It's The Middle Of August!

And I am growing endeared to these little guys!

Even though they startle me when they come right up next to me. They are noisy little fliersI thought I had lost one of my ferns to our Spring's deep freeze
Only to discover today that there is life! Good thing I didn't dig it up!
Today I also discovered this guy is living in the water holding tank of my pot!
My wisteria is blooming...in spite of what the deep freeze did to it earlier!
Ohhhhh, soooo cute!
I haven't been able to get a picture of the ruby throated one yet.

Stop and Smell the Roses...

OR WATCH THE HUMMINGBIRDS!

Early this spring I ordered a hummingbird garden. I posted those plants all around my back yard so that I could attract hummingbirds all over the back yard. I have been complaining that now that I have a hummingbird garden I don't even get hummingbirds! Yesterday as I was watering the plants I screamed as something big was about to land on my face! BIG? Well a hummingbird is big when it is "in your face"!!!!!! As I continued watering I got to thinking about the fact that Gary has built so many gardens for me that I spend more time working them than sitting back and enjoying them. I determined this morning that I would sit back and watch and see if indeed I have attracted hummingbirds. Oh yes!!!!! You cannot imagine the delight I experienced this morning as I sat and watched many hummingbirds going from one flower to the next. Butterflies, bigger than the hummingbirds intimidating the birds! What attracts hummingbirds attracts bees as well. I saw so many different kind of bees. Some actually competing with the birds!

As you can imagine I was in a state of great delight! While in that "intoxicated" state I heard from Father.

He said, "Joyce, did you know that my delight when you come into My presence is even more than what you are experiencing now with the birds & butterflies and bees?"

Oh folks...He delights in us and we just keep being busy with all the "important" things that keep us from coming into His presence.

I'm in love with God....God's In Love with me!

The Power of Children's Ministries

As noted in my last post I received recognition at camp for retiring after 21 years. Something has stayed on my mind that I just have to post about. The work I have done at camp the last few years has pretty much kept me as an unknown among the children. As Pastor M announced my retirement she had a few good words to say about me and I had a few tears. What happened afterwards with the 3rd and 4th graders has left me thinking!!!!! Probably a good 50 to 75 kids ran up to hug me. It was very interesting to note the desperateness some had to comfort me. One boy even gave me his last two tickets to the snack shack! Of course he had no idea that I am the one who buys the roll of tickets and I can go into the snack shack without tickets and get whatever I want!!!!!
It was interesting to note the desperateness some had to be touched by the new hero. What I mean by that is this. The few words Pastor M had to say....my tears....my few words changed the whole dynamics of who I was at camp!!!!!! Even the following day the kids had a need to comfort me or receive a touch from me.
What has stayed on my mind is how easily their little minds can be molded at that age. Oh, how careful we must be!!!!! We must choose our words wisely as we build up people in their lives. We must be careful to not have negative things to say about people who deserve their respect.
I have worked in children's ministries for years but have stepped out of direct work and had forgotten that we can easily mold their heroes for them. So many of them have fake heroes. Let's find the godly men and women in our lives and help shape our children by giving them as their heroes!!!!!!

My Treasures

You might think that the quilt is my treasure with the title and picture....but that is not so!

The quilt REPRESENTS some treasures in my life.

Last night my friends at camp threw a surprise party for me because I have retired from camp after 21 years of wonderful times. This was their gift to me.

The memories, the friendships, the prayer times, the laughter, the joy of watching so many children coming to know Jesus Christ will all be brought back to my mind over and over as I make and remake my bed with this lovely quilt.

I thank God for this journey I have been through with these wonderful treasures in my life!

Abiding In Christ (long...but good stuff)

I downloaded these notes this morning...sure wish I would have heard the sermon! I might go to IHOP and see if I can purchase the CD. There are some powerful statements here.

Then tonight I was reading I Samuel and chapters 13 -15 sure do show what obedience and disobedience do to a person in relationship to God. We often hear the story of David and Goliath. Amazing story...but that was one to one. Jonathan and his armor bearer go against "3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!" with the mindset of, "Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" ...And God honored that!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!

Abiding in Christ: Releasing the Kingdom on Earth
I. foundational premise of the Kingdom: voluntary love (relationship)
A. God desires to release His heavenly power (power of the age-to-come) into the earthly realm.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Mt. 6:10)

4 Those who…have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come… (Heb. 6:4-5)
B. In Gen. 1, God manifested His power without using us. After He created Adam and Eve, He determined to only manifest His power through relationship with His people. He longs to share His life with His family, thus He runs His Kingdom and releases His power through them.
C. The Father has chosen to release the Presence and power of the Spirit in us and through us in direct proportion to how much we live in relationship with Him by dialoging and agreeing with His heart. He will not violate our free will by forcing us to live in relationship with Him.
D. The Holy Spirit continues to draw close to us only as we deliberately draw close to Him by asking for His help and obeying His leadership.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (Jas. 4:8)
E. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit will stop growing if we intentionally neglect His leadership in any area of our life. He stops talking to us and imparting more to us when we stop agreeing with His leadership. He will not force us to relate to Him in love.
3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write to you that your joy may be full…7 If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus…cleanses us from all sin. (1 Jn. 1:3-7)
F. God withholds blessing that He intends to give us until we interact with Him in relationship. Pressure, pain and spiritual barrenness are meant to cause us to arise out of our passivity to more deeply relate to Him by calling out to Him. Asking the Lord for help is invasive.
2 You…covet and cannot obtain…Yet you do not have because you do not ask… (Jas. 4:2)
G. In Jn. 14-15, Jesus summed up the main principles of how God runs His Kingdom. Jesus promised to manifest His presence to those (v. 21, 23) who dialog with or ask God (v. 13-14) and who agree with the Spirit’s leadership or keep God’s commandments (v. 15, 21, 23).
13 Whatever you ask (persistently) in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything (for our heart and circumstances) in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, keep My commandments…21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him… 23 If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (Jn. 14:13-23)
H. The Father loves everyone in the sense of valuing and caring for them. However, He only loves the lifestyle, choices and fruit of those who pursue Him with the intention of 100-fold obedience.
I. Whatever increases our activate dialog (prayer) and agreement with God’s heart (obedience) results in a greater release of God’s Presence and power in our lives. This is the essence of wisdom. Whatever decreases this dialog and agreement diminishes our experience of God’s Presence and power in our lives. This is the essence of folly. It is worth any price that we must pay to cultivate greater dialog and agreement with God’s heart.
J. Abiding in Christ refers to our dialog and agreement with God’s heart. It results in a greater release of God’s Presence and power in our lives. This is the simple yet prevailing condition for how God’s Kingdom is manifest into the earthly realm in this age and in the age-to-come.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing...7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (Jn. 15:4-7)
K. Fruit refers both to godliness in having a vibrant heart in God (Rom. 6:22; 7:4-5; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9; Heb. 12:11; 13:15; Jas. 3:18) and to being a vessel that God releases His presence through in ministry to others (Jn. 4:36; Rom. 1:13; 15:28; Phil. 1:22; Col. 1:5-6).
L. Abiding in Christ is a concept that is so simple that anyone can understand and do it but it is so simple that few do. Scripture validates the wisdom of a lifestyle of abiding in Christ.
27 God has chosen the (so called) foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and…the (so called) weak things of the world to put to shame the… mighty… (1 Cor. 1:27)
M. Satan’s priority against us is to lead us astray from cultivating a responsive heart of devotion.

Cultivating a responsive heart of extravagant devotion to Jesus takes time and effort. It does not automatically grow. Rather it automatically diminishes unless we cultivate it.
3 I am afraid, lest as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2 Cor 11:3, NAS)
N. There are three main components necessary for the Word to abide or live in us. First, we choose to pursue God with a loving obedience. Second, we regularly feed our heart on the Word. Third, we need the activity of the Spirit to turn our meditation into living revelation so that it delivers us from sinful desires. We do this best as we fellowship with the Spirit (by talking to Him).

Summary:

we obey God, feed on the Word and talk to the Spirit.

Nice to Have Jonathan Home

But I sure miss him already!

I Want A Lot of Things

I spend my days thinking about what I want and my hours trying to get what I want. That may sound completely self-involved, but think about your own days and hours. We want food and we go get it. We want coffee and there's a Starbucks every 1.2 miles. We want sleep, we take a nap. We want to talk, we flip open our cell phones or hop on the computer. We want to express ourselves, so we laugh and cry and get angry and become sad.

What about need?

What exactly is the line between our need and our want?
Fortunately, there isn't always a line. We need food, we need sleep, we need to talk and hang out, we need to express ourselves. We may not need those $60 jeans, but we do need clothes in some form. Still we are mostly a desire-driven generation, and many of our desires spring out of a desperateness to connect with something, anything-for the connection that will stop the ache.
This can lead us down some dangerous paths. Yet the question rears its head, how are we to view our desire-driven, thirsty selves?
Is it all just selfishness and greed locked in a perpetual and fruitless chase, or is it possible that we were made like this by a Creator who is also driven by desire? I'm inclined to believe the latter. I cannot fathom that all my needs and wants have everything to do with little ole me. Surely my desire to connect with something greater is rooted and founded in God. Despite all of the stuff I try to obtain to fill myself up, I really just want one thing:

TO CONNECT.

I need connection with people, and this is such an integral part of living, but underneath all other connections lies that for which we were made:

to know God and be known by Him.

That's the longing that nothing else seems to satisfy. I want to connect with something outside of myself, something that is bigger and better than any other human being.
We all do. I spend a great deal of energy making my life revolve around me, but I really don't want the world to exist for me. Chasing myself around never satisfies and it is exhausting. In tracing the path of my pursuit through brambles and thorns, I find the roots of my desire:

***God***

At the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, there He is. I want connection; therefore, what I really want is God. All of my desires are shadows and types of my desire for Him. All the hunger pangs I experience that stubbornly refuse to be filled with the world serve to show me that God alone is all-satisfying. He wants to use all of my desire and thirsting to push me toward Him, to lead me to the One Who alone satisfies.

Here's where the story gets a little crazy-

God wants connection too.

Since the beginning of time and before, God has desired connection He desired a creation and so He created one. He desired a relationship with His creatures and so He forged one. He desired to be with us forever and so He sent Christ. The Psalms tell us He does as He pleases in the heavens and earth and in all deeps and it pleases Him to be connected with us. Because we are made in His image, we too are creatures of desire who long to connect. Connections of all sorts and shapes exist. We were ultimately made to connect with God Himself, the Holy One-the profane and the sacred become one in His economy.

I often wonder why a sovereign God wants a connection to such ones as you and me. The answer is so simple but so stupefying that it sends my mind spinning.

He Loves Us!

This reality is difficult for us to accept. Even as I type it out, I am shaking my head and thinking, You must be joking! That's just preposterous. I am a flawed, finite being trying to embrace a perfect, infinite Love. Thankful, even though I struggle to believe it, that doesn't change the truth: He loves me just as I am. It is the outrageous, unmatchable love of God that loves creatures such as me. I can't even begin to comprehend the love He has toward us-but I've experienced it, and I'm changed forever. It's perplexing. He loves because He loves. It pleases Him to love me. This is the foundation of connection-He loves us; therefore He stops at nothing, not the cross not death not even our own humanity, to connect with us forever.

This longing for connection is divinely natural.

Is is the cry of the eternity in our heart that Solomon speaks about in Ecclesiastes. So what's my problem? Why do I run to everything and everyone and not to Him? Well the fact is , I am human and I am driven by (controlled by and obsessed with is more accurate) my five senses. I ignore the "Divine Whisper" because it's just too mysterious, too unknown. So I try to be fulfilled with things I can see and hear and taste here and now.

Daily, my flesh proves to be my worst enemy! Despite my willing acknowledgement that my desires can and will only be met and fulfilled through intimacy and connectedness with Christ, sin has left a stain upon me that is hard to fight. The tale of running after other things to satiate us is as old as Adam and Eve. My desires take me on many paths-some seemingly harmless, some not-so-seemingly harmless. Some are benign and even good in and of themselves, but I often use them to fill up what only He can fill up and that leads me further and further from the divine connection I need.

If you dig deeper, past any undesirable behavior, you can see the longing-you can even hear it. Looking past my own efforts and strivings, I recognize the root. These behaviors aren't really the problem; they are only a result and a ramification of the problem. The problem is the fount from which they spring; a famished heart. Me desires are crying out for satisfaction and I convince myself that these other things will fill. We all do it. Shouldn't we know better by now? You'd think so, but I never cease to become a completely forgetful imbecile at least a few times a day. While wrestling with a certain temptation or a besetting sin, taking a step back for some perspective reveals the same thing every time.

Why do I want to run to this thing, this idol" Because I'm hungry for connection. I'm desperate and starving. So what do I do? There is a feast fit for a princess spread on the table above me, and here I am licking up the dirt on the floor! I'm hugging the toilet because I can't imagine He wants to set me upon a throne of jewels! Call the dirt and the toilet what you will. I can glamorize it and make it pretty by adding a little pink bow, but is is still the same thing as it always was: a cheap substitute for immeasurable riches. Each moment is a wrestling match between my flesh and spirit: to connect with stuff in the world or to connect with God.

Some times are easier than others, as we can all attest. But in the dark moments, I will let the howling of my heart show me the pieces of eternity that He has placed within me.

I will let it teach me that I was made for another world and for a connection that surpasses any earthly experience.

He has been pursuing me through my desires since before I was born. He has loved me forever and He is drawing me, with every bit of my humanity, with His unfailing love, to connection-to an intimate relationship with Him.

As I listen to the groaning of creation for its Creator, heard in every alley and every bar and every church and every home and every heart, I will hope. For every human cry, there is an answer. Hunger was not created for the sake of being hungry, but for the sake of the experience of being filled with what is good. I don't know much, but I do know this; those who hunger and thirst will be satisfied.

Ashley Herring

Smile!

It Just Makes You Smile! :?)

JESUS IS AWESOME!

He is the First and Last,

The Beginning and the End!

He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!

He is the Architect of the universe and the manager of all times.

He always was, He always is, and He always will be...

Unmoved,

Unchanged,

Undefeated,

And never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!

He was pierced and eased pain!

He was persecuted and brought freedom!

He was dead and brought life!

He is risen and brings power!

He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can't understand Him,

The armies can't defeat Him,

The schools can't explain Him,

And the leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him,

The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him,

And the people couldn't hold Him!

Nero couldn't crush Him,

Hitler couldn't silence Him,

The New Age can't replace Him, and Donahue can't explain Him away!

He is light,

Love,

Longevity,

And Lord.

He is goodness,

Kindness,

Gentleness,

And God

He is Holy,

Righteous,

Mighty,

Powerful,

And Pure.

His ways are right,

His word is eternal,

His will is unchanging,

And His mind is on me.

He is my Redeemer,

He is my Savior,

He is my guide, and

He is my peace!

He is my Joy,

He is my comfort,

He is my Lord, and

He rules my life!

I serve Him because

His bond is love,

His burden is light,

And His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is

The wisdom of the wise,

The power of the powerful,

The ancient of days,

The ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders,

The overeer and the overcomer,

And the sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you,

Try this for size.

His goal is a relationship with ME!

He will never leave me,

Never forsake me,

Never mislead me,

Never forget me,

Never overlook me,

And never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!

When I fail, He forgives!

When I am weak, He is strong!

When I am lost, He is the way!

When I am afraid, He is my courage!

When I stumble, He steadies me!

When I am hurt, He heals me!

When I am broken, He mends me!

When I am blind, He leads me!

When I am hungry, He feeds me!

When I face trials, He is with me!

When I face persecution, He shields me!

When I face problems, He comforts me!

When I face loss, He provides for me!

When I face death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody, everywhere,

Every time and every way.

HE IS GOD!

He is faithful.

I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in Heaven can whip the father of the world.

So, if you are wondering why I feel so secure,

understand this...

HE SAID IT AND THAT SETTLES IT!

God is in control,

I am on His side,

Ant that means all is well with my soul!

Everyday is a blessing for

GOD IS!!!!!!

(I received this in an e-mail years ago. I do not know who authored it.)

Jesus

Jesus!
He is enduringly strong. He is entirely sincere. He is eternally steadfast. He is immortally gracious. He is imperially powerful. He is impartially merciful. He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe.

He is God’s Son. He is the sinner’s Savior. He is the captive’s Ransom. He is the Breath of Life. He is the centerpiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself.
He is august and He is unique. He is unparalleled and He is unprecedented. He is undisputed and He is undefiled. He is unsurpassed and He is unshakable.
He is the lofty idea in philosophy. He is the highest personality in psychology. He is the supreme subject in literature. He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism. He is the fundamental doctrine of theology. He is the Cornerstone, the Capstone, and the stumbling Stone of all religion. He is the miracle of the ages.
He discharges the debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. He beautifies the meek.
He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway to deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway to righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness.
He supplies strength to the weary. He increases power to the faint. He offers escape to the tempted.
He sympathizes with the hurting. He saves the hopeless. He shields the helpless. He sustains the homeless.
He gives purpose to the aimless. He gives reason to the meaningless. He gives fulfillment to our emptiness. He gives light in the darkness. He gives comfort in our loneliness. He gives fruit in our barrenness. He gives heaven to the hopeless. He gives life to the lifeless!
He guards the young. He seeks the stray. He finds the lost. He guides the faithful. He rights the wronged. He avenges the abused. He defends the weak. He comforts the oppressed. He welcomes the prodigal. He heals the sick. He cleanses the dirty. He beautifies the barren. He restores the failure. He mends the broken. He blesses the poor. He fills the empty. He clothes the naked. He satisfies the hungry. He elevates the humble. He forgives the sinner. He raises the dead!
His office is manifold, and His promise is sure. His life is matchless, and His goodness is limitless. His mercy is enough, and His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
He is indestructible. He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is inescapable. He is invincible, He is irresistible. He is irrefutable.
I can’t get Him out of my mind… And I can’t get Him out of my heart. I can’t outlive Him… and I cant live without Him.
The Pharisees couldn't stand Him but found they couldn't stop Him. Satan tried to tempt Him but found he couldn't trip Him. Pilot examined Him on trial but found he couldn't fault Him. The Romans crucified Him but found they couldn't take His life. Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him.
He had no predecessor, and He will have no successor. He is the Lion, and He is the Lamb. He is God, and He is Man.
He is the seven-way King: He is the King of the Jews…that’s a racial King. He is the King of Israel…that’s a national King. He is the King of righteousness…that’s a moral King. He is the King of ages…that’s an eternal King. He is the King of heaven…that’s a universal King. He is the King of glory…that’s a celestial King.
HE IS THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!
HE IS ALIVE! JESUS IS ALIVE! JESUS IS ALIVE IN MY HEART! I PRAY THAT HE IS ALIVE IN YOU!

Anne Graham Lotz

Pictures

Little Surfer

Gary started taking pictures yesterday for the church directory. I love this picture of Mom and Dad. They sure don't look like they are 89 and 94!
That is what good living does for you!!!!

He is so cute

A Dear Friend in Need of Prayer Support

I received a phone call from Mark Brizendine on Tuesday evening. He was on his way to his Mother's house to tell her that her son had just drowned. Mark and Barbara and the rest of the family are devastated in the loss of this young 19 year old. Mark was very close to his younger brother having functioned more like his dad. Please join me in praying for this family as they go through the visitation this evening and the funeral tomorrow afternoon.

More California Pics

I think I found my favorite coffee shop! OperaAt Balboa Park
Amongst the plants
I love this man!
They seem so happy!

What do you think? Was I enjoying my kids or what

These boys have no idea how to really use those chop sticks!
Gary actually caused his nose to bleed!
Sandy buzzed Gary's hair! He actually let her do it!!!!!
Awww...he had been crying!
Isn't he just the cutest?!?!?!

:?)

Great Family Trip

We all got our turns with Zion!Jonathan and Zion enjoyed getting acquainted
It was soooo good to see our kids again
Gary and I went for a walk in a park in LA
then went to eat at Fiesta Mexicana and were pleasantly surprised by a very good Mariachi band!
We enjoyed eating out with the kids...we do both look happy!
We had fun and silly times on the downtown streets of San Diego
I loved watching Jeremy and Tricia in the role of parenting
We spent several hours on the beach for Father's Day. Yep, I did not use sunscreen and yep, I am burned! The three boys spent quite some time playing Frisbee!

They all had fun in the water!

We went on a strange hike!
And spent quite a bit of time in Balboa Park
It was a delight to watch the boys making this an unforgettable Father's Day. It means so much to see my husband thoroughly enjoy our sons.

Do You Know Me? Do I know you!!!!!!

Do I know you?
OK, I did answer all these questions for a friend who posted it on the bulletins (on my MySpace)...so, if someone else decides to do that, I have the answers here from me....not answering all those again!

YOU'RE ON MY FRIENDS LIST, I WANNA KNOW YOU...I want to know 34 things about you. I don't care if we never talk, like each other, or if we already know everything about each other. Short and sweet is fine...You're on my list, so I wanna know you better! =)
JUST HIT REPLY TO SEND DIRECTLY TO ME IN A MESSAGE THEN, REPOST THE EMPTY QUESTIONS AS A BULLETIN.=============================================
1.)Q. Can you cook?1.)sorta
2.)Q. What was your dream growing up?2.)That I could fly
3.)Q. What talent do you wish you had?3.)I guess I am stumped! Yea! When you get past 50 you become satisfied with who you are I guess!
4.)Q. If I bought you a drink what would it be?4.)Coffee
5.)Q. Favorite vegetable?5.)Avocado o that is a fruit...um, squash family
6.)Q. What was the last book you read?6.)After God's Own Heart by Mark Bickle Great book
7.)Q. What zodiac sign are you ?7.)I Refuse to answer that one! I am not an astrology practioner
8.)Q. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?8.)Pierced ears...no tattoos. My Bryan invented his own tatoo gun and there are several people in Lees Summit with tattoos from Bryan!
9.)Q. Worst Habit?9.)Procrastination
10.)Q. If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?10.)Depends if you look like you are out for a workout I would say go for it!
11.)Q. What is your favorite sport?11.)I am not sports oriented..but I used to be very good at volleyball
12.)Q. Negative or Optimistic attitude?12.)I am optimistic
13.)Q. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?13.)We would find a lot to talk about!
14.)Q. Worst thing to ever happen to you?14.)When my Bryan got killed!
15.)Q. Tell me one weird fact about you:15.)I am wierd and proud of it!!!!! :?)
16.)Q. Do you have any pets?16.)Not anymore! We had cats and dogs for 17 years now Gary gets his way! I did have many unique pets growing up...iguana, ducks, goats,turkey,coatemunde, macaws, alligators, turtles....
17.)Q. What if i showed up at your house unexpectedly?17.)Ohhh, you would be welcome, but I would be embarassed at the moment! Between the hours and hours of camp stuff and being down after surgery my house is a big mess....I really have no business answering these questions...;but they are fun! :?)
18.)Q. What was your first impression of me?18.)Sweet little girl
19.)Q. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?19.)cute
20.)Q. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be???20.) I wish God would just give me some teeth! :?)
21.)Q. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?21.)what do you think?
22.)Q. What color eyes do you have?22.)Should be blue but seem to be more hazel
23.)Q. Ever been arrested?23.)Nope
24.)Q. Bottle or Draft?24.)Only tried an alcholic beverage Once in my life...don't think I will do that again!
25.)Q. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?25.)Use it to sponsor Jonathan as he prepares for the Olympics.
26.)Q. Would you date me?26.)Uh...No!
27.)Q. What 's your favorite bar to hang at?27.)The pull up bar down in my basement...I can't pull up on it, but I can hang from it and it feels good to my back!
28.)Q. Do you believe in ghosts?28.)Absolutely...they are up to no good! If they come into your life and you are a Christ follower you have the authority to send them away in the name of Jesus!!!!!
29.)Q. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?29.)Gardening, crocheting, reading, hanging out with family and friends
30.)Q. Do you swear a lot?30.)As far as I know...I never have
31.)Q. Biggest pet peeve?31.)Cruelty to people who don't deserve it
32.)Q. In one word, how would you describe yourself?32.)God Seeker
33.)Q. What's your middle name33.)CarolBefore I was married my name was Joyce Carol Bryant Bryant means strong, Joyce means joyful and Carol means song. My mom used to say I was a strong joyful song. You think I live up to that name?!?!?!?!? :?)
34.)Q. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same34.)Oh yea!
Mandy....I better hear from you!!!!!!!

I will post the questions in the comments. You can copy and paste if you answer the questions for me!
Currently listening : AncoraBy Il DivoRelease date: By 24 January, 2006

There is Power in Prayer

I was looking for some books in my bookshelf and am disappointed because it appears I have either given away or loaned all three books. I was going to look up some things I have underlined in those books.
Not too long ago I was talking to a pastor's wife from a large church outside of my denomination. She was talking about how the people in this church have been bad mouthing her pastor/husband for several years. It makes me wonder how it can be a large church if that is an ongoing thing. My guess is that Satan will get his way and that church will be defeated church. I was thinking about how different things could be if the people would catch the vision of praying for their pastor! In the book The Power of Prayer, The Prayer of Power R.A. Torrey states something like this, " A pastor is as strong as the prayers of his people." What if those people started investing in praying for their pastor instead of discouraging him? I remember reading a book by Derek Prince, Blessing or Curse, where he talks about the power of our words. He believes we actually influence what happens to people by our words! What if he is right? What if we can build our pastors up....first with our prayers....then with our words!!!! Peter Wagner wrote a book about praying for our pastor, Prayer Shield. I know who I loaned that book to and that person moved away so I will just have to purchase that book again! I think I want to be on God's team and take time to really pray for my pastor!

Special Pictures From My Cousins

My Cousin, Diane, posted this on our family site. She took this picture in her yard!My cousin, Cathy, sent these in an e-mail.

My cousin, Kari, posted this on the family site. Her baby came a little early!
Many of you know I do not like the use of the word awesome as I believe that only God should be called awesome. However, these pictures, or better yet, if I was in the presence of these, I just might use the word "awesome"!

Thank You, Precious Father, for the awesome things You bring into our lives!

Nature Can Be SOoo Upsetting!

For whatever reason, I find Mother's Day to be one of the harder days to deal with in the loss of Bryan. I think it might be because it seemed to be an important day for him to acknowledge even in his most rebellious days.That might be why I am crying this morning along with my poor little robin mama. She is very upset every time I step out on the front porch today. She has been so diligent to feed her 3 precious babies. Tricia caught a cat eying the nest last evening and scared it away.
Obviously the cat came back!!!
I can't believe I am actually crying!!!!!

That was a First!!!!

This morning as I was dead heading some flowers I was having to deal with a bird that has her nest on my front porch! She freaks out every time I go out my front door. While I was out there I heard the strangest sound over my head. Another bird was flying over with a long piece of cellophane! Kids try to make that sound with stuff added to their bike wheels, but they would not be able to beat that sound!!!!!

What Is Our Part?

If you and I reach our world, it can be saved; if we don't, it will be lost forever. Heaven or hell is now in our hands. Christ's part is done; ours is not!
From Touch the World through Prayer by Wesley Duewel

Yes!

We're in the significant business of collecting treasures for eternity. What we do and say for Christ, no matter how insignificant it seems in this world, will last forever.

Neil Anderson in Victory Over the Darkness-realizing the power of your identity in Christ

Now That Is What I Call Obedience

I got this story in an e-mail from Christy Faron. It is a great story!
HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE: BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORTFor those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.This is one of her experiences:April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd Had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego. I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight.Humped over in a wheelchair, he was ski n and bones, dressed in clothes That obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and is shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport... an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the W ord to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.L et 's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, And suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, som et hing so contrary to my natural feelings, som et hing dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my Spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me g et up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane." Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to now I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man." Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, B et h. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughlyfurnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even As I r et ell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?" May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?" To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hearyou; you're going to have to talk louder than that." At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush." "I have one in my bag," he responded.I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes -felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I go t back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?" He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't Marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're compl et ely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in d et ails only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forg et it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess r et urned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!" And we got to share.I learned som et h ing about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way. . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!
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Prayer Time

Everybody in the family needs to pray!