Anyway, after lunch, we went back to their house and I gathered my stuff to leave because I had to be back at church by 5:00, so Gina took them swimming at her house before taking them back home and leaving them with their grandmother. I was so glad to get home after church Sunday night and just 'be.'

I got home last night and had a couple of projects I needed to work on for church, then it was almost time for bed. I have several things to get done tonight as well, but I wanted to just post a note so the few that read this wouldn't think I had dropped off the face of the earth! I enjoy being busy, but this last month has been kinda ridiculous!

(Don't forget to click......)

Dependence

"Lord, cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You” (Psalm 143:8). I know that when I try to run the race without You, I get off course. Thank You that even if I become weak and stumble, You will help me to rise again and continue on. And though I can’t see exactly where I am going, I’m certain that You can and will enable me to get to where I need to be. Thank You, Lord, that You are teaching me how to walk in total dependence upon You, for I know therein lies my greatest blessing.

--JUST ENOUGH LIGHT FOR THE STEP I'M ON by Stormie Omartian

Coffee cups

We had a wonderful Women of Purpose dinner meeting tonight to start getting things lined up for the luncheon we are having on November 10. It is going to be fabulous, but while we were finishing up dinner, coffee was being served and the talk turned to the great coffee cups that were used. It reminded me of this story I read before and I asked one of the friends I was sitting by, Michelle, if she'd ever heard or read this story about the coffee cups. She hadn't, so I told her I'd post it here. It was a good lesson the first time I read it, but it just gets better every time....probably because it's true!

Good Coffee
(Author Unknown)

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!"

My sidebar and a HUGE favor...

Once again, my friend Leanne had a great thing on her blog yesterday. It was a request to go to a website and click on a link to provide free mammograms for women who may not be able to afford it. I went there and they had icons that can be added so blog sidebars, so I picked one and added it to mine. The website is easy to get to, literally a click away using the link to your left, so I am asking anyone who reads this blog, any and every time you read it, to take a minute to go to this site. There is a 'Click here to give' button once you get there, so you can't miss it. I have a sweet friend who has been battling this disease for what will be 7 years at the end of this month. It has literally traveled all over her body and she's in the hospital even now battling this dreaded foe. With that being said, I know many of you have also been touched by this disease yourself or dealt with it through the life of a friend or family member. This cause is near and dear to my heart. We just can't do enough...but if 5 seconds of time can help to save a life, it's definitely worth it.

Look for this icon every day

and help save a life!

THANK YOU!

Trapper

There is absolutely ZERO worth to this post, it's just funny. This picture is OLD...I mean like probably 25 years old! His name is 'Trapper' and he's a cat I had when I still lived at home with my parents. He cracked me up and I had to take his picture when I saw him trying to get his own food out of the bag one day because we were bad parents. You can see his empty food pan sitting right there beside him! :-) I left him at my parents when I moved out and he lived to be about 18 years old. That's a long time for an outdoor cat! :-) He was a sweetie!

Anyway, I've spent the day cleaning out JUNK from this 'office' room that I have and this picture is above my radio in here...my current cat came in to check things out and I saw it when I picked her up to give her some love. It just made me laugh so I thought I'd post it. It's good for a giggle if nothing else!

If no one else is gonna feed ya, ya gotta feed yourself, huh?

Lifesong

Okay...I couldn't bear to take the pictures of Kate off my blog yet, so I added them to my sidebar with a link. No telling how many pictures I may have over there by the time it's all said and done! I know I need to move on eventually though, so I might as well do it with something that is a blessing, huh? This is definitely it.

One of the talented young women in our youth group sang this song this morning in church. I had heard her sing it before on a Sunday night, so I was thrilled when I knew she'd be singing it again this morning. I wish there were some way for me to post her singing it. There's just not a way to do that, but it's definitely worth the the listen...

Lifesong, by Casting Crowns:

Memory Lane

I have been camped out on Memory Lane all day today.....Kate turned 13 today and I can hardly believe how quickly time as flown. Seems like just yesterday my sister called and asked if I could take her to the doctor because she wasn't feeling so great...John had already gone to work for the day. So I called in to my work and told them I'd be late, then took Patty to the doctor. While we were there, her water broke and we dashed over to the hospital and had this sweet little bundle of joy arrive several hours later. There is no way I could have known then how much I would love being an aunt, but God knew just how much I needed this sweet little thing in my life. She's been a blessing since day one and I'm thrilled that God chose me to be her aunt. Below are a few pictures from my stroll down Memory Lane.....

At the hospital, me and my new niece, affectionately called 'Sweet Girl'

One proud aunt a few weeks later at home

Kate...August 1999

Kate and her boa in all her glory....probably 5 or 6 years old

Wild hair, but what a sweet smile!

And now.....13 years later.....

she's still one sweet girl, and I'm still one proud aunt! :-)

A fun meme

I had a comment from Lynne on my last post that she had tagged me for a meme...so I had to race right over to her blog to see what it was...fun stuff....different stuff, so here goes:

ACCENT: I took a quiz a while back that said my accent was southern...I'm sure I'd have to agree! You can go here to take it for yourself (!!)

I DON'T DRINK: Coffee (except at my Aunt Winnie's at Christmas for some reason), tomato juice (or anything 'groovy' like that)...I can't think of anything else right now.

CHORE I HATE: All of them...although when I do get motivated to get them done, I feel great when I can see how much better things look!

PETS: One sweet kitty and LOTS of dust bunnies....they just keep multiplying! :-)

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Oh my word...my computer, preferably my laptop at home, my phone, and my PDA. I'm thinking about an ipod, but haven't bitten the bullet on that one yet.

PERFUME: I liked Premonition by Mary Kay, but they quit making it a few years ago. I haven't found anything else I've just loved, so I don't wear it much.

GOLD OR SILVER: Some gold, but usually silver.

INSOMNIA: Not lately! :-)

JOB TITLE: Doer of whatever needs to be done! :-) There's no one else to do it!

MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT: I have NO idea, but I would probably say dependability as a whole and loyalty in my friendships.

KIDS: None except my Sweet Kitty (I keep saying that because it's her name), although I would take my nieces to raise in a heartbeat.

RELIGION: I was raised Methodist, but am now Baptist through and through.

SIBLINGS: One sister, Patty

TIME I WAKE UP: Either when my alarm goes off at 6:15, or when my cat decides to start walking on me to wake me up. Sometimes I just sense her being there and I'll open my eyes and she'll be sitting there by my pillow staring at me! :-) This is funny...if I know she's there and just want to mess with her, I'll act like I don't know, then she'll reach her paw out and tap me on the cheek a couple of times. If I don't do wake up or acknowledge her then, she'll tap me again and extend her claws, not much at all, but just enough to poke me to let me know she's there. It cracks me up when she does that! :-)

UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: I don't know if it's unusual, but I can play the trumpet...other than that, I don't know.

VEGETABLE: That I like or don't like? I will try most of them now that I'm adult, but I hate beets and asparagus (although I've never had them...they just look gross!), and I don't know what saurkraut (sp?) is made from, but if that's a veggie, add it to the list. I hate the way it smells!

WORST HABIT: Spending money that I don't have, which I've really been guilty of lately...I am also an impatient driver

X-RAYS: Can't even remember the last time, although I am sure it was at the dentist.

FAVORITE MEAL: Hamburgers on the grill.

And as far as passing this on, I'm with Tonja....if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged...and let me know if you do it so I can read yours!

Dependence

"Lord, “cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You” (Psalm 143:8). I know that when I try to run the race without You, I get off course. Thank You that even if I become weak and stumble, You will help me to rise again and continue on. And though I can’t see exactly where I am going, I’m certain that You can and will enable me to get to where I need to be. Thank You, Lord, that You are teaching me how to walk in total dependence upon You, for I know therein lies my greatest blessing. "

— Just Enough Light For The Step I’m On by Stormie Omartian

Party Hardy...or Hearty Party?

These last two weeks have been crazy busy so I am glad to finally have a couple of days where I don't have much more to do than to just go to work every day and read blogs! :-) As busy as things have been though, it has been good on many levels, and it beats sitting around bored, you know? Isn't it funny how we sometimes complain when we have too much to do, then complain when we are bored and have nothing to do? Well, I'm not complaining because I've loved it all, I'm just glad to have a couple of day to myself. (You can do that in the truest sense of the word when you live alone!)

Out of the last couple of weeks though, the most fun thing was that we had a huge surprise party for my Dad on Saturday. He is 70 today, but you would never know it. He has an 87 acre tree farm, a new company he just started (!!), and just ended a landscaping business he had with a guy for 20 years. He's up and out every day before many of us are heading to work, and he doesn't get home until after dark! The man just loves to work.....imagine that! He is the second oldest of 15 living children (my grandmother had 18 in all!!) and was raised on a farm in Heard County, so all he's ever known is hard work. He made a good living for our family when my sister and I were growing up. I didn't really realize how good we had it at the time, but he's done well for himself and I'm proud of him.

My parents divorced about 10 years ago. My Dad is remarried (as is my Mom) and we absolutely LOVE his wife, Brenda. They've been married about 5 years and we could have never asked for anyone better for him. She is a wonderful person, a great step-mom and she is fantastic to my nieces, so there is really nothing more we could ask for. Her birthday is in February, so when me, my sister and my nieces took her to dinner for her birthday, she mentioned that she wanted to have a party for my Dad since this was a 'big one.' We had breakfast together a couple of months ago and began planning the guest list, etc, and true to form, we kept thinking of people to invite. By the time it was over, the guest list was huge. We wound up with about 85-90 people who were able to come and everyone managed to keep it a secret! :-) I was the RSVP person and everyone that called said they were so excited about this party, thrilled to have been included in the guest list, and couldn't wait to see my Dad. It sort of surprised me that only about 4 of his siblings came, but if they'd all come, there would have been at least 20 more people! It meant a lot to my Dad to see people that he hadn't seen in years and it meant a lot to my Dad, Brenda, my sister and me that so many people made it a priority to be there. We were thrilled. Personally, I was glad that people who have been 'family friends' for years, since my sister and I were little girls, had a chance to meet my step-mom because my parent's divorce was very ugly and, as devastated as my Dad was, I was glad that people could see he that he has moved on has a good life now. It just was a good day all the way around. We were pooped when it was over, but it was so much fun.

My sister and I intended to get lots of pictures, but with that many people there, keeping up with food that needed to be replenished, talking to people we hadn't seen in forever and just being hostesses, it was almost an impossible task. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of Daddy when he first came through the door. He'd seen all the cars outside, but he had no idea until he drove up that anything was going on....proof of this being that my sister was cutting his grass on Friday and he told her not to worry about it when it really did kinda need it, and his choice of wardrobe for the day! :-) He says he 'kinda thought' something was going on, but he hates to be outdone, so he would never admit that we pulled anything over on him. :-) But we know differently, no matter what he says. :-)

Here are a couple of the pics when he first got there. My aunt said she thought he got teared up when he came in, but I couldn't tell. Unfortunately, these were all the pictures I was able to get.

"SURPRISE!!!"

My Dad, speechless....

Greeting guests...my Aunt Winnie, my FAVE, and family friends, Shirley and Powell (Aunt Winnie's husband, Uncle Ray, my other FAVE, was our ploy to keep Daddy busy until 2:00!)

A look into the den to see about 70 more people! :-)

My sister talking with Debbie and Jack, our newlywed neighbors when we were growing up. Their children were the first kids I ever babysat...I was all of 10 years old. Debbie has been a huge influence on my life spiritually and morally. They live about 2.5 hours away, so we were thrilled they were able to make it.

And a fun time was had by all...

Praying God's Will

Praying God’s will

Is easy enough

When it involves simple goals

And everyday stuff

Like a good grade at school

Or a raise at work

Even sometimes for others

Who may act like a jerk!

But when it comes to a life,

The rubber meets the road.

We always want healing

As the end to a load.

But God’s ways aren’t ours,

So do we pray for what’s best

Or continue selfish prayers

That put God to the test?

I know the answer

But the older I get

The more real it becomes

And the more I fret.

It’s hard to let go

And accept God’s plan

But that’s why He’s God

And we’re only man!

His plan will prevail,

We continue the race

Trusting God as our source

As we rest in His grace.

This is a re-post from a while back, a poem I wrote in about 5 minutes, but I just needed to post it again as a reminder to myself as much as anything.

Wonder how they felt?

In a small mid western conservative town, a new bar/tavern started a building to open up their business.The local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from opening with petitions and prayers.Work progressed, however, right up till the week before opening, when a lightning strike hit the bar and it burned to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, 'til the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the buildings demise in its reply to the court. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but as it appears from the paperwork, we have a bar owner that believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that doesn't!"

I'm sure we've all been at least a little guilty of this from time to time, but it's a sobering thought, isn't it?

Ever feel like this?

Create in me --

A Pure Heart
by Jon Walker

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NIV)

Oh God, create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that won’t run with lust after physical pleasure,
A heart that obediently refuses what you’ve rightly and wisely fenced away as sin,
A heart of love that never insists on its own way (1 John 2:16).

Oh God, create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that knows no greed when it looks upon worldly treasures,
A heart that thinks of others, and not itself,
A heart that argues for love instead of fairness.

Oh God, create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that never boasts about what it has or what its done,
A heart that walks humbly, not trying to appear more important than it is,
A heart that takes no pride in the flesh.

Oh God, create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that chases after you,
A heart that looks to you for its provision,
A heart that trusts that you are at work in others,
A heart that does not manipulate people or circumstances,
A heart that looks upon the things above and not the things below.

Heavenly Father, renew a steadfast spirit within me ...

A spirit committed completely to you,
A spirit that is not double-minded,
A spirit that is focused, and single minded on your purposes,
A spirit resolved to know Christ and Christ alone.

© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.

This came via e-mail this week and I just felt like I needed to share it because I have wanted to post about this for a while, but just haven't known where or how to start. I am finding more and more with time that this is the biggest prayer that I have. I got an issue of Disclipleship Journal several years ago with the main topic being about purity. Now I admit, when I saw that word, my immediate thoughts went to the 'True Love Waits' campaign and things like that, but as I read the article, I was both amazed and humbled at the magnitude of what it described as life purity. I don't have the article with me now (I loaned the magazine to a friend a while back and need to see if I've gotten it back, so I can't look anything up) but it drove home the point that I need to constantly be in check of, among other things, my motives, my responses, my relationships and indeed, every area of my life.

I am conscious of these things, but I fall short probably more often than I'd care to admit. I am an impatient driver, I am short-tempered with my family at times, I am not always selfless in my motives, etc, and I hate to see these things in writing (!!), but I do know that God is at work simply in the fact that when I do or say something that I know is wrong, I feel convicted almost immediately. I can also see that He is bringing things and people into my life that will hold me more accountable and I am thrilled about that. (More on this part later, I'm sure!)

I know HE wants this pure, clean heart even more than I do.

"O Lord, grant me the satisfaction of pleasing You; not in work for You primarily, but in relationship with You. I would be like the woman (who anointed Your feet with expensive perfume) spending herself totally, wastefully, on Your behalf. Cause my single-minded goal to be that of satisfying You first. Then will my longing heart be satisfied in a love relationship with You.
-- Catherine Marshall & Leonard Le Sourd, My Personal Prayer Diary, Chosen Books, 1979.

Terrible Two's

I had a little "Terrible Two's" challenge tonight from my friend Kathy at Justabeachkat , so I couldn't pass it up. I love stuff like this and she thought I'd be one of the first to do it, so I am! I didn't want to let her down, plus it's fun. I hope you'll do it too, and let me know when you do so I can go check out your answers too.

1. Two Names You Go By: Dianne, Di

2. Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now: tank top, shorts

3. Two Things You Want In A Relationship: Give and take

4. Two of Your Favorite Things to Do: Hang out with my nieces, sleep (!!)

5. Two Things You Want Very badly At the Moment: my cat to quit trying to sit on my keyboard, a glass of tea :-)

6. Two Pets You Had/Have: my cat, Sweet Kitty, and a bird when I lived at home

7. Two People Who Will Fill This out First: Not sure. I wish everyone would participate! :-)

8. Two Things You Did Last Night: Went to an awesome Women's Ministry event at church (this was actually Thursday night, but since it's early morning and still technically Friday night, this qualifies!), worked on a word document after I got home.

9. Two People That Live In Your House: just me and my cat...she thinks she's a person!

10. Two People You Talked To Last: my nieces, Kate and Grace

11. Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow: sleeping late, watering plants in the morning...they need it BAD.

12. Two Longest Car Rides: Georgia to Washington DC, Georgia to wherever the Little House on the Prairie stuff is...a vacation when I was a teenager

13. Name 2 of Your Favorite Holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving

14.Two Favorite Beverages: Tea -- but not too sweet, and grapefruit juice (weird, I know!)

Come on....do it....it'll be fun! :-)

Better than Nike.

I need a money tree!

Of all the things I am or have, a money tree is not one of them!

Don't get me wrong, I like money as much as the next guy, but I'm so glad it is not something that strive to hang onto at all costs, because if it were, this past week would have done me in!

I took my car to get the oil changed a couple of weeks ago and asked them to look at my tires because I had noticed the front one on the driver's side was worn, no doubt because that's where I am most of the time. I figured the other front one was the same way, so I just asked them to check it out. You can imagine how happy I was when I went to pick it up and they told me I needed 4 new tires! UGH! I knew I'd need some, but maybe not all 4 at once. I did run it by some male friends and my dad to be sure I wasn't getting taken, but they all agreed.

So here we are 2 - 3 weeks later. He had told me before they had some on sale that were usually $99.99 per tire, but were on sale for $79.99 each until the end of August, so doing that saved me $80. What I didn't realize, and why I didn't realize it I don't know because I have bought tires before (!!), is that there are charges for balancing, alignment, valve stems, tire disposal, etc. So I march in thinking $320, and the tells me $511 for a total price. GEEZ! I needed them though, so what could I do?

I told them when I dropped it off that it was sluggish in cranking, so I'd appreciate it if they could check that out too. I don't know if they did or not because the guy told me up front that as hot as it's been, starters want to expand and that can make cars sluggish in starting. He didn't say anything about it when I picked my car up from getting the tires and I didn't think to ask. It started fine then and has started fine until last night....

I went to Books-a-Million to get something for Kate's birthday and that's when it started. It didn't want to crank, but I tried a second time and it started right up....so off I go just a few stores away to Target. I prayed when I parked that it would crank when I came out a few minutes later, but no luck. I sat there knowing that my mom is in town and that my sister is at home cooking dinner for everyone, that it was my mom's birthday, and that we didn't need that to deal with right then....so I sat there and tried several times....nothing. So I just said, "God, if you can just let this thing crank a few more times, I will take it first thing tomorrow to get it looked at."

Guess what.....right away it cranked! WOW! :-) I like immediate answer!

So I came home, wrapped mom's gift, went to my sister's, came home about 10:15, then went this morning to find that it was the battery and that it was totally gone. He was sort of surprised it had enough energy to do as much as it did, but I was just thankful! So to the tune of $135, I left with a new battery.

What an expensive week...but this is how it breaks down:

4 new tires.....$511

1 new battery.....$135

The feeling of being safe on the road and knowing that God answers prayer....priceless!

I'm not surprised. :-)

Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Another powerful post (but not from me!)

Well, my friend Leanne has another powerful post written yesterday that I just read today....both thought-provoking and informative. She brings up a subject that Kat posted about a few days ago and one that has been on my mind a lot these last several days since I watched a video I got from Kat as well. The subject is inflammatory breast cancer. (Here's the link for that the video: http://www.komotv.com/ibc . Definitely worth watching.)

The funny thing is that I had gotten this video from another friend, but hadn't taken the time to watch it yet, so when I got it again over the weekend, I knew it was time to stop and take a look. Well, yesterday morning Judy, the girl I work under, mentioned that she had this 'bug bite' that just appeared. (When you've been working together for 22 years, you tend to talk about most everything!) With my radar up from this report, we found this video online, so I sent her the link. It took her a while to watch it, but after she did, she came in my office all pale-faced and said, 'They said 'bug-bite' about 3 times!' She's always been of the attitude that if you go to the doctor like you should, they (or mammograms or x-rays) will catch anything that's wrong and you can just get it handled. I love her to death, but she's a bit black and white in her thinking at times. I was glad to give her something that showed things aren't always the way she thinks because I try to tell her that there are gray areas sometimes....things just don't always go according to plan. I am sure what she has really is a bug-bite, but this has definitely been food for thought for her and for me. She and her husband left today around noon for Florida until next Monday, but the last thing she said before she left was that she's going to see what happens and if she thinks she needs to go to the doctor when she gets back, she will! She also said that if she hadn't just casually mentioned that and I had not told her about this video, she would still have no idea that anything like inflammatory breast cancer was out there. Word of mouth can be a great thing!

All this brings me to Leanne's post. As much as this discussion has been going on in our office, literally every couple of hours since yesterday morning, you could have knocked me over with a feather this morning to read her blog and about her mom's battle with this same thing. I printed it out and took it to show to Judy because I just couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it either. It is just amazing how God can take one topic and drive it home again and again and again. It's been on my mind a lot, so I just wanted to point you to Leanne's blog again and to say thanks to her for sharing her story and for her transparency. She's new to this blogging world, but I can already tell she's going to have a lot to share with us....and hopefully we'll have lots to share with her over time as well.

Thirsty?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God's approval. They will be satisifed." Matthew 5:6

I'm feelin' OLD!

I have decided I am OLD!

This morning, I decided I wasn't going to mess around on the computer all day....that I was going to be productive and get things done around here that I've just been putting off.

SO.....

I went out about 9:15 and started watering plants and working in my yard. We're on a watering ban, or at least I believe it's still on, so I had to get that done before 10:00. After that, I worked out there pulling some weeds, trimming rose bushes, mixed Clorox with water and sprayed it along the back of the house to clean off parts that REALLY needed it, etc, then decided it was time to get to work in my garage! Boy...did it need it! My sister had given me three sets of metal shelves before they went to Florida back in June, so I put those together, then spent the next 4 hours or so straightening things out out there, digging through boxes that I hadn't cleaned out since I moved here almost 3 years ago (!!), throwing things away, putting stuff aside for a garage sale, sweeping, all that 'necessary' stuff that you have to do to make a place look better. My sister came over later in the day and trimmed some bushes....since she's the horticulturist, she'd told me I'd better not TOUCH the bushes and trees until she showed me how to prune them. Good thing because I would not have done it the way she did!

All I can say is that I came in and had a salad, finished watching a movie I had from Netflix, then got up after sitting for a while and tried (TRIED being the key phrase here!) to walk....UGH! :-) Oh my word! I could certainly tell that I have an office job and am not so used to that kind of work! I was limping around like I was walking on new feet!

It is a good productive feeling though, and when I left to go to Target tonight, I was so pleased with the way my garage looked when I raised the door when I returned home!

Now if I can just get that busy on the INSIDE! If I do, I may post a pic or two. We'll see!

More anniversary fun.

At the risk of making anyone hungry again, Melanie sent me a photo of the caricature they presented her with on Monday (at her 20th CFA anniversary) in addition to a nice watch....and trust me, I mean a NICE watch! This caricature is so cool because it's filled with all the things that are most important to her and that she is involved in. The two guys are her boys who are in college now. Hopefully you'll be able to click on it and make it bigger so you can look at all the detail. (Did I mention that she got a NICE watch too???)

How many employers do things like this anymore? Not mine! :-) Of course, I did get an extra week of vacation at my 20 year mark, so that's nothing to sneeze at either, I guess!

I LOVE this company, this family and their principles, so here's what I'm sayin'....

"Eat Mor Chikin'"

For Deedra :-)

Well, I have to post something else because Deedra at Nspired by Faith said she craved Chick-Fil-A everytime she checked my blog lately, so Deedra, this is for you (and my other blogger friends)...a quote that I LOVE because it's so true:

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often just to save it from drying out completely."
(Pam Brown, whoever that might be!)

Wonder if we can include blogger comments as part of that 'mulch'?

A sweet celebration

I took a couple of hourse of vacation time today to attend my friend Melanie's 20th anniversary celebration at Chick-Fil-A Headquarters. What an awesome, awesome thing! I have heard from others that these celebrations are fantastic, but this is the first one I'd ever been to myself. It started off with a slideshow set to the song "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman. This has been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it, but hearing it in conjunction with a sweet slide show of Melanie's life, her boys, her parents, etc....BOO HOO! It was just awesome. After that, they did a hilarious skit magnifying, of course, some of Melanie's quirks and personality traits. I think there were several times that I was laughing louder than anyone else in the room! They nailed it from her every morning drive through Dunkin Donuts for coffee to her dedication to her job, her directness, and the way she strives for perfection, of course, poking fun all along the way. After that, some of her bosses spoke, Truett and Dan spoke, then Melanie had her chance to offer her thanks to the people who have truly been 'family' to her these last 20 years. She did a great job paying tribute to the many co-workers, family and friends who were there. Melanie has been a great friend to me, especially during some very trying times, so I've known my own appreciation for her for years, but it made me even more proud to be her friend when SO many awesome things were being said about her. She lives her life by very high standards and I'm honored to have her and several people like her in my life.

One thing someone said toward the end though, I can't remember who, mentioned that someone else had said at their 20th anniversary celebration that doing this was a bit like being at your own funeral because, as a whole, we don't always take the time to tell our friends (and family) all we may want them to know of our love and appreciation for them. I thought about that all the way home and although I feel this is a standard I try to live by since the sudden death of a friend several years ago (you can go here to read about her), I am sure I fall short at times. It made me think of this poem I read a while back:

The Dash

(by Linda Ellis)

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came her date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

I guess what I'm really thinking here is that I am thrilled Melanie had a chance to hear, while she can, such a great tribute to her, to have so many kind words spoken about her, and I'm thrilled that she was able to have so many people just let her know that they love and appreciate her on a personal level. Great job Melanie....I am proud of you and I am proud to be your friend!

Like so many people did for Melanie today, we also need to be sure we stop to thank the people who make our lives complete because it's such an encouragement to that person and as I've heard said before, 'you never know how soon it will be too late.'

I saw how much it can mean today, and it's powerful stuff.

Check it out...

I have a friend who just started a blog a couple of weeks ago. It's listed on my sidebar, Being Transformed. She was on vacation last week and had an awesome experience that she shared on Friday. Definitely worth the read...and leave her a comment to let her know you've visited. She's so awesome!

Who's in your 'front row'?

Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row.

Life is a theater - invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships!

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to:
Which ones lift and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

The more you seek God and the things of God,the more you seek quality. The more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God, the more you seek things honorable. The more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

You cannot change the people around you... but you can change the people you are around. Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.

Math 911

More Funny Videos

Kate and her dad.

This may not be the height of interest to anyone but me, but the picture above is of Kate and her dad this past weekend when they were in St Mary's. It looks like they will not be moving totally to Florida after all, just to the last place they can get before the state line. In my mind, every little bit of space closer to 'home' is fine with me. They were out of town last week at my mom's condo on vacation, but made a couple of trips back up to St Mary's to look around and see if that's where they want to settle. They've talked about St Mary's and Brunswick, but for now, St Mary's is what seems to be on their mind. I have to admit, from the pictures, it looks like a nice little town.

I know I have said over and over that I am not moving, and I still have no intention of it at this point, but here's something weird: For those of you who read Tonja's blog, Gatherings, she had a post back on July 13 titled, 'Name Your Spot.' This was a quiz to find out where you would be most suited to live in the United States. I took that quiz and two of the places on the list of about 20 that it gave me were Brunswick and St Mary's! I thought that was really weird. I told my sister about it and she wanted the link, so I asked her last night if she had taken this quiz....she said that she had but neither of these places were on her list. Isn't that just weird that of everywhere in the US, for me, it has to pick two places they are thinking about? The others were mostly in Tennessee and Kentucky, but I just thought that was weird. In hopes that Tonja won't mind me sharing this on my blog as well, you can go here to take the quiz yourself. It's pretty interesting.

Anyway, mostly I wanted to post a picture of Kate. I've posted so many pictures of Grace over time and this picture was so good of my sweet Kate that I thought she deserved fair time too. :-)

Psalm 1

I have no idea why this Psalm has been on my mind and come across my path so much lately, but it has. It was on my mind about two weeks ago, then again yesterday as I was puttering around the house. I remembered that Kim Hill sang it when I was at AtlantaFest back in the late 80's-early 90's (did I admit that??? It seems like an eternity ago!), so I looked to see if it was on YouTube in case I had any huge realizations that I needed to post about. Imagine my surprise to hear our pastor refer to it this morning in his sermon....

His sermon was titled, "The Power of God's Word," and the part that he used referencing this is that the Word of God is like WATER......cleansing, refreshing, life-giving, and encouraging.



To be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk recently for some reason, but now that I'm putting two and two together, I'm guessing this Psalm, song and message is my clue to get busy studying and trusting God bit more, because after all, Psalm 62:1 is true as well: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him."

It's pretty cool that I already had the answer I need, even if I didn't realize it.

Sweet mail.

My sister, nieces and brother-in-law are out of town this week, so it thrilled my soul to get this in the mail yesterday:

It doesn't get much sweeter than that, but isn't it funny that Grace would think to say that she can't 'wate' to spend her money rather than that she can't wait to see me again? I LOVE stuff like this. She's so funny. And Kate, she's just so sweet.

This is a 'keeper' though, no doubt.

Who would have guessed??

About a week ago, I was totally blown away to have Jill at Who Could Ask For Anything More leave a comment on one of my posts to say that she had nominated me for an award and that I needed to go to her blog to pick it up. Of course, my curiosity was piqued, so I padded right over there to find out what it was. Imagine my surprise to find that it was this award. WOW....I just stared at my computer and shook my head, because if there is anything I feel I am NOT, it is what this award entails. I am grateful and humbled though Jill, so thanks for thinking of me!

I came across Jill's blog a few months ago as I was hitting the 'random' choice on the Christian Women Online Blog Roll. I was first drawn in by her adorably cute blog design, but it took only one post that I really identified with to know that this was one that I needed to add to my own blogroll. I have enjoyed my visits to her blog immensely. To you Jill, I appreciate the time and effort you put into making your posts both thought provoking and fun. I know that is a real feat at times because I know I have trouble with what to say sometimes, but you do a great job and I am thankful for your openness and all you put into it.

Now, about this award, it was started by a teenage girl named Jocelyn and you can go here to read more about her. Below is the background behind this award in Jocelyn's own words:

As for my award, it is called The Blogger Reflection Award. Why? The reason for the title is because this award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who, when you reflect on them, you get a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them. This award is for the best-of-the-best so consider who you pick, carefully. This award should not be given to just anyone. If you're going to do the award don't just write a few words and slap it on your blog. Write real thoughts about these bloggers and what they've been to you, and if the bloggers you pick have already been given the award, don't be afraid to give to them again. They deserve it as many times as it's given.

So here goes.....I nominate the following people, for the way they inspire me:

Jess at Bittersweet: Another random find, besides Jill, that I just love. She finds great lessons in the ordinary things and right now has a great post about the change dishes you find beside registers in stores. I'll never see one of those again without thinking of her post on this....WOW!

Kat at Justabeachkat: Found through a link on another friend's blog, she has a great life and posts sweet things about her family, friends and God's blessings. Always lots of fun and interesting things here.

Jean at MusicalJean: Also found through a link on another friend's blog, she has a heart of gold and has shared it with with numerous foster children and seemingly, anyone else who crosses her path that just needs to know someone cares. It's been heartwarming and astonishing to see how God used her in the lives of so many people and how He has used them in her life as well.

Tonja at Gatherings: EEK! Dare I say, another link from a friend. Tonja has a huge zest for life, fun, and all that is good. Life has dealt her several things that would be too much for so many of us, but she has turned them all into blessings and no doubt encourages everyone she comes into contact with.

And last but not least,

Tracey at Show Me State...of Mind. She's the friend who three of the links above came from and the friend that started me on this blogging journey to begin with. We've been friends for more years than I can remember now, but it was an instant connection whenever it was, so it seems like I've known her forever. Her blog gives a great glimpse into her life and on many counts, her humor is not to be missed.

So there you are, my nominations. If you not one of these girls, give them a visit....if you ARE one of these girls, pass it on, sisters! :-)

My cool day.

I love when stuff like this happens:

My sister told me earlier in the week that she was having their friend Edith down to dinner tonight. Edith lives in their old neighborhood and is about 90 years old, no kidding. She's as spry as they come and has an adorable personality. It's a real hike for my sister to drive up to where Edith lives to pick her up, go back home, cook dinner, spend time chatting, then take Edith back home and drive home herself, so I offered to get off work early this afternoon, pick Edith up and get her to my sister's since I work only about 10 minutes from Edith's house and would be heading toward my sister's anyway.....besides the fact that I stayed for dinner too!

Anyway, my friend Gina is out of town again, so I went to let her dog out before I went to Edith's. I was running a little ahead of schedule and needed to stop at the drug store, so I used that time wisely and got that errand out of the way. When I went to pay, the cashier kept talking to this man (who had already paid) for a couple of minutes (which seems like an eternity when you're the one waiting to check out!). You know how it is....to be totally honest, in my mind, I was thinking....."Yooohooo! Quit talking! I need to go get Edith and I'm going to be late!" When it was my turn, she asked how I was, I said "Fine" and asked about her,not expecting much of an answer. Her response surprised me though....She said, "Not too good right now." Well, normally, cashiers don't say things like that, so WE started chatting and she started telling me how she has recently moved here from another state for a fresh start and just can't find a job in the field where she has a degree....Criminal Justice! Well, HELLO! I would think around here these days there would be NO trouble finding a job in that field (!!), but evidently she hasn't had any luck. I told her I would pray that she would find something soon. She said she appreciated that and she told me her name. We chatted another minute or so and I asked her if she attended church anywhere. She named a church and said she'd only been a few times because she's had to work, then she went on to say that she told her boss she would like to be off on Wednesdays and Sundays because she would like to attend church, but he keeps scheduling her because there aren't enough employees to cover the shifts. I could just see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes that things aren't working out for her like she had envisioned they would when she moved here. I didn't really know what to say to all that, but then it popped into my mind to tell her about this new women's ministry at my church that I mentioned here on my blog a couple of weeks ago. It came to mind, I know, because there are so many things to take advantage of on days of the week besides Wednesday and Sunday and possibly some things she can attend to meet people and get some sort of encouragement. I didn't have any with me right then, but in my car, I had some Women of Purpose brochures, so I left to get one of those to leave with her. I also left my name and phone number and the church's address because she asked. She sounded pretty interested, so who knows what may happen. I am going to keep my eyes and ears open though because I did get an honest sense that she would like to be involved somewhere.

The thing is that I NEVER go to that drug store I went to today. It's probably been a year or more since I've been in there, but when I left, I knew why I had stopped there. It was such a cool feeling. It felt good to know that I had offered her a positive opportunity for involvement and it felt good to know that I belong to a church that wants to reach out to our community. It felt good to let her know we have a women's ministry that offers more than Wednesday and Sunday involvement. I felt lucky that I had a brochure to share....AND it let me know that I always need to have a few of those brochures with me! You just never know.

Before I left, she mentioned that the guy in front of me had some connections with the police, court and legal system here and said he would see about helping her get in touch with some people who could maybe help her find a job in her field. She told him she didn't get off work until 10:00 and asked if that was too late to call. He said he needed to talk to her tonight because he's leaving in the morning to go out of town, so I'm going to be praying that they have a positive chat tonight and that he can help her get her foot in the door somewhere. I just can't help but to feel like something is going to work out for her.

And who knows, I may even see her at church or one of our women's ministry events one day...wouldn't that be cool?

Her name is Cheryl Bush and if you'd like to pray for her too, that would be super!

Flat as a fritter!

Here's how my cat has spent her evening as I've been perusing blogs (like I don't have anything else to do!):

While perusing, I followed a link from a comment on our friend Kathy's blog and found a hilarious story tonight that is worth reading. I'm not much of a camper, but did have to do it when I was a child and we were on vacation. If you've ever been camping, you will identify with SOMETHING in this story.....Go HERE for a laugh! Hope you find it as funny as I did.

What color are you?

I saw this on Lynne's blog and decided to try it for myself. (If you do this, I want to know how yours turns out too....)

You Are A Blue Girl

Relationships and feelings are the most important things to you. You are empathetic and accepting - and good at avoiding conflict. If someone close to you is in pain, it makes you hurt as well. You try to heal the ones you love with your kind and open heart.

What Color Girl Are You?

Catchin' up

Nothing new to post, but I just thought I'd check in...

My week has been fine and yesterday was a nice holiday. I went to my friend Gina's and had late lunch/early dinner there. Not the traditional cookout stuff, but salmon and talapia! YUM! I took a black-eyed pea salsa recipe that we all love (and it's easy as all get-out to make....just my kind of recipe!). Speaking of....I went to Target yesterday morning to get the things to make that and for about $10 of stuff....and left....$62 later! I hate when that happens, but unfortunately after I got home and looked it all over, there was nothing that I wanted to return! I obviously need a list and I need to stick to it! I did not have that much money to just blow, but I guess I did it anyway. It certainly goes out much quicker than it comes in!

Saturday morning, my sister, nieces and I are having breakfast with my step-mom (who we LOVE!) to work on plans for a surprise party for my Dad in a couple of months. He turns 70 on August 27. It's so hard to believe he's going to be 70! WOW. He still works circles around people half his age and works sun-up to sun-down and beyond most days. He has a tree farm that is about 87 acres (my sister works for him and they both have houses on that land) and until recently, was partners in a landscaping company for about 20 years. He amazes me. He could definitely work circles around me as well! UGH! He was raised on a farm working like that and it is obviously still in his blood. Anyway, I'm sort of excited about this party thing and I'm sure I'll be even more excited after we talk about it on Saturday. I just hope we'll be able to pull it off and have it be a true surprise. We'll see.

Anyway, like I said, not much happening this week, but it's sort of nice. Sometimes there is too much going on, but this week has been a good balance. I've decided I really could get used to working two days, being off one, working two days, being of two, etc. Wouldn't that be the life?

Wet night, rich worship

Well, as a follow-up to my last post, Celebrate America got rained out last night, so we had to move it indoors. I know that God's ways are higher and better than ours, but it is SO beyond me how it cannot rain for WEEKS, then the one time you plan something big outside, there it is! Last night was no exception to this rule.

We were supposed to be at the courthouse on risers at 5:30 for a soundcheck. My understanding is that some company who does outside concerts was handling the sound and everything that goes along with that. We just barely got started with that and it started rumbling thunder, then a few little blinks of lightening. The thunder was okay, but the lightening made everyone a little skittish and we were all ready to head inside. We no more than got across the street to The Cafe where we'd left our sack dinners and it started pouring rain. I mean it was coming down in sheets...SHEETS.....so much so that at several points, there was no visibility to even see outside. After a while, they did a little 'raise your hand thing' to see if we moved it to tonight how many people could have been there. It looked like a good number to me, but about 6:30, the decision was made for us to move it all indoors. As much work as I know it was for such a last minute change of plans, it went off like clockwork. I was somewhat disappointed as were a few friends I was sitting with, but in true 'God' fashion, it wound up being one of our best programs ever...and this year was the 20th year we've done this program! Our Worship Center was absolutely packed, front to back, wall to wall, main floor and balcony. Absolutely amazing.

There was a bluegrass band that played for about 30 minutes. They were absolutely fabulous, talented and so incredibly funny. A true crowd pleaser. After that, our orchestra played two or three songs, then we joined them for the remainder of the program. We had the pledges to the flags, the Bible, and the presentation of the flags for the different branches of the service, the Memorial Flag, lots of patriotic songs, etc. Below are a few pics that Gina took from the balcony. Some are blurry, but I'll post the best ones.

Fireworks were planned to close the program. The company that was doing them is the one that does them for the Braves, Atlanta's baseball team. They are evidently used to all sorts of weather and wanted to do them anyway, so they did! Fireworks were a first for our program and they set them off from the roof of the Worship Center! They were very good, even in the drizzly rain. The good thing is that all the rain set to rest any worries about fallout catching anything on fire.

Rick, our Minister of Music, said it best....'God must have felt that Jonesboro needed a good rain more than we needed an outdoor concert.' It's just cool that the rain and a last minute change of plans couldn't dampen the spirit of about 2000 people ready to show their thanks to God and patriotism for our country. It was a fabulous night after all. We are lucky indeed.