Recently I told you about slowing down. I took my own advice (so to speak) and went to Disney for a little rest and relaxation. I needed to take a break. And while I cannot fly everyone down to Disney and pay for your admission, I will share some of the pictures from my trip - and well, you can look at these pictures and imagine that you were standing right beside me when I took the pictures. Enjoy!

And, this is Thunder Mountain Railroad. I got my nerve up to ride this one - I don't do the whole roller coaster thing - but then I saw a group of small kids getting ready to ride and figured at my age, I should be able to handle it - and handle it I did! I had a good time!

Now, I had the chance to ride the transit system of the futuer and see the sights from on-high. This was pretty cool and I was snap, snap, snappin' away.

Hey y'all!

Happy Monday! This is the day that the Lord has made and to tell ya the truth - I'm glad!

Yesterday, I kept my godson who is three months old. I had him for a few hours and can I just say one word to describe him...ADORABLE! Oh, did he show me his gums and just cooo - you know that made my heart melt. I don't see how folks can hurt little babies. Doesn't seem plausibe!!!

OH, if you get a chance, take a color analysis. My friend Kathy posted about it on her site, if you want to read my results. And the color analysis itself is here. Of course, I didn't pay for the full analysis - I think the intro paragraph of the analysis you get back is good enough. Nevertheless, I thought it was a fun and pretty accurate assessment of me!

Now, to the real post.

Everybody is talking about it - so I think we should too. The financial bailout. Now, whether or not we get to the root of who caused it or who was first to say that they solved it, even as it was bi-partisan, you know we'll hear about it soon ... "We were the first to ..." It makes me ill that we have grown folks running our government acting like school kids... "he started it..."

Okay, I'm losing my point.

Nevertheless, although I think watching the financial bailout come to a solution is a worthwhile exercise in fiscal responsibility and the dangers of greed and self-interest, I want to shed light on another area.

As Christians, I think this bailout should encourage us to tithe more. What safer place to put your money than in the Kingdom of God. Don't scrunch your face up - we cannot control what man does with the money - but if we are joyful givers and are giving the money in faith to God, then it does not matter what happens after it's put in the collection plate. That is to say, that the decisions are not on your shoulders. The persons handling the money will have to make an account to God. Your part is to give joyfully.

My next point is that everything we have belongs to God. So, don't get into a panic about your 401k or anything else. Give all your cares to God. He's the One that got you the job so that you could have the 401k anyway. He's the One that gave you the mind so that you could learn what is required for that job with that 401k. See where I'm going here? Everything belongs to God. Every bit of it. So, it doesn't do us any good to sit around worrying. Cast all your cares on Him...

Lastly, this is a great time for witnessing. I think that God is growing weary of America's ways. We've tried to take "In God We Trust" off of our money - and now we see what's happening. We've let homosexuality onto our main primetime stations and as a nation will allow such activity to be legalized into marriage. We have put the interests of the rich ahead of those of the poor. We send aid in billions to countries outside of the US but will not send that same support to our own tax-paying US citizens in Hurricane damaged cities - remember Katrina? How much more will God take from us? No one can know, but the writing is on the wall.

Here Comes the Bride
All dressed in white
Dah dee dah dee dee
I don’t know the rest of the song…

Good news. A childhood friend of mine is getting married in October. I am throwing her a Bridal Shower this weekend. YAY!

I think we are going to have a blast. I’ve got games prepared, gifts to give and love to share. I can only remember the middle school days – boy, we’ve come a long way!

One thing that I like about this bride is that she is not bridezilla in the least. She is planning a small, private event with just those that mean the most to her and her groom. She’s not interested in what can become the spectator side of a wedding. No huge frills – just the main event – the proclamation of enduring love before God and the families.

I think that our society has gotten to happy with those lavish weddings – don’t get me wrong – the spectator in me wants that invitation! But, when the lavish exceeds the love, we have a problem.

Wouldn’t we all be better, as couples, as individuals, if love ruled the day? Love is the greatest gift.

Let’s practice giving that gift over and over again!

Have a good weekend!

Why is it so "popular" to admit homosexuality? I am really disturbed by this trend. If we look at celebrities, they seem to be coming out in droves - T.R. Knight (which by the way really surprised me), Lindsay Lohan (I'm still shocked) and even though many had speculated this to the be case - Clay Aiken - and there's more!




In the local schools, this issue is raging out of control. I have a good friend who told me of the activities going around at her daughter's school. Saints of God, this is a praying time. The spirit of homosexuality is strong.

I think we have to understand a few things.


(1) Although this public display of homosexuality on our network television stations and local malls is disturbing, it's not new behavior (check out Genesis 19). Our society has gotten so lax and accepting of sin that homosexuality is increasing accepted. Some, in what I believe to be flawed judgment, even say that the perfect God of the universe created them that way. But, it does not even matter what our society accepts if God rejects it. And, make no mistake, God calls this brand of sin an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

(2) Homosexuality IS a perversion of God's gift. Check out Romans 1:26-27.



While I deeply oppose homosexuality, I also know that each person practicing this sin is redeemable. I know this to be true because God is no respecter of persons. He does not love me more because I am heterosexual and love them less because they are homosexual. But He does call us all to account. We will all answer for our sins.



So, that's why I want you to join me in prayer. Let's appeal to Heaven for a reversal of this trend and an increase in love for God and His Word. We need to be obedient to God and His Word.

There is yet hope for homosexuals, if they will repent. If we look at 1Corinthians 6:9-11, we can see the hope laid out for us all:

V9 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality


V10 - nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.


V11 - And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Getting proper rest is important. Yet, it is the one thing that we tend to neglect. We "get by" on fewer and fewer hours of sleep per night while we are busy multi-tasking and saving the world. Well, I for one am quite tired of the race. And, it's not because I'm having difficulty with it - it's just that I am getting to the point now that some things just don't matter as much as they used to. I'm getting to the point now where I would much prefer to slow things down a notch.

I'm not ready to retire, but I am ready to move out of the "fast lane" into the middle lane beside it. I'll roll in the middle for awhile. Not too fast - not too slow. In visiting with my doctors, talking with my friends, and assessing the dark circles underneath my eyes, a slow down is in order. I want to "smell the roses."

I read in a book that we get consumed with saving time and maximizing our days. Every "symptom"/warning signal that this book described, I had it. And, well, that's not a good thing! So, slowing down will be the prescription for me.

And maybe, you should take a look at your world too. If it seems that you are always on the go, running here and there, giving your all in your selected activity to the point that when you get home you simply do not have any energy for another thing, well, slowing down maybe the treatment plan for you.

A first step for me today, (knowing that I was exhausted from the weekend excitement, activity and travel, I flew back, went into the office to work on a special project and have been rolling non-stop since), is going to be to dial it all back a bit and kick my feet up on the couch and relax.

I bet your couch would love a visit too!

Walt Disney World is amazing. Lots of good things to be a part of. Lots of fun to be had. The technology that goes into that amusement park is thrilling, as well as the sheer attention to detail. Wonderful!

It’s funny how we can look at a place like Disney and see right off the wonder and the fantasy created there. It’s all man-made. We can compare achievements. We can say, well, that must have taken a long time or that must have taken much effort because we can compare what it would have cost us in terms of time, knowledge and resources.

However, I would like to take this time to point out the obvious.

We pay loads of attention to man-made things. But, I want you to consider the God-made things.

We can start with nature. We can count the rings in a tree trunk to know how long its been around. But, what about thinking about how the tree came to be – the number of species – the sheer majesty of a huge tree towering above you, cooling you on a hot, sunny day. It’s wonderful. God created that – marvel at the attention to detail- both inside and outside of the tree.

I can only think about my food supply. I love to eat. God created the good things that I ingest. Have you ever been to a farm? Have you ever been around food-harvesters? Do you know how food gets from the field to the dining table? It’s amazing.

My maternal grandfather was a farmer. My other grandfather, does farming in his oversized garden. Each year, he plants a variety of things. And, before the hard frost, I go up to his home and help him get the sweet potatoes out of the ground. We’ve done it for three years now. There is something rewarding about gathering food that you will eat. It’s amazing.

God has left us with amazing things to behold. I can only hope that we will examine His majesty by looking at His creation. He’s better than technology, better than best. He’s God.

Okay, this is not going to be a traditional post. I'm soooooo thrilled! I went to the NC State - ECU football game today. And, while my team, NC State, has been plagued with injury after injury and just have not performed all that well, I was optimistic about their chances today.

I felt that as long as we kept the score close, then we would be alright. And, let me tell ya, what a game!!! First, we had EXCELLENT seats - we were on the second row behind the ECU players. My sister got the tickets. Yay! Thanks Sis!

At half-time, we were down 7 points. But, thanks to some good play, we went into overtime and the pack really rallied! We won in overtime! The score, 24-30, pack!

I wish that ALL professing Christians lived up to their title. We bear the name Christians because we are supposed to be Christ-like. But, this week in particular, I have dealt with some very un-Christ-like Christians.

I know that we all still live in this flesh and that the flesh wants what it wants - and if you let it, that self-same flesh will get what it wants. But, when we discipline our flesh, our spirit is free. We all need to work towards that goal of disciplining our flesh such that our soul can flow freely.

The first step in getting to this place is what we would love one another. Jesus said His disciples would be identified by their love. Heart check ... would you be identified as one of His disciples by the love you showed others this week? Would I? Questions like these are ones that we have to deal with - these types of questions need to be at the very forefront of our minds.

So, this weekend, would you do a self-examination? Would you ask God to look into your heart and tell you where you may need to improve to be more like Him. Afterall, we want to hear well done.

Can I tell you today that I slept so good again last night!!! Okay, enough of that. But, that is my testimony about the peace that is available to you when you just turn everything over to God.

Now, today’s real post.

God is so good. A few years ago, well, okay, more than a few years ago, God blessed me to meet a wonderful woman of God. At that time, I liked her but I thought she was a bit strange. She listened to gospel music at her desk at work. I was saved but I was a young child in the Lord – let’s just say infantile – that may best describe me back then.

As time went on and I got to know her, I came to really love her spirit. She was then and is now one of the kindest, gentlest persons that I know. She makes me happy when I talk to her – she is always smiling or giggling. It’s a blessing to be in her presence. God has done and continues to do a mighty work in her life.

Then, she moved. I’ve long missed my friend. Sometimes more than I could recognize – if that makes any sense. But, I’ve got good news. As a result of God’s providence, by the end of the year, I will get to see my friend again. I’m excited. She lives in Grand Cayman with her family. What a wonderful family. She’s so wonderful, that she lets me call them my family too. So, although naturally, I am a mother of no humans – just a pet fish, in the Caymans I am a mother of three – two girls and one boy.

So, while one would normally think Cayman – tropical – vacation, I’m thinking of reuniting with my family. She makes me feel like I belong and that is the best witness for Christianity that I could ever imagine. I belong in God’s family and in hers. She has not set up boundary markers. Instead, she exudes the love of Christ for me. She fills me with His love by allowing God to use her in various ways. She even makes me homemade, from scratch, oh-my-goodness chocolate chip cookies!

I hope you have somebody in your life that encourages you in the Lord the way that she encourages me. When I grow up, I pray that God will show Himself in me the way He shows Himself in my friend Kristie.

Blog Buddies! Good Morning!

Can I tell you how well I slept last night? It bordered on amazing. It wasn’t the sleep that you get when you work out too much and you essentially pass out from exhaustion. (well, at least I do, I’m out of shape). It wasn’t the sleep that you get when you’re sick and your body uses the time to fight off whatever is ailing you. No, this time, I slept a very peaceful sleep. I think I woke up smiling.

My night’s rest was not a result of my going to bed early – in fact, I went to bed late – very late. Instead, my night’s rest was a result of my reaching a point where I gave all of my drama to the Lord (and drama does not always have to be bad - I've just got a lot going on). Last night, I meant it when I said it - Jesus, take the wheel! And, as a result, I slumbered very well.

I also had a good revelation/reminder - God does not worry – so, if I am growing in His likeness, then I shouldn’t worry either. Who has time to worry! Just let Jesus take the wheel! My prayer for you tonight is that you rest in His confidence. Sweet dreams!

I want to see clearly.

Now, I cannot count on my natural vision for that. I wear glasses. And although I am seriously considering an HD television, that still will not get me to the clear vision that I am thinking of.

I want to walk with my Lord and Savior and delight in Him.

I want to see clearly without the distractions of the world.

It may seem that I want the impossible. But, I know that this is not impossible - I can have this when I trust in God and discipline my flesh for righteousness. I know that I can have this when I apply the spiritual disciplines to my life - those practices that Foster, Whitney, Ortberg and others discuss.

When I look at the life of Jesus, I have a model in which to follow, and I have the Word of God for further instruction.

I want to be "on the same page" with my Savior.

I want to see clearly...

I didn't see it coming - but I guess that's why they call it faith. I had been praying about something and it just didn't seem like it would happen. I keep praying though - well, until last week - when I really just felt like it was all in vain.

I re-assessed my prayer.

Then I ended up praying the same prayer.

I had not been praying wrong - I just needed to keep praying and believing. I needed to persevere in my faith.

I just need to keep going. I needed to follow the example that Jesus modeled for us.

Perseverance.

But, I was struggling with it. I got distracted and started looking around at my situation and my flesh said - it's not going to happen. You might as well give up. And, right when I thought I was surely not going to get an answer to this prayer - I got one.

Isn't God good? - OH YES, He sure is!

So, my blogging today is simply to say - don't give in and don't give up. Keep on praying. Keep on believing. Have faith that God sees and hears and knows. He is God!

I almost let the enemy steal my peace. I was going about my normal activities when a thought of desparation struck me. I felt the tears arising in my eyes, my face got hot and I felt something come over me. It felt like grief. But somehow, it did not overtake me. I felt like I had time to make a choice. I could either go down the road of sorrow - one in which I am very well acquainted, or I could go down the road of peace.

I stood at the crossroads for a few minutes - debating. Should I go down the familiar path of sorrow and grieving for the things that allude me or have passed from me, or will I go down the road of peace. I debated some more.

Ultimately, I chose peace. I spoke with a good friend of mine that said "Go get your Bible, read a little bit, and it will take your mind off of the situation and you will feel better." So, I did. I followed the direction of my friend and guess what book I landed in... Philippians.

Here are some words that encouraged me and I hope that they will encourage you:

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thigns are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Phil. 4:4-9)

Meditate on these verses this weekend, and then rejoice in the peace that God gives.

Compassionate people really dislike hurting other people’s feelings. In fact, some compassionate folks that I know would sacrifice their own lives just so that they could spare somebody else’s feelings. I know of one such person that has invested a lot of time and effort into a something that they are not sure that they want to be a part of, but refuse to remove themselves from the situation because they cannot bear to hurt the other people involved.

It’s a tough situation. But, sometimes we have to do the hard things in order to move towards the easier things. For instance, we have to do the schoolwork to meet the graduation requirements (the hard things) so that we can sail across that stage and get our diploma (the easy thing). It does not take much work to walk across a stage, shake a hand and receive a diploma (at least for most of us). But, it does take a heavy amount of effort to get to that point – and a lot of money too if we are talking advanced degrees.

When you realize that you are in a situation where you do not desire to be, and you have prayed about the situation and God tells you to move out of that situation, be obedient. When you know the direction that God has ordained, but you refuse to move, or are slow to move, because you are trying to spare someone’s feelings or a group of people’s feelings, it’s time to do some self-examination. It’s time for a reality check.

If God required your life right now, would you be comfortable standing before Him and telling Him the reason for your disobedience. It would go something like this…Lord, I know that I disobeyed you – but it was because I was trying to spare this person’s feelings. So, in order not to hurt them, I hurt You by my disobedience.

Somehow, I don’t think God is going to be “all-good” with that. When we disobey God, we put our desires before His, we put other people before Him and we put our knowledge/our way before His. And, well, we know that this is not the proper order. If we are going to be His children, then we must act like children and listen to our Heavenly Father.

God knows best. Stop dilly-dallying and messing around. If He told you to do it, rip that band-aid off!

Right when you get satisfied with your current position in life, somebody comes along to try to steal your peace.

If you are single, out of the blue, somebody comes along to tell you that they are "praying for you" and that your husband will come next year. Never mind the fact that you did not ask their opinion about when God was going to move in your situation - if He moves.

If you are not financially stable, somebody comes along to tell you that they are "praying for your finances" and that one day you won't have to struggle so much and that you will be able to afford things like they currently have. Never mind the fact that you are quite happy with the things that you currently have and are not petitioning God to move in your situation.

I could go on and on with examples of how "well-meaning" Christians add their "two-cents" into your life - uninvited. It never ceases to amaze me how they have so much knowledge on your situation based on perceived external facts.

I have to confess that this is one of the things that bothers me most about some of the folks in my circle. It bothers me because when they do this, they are then imposing a societal standard on the lives of other people when they are not fully aware of all the circumstances neither are they fully aware of what God intends to do in that person's current situation.

It also bothers me because it seeks to take that person from a point of contentment in their situation to move them towards thinking that what they currently have is not good enough - that somehow they are missing out on the greater things and that they need to petition God for more than what they have.

Whatever happened to letting each person live out their lives the way that God intended without uninvited, unhelpful commentary?! If we really love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will do just that - speak only at the absolute lead of God and leave our societal impositions at home. We would do each other well to keep our nose in our own business.

Hey Bloggy Friends,

I’ve got a little something for you to ponder over the weekend. If Jesus delays His second coming, and you are still alive, what will you be doing in the next 10 years?

I heard this question posed on the television today. And, I wondered – would I be in the same job? Would I be at the same company in another job? Would I live in the same house? Would my marital status still be the same? Or even more importantly, would my spiritual status be the same? I couldn’t imagine living ten more years and not progressing in my spiritual life. That’s a long time to be stuck!

Sometimes I say to myself that I could advance quicker if I would just do XYZ. Sometimes, disciplining myself is rather easy. Other times, it is not. The difference – my thought life and my heart.

If I am truly focused on God then tearing myself away from Him to do menial chores like eating and sleeping and going to work are unbearable. But, when I am focused on something else – like when my favorite television show is coming on – or what the plot may be – or something that does not count a “hill of beans” for eternity, well, getting focused and disciplining myself takes a bit more effort.

My goal in the next 10 years is to grow past needing to be pulled away from the trivial. In the next 10 years, I want to more faithful, more loving, more committed to the very things that make my Lord pleased. Why? Because at the end of the day, when I meet my Maker, I want to hear these words “Well done, my good and faithful servant…”

So, what about you? What will you be doing in the next 10 years?

Have you ever had one of those days when keeping your mouth shut was the absolute best way to proceed …so, in recognition of this fact, you shot your mouth off anyway? And, didn’t it just feel soooo good to your flesh when you did it? C’mon now, we’re blogging truth! I was recently reminded of one of those days in my life…

What felt good to say at the time was better left unsaid. But, I gave in. Said it anyway. Then I had to go through the guilt of those words that cut like a knife. Sharp! Then I repented to God and apologized to the person. Received forgiveness. And, then, right when you lest expect it, there are your words right in your face. The enemy has a vivid way of bringing things back to your mind.

But, we, through the power given to us, can tell that enemy to “hit the road jack!” Tell him to get to steppin’. If you have truly repented, do NOT let the condemnation that the enemy brings hold you in bondage. You have a choice to make, as did I, if you find yourself in this situation. Will we walk in the FREEDOM that has been given to us upon our repentance, or will we stay planted in BONDAGE. The choice is yours today. Choose FREEDOM.

Abraham had a choice to make. He would either obey God or disobey Him. He would either take this child, this promised heir to the place of sacrifice or either he would flee in disobedience. Abraham reasoned in his heart that even as he would swing the instrument that would end his son’s life, that God would indeed restore life to his son. He reasoned that if God had requested this thing of him, in obedience he would comply. Abraham chose obedience.

And Abraham was rewarded. Once he turned everything over to God in solid obedience, with no intentions on wavering, the sacrifice was no longer required. All was well. You can read the account for yourselves.

This morning, that’s what we must realize. When we turn everything over to God in absolute obedience, everything will be well.

Yes, we will go through trials and things in which we would prefer not to endure, but with that, we can have greater confidence in God. He is building in us, confidence in Himself. We earnestly can say that we have a track record with God. We can say that we know Him, through our studies, yes, but also, more applicably, through our trials – our testimony.

Do not begrudge the time that you are in now – if God has required that you lay your Isaac down, do so, in humble submission to His will for your life.