wise words from a ? 6 ? year old.......

a conversation between a little boy at our church & his mom:

Travis: "Every man needs to find a wife. If he can."
Me: "And what if he doesn't?"
Travis: "Then he will have to go to the store."
Me: "To get a wife?"
Travis: "No. To get his food."

now that boy is going to make some girl a good husband!!!!  (wonder if he gives lessons?!)



and here are some wise words from an older man - not sure how old he was when he said/wrote this, but he wrote it in about 605 BC -- & it's still so very pertinent today!!! 


"even if the fig tree does not bloom & the vines have no grapes; even if the olive tree fails to produce & the fields yield no food; even if the sheep pen is empty & the stalls have no cattle -- even then i will be happy with the Lord.  I will truly find joy in the God who saves me."

his name was habakkuk.  he wrote a whole book.  maybe travis will write a book someday.


if he does, i'm going to buy it for someONE!!!!


blogger wouldn't let me post any pictures tonight --- so all you get today is wise words!!!

have a really blessed day!!!

p.s.  if you're having trouble posting a comment - some people have trouble, some don't - don't know what's up with that, but anyhow, there are some "reaction" buttons at  the bottom of each post.  you can click on one.  at least it'll tell me what you think even if you can't post a comment.  i'd like to know what people think.  thanks!!!!!

i'm a biker chick!!!

ha!  i'll bet THAT caught your attention!!!!!


jack & i have gotten up early the past 2 mornings & have gone for a nice long ride each day!!  yes, i went bike riding this morning before church!!!!!  now i just need to get my lazy butt up out of bed on the weekdays & do the same before work!!!!!  

i haven't ridden for 2 weeks & i can feel the lack of use in my muscles!  gotta get in better shape!   one of my friends - my crazy mexican friend - told me i have "rock hard firm muscular legs like a body builder"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hmmmmmpf!  that was kind of nice!!!  (she also said something else, that was meant as a compliment but didn't come out the way she meant it, but we won't go there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

didn't go to the virgin islands this weekend - went to the bahamas instead!!!!  spent the weekend in another friend's pool - i've named her back yard the bahamas!!!!  i'll have to make her a sign!!


we had a really good sermon today in church - all about loving the brethren.  already tonight something happened & i'm having to LIVE this sermon!  God is always testing me to see if i'm gonna be faithful to Him...........


sorry for another post with no pictures.  i'll have to get busy.............



sorry!  i just HAD to post a picture!!!!!


....counting the days til the weekend!!!!!   virgin islands or bahamas?  we shall see!!!

"....make me a blessing to someone today...."

a dozen things you don't know about me

1.  i've never eaten a brussel sprout, artichoke, or any other "weird" vegetable.  & don't intend to either!!!

2.  since we grew up on a farm, my parents would cook "weird" meats like cow's tongue or heart.  i would go to bed hungry on those nights!!  i'd rather starve than eat a cow's tongue!!!!!!

3.  i lived in 15 different apartments or houses from 1980 to 1989.

4.  i've lived in the same house from 1990 to now!!!!

5.  i hate to shop.

6.  i don't like my name.  i was named after my 2 grandmothers.  i wish my name was emily.

7.  i would have loved living during the civil war era - except i would want deodorant, makeup & to shave my legs!!!  i also would have been a rebel because i would have removed my big hoop skirt in order to get a fantastic tan!!!!!!!

8.  my mom was a fantastic gardener & could grow anything.

9.  i can kill dirt!  (wait, some of you DO know that!!!!)

10.  growing up, i wanted to be an architect.  i would sit for hours & draw house plans.

11.  i grew up swimming in a pond; now, the neighborhood pool is too dirty for me!!!!!!!!!!

12.  i love my job, but would rather be a SAHW (stay at home wife), living in a little old house out in the texas hill country, loving & spoiling my husband like crazy!!!!

now tell me a dozen things i don't know about you!!!!


and be blessed!!!

i miss jack

i've been busy working on vbs scenery up at church every night this week so i haven't been able to spend any time with jack.  there are 4 different scenes, the arctic, the pacific ocean, the egyptian desert, the brazillian jungle......the scenes are sooooooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  this is going to be a great vbs!!!!  i'll post pictures soon.



but i miss my time with jack!



i promise you, my dear, that after vbs is done i will be all yours.  we'll go lots of places & spend lots of time together.



i promise. 



trust me.



i love you.




how many times have i heard THOSE words?!


but

i mean them.

patiently waiting............

hey!  it's almost the weekend!!!!!  virgin islands, here i come!!!!

be blessed!!!

contemplations

i've been busy the past 2 nights up at church working late on vbs scenery, so i haven't been able to write this post but i have been formulating it in my mind for several days.

i even stamped sunday night!!!!!!---made 34 cards!!!! (not all like this one!!!)

sunday morning while driving to church these thoughts popped into my head, "what if i had been more fun?"  "why am i such a boring person?"  whenever my kids or someone asks me what i want to do, i can never think of anything fun.  i can never think of anything that anyone else would want to do with me.  i can think of lots to do by myself - just sit, read, stamp or scrapbook.......

i don't want to be alone or lonely, but that's what most of my activities are.



i took a personality test awhile back.

i'm "jackie onassis" -- a sophisticated, quiet, classy woman.



me???!!!

i would say i'm more down to earth & rustic. 


like renee zellweger in "cold mountain"!!!!!




but i can wear pearls with my jeans!

i always wanted to be classy.  there's a lady at church that i admire greatly.  she's classy.  i've always said i want to be like joanne wafer - classy.  i just don't hit the mark though.  i try, but i usually say or do something stupid & look foolish.  there's another lady at church that can say ANYTHING & it comes across in the right way, funny & just right.....  i can say the SAME exact thing she says, in the SAME way, in the SAME tone of voice, & it offends people & they make some comment about how wrong or foolish or sarcastic i am.  WHY? 

and why am i not fun?

i can be fun.  in fact, just sunday night i was stamping with sarah & we laughed so hard that we cried.  joyce & i have laughed so hard we almost peed our pants!!!  (i guess you can call that fun!!!!!)  my sister maggie & i have laughed so hard that we do our "grammy laugh" (our grandmother would laugh so hard that she made this weird gasping noise.  it's embarrassing.  i hate when i laugh like that.  it usually makes me cry - not a funny cry but a sad embarrassed cry.  i hate it.  i try so hard not to do it.  sometimes it just happens.  i hate it.)

well, of course i was praying about this sunday night.  and WHAT DO YOU THINK my
proverbs31woman devotion was about monday morning??????


you guessed it!!!


God made you just the way He wants you! (my title, not theirs)

here's an excerpt:

Although my head spoke words of doubt, God was strengthening my heart with His truth. He was teaching me that His love for me and my potential weren’t tied to performance. It didn’t matter what my “resume” looked like, or what level of “success” I achieved.

He wanted me to accept His love…just as I was. This truth shouted freedom to an achievement-based woman like me.  It didn’t happen overnight, but as I learned that my value was found in being a beloved daughter of God, I realized God had never compared me to anyone. He wasn’t counting accomplishments or gauging my impact. He was simply interested in what I did with what He entrusted to me.

After years of disqualifying myself, I finally accepted that God created me unique for a reason. The way I think, my personality and talents are all tools to accomplish God’s plan for me. What I saw as flaws, He saw as potential. And the more I invested in how God made me, the greater He was glorified, and the more impactful I was at work and in  ministry.

The same is true for every woman. God’s design of you is intentional. You aren’t like your mother, sister or friend for a reason. Your life and ministry will never look like the manager you admire, the women’s ministry director at your church, or the woman who lives next door.  And that’s a good thing, because God doesn’t want you to be like them. He wants you to be YOU.

The challenge today is to release the expectations you’ve placed on yourself and explore God’s amazing plan for you. You’ll discover what I did: Everyone has something to offer.

Dear Lord, thank You for placing potential within me. Forgive me for neglecting the gifts and talents You’ve given me, or for wishing I had someone else’s abilities and experiences. Help me to embrace Your design of me, and to explore the incredible plan
You have for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

a special card for a special 15 year old

(i've gotta work on my focusing...........but that's another post!!!)

then this thought hit me:

it doesn't matter that i'm not fun.


what's important is that i'm Christ-like.

that's what i need to strive for!  and that's what i fail at so greatly.


be blessed - or be a blessing - or be both!!!!

i had a baby............

19 years ago!!!!!!!    on july 14, 1992 at 12:51pm  i had a baby!!!!  it was the best day of my life!!!!

i love you suzanne!!!!

sara doing her "betty boop" impersonation!!!!!

 you've grown to be a beautiful woman of God - i love you!!!!

but i still can't believe you're already 19!!!!!!!!

part 2

God is ahhhhhhh-mazing, part 2

last night i was so tired, spent too much time on the computer talking to someONE, then was really wanting to read (3 books about God.  couldn't decide which one to read so i was reading little bits of each.) 

decided on 1 & read til almost 2 am.  i told myself i needed to stop & get some sleep because i'd have to wake up in a few hours.  told God i really wanted to talk to Him, but hoped He'd understand that i was just soooo tired!  He must not have been too upset because as soon as i turned off the light, i was asleep!  in an instant!!

the 1st thought i had when i woke up was, "wow!  i don't even remember going to sleep!  it happened so fast!!! the light went out & i was asleep in an instant!  thank you God for allowing me to sleep & not lay there restlessly."

i went to work & what was my proverbs31woman devotional about today????

 sleep & rest!!!!!  how it's important & God feels it's important!  here's the prayer at the end of the devotional:

Dear Lord, thank You for rest. Thank You that I can rest while You continue to hold everything together. Help me rest well and worship You through rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


so i thought, "it's so important to God that He caused me to fall asleep right away last night!!!"  

then i got to thinking about how i fell asleep the other night while praying, (or should i say wrestling with God.)  i truly feel God allowed me to fall asleep while praying because i just needed the rest from struggling with my problem that i was discussing with Him.

He knows what's best!  He knows what we need.

then a little later i thought of this:

before i "signed up" on those dating sites, i had read a devotional about how Jesus told the disciples to throw their net on the other side of the boat because they hadn't been successful catching any fish.  the author of the devotional said, "is there something you've been neglecting to do or afraid of trying?  throw your net on the other side of the boat & see what blessings God has for you."  i thought, well maybe the on-line dating thing is where i need to throw my net! 

i questioned God about it after being "unsuccessful"---today i realized the answer!  i threw the net out, tried it, concluded it wasn't for me.  i said to God "so why didn't You bless me with "fish" (a man)?

His answer was:  "I didn't say I would bless you with a man, I just said I would bless you."

to which i replied, "i get it now!!  yes, God, You sure have blessed me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He knows what's best.  He knows what we need!!!

i am SO blessed!!


(i stamped with a friend from church tonight - well, we mostly talked!!!  but i'll take some pictures & post tomorrow!!!  it's been a long time since there was anything stamped posted here!!!!!)

have a blessed day!!!   i'm gonna!!!

God is Absolutely Ahhhhhhh-MAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

warning:  this is a VERY LONG post, but trust me, it's worth it!!!

i have the following written in the front of my Bible:  "we talk to God through prayer; He talks to us through His Word."  i believe that.  but i also believe He "talks" in other ways.  or, now that i think of it, maybe it's just He reinforces  what he says in His Word.  He does that so often with me!  it happened again!!

last night before bed i was praying, asking forgiveness for a sin i had committed.  dare i tell you?

yeah, i think i'm going to have to come clean --part of the "clean my heart, God" prayer last week!!!!  this is going to be very personal, but i'm going to share it anyway, because i have really learned a lesson from it & i'm just excited to share that lesson!!

i was telling God i didn't feel loved.  by Him or by anyone.  i want so badly to be loved.  we all do, right?  God created us that way.  (and i promptly reminded Him of that fact!) (sometimes i wonder how God feels when we just really "give it to Him" & tell Him exactly how we feel!!! ---probably very proud of the fact that He's our Father & his children have come to Him & tell Him everything!  it's great to have a relationship like that!!!) 

anyhow,  i've been looking for love in the wrong places. not looking to God for the love i need. 

last year i had been praying that God would fill me with His love & if He wanted, He could send someONE to love too!  it had been 5 years since our divorce.  i didn't want anyone those 1st years.  i needed to be alone & heal from a lot of stuff.  i was really working on it & letting God work in me.  lots of my friends told me i should do the "online dating" thing.  i was ADAMANT that that was not for me!  i refused to even think about it, let alone do it.  i was just going to trust God.

well, he sent someONE!  we got to be really good friends.  this person taught me that i could love again.  he also taught me sacrifical love.  as no one else i know ever has.  (except for Jesus!)   then because of a lot of things, things just weren't going anywhere.  we're still wonderful friends - best friends.  we talk & do things, we love & understand each other & tell each other everything.  but it's not "that relationship" - the one every girl wants.  i'll admit, it's difficult, but i pray everyday for patience, for me to trust God.  i want what God has planned for my life, but sinfully i want what i want too.  maybe even moreso because i try to take things into my own hands. 

at the suggestion of several friends, i tried the online dating thing. OH MY GOODNESS!!!  it just confirmed the fact that IT IS NOT FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!  i "joined" 2 sites & did a free trial on 2 others--you may as well get the most exposure for the most results, right?!  well, i'm proud to say that on 1 site there were NO matches in a 300 mile radius of houston - for several weeks!!!  with "1000's a people joining each day" at that!!!!   how's that for your ego??!!  on the other 3 sites i was a "creep magnet"!!!  oh my!  i'm not even going to go into all the details, but it was disgusting!  or guys would "wink" (they don't even have the courage to email, they just "wink" & then if i sent an email (all on the "secure site email, of course), the jerks wouldn't respond.  not even to say, thanks, but no thanks.  ok, if they're looking, they need to converse too, right??  needless to say, i cancelled them ALL.   even got all my money refunded because of a creepy thing that happened....they even tried to give me 2 extra months free if i'd stay, wait, we'll give you 4 extra months....SORRY, i'm OUTTA HERE!  thanks for my money back!

so, after weeks of feeling miserable about this whole thing & trying to be so strong about it, but not discussing it with God, i'm feeling like a real jerk for trying to take things into my own hands & i'm telling God this & asking for His forgiveness & telling Him i just want His love but i'm not feeling it.  after lots more praying & crying, i fell asleep.  how does THAT make my Father feel? ---i just fall asleep in the middle of talking to Him!!

this morning i read my proverbs31woman devotional and what's it about?!
(highlighted emphasis mine)

July 11, 2011
More for My Girl
Lynn Cowell

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe…” Ephesians 1:18-19a (NIV)    (God has used this verse in the past to TALK to me)

More. More than the empty promises from boys. More than the masked protection of makeup. More than the false assurance of outfits.  More. It’s what she wants for her daughter. She wants her girl to grow up with courageous confidence and without raw regret.
Even though my friend practically grew up under a steeple, during her teen years the truth that Jesus was crazy about her slipped through the cracks of her low self-worth. She turned to easy choices laid out by friends and gave away so much of herself in hopes of finding love.  But the more my friend gave, the emptier she felt. Eventually she lost hope and wondered, “Is there such a thing as lasting love?”

This is the opposite of what she wants for her own daughter. Yet, she sees things in her girl’s life similar to her own teen years. Chasing after attention. Wearing layers of makeup. Flirtatious outfits that draw others’ eyes. Her daughter is turning to everything and everyone to fill the hole that only God’s love can.

I want God’s best for my girl, too. And if you have a daughter, I bet you do as well.
The question is: how do we give our girl the assurance she needs? How can we help her find the confidence to make wise choices that lead to God’s best for her?
I’ve found that it’s important to start by praying verses like today’s key verse, asking God to enlighten the eyes of our hearts. Then we will see the hope Jesus calls us to and we can share it with our daughter.

You see, as we possess the confidence that comes from knowing we are loved and accepted by the Lord, our daughter will take notice. When she sees her mom live out of the hope and love of Jesus, our girl will discover that she too can make choices based on His love for her and seek the hope only He can give.  When we need to make hard decisions, we can turn to Jesus for understanding and courage, modeling an example of confidence for our daughters. As moms, we can take them further on this journey of growth by asking them to pray with us, read His Word with us and speak hope to others with us. They will see how to transition from simply reading the Word of God to applying it and living out its truths. They’ll witness firsthand what it means to view this world, themselves and others from His perspective.

When our girl sees His incomparably great power working in us, filling our hearts, it makes God’s promises believable. As we find our fulfillment in God’s love for us, instead of looking to someone or something else to fill us, our daughter will see a life that blossoms with purpose.  It may not be immediate. In fact, it could possibly take years for her to want what we have. But we can trust in the goodness of our God. He wants more for our girl, too!

Dear Jesus, I am desperate to see my girl walk in the freedom that comes when her heart is filled by You. Fill my heart, Lord, so I can model this fulfillment. Help me turn to You. May my daughter see me run to You first and may she run to You too! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Take an inventory in your own life today. What things do you run to instead of Jesus? Husband, food, best friend, FaceBook? Tomorrow, when you see this same pattern, make a deliberate choice to pray. Invite Jesus to fill that spot instead.
Reflections:
What would my daughter say she sees me run to when I feel anxious, fearful or rejected?
What changes would have to take place in my life for me to find my confidence and hope in Jesus instead?
Power Verses:
Ephesians 3:17a, 18-19, “And I pray that you…may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (NIV)
© 2011 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.


wow!  last night i'm praying that i don't feel loved & this morning God's telling me that i
AM loved, i just need to be looking in the right places!  we even talked in sunday school yesterday about idols & where our hearts truly are.  i've been making my desire to be loved an idol.  i need to be concentrating on God's love instead.  i'm not saying that i still don't have the desire to be loved by someONE -- that desire is still very strong.  God made it that way!  i just need to trust Him (not me)  to fulfill that desire.  He brought to mind matthew 6:32,33 -- ".....for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  but seek first His kingdom & righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  (i know Jesus is talking about them worrying about food & clothing, but i think He also meant anything we need.)


and then to reinforce the fact even more:  i went to the post office at lunch time.  as i'm passing by 2nd baptist church, i see their marquee sign which reads:

"let God love you"

how appropriate!!!!!   

God talks to me.  and He loves me.  He's got a plan for my life.  i just need to trust Him & let Him love me.  i am loved & i can love.

and i am blessed.

(& if you're still reading this, thank you for loving me enough to read this.)

Jesus is right there with me, as He was with Peter during his unbelief. 

wow!  that's love.

ain't he cute!!!

he's a little shy & apparently doesn't like having his picture taken (that's why it's a little blurry!!!  it's not because i'm a bad photographer!!! ha ha ha!!!   i'll have to work on getting a better picture of him.)     but anyways, here's jack:  ...............

we went on a long ride this morning!  longer than we've ever done......& i worked up a big sweat, my butt was feeling the seat, for some strange reason i lost the feeling in all my fingers, but my legs weren't as wobbly at the end like they have been!!

i think we're getting used to spending time with each other!  i've got some housework to do & a baby shower to go to this morning.  i think jack & i will have another date this afternoon or evening!!  i really like him!!!!

last saturday i got some new plants for the virgin islands.  doesn't the little red wagon look cute??!!!!  i've decided it's going to stay in the virgin islands.  now if i can just remember to water........................!!

got some other plants too....have to finish planting this weekend.

rosemary & lavendar----they smell so good!!!!!

be a blessing & have a great weekend!!!!   (you know where you'll find me..............!!)

my dates with jack!

we've been together for a week now.  his name is jack.

we've had a few dates.  last time was monday morning.  i've been busy this week with vbs preparations, so i haven't been able to do anything with him in the evenings.  i NEED to spend more time with him.  i WANT to spend more time with him.

i WILL have to make more time for him.  it will do me good!

he makes me feel good -- except for the wobbly legs after i've been with him awhile.  but hopefully that won't last long!   but i am in love!



here's a picture of him:

i thought he was a girl, but he's definitely a guy.  his name is panama jack.  he wears hawaiian shirts with hibiscus flowers on them!!!!   yellow ones.

i'll be spending a lot of time with him!!!

i hope i've blessed you with a little smile on your face & in your heart!!!!  go be a blessing to someone else!!!


p.s.  if you want someplace to go on wednesday nights, where you will be blessed, come to prayer meeting at copperfield bible church @ 7pm.  what a blessing!!!!!