THE WAY I SEE IT.

"Embracing Your Second Calling"

2012-01-21T11:58:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I haven't been good at keeping up with my "Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff" blogs. Somewhere through the holidays I got off my schedule and still haven't been able to get back on track, but hopefully I will get my act together soon so we can meet here on Saturday mornings again!

There is one thing I wanted to share this morning specifically for my sisters who are hitting the "Crap, I'm getting old and don't know what to do with myself" stage-- like I am! I have a wonderful women's group that meets regularly on Thursday mornings and starting this week we are going to be reading Dale Hanson Bourke's book, "Embracing Your Second Calling: Find Passion ad Purpose for the Rest of Your Life". Here's a little excerpt from the introduction to this book:

"When I wrote Second Calling a few years ago, I was at the beginning of the journey into this chapter of my life. A bit shell-shocked by the signs of age, a bit saddened by the impending empty nest, a bit overwhelmed by the realization that my ambitions were changing, I was struggling to make sense of it all.

I am a few more miles down this road now. My grown sons have both left home. I have a new job that takes me to Africa regularly and challenges my comfort zone on every level. My husband and I have started talking about selling the house and planning for retirement. My mother has health problems, so my sister and I are more involved in caring for her and managing her life.

But this is not just my story. That, more than anything, is what I have learned. Woman after woman has told me that Second Calling felt like it was written 'just for me'. The revelation, for all of us, has been that we are not alone. The joy has been that we feel free to share our struggles and fears and dreams with one another in a way we never felt we could do before. And for many of us, that means that we can truly embrace our second calling ---even if we don't know exactly what it is."

If any of you can relate to this, I'd love for you to read the book along with us and join in for conversation here on my blog throughout the next few weeks. FYI, I ordered the books for our group here: Amazon:Second Calling They are paperbacks, so inexpensive to order! We will be reading the introduction and first chapter "A New Day Dawning" this week.

I'll leave you with my bible verse/wish for you this week: Love you all.... M

Romans 15:13- "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may over-flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Psalm 59:16

2012-01-13T08:19:00.001-06:00

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning i will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble."

I Peter 5:6

2012-01-12T09:04:00.001-06:00

"Be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll lift you up at the right time."

Hashbrown Casserole like Cracker Barrel's! Really!!

2012-01-08T16:11:00.009-06:00

If you are like me, you LOVE the hashbrown casserole at Cracker Barrel. I don’t believe I’ve ever visited that place without ordering it. So, I started looking online for the recipe. There are several sites which claim to have the recipe. Interestingly enough, none of them are the same. SO which recipe is RIGHT?

I just started messing around with some of the ingredients and came up with what I think is the closest to Cracker Barrel I’ve ever had. I think I may even like it better!! After posting about it, I had several ask me for my recipe so.. here it is!! Enjoy! … and let me know if you make it and if you liked it! It’s super-easy!

MARCIA’S HASHBROWN CASSEROLE

2 lbs of frozen hashbrown potatoes (thawed)

1 stick of butter (melted in microwave)

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 onion diced

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

Pam cooking spray

Mix all those ingredients together in a large bowl.

Spray Pam into a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until done.

Tips: Use real butter. I do buy the “light” butter, but it’s butter, not margarine. Also, I shred the cheese myself, don’t buy the pre-shredded cheese. That has a weird coating on it to keep it from sticking to itself in the bags. Me don’t likey.

If you make any changes (like maybe using a “lighter” version of the soup or cheese, let me know how that turns out. I usually believe in going full on for full flavor in recipes like this. I know it’s not “healthy”, but this isn’t something I make everyday. It’s a splurge dish for sure… and when I want to “splurge”, I say go for the real stuff!!

All About Us

2012-01-08T09:03:00.001-06:00

Good Morning friends! I hope everyone has had a beautiful start to 2012....

I wanted to share this trailer to a new series that begins today at my church, Crosspoint Community Church, here in Nashville, TN. If you don't live in Nashville, you can still join us each Sunday by way of our Internet Campus at 6:00pm each Sunday evening. There is even a cool live Q&A right after the sermon that you can participate in. Go to www.crosspoint.tv for more info including campus locations and service times!

"Most people are going into this new year with high hopes. We've got dreams for our careers, our finances, and our relationships. Who isn't hoping that next year is going to be better than the past five combined? But there's one thing standing in your way: YOUR PAST.

Ever wondered why you make all of these resolutions every year but nothing ever really seems to change?

Ever wondered why you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over?

Ever wondered why you have such a difficult time maintaining healthy relationship?

You see, your past isn't really your past if it's still affecting the present. If you haven't dealt with the hurt from your past it will continue to impact everything you touch. If we don't learn to transform the pain, we'll transfer it.

Join us at Cross Point Church in January for a series of messages that will help us find healing from our past so we can move into the future God has for us. We're a church that realizes we don't have it all together. In fact, we like to say at Cross Point Church it's OK to not be OK."

Hurt People, Hurt People. Free people, free people. -- So true.

Isaiah 26:3 -- Want Peace??

2012-01-05T12:30:00.000-06:00

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." -- Isaiah 26:3

Notice that peace comes from God, and not our mind. Peace is the response of God to those who seek Him, for God’s presence places all of our circumstances in a different perspective. Our minds are prone to project the worst that can happen, but a mind that is steadfast upon God is confronted with the fact that God is in control. Renewing our minds with this reality causes trust, and that trust opens our hearts to peace.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   A few years ago, my life was in complete turmoil. I had gone through my 2nd divorce and felt like a failure. I had become a single mom of two boys, trying to "make it" in the music business. I didn't have a "real" job so bills were piling up. Thankfully I didn't end up out on the street because I had parents who would always check with me at the beginning of each month with the same question, "Do you have rent money this month?". I always felt SO triumphant on the few months where I could say, "YES! I have it covered!", because the truth is, most of the time, I had to utter a humiliating "No, not really. Could I borrow it from you... (gulp).. again?".   Of course they ALWAYS came through for me and NEVER made me feel like I was being a burden, but I still felt horrible each time I had to ask. I mean, geez... I was 33 yrs. old with 2 kids. WHY couldn't I get my act together?!?

     One day I started looking around at the people I knew. I decided that I needed to figure out WHY some people just seemed to be doing well in life and others weren't. What was their secret? You know those people? The ones that seem to always be happy, no matter what is going on around them...??   The ones that seem... well... peaceful?   I wanted that. I was tired of turmoil. I was tired of trying SO hard and still not appearing to get anywhere. I was tired of the chaos. I wanted peace.

   The one thing I noticed that all the peaceful people had in common was a love for Jesus. They all had a true belief that God was in control. They didn't worry so much about the little things because they believed that God would take care of them. They ALL believed that God's word was in the Bible and they lived by those beliefs daily. So I did what they did... I opened my Bible and dove in.

    I've tried living my life with and without God. Trust me, it's MUCH easier with Him than without Him. He brings that peace to my life that I was looking for. That doesn't mean I don't have worry. That doesn't mean that some days aren't.. well... hard. But it DOES mean that I have peace. I can honestly say that even when I'm worried, I'm at peace. Even when I'm sad, I'm at peace. Even when I'm frustrated... I. AM. AT. PEACE. ---- Thank you Lord.

Hold on to your hearts ladies! Someone is looking mighty stud-ly in his new sweater....

2012-01-04T10:24:00.001-06:00

Proverbs 1:5-6

2012-01-02T09:04:00.000-06:00

"...let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance..."

Good Morning friends! As we begin this new year I wanted to share this commentary to Proverbs 1:5-6. It came in my morning Daily Bible Verse email and it is by Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor at GraceNYC.org.

"One of the traits that Solomon valued was the gaining of knowledge and wisdom. This proverb reminds us to never stop being students of the Scripture and the world around us. To the degree that we don’t allow others to instruct us, we place a lid over our own progress. As we prepare for the New Year, may we recommit ourselves to becoming students again. To lose our “expert” opinions puts us back on the trail of adding to our knowledge. The wise know that they need this. How about you and I?"

I really LOVE putting myself into a constant "student" mode. Always looking at my surroundings and trying to learn something new from God, my friends, the universe. I don't ever want to fall into the trap of thinking that I have everything figured out. That sounds incredibly boring, don't you think?

May we all learn something NEW today!! Let's GO!!! :-)

My prayer for ME in 2012....

2012-01-01T09:25:00.001-06:00

Psalm 51:10- "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

I'm still smiling....

2011-12-31T09:06:00.001-06:00

Here we are. -- Dec. 31, 2011. I've been reading alot of tweets, posts, and blogs about how so many are glad to be saying "good-bye" to 2011. Everyone's ready for a fresh start with 2012. I guess it's easy to look back and think of the difficult times and be glad for the calendar to change over and put the past behind us. 2011 definitely brought some trials, sad moments, and difficult times, but when I look back on the pictures I took, I realize I was smiling ALOT. It reminds me that I have OH so much to be grateful for.

I have a loving family. Supportive friends. A roof over my head, food on the table, happy pets, vehicles that take me places so I don't have to walk everywhere. I may have a few wrinkles on my face, but I also have some wisdom that comes along with those wrinkles. I may be fighting the battle of the "bulge", but I'm not fighting cancer or some other disease that greatly affects my health. I have three beautiful kids that I adore. I have an amazing husband who loves me with a passion that I have never known. And I have my God. A God who shows mercy and grace to me as I fall on my face over and over again. A God who never abandons me and sets me straight each time I get off course. A God who's so BIG that I feel terribly small most days, yet incredibly safe in my smallness. I feel protected and loved. Who could ask for more than that? I am blessed.

Will 2012 be better than 2011? Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, I know I will be ok. I am surrounded by people who will help me through whatever comes my way. I have a God who has promised to never leave me and I believe that promise.

Hebrews 13:5 - "For God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."

See? Told ya! There it is in BOLD. If you are questioning that promise right now, it's ok. If there wasn't doubt, there wouldn't be faith. You can doubt all you want, and still God will be there. It's who He is. He doesn't promise that things will always be beautiful and smooth. Life is rocky and that will never change. But He WILL be right by your side, holding you tight during the hard times. I encourage you to turn all your troubles over to Him. Today. Enter 2012 with HELP. God's help. I promise, you will find true peace and comfort when you rest in Him.

HE is why, through all the struggles of 2011, when I look back on those pictures... I'm still smiling.

May you all have a lovely and safe New Year's Eve celebration tonight. See you in 2012!!

Here we go.....

Good morning.... Only 2 days left in 2011! - Clouds are dancing in the sky... wow.

2011-12-30T07:09:00.009-06:00

"Show me what a man envies the least in others and I will show you what he has got the most of himself." -- Josh Billings

It's a little disconcerting to discover that the faults we deplore in others are exactly the ones we're dealing with too. A person who berates a partner, friend, or co-worker for being too critical is demonstrating the same flaw. Why can't we see our own character flaws, so apparent to others?

Maybe it's because we're dealing with a spiritual principle. Our brothers and sisters are our mirrors. God made us essentially alike. Each of us is as deserving of criticism as anyone, and as worthy of love. When we condemn someone, we condemn ourselves. By loving others, we are loved.

Today I will see others as I want to be seen, and treat them as I want to be treated.

Good morning! It's frosty here in Music City!

2011-12-29T08:12:00.003-06:00

"Hunting God is a great adventure." -- Maria DeFloris

Eventually, most of us discover it's not very difficult to find God somewhere in our life. We may find God in the simple beauty of a flower when we're out for a walk in the woods. Or we may experience God working through the women and men who share our journey. In time, many of us come to believe that God is everywhere, always, and never more than a thought or a breath away.

When we have achieved full acceptance that wherever else God is manifest, God is within us too, we'll walk easier through our dark and troubling times. But even when we know that God is with us every moment, we may forget. Then, just pausing and praying for help will relieve our anxiety, and God's presence will be felt.

We may still fear the outcome of a situation because we're not certain God wants the same things for us that we want. But by recalling our past, when God's direction has brought us where we need to be, we can rest our mind and turn our life over again.

I'll remember that I don't have to look very far for God today.

No snow... But it's still pretty up here in Michigan country.

2011-12-25T15:54:00.000-06:00

We got snow last night!!

2011-12-24T08:53:00.001-06:00

2011-12-23T08:47:00.001-06:00

Good Morning from the farm!!

Turning 50 is kinda fun!! :-))

2011-12-19T21:11:00.001-06:00

Rehearsing "O Holy Night" @crosspoint_tv. So beautiful!

2011-12-18T07:56:00.001-06:00

You can't beat a good neighborhood Live Nativity Christmas play!

2011-12-17T18:32:00.000-06:00

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff -- Psalm 28:7

2011-12-10T07:49:00.000-06:00

I am the WORST at bible verse memorization. I have always struggled with it, but as I'm getting older, it seems to be getting even harder for me. This morning, Psalm 28:7 seared itself in my heart and I've been repeating it over and over and OVER to myself all day. I'm convinced it WILL stay in my memory somehow. I'm even considering getting it tattooed on my body. ----I'm not kidding.

Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him, and he helps me."

I love this verse. I love this promise. And I believe it.

So I have 2 questions for you guys today.
1)Does anyone have any good tips for memorizing bible verses?

And the 2nd question is actually a 3-fold question for anyone out there who has one or more tattoos:
2)WHERE on your body did you get your first tattoo? WHAT is the tattoo? and WHY did you choose it/get it?

Have a great weekend friends!!

Dinner w/2 of my favorite guys at the Sycamores Terrace Candlelight Christmas dinner.

2011-12-07T18:32:00.001-06:00

Waiting at the vet with this little guy... He was sick all night. Hope they fix him up fast!

2011-12-07T09:12:00.000-06:00

"Confessions of a Prayer Slacker....."

2011-12-05T10:56:00.001-06:00

I struggle with prayer.

I mean, I'm good at quick little "arrow" prayers all throughout the day. It's easy to just shoot up those prayers whenever you hear some bad news (Oh Lord, please help Johnny through surgery today... Amen.) Or even when you hear good news (Oh Lord, thank you for helping Janie to pass that test!).
But the kind of prayer where you shut off the world for a few minutes and not only talk AT God, but try to actually listen to Him, well, that kind of prayer is NOT my forte. Yet.

"God insists that we ask, not because He needs to know our situation, but because we need the spiritual discipline of asking." - Catherine Marshall

I read this today:
"An omniscient God must know what we desire before we ask. God knows what we really need most is reliance on God. And how do we develop reliance? Like most other things, by practicing.
If it weren't for the need to remind ourselves daily or hourly that all power flows from God, we could just say a quick prayer at the beginning of each week, or each year, and be done with it. Surely God could fill our requests a year ahead of time. But getting our wishes granted isn't the purpose of prayer. Getting to know God is the purpose."

I LOVE those last two sentences: "But getting our wishes granted isn't the purpose of prayer. Getting to know God is the purpose."

How do we get to know someone? Spending time with them, talking with them, listening to them... why is that so hard for me to do that with God? Sigh.... I'm SO easily distracted.

I've heard it said that you never "drift" toward good things. You don't drift into a good marriage. You don't drift into a good exercise program. You don't drift into a good prayer life. You have to make deliberate decisions to step toward good things. SO....I'm really trying hard these days to carve out a piece of my day for prayer. Solid, direct, focused prayer. And I'm anxious to see how my life transforms from it.

And I'm going to re-read my friend Diane Moody's book, "Confessions of a Prayer Slacker". It kicked me in the butt the first time I read it and I got on track. Sadly, I drifted back into my old habits. If you are like me and need a good kick-start towards getting your prayer life alive again.... I highly suggest getting Diane's book. Diane also has a brand-new book "Blue Christmas" and several other books that I'm anxious to read. I love her writing and I LOVE that lady! Check out all her books at her website: www.dianemoody.net

Have a great week everyone!!

Nothing like coming home from vacation to a newly painted living room! Love it!

2011-12-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah....

2011-12-01T23:25:00.001-06:00

Fun night watching my drummer boy perform at the NSA winter concert!

2011-11-29T20:27:00.001-06:00

Painting our living room today... Can you find a small terrified Django?

2011-11-27T13:42:00.001-06:00

Happy Anniversary to US! I love this man!!

2011-11-23T19:59:00.001-06:00

Be of love....

2011-11-21T08:52:00.001-06:00

"Be of love a little more careful than of anything." --e.e. cummings

Great words this morning from "In God's Care":
Life's assignment is to live unselfishly, lovingly, and cooperatively with God's will. This assignment is quite manageable -- even simple. It's often only a matter of expressing the love we feel to the people who cross our path each day. Our own burdens will lighten every time we show kindness to another person. Our conflicts mysteriously begin to dissipate when we switch from a fearful, negative outlook to a loving, trusting one.

Love is God's gift. When we offer love freely and honestly to someone else, we give a gift not only to that person by showing unconditional love, but also to God by doing God's will. We also give a gift to ourselves in that each expression of love heightens our own awareness of being loved.

To love and be loved. I think that's the reason we are here.
Have a great week friends!!

I love seeing the General Jackson float by the house at night!

2011-11-20T18:45:00.001-06:00

Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "Success vs. Significance"

2011-11-19T12:09:00.001-06:00

We all want to be successful, right? I must admit that I spent much of my 20's and 30's consumed with thoughts of being "successful". I even put off doing some things that I knew should be priorities, thinking to myself that I would get to those things after I reached a particular goal or achieved a certain amount of success.   The bad thing is that those priorities got lost in the shuffle because some of those goals never got reached. Uh-oh.

    A friend of mine recently told me that at some point in your life, you shift your thinking from wanting to be successful, to wanting to be significant. That was one of those eye-opening "Oh Yes!" moments for me. Significance!! That's what I'm really searching for... but how do I get there??

It's a healthy human attribute to want our life to count for something. We want to be significant. We want to matter. -- I don't know about you, but when I think of "significant" people, I usually think of names like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein. I then start to think, "Well, they were special individuals who had great gifts that I do not have, so there's no way I can make a difference in this world like they did."   Well, maybe I won't make a difference the way THEY did, but that doesn't mean I can't make a difference in my OWN way.

Do you think Thomas Edison thought to himself, "Hmmm... I really want to be "significant". What can I do to leave a legacy behind that will show that what I did left a lasting impression on mankind?? Hey, I know!! I'll invent a lightbulb! THAT should do it!"

Do you think Mother Teresa woke up one day and said, "Well now, I really want to be "significant". What can I do to make sure people remember me and all the good I did for years and years to come? Hey, I know!! I'll become a nun and devote my life to mission work and charities! THAT should do it!"

No, something tells me those scenarios didn't happen. They weren't on a search for "significance". They were just doing what they were born to do. Using the gifts God gave them. I'll bet they just looked at each day as an opportunity to use those gifts and make the most of them. A little bit at a time.

"We must not ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." - Marian Wright Edelman

My women's bible study group is in the middle of reading Angie Smith's new book "What Women Fear". This week we discussed Chapter 7 which is the "Fear of Not being Signficant".    I learned two really important lessons in that chapter.

         1. You can't let the approval or recognition of other people be our barometer of whether or not we matter, because those other people are flawed the same way you are and they can't objectively evaluate who you are.

        2. You can't compare yourself to other people (ie Mother Teresa). Comparing leads to competition. That will either lead you to be puffed up in your victory or deflated by your failure.

Angie also writes, "The desire to be significant is God-given and, I believe, intended to make us long for the ways He chooses to use us."

USE us? You mean, being significant is about being USED? Ah-ha! I may be a little slow, but I think I'm starting to get it now. How can I REALLY feel significant? Follow in Jesus' footsteps. Be a servant. USE your gifts to serve others.

Luke 22 says:

25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Serve. Sacrifice. Love

I want to write those three words on my bathroom mirror so every morning I'll remember those are the three ways to be significant. When I do those things, I know I am mirroring what our savior Jesus did to be significant. And you can't help but touch others in significant ways when you do them.

No matter what we do, we are always significant to the One who matters --God. He made each one of us deliberately and with unique gifts. We are all precious to Him and carrying THAT truth is what gives me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and serve. It doesn't matter what the world thinks of me. HE loves me. And that's all that really matters.

Have a great week my friends!!

We have a couple of tv's on stage this morning... @crosspoint_tv

2011-11-13T08:11:00.001-06:00

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff...."Humility"

2011-11-12T10:22:00.001-06:00

Hey guys and gals.... I missed writing my Saturday morning blog last week because I was in GA with my good friends James Casto and Carole Ford performing at Chukkar Farms AND getting the honor of helping with the worship music at Roswell United Methodist Church. That was one of the highlights of my week!
   My buddies, Ellen and Monica, drove down to GA with me (oh, and Sunny too!) and the fall foliage was SO beautiful. Truly stunning going over Monteagle Mountain.

Anyway, it's good to be home and back to my regular Sat morning routine. Read a great daily devotion last week about Humility.

"Humility is a strange thing. The minute you think you've got it, you've lost it.

Understanding, deep within our soul, that God is in charge of our life removes our fear and anxiety. Quietly, then, we receive the gift of humility.

The realization that we are only responsible for our own actions lifts a great burden from our shoulders. We know humility each time we agree to let God take charge of the rest. The burden of all outcomes is rightly God's.

Humility teaches us that we will know just what we need to know at the moment we need it -- now and in the future. These moments that are claiming our attention now are all we need be concerned with. God will offer us every message we need in the quiet of our soul when the time is right. We can be at ease.

Today I will humbly accept my responsibilities in life and be glad that God will take care of the rest."

Because I struggle with self-confidence on a daily basis, I thought I had humility in the bag. But after reading this, I realized that I still have a long way to go on that. Why? Well because....

1. I still want to carry the burden of all outcomes. (silly me)

2. I want God to clue me in on His plans ahead of time. "C'mon God, we partners, right?   I don't want to be on a 'need to know' basis! Give me the road map of the future NOW so I know what's coming around the corner!" -- Sigh. I guess I DO need to work on some humility.

   I will say that I've been making a strong effort this week to adjust my thinking and TRULY turn some things over to God that have been in my tight grasp for awhile now.   It certainly has made my heart a little lighter to know that I gave those things away and I truly don't have to carry them around anymore.

How about you guys? Have you been desperately holding on to something that you were hesitant to turn over to God because you were afraid that He might not handle it the way YOU wanted it to be handled?   It ain't easy sometimes, that's for sure.    Just try loosening your grip this week on ONE thing that you've been desperately holding on to. Watch and see how much lighter your burden feels. God's got it. He does. And what I've found is that usually His plans for ANY situation are SOOOO much cooler than the ones I had!

Ya'll have a great weekend!

Up early to take a friend to airport, but it was so worth it to see this!

2011-11-11T06:11:00.001-06:00

About to do one of my favorite gigs each year.... The lovely Chukkar Farms!

2011-11-05T17:19:00.001-05:00

Opryland Hotel has a few of the lights on... So pretty!

2011-11-01T20:48:00.000-05:00

2011-11-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

"A comprehended God is no God at all..."

A God that we could pigeonhole wouldn't be much of a higher power. God's ways are sometimes simply beyond human understanding. The closest we can come is to equate God with love. If our actions are based on love for one another, we can hardly go wrong.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

"Man's extremity is God's opportunity"

2011-10-31T08:36:00.000-05:00

"Why does it seem easier to finally turn to God for help when hopelessness has overwhelmed us? We get 'on our knees' only when the pain is intolerable. Having nowhere else to turn, we meekly surrender our struggle to God.

It's never too late to change our habits for handling upsets that occur in our life. In fact, turmoil - silly or serious- would disappear if we comfortably relied on God to take charge of our life every moment.

We have all met people who seem less troubled than ourselves. It's not likely they have been spared the prickly problems that trouble us. It's more probable that they let God help them handle each of their problems. We differ from them only in our willingness to let God have total charge of our life. If we do, we will know a new peacefulness- immediately."

I will let God be in total charge of my life today. I'll not be controlled by fear. God will smooth my way.

(post today copied from: "In God's Care-Hazelden Meditation Series")

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff ... "Better Days"

2011-10-29T12:23:00.001-05:00

If you follow me on twitter, you may be wondering about my posts this week with the hashmark #BetterDaysChallenge. Last week our pastor, Pete Wilson at Crosspoint Community Church, gave a very inspiring and informative sermon that stuck with me all week. Pete started with these 4 True or False questions.

1. Extreme poverty is worse than it's been in recent history. T or F
2. The average American is less healthy now than any other time in history. T or F
3. There are more deadly natural disasters these days than any other time since weather records have been kept. T or F
4. Crime rates have risen over the last 30 years. T or F

I'll bet most of us would answer "True" to all of those questions, however, as Pete pointed out, every one of them is a big "False".

Why is it that our perception of what's happening in the world today seems to be much different that what is really happening in the world today?

So much of how we feel about our world and even our personal situation is related to our attitudes and what we believe to be truths. We are constantly fed the message that "Life is Bad.. and it's getting worse".    We are fed that by the media, blogs, friends, and even some of our churches. All of these are trusted sources, right? So why would we NOT believe what they are telling us? No one would tell us lies on purpose, right?   Well.. maybe.

If you have time, you should watch or listen to this sermon because I think it's really eye-opening. You can go to the main Crosspoint website here... then you will see the "Audio-Video" button on the bottom left corner. That will lead you to a link to download the sermon. You can easily watch or listen in I-Tunes.

Back to my #BetterDaysChallenge hashmark..... Pete ended the sermon with a challenge for us all. Try to find 3 things that you can list each day that you are grateful for.   Some days it's easier for me than others. Some days I have big things to be grateful for, and some days only a little thing like "pizza delivery" is all I can squeak out.   I want to encourage you to try the "Better Days Challenge" with me. Try it for one week. Don't go to bed without sitting down and listing 3 things you are thankful for. It sure helps ME keep things in perspective.

Gratitude not only leads to more happiness... it leads to hope. When has pessimism ever changed anything?   When has cynicism ever breathed new life into a hopeless situation?

I Peter 1:13 - "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."

There are 3 more weeks of the "Better Days" series at Crosspoint. All the campus sites and times of services are on the website. If you are feeling down about what's going on in the world these days. If you are having trouble finding hope. If you are struggling with believing that there ARE better days ahead... please join us this Sunday at Crosspoint. I think you will leave with a smile on your face!

Have a great week friends! --- M

Thank you Lord....

2011-10-28T17:46:00.001-05:00

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff ... "Words of Life"

2011-10-22T16:52:00.001-05:00

"For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life...." -- Deuteronomy 32:47

I started reading my bible again this week. I mean REALLY reading my bible. A slap in the face came from the Oct. 19th morning devotional from "Experiencing God Day by Day", a book that my friend Kim gave me recently. All the words in italics below are directly from that book.

It's puzzling that so many Christians try to live the Christian life without reading their Bible, except for sporadic perusals of God's Word, seeking a pithy thought for the day. The Word of God is not merely a source of helpful suggestions preventive warnings, or inspirational thoughts: It is life itself!

OUCH. That one stung. Guilty as charged. I have become horribly remiss at spending time in God's word. Yes, I crack open the Bible several times a week, randomly looking for something that will speak to me, but probably not as urgently as I should. No, definitely not.

God commanded His people to bind His words on their hearts, to teach them diligently to their children, and to regularly discuss them in their homes.

Oh MAN.... I am really getting knocked around here today. "Diligently" and "Regularly"?? We have a long way to go around our household. For sure. Major reality check here.

Our reverence for God's Word is revealed not only by what we say but also by what we do. Spending more time reading and studying the words of people rather than the Word of God reveals our hearts' condition.

WOW. The words of people. Yes, I have been spending more time lately studying the words of people. And I have been learning ALOT from those wise words. However, I realize that doing that at the expense of having time to read God's words is not a healthy thing to do.   I need both.

SO.... I went here: www.youversion.com   They have several different choices of bible reading plans. I picked the Robert Roberts 1 year reading plan. Not really sure WHY I went with that one, but I did, and I'm liking it so far. Cool thing is, there is an app for my phone so I can read or review my daily passages while waiting to pick up Sam from school, or at the gym on the treadmill, or standing in line at the grocery store. I don't have to be near my bible to access the verses that should be on my mind and heart for that day.   I love it!

It may seem like a random time to start a new reading plan. And my first instinct was to make a resolution to start reading the bible daily on Jan 1st.... then I realized "Why wait?".   Let's start NOW.

If you feel you have been missing out on God's words for you, I'd love for you to join me on my one-year plan. It will be fun to do it together!   Can't wait to dig in deep into God's words again. To see what He wants to implant into my heart. Remembering His promises and reminding myself of His constant presence. I'm excited!!

Hope you all have a great weekend..... Much love... M

Rock Island State Park.... Beautiful October afternoon!

2011-10-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

Interesting drive through DeKalb County this morning....

2011-10-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff ... "Listening"

2011-10-15T08:51:00.001-05:00

"Listening means an unhurried time when God really can have a chance to imprint His thoughts in your mind."

I know that I'm not the best sometimes at "listening". Not to God. Not to my husband, children or friends.   "Did you just hear what I said?", is a common question that I'm ashamed to admit my husband or son asks me way too frequently.   There are 2 things that prevent me from being a good listener.

1. I'm too busy talking, sharing MY side of the situation to really hear what THEY are trying to tell me.

2. I'm too distracted by something that I think is more important for me to focus on at the moment, so I don't turn my attention completely to the person who is standing before me trying to have a conversation.

I'm ashamed to say that I can't even begin to count the times I've made my son stand before me, waiting to talk to me while I finished composing an email that I felt the need to prioritize before whatever he needed from me at the moment.

I'm embarrassed to admit how many times my husband has had to answer the question "So, what are you doing tomorrow?" more than once because the first time I asked him, I didn't even listen to his answer. Maybe I got distracted by something on tv, or a funny email that just showed up on my laptop, or a text message from a friend. So I initialize a conversation by asking him the question, "So honey, what are you doing tomorrow?", then I DON'T EVEN LISTEN TO HIS ANSWER. That leaves me having to ask him the question again, which usually begins with him shooting me a dirty look and saying "I just TOLD you what I'm doing tomorrow. You weren't listening again, were you?"

How many times do I do that with God? Oh-boy.
Here's an excerpt from one of my devotional readings this week:

      "How can we know God's will if we don't listen? If we dedicate time to God each day, interesting results are possible, almost certain. When we first awaken, for instance, if we turn our attention to God and even if we experience nothing but God's presence, we will start the day right.
      Some days, if we listen, thoughts will come to us of what God want us to do. Some days it may be just a sense of peace and rest. Or it could be a need to get advice from a friend, or to help someone in need. It takes practice, but if we keep listening, we'll be able to distinguish God's voice from the chattering voice of our own ego."

So... anyone else have trouble listening?   I just CAN'T be the only one struggling with this, right??

How do YOU listen?    When do you feel like it's the best time for you to "hear" God?   Do you do something to prepare to listen?    Do tell... I'm all ears. :-)

Beautiful Feet Update...

2011-10-14T05:34:00.001-05:00

http://www.beautifulfeetgo.blogspot.com/

I love everything about this organization. I love the woman who started it and runs it on a daily basis with a passion that is both rare and inspiring. I love the bible verse that is connected to it. I love that it's about helping kids. And I love that it's a small way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus' to those who are in need. Please consider helping us make a difference.

Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff...."Fear of Failure..."

2011-10-08T12:55:00.002-05:00

So... today I'm reviewing a chapter from Angie Smith's new book "What Women Fear" that my small group is reading together. We talked about Chapter 4 this past week which is about the Fear of Failure. Holy Cow, could I relate to that, or what??
Angie tells the story of finding her father's painting easel up in his study one morning after years of not having time to paint. There was a fresh canvas up along with a pile of art books stacked on his desk. When she expressed her excitement to him about his venture back into painting, he seemed hesitant.

(from Angie's book)
"So you're just reading about it, huh? Not really ready to do it yet", I said.
He shook his head.
"No, babe. I'm way too rusty. I mean, I haven't held a paintbrush in years. I need to study it first and then I'll just...." He trailed off as I made a face that told him I could see right through his act.
"You're scared it's not going to turn out right, aren't you?" I smiled.
"Well, you can't just pick up a brush and start painting. You won't know what you're doing and then it'll..."
"It'll be what, Dad?" He shifted his weight and looked me in the eye.
"Well, it would be a mess." He kept his hand on the books while I grabbed the brushes.
"You need to just do it, Dad. You're so worried about failing that you're going to read yourself right into oblivion. You're not ever going to actually do anything with all this knowledge you're gaining, so it's kind of useless, don't you think?"
So easy to say about some brushes and tubes of old paint.
Not so easy to hear as a statement about your fears.

How many times have I wanted to jump into something I felt God was calling me to do, but let the fear of failure get the better of me?

How many times have I hestitated to take on a great opportunity because I was afraid I would fail?

Sometimes the fear of failure steals the beauty we were meant to create.

To me, failure means it doesn't turn out the way I wanted it to.
To God, it means I didn't pick up the brush.

"Walk humbly, boldly and gratefully in the direction you are being led, and the Lord will surely never let you fail. At least not failure as HE defines it. And what other definition should matter?

Good stuff Angie... good stuff.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Philippians 1:6

Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "Being compassionate"

2011-10-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

It's easy to be compassionate, right? I mean, most of us have no trouble feeling sympathy for someone who is having a hard time.

Who doesn't feel badly for our friend who's marriage just failed?

Who doesn't feel sorry for our neighbor who just lost their job?

Who's heart doesn't break a little bit when we see the homeless man standing on the corner?

But what do we DO about it? Having compassion and Being compassionate are two different things.

God tells us to be compassionate with our actions. This is something I've been personally working on. I don't want to just feel badly for someone who's struggling, I want to DO something that will actually HELP them in their struggles. Sitting on the sidelines and thinking "Oh man, that's awful... sure wish there was something I could do" while not actually finding something to do. I'm afraid that has been me way too many times.

On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. – Obadiah 1:11

That verse hit me like a ton of bricks this week. When we see an injustice and don't step in and do something to help, it is like WE are just as guilty of the injustice being done.   When we see a need that needs to be met and don't step up and try to meet the need, we just aren't being compassionate. And God requires us to do that.

I have so many friends who inspire me on a daily basis. They are truly compassionate with their lives. They look for ways they can make a difference, not just sit on the sidelines, feeling pity for those they see who are hurting. They take action.

"When action-oriented compassion is absent, it's a tell-tale sign that something's spiritually amiss."

The sad fact is that too many Christians sit on the sidelines. They go to church, put their 10% in the offering plate, maybe even read their bibles each day, but are they doing the work that Jesus requires of them? Are they taking care of their fellow man?

I had 2 different instances this week where someone went out of their way to help me. It was just a couple of little things to them, but to ME, they were HUGE. It meant somebody cared enough to notice me. It meant somebody cared enough about me to DO something about my need. And it made a big impression on me that stayed with me all week.

I've been guilty of thinking of something little that I could do for someone, and then NOT doing it, because I think it's too little.   I convince myself that it wouldn't make enough of a difference, so why bother. I think if I don't do something BIG for someone, then it doesn't matter. ---I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THAT LIE ANYMORE.

The little things DO matter. I'll bet those people that did those things for me this week have probably completely forgotten about them. They were so little to them.... but they have lingered with me. They meant ALOT to me.

I'm going to try to look for little things this week. Little ways to be compassionate. Little pokes of God's love to my friends. Little words to say to someone that might be exactly what they need to hear. If we ask God to guide us in the little things, I am sure they will end up as HUGE things.

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." I Peter 3:8

REST

2011-09-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

It's Monday morning and I'm already exhausted. I'm usually a "fan" of Mondays. I love that it's the start of a new week. I love that it feels fresh and full of new opportunities. I love that I've usually come off of a relaxing weekend where I have re-charged my batteries and I feel rested and ready to take on whatever the week ahead has got waiting for me. But today... THIS Monday.... it isn't my typical Monday. I didn't get my "rest" this weekend. This past weekend was filled with up with work, errands, and chores, which I typically do during the week. I'm grateful for the extra "busy-ness", but man, I'm TIRED.

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28

I read this today during my bible/prayer time this morning:
Physical exhaustion is God's way of telling us to slow down. God expects us to work hard, of course, but He also intends for us to rest. When we fail to take the rest that we need, we do a disservice to ourselves and to our families.

We live in a world that tempts us to stay up late -- very late. But too much late-night tv, combined with too little sleep, is a prescription for exhaustion.

Jesus promises us that when we come to Him, He will give us rest -- but we, too, must do our part.   We must take the necessary steps to insure that we have sufficient rest and that we take care of our bodies in other ways, too.

As adults, each of us bears a personal responsibility for the general state of our own physical health. Certainly, various aspects of health are beyond our control: illness sometimes strikes even the healthiest men and women. But for most of us, physical health is a choice: it is the result of hundreds of small decisions that we make every day of our lives. If we make decisions that promote good health, our bodies respond. But if we fall into bad habits and undisciplined lifestyles, we suffer tragic consequences.

Are your physical or spiritual batteries running low? Is your energy on the wane? Are your emotions frayed? If so, it's time to turn your thoughts and prayers to God's Son. And when you're finished, it's probably time to turn off the lights and go to bed!

God wants you to get enough rest. The world wants you to burn the candle at both ends. Trust God.

So my questions for you this morning are:

What do YOU do to "re-charge" your batteries?   What steps do you take to make sure you aren't pushing yourself too much?

and

How do you keep from feeling guilty when you have to say "no" to something or someone, rather than stretch ourselves so thin that we walk around exhausted all the time???

Do tell....

Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "Burdens"

2011-09-24T22:21:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes, I know....I'm late again. So it's a special "evening" edition of Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff.... it's been an extra hectic week for me. Lots of good things happening, and some not-so-good things too. :-(   I was thinking today about how it seems almost uncanny how when I have one burden lifted, a different one is right there ready to take it's place. I'm always waiting for the day when I find myself with no burdens, but I think I may be waiting for something that's just not meant to be.   And maybe that's a good thing. I think there are a few good reasons to have burdens.

Let's face it. Most of the time when we turn to God, it's because we have a burden and we want God to do something about it. We ask Him to take the burden from us. We ask Him for a sign to know what to do about it. We ask Him to intervene and handle this problem for us.... What if we didn't have any burdens?   Would we start feeling a little too confident that we didn't need God?   Would we lose our desire to turn to Him for guidance? "Hey Lord... guess what? I don't have any burdens right now, so I'm good! Catch up with you later!" As much as I hate to admit this, I'm afraid some of my prayers may be along those lines if I didn't have burdens to share with Him.

Another thing about burdens.... it bonds us to other human beings. When I see a friend carrying a burden, I want to try and help them with it. Whether it's something that I can physically do to help relieve them, or maybe it's just to lend an ear to let them talk, it brings us closer. We share that experience and we bond.   Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather bond over a good football game, a concert, or a funny movie with a friend, rather than a painful problem that needs to be addressed, but sometimes it's someone's burden, either theirs or mine that makes us stop what we are doing for a minute and focus on each other.

The last thing I'll say about burdens is that they give God an open platform to show us what He can do when we turn things over to Him.

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee..." Psalm 55:22

Isn't it COOL when we DO "Cast our burdens" to God and He comes through to lift that burden in a mighty way?!!? I've seen Him come into many situations that seemed hopeless through my human eyes, but then God swoops in and WOW. God is cool like that. He has ways to take care of problems that only He can come up with! I just love it when I get to watch in amazement while He comes to my rescue time and time again.

So... yeah, it might seem weird to say this, but tonight, I'm thankful for burdens. I'm thankful for my friends who help me through my burdens. And I'm thankful to God for His promises to always be by my side while I deal with whatever problem I'm struggling with that day. God doesn't promise life will be easy, but He does promise that He will be right beside us all along the way and that gives me hope. And what would life be without hope??? :-)

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18

Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... "What Women Fear"

2011-09-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends.... I'm LOVIN' this beautiful fall weather we are having here in TN. The air is cool, the leaves are starting to have a hint of color to them, football has started, and I'm in heaven. I can't tell you how much this time of year makes me energized after the long hot summer has taken it's toll on me. Thank you Lord for autumn!!

Another thing that I'm excited about this fall is my new women's bible study group that has just started. After a little discussion, we decided that our first "study" would be to read the new book by Angie Smith, "What Women Fear".

I showed this to my ex-husband, Jeff the other day as he was dropping off Sam. He laughed and said, "There's probably just a big picture of ME in there." I have scanned through the book, and so far, no Jeff sightings in there. You're safe Jeff..... for now. LOL

I would love to invite anyone else out there to pick up a copy of this book and join us while we read through it over the next 5 weeks. I ordered our books right here and got them in 2 days. Some of the chapters ahead are:

1. The fear of "What if..."
2. The fear of "Rejection, Abandonment, and Betrayal"
3. The fear of "Being Found Out"
4. The fear of "Failure"
5. The fear of "Death"
6. The fear of "My Past Catching Up to Me'
7. The fear of "Not being significant"
8. The fear of "God's plan for my life"
9. The fear that "God isn't Real"
10.The fear of "God"

I think we can all relate to most of those fears. I know I can. This morning I read through the "Introduction" of the book and she uses an analogy of us trying to balance ourselves in the light of the truth of God, as if we are holding on to a balancing pole, walking across a tightrope.

Angie writes:
"I have heard it said that God is like the net in this example; that He will catch us if we fall, that He is our safe place, that we need not fear because we always have that waiting if things get bad enough. I don't disagree, but I think that many of us have put our emphasis on the net rather than the pole in our hands. We have access to Him here, in the moment, in every situation that arises. The more we tap into a life balanced by Christ, grounded in knowing Him and His Word, the less we have to worry about falling off. It's still scary up here, no question, but if we can get a firm grip on that which steadies us, it will look different.

Have you been living life with Jesus as the net? I know for many seasons of life, I have. He's there if I really need Him, but at the moment I just need to figure out how to get myself straightened and keep moving."

I can SOOOO relate to that. Instead of making a concentrated effort to use Jesus as my steadying "pole", I run into things that make me fall off balance, and then rely on Jesus to be my net. Yes, He's always there as the net, and I think He's glad to BE the net, however, He would MUCH rather be our pole, for our OWN benefits. Our lives will be better. More stable. Not nearly as scary. I want to learn how to stay balanced in Him, and not let my fears run my life, where I make bad, unstable judgements and fall off the rope... over, and over, and over.

What about you guys? Do you use Jesus as your net? Or have you learned how to rely on Him to be your pole? --- and if so, what helps you stay balanced in Him?

Saturday morning scriptures and stuff.... The Sunday edition!!

2011-09-11T08:56:00.002-05:00

My friend Kim gave me a new devotional book. It's called "Experiencing God Day by Day". She said it's her favorite devotional and I can see why! It's got some great daily readings and I know I'm going to really enjoy having it to dig into.   This is one that particularly spoke to me this week:

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword? -- Romans 8:35

Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could ever separate you from the love of God. No tribulation and distress you might ever suffer could be so intense that God's love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution could be so painful that God's love cannot bring comfort.

If you base your view of God's love on your circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, "How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?" You may begin to question what you find clearly stated in the Word of God. God promised that you would never be separated from His love; He did not say that you would never face hardship, persecution, poverty or danger. If you doubt that God could love you and still allow you to experience difficult experiences, consider the life of Jesus.

If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God's love, you will approach difficult circumstances with confidence. Knowing that there will never be anything that could separate you from God's perfect love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love in each circumstance. Don't ever judge God's love based on your circumstances. Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God's love.

I've got 2 questions for ya this week:
        1) When do you find yourself feeling separated from God? -- and How do you re-connect to Him?
       2) What's your favorite devotional?

Ok, I know that was actually three questions..... do tell.

Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Sept. 10th, 2011

2011-09-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

Because of an extra busy week, "Sat Morning Scriptures and stuff.." will be "SUNDAY Morning Scriptures" this week! Sorry for the delay, but I hope to see you tomorrow morning right HERE!

Have a great day friends....

Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Sept. 3rd, 2011

2011-09-03T08:20:00.002-05:00

SEASONS

Can you believe it's SEPTEMBER??   Wow, this year has really flown for me. We celebrated my youngest son's 16th birthday on Sept. 1st. The last of my babies is on the verge of manhood and even though he's still stuck at home with us for at least a couple more years, I'm already starting to feel a sense of "empty-nest" syndrome. I'm starting to ask myself "What's next?".   What will I do when he flies the coop? I'm grieving already.....

I've been talking alot lately about "Seasons". I have become acutely aware that our lives are really all about seasons.... and there is a reason for that.

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

We can take heart in knowing that if we are going through a particularly unpleasant time in our lives, we can be sure it won't last forever. Of course that also means if you are in an unusually happy/productive time if your life, that's not going to stick around indefinitely either. So you better enjoy it for the moment!!

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”

God knows where you are. He knows what you need. The season you are in right now has a reason behind it. Sometimes we need to slow down and rest, so "winter" comes upon us. If we don't take advantage of that slow time, we won't be rejuvenated and ready to plant when "spring" starts coming around. If we don't plant, there won't be anything to "work" in the summer, and certainly nothing to "harvest" come fall.

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 -8
There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:
² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

I've definitely been struggling with my "season" lately, but I'm learning to be content with where I am, and know that God has me here for only a brief time and for a very good reason. So what season do you find yourself in right now?   Are you comfortable in it? Or do you wish you could move on into a different place?   What are you learning from your season??
It's supposed to be 101 degrees here today in Nashville... and it's September!! Obviously God's not done with our summer yet. At least He gives us air-conditioning to help get us through it! :-)

"God and My Girlfriends"

2011-08-30T20:31:00.001-05:00

Awhile back, I got together for a writing session with my friends Lisa Hentrich and Patricia Conroy. We wrote a song that day called "God and My Girlfriends". It's one of my favorite songs and we've gotten SOOOO close to having it cut by a major artist, but no luck so far. HOWEVER, it did just get cut by a great new artist, Mandy Thomas Sumerall. You can listen to her beautiful version here. It's the title cut of her new CD!

Also, my co-writer, Lisa Hentrich just performed the song on "Words and Music" which is a show on NewsChannel5+. Here is a video of that show.... "God and My Girlfriends" is about 16:00 into the video. I love this song and I'm really excited that it's starting to get heard! Hope you enjoy it too!

Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Aug. 27th, 2011

2011-08-27T07:23:00.000-05:00

Hurricanes....

Obviously hurricanes have been a topic of conversation this week. Hurricane Irene has been all over the news and weather channels constantly. I'm watching her try to barrel her way up the East Coast as I type this, and I'm praying that everyone is in a safe place to wait out the storm. One of my favorite praise and worship songs is "How He Loves Us".. part of the lyric is below:

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me...
Oh -- how He loves us so
Oh -- how He loves us
How He loves us so

As we watch the power of the hurricane bearing down on us, I can't help but think how that's just a fraction of the power of God's love for us. And I am reminded that He is with us through all our trials, problems and insecurities... right there beside us with all that power, so how can we be afraid? How can we not feel confident that He will always take care of us and guide us through whatever we are struggling with.

My favorite morning devotional this week was one from "God Calling":

Accept Trials

Trials and troubles may seem to overwhelm you. They cannot do more than work My Will, and that Will you have said is your Will.

Do you not see that you cannot be destroyed? From now a new Life is opening out before you. Yours to enter into the Kingdom I have prepared for you.

The sunlight of My Presence is on your paths. Trust and go forward unafraid. My Grace is sufficient for all your needs.

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Psalm 56:11

I hope that whatever you may be struggling with right now, you will feel His Presence on your path today. If there is something you'd like to share that I could pray with you about, please let me know... and take a moment this morning to close your eyes and listen to this song... and I think you'll feel Him right beside you this morning. I sure do.

Saturday Morning Scriptures and stuff... Aug. 20th, 2011

2011-08-20T09:35:00.001-05:00

Hi friends....

I don't know about you guys, but Saturday mornings are just about my favorite time of the week. I don't usually have anywhere I have to be so I can lounge around out in my sunroom, drink my coffee, do my bible study/prayer time and maybe even sneak in a little reading too before I have to get dressed and start my day. Some time ago, I started posting a bible verse each morning on my twitter/facebook pages as my first status of the day. It's been amazing to me how many people have told me that they love going to my page each day to see what verse I posted. I've had many friends ask me "How do you come up with all those scriptures to post? Are you going to some website every morning to find them?" -- Nope. I just post something that came up in my morning study/devotional time that touched me that day, hoping it will touch someone else too, and apparently it's working... yay!

Anyway, I feel I'm being called to go a step further with this... so I'm going to start posting a blog each Saturday morning which will include my favorite verse and or quote of that week and go into a little more explanation about why that particular verse/quote touched me, what it means exactly, or where it came from. I hope you all will post your thoughts on here as well.

This past Wednesday night, I was asked to come share my music in a mid-week "Serenity Prayer Service" at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church here in Nashville.   It was a beautiful and sweet service and I'm so thankful I was there. Doug Himes gave a great sermon that night and one of the things he said that stood out to me was "We need each other. We can't do life alone."   So true!! I hope that we can start a little "Saturday morning" community, sharing verses, quotes, thoughts or anything that touched you this past week.

Ok.. let's get this thing rollin'! -- My first quote/verse of the week is: (drum roll please!):

"Every life is a profession of faith, and exercises an inevitable and silent influence."

This quote was found in a book that my birth mother accidentally left at my house last time she came to visit. (Of course, there ARE no accidents, right?--lol) The book is called "In God's Care". The book goes on to explain:

      What we do or don't believe shows. And the intensity of our beliefs is bound to have either a positive or negative impact on people around us. If we are consistently cheerful, it shows other people we believe things are going to turn out all right. If we are consistently down, glum, and grouchy, we show others that we expect the worst.
      Our attitude is up to us. We can control our state of mind. In fact, our ability to change our mind -- and our mood-- is the greatest power for good or evil we have.
Sometimes we forget this. It's not so hard to remember, though, if we have a daily, hourly, even moment-by-moment relationship with our Higher Power. then, whether purposely or not, our attitude is cheerful and our faith becomes contagious.

Today I will make sure my faith in God shows.

That one hit me pretty hard. DOES my faith show? I mean, I KNOW it shows sometimes, but I'm afraid it's not consistent.

I know my faith shows when I'm singing at church, but does it show when I'm standing in line at the bank, getting impatient with the elderly man that's counting out quarters at the teller and holding up the whole line?

I know my faith shows when I'm posting bible verses on facebook/twitter, but does it show when I'm driving and someone speeds past me then cuts me off?

I know my faith shows when I'm alone, reading my bible, but what about when I'm just living my life, out in the world, without my bible right in front of me.... do people still see my beliefs?

It's something I'm working on for sure. Thankfully God's grace and mercy is true and abundant. And HIS love/faith/belief in ME--IS consistent!!

I hope everyone has a good week.... and I hope you'll come visit me here each Saturday morning for "Saturday Morning Scriptures and Stuff"....

MIKESCHAIR....

2011-08-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this awesome video to the new song by MIKESCHAIR. Mike Grayson, lead singer for MIKESCHAIR is one of the worship leaders at our church - Crosspoint Community Church. Several of the "actors" in the video are from our church congregation and the video was beautifully directed and created by Matt Singleton, who is the Creative Director at Crosspoint... When I first saw this on Tammy Hodge's blog, I was so moved that I was brought to tears. I had to watch it several times to get the full effect of the lyrics and video and what was actually happening in the pictures at the end. Ya'll check it out! I think it's beautiful and brilliant....

Summer evening walks...

2011-08-11T22:38:00.001-05:00

My little dog, Django loves going for evening walks more than anything in the world. If it starts getting too late, he will bug the SNOT out of me until I get up and take him for his little stroll. I always grumble and complain, but once I'm out the door I do enjoy breathing in the fresh air and looking at God's handiwork in the nature around me. Took this beautiful shot of the railroad tracks by my house. I noticed the electric line poles which suddenly looked to me like a cross. I pass those every night but never noticed them. They suddenly seemed like God's reminder of His son's sacrifice for me, right there in my nightly path. The frustration of my day disappeared and I felt incredibly loved and blessed. It's amazing what you see if you just take the time to look. ... and if you just get off the couch and out of your own 4 walls! ---Thanks Django.

Typical night at our house....

2011-08-07T22:40:00.001-05:00

My three boys, doing what they do best.... One plays guitar (alot), one eats pizza (alot), and one sleeps (alot). I wouldn't change a thing. :-)

Prayer.....

2011-08-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

Read a wonderful morning devotion about prayer this morning and wanted to share:

"Prayer, even more than sheer thought, is the firmest anchor."

To pray is to surrender. We let go, finally, of our fruitless attempts to control. We humbly ask our God to take over, and trust that He can and will guide our steps through all turmoil simply by our asking.

We waste so much energy and valuable time trying to think our way out of our dilemmas: Should I comfort him?.....Maybe I need to quit this job.....Perhaps I should move..... Is it time to end this relationship?......Like a spinning top, our mind swirls in thought, getting us nowhere. Pausing and turning our thoughts over to God in prayer will ground us in the moment, so we can step forward, our footing secure.

Our prayers won't go unheeded. Our answers will come at the right moment. Our part is not to fill our head with incessant thought, but to remain still, and offer an open, quiet mind for God's response.

TODAY....through prayer I will see my way clearly.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I desperately needed that this morning. I felt immediate comfort, knowing that my God is just a prayer away, waiting to take over all my concerns and worries if I only just ask Him. So I bowed my head and started to pray. Unfortunately, at that same moment, a stray dog entered our yard. That triggered an immediate response from MY dogs to go NUTS, barking and running around wildly. In my haste to jump up and calm them down, I spilled my coffee everywhere. That, of course, led to me moving furniture around in the sunroom so I could clean up the mess. Which in turn, led to me realizing that I should really just REARRANGE the entire sunroom while I was at it. By then the rest of the family was up and around and all the busyness of the day had taken over. My quiet prayer time was gone. I found myself frustrated and irritated and it was only 9:00am. Not a good start to my day. ---HOW do I let that happen? WHY do I let the devil use daily distractions to take me away from time with my Lord? Seriously, I'm constantly battling that.

So here's my question for you guys: When is the best time in your day for quiet, prayer time? And what steps do you take to make sure it doesn't get interrupted?

Love you alllllll..... M

Two shows coming up!

2011-08-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

Hey kids... I've got two shows to tell you about!!

I'm playing a 30 minute acoustic set at the Grand Opening of "Incredible Dave's" at the Rivergate Mall Thursday night, Aug. 4th. I start promptly at 6:00pm with several other great singer/songwriters playing after me until 9:00pm. Ya'll come out and see the new fun place. There's Cosmic Bowling, Games, Food and fun for all ages! For more info go to: www.incredibledaves.com

Also, on Friday night, Aug. 5th, I get to sing with "Live From Ventura Boulevard". We'll be playing all your favorite songs from the 70's and 80's, so come out to 3rd & Lindsley and groove to Pablo Cruise, Toto, Christopher Cross, Nicolette Larson, Bee Gees, Little River Band, Boz Scaggs, Gino Vannelli, and MORE! Show starts at 7:00pm. After our show, the amazing "Soul Cages" will be playing a set, which features songs from Sting and The Police. You'll love those guys! I saw them recently and they blew me away!!

Hope you are all staying cool and HYDRATED in this awful heat! I'm ready for FALL and FOOTBALL! How 'bout you?

LAST MINUTE SHOW IN NASHVILLE!!

2011-06-28T21:37:00.001-05:00

Just booked a last minute show THIS Friday night, July 1st here in Nashville at Douglas Corner Cafe... It'll be an acoustic show "In-The-Round" with some amazing songwriters.... I'll be ITR w/Jim Reilley, Dan Colehour, and Audrey Spillman. Show starts at 6:00pm! Ya'll come out and see us! We will have a big ol' time!

Setting goals....

2011-06-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

Do you set goals for yourself? -- Then do you see them through? -- What do you do when you accomplish your goal? ---Do you just set another one? --- OR-- What do you do when you DON'T accomplish your goal? -- Do you feel like a failure?

I must admit that I have never been a big "goal setter". I'm more of a day-to-day, "see what life has in store for me today", free-spirit kinda girl. I'm a horrible procrastinator and I don't plan ahead well. I literally get stressed-out when I see my calendar all filled up too far in advance because I feel I have no "wiggle room" to let life throw some curve balls in there.   But I digress... back to GOALS.

I was reading in my devotional book this morning and it was about goals and discipline, which got me to thinkin'.... SHOULD I be better at making goals, then being disciplined enough to carry them through?? Am I aiming too low with my life?? Just taking it day-to-day and seeing what God gives me to do each day? I kinda like it that way.   But maybe I'm missing out on something...??   Hmmmmmm....

Some quotes from my devo this morning:
"Our goals come from our desire to change"

"Goals that inspire us to act bring meaning to our life"

"When we seek always to align our goals with God's will for us, then He will carry us to the fulfullment of our goals."

and then a quote from the great theologian Katherine Hepburn (ha) -- "Discipline is the basis of a satisfying life."

I have tried setting goals in the past, but then when I don't accomplish them, I feel very let down. I think I've been guilty of setting goals that were WAY too high for me to reach, so I kind of set myself up to fail. Maybe my problem has been in not evaluating myself and my gifts realistically, so I'm not setting the RIGHT goals for my life...??    Anyway, I just stopped all the "goal setting" stuff awhile back and I've enjoyed just taking life as it comes my way. Trying to squeeze out as much life each day with whatever God puts in my path at the moment.   Seriously, I've enjoyed it that way for awhile now. But the devo this morning got me thinking again that maybe, just maybe I'm missing out on a great feeling of accomplishment by NOT setting some goals for myself.

What about you guys? Are you all "goal-setters"?? Does it work for you? Am I missing out??

I've been bugged....

2011-06-10T05:19:00.002-05:00

Wow-eeee! This June has been a BUGGER... in more ways than one!
First off, we just had the Cicada invasion OF THE CENTURY around
here... ok, ok, I guess I'm exaggerating a bit. It was technically
the Cicada invasion of the past 13 years, but STILL, it was pretty
horrific. Those bugs were BUGGING us OUT! They finally seem to have
gone back into their little holes in the ground, only to hide and come
back to torture us again in 13 years. On top of THAT, we've had
record high heat that is wearing me OUT. Most of you that know me
KNOW that I'm NOT a "summer" girl. Heat makes me grumpy. July and
August are usually my two least favorite months of the year, but
JUNE?? Really?!?! It's been in the high 90's with heat indexes well
over 100 for almost two weeks in a row. It's WAY too soon for that
kind of weather! How will I EVER survive July and August?
Arrrggghhhh..... Who's got a pool I can submerge in for the next 3
months? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller??
No shows till July.... heading to Michigan this month to visit
family. Maybe it will be cooler there. Good Lord I hope so. Geez!!
Find a pool and stay cool ya'll!!
Love ya... M

Memorial Day and Enthusiasm...

2011-05-30T14:06:00.000-05:00

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!! To all the men and women who have served and are currently serving in our armed forces... Thank You for all that you do to protect our country.   AND... to their families who also sacrifice so that their loved one can go to great lengths to defend our freedom... Thank you TOO!   Today is the day to stop and remember our soldiers, but I hope that they feel appreciated everyday.

On another note.... I want to share a great meditation I read this morning about our attitudes.

Enthusiasm doesn't just happen to us. It's an attitude that is either fostered or hindered by our decisions about what we'll bring to our experiences -- from the most mundane to the momentous. This is true either throughout the day at hand or throughout our life. Deciding to be enthusiastic for a project comes easily when we've made up our mind to simply enjoy being alive.

Gratitude for our many blessings even further heightens our enthusiasm for living. We all know people who are bored with their jobs, who withdraw from social involvement. Most of these people have lost touch with their fundamental sense of gratitude for what life has given them.

The power to enjoy life fully, to bring enthusiasm to whatever we do, is within our grasp. In face, it's within our own mind.

I'll be as enthusiastic as I am grateful today.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day!!

Tickets for Bluebird Show...

2011-05-26T18:48:00.000-05:00

Tickets are now available for our Bluebird Show next Tues. night, May 31st at 6pm. I'll be in-the-round with 3 other great singer/songwriters... Tonja Rose, Adam Wheeler, & Jeremy Bussey! Ya'll come out! Go to www.bluebirdcafe.com for reservations! Admission is free, but there is a $7 per person food/drink charge. Love ya'll!

We can become anybody.....

2011-05-25T08:30:00.001-05:00

I read this in my morning devotional today and wanted to share. I think personal responsibility is getting rare in this world.

"We can become anybody..... nothing forces us to remain what we are."

How often during the day do we take a moment of quiet and assess our actions, taking measure of how close we've come to attaining the standard of behavior we would prefer from ourselves? And if we didn't live up to this standard? It's easy to blame others for how we responded to different circumstances; however, we are learning that full responsibility for who we are and how we act rests at our doorstep.

We may be thrilled when we first realize the power and breadth of our personal responsibility, or we may be fearful. No matter how hesitant we are initially, in time we can grow into the freedom God has given us and become grateful that we're in charge of our own development.

God offers all of us guidance for a life of purpose that can bring us comfort and joy.

TODAY I will accept God's guidance as I take on the exciting challenge of being in charge of my attitudes and behavior.

Arguing...

2011-05-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

I admit it. I like to be right. And if someone makes a statement that I know is wrong, I have to fight the urge to go to great lengths to prove them wrong.

I recently heard someone say, "Do I want to be right?... or do I want to be happy?"... learning how to let some things go is important in getting along in this world without having a very bumpy ride. No one wants to be around a "know-it-all". And who wants to hang out with someone who is constantly challenging their beliefs and thoughts, arguing with everything they say, making them feel inadequate, insecure, or unintelligent.

"The gratification that results from winning a quarrel with another person is short term and isn't worth the residue of shame it leaves." -- OUCH. That one stings, but it's so true. Especially if you are arguing with someone you love. That moment of "Ah-hah! See? I gotcha! I'm RIGHT, aren't I?!?!" feels good for maybe a short second, until you see the hurt and embarrassment in the eyes of your loved one. Then you sorta feel like a bully. That feeling of "winning" goes away very quickly, and then it feels like you both just lost something.

Proverbs 17:14 - "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out."

Certain things are easier for me to let go of than others. But man, there are some issues that I will easily get pulled into an all out FIGHT about if I'm not careful. So help me out friends... what's the best way that you have found to handle a situation that could possibly turn into an all out fight if you're not careful.

Do you bite your tongue?... keeping your opinions to yourself while the other one spurts out something you believe isn't true?

Do you change the subject?... hoping you can find something you both agree on?

Do you just walk away?.... completely ignoring the situation?

Or do you have some awesome advice on how to express your opinion, lovingly, without making the other one feel attacked?

I'm dying to hear your thoughts on this one.... I almost got into an all-out brawl one morning at church over the stupid Royal Wedding. Hello?!?! What is WRONG with that picture???

I need help.... Sigh...

Hope you all have a great week... no fighting now, ya hear? :-)

Royal weddings, Tornados, The Bluebird... and Community.

2011-04-30T10:17:00.001-05:00

Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn." Thankfully God gives us the capacity to do both of those at the same time, because life seems to bring great joy and great tragedy all at the same time, doesn't it?

Yes, I was one of the hopeless romantics that set my alarm for 4:30AM to get up on Friday morning to watch the Royal Wedding. I know, I know.... I could've dvr'd it and watched it at a decent hour, but there was something cool about getting up and watching it LIVE while the rest of the world watched it at the same time. I heard something like 38 million people watched as William and Catherine became man and wife.

It wasn't just the "fairytale" of the wedding that drew me in. It was so much more. Life is about relationships. Not just between a man and woman, but more about community. What builds "community"? Shared experiences. That seems to be what bonds us. It can take complete strangers and give you common ground to develop a relationship that starts true friendships. The wedding was an opportunity for millions of strangers to "bond". It gave families a wholesome experience to to enjoy together.   It brought joy into the day of so many people. It gave us hope. It embraced tradition. Joy, hope, tradition, love.... getting up at 4:30am to celebrate those things was well worth it to me!

On the flip side of things... watching all the devastation in Alabama from the deadly tornado outbreak was heartwrenching. Watching the tweets of friends, looking for missing loved ones... and then finding they had been lost forever was just horrible. Seeing the news reports of whole communities flattened was tragic. One year ago, Nashville was flooded beyond belief. Our town is still rebuilding and recovering. However, thankfully, the loss of life was nowhere near what happened in Alabama this week. Losing all your material possessions is hard, but losing your loved ones at the same time is just unfathomable.

These tragedies also build community. I saw it during our floods. Strangers jumping in to help strangers during their time of need is truly humanity at it's best. I'm so proud of my church, Crosspoint Community Church, here in Nashville. They had a group of volunteers heading down to the hardest hit parts of Alabama within 24 hrs of the tornado outbreak. Armed with rebuilding tools and a lotta love, they immediately headed out to help however they could.    How I wished I could've jumped on board and made the trip with them, but this time I had to stay in town because of commitments I needed to honor here.   We can't ALL do everything, but we CAN all do SOMETHING. Some go physically to help... some donate money towards the cause... some pray.... some spread the word... some organize the rebuilding and recovering missions. It takes it all. Pick one and do it!   When we get involved on some level, it helps us all not feel so helpless in these situations.   We aren't helpless. We CAN help.

I played the Bluebird last night with one of my favorite people, James Casto. If you aren't familiar with his music, do yourself a favor and check him out at www.jamescastomusic.com   I also became a big fan of my two other ITR writers last night. Jesse Terry and Carole Ford. Two truly great musicians and amazing people!   If they are playing a show in your area, GO!! You won't regret it. It was a night full of joy and inspiring music. Music is another thing that builds community. It brings strangers together to share a common experience. A common interest that bonds us.

When God made Adam, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone. So He made Eve. That was the beginning of "community".... Let's embrace one another. We all have faults. We all fall down. But we CAN get back up again with the help of our friends and family. Our community. Let's not spend time tearing one another down.... or squabbling over things that don't matter. Life it too short. Let's build each other up and watch as we all benefit from sharing the love.

Spread a little kindness... it sweetens the soul and strengthens the heart.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2011-04-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a place to come and celebrate Easter today... please consider my church, Crosspoint Community Church. It's a place where everyone is welcome, nobody is perfect & anything is possible! As you can see above on the flyer, we have several services to choose from at 5 different campuses. I'm looking forward to being there with my family today to celebrate the Love our Father has shown for us in the most AMAZING way!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever might believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." -- John 3:16

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, filled with love, laughter, and the TRUE realization of God's love for you!! .....plus a chocolate bunny or two!! :-)

Are you "Nice"??

2011-04-23T09:09:00.001-05:00

I guess we all worry at times about how we are being perceived by the rest of the world, right?

I see some people that are consumed with making sure they dress a certain way, drive the newest coolest car, buy a fancy house in the “right” neighborhood and show up at all the trendiest spots in town. Why? Just so people will have a certain perception of them. If people think we are cool, then we ARE cool, right?

Then there are others who don’t worry so much about all the “worldly” stuff, but seem to spend all their time and effort into making people believe they are nice. Nice. They bend over backwards doing stuff for other people so that some will marvel at how nice they are. But really the main reason they are busting their butts for everyone is just so that they will be perceived in a certain way. They want to remind everyone how nice they are. So, deep down, they are still doing it for themselves. –They are doing it so that they can maintain everyone’s perception of them. I must admit that I find myself falling into this category at times.

“I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” – Rev. 3:1 -- Ouch! That was a harsh reminder for me this morning. We can spend our lives “doing” all the right things and still miss the big picture.

We can give to charities, show up every Sunday at church, be the first to offer to help a co-worker when they are in a pinch. Nice.

We can go out of our way to support our friends, mow our neighbor’s lawn when they are out of town without being asked, volunteer at a retirement home. Nice.

We can give a dollar to the homeless man on the corner, spend hours on the phone listening to your friend’s drama’s when you really need to be doing something else, take dinner to a family who just lost a loved one, and ALWAYS send thank-you notes appropriately. Nice.

We can build our reputations on being the “nice” one and live our lives consumed with keeping that reputation alive, all the while not having the right motives behind our actions. But God sees our heart. He knows our motives.

Bottom line is this: It doesn’t matter what the world’s perception is of us – all that matters is the reality of who we are before God.

That was a good wake-up call for me today. I don’t wanna miss the big picture of what God wants for me while I’m busy making sure the world thinks I’m… well… Nice.

Tickets for Bluebird Show...

2011-04-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that tickets for our 4/29/11 Bluebird show go on sale at 8:00am this coming Monday 4/25. You can either call the Bluebird, or go to their website www.bluebirdcafe.com to make reservations. Reservations are strongly recommended for this show. I'll be In-the-Row with 3 other awesome singer/songwriters. They are: James Casto, Carole Ford and Jesse Terry. Show starts promptly at 6:30 on Friday, April 29th. Hope to see you there!!

Crazy Love

2011-04-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing about the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan for awhile now. I was serving at church last Sunday on the worship team and as I was wandering around between services in the front lobby outside the auditorium, I saw the books for sale and there it was, calling out my name. I was immediately drawn to the title because I know that the love God has for us can only be described as "Crazy". I mean, really... He's got to be a little crazy to love us. Think about it.

Would you love someone who constantly pushes you aside?

Would you love someone who rarely makes you a priority?

Would you love someone who doubts your motives? Who questions your every choice?

Would you love someone who turns their back on you and seems to only run to you when they need something?

I'm guilty of doing all those things, yet He loves me. Crazy, right??? I'm SO thankful that He DOES have that "Crazy Love" for me.... He has it for you too. God loves us because of who HE is, not because of anything we have or haven't done. Way cool!!

Check out this video. I watched it this morning. Believe me, it's worth 15 mins of your time.

Women of Hope

2011-04-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

My sweet and talented friend, Lisa Hentrich is featured on a new "Women of Hope" CD, singing a song that I wrote with her called "God Will Give You Wings". You can go here to find out more about it! I just love to see people using their talents for the greater good. Lisa is one of "those"... love her and love her heart for spreading hope and goodwill through her music! You can check out more of Lisa's music at http://www.lisahentrich.com/.

Making a difference....

2011-03-23T12:54:00.000-05:00

There are a few people in this world that truly inspire me. My friend Melissa Irwin is one of those people. Three years ago, Melissa made her first trip to a Zimbabwean orphanage where she fell in love with so many beautiful children, left to deal with a life of poverty, AIDS, and a lack of basic needs (like food and family to love and support them). Luckily, an amazing lady named Fatima runs this orphanage and makes it her mission to make sure these children have those needs met. Now, I was impressed at how Melissa decided to take the trip over there to help out for a couple of weeks. Not many of us feel comfortable signing up for mission trips. But Melissa didn't stop there.. she signed up to go again. And again.. and AGAIN. But Melissa didn't stop there either.... she has started a non-profit organization called "Beautiful Feet Global Outreach". I'm amazed at the passion she has for these children in this orphanage and how she's committed to making a difference in their lives.

I know that times are tough for many right now. And you probably have SO many causes that are asking for your donations, so when you DO reach into your pockets to help, you want to be SURE your money is really making a difference. I can PROMISE you that if you choose to donate to "Beautiful Feet Global Outreach" you WILL be making a difference. I can testify to the integrity and pure servant's heart that Melissa has. You can follow her blog to see exactly what she is doing with this organization. I just signed up myself to be a monthly donor and I'm truly excited to see how Melissa is going to make this money work as she is truly saving lives!!

If you could join me in supporting her with monetary donations, that would be AWESOME... but I know it's not something everyone can do right now. If you could please add her to your prayer list, that would be much appreciated too! .. and pray for Fatima and those precious children. As much as we all feel that times are "tight" for us, all you have to do is read about the living conditions they are dealing with in Zimbabwe to know that we are truly blessed.

More than just Valentine's Day to me...

2011-02-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

Today is Valentine's Day. A day to celebrate love. I am blessed to have an amazing husband who treats me like a queen. I have amazing kids who never fail to show me they love me. I have loving friends who support me while holding me accountable. And I have parents who show me unconditional love. As an adopted child, I'm lucky to have not only my Mom and Dad (pictured above!), my wonderful Mother-in-law and Father-in-law, but I also have my birth parents too! So I have LOTS of parental guidance, which makes me extra lucky! :-)

The reason Valentine's Day is extra special to me is because that is the day I was adopted by my Mom and Dad. That was the day the foster family handed me over to my parents so they could love me and guide me through my life. That was the day we became a family. I am always amazed at the love given by adopted parents. Their love for me was no accident. It was planned and deliberate. They CHOSE to bring me into their lives, forever being there to guide me and love me. I'm sure there were a few days during my rebellious teenage years that they might have been tempted to look for the "return" clause in my adoption papers... LOL.... but they didn't. They took me with all my good and bad. They raised me right. They taught me to be kind. They taught me to be respectful. And they taught me to love Jesus. For all they have given me, I will be forever grateful.

Adoption is a loving choice by all involved. The love that my birth parents showed, by knowing they were too young to be able to give me the stable life I needed and allowing me to be raised by another couple is too precious to wrap my brain around sometimes. For that, I will be forever grateful as well. And then, to open their hearts to me YEARS later when I reached out to them for answers is also something I treasure everyday as well! How lucky am I??? Seriously???

I have a lot of LOVE in my life and I'm glad that I can remind myself on this Valentine's Day that today is not just about celebrating the love between a man and a woman, but about ALL the love that surrounds me on this day. I hope you all will look around at the love that is in your life today. Maybe you don't have a "sweetheart" to share a romantic dinner with, or give chocolates and flowers to. But I'll bet if you look around you, there IS love in your life. Love that you can treasure each day. I know ONE person that loves you unconditionally. That is Jesus. He is the one true great love for each of us.

So to all my "loves"... family & friends....thank you for loving me! Thank you for being a part of my life! And thank you for each of the special blessings to bring into my world....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!

Aunt Cathie, Robert Plant, Michelle’s Angels Foundation, and Crosspoint in India

2011-02-12T16:35:00.000-06:00

Before I get into my above topics, I wanted to share something I read during my morning prayer time/bible study this morning. It came from a book called “In God’s Care” which my birth Mom accidentally left at my house last time she was visiting me from Oklahoma. (Thanks Mom!) It was thought provoking…..

“Our search for enlightenment & fulfillment, noble as it may seem, might actually come down to one thing – self-centeredness. It’s all well and good to seek spiritual truths, but many are looking in the wrong places. Do we know someone who could use a helping hand? Is a friend in trouble? Are we doing something to brighten someone’s day? -- Our faith is empty if we put concern for our own soul before the needs of another. When we overlook what we can do for our fellow travelers, we are missing the whole point. If we are busy being helpful, we don’t need to worry about searching for God.”

Very interesting indeed! Any thoughts? --ok, now on to updates from last week:

Aunt Cathie: My sweet Aunt Cathie Ramirez passed away last week. She was about to celebrate her 90^th birthday. I spent many Christmas’ at her home in Madison, WI, as well as summer vacations at her cabin in upper Wisconsin. She was a big part of my life as a young girl and definitely made a huge impact in my life. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the trip to Oklahoma for her funeral, but my birth mother, Valorie got to attend and used her I-PHONE to record the beautiful ceremony so I could hear it! Isn’t technology amazing! She also texted me pictures while she was there so I could be a part of the ceremony from miles away! Thanks Mom! To read my precious Aunt Cathie’s online obituary, go here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/oklahoman/obituary.aspx?n=mary-ramirez&pid=148348071&fhid=4441 She was an amazing lady and will be missed by all who knew her!

Robert Plant and Band of Joy: WOW! Got to see this amazing show last Wed. night at War Memorial auditorium in Nashville. This band consists of Marco Giovino, Bryron House, Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott and Patty Griffin. If this band comes to your area, do yourself a FAVOR and GO!!

Michelle’s Angels Foundation: I was honored to be a small part of a benefit for the Michelle’s Angels’ Foundation at the Bluebird Café this past Thursday night. Those people are truly doing some great work with their organization, helping so many who are battling cancer. You can check out their website at: http://www.michellesangels.com

Crosspoint India: A group of good folks with servant’s hearts from my church are over in India with Pastor Pete Wilson right now. They are doing amazing things over there to help spread the word of Jesus and make a difference in the lives of so many who have so little. Check out Pete’s blog for updates on them: www.withoutwax.tv And please join me in praying for them while they are there. They have so many obstacles to overcome, yet they are determined to be a light to those who need it! So proud of them!!

Who’s ready for spring??? ME! … and that says A LOT considering I’m a “winter” girl!

Have a great week friends!

Django loves a good blow-dry

2011-02-04T19:51:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Feet Global Outreach

2011-01-26T22:58:00.000-06:00

My sweet friend Melissa has started a new non-profit organization called Beautiful Feet Global Outreach. This amazing women is following God's direction to her in BIG ways!!! Right now, there is a true emergency... please go to her site http://www.beautifulfeetgo.blogspot.com/ and see if you can possibly help her help the orphans that have taken up residence in her heart!! :-)

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-01-23T22:50:00.000-06:00

I made Chicken Pot Pie today while we watched the NFC and AFC Championship Games... I had alot of people ask for the recipe, so I decided to post it on here. If anyone else has any other good pot pie tips, feel free to add to this!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts on the bone
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Chicken Broth ( I just save the broth that I boil the chicken breasts in)
Salt and Pepper
1 pkg. of Pillsbury Pie Crusts (in the red box, usually found in the refridgerated section near biscuits- there will be 2 crusts in each box.)

Boil the chicken until it's tender enough to fall off the bone. Then de-bone chicken and shred into bite size pieces. Cook frozen vegetables until tender following package directions. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, vegetables, both soups and salt and pepper to taste. Add broth until moist. I usually add about 1/2 cup of broth. Let the Pie Crusts sit out and warm to room temp so you can roll out the dough. Put one crust on the bottom of a glass 9 x 13 dish. Fill with the chicken mixture. Top with the other crust. I take a fork and punch a few little holes in the top....

Bake for 20 mins at 350 degrees or until crust looks light brown.

Just FYI... today I didn't have chicken breasts on the bone, so I took boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cooked them in my crockpot on low for about 6 hrs until they were very tender. Then I shredded them for the filling. Mike said he thought it was even better that way!

My family LOVES this recipe... hope yours does too!!

GO PACKERS!!

FitTV & Oprah, American Idol, Laura Kaczor, and crock-pot cooking.....

2011-01-22T08:43:00.004-06:00

1/22/11

FitTV & Oprah: Don't you just HATE it when you find something you love, only to have it changed right after you discover it? I recently discovered my love for FitTV. It had many different exercise programs to choose from everyday! You could Shimmy, Body Sculpt w/Gilad, do pilates or yoga. There was All-Star workouts, In Shape w/Sharon Mann, even Belly Dancing!! It also had great healthy cooking shows. I mean, yes, I love me some Paula Deen, but if you're looking for healthy, you can't copy her recipes everyday!! So, I found my favorite shows, set my DVR to start recording them each day and I was SET! A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my shows weren't recording anymore. "Hmmmmm.... maybe I set my DVR wrong...", I thought. Nope. I started doing a little researching and found the problem. It seems Oprah Winfrey STOLE my new favorite network!!!!! OPRAH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?! Apparently, the Discovery Health Network sold their network to Oprah, which is now the OWN network. So, since Oprah has all her new programs on DHN now, they moved all DHN shows to FitTV, which makes it "Not so FitTV" now. Bummer!!! It's all a bunch of reality shows like "18 kids and counting", "Freaky Eaters", "Untold stories of the ER", and "Transgendered and Pregnant". For REAL!?!?! I'm heartbroken. I tried to watch "Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl of Love" on OWN, but it was unwatchable. I miss "Sam, the cooking guy". Seems there was enough of a viewer outrage that FitTV has now put some of their exercise shows back on, but they air from like 3:00am - 6:00am, so you better either have a DVR or be a VERY early riser to exercise with Gilad or Sharon anymore. I sure hope DHN and Oprah will listen to the viewers and find a way to air some of the old programs. Otherwise, they certainly don't need to call that channel "FitTV" anymore. I don't think watching "Take Home Nanny" or "Pregnant Man" is going to help me get healthy.

American Idol: Did you watch American Idol this week? I didn't get to see the Thursday night episode, but I tuned into the Wed. night 2-hr. premiere and I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't miss Simon one bit! I think I actually enjoyed the show MORE without him. It really seemed like the last couple of seasons, the show had become all about Mr. Cowell and "what witty comeback" would he come up with each night. It was less and less about the contestants, and Simon actually seemed bored out of his mind. I think that's all about to change with the new line-up of judges. Even the CONTENT of the show seems to be more about showing back-stories of truly talented people, so we can find someone to connect with and root for, rather than just featuring UN-talented people who make fools of themselves during the audition process. So kuddos to the AI producers for seeing that they needed to make these changes. I hope they stick with that. It SHOULD be about the contestants.. not the judges. So bye-bye Simon. I think you did yourself AND the show a favor by bowing out when you did. Everybody wins.

Laura Kaczor: Last Monday night, a wonderful new Christian artist named Laura Kaczor did a show at The Listening Room here in Nashville. I got to sing bgv's for her and became a "fan" in the process. She has an awesome new CD out called "Love Enough" and her new single "Invisible" has broken into the top 20 CCM charts! Check out Laura and her music at: www.laurakaczor.com

Crock-pot: Still enjoying my new crock-pot... I love that I can put something in first thing in the morning, and then after a long day of working, dinner is ready to eat!! Here's my new favorite Beef Stroganoff recipe:

1 pkg. of beef stew meat
flour, salt & pepper
1 packet of beef stroganoff seasoning mix
I can beef broth
1 small container of sour cream
1 package of extra-wide egg noodles or rice

Put stew meat, (salt & peppered and dredged in a little flour) into the crock-pot with a little beef broth. Sprinkle stroganoff seasoning on top. Mix together. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Right before serving, stir in sour cream. You might need to add more beef broth or water at that point to make it the right consistency as well. Serve over noodles or rice.... it's DE-lish!!

Anyone got any great crock-pot recipes they are dying to share?? Please spread the love here!!

How was YOUR week?

A re-commitment to health, writing again, stolen identity, death, and snow. LOTS of snow

2011-01-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

1/15/11

Snow: As most of you know, it doesn’t take much snow to shut down the state of Tennessee. Now before all you guys who might be USED to large amounts of snow start chiming in on how ridiculous it is to cancel school for a week because of a few inches of snow, you HAVE to understand that we don’t have the snow plows, salt, snow tires, or chains that you guys have ready to go for an event such as this. Our buses travel on many rural routes that are icy and most bus drivers do NOT have experience driving over icy, snowy patches. I think the old “better safe than sorry” motto is definitely ok to use as a guideline in these circumstances. Besides, it gives all us parents a break from getting up at the crack of dawn to drive our babies to school as well….. I welcome the little “snow breaks”. That being said, even I am about to scream “Enough!!”. A day or two is one thing, but I can’t remember the last time Metro cancelled school for an entire WEEK! I love winter, but when I am dreaming of a sandy beach with a fruity little drink in my hand, then you know it’s bad.

Re-commitment to health: Mike and I decided this week to try and be more “health conscious” in 2011. Mainly because we are FALLING APART! Both of us have so many aches and pains on a daily basis it is ridiculous. We can’t be out doing God’s work if we can’t get out of bed, now CAN we??? SO…. Grilled chicken, fish, veg’s, sweet potatoes.. and more exercise seems to be on the agenda. I would WELCOME any great healthy recipes any of you guys have that you love. It’s going to be up to ME to make sure healthy meals are made, since Mike doesn’t spend much time in the kitchen.

Writing Again: After taking most of last year off, I have finally started writing again. I’m “baby-stepping” my way back in, but at least I’m on the path. I’m getting excited about what God has in store for me and my music in 2011. I’m starting this year writing for a specific project that I’ll tell you guys more about later. But if you are a prayer warrior, please cover me in prayers now and then about this. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time!

Stolen Identity: We found out this week that Mom had her identity stolen. It has taken up quite a bit of my time to try and fix this issue. I’m just praying that it doesn’t go any deeper than it has so far. What kind of person steals an 85 yr. old Alzeheimer’s patient’s personal information and then starts charging things to them on the interent???? Apparently rafaelayar@yahoo.com with a birthdate of 5/7/1979 and an ip address of 204.210.141.113 thinks it’s okay to do that. I’m not having any luck tracking this person down yet, but I’m not giving up!

Death: One of my favorite residents at Sycamores Terrace passed away yesterday. Her name was Liz Pine. She was 94 years old. Mike and I got to entertain at her 93^rd birthday party. She was a sweet lady, who as of just a few months ago still went to The Bluebird Café to hear her favorite singer/songwriters as often as she could. Dad called last night to tell me of her passing. I know it’s hard on him, losing one of his friends. Today I am praying for the Pine Family and hope that God’s peace will comfort them in their time of grief.

One thing I learned: I’m trying to remember to keep LEARNING something each day in this life. You’ve probably heard the quote, “The day we stop learning is the day we die.” Well, I’m not ready to meet Jesus just yet, so I guess that means I need to learn a few more things. My sweet friend, Ellen recently gave me a book by Sheila Walsh called “Good Morning Lord”. I’ve been adding a reading from it to my morning bible study and I have really enjoyed it. One of the things I learned from her book this week is this: “Failing to forgive myself is a prideful choice to not receive God’s grace. To say that we don’t deserve to be forgiven is to make our sin more powerful than the blood of Jesus.” WOW! I never thought of not forgiving myself as a “pride” issue, but boy, did THAT make me think! She goes on to say, “… since God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. When we refuse, we have made the court of our opinion more powerful than the court of our holy and just God. It must seriously wound the heart of our Father when we will not accept the gift he has given us, the gift of forgiveness that cost him so dearly. After all, our sin was covered by the lifeblood of the Lamb.” Makes you think, doesn't it?

NEXT WEEK: I’ll be singing bgv’s for a wonderful singer/songwriter Laura Kaczor this Monday night(Jan. 17^th) at The Listening Room Café (ya’ll come out.. she starts at 6pm), looking for healthy recipes, writing, and going to the wedding of a dear friend. Looking forward to a great week ahead! Ya’ll stay safe, forgive yourselves and love each other!

Blessings,

I'm a new "angel".....

2011-01-11T08:33:00.000-06:00

Just got this press release...... I'm proud to be a small part of this wonderful organization. Ya'll come out to the Bluebird on Feb. 10th if you can!!

Nashville Singer-Songwriter Marcia Ramirez Named Angel Artist
By Michelle’s Angels Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Clarence, NY January 7, 2011 -- The Michelle’s Angels Foundation Inc. (MAF) today announced its newest
Angel Artist, Marcia Ramirez. The gifted Nashville singer-songwriter joins a dedicated team of Angel Artists
who lend their gift of music to the Michelle's Angels Foundation's website jukebox. Marcia Ramirez recently
released her fourth CD titled "Beautifully Lived." The CD’s title track is among the three songs she has made
available for the MAF free online jukebox. Visitors to the non-profit organization’s website
www.michellesangels.com can listen at no charge to select songs and instrumentals of 13 musical artists.

Michelle’s Angels Foundation’s mission is to provide love, hope and assistance to people facing any one of
life’s illnesses or challenges. The Angels Artists, through their music on the site, provide beauty and
compassion -- a welcome respite for many. Michelle’s Angels’ musicians and volunteers give -- because as the
organization’s slogan states “People need to know someone cares.”

Marcia Ramirez started playing piano, singing and writing songs as a young girl in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. She
majored in music at Ouachita Baptist University. Following her passion she moved to Nashville. She has
performed with many country artists as a back-up singer and musician. Some of the artists she has worked with
include Patty Loveless, Rodney Crowell, Pam Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Lee Ann Womack, Billy Dean, Bill
Anderson, Linda Davis, Jason Sellers and Deborah Allen. Marcia has released four critically acclaimed CDs --
“Compromise,”“The Barefoot Sessions,” “Life Goes On” and her latest “Beautifully Lived.”

MAF president, Herb Knoll said, “We are ecstatic that Marcia will be one of four Angel Artists who will
perform at the foundation's Second Angel Artists Appreciation and Celebration Concert on February 10th at
Nashville's famed Blue Bird Cafe.

For more information on the Angel Artists’ benefit and MAF, visit http://www.michellesangels.com.

About Michelle’s Angels Foundation, Inc. (MAF) Clarence, New York
Michelle’s Angels Foundation, Inc. Inc., (www.MichellesAngels.com) a New York State not-for-profit
corporation, is recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. MAF, Inc. is
registered with the Office of the New York State Attorney General (NYS Reg. No. 41-55-45), the Tennessee
Department of State (CO 13756) in the State of Florida (CH32995) and is currently exempt from registration in
the state of West Virginia. All donations to MAF, Inc. are tax deductible. The MAF mission is to provide love,
hope and assistance to those facing any one of a wide-range of illnesses or life’s challenges. The Foundation’s
website serves as the principle vehicle employed by the Foundation to aid others and their loved ones. To
contact Michelle’s Angels at info@MichellesAngels.com

SNOW DAY!!!

2011-01-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

Starting tomorrow.....

2011-01-08T10:21:00.001-06:00

Pastor Pete is starting this new series at Crosspoint tomorrow... For details on service times and campus locations... go here: www.crosspoint.tv

NOBODY INTENDS TO LIVE A LIFE OF MEDIOCRITY.

Nobody dreams of a mediocre marriage. Nobody desires a mediocre career. And yet the reality is day after day so many of us are simply coasting through life secretly thinking,

“There has got to be MORE to life than this.”

At Cross Point we believe that your life was created to have purpose and meaning. That God actually desires so much more for you, but it starts with you allowing Him to be the author of your life.

Join us this January for a new teaching series entitled MORE, as we explore how to live a life full of faith-trusting in God who can do “Immeasurably more” than we could ever dream or imagine. Join us as we explore what happens in life when you dare to move beyond your hiding places of fear and insecurity and ask God to do the impossible.

“THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME MUST BE SEIZED WITHIN THE LIFETIME OF THE OPPORTUNITY.” - LEONARD RAVENHILL

What I learned in 2010...

2010-12-30T21:41:00.002-06:00

“This has been a hard year”… I’ve said that alot this year and I’ve heard it said back to me by many people I know. By all accounts, it wasn’t the BEST of years. When your town experiences a “1000 yr. flood”, you know that things got kinda screwy to put it mildly. No, our house did not flood. Thankfully the hill we live on (that Mike has quietly cursed under his breath as he attempts to mow it every summer) saved our little house. Unfortunately our neighbors weren’t so lucky. Many folks we know lost everything. But through the tragedy, we got to see the BEST in people come out all around us. It was truly amazing and inspiring to watch strangers helping strangers , neighbors helping neighbors. There were some beautiful moments through the “ugly” around us.

However, our town is still recovering. Many are still not in their homes. Many businesses have never re-opened their doors. Opry Mills Mall, which was a HUGE tourist attraction here in Nashville is still closed and there doesn’t appear to be a “re-open” date. Bummer. I read a report that stated that when an area goes through something as tramatic as our May floods, for months after the event, there will be emotional repercussions. I believe it. It seems this year has been filled with more sickness, relationship breakups, emotional breakdowns, and stress induced problems than I’ve ever seen among my friends and colleagues. And that says alot considering I hang out with a bunch of musicians!! LOL

I felt quite a bit of loss this year too. I went to more funerals this year than I had gone to in my whole life combined before 2010. From a sweet little baby who only lived for 7 hrs., to a brave girl who fought cancer with all she had, and two sweet guys who struggled with demons for years that finally over-took them. It became apparent to me that death does not hang around nursing homes, choosing who it takes next. No, not one single funeral that I went to this year was anyone who was elderly. They were all young, deserving of more time on this earth. So sad…..

This is the time of year where I always look back on the previous months, trying to evaluate if I actually accomplished anything or made a difference in any way. Then I try to take any lessons learned and look forward to the future with a renewed sense of energy and hopefully a little more wisdom.

Anyway…. Here are a few things that I learned in 2010. Some are big and some are little, but they were all new revelations to me.

TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED IN 2010:

1. Remodeling a kitchen takes MUCH longer than they lead you to believe on HGTV.

2. Homeopathic remedies really DO work.

3. Autumn is the best time of the year to go to Disneyworld.

4. There IS a difference in face creams, and I LOVE “Hope in a Jar” by Philosophy. I’ve also become a big fan of Microderm Abrasions. Check out Bellevue Medi-spa for a great one!!

5. Living a successful life is good… but living a significant life is even better. And yes, there is a BIG difference!

6. All the Drano, Liquid Plummer and Bleach in the world cannot really unclog pipes that are 50 years old under my house. They are clogged forever. It’s just time to get new pipes.

7. Getting older really isn’t a bad thing.

8. Plain old white table sugar, mixed with my favorite facial cleanser

is the best exfoliant there is for my face. I have spent a TON of

money on expensive exfoliants, and NONE do as good a job as

sugar…… Plain Ol’ Sugar.

9. Going someplace where the weather is still COLD is not a great

idea for your spring break vacation.

AND

10. Starting each day with prayer and bible study, and ending each

day with praise and thanksgiving makes my life much more

peaceful and joyful!

I’m sure I learned many more things in 2010, but those are just a few that come to mind off the top of my head.

What did YOU learn in 2010?

Jingle Bells....

2010-12-28T14:47:00.001-06:00

Some Christmas Jammin'.....

Merry Christmas everyone!!

2010-12-24T21:47:00.001-06:00

..... From our family to yours!

Today, I'm a thief....

2010-12-11T13:59:00.002-06:00

I was about to sit down and write a blog this morning, but before I started writing I checked my email and I got a beautiful letter from my friend Melissa Irwin. It conveyed my sentiments today exactly, so today I'm going to be a thief and steal her words for my blog. Here is what she said:

"Tis the season to be jolly! And yet this season leaves a lot of our fellow man singing the blues. Foreclosures are still big news, as are unemployment, deaths of our troops, and the current political battles over taxes. Let's be honest, sometimes it is just flat out impossible to be jolly. The best way to improve our lives is to focus inward. I believe we create peace when we seek it. And I believe that joy is a choice, no matter what circumstances we may be facing.

In the past few weeks, my blog, my facebook page and my inbox have been filled with prayer requests. I've carried a lot in my heart lately and lifted up numerous prayers....ranging from relationships between mothers and daughters, sicknesses, surgeries, sons on the front line in Afghanistan, sudden job losses, deaths, and news of betrayals. This morning my children and I decorated our Christmas tree and as I sit here in my home office and smell the fresh sappy pine, I just cannot help but think of the people I know today who are fresh out of jolly. I'm reminded of the season, and the reason. If you celebrate Christmas you already know that the birth of Christ ushered in a season of hope. Where would we be without hope? So....if you cannot find your jolly today, my prayer is you will latch on to the hope ~ and hang on for dear life.

If you are jolly today, my encouragement to you is to spread it around. Pour it out like syrup all over someone else. Sticky sweet is a.o.k. and totally acceptable this time of year."

If you are a blog reader, do yourself a favor and add Melissa's blog http://untilthejasperwalls.blogspot.com/ to your reading list. I promise you that you will laugh, cry and be totally blessed with what this amazing woman has to say!!

Gotta head now to the grocery store.... they are predicting a WHOLE INCH of snow here tomorrow, so I gotta stock up on milk, eggs and bread! (Why do we all feel the need to make sure we have ingredients to make french toast every time it snows?) Oh well... Happy Holidays everyone!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

2010-12-06T07:01:00.004-06:00

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” -- Ecclesiates 3:1

That verse was in my inbox this morning and this commentary was attached: “We are a driven culture. It seems that we want to achieve everything by yesterday! Some people may say that this is a good thing, but it seems we are perpetually tired and lack the margin to enjoy life. Solomon shows us that this is not unique to our culture. To understand the season that we are in can help us say no to many good things that are not appropriate at that particular time. May God give us the wisdom of Solomon, who knew how to focus on the right things in the right season.”

That hit me like a ton of bricks. I DO feel “perpetually tired” and it seems that I hear most of my friends complaining of that same thing. I’ve had 2 different friends recently tell me that they are just going to ask their doctor to put them on anti-depressants, because it seems everyone they know is on one and maybe it will help them feel better. It’s disturbing to me how many people are on anti-depressants these days. Don’t get me wrong… I KNOW that some people genuinely need those types of medications, but it seems the MAJORITY of people I know are on some sort of anti-anxiety or anti-depression medication. What is that saying about our society??? What it says to me is that everyone is feeling incredible pressure these days. The over-achieving culture we live in makes us feel like we can’t ever say “No” to any opportunity because we might miss out on something BIG if we do. We chase every little thing that comes our way until we get pulled into so many different directions that we don’t even know which way we initially meant to go! We get off track. We get lost. We get confused, tired, frustrated and depressed.

My prayer for all of us this Christmas season is that we can step back from the “chase” for a moment and look around at our priorities. That we can accurately evaluate what “season" we are in and that we can make better choices for ourselves and our families. That we can leave enough “margin to enjoy life” and we can all end 2010 with some calm, peace and joy.

Have a blessed week everyone!!

Thankfulness....

2010-11-13T09:20:00.002-06:00

Thankfulness

November is my favorite month of the year. I love everything about it. I love the chill that invades the air. The beautiful colors that the trees turn. The smells of pumpkin, spices, and fireplaces burning wood in the air. I love the FOOD of fall…. chili, pumpkin pies, sausage cheese balls, casseroles and chex mix. I even love the fact that daylight savings time ends and it gets dark earlier. I can get in my pj’s early, and relax with my family in my cozy little house without feeling like I’m supposed to be out doing something because it’s still daylight out! Of course my favorite sport, football is on in November too!! There is nothing quite so relaxing to me than curling up on the couch and watching football on the weekends. LOVE IT!

On top of ALL that, November also has my favorite holiday, which is Thanksgiving. Yes, I LUV me some Christmas, but Thanksgiving is even cooler, because it’s JUST about surrounding yourself with family and friends and remembering to be truly grateful for what the Good Lord has brought to you. Someone once told me that it’s impossible to be depressed and truly grateful at the same time, because those two emotions are too conflicting to exist together. I think there might be some truth to that. When I start feeling down, it always lifts me up to take an honest inventory of my life and realize how good I really have it.

Some people say that it’s not good to compare yourself or your life to others, but I think at times it can be a good thing. The problem that usually occurs with comparing is that we tend to compare ourselves to people who have MORE than we have. Why do we always do that? The truth is there are A LOT more people who have less than we have, but we don’t seek those people out to compare our lives against. We always go the other way and compare to someone who has more money, a bigger house, a cuter figure, more fashionable clothes, smarter kids, or nicer cars. We seek out people who seem to cook better, perform easier, exercise more diligently, have jobs that seem cooler. People who seem to just have a better life than we do. DON’T FALL FOR IT FRIENDS!! If we are going to spend our time in comparison, there are WAY more folks who have so much less than we do to compare our lives against. Believe me, if you really look around at the rest of the world, you would see that we all have it pretty darn good in this country.

Did you know that if you make $25,000 a yr or more, you are one of the richest people in the world?? Seriously. You are sitting in the top 10% of richest people. I found this site the other day and you can see exactly where you land as far as your wealth compared to the rest of the world. I’ll bet you will be really surprised at where you land.

http://whoarethejoneses.org/

I think our happiness is directly related to our gratefulness and I hope and pray that this Thanksgiving, you will all find things around you that you are truly grateful for. Things that MATTER. Honestly, what matters to me is that I’m surrounded by friends and family who love me and support me. I would much rather have the people I love gathered around me, squished all around my small dining table, eating our modest food and laughing about life than to be sitting all alone in a beautiful mansion eating filet mignon. I think most of us would agree on that. To me, the secret to a happy life is about relationships that are meaningful. Relationships with my family, friends, and my Lord, Jesus Christ. Right now, I'm SO grateful to have each one of those in my life. They sustain me and keep me going when at times I feel like I can't find it in my own strength to do so. We all need to be surrounded by that, right?

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day, full of love, laughter and tryptophan. I mean, we all need a nice nap after our turkey, right? J

What about you guys? What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving season?

I Peter 4:10

2010-04-23T08:43:00.002-05:00

This verse really hit me this morning....

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10

Last Tuesday, I had several good friends go over to Mom and Dad's retirement village to help me entertain the resident's there. It's certainly not a "glamorous" gig, but I believe that when we follow this verse, using our "gifts" to serve others, and not just to help ourselves, then we are blessed beyond measure. There's nothing like serving others to help get yourself out of your own pity party!! :-)

Thank you to Deanie Richardson, Tim Buppert, Jon Vezner and Rick Huckaby for being so willing to share their gifts with Mom, Dad and their friends at Sycamores Terrace Retirement Community!! You guys ROCK!!! Love you all!!

God has given each of us unique talents and abilities to use for His Glory.... I pray you have the chance to use your's today!! :-)

... now, I gotta go exercise, which is NOT one of my talents, but I'm hanging on through my experiment of sticking with exercise for the entire month of April, to evaluate the benefits in my life. But that topic will have to wait until another posting!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

The "Yellowbird" Cafe...

2010-04-18T08:32:00.000-05:00

This is my 3rd year to head down to Atlanta and play the "Yellowbird".... our friends Fran and Rosie have a wonderful annual house concert that I always enjoy playing. Rosie is an AMAZING chef so the food is incredible, and then we have a awesome evening playing songs, singing, laughing, eating and drinking (a little).. LOL

We are heading home today.... and yes, I DID get a work-out IN yesterday morning before we left for Atlanta!! But, to be honest, whether or not I get one in today when I get home is debatable.

April 17th

2010-04-17T07:41:00.001-05:00

I actually WON $200!! Whoo-hoo....

Now, I'm off to Atlanta for a house concert with my buddies, Greg Johnson, Rob Harris, and A.J. Masters. Love these guys!

April 12th & 13th

2010-04-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

Did a great work-out last night while watching DWTS... but tonight, I think I've hit a wall. Have no desire or energy to work-out. I've been writing like crazy, singing a bunch, and trying to keep the house from totally falling apart. Luckily, I'm having a little break this weekend. Hitting Metropolis with Mary and Vicky. We always have such a relaxing time. There is something very relaxing about sitting in front of a slot machine for hours. I'm really not that much of a gambler. I rarely venture away from the penny slots. You can't win much on those, but you don't lose much either, so I figure if I can leave there with the same amount of money I showed up with, then I WON! :-) Can't WAIT!!!

April 10th & 11th

2010-04-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Got on the elliptical machine last night for about 20 minutes. Not much of a work-out, but since I worked my bootie off cleaning my house earlier in the day, then I'm proud I did even THAT. Have to admit that I'm starting to feel a difference. I'm 11 days in... I've done some sort of work-out 10/11 days now (I took Easter Sunday off). I've lost about 3 lbs and I feel more energetic. I also feel a BIT stronger in my arms and legs. Nothing earth-shattering, but I do feel like I'm slowly seeing the benefits. Can't wait to see how I feel at the end of the month!

April 9th...

2010-04-09T07:53:00.004-05:00

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I can hardly move this morning.

That pilates work-out kicked my ARSE yesterday.

UPDATE: I did manage to get a small work-out in this morning, even though I was sore. That's 8 out of 9 days that i've done something for my body. I'm pretty proud of that!

April 8th

2010-04-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Day 8 of my April work-out commitment. I decided to mix it up a bit and did a pilates work-out. Something I taped from FitTV. That channel is amazing! All KINDS of work-out routines. Everything from cardio, pilates, yoga, kick-boxing, strength training... even belly-dancing! Way better than hitting the boring old gym.... at least for now.

Anyway, the pilates things is much harder than it looks. Yow! I'm gonna be hurting tomorrow... I can tell already. Still not "loving" working out. Sure hoping that my desire to work-out everyday becomes stronger as I keep doing it. Maybe when I start seeing my energy going up, feeling stronger, and hopefully my clothes fitting different, I'll develop a love for it.

April 7th

2010-04-07T08:03:00.001-05:00

Had light work-outs on the 5th and 6th, and the soreness in my lower back seems to be subsiding. I'm going to try and hit it pretty hard again and see what happens. My work-out "pattern" in the past has been to do too much too soon and injure myself. I'm desperately trying to avoid that this time, but still continue to do some form of exercise everyday. I gotta admit, besides being sore, I'm not noticing much of a difference in my world yet, but then again, it's only been a week, right?

UPDATE: Oh yeah... I did a GOOD work-out today! Well... I should say tonight. Didn't get a morning work-out, but I somehow got the motivation to workout this evening and hopefully it will help me get back on track.

April 5th & 6th

2010-04-06T09:35:00.002-05:00

Did 15 mins of cardio/weights on the 5th... doesn't sound like much, but I did something.

Now it's time for a good workout today (the 6th)..... here I go.