a little Christmas vacation honesty

We have had a very relaxing Christmas here at the Bloye house! Family, fireplace, gifts, movies, food and more food, staying in our PJ's till late afternoon! It's been great. Now I have to be honest about something. With all of the holiday festivities, I have totally skipped my God time here for a little while, and let me tell you what I have noticed about myself. When I do not spend time with God I realize that often I become overly sensitive and critical. I sometimes lack understanding in conversations with other people and find myself becoming defensive and frustrated about little things.

I read something today that left an impression on me. "When we operate in the flesh, three things are always true: 1. We will always lack the power of the Spirit, and we'll suffer from fatigue. 2. We will always lack the vision of the Spirit so we'll suffer from frustration. 3. We will always lack the sustaining ministry of the Spirit so we'll suffer from failure."

You may think that you are just fine without plugging into God's Word and that you will read God's Word when you have a huge need or tragedy in life. I am learning that when I don't "plug into God," it is like I am wearing a big sign that says, "I am trying to operate in my own power!" It becomes obvious to other people. Quite honestly, it is embarrassing. I NEED the Bible and prayer in my life so I do not do something extremely stupid! So I want to enter into 2010 with lots of fun and excitement, fireworks, parties and food, new resolutions AND being plugged into God!

brown sugar principle

Zach helped me make cookies last night, which was sortof cool since he is a middle school boy. I don't usually have a lot of cookie-making help :) We were measuring and reading directions, as I found a great opportunity to teach a principle that my Mom taught me in the kitchen.

You know how to measure brown sugar, don't you? You have to pack it down so you can get as much as possible in the measuring cup. Zach and I talked about God's promise to give back to us if we are givers. God says in His Word that if we give, He will give back to us pressed down and overflowing! That's more than just a cup full. That's as much as you can possibly get in the measuring cup--and more! I love how God teaches us things by using examples that we can relate to. Hopefully, I can remind Zach about the brown sugar principle and how we cannot out-give God!

old black boots

I have a pair of old black boots. I got them when Zach was 2 or 3. He is 11.

These boots are my favorite! They actually have holes in them, (my feet get wet when it rains :) and they are torn up on the inside. Still, they are the one's I pick! Brian bought me

some new boots, two new pairs of boots to be exact. They are nice, but I still like my old ones better :) Some things get better with age!

thanksgiving in VA

We really enjoyed being with my family in Virginia for Thanksgiving! We got to see Mom and Dad's new house, their 115 pound pumpkin, the new pool table and the cousins!

Liberty University has an amazing Snowflex. It is a very cool, yet fake snow mountain. A wet, velcro-like surface with amazing ramps, it invites beginners and pros alike! All three of my boys had a blast, and I enjoyed the cozy lodge :)

We saw some movies, ate lots of Thanksgiving carbs and caught up with the family! For all of that, I am thankful!

loved first

I remember the first time Brian told me that he loved me, and I remember my response. I said, "There is a part of me that loves you too." Gosh I was harsh! At that time in my life, I did not want to say something that I was not sure I meant. A couple days later, I thought about him walking around, loving me and thinking that he was not loved back. It killed me; and that is when I realized that I loved him too. I needed him, and it almost made me sick inside. The next time he said, "I love you," I said it back.

There is another man that loved me first--Jesus. It kills me to think that He, too, could be missing my love. He is crazy about us, and He thinks about us all the time. I want Him to know that I love Him too--it's not one-sided. To think that I could miss out on Him makes me sick inside. I need Him in my life. I'm so glad He pursues us and loves us first!

"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

possessed!

When I was in college, I spent a summer working at a bank. I worked with a lady named Debbie. I remember her because every time our computers would mess up, Debbie would say, in the most southern accent, "It's possayessed!"

Movie writers seek to scare their viewers with stories of possession and demons that control people's actions. The victims are almost never in control of what they do, and unfortunately, they do some pretty scary things!

Do you know that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we become possessed? God actually comes to live and reside in us! He is called the Holy Spirit. In His sovereignty, and unlike demons that possess people, God gives us a free choice. He does not automatically control everything we do, but he offers rewards to those who give Him control. How cool of Him! He lets us choose, knowing that if we give Him control of us, He will make our life work out better than we ever could!

just a little at a time

Sometimes I can get overwhelmed with a big project! Do you ever feel that way? If I have a HUGE pile of laundry to fold I think "Oh my gosh, I just want to close the door and ignore it." Recently, I have been working on doing things in PIECES, a little at a time. For example, I can go in and face the overwhelming laundry pile and just fold the towels and jeans. (They take up a lot of space, so my pile quickly decreases and becomes manageable :) Later, I can go back and do the rest.

I am trying to help the boys with their rooms. You do not have to scrub and dust and organize each item alphabetically ALL the time. What if you blasted one of your favorite songs and picked up stuff just as long as the song played?! What a difference 3 kicking minutes could make in a messy room!

So try reading a few verses and thinking about them, rather than feeling bad that you are not reading the whole Bible! Try unloading your dishwasher and coming back later to fill it with dirty dishes. And for me, maybe I should just try to lose one pound rather than all that overwhelms me--just a little at a time. :)

still good

Sometimes we relate God's goodness to His actions. For example, God DID this or that, so He is good. I was thinking this morning that God was still good during the great depression, during the holocaust, during the black plague. Yes, He is good because it is one of His ATTRIBUTES, not because we are pleased with certain ones of His particular actions.

I am challenged in my own life to make God known as being good and to let that sink in, knowing that He has good planned for my life.

spontaneous baptism

A very cool weekend at West Ridge Church--103 people were baptized and 51 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour for the first time. Not to mention Brian's arm workout from baptizing so many people, we were blown away at the response to a spontaneous baptism! Brian shared about the early church in Acts and how people trusted Christ and immediately afterward followed Him in baptism, not to get themselves to heaven, but rather, to show that after trusting Christ, they wanted to declare their faith in Him to the world and be a follower of Christ.

People poured down the front of the church in response!!! You know you can preach your heart out, have the best music and the most friendly church, but if God is not moving in peoples' hearts, potentially no one will experience life change. That is why when something like this happens, we are so excited to give God the glory, as only He can change peoples' lives--and that's what this is all about! How cool to be a part of a church where God IS moving and CHANGING LIVES!!!

homecoming court

It was a cool weekend for Taylor. He was voted to be in the homecoming court for the 9th grade. There are 470 students, so 3 boys and 3 girls were chosen. He was shocked to be in it, and had no idea that people liked him so much! One of his friends won, and we were happy about that although we are sad that he is moving this week. We will miss Marquise as a part of our J. Group in our house on Wednesday nights.

To top off the night, Taylor took his good friend Kayla to the dance. We took a million pictures as all the guys rented a huge van and took their dates to Henry's Louisiana Grill before the dance. Flowers, suits, vests the whole deal. Paint my car yellow. I'm the homecoming taxi!!

It was fun; and sometimes God knows you need a little break and throws you something unexpected. Good for Taylor!

round 2

Tomorrow, Brian and I start the Daniel Fast. It is basically a fast where you eat only fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and spend extra time in prayer. We did this fast last October. It was such a positive thing that we felt like we should do it again. We will be doing the fast for the next 10 days. The thing that really stands out to me about doing this fast 2 years in a row is that although God has really done some amazing things this year and answered prayers far above what we could have thought to ask, two of our major prayer requests remain unanswered. By unanswered, I mean that we obviously do not see any answer yet. We are doing another round of praying about these very important issues. Here we go again.

Tonight in our J Group with the freshmen (we had 49 including leaders!) the lesson was about Job and the trials he went through. When Job questions God, God responds with this huge list of things that He has done and the power that He displays. God, in other words, says, "Job, have you seen the place where I store all of the snow? Have you ever tamed a wild hippo? Do you know the paths for the thunderstorms? Were you there when the world was being created?" And the answer is NO. Job concludes that because God is so powerful and knowledgeable, he will choose to trust Him, and put his hand over his mouth when he is tempted to question God's goodness or ability.

I love what Brian said on Sunday. God is often times doing His greatest work when He appears to be silent, and waiting is a way for us to worship God. Yes! We can trust Him even when we can't see what is going on. So we can do round 2 because He has never failed us yet!

pastors' wives lunch

Today I met for lunch with 7 of our pastors' and directors' wives. We ate and prayed together. There is so much going on that the need for corporate prayer is seemingly greater than ever. Our prayers were for our church, our families, people going through rough times, our staff and God's hand of protection and guidance. This is a great group of women--strong wives of leaders! It is an honor to work together with them!

flood in northwest atlanta

The devastation from the flood in the northwest part of Atlanta has been unbelievable. The crazy thing is that many people who are not affected personally, have no idea that others have lost basically everything. I am so proud to be a part of a church that is reaching out to help people! West Ridge Church is partnering with many relief organizations to provide help and relief to victims of the flood. School has been out all week because the water is unsafe. Our prayers are with the people who are going through this rough time!

changing questions about heaven

When I was little and my parents told me about heaven, my question was, "Are their bathrooms in heaven?" Although I still like knowing there is a good bathroom nearby, my questions about heaven have changed. Whatever our thoughts and concerns may be at a certain time in our life, God is very much understanding of that. He cares about all the little things that occupy our thoughts. Now that I am in my forties, I am thinking about crazy things like not wanting wrinkles, wishing I had more energy, not wanting any regrets or wasted time. So, now my thoughts about heaven include these kinds of things:

When I get to heaven, I can eat incredible food and not get fat.
I can exercise and run (or fly or transport or something) because I want to, not because I have to.
I will not be separated from my family by long distances.
I will have an amazingly toned and perfect body. yippee!
My face will not have wrinkles or sags.
No bad hair days. Can you imagine that?
No long crazy lines to wait in.
No frustrating people.
No guilt. No allergy shots! No running out of time.
No obsolete technology. No misunderstandings.
Everyday will be a great day all the way around.

And I probably won't think about all of this stuff because I will be so focused on what is really important--Jesus!
I am glad that in the here and now, aging makes us think differently about the future and about heaven. I heard my great aunt say that she couldn't wait to get to heaven because all of her friends and family were there. Who knows? If I don't get there first, I may feel the same way one day.

welcome to the morgans!!!

We are really excited about having Tony Morgan on our staff at West Ridge! We are just as excited about his wife, Emily and their four kids!! Please pray about the sell of their house and their smooth transition to Georgia.

j group in our house!

This past Wednesday, we started the North Paulding High School journey group for freshmen at our house! It was great. We had 33 freshmen plus leaders. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and watched four football players eat bananas with panty hose on their face :) A little ping pong. A little air hockey. And a plan to influence North Paulding for Christ this year. We have some great kids and leaders in this group; and we're looking forward to seeing God do great things!!

happy birthday brian!

Brian is 44, and I get to write about him today! There are so many things I love about Brian; I will share a few of them.
He makes me laugh--still. I just like being with him all the time. I never get sick of him.
He shares his day off with me :) and says it's my day off too. He is very unselfish.
He is a great dad. He tells our boys that they've got what it takes.
He is authentic. He is the same person at home that he is on a stage.
As our church has grown, Brian's role has changed into more of a visionary/leader/CEO, but he still has a pastor's heart that really cares for people.
He has great legs.
He is remarkably clean. He definitely flosses his teeth more than almost anyone I know.
His laugh is contagious. I love to hear him around his brother Kevin. I know he's getting a good dose of laughter.
He runs and works out; he has always been a healthy eater.
He is a risk taker, and is not afraid of change.
He has genetically transferred the love of baseball to our boys.
He is a driven, passionate leader, and he strives to do things with excellence.
We have the same personality type. (ENFJ)
Growing up in a flower shop family, he has a green thumb; he buys me flowers and arranges them.
He is great with directions. (He bought me a GPS because I am directionally challenged :)
He loves God and remains faithful.
Brian, I love you more each year! You were worth waiting for! Happy birthday!

meet me in the hallway

This is the first week of "back to school," and so I am trying a new idea with the boys. We made prayer lists together. These are short lists of prayer request for Monday-Friday. When we wake up in the morning, we are all getting our lists and our God time books (whatever we each happen to be reading) and we are meeting in the hallway! We only spend 6-8 minutes, but both boys have said that they value doing this.

This summer we talked about the Lord's prayer and how it is a model for us to pray. We talked about saying more to God than, "Thank you for a good day. Help us to have a good day tomorrow." We decided that we would praise, thank, confess, forgive, and ask like Jesus did in His prayer to His heavenly Father. Because we took the time to think about it and write it down in advance, we do not have to THINK early in the morning. We just pray for the things on our list for that day. We all made our own lists, but our lists include such things as family, sports, our president, Israel, the boys' future wives and children, hurting friends, wisdom, understanding, purity, our sponsored kids in Africa, college, etc.

I don't know how long this will last, but I am certainly enjoying it for now!

shoe bargain

I bought a pair of $56 shoes for $11.

That's what I'm talking about. :)

Lyin' about food and lion food

In First Kings chapter 13 there is a story of King Jeroboam who turned his heart towards false gods and led the people of Israel to offer sacrifices to pagan idols. A man of God was sent to speak God's message to King Jeroboam, and after he spoke, the king asked him to stay and eat. The man of God refused, saying that God had given him a specific instruction not to eat or drink while he was there. Later, on his way home, the man of God was approached by on old prophet who asked him to come to his house to eat. Although the man of God told the old prophet about God's instructions, the old prophet said that an angel had spoken to him and told him to give the man of God food and drink. The old prophet was lying, but the man of God, lacking discretion, went with him, ate and drank and disobeyed the Lord's command. On his way home, he was killed by a lion.

People may tell us that they have heard from God. Even "good" people may try to get us to let down our guard and minimize what God has clearly instructed us to do. May we be wise and determined as we keep our eyes set on following Him.

community makeover--wow!

God gets the glory for this weekend's community makeover! It was amazing. 35 churches came together and completed several hundred projects in the northwest Atlanta area. Home makeovers, painting, construction, school landscaping, feeding hungry people, etc. etc. Then, on Sunday night, we all came together to celebrate. Last year we had 5,000 people in the Sam's Club parking lot. This year they estimate almost twice that many. It was not about one church. It was about many churches, with different denominations and races coming together to change a community for Christ!

Brian spoke briefly, and told everyone that although they had worked so hard and completed so many projects, good works could never get us to heaven. Only Jesus Christ can do that! Many people stood and received Jesus as their way to heaven. I am so proud of Brian. This was not about him, but God did something in his heart several years ago that started Engage Atlanta, with the purpose of bringing Jesus-believing churches together to transform a community! I am so glad to be married to a man who is not afraid to lead. "Greater things are still to be done in this city!"

helium incident

We were eating at a Mexican restaurant this past weekend when Zach and his cousin were seeing how they could alter their voices by inhaling helium from the balloons in the restaurant. We all laughed as Zach, after inhaling the entire balloon, squeaked out funny phrases with his helium voice. Within a few moments, I called across the table to Zach to get his attention, and he did not hear me. I called his name again, a little louder this time, but he continued to stare with his head down and a freakish grin on his face. This time I yelled and he did not respond. I realized something was wrong so I got up and walked over to him and realized that he was not in control of himself, almost like he was having a seizure. It was really scary. Brian picked him up and we took him outside. He took some deep breaths as tears came down his face. He was a little dizzy, but he was fine. We could laugh later--and thank God. Lesson: don't inhale too much helium, especially if you have asthma :)

pool-side chat

I had a chance to talk with a couple friends at the pool a few days ago. They and their husbands had read my blog and were interested in the other side of the coin--HOW HUSBANDS CAN ALSO HELP GUARD OUR MARRIAGES. We had a great conversation. So here are my thoughts:

Women are RESPONDERS. We usually respond to our husbands. That means that if our men treat us with respect and love, good things follow. If women feel unappreciated, unattractive, and unimportant they most likely will react to that as well. Should we be wonderful wives, responding positively even if we are not getting all we need to fill us up? Probably, but in many cases, that is not going to happen. Men, if you want your wife to be a happy woman, who is concerned about your desires, takes care of herself, is peaceful and loves you as you grow old, then treat her with respect. Tell her she is absolutely beautiful and make her feel secure by letting her know she is the only woman for you.

HAVE FUN. Women are grown up girls. We still like to have fun. Men, invest in fun, make her laugh; and she will remember why she fell in love with you. :)

Pray. God can do amazing things. He is in the business of restoring relationships and giving us an abundant married life!

pillow case obsession

It is so good to be back in town! (Now I can blog a little more regularly :)

I do a crazy thing when I travel. I love a clean pillow case,
so I layer my pillow with 3 or 4 pillow cases.
When I feel like one gets a little dirty, I peel it off and have a fresh one underneath!

guarding our marriages

I read about a lady on an airplane who asked the guy next to her if he was dieting. He had chosen not to eat. He responded that he was a satanist and was fasting for the fall of Christian leaders. I have never known a time when so many godly people seem to have lost their vision, their passion and their purpose. This is not by accident. A pastor's wife friend of mine is going through a very difficult time, as her husband recently had an affair.

I read Beth Moore's book, When Godly People Do Ungodly Things. It is a great book. I have more recently, though, been personally made aware of so many people who are being completely attacked morally. I feel the need to address this, as it is something that we do not hear enough about. How as women can we guard our marriages in a world that seeks to destroy the foundation of the family? Here are some bullet point thoughts:

We have to be very purposeful. We cannot be unaware. We must be confident women who seek after God with all of our hearts and ask Him daily for wisdom. We must be women who find our significance and security in Jesus Christ so that, rather than being needy and draining, we are filling ourselves up with Christ each day and are free to give to our husbands. That can be very attractive!

Someone thinks that your husband is about the hottest thing they have ever seen. Whoever she is, she may be desperate for attention. Women are looking for someone to compliment them and listen to them. Some women would do anything it takes for a man like yours. Yet I look at exhausted women who have allowed themselves to become completely spent throughout the day to the point that they have nothing more to give to their husbands. So many times, our husbands get the worst of us. Maybe we are giving to the kids or the church or our jobs and we don't have enough left. SAVE SOME OF YOUR FUN SELF, AND MAKE YOUR MAN GLAD HE HAS YOU TO COME HOME TO. Other women are competing for your man, and if you don't think so, you are mistaken. Be INVITING, and keep those home fires burning.

You may be thinking, "She can have him. He's not that great anymore!" Men often times become what we tell them they are. Make your husband your project, and work to make your marriage fun and exciting. Many people who read this blog are ministry wives. If you ever want to talk about this further, feel free to leave your email address on the comments and write confidential. I know that there are a lot of hurting women out there and many ministry marriages on the rocks. You are not alone and there is hope for you!!!

great vacation / stolen computer

My blogging took an unfortunate break when our computer was stolen on vacation! Our car window was smashed and many electronics were stolen! Although it was inconvenient, we are so glad that it was just STUFF that was swiped and WE were all fine!

Vacation was GREAT. Since we now have a high schooler and a middle schooler, we realize more than ever that our summers together are limited. If there are things we want to do while the boys are growing up, we better do them NOW :) Those thoughts led us to a day in Washington DC! From there, we met up with my parents in Baltimore for an Orioles/Red Sox game. After the game, we drove to New Jersey where Brian was a youth pastor years ago. We enjoyed the "shore" with friends. We drove to NY City for 24 hours of non-stop tourism including fireworks over the Hudson River. We are thankful for Brian's time off as we try to relax a little now, after a busy and fun-filled week.

happy birthday zachary!

My Zach had a birthday this weekend. Now he is 11 years old and going into middle school. I thought I would write some things I love about Zach.

Zach is very passionate! He does not really care what people think about him, so he is not afraid to lead.
He loves justice and is very very loyal.
He has this very sensitive and loving side of him. Big hugger and big animal lover.
He is a networker! He has things planned out and people organized for his big plan.
He has a heart for God and for people.
He loves baseball and is a gamer--so fun to watch him play!!
He is one of the most determined people I know.
I love his beautiful blonde hair! (I have to pay to get mine that color.)
Zach is very witty and constantly making us laugh.

Happy Birthday my buddy! I am so proud of you!!!

count it as what?

This morning I was reading my Dad's newly published book (Journey by Max Mills.) It is a book about character building; and today, I read about perseverance. This was so good, I just thought I would quote it. "The phrase, "count it all joy" in James 1:2 does not mean that we are to be happy because we are having tough times. The word "count" is an accounting term, which means "to enter into a ledger." So we can enter our difficult experiences in a ledger under the heading of "Joy," not because they are fun but because we know "that the testing of our faith produces perseverance."

If you are looking for a small group study--this one would be great! You can find it at amazon.com or barnesandnobel.com. It has a leader's guide and quizzes available for high school homeschoolers!

Irena Sendler

Have you heard about her? I recently received an email about a German lady named Irena Sendler. She died recently at 98 years old. During WW2, she worked in the Warsaw Ghetto with plumbing and sewer. This job was a cover-up, as her motive was to help the Jews by smuggling infants and children to safety in the tool box and burlap sack found in the back of her truck. She trained her dogs to bark to cover the children's noise when she passed the soldiers. She managed to smuggle 2500 kids to safety and kept a record of each child in a jar buried under a tree in her backyard. When the Nazi's finally found out what she was doing, they broke her arms and legs.

In 2007, Irena Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but she was not chosen. Al Gore won for a film on global warming. What do you think about that?

not much "in between" in these ballgames

I thought I would share just one day of our summer baseball schedule with you :) Yesterday, Taylor had a three hour work out from 8am till 11. Then, he had two ballgames back to back. He was at the field from 2:30 until 8:00. Zach played from 8:15 pm until 11:15 pm!!! We thought the concession stand might start serving breakfast, but they didn't.

There--a little peak into the summer baseball schedule!! Loving it, and ready for a vacation :)

Living Water

Ancient cities, under siege, often were defeated without a fight. These walled cities were surrounded until their food and water ran out. Then, the weakened people would give up. The city of Jerusalem, however, hosted a rerouted spring of water from outside the city walls. The spring flowed into the city, giving it life and confidence during battle. I read about this last week in a devotional book by David Jeremiah. He states that God's living water gives us hope during the longest siege of the enemy. The Holy Spirit is our indwelling source of life!!

congrats to taylor

I am so proud of Taylor!! He made the high school summer baseball team. Go Wolfpack!

freaky dream

Last night I had a freaky dream! I actually woke up praying in my dream I was so freaked out! You know how dreams are, once you start to tell them, they don't make sense. However, every now and then, a dream makes you think differently about reality.
Because I was awake, I took the dogs out. It gave me a chance to think. In my dream, I was battling some very crazy demonic wackos, how's that?! I realized that in real life we are battling crazy demonic wacko stuff as well. The difference is we usually can't see it. We are in battles for our marriages, our kids and the truth of God's powerful Word. When we add the pressure of everyday schedules, emotions and just dealing with people, we often see a clouded version of what is really taking place. In my moment of "after scary dream panic" I realized that I was not prepared to handle what may be UNSEEN REALITY. I felt thirsty to fill up on God's Word which gives us power over any unseen circumstance and realized that I have not been doing enough of that! UNLIKE a bad dream, when you are calling out for help and no one can hear you, we can call out to the ONE who hears and rescues! Jeremiah 33:3 says, Call unto Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things.

flower vase

A couple months ago, Brian bought me flowers in a vase. He told me that for the next year, he was going to keep flowers in the vase for me to let me know how much I am loved! So I have been enjoying some beautiful flowers! He was right on Sunday when he said that women are responders. Oh, yes, we are!! I am so thankful for a great man!

always the same

Yesterday, in his message on enduring love, Brian talked about Jesus always being the same. In a world of changes, it is good to know that He doesn't change. I couldn't help but think that in our pursuit to become more Christ-like, we could add this to what we would like to become. More "the same" and less "emotionally high and low." If God tells us to be like He is, then it is good to be stable, not changing our minds constantly and being tossed about in our all of our ways. I strive to be even tempered. I see some people who are high on life one day, talking about how God speaks personally to them, and on another day, hot tempered or depressed. Now, I am a person who likes change. I do not like things that lack excellence; and I enjoy making things better. However, if we are talking about our emotions and our responses, as we seek maturity, striving to remain "the same" can be a good thing!

Row F seats 17-19

We purchased reserved seats for the North Paulding High School football games! Although we will have to renew them every year, we can have them as long as our boys are at North Paulding, and hopefully, playing football! That's seven years. That's a lot of football! Gosh, I've never lived anywhere long enough to think about buying reserved seats for seven years!!

making decisions

I love Psalm chapter 1, especially when I am concerned about a big decision I have to make. Sometimes we feel like there is a perfect decision to be made, a specific choice that will make or break our future; and if we do not make the perfect choice at the exact time, we could ruin everything! It is nice to know that God is a God who can hold our future together within a realm of choices we make when we are truly seeking Him and walking with Him. He tells us in Psalm 1 that if we are not getting counsel from ungodly people or doing ungodly things, but are, rather delighting in Him and meditating on His Word, then we are free to make a choice or decision, and whatever we do will PROSPER! That means you can pick blue or red, now or later, this one or that one. You can make a choice based upon God's Word and your desires and God will take your decision and make it all work out! That relieves a lot of stress for me. I know that I do not have the power to ruin it all, but God has the power to pull my future together to bring joy to me and glory to Himself.

how to prepare for a mammogram :)

In light of the fact that I had to get a mammogram today, and because I desire to be nothing but helpful to my readers, I thought I would post a little tip on how to prepare oneself for the precautionary mammogram we all look forward to. First of all, take your garage door remote in your hand and raise your garage door. As you firmly grip the remote, lie on your side under your garage door with your arm above your head. Press the remote and lower the garage door. Hold your breath and do not move. Repeat three times on each side. Don't let the feeling of being too prepared overwhelm you--you may have to wipe your deodorant off with a wet wipe. :)

sunflower seeds in my washing machine

I've been washing baseball uniforms like a mad woman--over and over again! Both boys' pants are white and I'm not a very good stain remover! The other day, I was throwing the uniforms into the dryer, when I realized my washing machine was holding onto a little bunch of sunflower seeds. I had to smile :) Brian and both of the boys love to eat sunflower seeds at their games. How many more years will I get to wash uniforms?! Before I know it, the boys will be all grown up and gone. I will wish I could have a little pile of sunflower seeds in my washing machine. Hold on to the moments God gives us. Life is passing by so quickly. I want each moment to count, seeds and all!

dog valium

Yesterday, the vet gave my dog a prescription for valium. She loses her mind when it storms. I am kind of looking forward to the next storm to see if it works!

first hand believers

How do we help our kids to make God their own? How do we know that they will make the choice to live for God and not just adopt Him as the God of their parents? Do you remember the story in the Old Testament where the children of Israel crossed the river and God told the leaders to set up stones as a reminder so they could tell the story to future generations? I think this is a big part of it. We have to talk about the things God has done in the past, how He has always been faithful, and how we can trust Him. I think, however, the BIGGEST THING we can do, is to help our kids EXPERIENCE GOD ON THEIR OWN. If they EXPERIENCE God being faithful to THEM, they will be more impacted than if they just heard about what happened to someone else. How can we do that? We have a little book, and we started writing things down--little things, but things that were big to my kids. As they get older, the experiences get bigger. I am hoping that one day, they will look back and know that God can be trusted with their whole life because they have been trusting Him all along. Another way to EXPERIENCE GOD ON THEIR OWN: camp. Camp with their church friends is huge. They experience something on their own and make potentially life-changing decisions. One more: serving others. When our kids serve, they get to see God at work first hand!

week wrap-up

Brian often posts a weekend wrap-up, so I thought I would post a week wrap-up since I have not written in over a week! Church today was great! Brian started a series on LOVE. Loving God and loving people. To be honest, I was in a little bit of a bad mood--does that ever happen to you? For no reason! I was tired and cranky :) I had to make a conscious decision to worship today--to get my mind off of myself and actually sing those songs TO God not just ABOUT Him. It was so cool that they sang some of my very favorite Chris Tomlin songs! It's amazing that when we make a choice to get our mind on God, He has the ability to fill us up!

West Ridge started a 6:00 evening service tonight. It is identical to the morning services; it just gives people more choices and allows for more morning space. We are excited about it!

This past week my Mom and Dad came to visit for my birthday! We had a great time with them. And I must add that Brian has pampered me like a little queen--I must be getting old! But I'll take it :)

I've enjoyed watching the boys play baseball this weekend; and tomorrow I am having lunch with a friend who is a church planter's wife! I love meeting with other pastors' wives--it's fun.

jack

What is up with Jack Bauer? Do you think he is going to make it? I am getting concerned about him, and you know he does not have a good relationship with his daughter! It does look like someone cares very much about him, maybe she's even falling in love with him! Of course it's only been 19 hours. Then there is Tony. Hopefully he can get out of there in time! And that president's daughter--she is a mess!

If you don't watch 24, you are missing out!

too good and too nice

Have you ever been so good and so nice that it came back to bite you? If you haven't then you will have no idea what I am talking about. Somehow God does not call us to be "good and nice." He calls us to love Him with all of our hearts. It is about a relationship with Him that somehow becomes more transparent both ways. Is it quite possible that the challenges in our earthly relationships might reflect the inadequacies in our relationship with God? Could it be that what blocks us from intimacy with others could also be hindering our intimacy with God? Nice only gets you so far. I'm still thinking about this.

technologically challenged

When I graduated from COLLEGE, I did not know anyone who owned a computer or a cell phone. I typed all my college papers on a typewriter. In fact, we had recently moved from corded phones to cordLESS phones. We were so excited not to have to stand with our ears next to the kitchen wall! I sound very old right now; but I now realize that I missed the technology thing by only a few years. Dang! A couple weeks ago, I qualified for a cell phone upgrade so I got a Blackberry Curve at WalMart for $28.88. I had to return it because it was much too complicated for me! (I love my new VU by the way!) All this to say that I am not very left-brained. I was an English teacher. Right-brained all the way. So I guess I will continue inching my way to being computer savvy and socially networked!

grocery boy

I had a car full of groceries the other day. I thought about having Zach help me bring them in. I said, "I need a strong man to help me lift all of these heavy groceries!" Zach was my man! While moms cannot impart masculinity to boys, we can help them grow to be strong, confident men. Although we as moms sometimes want to keep our sweet little boys by our side and protect them and snuggle on them, it is SERIOUSLY IMPORTANT that we let them go and allow them to be one of the men. That is the way they learn how to be a man and how to act like a man--and how to protect a woman he loves! There is nothing quite like having your little boy be a rough tough boy and then come back to love and protect his mom.

marriage retreat at pine ridge church

Brian and I had the opportunity to speak at a marriage retreat at Pine Ridge Church this past weekend! The people were so great. We had a wonderful time!

pastor's kids!

In the last month, I have had conversations with church planters' wives who have brought up the topic of raising pastor's kids.  They have asked about how we expect our boys to act.  I guess what really sticks out in my mind is that we want our boys to love God on their own not because their dad is a pastor.  I never want my boys to be sick of church, and so occasionally, I will pull them out of the second service and take them to starbucks!  We try to NEVER say, "You better be good because your dad is the pastor."  That, to me, is peer pressure.  That is caring what people say or think about you and acting to please other people.  I am teaching my boys to not worry about what people think.  You are to do right because you are YOU.  People who go about life trying to act a certain way to please others will never be able to please everyone and cannot be a great leader of people.  It is interesting to me that parents do not want their kids to be influenced by peer pressure and yet put peer pressure on them to convince them to be good!  I think that means, "I want everyone to think I am a good parent, so please make me look good."  Kids are smarter than that!

 We are however, focusing on the word APPROPRIATE.  We want them to make choices about how they act or what they wear or say, NOT because their dad is a pastor but because they consider what is appropriate.  My kids are WILD and very normal.  I am trying to teach them to be humble and respectful to adults, to put others first at church and be a friend to someone who is alone. We make a big deal about the family coming before the church, and Brian models that to them by spending time with them, and telling them that they are more important than his work at church.  Until we showed a recent video of our boys, many people did not know who they were. They enjoy being one of the students and hopefully God is working in their hearts to draw them to Himself, in spite of the fact that they are the pastor's kids!  

steam room!

I enjoyed a wonderful spa with an invigorating steam room one day last week!  The room fills up with steam so thick that you can hardly see, and the smell of eucalyptus fills your lungs!  It is wonderful.  Today, I have been dealing with allergies and wishing I could be back in the steam room!  One of the blissful things in life that I absolutely love!

dad's book published!

My Dad just had his book published!  It is called Journey by Max Mills.  It is a 9 chapter series on character transformation.  I am in the process of reading it, and it is very interesting with tons of illustrations!  He has also written a leader's guide for small group study.  Check it out at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnobel.com !!  Very cool.

the simple truth

Going to heaven has nothing to do with how good we are or how many good things we have done.  It has everything to do with the fact that Jesus died on the cross for us.  It is nothing we could do, but everything He has already done.

"For by GRACE are you saved through faith and that NOT OF YOURSELVES it is the GIFT of God, NOT OF WORKS..."  Ephesians 2:8-9

That's the simple truth worth knowing!

great book

I have a great book to recommend!  It is Praying The Bible For Your Children by David and Heather Kopp.  The book contains one-page prayers full of Scripture to pray for your kids.  Not only has this book impacted the way I pray for my boys, but I have enjoyed it so much that I want to buy my parents a copy so they will pray these prayers for me!  

girl scout cookies

We ordered Girl Scout cookies and they arrived!  I like a good cookie.  My favorites are the samoas--a cookie with toasted coconut and caramel with chocolate.  My three men like the thin mints and the tagalongs.  That's good--more samoas for me!  Do you have a favorite?

happy birthday Taylor!

Taylor is 14 today.  It is hard to believe it has been 14 years!  I am so proud of him. Here are some of the things I appreciate the most about Taylor:

He is one of the most self-motivated people I know.

He has always been a leader, but recently, he has become more of a quiet leader.  People follow him, and he definitely influences the people around him.

He has become more of a caring person.  I notice him developing a true concern for others.

He can make very funny faces.  My face won't do stuff like that.

Taylor is very very clean.  He takes a ton of showers.

He has an uncanny sense of rhythm and can play the drums quite well.

The boy can dance.  I don't know where he got that from.

He loves God and has a desire to follow Him.

He makes me laugh a lot, and he still hugs me in public!

He loves the game of baseball so much it almost hurts.

Happy Birthday to you my son, and my friend!  ---and I am glad you got your braces off!!

You look maaavalous!

shammah in the bean field

I read the coolest story.  It only spans two verses in the Bible (2 Samuel 23:11-12) so there are not a lot of details.  This is it:  "One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils.  The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines.  So the Lord brought about a great victory."  

Ever feel like Shammah?  Alone in a bean field.  Where did everyone go? You know what I like about this guy?  He was faithful.  He hung in there.  Stayed true.  Did what he came to do.  Are you doing something right now that is the right thing to do but you feel like everyone left you?  When we are tempted to bail for the sake of fear or failure, we can remember Shammah.  Somehow God showed up and turned things around and "brought about a great victory."

crazy in the OT

I just finished reading 1 and 2nd  Samuel.  I have to tell you that I have had very mixed emotions.  These Old Testament people were crazy!  Killing and more killing, concubines, wars, grudges, oaths, emotions flying.  This culture was UNLIKE anything I have ever known, and yet this kind of life-style was ALL that they ever knew. 

 How did God bless David in the midst of all of this savage brutality?  I have come to realize that God is a God that transcends cultures.  He chooses to use people in situations that I cannot relate to.  At the end of the book, David gives this amazing tribute to God for saving him and making him so successful.  I think there are several reasons that God used David and called him a "man after God's own heart."   First of all, DAVID was crazy enough to RECKLESSLY BELIEVE GOD and had amazing COURAGE to do whatever was necessary. Secondly, David knew how to praise God in detail, giving God all of the credit.  And finally, God had flat out chosen him--God made a covenant with David. 

 In the middle of the world we live in--a world that some might call "crazy"-- what would make God call us a "people after His own heart?"  First of all, He has already chosen us and promised if we would consecrate ourselves (set ourselves apart for Him) that He would do amazing things among us.   If we would RECKLESSLY BELIEVE GOD and give him all the credit, we would see Him do more than we could ever imagine!  I think God might just like a little CRAZY.

Japanese food yum yum!

The boys are out for winter break and so I took them to Atami Japanese Steakhouse for lunch!  The food is wonderful, and they have a $5.95 lunch menu for the hibachi grill where they cook the food in front of you.  The boys had Mahi Mahi and I had chicken.  Healthy and delicious!

how to pray for your husband part 2

There are times when our husbands are tempted to feel hopeless about a situation that may be out of their control--a bad economy, a job situation, a wayward child, an illness or a relationship.  We can pray that God will give them HOPE.  He says, "I am the God of HOPE." (Rom 15:13)   "I am your provider; put your HOPE in me and wait for me." (Lamentations 3:24) 

If our husbands are trapped by habits or circumstances we can pray for FREEDOM.  ("Where my Spirit is, you will find freedom." 2Cor. 3:17)

And what better prayer can we pray other than asking God to help our husbands understand and experience how much GOD LOVES HIM.  Then, he will experience FULLNESS OF LIFE!!

"May you experience the love of Christ, thought it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:19

Be yourself

I saw a great little quote last week.  It said, "BE YOURSELF.  EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN."  This is true if you are a parent, a student, a grandparent, a friend, or a church planter's wife.  None of us have gone this way before, and sometimes we don't know how we are supposed to act or what we are supposed to do.  Be yourself.  Don't copy anyone else.  It's great to get good ideas from other people, but you have so much to offer!  God put something on your plate because He knows He made you with everything it takes to be successful in what you have to do.   

early valentines

We went out for valentines early!   We wanted a casual place and good food, so we chose Jim N Nick's.  We had a great time--but the best part was the chocolate pie--oh my gosh!  It was worth every single calorie.  They make their pies from scratch every morning, and the waitress told us that they have to get rid of them each night because they make new ones.  I think I should apply to work at Jim N Nick's so I can help them "get rid" of their "old" pies!  

how to pray for your husband

In 2Samuel 17, some men are conspiring to kill King David.  Verse 2 says, "I will catch up to him while he is weary and discouraged."  I think there is another enemy that waits for our husbands when they are weary and discouraged.  It is our privilege to cover them in prayer.  In the next few days, I am going to list specific things that we can ask God for as we pray for our husbands. HIS MIND.  That he would love God with all of his mind. (Mark 12:30) That he would not be confused, anxious or deceived but that God's peace would guard his heart and mind. (Philippians 4:6,7) That he would not be fearful but confident (Psalm 27:1) so that he can do what he is created to do. (Isaiah 41:10) HIS PROTECTION.  Psalm 18:2 is painted on the wall above our kitchen table.  It says, "the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my... shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold."  We can pray that God would keep our husbands from sickness, accidents, accusations and evil, as the apple of His eye and under the shadow of His mighty wings. (Psalm 17:8)