guest blogger and her skinny jeans

To the left is my guest blogger and my best friend...and partner in crime...Cathy King. She sent me this email and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Hi,

I wanted to share with you an experience I had the other day. One of my children, and I won't mention any names, had the bright idea that Mama would look sooo cute in a pair of Skinny Jeans. Mind you, these are the things I swore I would never go near when they first came out, not with those stove pipe legs. But, she continued, "if you wore your boots over the top of them, it would look really cute." I thought, well...maybe, I will give it a try.

Let me tell ya, any article of clothing that you have to go up about 5 sizes just to get it over your feet, be warned. My next clue that I should beware; after I got the first pair peeled off, I went to the Women's dept., to try to see if they had any in Women's sizes. Not a pair was to be found! This should have told me something then, but no...I go back to the Junior's dept. and think, ok... I will give it one more try and got a pair even larger!

From now on, anything that I have to work just to get it over my feet and have broke out in a sweat before I get them on and then have to peel them off my calves...and they are turned completely wrong side out when I do get them off...you can KEEP!!!

I told my children, after the third try, Do NOT use my name and Skinny Jeans in the same sentence ever again!! They simply are NOT made for "this" body! Now, feel free to pass this warning on to any of your friends, it might save them a lot of work and sweat!

Happy & Blessed in my Curvy Jeans,
Cathy

**Thanks, Cathy, for a great laugh today! And, honey, if you can't pull of skinny jeans...none of us need to even try! I love ya!

Christmas thoughts

Ahhh....Christmas is here. Like many of you, I have wonderful thoughts about this time of year. I dream up fuzzy and warm images such as a white Christmas (which we have!), sledding with laughter, sleigh rides with wool blankets, twinkling Christmas trees, toasty fireplaces, garland mantels, gifts adorned with big bows, festive parties, dainty foods, crystal bowls filled with punch, pianos playing favorite carols... I could dream of many more while I sit and listen to my all time favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

And, like many of you, I have other wonderful images this time of year. I think of lovely manger scenes, sweet baby Jesus figurines, ornate angels, children dressed in robes as shepherds, Christmas services with hymns, prayers, candlelight services, reading of the Christmas story, family gatherings, cakes made in honor of Jesus' birthday. I could certainly continue. Those are all wonderful, every bit. However, most of us want to stop there. It's nice. Sweet. Familiar. Happy. Lovely.

The images and thoughts we tend to ignore are what made Christmas necessary: bitterness, anger, slander, gossip, hatred, lies, deceit, adultery, murder, jealousy, theft, rape... Disturbing, isn't it? We want to do right, but we find ourselves not doing what we know we should. We live in a sinful, fallen world. We were a ruined humanity with no hope. BUT, a baby was born for a purpose. The purpose was to save us from an unbearable penalty- death in our sin. We desperately needed a Savior. A Redeemer. One who could be so perfect that He could rescue us. And that He did.

The images musn't stop there. We have to follow that sweet baby as He grows up into a man. He finishes what he started. He died on a cross because he was a sinless man and only He could be the perfect substitution for you and I. He made us right with God.

If we were to even stop there it would be such a waste. The amazing thing is that He proved to be who He said He was by being resurrected! He offers us a pardon and peace with a Good, Loving, Heavenly Father! Now that is one awesome beginning and end!

changes

Change happens. No one really likes it. The older we get the harder it is because we get "set in our ways".

I recently read an article about women and things we should change as we age.In this article it exclaimed women over 40 should wear short hair unless you are in the "league of models". Hmph. I may not be in the "league of models", however, I am NOT in the 40 category. So there! I intend to keep my hair long. That won't change. Besides, models are too skinny and seem so very unhappy.

It also talked about women over 40 changing their leisure habits. Spending more time nesting. Enjoying quiet time at home. WHAT?! I will not change the things that make me happy. Like traveling. The beach. Why would I want to spend my youthful, energetic self laying around? That would only make me lazy. Now, if we are talking about laying around at the beach...that is totally different! That won't change.What will change? A lot. Not because of age but because of circumstances. So many changes have taken place in my life and it is only the beginning. There are many more in the near future. Because of all the changes, I will probably need to make my blog more private. Sometime in the beginning of 2011, I might change my blog to subscription only. If you subscribe through Facebook, nothing will change for you. If you only read from my site, you will have to subscribe (relax mom, this will not be difficult to do!). It won't happen right away, but change is coming.

Another change to happen immediately; no more picking up old people magazines! Ewww!

Christmas wish list

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It is on my Michael Buble Christmas CD and I can't get enough of it with his smooth, silky voice. I could drive and drive and drive while listening to his Christmas CD, "Let it Snow". I couldn't find his version of it, so you will have to settle for some Kelly Clarkson.

I can remember, as a little girl, making my wish list for Christmas. Stuff. That is what I wanted. Baby dolls, barbies, music, clothes and purses. However, the one thing I always wanted that I never got was an Easy Bake Oven (sorry mom, I am telling!). I couldn't wait until I could buy one for my first girl, Abbie. I proudly went and bought one and then bought every baking mix to go with it AND all of the accessories to match. We baked for days! What? I can't help it she was only 11 months old and had to look back at pictures to remember it!

As a young wife and mother, the list changed. I wanted things like pictures, pillows, furniture, vacuum cleaners (those of you who know me are not surprised by that at all!), books of maps (ok, stop laughing....at least they were biblical maps!), Disney World trips, oh! AND....drum roll please...bags! I know, you are shocked!

I have noticed that as my girls got older, and I a *little* older, the list began to drastically change. The list might still contain one or two things but it doesn't matter any more if I honestly have a single gift under the tree. The things I now want are things that money can not buy. Philippians 2:4, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." My list grows every year. But let me give you a short version.

Angie's Christmas List:

1.) Peace and joy for my family.

2.) Abundant spiritual blessings for my friends.

3.) Salvation for those on my prayer list.

4.) Physical healing for those in need.

5.) Love and forgiveness from those I have hurt.

6.) A revival, like no country has ever seen, for Haiti.

7.) A reward of comfort, peace and love to our military.

8.) Love! Love! Love!

Now, so that you don't think I am all sappy and totally unselfish....you could STILL add:

1.) An all expense paid mission trip to Haiti.

2.) Maps (historicmapsrestored.com).

3.) Bags (TJ Max is a great place to pick one up for me).

4.) Disney World trip (7 day hopper passes, please).

5.) Cruise (preferably to the southeastern Caribbean islands).

What? I decided to keep it short and to give a little detail in case Santa needs help. ;)

So, what about you? Seriously, what is on your list? Ok, and what about the not so serious. C'mon, tell me what you want!

favorite holiday

Everyone has their favorite holiday. Mine happens to be Thanksgiving (Valentine's Day runs really close!). While everyone seems to be getting out their Christmas decorations already, I can only put up a tree and nothing else until the day after Thanksgiving. I want to embrace Thanksgiving Day for all that it is.

I love the fact that everyone gathers together to celebrate all the blessing a year has brought to them. No pressure of gifts, no overstimulated children, no seasonal exhaustion....only bellies full of food and laughter...and minds full of memories...and people gathered together with a heart full of gratitude.

The other day, a very special young lady delivered a bundle of thankfulness to my heart. A precious life by the name of Lyric. So much promise for a wonderful future for this little darling. I am thankful that God has allowed me to be a part in shaping and molding the heart of this princess.

Holding baby Lyric reminds me of another little baby. This little one's future will be quite different from the one that will be offered to Lyric. However, I am thankful for the comfort of knowing that the same opportunity is available for both of them to come to know the true source of thankfulness. May they both come to know Christ as their personal Savior. How thankful I am to be a part of God's kingdom work in reaching out to children, even in Haiti.

Sometimes we get so busy in every day life that we forget about all the blessings that are right in front of us. One blessing that we take for granted is that of friendship. This time of the year makes me stop and say, "Thank you, God! I love the friend that You gave me!" How thankful I am to have a friend who knows every dark corner of my heart and yet still chooses to love me.

Another group we often take for granted is our family. They see us at our best and our worst but still only choose to see the potential in one another. How thankful I am for the love that holds a family together. Storms come, but the safety and peace of our God keep us afloat. Family sticks together.

So, as you gather around your table this year. Don't just dig in and walk away with a stuffed stomach. Walk away from that table with a stomach full of great food and a heart full of overflowing gratitude and love for a year's worth of blessings.

Ultimately, I am most thankful for a Savior who loves me no matter what. There is nothing I can do to separate His love from me. I am His and He is mine. Psalm 118:1, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!"

common ground

The most worn out object in my Pilot is the stereo. Thank goodness I have a six player CD and a single to boot! You will find all kinds of music at any given time in it. Well, except for bluegrass. Somehow I have just never been able to enjoy that kind of music. I also don't have a very fond liking of gospel music (most definitely not the same as contemporary christian music).

My girls have their own likings as well. Thankfully, it's my vehicle and I do have the final say. I carry the "mom card", it's just that simple. However, we are all on the same track right now. We are loving Taylor Swift's new CD, Speak Now. Some of our favorites are Speak Now, Dear John, and Mean.

I'll leave you with the one that we play most often; Mean. Thanks, Taylor, for giving me and my girls some common ground.

parents

This is my mom and dad. We just got back not too long ago from a New England/Canada cruise. I had never been on a cruise other than in the Caribbean. I am a sucker for the Caribbean. However, this was a nice change and besides, there was still the beach!

I have always loved the beach. I could live there. There is just something about it that moves my soul. My favorite part of a beach day is sunset. Sitting at the edge of the sea as it tosses it waves up close to my feet. Sinking my toes into the soft sand. The setting sun kissing my brown shoulders. The gentle, warm southern breeze whisking through my locks of ocean dried hair. The smell of suntan oil on smooth skin. The beauty of a sun sinking lower with it's orange and yellow colors cascading over the water. The sound of seagulls making music in my ears. Man, I can close my eyes and almost be there.

The next best thing would be cruising. Still on the water with frequent beach destinations. I do love cruising. My mom turned me on to this, so it's all her fault. She takes me on a cruise once a year. Sometimes just the two of us and sometimes we let my dad come along (ha!). We both enjoy it so much.

We do things with the whole family as well, but this is a time that my attention is not divided. I can listen to what is going on in my parent's lives. Enjoy what they enjoy. Develop a better friendship with them. Make memories with them. Simply share time.

My mom has learned that all she has to do is wave the beach/ocean "carrot" in front of me and I'm sold. I'm thankful that they take the time to continue to build an adult relationship with me.

So...when is that next trip mom? (wink, wink)

messiness

Man, oh man, oh man....can kids get messy! I mean, just look at that face on Eden. Isn't it adorable even in the messiness? Doesn't it make you smile looking at that messy face? Now, when she was done, if she were to ask me for a kiss, do you think I would reach out and kiss her with that messy face? (Well, to tell the truth, I have kissed her with pink frosting on her lips). This time she was just a little bit messier, so I would have cleaned her up first and then smooched her sweet face right off! You know how it is, they can get really-really messy, but we love them so much that we lovingly and gently help them get cleaned up and returned back to their old cute self.

I wish it were like that in the adult world. What? We get messy? Yes. I am talking about other kind of messiness. The kind that hurts and is much more difficult to clean up. Adults makes messes. I know that my christian friends would jump in and do whatever they could to help an unbeliever clean up a mess. I have seen them in action. They have helped people through one crisis after another, all to show the love of Christ and in hopes that they would want to know Him more. We want to minister to a lost world. Those without God make so many messes. And we expect them to make messes. Lots of messes.

Christians makes messes too. What? We get messy? Yes. All kinds of messes. Even the ones that hurt and are difficult to clean up. However, this is where things get a little "different". I am surprised at my christian friends at times. Oh, not all of them, but a lot of them. When their brother or sister makes a mess, they want to hurry up and wash their hands of them. They don't want to invest the time it takes to help restore them. The Bible tells us to be good to all people, but especially to those in the family of God (Galatians 6:10). We should be willing to gently and lovingly come along side them and help them clean up a mess, loving them no less.

We have so many opportunities to love, encourage and help one another to clean up messes. The ways are endless. Facebook, for example. Instead of looking at someone's messy profile with a judgemental attitude, why not post something good and encouraging on it? If we take the simple way out and ignore them or just delete them, well, isn't that wiping our hands of them? How will we reach them? How will we help them if we just write them off? Here's another example. Meeting with them. If they want to meet with you and talk, my goodness, don't turn them away! That is your opportunity to listen, speak Truth to them, pray with them, love them and help them figure out a path to clean the messiness up and be restored. What about gossip? Instead of adding to a mess, why not ask the person wanting to gossip if they would be willing to pray about it all? You lead them! Call your christian friend, just to speak some kind of encouragement. Email them. Buy them a book that you think could be helpful. Oh, the possibilities are endless.You could be a part of investing in a future pastor, another Beth Moore, or even a brother/sister who will one day use what you have invested in them by ministering to your children or grandchildren!

I know from my own experiences in life that I have had some wonderful believers step in and help me through some very difficult times that were brought on by my self. And they walked right beside me every step of the way and still are today. I also know the other side of being tossed to the side as a used up christian not worth anything. That is painful. Imagine being a part of pulling someone down when Christ wants to use their mess to turn them in to better. Or turning your back on them and they never know their true potential and live the rest of their christian lives defeated. How heartbreaking!

Whatever the mess, no matter how long or how hard it will be to clean up the mess, don't give up on them. Don't give up on your brothers and sisters in the Lord. They need you. Love them. Love them. Love them. You are bound together by an eternal bloodline. You who were bought with a high price yourself. You who have been forgiven of sooo much. You need to love and help not only the lost, but those messy siblings as well. Besides, I bet YOU have made messes before...

it's fall ya'll

Ok...ok...ok! I am getting so much harassment about my "giving in to fall" proclamation that I thought I better explain. For the record, I LOVE FALL! Look at those warm, vibrant colors on the trees. I am a warm-color kind of girl anyway, so the colors are perfect. In fact, I even made everyone stop the car last Sunday so I could jump out and take a picture of a tree. The big, bright yellow ones with the dark trunks are my favorite of all! (Side note; those who know me well, know I am a tree-loving nerd anyway)

My problem is letting go of summer. I hang on to it for as long as I can, squeezing out every last ounce. It is my favorite season, and I hate to see it go. So, every year, fall has to "push" it's way into my heart. I think fall is just jealous because it gets the least amount of decoration time. I wait so long that Christmas decor begins to steal fall's fair share. However, once I do give in to fall, I embrace it and snuggle in with it. This year the defining "moment" that I gave up was with the carving of pumpkins. The girls and their Momaw picked out those bright orange beauties and thus began my fall dive.

I got busy right away making our home into a cozy nest of fall colors. I do love the feel of an inviting home. Twinkling pumpkin lights now adorn empty spaces and the flicker of candlelight bounces off of the wall.

Now I can give in to my fall coffee flavors. I've purposely held back ordering my pumpkin spice latte out of rebellion, but now I cave in every time. Think I will go have one right now. If you come looking for me, I will be in this chair snuggling up with my mug, throw, and a bounty of leaves. Oh, by the way, I have a chair next to this one if you care to join me! Much love to ya'll this fall!

music that moves me right now

My CD player is stuck on one artist right now: Josh Wilson. Love his music! A few of my favorites are Before the Morning, Savior-Please, Something's Got to Change, Sing, 3 Minute Song, and Listen.

Oh, I still listen to other CD's (I have a wide variety... even Lady A's new Christmas CD. Already!), but I can't get enough of this guy. No one is happier than my girls. They are thrilled that I have anything other than Jimmy Buffet going! ;)

So, what's in your music player right now? I'd love to know what you are listening to, it might inspire my next "can't get enough of" CD.

Enjoy the samples I posted of this great guy!

pain. a blessing?

I wanted to share this devotion from Priscilla Shirer. Just a great truth to pass along. Soak it up!

The Blessing of Pain

The Blessing of Pain

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. -Romans 5:3-4 (ESV)

A jovial rosy-cheeked young girl bounded across the set of a widely popular television talk show to make her way to the couch next to her parents. I had seen the whole thing from the beginning. The proud mother and father had already been there for quite a while talking with the host about their precious little girl. Their description of her sounded much like those of all adoring parents who want nothing more than the best for their children. Yet, their stories of normal childhood activities were peppered with eerie tales of a disorder that had ravaged their youngster since her birth.

Hers is a rare disease. One might not even know it existed without hearing it discussed, but it couldn’t be missed as soon as the girl stepped from behind the curtain and into public view. Her chubby smiling face seemed a bit weathered. There were some bruises and scars that told a story of their own. Her right eye was patched and bandaged to cover the gashes and discoloration, and her toothless grin was molded into the expression that accompanies the elderly who have lost their teeth. I felt my blood pressure rise as she walked across the stage. I’m sure that anyone watching did. How could this much damage be done to a child. Certainly the disorder I heard the parents explain wasn’t the cause of all this.

My heart ached and pulse raced as I folded a pile full of clean laundry during the commercial break. My body was busy but my mind had slowed. I was consumed with thoughts and questions, eager to have each one of them answered. My internal conversation was interrupted when the commercial telling me I’d used the wrong detergent ended and the talk show began again. I sat down on the edge of my bed, my husband’s crumpled t-shirt in hand, and listened. The parents explained. Soon after their daughter’s birth, it was discovered that she had a rare disorder that would keep her from feeling any pain. A scraped knee on the playground or burnt tongue on a cup of hot soup would go unnoticed by her nerves, deadened, and unresponsive. At first the news stunned her parents, but they soon settled into a nest of peace at the thought of having to never worry about their child enduring physical agony. The mother described how she initially felt blessed that this phenomenon could be their lot. Yet, her enthusiasm soon turned to despair as the months of her little girl’s life crept on.

First, some hot coffee spilled, burning her three-month-old baby soft skin as it leaked steadily from a coffee table from which she could not get out from under. She didn’t cry for help because she didn’t feel anything. Now her flesh was scalded. When she discovered the fun of using her own hands, she began to pry at her eyes, freeing the one on the right from its socket. When her teeth came in, she began to unknowingly bite through her own lips and tongue, leaving her parents no other option than to have all of her teeth removed. Since there is no pain, there is no threshold that cannot be crossed; no boundary that cannot be broken, and no need to request the assistance of someone who can offer the help needed to stay safe. Tears streamed down this loving mother’s face as she stroked her daughters blond hair. How she longed that her life could include the blessing of pain.

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Job hated it and David despised it. Abraham could have done without it, and Job certainly would have appreciated the steady happiness he’d always had instead of experience it. And you and I—we couldn’t agree more. We don’t like pain.

From the beginning of time until now the discomfort that accompanies the meeting of our bodies or souls with a substance that causes it hurt is avoided at all cost. Except for the occasional exercise poster exclaiming “No Pain, No Gain,” the vast majority of our thinking is trained to steer clear of anything that will cause us soreness. Pain is the enemy and we wonder why any parent would want the child that they love to experience it. Wouldn’t life be better without it?

Maybe Hannah has the answer, her soul ripped and torn under the weight of a barren womb and the torturous constant taunting of her rival.

. . . she was greatly distressed and prayed to the Lord. . .-1 Samuel 1:10

Or possibly Job, his heart frayed at the loss of his family and livelihood, and his body sore from top to bottom with oozing boils.

. . . I had heard of Him, but now my eyes have seen Him . . .-Job 42:5

Could David’s poetic heart song in the face of insurmountably painful odds give us a hint at the blessing of pain . . .

. . .I would have despaired unless I believed . . .-Psalm 27:13

Jeremiah, weeping and wailing, his heart and soul in deep anguish at the thought of the destruction of his beloved people and nation called

out …

. . . there is a balm in Gilead . . .-Jeremiah 8:22

Stephen, his body snapping like a twig under the weight of the boulders being sent crashing down on his limbs cried out in agony. . .

. . .I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing. . .-Acts 7:55

And of course there’s Paul and Silas, shackled to the walls of a rusty Roman jail, backs freshly bruised from the beating, and the skin on their ankles blackened from tightly strung chains. . .

. . .about midnight [they] were praying and singing hymns of praise . . .-Acts 16:25

Possibly the message is just as clear; the mystery as easily unravel when no words are spoken. She never spoke; the woman, embarrassed and humiliated, having been caught by the Pharisees in the very act of adultery. She just looked into the soft, caring eyes of the One who didn’t throw a stone (but had every right to) and heard,

. . .just go and sin no more . . .John 8:11

She said nothing; she just sat in the fresh wound caused by humiliation of the worst kind, listened, and left His presence brand new.

Mysteriously, there seems to be a blessing in pain. It causes us to check the barometer of our activities and clearly see the reality of our circumstances. It forces us to see who we trust in to rescue us. Pain is. . .well. . .painful, but ironically it is the gift that keeps us from further discomfort. When we feel it, it becomes a teacher pointing us to the only correct Answer there is. And so, our Father, like any loving parent, desires for us the blessing of pain to keep us, comfort us, humble us, teach us, and drive us back to Him in deep need of the great love from the One who loves unconditionally and can rescue.

It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. –Isaiah 19:20 (ESV).

When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that’s prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple, listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance. For you know each life from the inside, (you’re the only one with such inside knowledge!), So they’ll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. --2 Chronicles 6:28-21 (The Message).

bondage, forgiveness, freedom

The American flag stands for freedom. It is a symbol of what men and women have fought for and came out victorious.

We fight for our governing freedoms, but do we carry that over into our christian lives? Are we willing to fight for freedom in the spiritual sense?

The kind of freedom I am referring to is the kind of freedom that you give to someone by releasing them from bondage. What do I mean? To put it simply, when a brother or sister in the Lord seeks forgiveness and we do not offer that forgiveness we keep them in bondage instead of offering them freedom. Why not release them from that bondage and set them free?

I have found that people in the church can be the most unforgiving and judgmental of all people.

Why is that?

People who do not even claim Christ will offer forgiveness faster than anyone else.

Why is that?

I have so much admiration for my brothers and sisters who can come to a place of offering forgiveness to someone who maybe killed their child in a drunk driving collision. Was it simple for them? No! It was something they wrestled with and fought for, but in the end, did what they were called to do- forgive.

We are quick to offer forgiveness for little things but when it comes to bigger things.....we hold on to those. We look down our nose at others when it comes to the "big" things. Who are we to decide what is big and what is small? We are commanded in ALL things to forgive.

How about breaking the bondage you have someone held in?

How about offering freedom to them?

How about forgiving them?

What has been your experience in this area? Feel free to respond anonymously.

kentuckians vs. david copperfield

Ahhh. I can already feel the ocean breeze and the smell of the salt water. I am a sucker for the beach. Any beach, any where. So, when my mom offered to take me on a cruise again, she didn't have to twist my arm! However, this cruise will be a little different. This will be my 8th (or 9th?) cruise, but all of them have been in the Caribbean. This one will take me on new adventures to new places. It is a New England/Canada cruise. I cannot wait to experience the rocky beaches of those areas (and maybe catch a sight of a whale!).

Here is the itinerary:

Thursday/Friday: Boston, Mass (Doing some historical sightseeing.)
Saturday: Cruising
Sunday: Portland, Maine
Monday: Bar Harbor, Maine
Tuesday: Saint John, Canada
Wednesday: At Sea
Thursday: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Friday: At Sea
Saturday: Fly home

The last time I went on a cruise with my mom was to the Panama Canal. Brad was at home with the girls, trying his best to navigate the estrogen-filled home all on his own. This time should prove to be equally challenging! The girls are already freaking out about how their clothes are going to get washed (I know, they should know how to do it themselves...that's for another blog). I told them to look at it this way, they will get to eat out every night and probably get a new wardrobe out of it! haha!

Hopefully, though, Brad won't feel the need to go to such extremes to make me feel guilty as the last time. You need to read this post "Two Very Different Weeks" to fully understand. Here is the short version. Brad concocted this whole scheme just to make me feel sorry for him and the girls. I mean, he went all out! He even included the entire state of Kentucky. He and all of Kentucky got together and made up this whole "ice storm" event. They pulled off what David Copperfield could only dream about. You should have seen it. In the middle of winter they turned on their water hoses, sprayed their trees and let them freeze just so they would crack and knock down power lines! They even took all kinds of pictures. I still have no idea how they made all that snow, now that was impressive. They passed around emails about needing to borrow generators and spend the night at places that had heat. Man! Even the schools were in on it! They let the kids out of school for the entire time I was gone!

You know, they almost had me fooled. Until my plane landed in Lexington and it was 60 degrees outside and not a drop of snow.......

inquiring minds want to know

For the past couple of years my biological clock has been ticking. I think it has something to do with a certain age that is drawing closer and closer (gasp!). I mean, if I could have one more snuggley little one, I better do it soon. I certainly don't want my child pushing my oxygen tank around at their graduation!Since moving back to Springfield, I have been spending time with the most perfect little two year old (since mine were that age, of course!). She is an absolute angel. I love her so much. Some days Eden and I get to play but it never seems long enough. I have just enough time to give in to her every little heart's desire (hey, chocolate is a legitimate meal!). Recently, I was asked if I wanted to keep her for a day while her mommy was at work. Well, OF COURSE Auntie A (which is so adorable when she says it!) will keep her. Here is a little sample of our day:Arriving at Auntie A's house, there are always two immediate stops. First is the M&M stash (which she thinks we manufacture them!) and the next is the cabinet. She marches over to it, opens it up and begins her search (while eating her M&M's). She picks out what she wants. Next, she always wants to find Rosie, the cat (or "wosie", as she calls her).This particular day, she wanted to eat beside kitty (yes, on the floor, but that's okay, she is at Auntie A's house!). Then there is play time. We go look for the birds, jump on the trampoline, play doll house, chase the kitty, have a dance party....did I mention I still have dishes to do and laundry to finish? No time for that, it's lunch time. After lunch I can get those dishes done and the laundry going again. What's that? "Pay wif me, Auntie A", well OF COURSE! So it's off to the park we go:First stop, feed the ducks. Do you know how long it takes a 2 year old to go through a loaf of bread? Forever! I guess I just forgot. After running from the mob of ducks, who apparently called all their buddies in from out of town, we made it to the swings. Did I mention it feels like 110 degrees outside?

Lucky for Eden, she gets a breeze while swinging. Whew. I am getting a little tired. I have had a two year old before, three times to be exact, but for some reason it seems more tiring today. Hmmm. Maybe I am out of practice. Did I mention how much this child loves to swing?

Sweat is rolling down my back. I think I feel faint. Push the toddler faster, it creates a breeze. Water. I need water. "Eden, you ready to go back to Auntie A's house?" A "yes" never sounded so beautiful...what's that? Oh...you want to see the duck's one more time? How could I possibly say no?

Finally! On our way home! Wait!! No...no...no.....is she falling asleep? Actual conversation between me and the Lord: "Please, please Lord, let her go back to sleep once we get home." Back at home she is awake and I talk her into laying in the bed beside me. After rubbing her back and singing "Do You Know the Muffin Man" (for the 100th time...but that's okay; it's our special song), she finally goes to sleep (thank you Lord!!). Just when I think I am about to take a nice little slumber, I am reminded that I haven't spent a minute with the Lord that day. Seriously? OK, that conversation between the Lord and I...rats!...He answered that prayer, but I should have added, "and let me take a nap too!". As the little angel lay sleeping, I get out my Bible and pick back up what I have been studying lately (how the impossible with man is possible with God). The particular passage I am reading is about the account of Abraham and Sarah. They are told they will be with child. You know the story, Sarah laughs. Well, I ponder that. After the day I have just spent with the most perfect two year old on earth, I am totally exhausted. My biological clock suddenly comes to a halt. What in the world was I thinking? Really? Another baby? I am too out of practice. This pace is too much. Let's just leave it to the younger ones! I suddenly laugh myself, because I am thinking that Sarah is cracking up because she has spent days with two year olds herself and just can't imagine how she could do it. Haha! Oh, but the impossible with man is possible with God. So, I posted this scripture to my Facebook page:

Gen. 18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Man! I wasn't thinking about what a stir it would cause! Everyone thought I was sending out a "message." Well, you know me. I love to cut up and have a good time. So....I decided to play around with it and just let people's minds run wild! And, boy, did they! So, to answer your curious minds, No, I am not pregnant. For now, I will happily be the mom to the three beautiful girls God gave to me. How thankful I am for Abbie-Kate, Chloe-Beth, and Gracie-Caroline. And, I will still have a wonderful time simply being Auntie A to my sweet Eden!

every day is a better day

I love the lyrics in this song. It's almost as if Toby Mac wrote the song just for me. There have been a lot of rough patches lately. A lot of heartache. But, I am holding on.

One of the hardest things to do is to let go of ways we have been hurt or that we have hurt others. I don't know about you, but I find it easier to let go and forgive others who have hurt me but find it most difficult to let go and forgive myself for my own shotcomings. Someone once asked me, "How do you forgive yourself?" and I am sure I gave some great spiritual answer. But, in honesty, I really don't know. Maybe when the people you have wronged forgive you and let their hurts go, that frees you up to forgive yourself? I am going to try that. I am going to to begin letting go so that I can free up others to maybe forgive their own self. It really is a full circle. Isn't it?

In the meantime, I will keep holding on. Trusting that tomorrow can and will be better than today. Now, thanks to Toby Mac, I feel like dancing! Good thing....I am on my way to help with a DJ Dance Party at the school. Hopefully my children will be in a forgiving mood....'cause I got the moves!!!

blog worth passing on

Wanted to pass along this blog. So much truth! I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh, I did add a little comment at the bottom. I couldn't resist!

You can find this blogger by clicking to the left on "It's Almost Naptime!!"

Gah, you Christians are SO judgmental

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 06:49 PM PDT

Walker and I were just having one of those good, lie in bed, stare at the ceiling talks. The conversation bounced from reading books to Christian leaders who fall from grace to speculating how our children will one day disappoint us to what we would ever do if one of our children told us that he or she was gay.

"I'd love them," Walker said. "I would make it abundantly clear that we did not support the lifestyle, but that they had our never ending love. I think that if we were to get it wrong, by being too judgmental or too loving, Jesus would want us to err on the side of love."

The one criticism that I hear hurled the most at Christians is that we are so judgmental. It was hurled at me recently, during a conversation when I was being the exact opposite of judgmental. I realized that even though the person saying it had absolutely no evidence, and plenty to support the contrary, she so completely expected me to be judgmental of her situation that she couldn't even accept the fact that I wasn't. It's a stereotype utterly ingrained in the minds of non-Christians.

But y'all, stereotypes always come from somewhere.

Christians are judgmental. It's true. So are atheists and Jews and Muslims and Buddhists and Mormons and, ironically, the judgmental woman who was calling me judgmental. But we Christians seem to have cornered the market on judgment. Why is this?

I have a theory.

Judgment, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad. To make a judgment means to form an opinion or a belief. I make a thousand judgments every day, and so do you. I judge Diet Coke to be good. I judge Diet Pepsi to be bad. I judge abortion to be wrong. I judge adoption to be good. I judge firefighters to be brave. I judge babies to be adorable. I judge teachers to be underpaid. Some of my beliefs are based on what the Bible teaches, other opinions, like the fact that Diet Pepsi stinks, aren't at all.

Here is another of my judgments: the problem among believers is that we often turn our beliefs into condemnation.

I'll repeat that.

We Christians often turn our beliefs into condemnation.

And while judgment is often not inherently wrong, Jesus tells us that condemning others is flat out not our job.

Let's take abortion. I'm 100% in judgment that abortion is wrong in just about every situation. Yes. I'm crazy judgmental like that. What about the women who get abortions? Do I judge them? Well, in a way, yes. I believe, based on what the Bible states, that the choice that they made was wrong. But do I condemn them?

Do I think women who have had abortions are bad people? Do I consider myself better than them? Do I wish something bad would happen to them to punish them for their sin? Then I have crossed a line to condemnation.

How about the other hot button issue in the church today: homosexuality. Do I judge homosexuality? Yes. The bible is very clear that it is a sin. I am judging homosexuality to be wrong. But what about the homosexual person?

Do I think homosexuals are bad people? Do I consider them the enemy? Do I refuse to associate with them? Do I wish them punishment for their sin, or rejoice in their misery? Then I am condemning them.

The gay thing is a big one for me because several of my favorite people on the planet are gay. I do judge their lifestyle - I believe that it is outside of God's will for their lives and is therefore harmful to them. I pray for them to repent. But I don't condemn them as persons. In fact, I love them with all my heart.

In the bible, Jesus had a habit of seeking out the people whom the rest of society condemned: the women who slept around, the people with embarrassing diseases, the thieves, the prostitutes, the sinners. If the rest of the world thought you were too sinful to hang out with, chances were, Jesus was going to hunt you down and invite himself to dinner with you. I have long believed that if Jesus were to come back today and land in Houston, Texas, he would head straight to Montrose, a neighborhood in the heart of our city that is half gay and expensive and half very seedy. Montrose residents would be his kind of people, based on the company he kept in Israel.

Jesus would judge their behavior, yes. He would tell them it was wrong and call for them to repent of it.

But would he condemn them? When Jesus confronted sinners, was his evangelism strategy to disassociate from them and pull into a Christian bubble? Did he look down on them, or tell them that they were horrible people headed straight to hell in a handbasket?

There was one group of folks in the bible that Jesus did treat that way. He held those people in contempt and wasn't shy about letting them know it any chance he got. Who were they?

The people that disgusted Jesus to no end were the church ladies who looked down on the everybody else. (Okay, the church men.) The Pharisees, who spent their lives chasing bible study after bible study in an effort to be the holiest guys on the block. The ones who could quote scripture all day. The ones who wouldn't be caught dead even looking at a gay prostitute, much less hanging out with one, even much less loving one.

They were the ones who were completely and utterly missing the point.
The ones who didn't have a clue what grace was.

Because while the Pharisees were wallowing in their own self-righteousness among others who shared their smug superiority, Jesus was out hunting down the prostitute.

Who do you hunt down?

When we condemn others, we are focusing on their sin instead of our own. And the sin of a gay prostitute is not one bit greater than the sin of my own judgmental heart. When we condemn instead of love, we are completely forgetting that Jesus came to set the captives free, to give sight to the blind, to proclaim good news to the poor (Luke 4:16-21).

It's not easy. Personally, I have a very hard time not condemning child molesters, for instance. Heck, I have a hard time not condemning people who wear white shoes after Labor Day. And I know what you're saying - that God will judge us all one day, and some of us will indeed be condemned. He gets to do that, because he's God. And we're not. So let's not try to be.

Let's err on the side of love, as hard as it is to do. I think that's what Jesus would want.

Judge not, and you will not be judged;
condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven
Luke 6:37

****My own insert: The photo above was taken of an unsuspecting individual. He had no idea I took the picture. He was simply too old to be wearing Batman underwear! And, all bent over like that! Did I judge him??? YOU BET!! I judged him to be HILARIOUS and FUN!!!!!