My husband and I have been married over 18 years, dated over 19. I can honestly say that in the entire 19 years I have never been with anyone but him. I haven't even fantasized about anyone else. Yes me, a pentacostal pastor's wife said fantasized... 
Whatever state you are in…
This year I have accused Christeonnah (11) of trying to get a medical degree vicariously. Why? She has had too many ailments! Ok here is the list;
The thing about it is through it all, with all that has gone on, she is still always, always, almost without exception, in a good mood. She is the epitome of Philippians 4:12
I have learned to be content, no matter what the situation.
Scarlet O’Hara Theology?
Recently something was bothering me, a problem, after all, I have a lot going on. I was soooo tempted to be all wrapped up in my problem. But I remembered “If you’re gonna pray don’t worry, if you’re gonna worry, don’t pray.” I was trying to follow my own advice, but like a bad dream, over and over, it kept coming up in my mind. I kept pushing it away, and suddenly I realized what I was doing, I was pulling a Scarlet. Have you ever seen Gone With The Wind? It used to bug me to death how Scarlet always said “I can’t think about this right now… I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Aggghhh I couldn’t stand it! Face reality Scarlet, it is what it is. Well when this problem kept coming up over and over, I kept pushing it away, and thinking “I can’t think about it right now.” And I realized, there is something to this Scarlet Theology. After all, God said
So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34
Do Deer Have to Use the Bathroom In the Middle of the Night?
The other night, I had to get up in the middle of the night to use the rest room. Yes there is a point to this story, on my way back to bed, I saw something laying on the floor. It looked hard enough to injure me in the dark, but my first thought was. Well I know I would never leave something hard on the floor. I know better, I know I will have to get up several times a night to use the restroom, and I know I don’t want to turn the light on, so I would NEVER leave something in the way to stub my toe, I am allergic to pain. The point of the story was, my first reaction, the first thing that came to mind, which I actually said out loud, was “Well I know it isn’t something hard, I’d never do that to myself.” In spite of the fact that all the senses I had to rely in at the moment were warning me that there was something hard on the floor to stump my toe, I knew me better than that and knew I would never harm myself.
How well do we know God, when all of our senses are telling us things are falling down around us, do we realize that He will never let us fall. He makes our feet like a deer that can walk over mountainous crags and not loose our footing. Although I am not sure deer have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bath room.
The LORD Almighty is my strength. He makes my feet like those of a deer. He makes me walk on the mountains.
Habakkuk 3:19
God Throws Water Balloons?
The other day I was walking across campus to class. I wasn’t bothering anyone; I was minding my own business, thinking about all I had to do. I was probably too deep into my own thoughts, trying to solve my problems by myself.
I had homework due, and with home-schooling 2 of my kids, and 2 in public school, a lot on my mind.
So here I am minding my own business, in my own little world, worried about the cares of life, and suddenly my head is soaked.
Really, I am telling you the truth; it felt like a huge water balloon dropped on my head.
Apparently it had rained the night before, and a squirrel jumped from one tree to another causing it to “rain” on me. It startled me, but it made me laugh, and made me realize that there are better things to do than worry about what is going on in my life, God can handle it. Proverbs 17:22 says,
A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength
So don’t take your self too seriously, or God will have to throw a water balloon at you like He did me.
Nana Minion
Of my four kids, the oldest, Matt (12) and the youngest Juliannah (6) have very similar personalities, and get along well. They could be twins if not for the age and sex difference. The same thing is true of my two middle children, Christeonnah (11) often called Nana (Non-nah), and Tymothie (8) are definitely cut from the same cloth. It is almost to the point of the little ones worshiping the big ones. As a matter of fact, Matt got mad at Tymothie, the other day, and the best insult he could come up with is to call him a “Nana Minion.”
He wasn’t far from wrong; a minion is a servile or slavish follower of somebody generally regarded as important. Tymothie definitely thinks Nana is someone important.
We can only hope to be accused of being a Christ Minion.
Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.
John 12:26
Stitch Rippers.
Any of you sew? Got a Grandmother that sews? Have you ever seen a Stitch Ripper? It is a sharp pokey thing with a small razor blade in it that you can use in sewing to rip out seams if you have sewn them wrong, or just changed your mind. Recently I have felt like someone has been using one on me. Lately I have had a lot of things going on. Let me name a few:
· Trying to start my own photography business
· Attending college to get a Psychology degree
· Trying to get a book published
· Home schooling my two oldest kids…(12 & 11)
· My two youngest in public school
· My boys in Wrestling
· All four of them in Junior Bible Quiz (shameless plug)
· My husband working 2 jobs, so I am almost a single mom
Stress stress every where, and not a place to hide! Sometimes I feel like I am being ripped apart at the seams. Then, I realized, I am being ripped apart at the seams, but it is ok, God will sew me back together and probably let some bad stuff fall out in the process! After all, Psalms 139:5 says “You hem me in, behind and before….”
Satan is such a goof ball!!!!
I recently embarked on a huge adventure for me. I committed to fast part of my day for 47 days.
Now you have to understand, I could NEVER be mistaken for an anorexic, I love my food. This was not an easy commitment for me, but I felt it was an important step in my growth with God.
Three days into my fast, satan started throwing everything including the kitchen sink at me.
A mysterious charge appeared on my checking account, and the company listed, “no longer exists”. Our bank can reverse it, but it will take 10 days. In the mean time, we racked up a couple of hundred dollars in overdraft fees.
I delivered some food for my church and nearly ran out of gas. We are out of sugar, bread, butter, even out of trash bags!
Q’s steel toe boots bit my little toe. You should see it, it turned all kinds of pretty red, black and purple colors. Then his tool box reached out and bit me. On top of all that, I fell off a stoop, not even a stair, a little 5 in step, and bruised my bottom.
However, God blessed us with a full tank of gas that we didn’t have to pay for, and our church was kind enough to give us the money to fix our checking account.
I have a few war wounds, but nothing permanent. Has it affected my commitment to fast? You bet it has; now I am more determined than ever, because satan is a goofball. He can throw everything he wants to at me I’ll never give up on God!
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
Romans 8:38-39
Make God Smile
My daughter Nana (12) woke me up last night at about 2 am with tummy troubles. So I had to get up and get her some medicine. My bedroom opens straight in to the living room, so as I walked from my room through the living room to the kitchen to attend to the Nana, I smelled something. Suddenly I realized I was smiling, without me even thinking about it.
You must understand I don’t usually deal very well with getting woken up. If I am awakened for no reason, I can be an absolute bear (the kids often refer to me as Grizella at those times). This at least was a good reason; I don’t want my Precious Nana feeling bad. However, for me to actually smile when I have been awoken at 2 am is very unusual.
Once I smiled I became curious as to what had brought about this strange phenomenon. Then I recognized the smell of vanilla, and remembered that earlier that day I had bought one of those plug in air fresheners and as I smiled I had just passed the spot where it was plugged in. I must have caught a pleasant whiff of vanilla
That reminds me of the verse in Ephesians 5:2 “Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.” That says our praise is as a sweet, soothing aroma to God I bet it makes him smile!
