Don't go there!

Don't ever follow your heart. The bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9. You should always lead your heart. Study up, pray it up...know what your answers should be before you are asked the questions. For all those boy scouts out there, be prepared!

I've had some time over the past 5 years to consider my thoughts and pray about a choice in a certain personal aspect of my life. I came to the best decision...one to keep me safe, healthy and more importantly, in line with the will of God as I understand it for my life. Having resolved the issue in my heart, I began the journey to carry it out. That was until temptation rained down upon me and I nearly lost my mind! I have not broken my decision but I have danced around it...a slippery slope. I think it's time to sit back with a heated blanket and a cup of cocoa and remind myself of my original decision and find a way to move on in my heart from this temptation. The bible also says that you will never be tempted more than you can withstand and He always provides a way out. Thank God for that!!!

The Friendship Factor by Brenda Poinsett

One of my favorite authors, Brenda Poinsett is celebrating the release of her newest book 'The Friendship Factor, Why women need other women.' The First Baptist Church in St. Clair, MO is hosting a dessert party to help launch the new book and we were personally invited by Brenda to come celebrate!

The flyer for tonight's party reads, "Join Brenda as she explores the needs women have to connect deeply with others, to share their burdens, to rejuvenate their souls, to reduce their stress and to connect for ministry. Let 'The Friendship Factor' show you what your friendships can truly become." I can't wait!

My favorite book of hers was called 'What will I do with the rest of my life?' and came to me at a desperate time in my life. It really helped move me past a dark time and for that, I love and appreciate Brenda! She has taught me many priceless things so I am excited to celebrate her new book which is also a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Congrats Brenda!!!

Casting Crowns Concert-Tonight!

I'm so excited, I'm soooo excited!!! I have loved this band since the very first time I ever heard the first song. Over the years, they have repeatedly blown me away with their albums. From Christmas songs to worship songs...they do it all! And they do it oh so well! Their latest album is called Until The Whole World Hears and there's a song on it with the same title that's very good. It's growing into another favorite of mine :)

I'm just so excited because I'm going with friends from church and I've never seen Casting Crowns in concert before. Busy brides, put down your wedding favors, waitresses put down your trays and make your way to the St. Charles Family Arena for the Casting Crowns show tonight!

Happy Birthday, Me!

Another year older.....another year full of things I wish I had done...things I wish I hadn't. I'm not going to talk about weight loss and diet pill reviews or anything like that. My life isn't all about my weight!

At this point all I can do is learn and move on. Turn the page on yesterday. Much too often I pick it back up and drag it around like a ball on a chain locked to my ankle. Some things happen that I can't control and some I can. So when I can't I will have faith that I will be ok through whatever plan the Lord has for me. Even if it hurts me in the moment.

Lots to look forward to!! Dinner with my momma tonight at Red Lobster, dinner with various ladies in my life at the Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow night, Little House on the Prairie tickets with friends on Tuesday at the Fox Theater, Thanksgiving, trip to Branson with momma over the holiday weekend and then starts the busy and wonderful month of December with all of it's merriment! Holiday parties, caroling, hot chocolate, being with friends and loved ones... who could look forward to all that and not have a smile on your face?? Do yourself a favor, try to see the brightside of things, even if it hurts. ;-)

'Fearless' by Max Lucado: Book review

"Fearless: Imagine your life without fear"

Wow, what a book! This couldn't have come at a better time for me. This book is a reminder to Christians everywhere that God is still in control and His plan is working to His divine specifications! We are never promised not to have trials. No, we are warned they will come! As Max so eloquently states, 'Fear not' (and it's variants) is the most common Christ-issued imperative!

I have 2 favorite chapters in this book. The first one is the first chapter called 'Why are we afraid?' It certainly helps to gain an understanding of where fear comes from. One of the statistics he gave was that 'ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950's.' (The Report Newsmagazine Jan, 22, 2001)

He then goes on, discussing letting faith be your default reaction to threats instead of fear. Take the story of the great storm that rose up when Jesus and the disciples were all in the boat out on the Galilean sea...he says, "...this story sends the not-so-subtle and not-too-popular reminder: getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ! ... Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions, and as a result, face fears. It's not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ."

He also explains that fears cause us to raise doubts about Jesus' character. "Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven. If God can sleep in our storms, if His eyes stay shut when our eyes grow wide, if He permits storms after we get on His boat, does He care? Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts, anger-stirring doubts. And it turns us into control freaks. Fear at it's center is a perceived loss of control." "Fear drains us dry of contentment." "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. The fear filled cannot love deeply, it's too risky!"

Time after time, Jesus called us to courage. Matt. 10:31, Matt. 6:25, John 14:1-3, Luke 24:38. These are just a few examples. Matt. 8:26-27 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'"

My second favorite book hits pretty close to home. I must admit having some issues with disheartening direction things seem to be going lately. It is called 'What if things get worse? Fear of global calamity' Jesus has equipped us with "...far-sighted courage. He listed the typhoons of life and then pointed them to the end. Trust in ultimate victory gives ultimate courage!" This book is just filled with encouragement for believers and biblical reminders that we will face storms and it's likely to get worse instead of better. But don't be fearful because it's all part of His divine and providential plan, even the ugly and painful persecution which seems to be on the rise! Max says, "Nature is a pregnant creation, third-trimester heavy. The universe is passing through the final hours before delivery. Painful contractions are in the forecast." Matt. 24:6-8

I highly recommend this book. Max Lucado is an extremely talented writer and I feel blessed to have this book in my library to give me strength and encouragement..not just for me but for those around me too! We all need to be reminded of what God's Word says about this life and the next. Order Fearless today and let me know what you think about it's message to you! "Imagine your life without fear!"

You can find me on Facebook!

Ok, I finally caved in and joined Facebook. Now, I'm totally addicted! I'm finding myself not even checking my email as much as FB. And the best part? I've been reunited with an old best friend that I had grown apart from years ago! When we were friends last, she had 2 sons around the age of 6 & 5....the oldest is graduating high school in May and she has another son who's now 7!!! It's just wonderful :D

It's also amazing to discover that I only joined Facebook about 3 weeks ago and when I searched for her, she wasn't on there. Last week, she joined and looked for me right away and there I was! Even more amazing is to see how the Lord is working in my life. I had always been left with a sour taste in my mouth at the idea that there were these people who had left my life thinking I was a bad person and Sheila has just proved that wrong! She has proved to me that even though we have all made mistakes and lost years of history because of ill feelings, we are still left with a lifetime of great memories still to make! What a wonderful feeling to regain a lost and broken friendship. Praise the Lord, you are so good to me. I can't wait to meet her/them all over again!!!

Enough is enough!

Yep, I'm there again. The place where I'm physically at my limit. I am no longer able to be comfortable and all my clothes are getting too small and nothing new in the stores fits right and again I am finding myself at the edge of what I can handle.

How can I expect my body to be strong and ready to serve others and get through what I ask it to get through everyday if I am overloading it with junk? Some people turn to various strict diet and work out regimens. I'm not interested in losing a bunch of weight rapidly and focusing on the pounds and results. What I am interested in, first and foremost is getting back to my online bible study called The Lord's Table: Phase 1. I was part of the way in to this fantastic and FREE 60 day study before and dropped the ball. I have an obligation to honor God in all my ways and that includes the health I have control over. The study will help me to make better eating decisions and discover the importance of being intentional about working exercise into my life a few times a week. If I get a grip on a few simple things, the Lord will control the results and I'm ok with that. So, enough is enough already, it's time for me to get focused!

I'd like to get back to things I used to do that were fun, like Six Flags or going back to Washington DC and Baltimore but in this condition, I am not ready for that, that's for sure! Not only do I need to get my physical self into shape, but get my finances into shape, too. I want to save up for it so I won't have any debt as in my prior trips, I'd also need to look into things like travel insurance online and new luggage.

I'll come back and share my tips and tricks. What works and what doesn't work so well. Perhaps you have a few ways you are intentional in realm of eating and exercise that you can share with me, feel free to leave a comment and let us know what works for you!

Review: The Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set

This is good, you're gonna love this! Imagine if you could just sit back, close your eyes and listen in while the stories of the Bible came to life in your mind. Now, what if I told you it would come to life with the voices of an all star cast? Well, you don't have to imagine anymore!

The Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament is a set of 3 CD's in MP3 format is over 23 hours of just that! Each book of the New Testament is introduced and explained by either Max or Jenna Lucado setting up the book in an easy to understand format. Sean Astin is the main narrator, you younger generation may remember him from the Lord of the Rings series.

The best part about listening to the CD's for me is the care and hard work that went into the background ambiance and how not only was there great musical accompaniment but also when the stories take you to different places, you can hear the movement. When someone runs from the truth, you hear their footsteps! For instance, when Jesus' parents came back to find him in the temple, you can hear the bustling of the market and town in the background! And in Revelation 4, when John is describing heaven and the thrones and the lamps, you can hear a roaring fire crackling.

This set would be great on a long road trip, I wish I would have had them when A and I drove from Maryland to St. Louis this past December. These CD's would make great gifts for people of all ages, really. I suggest, if you are thinking about giving someone an MP3 player, it would make an even better gift if you loaded it with the Word of God! I plan to enjoy mine for many years to come.

Big weekend coming up

This is going to be another big weekend for me. No, not like 'I need some diet pills' big, more like it's going to be chock full of activities.

Friday night, I'm going to visit my friends and have dinner. Then it's home and into bed for me!

Saturday day, I am going to a seminar called Journey to Financial Freedom. I can't wait, Crown Financial Ministries is a wonderful and rich source of articles and planning tools and downloadable resources to help you get a grip on your finances and take the driver's seat for a change. If you're anything like me, way too much debt controls my life and I am seeking to make some serious changes to gain control back. Check out the website and see what you can start doing today to honor God by being a good steward of the resources He has provided you. Life doesn't have to be so burdened by money woes!

Saturday evening, I'm going to a fund raiser for the Friends of Missouri Midwives. Funds are needed for legal expenses to forward the legalization of Midwifery in Missouri. The fund raiser is a screening of the movie Orgasmic Birth. This powerful documentary has been featured as 'Birth's best kept secret' on 20/20. Birth has been portrayed as something you dread and not something that certainly can be a beautiful and even an enjoyable experience. I think it's wonderful to show women that they can give birth in other ways and give them options that are less commonly practiced. If you would like to come along to the screening, you may purchase a discounted ticket in advance from the Free the Midwives website.

Saturday overnight, I *may* work, believe it or not, at my second job. One of the other ladies called me a few minutes ago to ask if I could work both Friday and Saturday overnights for her. As much as I need to work both nights, I know there is no way for me to fully benefit from the financial seminar if I am 1/2 asleep from working the night before. Since my education on financial freedom is of utmost importance right now, I feel as though I really need to pass on the Friday night shift in order to be fully aware and on point for taking advantage of every moment of the seminar. Oh yeah and I paid $25 to register for the seminar already, that would be wasteful to sleep through!

Sunday is of course, church day. We also have a Valley Girl Women's Ministry meeting afterwards. I need to make a desert tonight for that....mental note: need to go to store on my way home from friends' house. So, what are your weekend plans?

Reflections of God's Holy Land: a book review

Reflections of God's Holy Land: a personal journey through Israel was very much a treat to receive & review.

The cover sleeve on this book is vividly colored with intriguing photos and it’s a nice size, comparable to that of a coffee table style book. The inside is filled with glossy pages; you immediately desire to flip through wildly, your eyes wandering from every photo to its caption. This book takes you on a journey through God’s Holy land and there is much to see and experience. You soon discover the background of the two writers and what perspective they contribute to the project.

Miriam Feinberg Vamosh is a Jew who shares her vast knowledge of Israel’s landscape, history and archaeology along the way as the tour guide and interpreter. Her “Did you know?” sections offer a wonderful physical and historical impression of each sacred destination along the way.

Eva Marie Everson, a Christian, is a Bible scholar, novelist and teacher who had always yearned to see the Holy Land. She shares her own personal “Reflections” on the emotional and spiritual aspects that are invoked along the journey as she soon begins to experience how the bible stories she has studied and taught are now dimensional and tangible. She sees for herself, the impressions the events of the Bible have had on the region.

Each of the biblical sites are paired with corresponding scriptures and fantastic photographs that allow us to glean a greater sense of their experiences first hand.

Of all the stops along their way, one of them in particular spoke to me the more than the others. The Jordan River. I’ve always been a country girl at heart, growing up in Missouri which has no shortage of rivers for hot summer days’ delight. I was taught to swim in the cold and swift spring fed waters of the Current River by my grandmother who also taught me about Jesus. She would tell me stories of how they used to have ‘dinner on the ground’ services on very hot (or sometimes very cold) Sunday afternoons where new believers would be baptized in the river and they would sing songs of praise and glory! Yes, I have always been drawn to the waters of rivers and the Jordan River is no exception.

Biblically speaking, baptism is a public profession of an inward decision, a symbol of how God washes the old sins away and cleanses believers with His spirit. Miriam gives us much information about the Jordan River, from where it begins as snowmelt from Mount Hermon to its final destination 100 miles away spilling its waters into the Dead Sea. Eva on the other hand tells of being ‘drawn to the water of forgiveness’, how the murky and dark waters the Jordan River offer a symbolic view of the dirty sins that are washed away inside our hearts. Her writing is eloquent and I really enjoyed reading her words of enlightenment and spiritual revelations. This book was a very nice addition to my library and I will enjoy it over and over again as I will most likely not be able to travel the Holy Land myself any time soon.

Ok, changing the subject...

I created this video a while back to show how hard times and difficult situations can be dealt with. I really enjoy this song and encourage people to listen to the words. Whether you are up or down, there is a light at the end of this tunnel! I still feel this way today, right now, even if I'm not exactly thrilled with the state of the world I live in. I get this video out from time to time to share when things seem to be going awry. I do not have hate in my heart, actually quite the opposite! I have no bad or hateful intentions today or any other day. People who know me can vouch for that. I still have all my faith in God that He is working in mysterious and miraculous ways and boy am I glad to hear it! Even when I don't get it right, He can use it and use me to His glory.

Strong vs. Strength

Someone gave this to me and I have no idea where it came from, but I wanted to share it with all of you. It helps to look at things from an enlightened perspective sometimes. Enjoy!

A strong woman vs. a woman of strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape (she no doubt has home gym equipment!) -
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything -
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her -
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future -
but a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footedly -
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face -
but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey -
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

Ephes. 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."

Do you have a pearl in your life's oyster?

I was recently chosen to receive and review cultured freshwater pearls from PearlParadise.com. I was given choices of colors for the pearls and white or yellow gold as well. We could also chose if we wanted earrings or a necklace.

When deciding what I should request to receive, I was concerned that a 'normal' length strand of pearls wouldn't fit me, I'm a big girl, now! So I mentioned that fact and went on to request white pearl, yellow gold stud earrings. I am happy with my choice! To my delight and humble surprise, I opened my package to discover a 26" beautifully lustrous strand of 79 white 7.0-8.0 mm pearls! I want whoever decided to send this specific strand to know, they are the perfect fit for my needs! Thank you so much!

I first learned about cultured pearls as a child, we used to go to 'pearl parties'. The table would be spread with actual empty settings for rings, earrings or necklaces. For a nominal fee, you would pick out your oyster, no matter how valuable the pearl inside was. I always chose the biggest, grungiest, most barnacle covered oyster in the fishbowl! Next, the consultant would open it to reveal your new pearl, which you then had set into one of the settings you would purchase additionally. The consultant would measure it and do some other things, I was a kid, I don't know what all she did, but they would record it and send it off with your setting to be received later as a nice new piece of jewelry! My favorite was my mom's blue/gray baroque pearls and a couple of gold ones that were used for a tie tack for dad and a smaller one made into a pendant for me. Over the years, our house was burglarized a couple of times. On one of the instances, they took the pillowcases from the pillows and dumped my mom's jewelry box inside. All the pearls were gone, except the small gold one in my box.

Although pearl parties were a lot of fun as a child, what with the element of surprise and all, I can see now as an adult that it would have been difficult to get a matching pair if you cared for earrings. Hmm....better leave the guessing out and purchase pearls that are already matched in color, size, shape and luster! :)

I am so excited to have these pearls to wear! As I was examining them and appreciating each one's beauty, I began to think about the lengthy process of how every beautiful pearl comes into fruition. At the same time, I began to contemplate a similar process in my life. Please enjoy this video I created to tell the story!



It's not a perfect metaphor but it certainly has a number of interesting comparisons. I could have gone on and on about this but sometimes less is more. This video was alot of fun to make. I would like to add, however, that even if there was only 1 oyster ever in this world, Jesus would *still* have come as a sacrifice. You are that precious to God! I will wear my pearls from PearlParadise.com with thanksgiving and a new appreciation for the process I am going through as my "pearl" continues to grow and is increasingly layered with lustrous nacre from the impregnation of God in my life! Remember, without accepting The Sacrifice, you are just an empty oyster!

You are my all in all 7-27-08

I love the innocence of kids! We should all be working on overdrive to preserve the innocence of children as long as possible. Here is my nephew 'Zannadoo' (4 years old) being the star of the show!



Great job, buddy, I love you!

Valley View Baptist Church - VBS 2008

"Avalanche Ranch" themed VBS is going pretty well so far. The kids seem to be having a lot of fun with the songs and dances. They enjoy the movie with Chadder (I believe he's a chipmunk) and Jen is doing a great job with the Bible stories. She really *really* does put alot of thought and creativity into her presentations.

(God is real: Yahooooooo!!!)

My group is the 3 & 4 year olds and somehow now, I also have the 2 that were supposed to be in nursery. I'm glad they aren't just stuck in a room away from all the fun but having kids who are that young makes it more difficult to manage the kids in a way that they have fun and yet get a message out of their time with us. There are those moments when I'm ready to pack up my moving boxes and get out of Dodge but for the most part, the kids act as good as they can for that age.

(God is with us: Yahooooooo!!!)

VBS will be finished on Thursday evening but tonight (Wed.) will be Jen & my's last evening to be a crew leader and story reader/teacher. We will beat the "Peeking into a box of chocolates" bible study. I'm a *little* disappointed not to be able to be there on the final night. I suppose there will be extra little fun stuff going on that night. They are supposed to take photographs of each crew and such so they will need to do that tonight for my crew if I will get in the picture. One of my little girls has never been to church, day care or preschool so this is a big deal for her. I think it's great for her family to see how much fun we have in God's house! All in all, the kids seem to be having fun, the adults are still working out the kinks and it's been a great experience so far!

A profitable day, indeed!

Well, today has been an unusually profitable day!

First, we received our paychecks today, due to the fact that tomorrow (our regular payday) is a holiday. Not only did we get out paychecks today, we got them early in the day! That NEVER happens!

Second, I found a $1 bill laying loosely atop a blanket of leaves in a corner behind my building! You can tell this is a place where the leaves and other debris gather and get trapped by the wind due to the encircled nature of the design of our building. There it lay, just waiting for someone (me!) to come along!


Third, I took my little bags of aluminum cans to the recycling station. I haven't been can "hunting" in a long time, so these are mostly cans that I/we have used. It has taken me a very long time to accumulate what I *hope* will be enough to take in.

The going rate here is $.70/lb. for 10 lbs. or more. If you have any weight under 10 lbs. the price is only $.25/lb. When I arrived to the station and backed in, there was 1 man unloading a large number of very big bags full of cans. As I waited on his transaction, I began to unload my tiny bags and set them to the side. Something to note, the recycling guys like to keep things moving along, they don't have time for you to take your time. That being said, I was standing, waiting patiently and beginning to get nervous at the thought of not having enough to be at least 10 lbs. As the employee was emptying the large flat bed scale, I began to load my bags on. 3.00 lbs., 4.5 lbs., 6.50 lbs., 8.50 lbs. By this time, another gentleman had driven up and unloaded his 2 very large black plastic bags of cans. When I went to grab the last 2 bags, he said, "You might get there, you're really close!" I said, "I hope so!!" I threw on the last 2 bags and it came to.....wait for it.....9.5 lbs. This happened one other time, I was 'just' under 10 lbs. and the employee took off his gloves and threw them on the scale to bump me up! Well, that was a long time ago and I must have had a disappointed look or something because as I was waiting for the employee to come back to check the scale, the gentleman behind me said, "Here, you can take these!" and then pushed the bags towards me!

What?!? I said, "No!! You don't have to do that!!" He said, "No really, it's no big deal, you take them!" He just had this look of pride in his eye, so I said again, "Are you sure?! You don't have to do that!" He was like, it's no biggie and walked away!

After putting his 2 big bags on top of my mound of small bags, the total weight went from 9.50 lbs. to 26 lbs.! I couldn't believe it! I went from 9.50 lbs @ $.25/lb. for a total of $2.38 to 26 lbs. @ $.70/lb. for a total of $18.90! (Granted, if the employee wouldn't have given me mercy and bumped me up to 10 lbs., I would have just taken my bags back and returned later when I had more.) So the kind man basically gave me $11.90 in free recycling cans! Woo hoo!

I plan to give the $1 found earlier and the $11.90 to the Lord this week as an offering above my tithe. If you aren't doing this, try it, it's very rewarding!

Father's Day Weekend: The Good (Part 1 of 3)

"The Good"

This Father's Day I went down to the country to visit my dad, like all the other Father's Days of recent years. I always figure, since it's so far down there, I just go down the day before and spend the night, sort of stretching it out to make the most of the gas it takes to get there LOL

On Sat. I made my way down to the country and met him for a cook out at my cousin's house (see part 2 of 3, "The Bad"). Visiting with family, especially one's I've never met or haven't seen in a long time is always nice. The food was great!!! I didn't have to buy it, prepare it or clean up after it!! That rarely happens after you become an adult. So that was very good.

Saturday evening we just went back to dad's and watched tv before calling it a night. On Sunday, we got up late and ended up taking the 4 wheeler and the boat to Clearwater Lake. It's no Outer Banks but it has always been a family favorite. It took us a while to get down there because we didn't get an early start. This made dad fussy. He's also trying to quit smoking (after 50 some odd years) so he is easily fussy these days. But I commend him for trying again! I pray he has luck and the Lord will help him.

On our way to the lake, I had an opportunity to witness to my dad again, reiterating the simplicity of the gospel to him. I like to show him the faith I have in God that He will take care of my needs and dad's as well. Our fiasco last year with the boat lended a perfect opportunity to show him first hand that God knows what we need. 3 times that day we were in a crisis and all 3 times, without waiting, God provided the exact help we needed! It's a great example and I like to remind him of it. This is good, very good.

Our boating trip on the lake was fun. We ventured way up and around to where Black River feeds into the lake. We had lunch on the boat. The outing was relatively uneventful until we were heading back to the dock. The boat motor kept dieing. He kept trying to fix it and was growing increasingly fretful and agitated. I simply said with every confidence, "The Lord knows what we need." Then the motor worked only on low gear but it was enough to get us back! Again, a perfect example of how faith pays off. I welcome these opportunities for flaws and trials. He's the kind of man who needs to learn the hard way and even then it usually takes more than once for him to learn a lesson!

We did some light fishing but of course did not get any bites due to the fact that the water level was up. We enjoyed cruising around the lake. We had dinner at the Cowgirl Cafe and I got to see my cousin Kathy who works there. After we got back to his house, we watched the movie "RV". I thought it was a nice clean family movie, a nice way to cap off the trip. It was environmentally the most tolerable trip to my dad's I've enjoyed in....well, forever since he didn't smoke while I was there. Stay tuned for "The Bad" and "The Ugly"

There's a light at the end of this Tunnel

I made a video of encouragement, for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. The photos were all taken by myself at various altitudes and various places along my journey. The song is called 'Tunnel' by Third Day. Please, enjoy!

Growing up

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NKJV)

As you get older, you begin to realize that play time is precious! You watch your kids take their toys for granted and although you wish you could go back to a simpler time, it's just impossible to do so! Life guides you along a path that is, at times, completely unpredictable. Sometimes things make sense and sometimes you are left pondering the reasons why. FYI, the bible is God's living word, full of love, reason, hope and meaning. Why not give it a try sometime!?

Now, on rare display...

A museum in Jerusalem has decided to display the 24 ft. scroll with the text of the Bible's Book of Isaiah this week - more than four decades after it was last seen by the public. It has been in a dark, temperature-controlled room at the Israel Museum since 1967. They have decided to put the scroll back on show for three months as part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.

I am very intrigued by these kinds of things. I always did marvel at all the artifacts in our museums because I just can't believe anyone would still have so much stuff from way back when! I love the testament to God's word and that it can still be proven true over and over, even to the original manuscripts of many days gone by! I'd love the chance to go see it, and although my passport may be good for 9 more years, my savings account is empty! :(

The AOL news article I read said this:

The priceless manuscript, written by a Judean scribe around 120 B.C., was in a long glass case Tuesday, its neat rows of Hebrew letters distinct and legible. President Bush, visiting Israel this week for the anniversary celebration, will be one of the first to view it.

Very interesting!!! It makes me want to go read Isaiah in my Bible!