Pardon me for my absence...

It was brought to my attention that I have neglected my blog as of late. I apologize for my absence and promise to return in the very near future. There are some thoughts/ideas percolating in this brain of mine that I wish to share with you dear readers. (if there are any of you left)


Honestly, I truly miss blogging. I miss the things that God just dropped into my heart to share with the world. I promise to do my best at being more faithful to you my dear readers. :)


Adios for now..

Wordless Wednesday ~ Geocaching...our new hobby!

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Thursday Thankfulness ~ Low maintenance girl...

Yep, today, I am thankful that it doesn't take me long to get ready. After sleeping on the couch last night (the hubs had a tummy thing going on and I don't want it!) I woke up less than rested. Needless to say, my morning moved slow. Both the girls have awards assemblies today...one at 9 and one at 1:30. Well, at about 7:20 this morning, I realized that I needed to shower and get dressed before taking the girls to school...ha!

Well, I am happy to report that I am sitting here showered, hair (almost) dried, make-up on, and fully dressed for the day...at normal morning devotional time. Oh yeah...from start to finish, 20 minutes.

So, thanks God for making me one of those no-fuss, low maintenance girls.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Pinky and the Brain

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10

Thoughtful Tuesday ~ What do we do?

This post may be a bit, um, heavy. Some may agree, some may disagree. I'm not here to sugar coat things or make everyone agree with me. I'm hear to post my thoughts and the things I feel God saying to me. So, if this post offends you, you can stop reading at any time.

We, as the church, are supposed to be different, no? Romans 12:2 says, "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." To me, that says that our lives should look different from those of non-believers. Well, I don't know about you, but I have seen a lot of Christians' lives looking an awful lot like the rest of the world.

Let's get one thing straight, I am NOT perfect. Nor do I claim to be. I am just as messed up need as much grace as the next person, but I do know that God is working on me...piece by piece.

At one point in my life, I lived just like the world...because I was still in the world. I hadn't met Jesus yet. At a different point, after I had met Jesus, my life looked an awful lot like the world. God shook me down to my foundation and rebuilt me with Him as my center. Does that make me perfect? Heck no! Does that mean I have all the answers? Ha! No way! What it does mean is that He shows me His grace...daily. Something that I certainly could not live without.

Many of you may know that I have a burden for the youth. You see, I made some really dumb mistakes as a youth and I went through some things that no one should have to go through. And God has shown me that I can help this next generation with my testimony...my mistakes, my trials, my hardships. What hurts my heart the most is to see a student at church living one way, and then see them outside of the church and not recognize them. To see that they are living two different lives. I always tell the students I work with that if I were to go to their school, they should be the same person they are at church...and at home.

The problem I'm seeing is that young people, girls especially, are changing who they are in order to fit in. Changing the way they dress, the music they listen to, the words they speak, the things they do or don't do, and who they hang out with. "This person thinks it's OK to dress immodestly, so I think I will dress this way when I'm around them." "This person listens to this questionable music, so I will too when I'm around them." "This person says he will love me if I just have sex with him, so in order to feel that love, I will." "This person uses foul language, so I will, but only around them."

The problem with this sort of behavior/thinking is that you can't turn it off. Maybe at the beginning you can moderate what you say/do around who, but eventually, it will consume you. It's like throwing a rotten apple into a good bunch and expecting them to stay good. It will consume you...trust me on this. I've been there.

OK, so what can we do?

1) Well, I, as a parent, know that I need to teach my girls why they should be different from the world...not just that they should. Sure, for a while they might just do what I say because I'm mom and that's what they are supposed to do, but once they get to the point where they need to figure things out for themselves, they need to know the answer to the 'whys'. It's my job to make sure that foundation is there.

2) Pray! I know it sounds cliche, but prayer is powerful. There are few things more powerful than the prayer of a parent for his/her child(ren)

3) Set the example. This is a big one. Our kids, and other young people that look up to us, are watching to see if the way we live our lives matches the way we speak. Are you the same person everywhere you go? Do you read your Bible daily? Do you talk to God daily? If the answer to any of these is no, then you need to work on yourself before you can fix anyone else.

4) Don't judge. If you see that a young person has stumbled and made mistakes, don't judge them...love them. Love is what will repair the damage that has been done. God is love. Love them like He does.

Think about it...

Thursday Thankfulness ~ No major injuries!

Today I am thankful that we had a successful soccer season with NO MAJOR INJURIES!! That's kind of a big deal when you think about it. My Big Girl had a sore achilles tendon for the last few weeks, but I've seen some games where the players get seriously injured. And considering we had just enough girls to play 6 games in the tournament, I'd say we did pretty well.

So thanks God for keeping all our girls safe and injury free!

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Hebrews 6:10

Wordless Wednesday ~ Soccer, Soccer, Soccer!

Before the final game

Pre-game pep talk

Here we go!

Half-time pep talk.

Super tired, second place team! All the girls played 6 full games this weekend!

My Big Girl getting her trophy! Look at that hair!

Big Girl and one of her awesome coaches!

Big Girl and one of her friends from another team. They match! LOL!

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

Thoughtful Tuesday ~ Are you a square peg?

Many of you may know that my family relocated a little less than a year ago. At first I was upset, I mean who wouldn't be, leaving a place you called home for over 11 years. But then, I had such a peace about it. A peace I can't explain except to say that while my world was being turned upside down, I knew that everything would be OK. God had it covered.

Now, He didn't reveal to me exactly why we were coming up here to the Falls, but as we've been here almost 9 months, He has been slowly revealing to me our purpose here...and it's a multi-faceted purpose! Bear with me as I try to explain a little bit of what He's been revealing to me.

The place we left (which consequently is only 150 miles from here) is a very 'religious' town. That is in the good and the bad sense of the word. God has been (and is still continuing to) lifting the 'religious spirit' that has had a hold of that city for many years. And what is left is God...and true relationship with Him. That is an absolutely wonderful thing for my family. Here in the Falls however, God doesn't really have center stage. As a matter of fact, there are times when I wonder if He's even been cast in the play.

Sure, there are churches, but many of them are dead and still others are just there for the 'box checkers' to do their thing. I have some wonderful friends here who love the Lord with their whole hearts and He directs their life. But, other than this handful of people, God doesn't seem to be a factor in many people's lives...except maybe on Sunday. And this truly hurts my heart.

One day last week, while driving my girls to school, it hit me. This town is all about outward appearances. Does it look good? is the motivation for most things. People have ridiculously large homes with beautifully landscaped yards, but do they have love? Do they have True love from Christ? Some, yes. But I would venture to say about 75% don't.

Before you think I'm just bashing this town, let me explain. In 1 Samuel 16, God instructs Samuel to go out and find one of Jesse's sons to anoint to be the next king. God's king. Jesse had 8 sons. Samuel saw the first, Eliab, and thought for sure he was the one. But it goes on to say in verse 7, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' "

I don't know about you, but when God looks at my heart, I want Him to be pleased. In order to achieve this, God is showing me how to live a righteous life in the midst of a godless city. To be that proverbial square peg in a round hole. To not care if I get strange looks while doing nice things for people. To not conform to the ways of the world. To stand out...and do it proudly! I am also to teach my girls to do this. I think, thus far, we have been successful...at least with my Big Girl. I think over the course of the next few years, my Angel will pick up on this. I just pray she doesn't get sucked into the world while trying to learn the lesson.

So, basically, He wants us to learn (through life experience) how to continue to be square in this round world...and to not let the things of this world round our edges.

I'm willing...

Are you?

Think about it...

Wordless Wednesday ~ Our Crazy Weekend

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. Colossians 3:17 MSG

Monday Meditations ~ Evil

Sometimes I can forget that our fight is not of this world. The Word says that, "we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

We go about our day to day lives and often don't think about this 'unseen world.' That is, until it is seen...or felt. I have always been sensitive to things in the spiritual realm...I just didn't understand it until about 5 years ago. This can be quite scary to someone who doesn't understand it...trust me.

Anyhow, yesterday, I began sensing something not right. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. This morning, that feeling is still there...but stronger. The only thing I can do right now is pray. Seek direction from God. Seek counsel from godly friends. And pray some more. Pray that whatever it is, isn't as bad as it's making me feel.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Fly by night cleaning fairy?

Those of you who don't know my Big Girl may be a little confused by this post. Those of you who do, I'm sure you completely understand...wonder what she wants? Ha! When I went in her room this morning to wake her up I thought, "Did a cleaning fairy come in over night?"

Monday Meditations ~ Rest

Sometimes life can seem so busy. Even if the things you fill your life with are 'good' things, it can at times seem overwhelming. Sometimes you just need to stop and rest...rest in His perfect peace. Rest in the fact that He loves you and He has called you to do His work on this earth.

I think we all need to sit back every once in a while and rest in Him. I know I do. Take some time today and rest in His arms. That's what I'll be doing.

Think about it...

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Wordless Wednesday ~ All I want to do right now...

Photo Credit: Abilene Reporter News

Foodie Friday ~ Easy and Tasty BBQ Sauce

I love to cook. And I love to eat. I don't like to spend a lot of money on good food. Sometimes that's not so easy. The price of food is going up . . . way up. Besides that, I don't like to eat a whole lot of processed foods or foods with a lot of preservatives in them.

Well, long story short, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making BBQ sauce. Some that I could put in a jar for future use. I found a recipe in The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook and decided to try it. I modified it a bit and my family (and our guests) loved it!!

Worcestershire sauce and pepper not pictured . . . LOL!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups ketchup (original calls for 2 cups)

1 8oz can tomato paste (subbed for other 1/2 cup ketchup)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp prepared mustard

1 Tbsp BBQ seasoning (I think I doubled this)

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp liquid smoke (I doubled this too)

1 Tbsp hot sauce (I doubled this too)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker. Mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Store in covered container in fridge for up to 3 months.

I'm sure you could do this on the stove top as well, but this worked great for me. The original recipe called for 2 cups of ketchup and no tomato paste, but I've read lots about homemade sauces being a little on the thin side. I like a thicker sauce, so I experimented with it . . . it turned out great! Hope y'all enjoy! (One day I'd love to learn how to make some of the ingredients for this sauce . . . hmmmmm.)

It actually made 3 jars, but we've already used one! :)

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Thursday Thankfulness ~ My Other Half

Yeah, I know that sounds totally cliche, but really, he does complete me. He is everything I am not. He's my perfect match.

We met through a mutual acquaintance 13 years ago. I was in a failing relationship (looking for a way out) and he was recently separated and almost divorced. When we met, I knew he was the one for me. When we talked, I could see us growing old together. I can't say that it was the same way for him, but hey, God can work with anything . . . LOL! Long story short, we dated for a year, he PCS'ed, I got out of the military and somehow we survived it all. I met his family the day before we married and he finally met mine 4 months later.

I can't say that our life together has been perfect . . . far from it, actually. What I can say is that we have been through a year long separation (thanks Uncle Sam), a couple of deployments, lots of arguing over little things, infidelity, two kids, several moves and many other things. Once we finally figured out (the hard way) that God needed to be at the center of our everything, things got better. Not easier, just better. We went through a refining period both as individuals and as a couple. We are by no means completely refined, but a heck of a lot better than we were.

So, today I thank God for this wonderful person He has blessed me with. This man that I get to wake up next to until the day death separates us. This man that I get to enjoy my life with.

Thanks God . . .

I am a lucky girl!!                                              Photo credit: Howard Timberlake

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Mark 10:9

Wordless Wednesday ~ Long Overdue Recycle Run

Thoughtful Tuesday ~ Focus

The girls and I do a devotional every morning before school. I love this time that we have together to dig into God's word. And I love the thought provoking, practical subjects and questions in our current devo series. This morning's title was God Is Always There. You know, sometimes I need a reminder of the simple things.

Often times, the girls will ask questions pertaining to (or not) the subject. Somehow our conversation veered off track. No worries though! I don't mind when we have 'unplanned' conversations about things that matter. Anyhow, we managed to begin talking about the things we focus on. When you go through trials, it is very easy to focus on the 'facts' of the situation. When really and truly, we should focus on the 'Truth' of every situation . . . Jesus.

Think about it this way. There are positives and negatives in every day, every decision, every everything! That's something we cannot choose. What we can choose is how we react. What things we focus on. If I were to focus on the fact that we aren't millionaires, we have debt up to our eyeballs, I haven't bought 'new' clothes in forever, most of my furniture is old and falling apart, I'm hundreds of miles away from all of my blood relatives . . . and so on, (you get the picture) I'm fairly certain that I would walk around moping like my dog just died. Instead, I choose to focus on the blessings in my life. I know that sounds really cliche, but . . . I focus on the fact that I'm alive and healthy, I have a wonderful husband who loves me (even though I don't deserve it), I have two fabulous girls who bless me daily, we have a roof over our heads . . . in a safe neighborhood, we have been blessed with two fabulous church families, and well, I could go on for days, but I'm sure you'd be bored in about 5 minutes, so I'll stop.

You see, most often you will find me with a smile on my face. Not because I have a perfect life, but because I am content with the life I live. I don't focus on the blah of my life, but the blessings!

Think about it . . .

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12

Monday Meditations ~ Missions

You know, I'm not sure that the words 'mission trip' are found in the Bible . . . but the concept is there . . . and the command. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Sure, He was talking to the 12, but are you and I not disciples as well?

I fully and completely believe that some are called to GO and some are called to SEND. At this point in my life, I know that I am not called to go. Okay, so what then? What can I do? What can my family do to participate in this mandate?

We can pray

We can support, financially

We can send.

And we do. Currently we are supporting a dear friend of ours as she completes a call on her life in Vietnam. She will be returning home in July of this year. (Yay for mom and dad!) It has been really heavy on my heart to begin searching for a new missionary to support. But not just one that I pick. One that we all pick . . . Daddy, Big Girl, Angel and me. Someone that we can connect with. Someone that we can pray for.

I'm not sure how we are going to choose, but I know God will be faithful to show our family who He wants us to support . . . and pray for. Would you join us in praying to find our missionary family?

I will update more as God reveals to us His plan! :)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Weekend Fun!

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:3-4

Thursday Thankfulness ~ Just a little reminder

You know, the majority of humanity is very selfish. Face it, especially in America, people are looking out for number one most of the time. So, that said, one can become very skeptical of people who do 'nice things' or who act 'too nice'. Trust me on this one. Holding the door for a stranger must cause a second head to grow . . . or at least that's how people look at me anyway.

I have become accustomed to strange looks as it is my second nature to be kind to others. That being said, it's not often that I run into others who share my 'put others before self' mentality . . . at least not out of my circle of friends. Sure my friends are great and think similarly, but strangers usually do not.

Angel and I were walking to check the mail the other day and we ran into a new 'neighbor'. (We live in an apt complex, so neighbor is a relative term) He had a French Bulldog who was just dying to check us out! We stopped chatted for a bit about both of us being new to the complex and he mentioned something about Craigslist and needing furniture. We just bought a new dining set and still had the old table . . . just waiting for someone to bless with it. I mentioned it and he said he had a few other leads to check into first, but if they fell through he would be delighted to have the table.

Long story short, he came and knocked on our door to say that he would indeed need the table after all. We helped him load it in his car and learned that he and his mother just moved here from Florida. We said our farewells, thank yous and you're welcomes and we all went about our evening.

I thought that would be the end of it.

I was wrong.

While doing something in my bedroom yesterday, I heard a knock at the door. Now we still don't know a whole lot of people here yet, so I had no idea who it could be. I got to the door in time to see this 'new neighbor' walking away with his dog. Strange. Fast forward a couple of hours and I'm taking out the trash. I open the door and I'm surprised by a plant on my front stoop with a note attached.

What I saw when I opened the door

The note

Needless to say I was quite surprised. Why? Why was I surprised by the kindness of a stranger? Should I be? God ever-so-gently reminded me that He shows His love and kindness in some of the most unexpected places . . . just like He does through me. Don't be so surprised next time someone does something unexpectedly nice for you. Accept it as God showing you His love. Sometimes we all need a tangible reminder.

Thanks God . . .

This is a pic with my real camera not my phone...aren't they gorgeous?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23