Money

With all the talk about the economy right now, our pastor felt led to change his sermon yesterday (Sept 28)...we'll be back to the 10 Commandments next week, but for now, the topic is money, from a sermon series titled, Where Your Treasure Is:

Worship Through Giving
2 Cor 9:6-8

'Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.'

***Our response to God's goodness is an act of worship.

***We are not to just receive good things from God -- we are here to give to God as an act of worship.

***God has a law of identical harvest. Gal 6:7 - 'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.'

***God acts toward us in unconditional love, but not unconditional blessing -- blessings come as a response to our obedience (!!)

Malachi 3:7-10 - 'Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'

***When you understand God's perspective on money, you will be set free.

***Tithing is not giving a gift to God, it is giving back to God what is already His.

***Anything less than a tithe is not a tithe.

***Tithing is an act of worship where we sacrifice what is precious to us.

***If you can't afford to tithe when you are poor, you will never tithe when you are rich.

***Our use of money reflects our heart.

***He is not asking for the 'extra.' He is waiting to see if we love Him enough to sacrifice what is dear to us.

***There is nothing more frustrating to God than to see His people receive immeasurable blessing from Him, then be stingy with what they receive.

Then, one of the last things he said, was 'How can we be mad at the people on Wall Street, etc if we are also not doing what we are supposed to be doing in our giving to God??'

Food for thought.

OUCH!

I called this morning to check on how much that ticket I got a couple of Sunday mornings ago for creeping around that stop sign would cost me and can you believe I have to pay $120??!! Dang! I have until mid-October to pay it. That is a good thing since I don't have it right now...a girl I work with had gotten a ticket for the same thing and hers was like $70 or $75, so that's what I was expecting. When they told me $120 this morning, I was in shock. Oh well. It's only money, right? I must admit though, I have been coming to complete stops since then, most of the time anyway! :-)

Good news...I went and voted this morning! I can't even imagine how crowded the polling places will be on the day of the election, so I decided to get that little, actually BIG, responsiblity out of the way early. My step-mom and sister went with me and we were all through in about 10-15 minutes...Definitely one of my better choices. If you have a chance to do that where you live, I highly recommend it. I'm ashamed to admit that I hadn't changed my voter registration info since I moved about 4 years ago, so I was sort of under the gun hoping my change info would go through in time for me to vote in this election, so I was THRILLED when I found online earlier this week that it had been changed. When I got there today, I filled out the form they had, a woman took it to her computer to verify my info, then came back over and said, sort of loudly on her way back to the counter where I was standing, 'Wow...It's been a while since you've voted, hasn't it??' but THIS is what I heard, 'WOW...IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU'VE VOTED, HASN'T IT???' I was like, "Okay...you don't have to say it so loud!!!! :-)" Then she started giggling and cupped her hands over her mouth like she was going to shout it and said it again. It was actually pretty funny. I will definitely be doing better from now on! Isn't it funny how someone can say something and depending on your guilt or innocence in the matter, you can hear it totally differently than how they say it? Although I was guilty, it was sort of funny. :-)

What else?? I went to a surprise party last night for a friend and client from work. She turned 60 yesterday and her husband had called about 3 or 4 weeks ago to invite me, the CPA I work under (Judy) and our boss (Ben). They have been great clients and in the 18 years they have been using our firm, Sue and I have become great friends. Their company is based out of Northern Ireland and they moved here from England to open a branch in the US in 1990, so we were some of the first people they contacted and started using when they came here. Her husband runs the company and she's the main office person and bookkeeper, so with that being the case, not knowing the US rules and requirements when they came here, outside of the basics of tax law, Sue and I have had to learn a lot together over time. We've become friends in the process. Although I was inclined to not go to her party at first because I didn't think I'd know much of anyone there, when Judy and Ben agreed to go, I got excited about it. I called Sue yesterday to wish her a happy birthday and from our conversation, it was obvious that she had no clue what was going to happen that night. It was a lot of fun when she realized I was there. I can't wait to talk to her next week and see what her recollection of the whole night has been. My boss took his camera, so we got a few pictures. If he will e-mail them to me, I may post them here in a few days. We'll see. I was VERY glad that I had changed my mind and decided to go. I could tell it meant a lot to Sue and it was definitely the right thing to do. I love when I make good decisions! :-)

Okay...I'm off to find out what time the debates start tonight. Even though I've already voted, I am eager to see what they have to say. If you have a chance to vote early where you live, definitely take advantage of it!

Hope you've had a great week.

New series -- The introduction

We started a new sermon series on Sunday (Sept 21) titled, 'The Power of Ten,' based on the Ten Commandments:

"Living in the Father's House"
Exodus 19:3-6; 16-19

Exodus 19:3-6 - Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you [will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

Exodus 19:16-19 - On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

***What was God's intent in giving the 10 Commandments? To guide us to have the best life possible in a coventant relationship with Him.

***The 10 Commandments were not given to the world, but to those in a love relationship with Him.

***The 10 Commandments came from a heart of love, but were delivered with absolute firmness.

***The 10 Commandments were delivered in such a way as to instill fear, in order that all would hear and obey.

***The 10 Commandments were delivered in sternness because God saw people wandering off in ways that were not good for them.

Ezekiel 33:11 - Say to them,"As surely as I live declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?"

***Because God loves us, He has given us specific instruction to live in harmony with Him.

Exodus 20:1-17 - The 10 Commandments:

1 And God spoke all these words:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

The Power of Ten puts you in a position:
-- to reflect God's character to a watching world
-- to know God
-- to experience God's blessing

'Let's Talk'

This is from September 14 (we had a guest speaker on the 7th):

(This one catches me up to date....the ones prior to this are below)

"Let's Talk"
Acts 4:31
***Is Jesus someone you've met from afar or do you know him? Has He changed your life?

***Have you talked to the Lord lately?

***If we don't spend time with God and knowing Him, we do not need to be out in the world talking about Him.

***An encounter with God should be your normal daily experience - is it practical in real life?

***Prayer isn't a duty, it's the heart of your salvation. Can a person be saved who does not pray? Can a person be in love with Christ and never talk to Him? There are scores of people who believe in God, but never utter a word of prayer.

***Do you think God is worthy of your time? Does He deserve our best?

***Do you WANT to spend time with Him? Not that you HAVE to, do you WANT to?

***The most important part of your day is time spent with Him.

***The early church had nothing but God, and turned the world upside down.

***Boldness comes from the presence of God.

***Have you learned to talk to God?

***The greatest gift we have is our relationship with God, but sadly it's the one thing we most neglect.

***Do you give to God thinking He is impressed, or do you spend time with Him?

***Everything in your life is a by-product of your relationship to Christ.

***Do you ADMIRE God, or have you MET Him?

'The Pillar of Worship'

These are from August 31:

"The Pillar of Worship"
Revelation 19:1-6
***Worship is a heart to heart encounter with the living God.

What does worship mean? Why have we come?

***In worship, we learn to say, 'Yes, Lord,' 'so let it be in my life.'

Trust Him -- from eternity's perspective, it is all going to be alright.

True worship is the desire to know and accept the will of God.

***In worship, we commit ourselves to do the will of God.

The will of God is not just something to be accepted; it is something to be asserted.

***In worship, we find the joy of our salvation

True worship is a testimony that the word of God is 'good news.'

***In worship, we find the assurance of victory - by looking to the past and seeing that the battle has already been won.

True worship finds its hope in the reality of Jesus Christ.

'The Pillar of God's Word'

These are from August 24:

"The Pillar of God's Word"
Isaiah 66:1-2; Acts 6:1-7

***Time given to study the Bible is not an academic experience; it is an encounter with God.

***There is only one way to honor God - OBEDIENCE.

***Your study of God's word is (1) a decision to live in the presence of God, (2) a decision to know the will of God, (3) a decision to join the (I missed this word..maybe community) of God.

Scripture reference:
Luke 22:39 - Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.

***More than He feared the cup, Jesus loved the hand from which it came.

***It is only when you have confidence in the relationship that you will have the confidence to obey.

***Obedience is discovered when it costs something - Love is revealed when it hurts.

***Strength is not found in how courageously I struggle, but how completely I surrender.

***If you don't spend time in God's word, you will not know him; If you don't know him, you won't love him; if you don't love him, you won't obey him.

***How you honor God's word, you honor Him.

'The Pillar of Prayer'

These are from August 17:

"The Pillar of Prayer"
Acts 6:1-7

Pillars of a church God can use:
--Prayer
--God's word
--Worship

***You cannot understand the ways or purposes of God unless you spend time with God.

***The mighty activity of God in history has come through fervent, united prayer among God's people.

Scripture references:
Acts 2:42 - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 4:31 - After they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Acts 12:5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

***The work of the kingdom is not done by our ability, but by God's power.

***The early church had nothing but God and they turned the world upside down.

***If we lose our sense of desperation for God, we are in trouble.

***Prayer is a clear reflection of your relationship with God.

Sermon notes - the introduction

Okay. I said earlier in the week that I was going to start putting my sermon notes on here so I could keep track of them better...handy reference...and for anyone who might care to read them, so these are from his first sermon in this series on August 10, "Indispensable Pillars of God's Church."

"The Wonders of Tomorrow"
Joshua 3:1-7

***Keep your eyes focused on God's activity.***

***If you want to see the wonders of tomorrow, prepare yourself today. ***

Scripture references:
Joshua 3:5 - 'Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."'

Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."

Jeremiah 33:2-3 - "This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it - the Lord is his name. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know."

Hebrews 2:3 - 'how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?'

***Everything God does in our life and in our church is thru relationship...not religious activity***

This is just the first week. I need to get caught up through this past Sunday, so I'll be sure to work on that tomorrow evening or this weekend. There is a lot more to come and it will make you examine your life like never before...his sermons are also online, so if any of this catches your attention, which I'm sure it will in the weeks to come, check it out at www.fbcjonesboro.com and follow the link at the bottom of the page to 'sermons.'

I'm back! :-)

I am thinking that this next week, I am going to start posting the sermon notes that I take in church each week. Our new pastor's sermons are incredibly thought provoking, sobering and well worth sharing, plus I am going to try to figure out the 'labels' thing so they will list on my sidebar and be easier to find. I really thought first of all about doing this for myself so I would have them all in one place, but then I know some blog friends have asked me to share some of his wisdom, so this will accomplish both of those goals.

His first sermon series is titled, "Indispensable Pillars of God's Church," those being prayer, God's Word, and worship. I'll work on getting that done this week.

Second, as you may have noticed, I added a 'McCain/Palin' button on my sidebar. I found this on another blog I read and loved it, so I added it here too. I am normally not a very political person, but am very happy that McCain chose Sarah Palin and that his party, and many Americans, have been energized by it. I just hope that everyone will get out and vote as it is our priviledge and resposibility! After I watched her speak at the Republican National Convention, I got to thinking that I didn't know for sure where I am supposed to vote, so through the fabulous, 'all knowlege is only a click away' internet, I discovered that I was still registered at the address where I lived before I moved....almost 4 years ago! Shame on me! As luck, or to me, God's hand, would have it, I was at Grace's soccer game last weekend and there was a woman walking around with voter registration/ change of address forms, so all I had to do was fill it out and give her that form with my new info. Hopefully I will hear this next week about my new polling location, but if not, I will be on the phone trying to find out. This woman was clearly an Ob*** fan, so I didn't say too much for two reasons: (1) I didn't want her to take my info and not turn it in, and (2) she just kept yapping and Grace's game started while I was filling out my form and I didn't want to miss it! I will make my statement in November when I vote~ :-)

I could go on and on about money being tight, getting a ticket this morning on the way to church because I didn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign (wonder how much that's gonna cost??), a car that needed a $600 part this last week, gas prices, and everything else, but I won't because everyone is fighting those battles right now too, many much moreso than me. Hopefully things will turn around soon, and besides, it could be worse...look at all those people who lost so much of their lives and possessions to Ike a few days ago.

We have much to be thankful for, so I choose to focus on that!

I'll work on the sermon notes this week...I'm eager to share Pastor Mel's wisdom!

"God Speaking"

I know I haven't posted in FOREVER. I have lots to say, I just need to work on how to word it all. Our new pastor is here and he is fabulous. Every sermon he's shared leaves me with a quiet, VERY contemplative spirit and his words seem to be on my mind all week long. My mind cannot even fathom what God must have in store! I know that God is using him, among other things in my life, to speak to me and get my attention right now. This song is one of those treasures. It's another GEM by Mandisa, "God Speaking":

Life.

It's been soooo long since I've posted! I didn't even realize how long it had been until I just looked at the date on the post before the quote on the 28th. Lots has happened and life has been busy.

I left the 30th to see my mom in Florida and was there until Sunday, the 3rd. Got back from there to a full office of work. I never figure how that happens....I was about totally caught up when I left, but when I got back, I had enough stuff in there to keep me VERY busy all week this past week. I'm not complaining, I just can't figure how that happens! I spent Monday night at home; went to see 'Mamma Mia' for the 3rd time with my sister and nieces on Tuesday; Wednesday, I had a meeting for Children's choir which starts again this coming Wednesday, then that night, I went to see 'Mamma Mia' AGAIN with my friend, Gina. Thursday, we had a shower at work during lunch for a co-worker who is expecting in September, then after work, went to a friend's house to get dinner for her children while she and her husband were out of town. They are old enough to look after themselves, pretty much, I just needed to get dinner for them and be sure they started homework, etc. Friday, I did the dinner thing at my friend's house again, came home for a few minutes, went to my sister's for a quick dinner, then back home to watch the opening of the Olympics. What a week!

Kate and Grace start their new school on Monday, so I took Grace today to get a new Bible as they will need one and she didn't have a good one to use. I was glad to be able to do that and happy that my sister let me. I dropped Grace off, did a couple of errands, then came home to watch the Olympics, nap and peruse the internet the rest of the day. I have loved today!

Tomorrow is our new pastor's first day at our church and I couldn't be more thrilled. I ordered a couple of his books off Amazon.com so I could sort of get a feel for what he might be like. I am eager to see what God has in store for our church under his leadership. These are exciting days, no doubt. Tomorrow afternoon, I have a drop-in shower to attend, then back to church for a receiption for our new pastor and his family. Never a dull moment!

If you haven't checked it out, go read my friend Rachel's blog....she's in Beijing for the Olympics and having a great time!

And for a huge laugh, go here. Trust me...it's FUNNY!

Profound thought.

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation

in this world than for bread."

--Mother Teresa

This 'n that.

I was going to post about my week, but it was mostly filled with work and a few stops to see my nieces on the way home. I have a deadline at the end of the month with work and I'm leaving to see my mom a few days of the last week this month, so I have to cram up and get everything done before I go. Not always an easy feat, especially since there's little I can do about when clients bring their work in, even though I've told them my plans. It was a stressful week, no doubt. I hope this next one is better.

I did have a few good things happen though. I was totally surprised to have yet another letter from the little girl I'm sponsoring when I got home on Monday. On the heels of the fact that I'd gotten two the week before, I was surprised, but totally thrilled. I can tell that the letters are getting more personal as she talked about her parents and what they do for work and how she's concerned for them. It makes me a little sad that a 7 year old little girl worries about her parents' work, but I'm glad she feels she can share those things. Her mother sells soaps and her dad makes stamps. One of her last sentences was this, "I want you to please pray for my parents. They always say that people are not buying, but I want God to help them, okay?" When I was 7 years old, I was only worried about what my friend, Amy, and I were going to play or where I was going to ride my bike to the next day. Certainly nothing like this sweet little thing worries about. I need to send her a note back this next week. I have already been blessed far beyond what I imagined and my hat is off to Compassion International, their workers and their organization for making it possible for these children to be sponsored and to handle it so responsibly. If I ever felt like I was doing anything right, this is it.

The other good thing is that I finally got a phone that can text! :-) Kate, my 13 year old niece, told me earlier in the week that I needed to get text added to my phone so she could text me with any news that couldn't wait. (I know she could call me, but in today's world, that is so 'yesterday.') Needless to say, when a teenager expresses an interest in keeping in touch, you do it, so I upgraded my phone and feel a bit more up with the times! ha...Technology just amazes me. It is fun though, I must admit.

One other fun thing I did was create an account on Facebook. Some friends at church have it and were talking about how fun it is and what a great way it is to keep in touch, and next thing you now, there I am signing up too! :-) It is pretty fun, mostly to know what everyone else is up to at any given time and post quick notes to each other. One of our friends is going to Japan to train for his job for 4 months, so it all sorta started as a way to keep in touch with him, but it's fun in and of itself, so I'm sure we'll keep on even after he's back home. Some things we just never outgrow! :-)

Although the things above are what I originally intended to post about, I'm about to do a hard turn and say that even with all these good and fun things this past week, I have had a twinge of loneliness, sadness, emptiness or something today and haven't been able to put my finger on why, nor have I been able to shake it. Nothing has happened except that I had a rather disturbing dream about a friend last night, but that usually doesn't affect me the way I've felt today. I tried to figure it out on the way home from church this morning and it's been a nagging feeling all day long, but I haven't come up with any reason yet. I'm not normally one to have pity parties, but I just feel sort of blah. So I get to church tonight and our preacher's topic is, "The Joy of the Lord." Well hello....how much like GOD is that? I listened to that sermon knowing it was probably just what I needed to hear today, so I sat there with Bible, paper and pen, taking notes....ones that I need to go back over again. I sat there with a quiet heart and quiet spirit knowing that God knew what I needed to hear today. Isn't that amazing? And why was I surprised???

It will be interesting...

My friend, Rachel, arrived in Beijing yesterday and will be working there during the Olympics which start August 8 and go through August 24. I have no idea what she will experience of course, but I can absolutely guarantee you that she will have some interesting posts, great pictures or videos and some insightful thoughts to share. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her over there!

Hop on over and meet her via the link above.....she's great!

I'm proud of you, Rachel!

A sweet letter

I am happy to report that I have gotten two letters recently from the girl I am sponsoring through Compassion International. The first came last Saturday. I was thrilled to see the envelope but somewhat disheartened to open it and read a note that sounded nothing like and 7 year old would write. I told myself though that she must have given the volunteer the topic and told him what to write about and he went from there. That was the only way I could feel good about it because I really want to know about this child....in her words.

Then on Monday, I got home and had another note from her.....this one in response to a note I had e-mailed to Compassion International from work. They evidently go quicker that way to wherever they are sent for translation, so I will probably do that from time to time as well. The contents of the second sweet letter are below......

"Dear Dianne,
Thank you so much for making time to write to me even at work. When I had your letter, I had returned from school and my social worker called me to have and reply your nice letter. I am happy to hear from you Dianne.

Now is the season of mango fruit in Ghana and there is a mango tree in my house, how I wish you were here to enjoy it with me. Dianne, I will love to become a nurse when I grow up, what do you want to be in future?

My class teacher is called Mr David and he says it is good I like dictations it will help me become a good nurse. My family and I are always praying for you.

From your child: Kate Aban (with social worker’s signature as the writer)"

How sweet is that?

Now THAT'S the kind of letter I want to get!

Can you identify? :-)

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table,
Put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
And notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back
On the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,
Since I'm going to be near the mailbox
When I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table,
And see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
So I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks,
But first I need to push the Coke aside
So that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm,
And I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke,
A vase of flowers on the counter
Catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and
Discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,
But first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,
Fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
But I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
So I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
But first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,
But quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table,
Get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to
Remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

The car isn't washed,

The bills aren't paid,

There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,

The flowers don't have enough water,

There is still only 1 check in my checkbook,

I can't find the remote,

I can't find my glasses,

And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all darn day,
And I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
And I'll try to get some help for it,
But first I'll check my e-mail....

More than a holiday...

"The 4th of July is the time when we celebrate our nation-- a time to reflect on the freedoms which we believe are not granted by our government, but are self-evident rights for all humankind. Time for the Independence Day Quiz which asks, "How much do you really know?" Every day thousands leave their homelands to settle here in the land of the free. Before they become citizens they are required to take a citizenship test and score 80%. Could you pass this test if you took it today?"

"This quiz is made up of 20 questions found on the actual citizenship test with a few curveballs in the mix. The last ten questions may be a bit harder, but a score of around 24 out of 30 is considered a passing grade."

Take the quiz HERE, and let me know how you do....I got 22.

Two pleasant surprises.

I can tell that I'm going to have to post about Deeper Still as I process the whole weekend, but this link will give you some of what we experienced. It really was great.

Personally, one of my most immediate responses is that I LOVED Priscilla Shirer! I knew absolutely nothing about her going in and was SO pleasantly surprised. She was funny, incredibly thought provoking, and just a big ball of energy up there, so it was easy to stay interested in her message. She spoke about trusting and seeking God in the 'wilderness' situations of life. While she spoke of the desert being dry, dusty and barren, she suggested camping out in those times and seeking God, stating that 'the wilderness is where intimacy is ignited. God leads us there so we will experience and trust God more fully.' That was a powerful statement for me because I can surely look back during specific 'wilderness' times in my life and see how diligenty I sought God, how I looked for His lessons and had a huge desire to follow where He was leading. It's hard to think that He would lead us into a time of brokenness like that, but I know when it happened to me, one time specifically, my priorities were WAY out of whack. And even if it's not anything like what I experienced, there are other situations that are out of our control, but God still wants us to use that time to trust and meditate on His word, His ways and His purposes and just remain obedient. When we come out of those times, it is a witness to others and a huge step in our walk of faith. She had a great message and I was thrilled to hear her. I can tell that one of the next books I read will be one of hers.

The other thing I was most struck by was Mandisa. I had heard her name from American Idol, but had no idea who she was. She has evidently has traveled with Beth Moore's praise team for years, but American Idol is what got her name out there. This post will give you insight into her sweet heart and her love for the Lord. I was just smitten with her and intend to either get a CD of hers or get some songs from iTunes for my ipod. She was fabulous. With that, this is just a taste of what she offered: Don't worry about today and it's problems....we have much to look forward to, after all.....

"It's Only the World"!



If you have a chance to see either of these two ladies, DO IT. You won't be disappointed!

Busy week, but fun days

My sweet Kate boarded a plane this morning, BY HERSELF, to go see my mom in Florida! She has now done something that her Aunt Dianne has never done! I'm really proud of her. I know that's not such a big deal to anyone who flies often, but it is to me! :-) When my sister booked the flight, she'd asked about being able to walk Kate to the gate, but they told her that it depended on what the security risks were on the day Kate was flying, so, true worry-wart that I am, I began praying right then that all would be calm and she would be able to do that. As it turned out, my sister didn't even have to ask for a gate pass....the airline Kate flew evidently automatically gives them to parents of minors who are flying alone. Too bad the people on the phone didn't tell my sister that to begin with, but oh well, extra prayers never hurt anyone! :-)

We have rehearsals tonight and tomorrow night for our 4th of July program at church this Sunday...Patriotic Jamboree. It should be fun. I am looking forward to getting there tonight and seeing what's in store. It sounds like the set-up is nothing like we've ever done, so I'm excited to see it. Hopefully the rehearsals will go well......

THEN, what I'm really excited about....this weekend, I am going to the Deeper Still conference this weekend here in Atlanta with Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur. Well, actually, I'm not going WITH them, but they are the speakers. :-) I've only been to one other Beth Moore conference to see her in person and I and left there ready to become a groupie. She is just fabulous. I've done a couple of Kay Arthur studies, but never seen her in person. I know nothing at all about Priscilla Shirer, but I'm sure she's great as well. I am excited. I am going with my step-mom, her sister, and my step-mom's daughter. It will be nice to get away for a while and focus on GOD and spend time with Brenda (my step-mom) and Angie (her daughter). I don't know Brenda's sister very well, but it will be a good weekend. We are spending the night at some hotel downtown so that we don't have to fight traffic and pay so much for parking. There is supposed to be a shuttle that runs from the hotel to Phillips Arena, so that will be nice.

Then when we get home from that, I hit the ground running getting ready for Sunday and then program at church Sunday night.

Whew....it will all be fun, but it'll be a whirlwind.

And now, I need some opinions:

I think this black background makes all this somewhat easier to read and the other colors stand out more, but I don't know if I'm sold on it yet....any thoughts?

This convicts me:

"If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

-- C. S. Lewis

WOW. This was the 'Today's Quote' from Heartlight that changes on my blog sidebar every day. This was Tuesday's quote from this week. It stopped me in my tracks that morning and has been on my mind on and off since then.

You know, God uses so many different ways and times to convict me of things in my life that I know are not up to HIS standard. Sometimes it's my actions, sometimes it's my words, somtimes it's my thoughts or the unexpressed things I may not share with anyone, then sometimes I read things that covict me to the very core of my being. The quote above happens to be one of them.

I spent some time catching up on blog reading tonight...something I have let slide for several weeks for some odd reason. While doing this, I found that another friend had a great Memorial Day post that was thought provoking as well. I have had many of her same thoughts myself, and even though Memorial Day has passed, her post is worth mentioning again. You should go read it if you haven't already. (Great word, Jill!)

Here's the thing: I think I am struggling because the gas I am putting in my car is more expensive than it's ever been since I've been driving. I think I don't have enough because I don't have the money to do all the things I might want to do around my house right now. I think I am struggling because I am single and trying to live on one income in this day of rising prices of, it seems, everything...and it appears it will get worse before it gets better.

It is a bit scary with things like they are and money is definitely tight, but I'm not struggling.

The truth is.....I am blessed. I am lucky enough to have a car that runs and to be able to afford the gas for it right now. I am lucky enough to have a nice roof over my head. I am lucky enough to be able to put money into my retirement each payday. I am lucky to have food to cook or money to eat out if I choose (which can fall under the 'bad money management' category if I'm not careful!). I only mention things concerning money here because of the reference to lifestyle in CS Lewis' quote, but I am blessed to have the friends, relationships and family that I have. The truth is that I am not struggling in any sense of the word.

I feel convicted, almost ashamed, even admitting that here.

With all that said though, I do give and do what I can when I know there's a need, but I can't say that I give until feel the need to alter my 'wants' in order to do it and that's where I think the coviction of this quote comes in. I want to live with that 'pinch' that CS Lewis mentions, but I don't want to live with it because everything is costly right now or because I am a bad money manager. I want to live with it because my heart is open and willing to help others that need it far more than me. I want to live with it because God is bigger than I am and I know He will meet my needs if I follow through on the things He places on my heart. I want to live with it because I've quit looking at things like an accountant and have started looking at things in light of ministry and helping others.

Thank you, CS Lewis, for your timeless wisdom.