Song of the Week

I'm lovin the new song we're playing at The House from Sidewalk Prophets. It's really heartfelt and the lyrics are powerful! Check it out:


Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say (2009 Video & Lyrics):

Three in the morning,
And I'm still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I'd say,
If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,

Be strong in the lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
Gods got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why your here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,

Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,

Be strong in the lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
Gods got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why your here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,

From one simple life to another,
I will say,
Come find peace in the father,

Be strong in the lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
Gods got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why your here,
Take your time and pray,
Thank God for each day,
His love will find a way,
These are the words I would say

Can You Raed Tihs?

Now try this:

Sewet! It's so ture...Aloguth tihs is my ngihtamre wehn it cmeos to spilleng!

Ok, it's really starting to bug me so, maybe you shouldn't try this...

BTW- I stumbled across this though Twitter... http://www.twitter.com/crowderband They went to the Mayborn Museum in Waco, TX

Song of the Week

This song is stuck in my head right now... and I'm ok with it!

Story Side B - "Everything and More"

Pin it all on me He said as He turned His head to the sun
I'm the only one who can wash it all away
Take a look at yourself
Do you know when things aren't right?
Are you willing to stand up and fight?
For what you say you're believing in?

We all are human we make mistakes but
We were given a choice to make

[chorus]
What do you live for? Is it something to stand for?
Is it everything that you believe in and more?
A reason to give more, finally you found yours
And it's everything that you believe and more

And as I look around
It's impossible to deny
Even though sometimes I try
You still take me back again

My God I've finally found a friend to
Follow to the end

[chorus]

What do you live for?
Is it something to stand for?
Is it everything and more

[chorus]

You're what I live for, you're what I stand for
And you're everything that I believe and more
My reason to give more, finally I found you
And you're everything that I believe and more

A Daily Struggle

Growing up when people asked me what I wanted to do, I always said I wanted to be a wife and a Mom. That is still true today.


Years ago, I was about 11, I stood up on a stage with an audience of about 3,000 and took a "Zero" pledge. I pledged to be pure in a number of areas. (That is what the ring I wear stands for) I'm staying true to that pledge all these years later.

I have to say it hasn't been easy. The urges to do something that everyone else was or go through with what my flesh wanted to do was hard to overcome. Even something that most people wouldn't think of, being asked if I'm gay - that's hard for a kid to handle. All of this is hard and a struggle for anyone. I wouldn't wish the incredible amount of self-control this requires on anyone - yet at the same time I would. It's been worth it.

The ONLY thing that has gotten me through this is God.

Years ago, I had to come to that place where God was enough for me. Even though I long for some things or relationships that people around me have, above all God is enough for me and He sustains me. There are no better arms to run to that His.

When I was about 14, my youth group in Tulsa had us write down our dreams for our life and "nail" them to a cross. (They had a huge wooden cross on stage) I wrote down my dream to be a Christian Artist. At the end they gave us a button with a cross on it to remind us of this. I took that to heart. (Actually, that is what started my button collecting.) The amazing thing is, when you lay down you goal or dream for your life, it allows God to step in with His plan which is so much better. He's not going to short you of something you love, because He knows the desires of your heart. Since then I did a lot of seeking God and allowing Him to speak to me. (That means being quiet!) He has opened doors of opportunity all around me and I am blown away daily at how far I've come in just a few years. Again, though, He is the one who made it possible - I just let Him have my dream and I picked up His.

So, God revealed different ways to do the things I love and opened the doors necessary to make it a reality. (If you haven't heard what I've been up to the last few years - ask me!) Because He has been SO good to me thus far, I have no doubt that He will complete this work. Obviously, that "little girl" dream of being a wife and a Mom has yet to come true. So, I'm doing the same thing I did long ago - and it's a daily thing - laying down my desires and dreams and picking up His. If I just get out of the way, my All-Powerful God can do some mighty things! I'm trusting in that daily.

You know what is even harder than that? Everyday, for a few years, I've told God, "Even if You don't bless me with a husband or kids(the desire of my heart), I will still love You." Imagine that. The one and only thing you've ever wanted to do, yet you love something else so much that even if you can't have what you want - You'll still love Him. Yes, it's hard - unbelievably hard! But I know where the greatest source of love is. Another great thing is that I know where to go if I'm hurting or lonely or need someone to listen. I know where to find joy when I have none.

I hope that touches God's heart. I hope He sees me striving for Him daily. I hope He knows that I can't wait to one day fully understand just how great His love is.



Try that this week. Whatever your daily struggle is or one thing you can't wait to get, say, "Lord, even if I never have ____________, I will still love You."



Lord, I pray over the person that is reading this now. You know all their hopes and dreams. You know the desires of their heart. God, I pray that you would bless them daily as they seek You. I pray that You would become all they need in their life - that they would learn to turn to You in ALL things. The secret to a good life? It's You. All the joy or happiness can't be found in a dream in our small minds. Your dream is SO much better and was made just for us. You care more about us than we will ever know. Lord, I thank you for loving us so much - in turn, no matter what, we will serve You and we will still love You. Amen.




*If you take this to heart, I encourage you to find something to symbolize this decision. A button, a ring, something that when you look at it you are reminded of the hope and vision you have today. If you can't think of anything, ask me. I believe this is really important, because if you make this decision today and a few months down the road you are in a hard situation or you slowly forget today - this will be a reminder; a symbol to point you to God.

Lyrics of the Week

Incompatible, it don't matter though
'cause someone's bound to hear my cry
Speak out if you do
You're not easy to find

Is it possible Mr. Loveable
Is already in my life?
Right in front of me
Or maybe you're in disguise

Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Here we are again, circles never end
How do I find the perfect fit
There's enough for everyone
But I'm still waiting in line

Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Most relationships seem so transitory
They're all good but not the permanent one

Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone
If there's a soulmate for everyone

"Soulmate" - Natasha Bedingfield

Not Easily Broken

When God made Adam, He instructed him to do three things; work, cultivate, protect. Down through history men have been measured by how hard they've worked and cultivated, by how well they've protected their wives and children. In the old days women saw their men as conquerors, providers, heroes. But somewhere along the line, that changed. Women started becoming their own heroes. Maybe it was because their men forgot how to be heroic. Or because women didn't want to be protected anymore. Or maybe women had to be their own heroes because of the pain they had to endure in life. But whatever the cause, the world took away a man's reasons for being a man. They told him he wasn't important anymore. And when that happened, it turned the whole world upside down.
-From the movie "Not Easily Broken"


"...A cord of three strands is not easily broken..." Ecclesiastes 4:12


I've been passionate about this for a while now...I see how the majority of women act in relationships and it makes me sick and really sad. Even in the better marriages, the guy can be all attentive and focused on the woman and she's either expecting it, acting like it's no big deal or she's oblivious and ditsy. This makes me so upset and I just want to go up to them and show them a picture of what they are doing! Now, every situation and relationship is different, yes; but there are so many women who have been changed by this world into taking on the wrong role in relationships. If the men would step up and be men and the women would step up and be women - you'd be surprised at how we would fuel each other to continue to play those roles. We were made like this for a reason and a specific purpose! We've been brainwashed into thinking that we are the "weaker half"...is that so bad? I mean, really - Men are here to care for us, it's part of their role. And although I am the worst at accepting help from others, I'm learning that when I do it allows them to play out their role. It's not something that they can hold over me or bring up later...it's their role. They want to, they were designed to. Women are a vital part as well, of course. I just see so many people around me being stubborn, hard headed and they have the mindset that they have to do something because their husband won't. Maybe, just maybe, he won't because you are. Let him take over for a bit and encourage him...oh and pick your jaw up off the ground! Yeah, God designed us perfectly and we just need to play our roles so that others can play theirs.


"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:22 - 24

Why is it that so many of us take offense to this? I'm thinking it's a heart issue. God wouldn't have this in the Bible to make us mad or belittle us. He wants the very best for us, right? Why, then, would this be a bad thing?


Submission to God is really hard in anyone’s life. First of all, we need to know that everyone that submits to God has to put his or her pride down first. Ouch! Solomon wrote in Proverbs 6 that the Lord hates 6 things and yet 7 are an abomination. He comes right out and tells us that the Lord hates a proud look. If we look at the scripture throughout the Word of God, we find that pride was the downfall of not only mankind, but of Lucifer and one third of the angels. Today, we see pride in families more now than ever. Wives not wanting to be submissive, husbands not wanting to be leaders, and children not obeying their parents.

A wife being submissive to their husbands is in direct obedience to God. In 1 Peter 3:1, Peter said, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives."

A good example of submission is the fact that instead of showing your spouse where they are wrong and gloating about it, work together to over come mistakes. Allow God to direct your paths together and seek HIS wisdom, which HE freely gives (James 1:5). Wives, submission to your husband’s authority(servant leadership), which God gave him, is submission to God’s authority.

20 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time , Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label it " In".

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks , Write "For Smuggling Diamonds".

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy".

8. Don't use any punctuation.

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water when ever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go".

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital. And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In the Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. Share One of These With a Friend to Spread the Insanity and to Make Them Smile!

The Newest Snuggie!

So this is the newest thing in the line of Snuggies...cause we all know our hearts go out to our little pup when we see them shivering while watching a movie. You can't help but tear up a bit when the popcorn won't even warm them up. So if you've tried everything and still can't get your dog warm, try a snuggie. Humans love them, right? So, why not get one for your dog? Besides they come in different colors that make their eyes just POP!

Here's what they said about this new product: "Many Snuggie customers are also dog owners, and we didn't want the owners feeling bad about the jealous glances from their pets any longer."

Right, of course.



I wonder how long it took them to get this picture to come accross realistic?


Oh, if you seriously want one - https://www.snuggiefordogs.com/flare/next?tag=ossmgotm

Back to school time already?

Wow! I can't believe it's already August and school will be back in session soon. Personally, I'm happy to be done with school, but I do miss having an excuse to get new stuff for the school year. You always need new shoes, right? And if you get new shoes, you have to get a belt and bracelet and....it goes on...

Speaking of new kicks though, how about considering some of these?

This is my personal fav...

I think this could be pretty awesome!

2 in 1?

Ouch!

Hmm, no thanks.

They are probably not as comfy as they look.

Yes, please! Do they come in red?

"Like a walk through the pasture..."

I would try these as long as I could stay sitting down.

hmm, different...

That's a violent shoe!

Looks like it's made from K-Nexs....

Wow, don't let that shoe tempt you...

Looks like something out of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...

I wonder if someone could actually walk in those?

ummm, no.

A little slippery maybe?

You'd better hurry, these are getting sold out!

It's like going barefoot...kinda.

No more bullies for you!

Ok, so maybe you should go to Payless or something...

Do you want more than $3?

"I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of God to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please."

-Wilbur Rees

Scripture for the Week (Weak)

"So chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe that God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. ~Colossians 3:14 (Message)

Morning Time

I don't know about you, but about my favorite time of the day is that 3o-45 minutes, maybe an hour sometimes before anybody in my house gets up. I kinda have to set my clock back a little earlier than I have to. Earlier than anyone would want to get up for anything. Nobody in my house would want to get up as early as I want to get up to do this. I love to get up when it's quiet, maybe a cup of coffee, talk to the Lord and allow His Word to talk to me. I love it. A friend of mine calls it 'Going Steady With Eddy' He says, "You do it Early, you do it Daily, you do it Diligently and you do it Yielding." You know what I found out about me? If I don't do it early, the day will slip away and I won't do it at all. I'll keep meaning to, of course.



"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee..." Psalm 63:1






"Before the Day" from Newsong

Last night when I was sleeping
You were watching over me
While I dreamt about tomorrow
You knew my every need

Now another day is waiting
For me to make it through
And there's no way that I could face it without You

Before the day slips away
I want to stop and say
I love You I love You
Before the world rushes in again
I want to stop and say there's none above You
There's none above You
I'll just be still and know You are God
Be still and know You are God

There's something about the morning
The stillness of it all
It calms my heart to hear You
When You gently call

Here I am in Your presence
Where I long to be
Alone with You in the silence
Bring down Your love and Your mercy
Whisper softly to me



Try just one morning a week maybe, see what God has for you.

Eye Doc

So I went to the eye doc today for my 6 month check up...I was there for about an hour before we actually had the appointment...so, I waited in an office with crazy equipment...



Also, the lighting is very dim...I started to doze off...

Anyways, the appointment went well. My eyes have improved a lot and are a lot more healthy!

Scripture for the Week (Weak)

"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done." Galations 6:4 (NLT)

No House Party = Project Week!

Oh, joy. There are never-ending projects at my house, let me assure you. That makes me stressed...

One of the big ones being, I haven't touched my room since I moved in over a year ago...the rest of the house is nice and my room just hasn't been touched. Well, that has all changed now!

And that makes me happy...

Also, I haven't had a dresser for years and my folded clothes were getting out of control! I was going to go shop for one when my Mom said that my bro wanted to get rid of the one he was using that was originally hers. I went and looked at it and had an instant design and vision!

There was no stopping me at that point! I went to the store, got black paint, Paint brushes and new hardware!

Then I went to work for about 4 hours in the 100 and some odd degree weather and produced a painted dresser and a bucket of sweat!

Somehow along the way I talked myself into painting an old curio cabinet that came with the house...

It turned out pretty well...

By the way, I listened to Jackson Waters the whole time...

I'm putting the finishing touches on my room now(hanging things on walls, de-cluttering and all that jazz)more pics to come!

July 4th

This is about what it looked like from where we sat...George Bush was there! Pretty cool vacation, awesome speech and bugs...awesome.

And this is what it looks like when I try to take a decent pic with my bro while waiting for Pres. Bush to speak.

Jeremiah is deep!

"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be." Jeremiah 17:9-10

An Update on the Real Me...

So life has been 'crazy as usual' lately.

Everyday something happens that catches me off guard and keeps me tied up. I'm constantly working, volunteering, going to events, counseling and teaching multiple people...among other things...

I hate to ask for help or prayer because, 1. I don't want you to know that I need help or prayer & 2. I don't want any doubt or negativity in the situation.

When Jesus prayed for people, He had the wailing women leave the room. He didn't want any doubt...and it was probably hard to think straight with a bunch of women wailing...

Even though there is a chance that there will be some who are negative or don't care and there might be some doubt, I'm asking for you to pray for me. I can handle a lot of things really well but there is a point when it becomes too much and begins to scare me. I'm at that point.

For a few months I've been struggling with weird symptoms...when I try to explain them to people I'm sure they think I'm crazy or don't understand at all. I don't blame them. It's hard to make it make sense.

I'm having thyroidal issues. Now, mind you, this is what I've deducted from research and symptoms. I have not been to the doctor because of time and financial reasons. It started on the right side of my neck. It was this nagging pain/bruise-like/lump on or in my neck. (Believe me, this is one of the hardest things to explain.) It spread down my neck and just continues to annoy me. You can feel the lump on the right side. Then, just a few days ago the left side started having this pain, like a pin point size, just like the right side started. Overall, it is really annoying and strange.

I've spoke with only a few people about this and done some research. It's not really "in" my throat like a sore throat and it's not really outside my neck either...I know, sounds weird, right?

Over the last month or so I have had other weird symptoms that may or may not be related but they scare me.

It effects my speech and breathing. One day I'm sure I sounded drunk. I couldn't make my words crisp and clear no matter how hard I tried.

It also effects the power of my voice. The strength to talk or sing. The 'want-to' if you will. It's like I'm moving my mouth wanting to sing and focusing and my voice just sits down on a couch and is like, "No, thanks. I don't feel like it. I don't want to right now, ask me after Barney is over."

A few times I had memory lapses, which NEVER happen to me, like trying to spell a simple word. (By the way, spelling has always been my strong subject.) Or trying to answer a simple question through an email. It's like I'm looking at the question, trying to word the answer correctly and my brain is off in la-la land. No matter how hard I look at that question and focus, my brain, who has the answer, is off somewhere else. If I move on to something else, then come back to that later, I have no problem with it.

Other little things like this highly concern me because it's not like me. It's not just because I've been out of school for a little while, so I forget how to spell something or do a simple math problem. It's different because the things I'm having issues with, I stick with it and there is a way to work out the problem. I don't have to look it up. When I used spell check the correct spelling didn't look right.

Somethings up. Maybe my minds out to get me? Maybe my neck is sabotaging my brain?

Whatever the case. It's not getting better. It is prgressively getting worse and more painful.

So what do I do?

Sit in my pity...........NOT!

Every day when I wake up I lay there for an extra moment and ask God for any extra strength He can give me that day. I need all I can get.

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3

I ask Him to remind me to turn to Him when it becomes too much or when I'm overwhelmed. I speak life and healing over me even when I don't feel it because words have power. "The power of life and death are in the tongue." So, when I feel like my body is attacking itself, when I don't know how to get answers to what is happening to me, I turn to God. I ask Him, the knower of all things, to strengthen me and give me the answers I need. I ask Him to sustain me and put me at ease. I ask Him to continually work in & through me. Mainly I ask Him to give me strength as I pour all the strength I have into others. I pray that He would lift me up as I lift others up. He has placed people into my life that need Him and now I have to rely on Him to help me so I can help them.

God's working in me daily and I'm not giving up. Even though I feel like a wounded soldier working with my eyes fixed on the finish line. Even though I'm weak, He is strong.

This is a daily struggle and it effects every area of my life. Then again, that sounds a lot like the Christian walk.

Thank you for the prayers, positive thoughts and encouragement.

Scripture of the Week

"...go out into the world...Provide people with a glimpse of good living and the living God. Carry the light-giving message into the night..."
Philippians 2:14-16 (MSG)

Twitter / @Jenndividual

http://twitter.com/home#replies

Oh, the goobers I work with...

Faithbook

Faith Book
Susanne Scheppmann

"They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God." Nehemiah 9:3 (NIV)


Devotion:
A new addiction slipped into my life recently - Facebook. Internet social networking slid in quietly and unobtrusively. Each day I found myself reading and posting a bit more. I learned how to create my visual bookshelf, so my "friends" could check out what I was reading. I linked my blog. My time seeped into Facebook like grains of sand slide through the hourglass.

My addiction soon took a turn for the worst. I began to put off my personal quiet time with God until after I had Facebooked. Sadly, scripture seemed boring next to my friends' postings. Strangely, the mundane posts intrigued me. I had fallen under the spell of social networking.

Then one day, I dragged myself away from my laptop. I had Bible study that night and needed to finish my lesson. The lesson pointed us to the book of Nehemiah. I read, "They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God." (Nehemiah 9:3, NIV).

Yikes! They read God's Word for a quarter of the day, then spent another quarter of the day in confession and worshiping? These words haunted me the rest of the afternoon. When was the last time I spent that much time with God? How much time did I spend on the Internet? I felt a deep conviction about my Facebook addiction.

I determined that day to read my Bible, my FaithBook, before I turned on my computer each day. I would network with God, before networking with my friends. When I made this decision, I saw scripture jump back to life. God's Word spoke to me with a freshness that seemed as if He had just posted it Himself.

The addiction stopped. Oh, I still enjoy Facebook and other social networks, but I have learned to keep them in proper perspective. Psalm 119:59-60 sums up my new intent: "I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands" (NLT).

Will you join me in the commitment to spending time in God's Word before time spent on Facebook?

Dear Lord, I recognize that I spend too much time on the computer. Forgive my inattention to Your Word. Help me each day to place You first in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Slow Dance

This poem hits home with me:


Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is gone,
do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t go so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race
Do take it slower.

Hear the music.
Before the song is over.


(a poem written by child psychologist David L. Weatherford, as quoted in “4-Hour Work Week”, Timothy Ferriss)

The Mystery Ring

So I went on a trip a couple of months ago, stayed with friends and hung out in my hometown...when I got home there was a mysterious ring in my bag that I'd never seen before...kinda weird. I asked my friends and everyone I was with if it was theirs...nope. No one is claiming this ring.

Hmmm...

It's not that special...It's silver with a raised triangle-type emblem.

I don't think it's worth anything either...it's turning my finger green...

Well, what to do now? I decided if no one is going to claim it, it's mine. BOOM - try to stop me now!

Scripture for the Week (Weak)

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians, 2:2-3 (NIV)

It's hot...wanna get cooled off?

So it's crazy hot outside...what's with the high of 103? Crazy. My advice to stay alive is:

1. Focus on breathing.
2. Carry water with you like a camel.
3. Come to Sun 'N Fun Waterpark tonight for our party!

It's going down from 5-8pm and all admissions go to our expansion fund for The House FM. Some of us DJ's will be there with great prizes like Guitar Praise, Season passes to Sun 'N Fun, Concert Tickets and 5 cd pack. More info is at http://www.thehousefm.com So come out, get wet, say "Hello" to me, ride some rides, win prizes and support your favorite radio station.

As Andy says, "It's a win, win, win situation."

If you don't come tonight, you'll be kicking yourself and that will only make your body temperature rise. I think the choice is clear.


Info on The House FM-http://www.thehousefm.com
Info on Sun 'N Fun Waterpark-http://www.sunnfunwaterpark.net/

Update from Russia

I have friends in Russia right now. They are hoping to adopt a 16 year old and bring her home. This has been a long time coming, about 4 years. We are watching their third child, Xavier(X-Man) who is 4. Here's the update I got earlier today:

'We finally made it to the orphanage this afternoon after a 5 hour drive on WWII era roads. Anya was very happy to see us. She has grown a lot but still the same in a lot of ways.

The other kids were glad too because we came with 6 cases of chocolates. We took Anya to lunch were cabbage soup was the main course. Afterwards, some ice cream from the store, then some bowling at a 4 lane bowling alley, wrapping up with a walk through a park where the main attraction was the long haired goat monument who's nose you touch while making a wish. Tammy did the wishmaking.

Through the interpreter, we had some good conversations. Nothing too heavy on the first day. Over all she is in good spirits, very glad to see us and looking forward to tomorrow. Time will only tell if she will decide once and for all to come to America. We are praying for God's will in her life first and foremost. She is dealing with the prospect of leaving behind friends in the orphanage as well as a brother only a year older, that is wanting to stay. Anyway, it's tough for her so right now we are just focusing on the reunion. She still has a while to workout the best decision for her.

Tomorrow we will pick her up from the orphanage at 10:00am, 2:00am for you. I don't know what can do to top the goat monument, but we will try by having a birthday party for her with presents we brought from home.

Thanks again for all the help & support.'

Dave & Tammy

Volgograd Region

City of Urpinsk

Russia

Top 10

This is a different kind of Top 10...these are just a few questions I challenge you to answer truthfully. Maybe even print this out and have it as a weekly reality check in your life. This is mainly geared toward kids and teens, but it may be helpful to you as well.


My Weekly Top 10

one - God
Have I spent daily time in the scriptures and prayer?

two - Family
Have I spent any quality time with my family?

three - Friendships
Have I done anything this week to or with my friends
that is not a good reflections of Jesus?

four - Love
Have I blessed somebody or showed the love of Christ
to anyone this week?

five - Pride
Have I told any half truths or lies, trying to make myself
look better to the people around me?

six - Purity
Have I had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes?
Have I exposed myself to any explicit materials that do not glorify God?

seven - Actions
Have I taken anything that does not belong to me?
Have I said anything about anyone that I shouldn’t have?

eight - Drugs
Have I eaten, drank or put anything into my body that is not Christ-like?

nine - Focus
Is there anything causing me to stumble or take my eyes off of Jesus?

ten - Honesty
Have I lied on any of the answers to these questions?

Scripture for the Week (Weak)

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence."
2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Do It

Do It
Marybeth Whalen

"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
Matthew 17:27 (NIV)

Devotion:
Sometimes God asks us to do something we don't understand. It might seem unnecessary. It might seem crazy. Or it might seem like something God shouldn't need us to do because He is capable of doing it without our involvement. So why does He require our action?

When Jesus was asked to pay a tax, He told Peter to go catch a fish. Miraculously, the exact amount He needed was found in the mouth of the fish he caught. Peter had a moment where he had to either accept Jesus' methods or question them. In our limited human understanding it's easier to question, "Why didn't He just make that coin appear?" But Peter knew Jesus, and he knew he was better off to just do whatever Jesus had asked of him (Matthew 17:24-27).

Sometimes we have moments like Peter had. We stand there blinking, wondering if we heard Him right. In those moments we have to make a decision to just DO IT:

Deliberate
Obedience
Intentional
Trust

Certainly Jesus could have produced the amount needed in many different ways, but He required Peter to be involved. He required Peter to take action, just as He does with us at times.

When God showed my husband and I that we needed to begin tithing when what we wanted was to get out of debt, it didn't make sense to us at all. We had to simply respond with deliberate obedience and intentional trust.

When God challenged me to stick with my marriage when it seemed over, I wondered if He realized what He was asking. He wanted me to deliberately obey Him and intentionally trust Him. He didn't want me to look for the easy button. He wasn't offering a supernatural rescue. He needed me to walk through the process, learning lessons along the way. Instead of handing me a solution, He allowed me to be involved in it.

Is there something He is asking you to do that doesn't seem right, or normal, or natural from your human perspective? Are you ignoring His still small voice urging you to just trust and obey? Whether it's catching a fish or building an ark, you can rest assured that you are in good company. God has a plan--even when you can't see it. Sometimes you have to DO IT to reveal that plan.

*Dear Lord, I want to learn to respond with obedience to Your requests. When I hear Your voice speaking to me, I want to willingly do it--whatever "it" is. Thank You for reminding me that sometimes You require me to be part of my own solution. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Scripture for the Week (Weak)

Romans 3:23-24, "All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins." (CEV)

Does Your House Have To Be Clean?

Growing up, my Mom always wanted the house to be really clean when guests came over, like sparkling! I liked our house clean as much as the next person, but if things weren't perfect, the joy started to drain out of my family, the peace was gone. Because of that I have become somewhat of a neat freak, cleaning for fun and all that. Recently I've been praying about this and the motive behind it. The following is an article from Crosswalk that really hits home with me and really captures my heart now:


Does Your House Have to be Clean?
Sandy Coughlin
Crosswalk.com Contributor

When I think of hosting in our home, the first thing that comes to mind is all the cleaning I’ll have to do. Sometimes it’s hard to get beyond that issue, so that I just end up dropping the idea of having people over. How can I change my attitude about cleaning so that it doesn’t hinder hospitality in our house?

Last week we had friends over for a dinner, and I didn’t clean my house! It was an internal war inside - do I vacuum, dust and clean - or just let it go?

I’ll admit it. Sometimes I can be pretty lazy when it comes to deep-cleaning my house. A quick pick-up is definitely easier and quicker!

But what will my guests think?

Will they even notice?

Perfectionism
Recently a friend shared her struggles with me, admitting that her house having to be perfect was the main reason she hadn’t had anyone over in months. It’s a shame, too, because she has a cute apartment within walking distance of her church.

She’s afraid to have people over because most of her friends are neat-freaks, and she’s afraid her place won’t meet their standards.

Prioritize

When it comes to hospitality, we often lose our focus as life gets hurried and complicated. We dash around doing things that really don’t matter (like cleaning the house before the guests arrive!), and then our perspective shifts. We get so caught up in our present circumstances, trying to make things so perfect, that we can’t see beyond our difficulties.

Over the years I’ve learned to ask myself this: Would I rather continue on with what had already been a peaceful day - or kick it up a notch, running around crazily trying to make everything look just right? I won’t even mention what kind of mood that puts the whole family in.

I’ve learned to prioritize what the important aspects of entertaining are (obviously getting the food on the table in a timely manner), and I’ve decided that a happy family and a relaxed hostess are way more important to me than having things perfect.

Perspective

We had such a great time with our guests, but it’s so easy to get our perspective out of balance. At one point I found myself looking down at the un-vacuumed carpet. For a split second I was embarrassed. Then I looked up into the faces of those around our table and my perspective shifted back into place.

It’s not about the crumbs on the floor or the disorganized piles around the house. It’s not even that I am lazy when it comes to house cleaning. I definitely don’t fall into the mold of being a neat freak! I just tend to have a very busy, hectic schedule at times and I’m trying to prioritize what really matters.

I’d rather keep strong friendships going than give them up for a clean house.

Does your house have to be perfectly clean before you’ll invite others in?

Are You A Rebel?

The following is the message version of Isaiah 46, titled "This is Serious Business, Rebels."

*Listen to the words and let it sink in...

The god Bel falls down, god Nebo slumps.
The no-good hunks of wood are loaded on mules
And have to be hauled off,
wearing out the poor mules-
Dead weight, burdens who can't bear burdens,
hauled off to captivity.


"Listen to me, family of Jacob,
everyone that's left of the family of Israel.
I've been carrying you on my back
from the day you were born,
And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old.
I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray.
I've done it and will keep on doing it,
carrying you on my back, saving you."


"So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable?
Can you picture me without reducing me?
People with a lot of money
hire craftsmen to make them gods.
The artisan delivers the god,
and they kneel and worship it!
They carry it around in holy parades,
then take it home and put it on a shelf.
And there it sits, day in and day out,
a dependable god, always right where you put it.
Say anything you want to it, it never talks back.
Of course, it never does anything either!"

"Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart. Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you've eve had or will have-incomparable, irreplaceble-From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul, I'll do exactly what I set out to do, 'Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east, from a far country the man I chose to help me. I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it. I've planned it, so it's as good as done."

"Now listen to me: You're a hard-headed bunch and hard to help. I'm ready to help you right now. Deliverance is not a long-range plan. Salvation isn't on hold. I'm putting salvation to work in Zion right now, and glory in Israel."

Song of the Week

My current fav song we're playing on The House FM (http://www.thehousefm.com/thehouse.asp)

"You Can't Take Away" Mikeschair

All alone, All of us
Fear has come and so we must
Ask ourselves in who we trust
Or we have fear it's not enough
To let it bring, in freedom sing

(chorus)
You can take away
Everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God

Waves will come, winds will blow
But it's not here, I've found my hope
My beating heart, my weary soul
Is held by one who won't let go
And so I'll cling to you my king

(chorus)

A hope that can't be lost
A love that can't be bought
You can't take away my God
Nothing high or low
Nothing you can control
You can't take away my God

(chorus)


*To listen to the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nby-BPrTyPw

I'm lovin Romans 12:2 right now

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it's level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

I hope that encourages you this week. Purpose to rely FULLY on God and look to Him for direction. Allow Him to bring about 'well-formed maturity'.

Lyrics of the Week

Drum roll.......here's the current song playing on my ipod:


Francesca Battistelli from her album My Paper Heart

"Someday Soon"

I wanna be the one who knows everything about you
I wanna be the one who’s always on your mind
I wanna be the one to get all of your affection and attention
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, for all this time
And I can’t imagine anything, anything better than

(Chorus)
Someday falling in love with you
Holding your hand
Making our plans all come true
Someday under a sky so blue
I’ll give you my heart
Our story will start someday soon

I wanna be the one who does everything with you
Watching stars, washing cars, taking walks, going to the store
I wanna be the one who gets to change her last name someday
To something that sounds something more like yours

(Chorus)

Yeah I’ll be telling you I love you
On a picture perfect day
And those words inside my head
They sound like angels singing praise
It’s what I was made to say


*Now go listen to it!

Are you cool?

So I'm sitting here in my un-tucked shirt, ripped jeans, sipping a latte, twittering to all my "peeps" while I write my latest blog....ugghhhhh...Lord, please deliver us from "cool."

Here’s what’s hard though. Cool is such a desirable commodity is our world. In fact, many, many of my best friends are cool. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Cool is the word that never goes out of style. It is our verbal stamp of approval when we like anything. “Cool.” It’s blessing, approval, validation and pure goodness all wrapped up in one magnificent word.

To set the record straight, I do happen to enjoy a more modern, casual dress. I also like my coffee. Every now and again I “twitter”... only because someone talked me into signing up and now have about 60 “followers” that I feel obligated to throw down amazing status reports to.

Cool seems to have become a pre-requisite for nearly every occupation today…whether it’s being a Mom with the 'fly' stroller, McDonald’s and their latest offerings of uber hip coffee or churches with their trendy marketing and phat worship “experiences.”

Ok…I am not on a personal journey to Dorkville, nor am I saying that we should avoid the cool technology that the nerds of this world are creating for us. I just think we should take a step back and re-define cool.

To me, cool is confidence in who you really are. Cool is not being afraid to boldly forward the mission God has given you for life. And sometimes cool is saying I’m not going to do this just because everyone else on the planet is doing it. I love when I meet someone who tried watching LOST and had the inner courage to tell me that they hated the show. BRAVO!! I know a Pastor who preaches in one of the most relevant churches in our nation who doesn’t even come close to passing the “cool” test in his clothing and dress. But that’s what makes him so cool. He is confident in his calling and secure in his mission.

Here’s the deal folks; if you market and sell vacuum cleaners, you have a responsibility to attract the culture you live in to your sucking machines. You better find a way to make sure your vacuum cleaner is more than just a cool looking machine. It better be a better “sucker’ than the rest of them. If your machine looks like something out of Star Wars and still doesn’t pick up the dirt, then obviously…it doesn’t suck…and you do. Cool alone won’t cut it.

For those of us helping to lead the church, our job is also to clean up the dirt. Let’s remember our mission. Let’s be who we are knowing that there are people out there who will be attracted to the gift of personality, style and talent that God has placed within us. It’s not our tricked out 25 Flat-Screened Information Desk in the lobby that is going to save the sinner. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Cool? Cool.

7 Thoughts on the Art of Cool:

Here are some thoughts on cool for the church, market place and anyone else that is attempting to be cool.

1. If you have to convince people that you are cool, you're probably not.

• Example: PC commercials.
• Stop calling yourself cool and just be.

2. Excellence is more attractive than cool.

• Do things well to attract people.
• Better is better. Cool is not better.

3. Usefulness is more important than cool.

• Is your message or product useful and applicable or just cool?
• Relevant and cool are not synonyms.

4. Cool makes something popular, but once it's popular it begins to decrease in coolness.

• Example: When your mom is on facebook it becomes a little less cool.
• Oprah was the worse thing that could have happened to twitter.

5. Cool can not be copied.

• You can't duplicate cool, but you can be inspired by it.

6. Cool has a very short shelf life.

• Just because something or someone was cool does not mean they are or will continue to be.
• Cool is constantly evolving and is subject to opinion.

7. Cool is overrated.

I Pray You Enough

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.'They kissed, and the daughter left.

The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?

Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this good-bye, forever ?

''Well...I'm not as young as I once was she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?'

She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wantings.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.

To all my friends and loved ones, I PRAY YOU ENOUGH.......

Random notes from my Mother's Day trip to Tulsa

I decided to take my Mom to Tulsa to see Joyce Meyer at a conference. On our way there, my friend called me and said he was going to be at the same event we were, and asked if we wanted him to save us a seat. My Mom was already tired and said, "no thanks". So, we kept going and talking, then my Mom said, "If you want to go, you can. I'll just drop you off then he can take you home." We talked a bit more, and I ended up calling him back and changing my mind! I thought I was going to be late, but I got there as the 1st song by Delirious? was playing. I'd never seen Delirious? before...have to say, awesome worship! Joyce was fun to see live! You would think that this would be an event with mostly women, but it was pretty well mixed. Actually, I didn't even sit next to a lady...Cool conference altogether. There were people outside with huge signs that said, "Joyce sends people to hell" and other things like that. The weird part was, the part that said Joyce was taped on or something...! She mentioned it that night and said it looked like it was Velcro-ed on!

Anyway, so that night was awesome and my friend actually rededicated his life to Christ. Way cool. When the conference let out, we walked out with the masses of people and kept walking and walking....and walking! Slowly there were less and less people around us...there were weird people and bums, mind you. If I had gone that night with my Mom, I'd have called a cab or something, but because I was with Levi, I was pretty content and realized that if something happened, we'd both beat up whoever came our way. Yeah, that's comforting. Well, turns out Levi parked more than a dozen blocks away. It was nice to walk and all the crosswalks turned as soon as we got to them. We passed a guy who was by the curb, chewing tobacco, smoking and on the phone. He was acting so passive and cool. He said to his bud on the phone in the most serious tone, "Spitting. I love spitting." I had the hardest time holding in the laughter!! Levi was like, "What?" I had a hard time regaining my composure...ah, good times.

The next morning I got up at 7...so much for my day off! We had to work out the shower times with the people who we stayed with...I had more time while I was there to study the Word and memorize scripture. I was grateful to get that time. The bed I stayed in was on drugs or something. It was so high...come on, that was funny.

So we went to the morning session and had a great time. My Mom loved being there. That's all I wanted. Afterward, we had time to just roam the town - My Mom's favorite thing to do! We went to lunch at Casa Bonita's and had some memories rushing back from years ago...they didn't have the buffalo head in the lobby though. That's sad. Here's a peek inside: Mexican style window ledge...Street lights inside love it!

We had some kind of nacho salad in the rain forest/cave place. Of course, the waterfall was loud! Can't forget the sopha-pias! There were awesome and sticky as ever! By the way, they have the same tables as Chili's...just sayin.

It's dark, but this is the flag to tell them, "Hey, I want something else to make my hands sticky...now!"

So we were shopping for hours...somehow my Mom never realizes the time that passes...hmm. We dropped by sonic later and the building was bigger than the space for cars...it looked weird.

Big Lots! They have the weirdest things! I found cool Wii accessories, a Sugar ladle and an apple corer , there was a wagon wheel randomly there as well . Water bottles bigger than your head , & a vase/decorative something!


As we left, this is what was in the case:
I don't know if you can tell, but there are power tools and motorized toothbrushes right next to each other. Like in the same department. That's funny.



I liked the feel of Tulsa. It had been a while since I'd been there. Although, I've decided I don't want to live there again. Yes, I miss the big city and crazy driving, but I don't miss the anger, confusion, self-centeredness, and smoke! More and more I am realizing the different cultures between two places, even a few hours away from each other. I like the kindness and sincerity of the people here. Also, I know my way around here! God also opened my eyes. He's been doing that every time I go back home. I saw more mattresses under bridges and everyone acting like these homeless people's situations were normal. Made me cry.

One thing I do miss about Tulsa is Thrift Stores. Hands down, that is the one thing that makes me sad. Growing up, that was where I got all my clothes. Here, there's just not great stores like that. I got a summer dress and some wicked Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tapes. Yes, you heard me right, tapes. As in cassettes. I found 3 of them!! Awesome. On the DL, I found a Rick Astley tape... and no, I didn't get it!

Driving around, I got some awesome ideas for a commercial for church to promote our newest event. Hopefully I'll get to that soon! Also, I realized another reason I like water is because you can't water down water. How about that for deep?

Of course we stopped by Fuddrucker's (best hamburgers ever!) and Freckle's (best concrete's ever!) Had a Razzamatazz! Apparently, that's cheesecake and raspberries - yum!

I keep talking about getting a haircut or trim and never do. It could have been the sugar in my system, but why shift the blame? I saw a huge sign that said "Discount Haircuts!" and that was convincing of a good job, so we went...The place was called HAIRCUTS NOW! A little pushy, don't you think? So, I've been wanting bangs for a while and the length was getting weird, so I went for it! The lady asked a few questions about the cut then, snip! By the way...I've never had my hair cut at a salon before! I know, crazy! My Mom always cut my hair, no joke. So this was a new experience in more than one way. The lady tried to make small talk and asked me what I was up to. This is how the convo went:

"You mean today or in general?"

"Both, what do you do? Are you a student?"

"Oh, no. I actually live in Ponca City. We're in town for a conference. The one with Joyce Meyer."

"Yeah? I heard about that. Is it good?"

"Yes! It's free too!"

"So, what do you do when your not on vacation?"

"Actually, I'm a DJ."

"Really? Cool. (Long Pause) So like at a bar or...?"

"Umm, no. At a Christian Radio Station."

"OH! I was way off!"

"That's alright!"

"Well, that's really cool. I'm sure that's fun."

"It is, different every day, but fun!"

So then she just asked me questions about my hair and stuff and then i was done! Quick! It was cool to be able to share what I do and what I'm doing and be a witness without even trying! I hope she went that night.

The cut turned out well, I think. There are a few people around me calling it "Killer Bangs"...sounds so violent.

So that was my weekend. Fun, exhausting, long and memorable. My Mom said her favorite part was being able to hang out with her daughter. Awe...good. That was the point.

Keep eternity in view

Ask God to help you see your life from an eternal perspective so you can make the best decisions - ones that will use your time on Earth to make a positive impact that will last forever. Make God your top priority, and place people as a higher priority than things, because people have eternal value, while things don't last. Invest deeply in your relationships, doing all you can to serve other people and bring honor to God. Constantly sort through you busyness to decide what really matters eternally, and focus on that as you live your life in rhythm with God.