inbetween ballgames

spoutin' off

2012-01-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

Recently, Brian asked my opinion about something and I told him what I thought. Later, he told me that he had taken my advice and was in the process of implementing some sort of change. What?!

I was just spouting off! I didn't know that change was hinging on my thoughts or suggestions! Our words can be so powerful, and our suggestions more influential than we realize. I am challenged to be prayed up before I "spout off" my thoughts. I want to give advice that comes from something higher than my emotion. I want God's wisdom in my life and my words, don't you? God tells us in James chapter one that when we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us!

"When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness." Proverbs 31:26

turning our hearts outward

2012-01-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

We have been talking a lot lately about turning our hearts outward. What exactly does that mean? It means focusing on other people and their needs. It means loving people and leading them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. The opposite of outward focus, is obviously inward focus. Strangely enough, inward focus is often disguised as maturity. Inward focus emphasizes one's self, where as outward focus gives one's self away.

Jesus is the perfect example of focusing outward. He loved people. He loved more than just their souls. He loved them for them, and he gives us the ability through the Holy Spirit to do the same thing.

Take a chance. Get out of our comfort zones. Live intentionally. Love people. Go on a mission trip. Serve. Share. Be friends with people who are different from us. Make yourself uncomfortable. Give until it costs you something. Focus outward!!

futures

2011-11-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

Is your future uncertain? Actually all of us can say "Yes" to that question. None of us know our future. Sometimes we have a lot to worry about. Many people are concerned about the economy, being able to make it through the holidays on little resources. So many are dealing with health issues, wayward children, divorce, grief and loss. Uncertainty looms around us at every stage of life; even our children often worry about their grades, their friends, their weight, their security, their acceptance and their future.

Hebrews 11:20 talks about Isaac blessing his sons. In spite of all the disfunction in Isaac's family, (the deception, favoritism, naivety, distance and impulsiveness) the verse says, "He had confidence in what God was going to do in the future."

Because God has always kept his promises, we can continue to trust him for our future. "For you have been my hope, O sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." Psalm 71:5

Maybe you are worried and uncertain. Throw your worries on to God. He has been in the business of "futures" for a long, long time; and like Isaac, we can trust him with ours.

Just love 'em!

2011-11-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, Brian and I went to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet. It was a very nice evening. The speaker that night was a comedian. He made us laugh out loud with impersonations and funny faces! He was making fun of relatives, in light of the upcoming holidays and, in his humorous way, left me with something of a more serious note. He said, with a ridiculous face, "Just love 'em!" When your son in law does yada yada yada that you hate, just love 'im. When your sister just sits there like she always has instead of helping mom, just love 'er!

There are so many people that get in such a wad over little things. The holidays magnify that, you know? Just let it go. Life is too short to be mad at every coach, teacher, boss, neighbor, in-law. My gosh! Choose to be happy and "Just love 'em!"

guest blogger: my brother Dave!!

2011-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

My brother Dave is a guest writer on my blog today! Check him out:

Everyman's Everest
My favorite thing about Ironman triathlons is the simple fact that anybody can do one...seriously. It doesn't take a unique skill or ability like throwing a 95 mph fastball or being able to dunk a basketball. You don't have to be strong, tall, fast, smart, or even very coordinated. All it really takes is an attitude that says, "I will not quit." Let's face it, none of us are going to get called up to the major leagues. We'll never play in the Super Bowl, or get drafted into the NBA. But there's almost nothing keeping you from becoming an Ironman! I've personally seen a blind man, a woman in a wheelchair, an amputee, and a 74 year old man cross the Ironman finish line! It's a larger-than-life moment that anyone can accomplish.
Last Sunday I crossed the Ironman finish line for my second time. It was a completely different experience in many ways from the first Ironman I completed in 2009. This time around there wasn't any curiosity or sense of wonderment. I knew exactly how long and difficult the day would be. This time it wasn't a question of "Can I do this?". It was now a question of "Can I do this faster?". And I knew that finishing the bike ride didn't really mean that I was almost done. Being my second-time around didn't make it any easier. My feet cramped up on the bike, my legs tried to quit on me during the run, and at times it took everything I had just to keep from throwing up.
But as I swam, biked, and ran through Louisville this year, the biggest and best difference was the fact that my wife, Kerry and our two sons were there to cheer me on. When I first became an Ironman in 2009 we lived in Okinawa, Japan, and they weren't able to travel with me to Louisville for the race. They were such a huge part of my training and support that I knew something was missing as I crossed the finish line 9,000 miles away from them. This year was different though; they were right there with me! Yelling and ringing those signature Ironman cowbells, my family encouraged and fueled me throughout the race with their cheers. The road trip, the race, and the room service brought us closer together as a family. I doubt that my kids will forget staying up way beyond their bedtime to stand in the streets with the cheering crowd and hear the announcer declare their dad an Ironman. But more importantly, I hope they learned that they don't have to be the fastest, or the tallest, or become all-star athletes to accomplish something great. All they really have to do is never give up.

David Mills is author of The Distance: An Average Joe's Path to Balancing Family, Work, & Triathlon available now on Amazon. To find out more visit www.TheDistanceBook.com

in a bind, up a creek, and worth the risk!

2011-09-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

I'm in a bind! I've been there before, and I bet you have too! I am in so deep that if God does not come through, I will be in trouble. It's funny. I felt this way when I had kids, when we started West Ridge Church. It's uncomfortable and risky and bigger than me, so much so that I know when I get out of it, I would be crazy stupid to take the glory for any success. Aah. That sounds like where God likes us to be.

When we get in deep, we have to trust God, take a deep breath, and ask Him to guide us. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

I'm counting on that. Life is risky but it's worth the risk because at the end of the day, we can say that God brought us through and we can give him all the glory if it turns out ok--if your marriage succeeds, if your kids love God, if your business survives, if you pass the class, if your church grows and thrives, if your neighbors come to know the Lord, if your team wins, if people approve, if you inspire or encourage. It all comes from God who likes risk, who likes it when we have to depend on him, who loves it when we need him, call on him and give all the glory to him!! He will bring us through!

How do I know that God is real?

2011-08-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

How do I know that God is real? I've never seen him. I've never heard his voice, yet I know.
Having never seen the air, somehow we have experienced it, breathed it in; and it has given us life.
I have seen the air move things, the trees blowing in the gentle breeze. And powerful gusts that require our respect.
I have observed a balloon take on a new shape, a new identity when filled with an invisible air.
I have exercised my faith in scientists I've never met that tell me about the molecules in the air I cannot see.
Certainly they are right in their beliefs.
If I were to deny that air exists, I would still breathe it and require it to survive.
In fact, the more I do, the faster my pace, the more I gasp for air and am reminded of my need for it.
I have seen God move, fill and satisfy.

My eyes have been witness to things that only God can do. People that he has drawn to himself, Secret wishes that only he and I knew about, fulfilled to overflow. Coincidences that no one could orchestrate.

Peace in the storms of my life, Calm in my panic and rest in my weariness. Joy in the midst of trouble, and perseverance during darkest times. God has given understanding during times that lack human explanation. My soul had a God-shaped void that no man, job, status or wealth could fill. A perfect Savior for an imperfect me. A sure future. A heavenly home because of a cross I have never seen, an empty tomb that filled my emptiness. A non-wavering, never-changing God that engages my ever-changing life and fills it, satisfies it, loves it and has always kept every promise.

The ocean, the mountains, the spinning solar system. Someone out there is bigger than me. He is not tired or impatient when I do not believe him. He will never cease to exist and his love will never end. I have seen too much!

captain crunch

2011-08-12T06:42:00.001-07:00

I ate Captain Crunch for breakfast this morning. I know. It's not very healthy and I am too old to be eating sugar cereal. Here is my story: When I was two years old, my parents took me to Baltimore to visit relatives. Ok, this is about to date me for sure. My great aunt in Baltimore had a milk man that delivered milk to her house, and the milk man left samples of a new cereal on everyone's porch. Great marketing idea! Because we were visiting, my aunt thought I might like to try the new Captain Crunch cereal sample. I was hooked! Not long after we got home, we found my new cereal on the grocery shelf! All it took was a taste, and now I've been a Captain Crunch fan for life!

So many people just need a taste of God, His love, and His goodness. If they could get a sample taste of how great He is, they would be hooked for life!! "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8

Bandaids

2011-07-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were staying in a rented house out of town last week, when I dropped my toiletries bag on the floor. I bent down to pick up all of its contents, and accidentally sliced my finger on my razor! Ouch! It seems like a little thing, but it bled for over half an hour and would not stop!! It was after midnight, and I was getting concerned. After trying to stop the bleeding with wads of toilet paper and ice, I thought eventually I could use a few bandaids. There was practically nothing in the little medicine cabinet, but almost as if someone had anticipated my need, a box of bandaids stared back at me.

Now this may seem silly to you, but I knew that God had allowed those bandaids to be left in that cabinet because He knew I would need them. In the quiet, away from home, I felt loved. Ephesians 3:19 has become one of my favorite verses. It says, "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fulness of life and power that comes from God."

That means that we can have fullness of life when we experience how much God loves us. I want a full life, don't you? Sometimes, I am sure that I miss God's expressions of love for me, but now I am dead set on trying to grasp just how much I am loved!!

training your kids to be leaders

2011-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

we heard there was a cow in the outfield and a horse near third base. something like that! taylor went to the dominican republic on a baseball mission trip. two days ago they played a pick-up game against a pitcher with one leg. new experiences. mom's not there. probably the best thing for my sixteen year old!

when taylor was a toddler, i learned that i would never be able to take the credit if he turned out to be a good kid. i was in way over my head in parenting this wild child, but i knew that if he became a great man, i would humbly admit that it was God working in his life. with that disclaimer said, i will humbly tell you that we are trying to do things that create leadership in our kids. allow your kids to do difficult things that stretch them. maybe this mission trip is stretching us too!! i want our boys to learn to depend on God, not just mom and dad. let your boys be warrior men and let your girls be strong women!! let's give responsibility to our kids and allow them to learn leadership.

"rice and beans pretty much everyday." taylor

RUSH camp

2011-06-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

Seventeen years ago, when we lived in Virginia, Brian and I brought a group of high school kids to camp in Toccoa Georgia. I was pregnant with Taylor. The next year we brought a ton of kids, and I pushed Taylor in his stroller! God did some amazing things at camp.

I remember praying with a girl named Leah, as she trusted Christ. A guy named Nate accepted the Lord at camp and is now a student pastor. I remember the boys in our group dominating in sports competitions; and I remember where I was sitting in the lobby when my sister-in-law told us that they were going to have a baby!

Years later, after moving to Georgia and starting West Ridge Church, Brian and I talked about having a camp experience for West Ridge kids to bring their friends. Our amazing student ministry team began the tradition of RUSH camp, a West Ridge camp for high school and middle school students and all of the friends they could invite!

This year, for the first time, RUSH camp is in Toccoa, where I pushed Taylor around in his baby stroller. Over 530 In nine chartered busses! I can't begin to tell you how amazing it is to see the same auditorium filled with all of OUR kids. We can tell stories of God moving in the lives of teenagers years ago, and to have our boys be a part of something so powerful in the same facility is just especially cool :) I did not expect this to be emotional for me, as God has been at work in the lives of teenagers for years, but I can't help but be amazed and humbled at what He is doing. I am so amazed at the ways that God reminds us of where we have been, where He has brought us and all that He has done. Sometimes I think I get a glimpse of what He may be doing in the future--who knows the impact of camp in the lives of these incredible kids?! God is at work for sure. It's been a great week!!!

black sequin dress

2011-05-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

When I was twenty two, my parents bought me the most beautiful long, strapless black sequin dress. It was fitted with a flare of raspberry tulle at the bottom of the dress. It was stunning! Never before had I been voted to be in any kind of homecoming or prom court, unlike my sisters, who were both homecoming queens; but to my great surprise, my senior year in college, I was voted to be in the Miss Liberty Pageant! The week that I found out that I was going to be in the pageant, I planned to go home for the weekend and get a dress. I would be one of twenty four girls to represent Liberty University. I was honored and excited, as the pageant was a huge deal!!

Little did I know, that I would never wear the dress.

When I returned from my weekend at home, I was called into a meeting. All of the girls in the pageant were told that the pageant had been cancelled for financial reasons. I was so disappointed and hurt. We were still in a homecoming court for the homecoming football game, but it was not the same. I had to wear a dressy skirt and suit jacket. I would have to return my non-refundable dress.

Sometimes life sends us disappointments that leave us hurt and confused. How do we handle disappointment? Like Hagar in Genesis chapter 16, I can refer to God as "the God who sees me." My interpretation: "the God who sees me in my black sequin dress." I am learning in disappointing times, that God knows something that I do not know. He has a plan for me, not to harm me, but to give me a hope, and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

There will be more black sequin dress moments in my life, I am sure! May we learn to lean on Him, as He will never ever disappoint us!!

trying to fill in the grand canyon

2011-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

this past week, we heard a friend speak about the love of God. it sounds like such a simple thing to talk about, but we were overwhelmed with the fact that we do not fully understand that God loves us so much, and that He is totally accepting of us, just like we are.

our friend gave a great example: God's love is the only love we actually NEED. love from others is a wonderful thing, but we were created with a void that can only be filled by God. when we try to fill our void with love and acceptance from other people, it is like trying to fill in the grand canyon with a shovel !!!

i am reminding myself this week that God really likes me, and that i can get filled up with HIS love. when we do that, we are then free to give to others.

i'm thinking about trashing my kids' cars

2011-03-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is an empty applesauce container in my car door handle. The many trash items, like this one, in my car over the past sixteen years has lead me to some serious thinking! I have decided that I am going to trash my kids' cars. First of all, I am going to open the little packets of sauce and kechup from Chic Fil A and I'm going to leave them in the door handles and seat pockets. Next, I plan to trim my nails, toenails included, and let all of the clippings fall in the floor board. I am going to drop fries down the seat, next to the seat belts. I am considering leaving an age old dairy product secretly in the cup holder in the backseat, and best of all, I will remove my socks after practice and leave them under the seat. When my boys cannot figure out why their car smells like football practice, they will find the surprise socks and take them to the laundry room, and wash them for me. I might put little coins in their CD player and press my face against their windows. I will spit nasty stuff in an empty water bottle and leave it on the floor next to my athletic cup. I will leave my phone in their car and beg them to drive to where I am so I can text my friends.

I am thinking about having a nice argument with Brian in the back seat of their cars. I will certainly chew all of the gum in their cars and play MY music loudly anytime I ride with them. I will probably be late, and they will be waiting on me, so I expect that I will have to bring my breakfast pancakes with sticky syrup to eat in the car. I'm sure they will bring these dishes in and wash them. I will unpack my bat bag in their trunk and leave all of my empty Gatorade bottles. I will hit my cleats together so that the dried clay falls off and I will dump out the dirt from the inside of my cleats. I will feel really bad about it, but I will probably do it several more times. There are a few more things that boys do in cars that require rolling the windows down, but I am a lady, so I will not do those things. These are just a few of the fun things I am planning!

goats :)

2011-03-07T11:38:00.001-08:00

We received this picture in the mail today!! This is Kyui, the 15 year old boy that we have been sponsoring in Kenya for the last eight years. At Christmas, we decided to send Kyui's family a gift. Seventy five dollars was the smallest amount that we could send in order for his family to receive some special help at Christmas, and since we had never given this way before, that is what we chose to do. We were a bit skeptical because they would not tell us how the money would be used. I am so glad we did this!
The little amount we sent did a lot for Kyui's family. They received two goats, a school uniform, pens, leather shoes and shoes for Kyui's grandmother.

It is amazing that we can tangibly help needy people on the other side of the world!!! If you are not sponsoring a child or helping in some way with missions, would you pray about how you could be involved? It is not about you and me. There is a world that is dying physically and spiritually and we have the resources that they need!!!

"For God so loved the world that He GAVE." John 3:16

first chat

2011-03-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

This past week, we had our very first Launch Network video chat for church planters' wives!!! We were so excited about it. It was really little but really cool. We had two girls. One was in Missouri and one was in Georgia. One of the girls did not have a working camera on her computer, so we could just hear her and not see her.

Because my computer was messed up, I drove to Cindy Lake's house and we shared earphones. I had one in my ear and she had one in her ear. We had to sit close to both fit on the screen! We laughed afterwards because we are not very technological. Here we were with our little earphones in Cindy's living room talking with church planters' wives about God's calling in their lives.

I have seen God do some amazing things that started out little. Maybe you are doing something that seems little or insignificant. Maybe things have not turned out the way you thought they would. God is the master of little things. If you are doing something where God is already at work, He can turn little into much!

I had to document this because, in thanks to God, through the Launch Network, we are going to connect church planters' wives all across the country and the world. We will look back on our little inaugural video chat and remember that God did great things!!

love this verse!

2011-03-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

Psalm 89:8
"O Lord God Almighty, Where is there anyone as mighty as you, Lord? Faithfulness is your very character."

the burkina kitchen project

2011-02-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

When Brian returned from his first Burkina Faso, Africa trip, his pictures tugged at my heart. One set of pictures especially grabbed me. The women who cook for hundreds of students at the school in Burkina and at the Compassion site, cook in the dirt. They do not have kitchens. Somehow, as a woman, I felt like these women needed a kitchen. Every woman who has to cook for that many kids needs a kitchen! I thought that if we as women could donate to have a kitchen built, we could not only make their job so much easier, but we could aid in creating a healthy environment for these children as well.

One in 3.5 children in Burkina will die before they turn 10 years old, because they do not have food and water; so while I catch myself letting my water run in my kitchen faucet, these kids are starving and dying. This is not a National Geographic picture of a place that we will never see. This is where West Ridge Church has a family on the ground, a ministry that we can travel to and see for ourselves! Last year, Brian had the opportunity to meet the little girl that we sponsor, and when we build this kitchen, I am going to go and see it for myself!! God is doing amazing things in Burkina Faso, and when we get $25,000. we can add to that by building a kitchen!!!!! When you cook dinner with your stove and oven and use running water and , oh my gosh, a dishwasher, think about the women cooking in the dirt, and pray about donating to the Burkina Kitchen Project. You can be a part of changing lives!!!!!

To donate go to www.engageburkina.com.

hang in there!

2011-01-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Are you growing weary doing the right thing and not seeing results? When Taylor was little, he was a terror. I can say that now because he is almost 16 and is an amazing young man! I remember talking to my dad, who has a counseling degree. After staying with us for several days, he was supposed to give me some earth-shaking advice to "fix" Taylor. I was ready for a remedy, and I'll never forget what he said. He said, "I think you are doing the right things. Just keep on doing what you are doing and one day, you are going to see the results." That is not the answer I was looking for. I wanted a quick fix.

Now I can see that because of God's grace, after what seemed like an eternity, things did change. Now, I go through different challenges, but (I am writing this post to myself) I can look back and remember that if you keep doing the right thing, you will eventually see the results. Hang in there! Galations 6:9 says, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

R u having FUN?

2011-01-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

(This is Brian and me sledding at Christmas!)

Are you having FUN with your husband or wife? FUN is vital to a healthy marriage. If you are not having fun, plan something fun today!! It does not require money to laugh and have fun, but the returns are hugely valuable!!!

hearts

2011-01-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

as february approaches and people begin to think about valentines day, i have a couple verses that we are talking about at our house, verses that i want my boys to learn.

"The HEART is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9

"Create in me a clean HEART O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10

My heart is desperately wicked? Gosh, that sounds rough! It's true. Who can know it? Not even we ourselves can know our own hearts. Fortunately, God is the One who does know our hearts and He is the One who has the power to create a clean one in us and renew our spirit.

organizing stuff

2011-01-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a cool idea for organizing stuff. This is a plastic shoe holder. It can go over any door and hold a multitude of STUFF! This one is on my pantry door in my kitchen. It holds loose items like candy, taco sauce packets, individual snacks etc. I have one on my bathroom closet door as well. It holds medicine, band aids, cough syrup. The boys have "pockets" like these on their closet doors to organize all those little things that get lost in the bottom of a box or drawer. You can see it all, and you don't have to dig to find it. :)

two degree change

2011-01-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Antoine de Saint Esupery

It's a new year, and people are making new goals. As we make new goals and make NEW some of the old goals we previously made :) we have to remember to have a plan. Do a little at a time. I like what John Trent has to say. He says to change TWO DEGREES. Changing old habits is much like driving a car. A two degree turn in the steering wheel will take us in a completely new direction. Turning the steering wheel 180 degrees will probably wreck the car!

Make a little two degree change, and before you know it, you will be going in a different direction!

gifts r free

2010-12-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

I am picturing Christmas with my family! I can already smell the home cooked food coming from the kitchen, and I can practically hear the kids playing pool in the basement. The holiday hustle, suitcases, Mom's pumpkin pies and finally the gifts. I can see us already. The family has grown from six to eighteen. Lots of gifts will be given with love! I can see myself right now. Me with my checkbook. Making little donations--paybacks to all those family members who graced me with Christmas "gifts."

Now that sounds ridiculous, doesn't it. Don't worry. I am not really planning on writing checks to pay everyone back for my Christmas presents!! I guess if I did, it wouldn't be a free gift huh?

That is exactly what some people try to do to God. "Thanks God for the free gift of heaven. Thanks for dying on the cross, but it just wasn't quite enough. Somehow your blood isn't strong enough, perfect enough or sufficient enough to get me all the way to heaven, so I am just going to pay you back in little installments of being really good so that I can earn a little bit of heaven or at least hold on to it."

We can't be good enough to get to heaven. That is why Jesus paid our way when He died on the cross. You have to be perfect you know, and Jesus is the only One who is perfect. Trusting Him to get us there is the only way!!

I have heard people say that they trust Christ to get them to heaven, but if they did something really bad, they would go to hell. No way. It's either a free gift or it's not. It does not depend on what we do.

You could never be good enough to get to heaven, and you could never be bad enough to get kicked out once God has saved you! His blood is that strong!

So if we can't tell people to be good to get to heaven, how do we get people to be good? God is strong enough and able enough to do that. That is why He lives in our hearts and draws people to Himself. We live for God because we love Him. We do what is right because we want rewards that come with obedience. We please Him because we want His best for our lives and we don't want to miss out on all that He has in store for us. But we don't live for him because we fear hell, for we are held closely in the arms of the God who is mighty and able to save us and to keep us saved! Put away your checkbook. No need to write payback checks of good works. You are safe my friend! Now live for Him because you love Him.

"It is not the critic who counts."

2010-11-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

My brother became an Ironman last year in Louisville. I had the privilege of cheering him on for almost 17 hours as he swam 2 miles, biked 112 miles and then ran a full 26 mile marathon. It was one of the most inspiring things I have seen in my lifetime. People reached deeper than they ever thought they could reach to prove something they never knew they could do. We watched as a blind man crossed the finish line. We saw men and women in their 70's finish before 20 year olds. Human determination shed light on many things that day and affected my thoughts, not only on sports, but on life in general. My brother has written a book that is in the process of being published. It is about an ordinary person training for the Ironman, while managing all of the other important things in life, like being a great husband and dad. It is a book about Ironman training details and a book about determination in general. I am currently reading his manuscript and--this is coming from someone who doesn't like to read-- I am finding it hard to put down.

While reading, I came across this quote from Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."

Maybe you are in ministry and you are being criticized by those who have never done the brave thing you are doing. Take heart! "It is not the critic who counts." No one has walked the road you are walking and no one has the vision God has given to you. Do not be discouraged. Keep pressing forward.

You may have been told that you will never do great things, that you will never be loved, or that you are destined for failure as those who came before you. There is a God who says that you "can do all things through Christ" who gives you strength. Do not quit. Set your eyes on the goal and let God do His amazing work in your life! You have got what it takes.

guest writer emily morgan

2010-11-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Today I have a guest writer, one of my dear friends, Emily Morgan. Emily is wife to Tony Morgan and mother to four wonderful kids! She is a self-proclaimed minimalist, a simplifier, and mostly a follower of Christ. Here is Emily's paraphrase of Proverbs 31, as it might relate to women in 2010.

A quality woman is a found treasure and is better to have than all the world's riches and fame.
Her husband gives her freedom to be all God created her to be and has no reason to doubt her commitment.
She respects him and supports who he is through every season of life.
She seeks out modest and durable clothing for her family and keeps it current and wearable.
She fills her pantry and refrigerator with a variety of nutritious foods.
She wakes with time to prepare breakfast and plan the day's other meals and events.
She invests in time-saving tools and is able to give time to others.
She starts her day with a plan, confident in her ability to manage her household.
Her time and effort in meeting her family's needs pays eternal rewards, and she works long hours.
She creates a home where all who enter are nourished, encouraged, and feel safe.
She doesn't overextend herself in time or money and is able to give generously to those who need help.
She is prepared for whatever may come with appropriate clothing for her family, food in the pantry, and supplies on hand.
She dresses modestly and current.
She tends to, but doesn't obsess about her appearance.
Her husband is able to pursue an honest career and have influence in his community.
She spends her money wisely, buying only what she needs and having surplus for others.
She is assertive in her role as home manager and is prepared for the future because her priorities are right.
When she speaks, she exudes wisdom and encouragement.
She commands a respect.
She knows her family's business and won't succumb to time-wasters.
Her children honor and obey her.
Her husband recognizes her for all that she is.
"Many women can do great things, but I wouldn't want to do this life with anyone else."
Charm is fleeting and youthful beauty is soon replaced with wrinkles and gray hair,
But a woman who loves God and others will be admired by all.
She is being all that God created her to be.
Celebrate and imitate her life!

living things

2010-11-06T06:15:00.001-07:00

When our youngest son, Zach was in elementary school, he brought home a science paper that interested me. The title of the paper was "Living Things Grow and Change."

I knew that to be true not only in science, but in life as well. Are you growing and changing? Is your church growing and changing? Most people do not like change, but unless we are dying out, we will be growing somehow and changing as well.

emotions that dictate

2010-10-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

I will never forget the day that a lady from our church called the house to let Brian know that she thought he had lost his spiritual passion! She said that he had not teared up in a while during his messages! Another dear friend accused Brian of not being passionate enough, observing he didn't raise his hands while he was singing. Emotional people often gage their own spirituality and the spirituality of others by their outward emotions. Others wear their emotions all over themselves and subject us all to their roller coaster world. I am learning that true faith is ALLOWING GOD TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE DAY TO DAY WITHOUT EMOTIONAL HIGHS AND LOWS. Remain a steady stream of faith and godliness through the good days and the bad, while allowing God to develop a depth in your life. This Christian life is not a sprint, but rather a distance race. Emotions are a wonderful God-given thing! Just think how boring a football game would be without emotions! How would a romance thrive with no emotion? How could we relate to God without emotions? The key is keeping our emotions from dictating our choices, and not letting our emotions overtake wisdom in our lives. And for our sweet emotional friends that thought Brian was void of passion? They like others, have hopped from church to church looking for the emotional high. May those who come behind us see in us the balance of emotion that Jesus showed us in His life here on earth!

margin

2010-10-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

If we had a word of the month, this month's word would probably be MARGIN. What is margin? It is the EXTRA SPACE. When you read a book, there is a margin around each page. If there were no margin, the words would be written up to the very very end of the page, the last letter almost hanging off the end of the paper. All books need a margin; and so do we. We need extra space in our lives to move, to make choices with our time, our finances and our emotions. Too many times I feel like the words of my days are crowding against the edges of the pages in my life, and I find myself with no margin, no room to breathe.

So how can I create margin in my life, and how can I make time for relationships that I value the most? I am learning that in order to re-customize the typeset for my life's pages, I need to allocate some empty space for nothing. I can value peace by not overcommitting. Oftentimes, by going to bed earlier, we can find more margin in the beginning of our day. Dr Richard Swenson, in his book, Margin, speaks of the epidemic of stress and suggests that we can find margin in contentment, simplicity, balance and rest.

I used to pride myself in the fact that all of my words were written on all of my pages to the very end with no margin. Now, I am keenly aware that I want my life to be more than one crowded article. I want it to be a volume of well-written depth with MARGIN.

my shower chandelier

2010-09-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is the candle chandelier in my shower! A couple years ago, I spent the night at my Aunt Ginny's house. I had not been there in a long long time. When I pulled back the shower curtain, to my surprise, I saw a beautiful candle chandelier! I decided that one day I would find the perfect deal on the perfect chandelier to hang in MY shower! And I did. $36. I love getting cool ideas from other people; and most of all, I love a bargain!

valuable mentor lessons

2010-08-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

I was talking with my friend, Cindy, about mentors and women who have mentored us through the years. I have never had an official mentor and I don't think she has either. It was interesting to me that she began to tell me about some friendships she had valued and specific things she had learned from different people through the years.

Sometimes I feel a void in our society when it comes to mentoring--learning from others who are going through life with you, or are a couple steps ahead of you in life. Perhaps we are supposed to all pretend we have it altogether, as though we do not need to learn from others. In truth, we all need other people in our lives. I know I do. I have never been THIS route before.

As I listened to Cindy, I was re-affirming myself that I too had been given valuable lessons from meaningful people in my life, men and women who had taught me life lessons through their actions, whether they ever knew it or not.

Dr. Ken Beal taught me that I can just RELAX and let God live His life through me.

Peg Estes taught me to PRAY and WAIT, not to get ahead of God, but watch Him work out the details.
Peg also taught me that you can have WILD, CRAZY BOYS that do wild and crazy things and love God at the same time, and you as a mom can be cool with that :)

Jane Randlett taught me that the best thing I can do as a pastor's wife is to just BE MYSELF.

Macel Falwell taught me that in the face of criticism or popularity, joy or grief, FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, and family is where you should invest the best part of you, no matter what other people think.

I am learning from Emily Morgan that, knowing I can't be all things to all people, NATURALLY OCCURRING and guilt free friendships or ministry relationships are most impacting and real.

I am learning from watching Brian that PEOPLE NEED LEADERSHIP. You can be a strong leader and remain humble, kind and authentic, something I was not sure was possible. To not lead would be to miss out on who you were created to be.

Janet Hunt taught me that people love to receive gifts.

These are a few. What about you? Do you have mentors in your life?

fly envy

2010-08-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

Brian went skydiving! As a part of our series at West Ridge called "One Month To Live," Brian wanted to cross something off of his bucket list. It was so amazing to watch; now the boys and I want to do it!

maybe with powdered milk, and maybe not

2010-08-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

I remember my parents bringing us all into the living room. They told us we were out of money and that we needed to pray that God would come through for us. We prayed fervently with faith that if Mom and Dad said God would help us, then He would. When I was very little, I spilled the gallon of milk from the top shelf of the refrigerator and Mom cried. It was the only real milk we could afford for a long time. Because I spilled it, we had to drink powdered milk. We had discount lunches and government cheese in high school and shopped yard sales for 98% of our clothing. My parents drove the family car from the time I was in 3rd grade until I was a junior in college. Through these years, I loved life; I developed meaningful relationship skills and a faith in God that would shape my future and strengthen me at the core of my being.

How did this happen? My parents were determined to raise up leaders who would do right and love God. We had to experience for ourselves that God would take care of us, and keep His promises. We had to learn that prayer moves the heart of God and that, at all cost, pleasing Him would bring about blessings.

I remember the $100 bill wrapped around Dad's car door handle, mysteriously specific answered prayers, free "damaged" cans of food with no labels. It's sortof fun to open up cans, not knowing what you are about to eat for dinner! I remember going to McDonalds with our last $10. I remember my sister saying that she was not sure God cared about us, and the next day, all 4 of us kids were given a $500 savings bond. Twice a year the $17.50 interest checks reminded us that God would provide for our needs.

Seeing the faithfulness of God first hand in those formative years and knowing for certain that He would not fail us, proved to be instrumental in our faith as adults. When we started West Ridge Church, I had no doubt that God would provide each of our needs in His perfect timing. This journey of God's provision has shed light on past questions, however, as a parent, I have new questions. I want my boys to have an unshakable faith in God, yet we are not drinking powdered milk. My boys do not have to depend on God for daily needs like we did. So then, how will they develop a first hand faith? The answer, I am learning, is that God will allow different things in the lives of people to bring them to total dependence on Himself. Sometimes, those things are painful and out of our control. It is a challenge for us as parents to allow God to work in the lives of our kids. Sometimes I want to throw character building out the window and forget about that far away bigger picture! I would rather slap a few people on my way to rescue my boys from the difficulties that they must experience. BUT I must allow God to make Himself known to them as healer, rescuer, provider and promise keeper. While we encourage, train, love and support, God has to become THEIR GOD. He is the One who authored the manual of their lives and plans to give them a hope and a future--a future I cannot dictate--and would not want to. For He will do His best work in their lives, maybe with powdered milk, and maybe not.

can i have your attention please?

2010-08-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, we had to learn to take turns talking at the dinner table. Because there were 6 people in our family, it seemed like forever before I got to "tell" my big story for the day. When my turn finally came (drum roll), what I had to say did not seem very important. Sometimes I just wanted to say, "Forget it. It's not that funny, and it's not a big deal."

As great as my parents were, they couldn't give us each all of their attention all of the time. It's really cool to realize that we actually have all of God's attention all of the time. I catch myself thinking that He must be busy spinning the universe or something, as though He cannot multi-task! He is listening to me and thinking about me all the time. What I have to say to Him is never unimportant, even if it is no big deal. After all, talking about those silly little things is what makes us close to people. That must be one of the things that makes us closer to God--talking about life and the (drum roll) little things in our day. Glad we have His attention all the time!

time with the family :)

2010-07-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

We got to spend a little vacation time away and now we are so ready to be home! It was great to have my whole family together. My brother and his family moved back to the states from Japan! Brian and the boys and I had a little time to relax. It is hard to believe that school starts in 11 days! This weekend is the Community Makeover. 80 churches involved in the northwest Atlanta area. Tonight is the celebration where thousands of people will come together for a huge worship service. How cool that God is doing great things in so many different places!

a balancing act

2010-06-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

The month of June is baseball almost every single day. (up to 3 games in some days.) With two boys playing summer ball, i am actually running up the stairs with 20 minutes to shower and get ready for the next event. What am I learning? I am learning to not talk about anything too serious or controversial, as our emotions are hanging on a thin string right now! We are trying to make our home a safe place for each other as we are close to the finish line of several things! I am also learning why people go out and buy their 16 year-olds a car. It is because they have driven them all over the state for 16 years. Yes, I am going to be looking for an inexpensive car for Taylor to share in my taxi duties!!! And I am ready for vacation :)

thoughts on RUSH CAMP

2010-06-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 80% of people who make decisions for Christ do so before they are 18? That is why RUSH camp in unbelievably valuable!

With a group of 470, I know there were some parents and grandparents at home praying not only for safety at the beach, but for God to do something powerful in the life of their teenager. Your kids were so much on our hearts and I want you to know that we were praying with you. God showed up in an incredible way. For those of you who do not get to be a part of it, I want you to know how powerful and life-changing camp was, and is every year! Not only is it a beach trip with a ton of fun, but God is glorified and worshipped; and students are quite transparent as they process truth from God's Word in a life-altering way.

Having your kids be AWAY FROM YOU for five days is one of the most healthy things you can do for them. It causes kids to have to make decisions for themselves, wear their own sunscreen--or they sunburn :) manage their own money, think about God and MAKE HIM THEIR OWN, manage their time, develop INSTANT FRIENDSHIPS, and think for themselves. Let your kids grow up. Send them to camp!!!

don't quit!

2010-05-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

This has been a challenging year for both of my boys. Specifically sports from football to baseball have thrown numerous hurdles our way :) Zach and I were talking the other night about difficulties we face in life; and I shared with him something that I am learning. Things will rarely be fair and oftentimes, life will not go your way; but the people who become really great will somehow pull themselves up out of the crap and move forward! Do not ever ever quit. With God's grace plow ahead and do not give up. I heard a great man say that what determines a man's greatness is what it takes to discourage him. Everyone faces difficulty; but the ones who rise to the top are those who purpose to never quit.

mom

2010-05-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today, on Mothers Day, I want to list some things I really appreciate about my mom.

Mom has always been a huge supporter of my Dad and his dreams.
Although she is a school teacher, all she REALLY wanted to be was a mother, and we benefitted greatly from that!
Mom sacrificed and stayed at home with us when we were in school. For that I will be eternally grateful.
She is so dang organized that I was shocked to find out for myself how difficult motherhood actually is.
She loves to sing!! I am so glad that she finally has a huge choir to sing with.
She is a natural teacher and a very good one.
After giving birth to me, she weighed less than she did before she was pregnant. She wore her tiny clothes home from the hospital--so unfair! I most certainly did not take after her in that respect!
She has dimples, wavy hair, dark eyebrows and everyone in her family has blue eyes.
When I was growing up, I would wash the dishes and she would rinse them. She always washed the last big pot for me :)
I never ever hear her complain.
She loves to tap dance! And she loves the beach.
She and Dad aspired to raise up leaders and trained us that way.
She always did what she thought was right even if it was difficult to do.
She played with us when we were growing up and let us build tents and stores all over her living room.
I have watched her, an only child, after losing both of her parents at an early age, depend on God to fill that gap.
She can eat a serious amount of movie popcorn!
She is beautiful inside and out.
She has never thought that she deserves anything, but she deserves the world!
I love you, MOM!

creek

2010-05-02T13:39:00.001-07:00

The boys have been playing in the creek this weekend!
Yesterday they found 2 snakes, a turtle and a frog!
I love it when they get that outside time! Yea spring!

it's nice to be understood

2010-04-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

I really like to be understood. In fact, it really bothers me when I mean one thing and someone thinks I mean something else. I started thinking about it and realized that probably the most misunderstood Person is God. That makes me feel sad for Him. By misunderstood, I mean that He is so cool, and He wants to be close to us; but people misconstrue His thoughts. I think it is in our human nature to misunderstand Him and to think that He is always upset at us. Most people believe that He is rarely happy about us and that He has lots of impossible hoops for us to jump through. In truth, like any good dad or any good friend, He wants to give us the very best! I guess that's one reason that in Proverbs, He tells us to seek understanding. I bet He likes to be understood too :)

someone pays a price

2010-04-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I attended a large conference for women. The music was wonderful and just to be in a huge room with 20,000 women worshipping God was an experience in itself. I do not remember what the speakers talked about that day, but I clearly remember what I took home from that conference. I took home with me the decision that I did not desire to be one of those famous conference speakers! Before, I had thought it would be cool to speak to a ton of people and share words of wisdom with the multitudes; but after hearing what these women had been through, I had changed my mind. These famous speakers seemed to have paid a huge price for their audience. They had experienced a magnitude of loss and grief that, not only was shocking to me, but was clearly the very reason that they had so much influence and so much to share. I decided that day that I would just like to be little me, enjoying my family and taking advantage of the little opportunities of influence God brought my way, for I do not desire the tragic road to fame.

With all glory being given to God, we know that anything good is a gift from Him. Any success is because of grace, and not because of anyone's skill or influence. However, with that in mind, I have come to understand that when you see something that is great, successful or influential, you can know that someone has paid a price for it. If a family is close, and everyone in that family loves God and has successful marriages, someone has sacrificed for that to happen. If a business is growing and multiplying, someone has paid a price for its success.

The road to influence is a costly road. The pathway to success is lined with unadvertised hardship. The blessing of it all is that, when God calls us to go down a path, He is the One who gives us grace to endure the difficulties and the peace to enjoy the blessings. He alone knows where the roads of our lives will lead, but we can be at rest in His will, focusing on the path He has laid out for us!

meeting Truett Cathy

2010-03-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had the incredible opportunity to meet Truett Cathy, the 89 year-old founder of ChicFil-A. As their company used our church building for a conference for their team leaders, we had the pleasure of gleaning a piece of wisdom from this very humble, yet successful business man. ChicFil-A serves chicken to 37 states in 1500 restaurants. Here are some quotes from Truett Cathy:

"Courtesy is very cheap, but it pays great dividends."

"Sometimes success is disguised as hard work."

"If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it."

"Have a lot of 'want to.' I believe you can do anything if you want to."

"If you will help enough people get what they want out of life, you will wind up getting what you want out of life."

"Listen when your children are ready to talk, not when you are ready to talk."

He said he was planning on living to be 100 years old because "very few people die after 100 years old." :)

"Protect your name." Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches."

"Time is the most valuable gift you can give someone."

buffalo's

2010-03-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Zach's baseball team filmed a commercial for Buffalo's Southwest Cafe. The commercial should air locally before each Braves game! For being in the commercial, all of the players got an all-u-can-eat buffet and a $25 gift card. So, last night, Zach took us to dinner!!

fels-naptha!!!

2010-03-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

oh my gosh! i am so excited about a stain remover! that is very sad, isn't it!? ok, i am the worst stain remover ever. when my boys were little and i couldn't get a stain out of their clothes, i just threw them away. now they both play baseball, and guess what color their baseball pants are? white :) i have tried everything, but this week, some baseball moms recommended FELS-NAPTHA. it is a 100 year old bar of soap that you find in the laundry aisle and rub on stains. wet the clothes first. rub lots of the soap bar on the stain and wash! i really wish i had a before and after picture. it was amazing!

tulips

2010-03-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

The tulips I planted are just peeking out! Yea!!
Come on, springtime, do your thing :)

forgiveness in light of ignorance

2010-03-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people hurt us with things they say or do. Sometimes those people do not know the whole story, and they probably never will. How can we forgive people when they throw us under the bus? When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He asked the Heavenly Father to forgive those people that were killing him because they didn't know what they were doing. They did not know the whole story, yet Jesus forgave them.

There will always be ignorant people. Some ignorant people are vendictive and some of them are just sweetly ignorant. Nevertheless, even though it is difficult, we can choose to forgive them. Why? Because God is a forgiver, and we want to be like He is.

powdered doughnuts

2010-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

i'm sure you are familiar with the love languages. different things make certain people feel very much loved. well, i would like to add my own love language--the way i feel loved by God. it's called "God hears my prayers and lets me find great bargains!" cute :) really, i'm not kidding. here is an example:

tonight we are having about 60 kids over for our weekly high school journey group (that's another blog post!) i still have some snacks to cover, and so i prayed SPECIFICALLY as i walked into this little discount bakery store, and the first thing i saw was two huge carts of powdered doughnuts in bags for $1. then i went to kroger and found 2 liter pepsi for $1. you may think this is a coincidence, but it's not. i know that i prayed and i know that God heard me and answered my prayer. sometimes when i feel like He is far away, i remember that he cares about even those little things that really matter to me. He doesn't just care about my soul. He cares about me and my day. that's my personal love language!

free sample massage

2010-02-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

A Chinese lady grabbed me a few days ago in the middle of the mall and literally dragged me to her massage chair for what she called a "free sample" massage. It was so amazing that Brian bought me the 10 minute massage. Before we knew it, all four of us had enjoyed mini massages in the middle of the mall. The boys thought that was the best thing ever! The next time you are shopping and walking carefree, beware of the free samples!

i read a new phrase today:

2010-02-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

FAITH MAKES THINGS POSSIBLE........NOT EASY.

i don't want to share my stickers

2010-02-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Brian had the incredible opportunity to meet the little girl that we sponsor with Compassion International. Of all the amazing things going on in Burkina Faso, meeting Fatimata has been one of the many highlights of his trip! Before Brian left, I went to Target and got Fatimata some really cool stuff. It is like God just let me find tremendous bargains on little shirts and toys for a dollar or two. Because Fatimata has a twin sister, I bought some things in two's so she could share. I specifically bought a big page of tiny stickers and told Brian that these were for Fatimata to share with all the other Compassion girls.

I received a text from Brian when he met Fatimata. He put a sticker on her arm and on her sister's arm. The text said, "Fatimata is not very excited about sharing her stickers."

Isn't that funny?! What Fatimata didn't know at the time, was that she had been given a great blow-her-mind package that was far better than the little stickers she was hoarding! Sometimes we are like that, aren't we?! Tightly clutching what we think we own, when God, in His graciousness, has so much more for us that we have just not yet seen. I want to be gracious because God is gracious, and I want Fatimata to understand His grace and the joy of receiving and giving!!

happy times :)

2010-01-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

I heard about a survey of people who were really sad or depressed. Although TV, food and alcohol seemed to help some people a little, guess what lifted peoples' spirits the most? Looking at their own family picture albums of all the fun things they had done together. :) Cool huh?

new series at wrc

2010-01-08T09:43:00.001-08:00

Brian is starting a new series on relationships Sunday at West Ridge. It is called the Naked Truth.
We are deeply burdened for marriages, and have never before seen such devastation in families.
This is not only true for West Ridge; but all over our country there is a sweeping epidemic of relationship
problems, many of them leading to affairs. It is our hope that families can become healthy in 2010!
You can view the series each week at westridge.com.

great verse

2010-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

my mom emailed me this verse. i love it:

"..pray hard and long. pray for your brothers and sisters. keep your eyes open.
keep each others' spirits up so that no one falls behind."
ephesians 6:18 (the message)

coin jar

2010-01-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, I got a glass jar and made a little sign and wrote "Melting Pot" on it. I thought it would be fun to save our change and go as a family to the Melting Pot restaurant. It is a fondue experience, a little pricey, but would make for a good family memory. So we filled the jar up two times and went! Now we are filling up the jar for our next cool restaurant :)

happy new year!

2010-01-01T18:25:00.001-08:00

2010. Will you call it two thousand ten or twenty ten? I'm thinking twenty ten.

Hope it's a good one for you!

a little Christmas vacation honesty

2009-12-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-22T14:14:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-09-02T08:10:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-08-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

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

Lyin' about food and lion food

2009-08-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-06-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

freaky dream

2009-06-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-16T04:18:00.000-07:00

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 :)

2009-05-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

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.