Learning to believe what I believe

Welcome to the first posting for the Beth Moore Believing God online bible study. We are so glad you are here.

Coffee and tea are over in the corner and if Linda remembered to bring snacks, they will be over there,too, next to the childcare donation basket.
Let's begin by singing to the Lord together....
"This is the air I breathe......"

Wow. Didn't that sound exactly like every women's' bible study you have ever been a part of?
Well, don't get too excited because we're not gonna be able to follow that format. At all.

For one, I can't sing. Not even a little bit. Especially not when I'm wearing these old sweats and ratty slippers.
But, I'll tell you what:
Grab your coffee anyway and lets talk to each other about what we learned from "Believing God" this week. Let's have some CHURCH!

I'll go first. Because I'm competitive and over-eager like that.

First off, this is a lot of work! Every day!

But can I just say how G.O.O.D. that is for me at this particular time this summer?

The Greek stuff? Well, much of it is still Greek to me. But I like that Beth seems to think I can understand it anyway. Makes me feel smart, somehow.

The blue cord? It is on my right wrist and reminding me daily not to follow my own heart, but to follow the Lord and His commandments.

The bedtime meditations? I do love this theory. Going to sleep thinking on, meditating on what God has been doing in my life that day. In truth, it is usually about some form of reality television. I will need to wrestle with this one.

When I first read through the five statements of faith :

1. God is who He says He is.

2. God can do what He says He can do.

3. I am who God says I am.

4. I can do all things through Christ. (who strengthens me.)

5. God's word is alive and active in me.

I kind of skimmed them, nodding my head internally and agreeing wholeheartedly with each statement.

Then I read them again. I think I believe one and two without reservation but I had to slow down and carefully consider # three.

Whoops.

I looked up scripture that tells me who God says I am and realised that I don't live my life like that. Victoriously. Like God loves me, every minute or every day. Like I am God's handiwork. Like I am an heir of God, since I am a daughter of God. And I could go on and on.

I am seeing one area where I need to believe in God with all my heart.

How about you?

What statements struck you this week? What scripture whispered in your ear and stayed in your heart? What truths are you coming away with?

Please leave a note here and feel more than free to add your blog address if you want to post about the bible study at your blog. We'd love to have you do either or both.

Why do I go out in public?

I made the afternoon decaf (Verona Bold from my own personal angel from the 'Bux, Amy) and saw I was out of milk.

This will not do at all for the afternoon pick-me-up.

So I headed out the door. But Chopper and Lila looked at me with their passive/aggressive "We'd like to go so much but we know we are too much trouble and you'd never take us."

In a devil-may-care mood, I said "Come on, let's go!" to my faithful bullmastiff companions.

They jumped in the back of the SUV and we were off.

At the store, I bought milk and a few other items totaling $80.00. (my word, groceries are expensive!) before heading back to the car.

Walking towards it, I could see a slight movement through the privacy glass in the back of the SUV. The dogs had seen me, even though I couldn't see them. They were starting to wiggle around in anticipation of my arrival.

They made me smile just thinking about them.

Before I could stop or even edit myself, I heard my voice calling to the dogs from clear across the parking lot. Using the obnoxious sing-song voice people use when talking to their beloved animals, I shouted " Who's the poofy strangers? Are you the poofy strangers? Where are Mommy's poofy strangers? Who are the best poofy strangers?"

(Quick sidebar: Could I explain why we call the dogs "poofy strangers?" Probably. Will I? I don't think so. Just accept it. Don't judge on us.)

I saw the whole SUV shaking and knew the Choppy and Lila were now knocking each other over in their excitement and glee. It just encouraged me to completely disregard my public surroundings and keep calling to them; the dogs no one else could see because of the almost black privacy glass.

They were just beside themselves with joy that I was almost across the parking lot by now.

The family in the in the Subaru watching and listening to me calling out to the "poofy strangers?"

Not so much.

I gave mountain people a bad name. Again.

Bloggy Carnival Giveaway

*** My Giveaway is closed. Winner announced tomorrow!!***

I just found out it was Bloggy Giveaway Carnival week.

Whoops.

But I am so on top of this.

I have the most beautiful light green, delicately embossed, leather ESV bible. It is the most gorgeous bible ever. Really.

And it comes with chocolately hazelnut Heaven in a jar. A BIG 26.5 oz jar. Because sugar and me? No longer friends.

But you? You can read Ephesians or 1st Peter while eating great spoonfuls of chocolatey deliciousness.

Or ponder Psalms as you crunch on Nutella graham cracker sandwiches.

Either way, you can't lose.

As long as you win, I mean.

So sign up.

**Also, Linda (who I am starting to love like a sistah) at 2nd Cup of Coffee and I are hosting a Beth Moore online bible study "Believing God." We are "meeting" every Thursday beginning this week and would love to have you join us and hear what you are learning.

Click here if you would like to enroll and join our crew! (and leave me a note that you are signing up)

You might even have the beautiful new bible use!

**Please leave me your email address if you do not have a blog!!

New Blogging Law

Blech.
My pathetic, whiny twin sister I posted this morning apparently while I was unbalanced. At least hormornally so.
The new law is this:
I must wait for a 24 hour "cooling off" period before publishing any post.
Less entertaining for you.
But less "blech-iness" for me.
(notice how I now break my own law by pressing the "publish post" button. Ta da!)

Psalm 88

Notice the blue cord around my right wrist this morning? This is our reminder in keeping with the Believing God bible study and Numbers 15:37-41. I need this reminder this morning, especially the part that reminds me not to follow my own heart and eyes.






What I am seeing and feeling this morning is failure.


Last night, I was able to start going back into jail.
My partner can't come on Sundays so I went in alone. The other Prison Fellowship guys go in on Wednesdays, so I couldn't pray with them beforehand, or even be encouraged by seeing their smiling faces.




I prayed for a strong sense of the Lord's presence and for me to be able to extend His love to them in a real way. I prayed for the Lord to be working in their hearts before I arrived.



But I didn't feel renewed or refreshed or filled or empowered with His Holy Spirit. I felt alone and scared and very frail and human.




I let the conversation veer away from the Lord and back to legal issues and complaints over and over again. I felt no strong sense of purpose and I wonder why I was there last night. I felt too much concern with how the women liked me. I felt I let God down.




I prayed with one lady for court to go in her favor today and for her to be released and go back home to her young son. (She is a believer, but wandering away, and hadn't paid a fine that she owed so she was arrested.)




After I prayed, she looked me straight in the eyes and asked me if I truly believed that God would answer my prayer for her.



I said,"God loves you. He will do what is the best for you, regardless of what is looks like to us. I hope and pray that it is releasing you."



I don't know if she understood me or not. Her court is this afternoon at 3:00. I pray not only for this, but for her to remember the God she loved as a little child in Sunday School and return to Him.




Why did God let me go into jail alone? He never has before. I need Him there. Did I do something wrong?

But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? psalm 88:13-14

I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again...

New theme song for me.

Even though Rod has insisted, when prodded, that I only need to lose a few lbs, (God bless his heart real good) I have become convinced that it may be more than that and I really should do something about it.

But I have a struggle within myself. Kinda like a Rottweiler/ Golden Retriever mix.

A large part of me(get it?) wants to fit into my smaller jeans again (oh, and my new ones,too) and the other part of me insists this is just all shallow thinking.

God sees into the heart and loves me for who I really am, not for who all the Nutra-Jenny-Slimfast-LA Watchers-Atkins Beach commercials and magazine articles try to persuade me to try to be.

Plus, my hobby is butter.

So it was easier to listen to the second voice.

Until yesterday when I heard the voice of my doctor tell me that my extreme fatigue lately has been caused by my high glucose levels and he diagnosed me with pre-diabetes.

What huh?

So trying to fit into smaller jeans is not all that shallow? It has to do with my health? But I'm too young. I'm only32,no,39,n0,43oh,that's right, I'm 45 now.

Time. It does creep up on a body.

This unexpected news might not have hit me so hard except for the fact of the wogging, what about all the wogging?! (gosh I hope I didn't say that out loud to Dr. G.)

But I've been doing so much wogging, it seems like I should have chased any weight-related disease away.

Beginning at the end of June I began wogging(walk+jog=wog) and really like it. I go 2-3 miles per day and have lost almost 10 lbs. of butter and some Jelly Bellys. I have been consistent and I enjoy it.

Then "BAM!"

Suddenly, it is imperative that I avoid sugar, exercise and lose this weight.

Piece of cake

I'll just keep on wogging, eat butter better, and

Let the ingredient SUGAR be stricken from our lives and household FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.

Darn, but I'm Hungry Like a Wolf now. Thanks again, Lidna.

**P.S. How appropriate. I just went down to pick up the one piece of mail we recieved today. It is an important and official looking document addressed to "Diane Meyer...United States Mail Recipient" Then, "Open Immediately! Do Not Delay!"

So I did.

Nice. Makes my day. Completely.

Believing God

Not just believing IN God, but actually believing God. Believing that He is who he says He is and will do what He promises to do.
Linda (or Lidna) over at 2nd Cup of Coffee and I decided we wanted to work through this Beth Moore online bible study together.
Then we thought, maybe a few of you would like to join us in our endeavor of Believing God.

Every Thursday, for the next nine weeks Linda and I will take turns posting about that particular week's lesson and more importantly, hear from you about what you took away from that lesson and how God is moving in your life and circumstances. I am so excited about doing this! (So don't let me down.)

Go to this link to view a sample lesson, hear Beth Moore's personal invitation (see, it's not just me and Linda!) and sign up, if you so choose.
You can copy our "Believing God" button here(top right sidebar) and put it on your own blog, so others can join in on this journey of faith-building.

We're looking forward to diving into the study and have high hopes that my reader (that's you,Brenda) and Linda's 6,253,998 readers will jump in and learn with us. (Linda insists she doesn't have such a large readership. But, if she doesn't, she should. She is that good.)

Sound fun? Sound like an adventure that God might want you to take part in?
So,go already. Sign up now and do your first week's lesson, then meet us back here this Thursday July 31.
We'll be here.

**Thanks Lindsay for making the "Believing God" button for us. You're the best!!

With apologies to Mommy Bloggers

As I was "wogging" (walk+jog) this morning I was thinking of many of the Mommy blogs I've been reading lately. Mommies under severe stress with jam covered little ones chasing each other through the house. Sometimes with weapons.

Mommies cleaning up poopy-covered bottoms. Sometimes hands and faces and siblings.

Mommies having to take care of everyone and everything until they are burned out. All the way.

I remember those days. I hear you. I get it.

But in my stage of life, those memories make me nostalgic. They bring tears to my eyes. They make me want to give you a gentle reminder that this season will be over before you are ready for it to be.

Then you will be looking through pictures like I did this morning after my "wogging" (which,btw, turned into "crogging." Crying+wogging ="crogging.")

So, take pictures. Today.

I didn't take nearly enough. Not even close. (this was well before digital.)

And sometimes we took pictures like this:

And this:

Why,oh why? Did we really think we would want to see the FISH we caught? And the view of the lake? It hasn't changed for thousands of years. What were we thinking?!

We could have taken more like this:

And this:

.

Enjoy taking care of them as only Mommy can do.

Treasure each moment, because, before you know it, you'll be looking at the pictures of these days, wishing you could go back,

just for a minute,

to wipe a sticky cheek,

read a book,

ride the first bike,

open presents,

blow out candles,

pray together,

kiss little faces goodnight and tuck into bed.

These are good times, Mommy Bloggers. And I know you know these things already, but it never hurts to have a reminder.

Hold on a second. Rod just called. He wants to go see "The Hulk" at the cheap movie theater tonight.

But I need to hurry and get a sitter and clean up the house.

Oh, that's right. No I don't.

No kids and the house is still clean.

Hmmmm...

My name is Diane and I'm an addict...

I am addicted to my GoogleReader. How did I live without it for so long? I just click on the link and *POP!* all my favorite blogs are there, like beloved friends waiting for me. And, most importantly, it tells me who has written a new post!!
How about that? No more clicking on each blog twenty five times per day and checking for new posts. Oh no, no wasting time for me! Now I just click on GoogleReader 186 times. Per hour. Just in case. You know.

Things I'm watching

**Project Runway. Woot-woot! New season started last week making me a very happy couch potato camper! Don't ask me why I get so much enjoyment out of this reality show. I don't appreciate fashion trends, and I couldn't sew a hem if your life depended on it. Maybe if MY life depended on a straight hem, I could. But not yours.

** The Vegetable Graveyard AKA The Garden.The tomatoes, cukes, snap peas, peppers and tomatillos growing in my garden.

** The scale. It is showing the EXACT SAME WEIGHT as last week even though I "wogged" (jog +walk =Wog) a kajillion miles and it was a bazillion degrees outside. Gosh, I'm glad I'm not prone to exaggeration.

** The Dark Knight.Good, summertime flick. And I ate about 7.5 lbs of Jelly Bellys and Raisenettes. Handfuls of popcorn in between mouthfuls of candy. This is possibly why my scale is all wonky. See above. I'm just sayin'. ** My son, Josiah. He has been making us proud and our lives easier by going out on his own in our business truck doing air duct and furnace cleaning jobs. He has been dependable, responsible, thorough and efficient in working for the company. Feels SO good to watch your kids bloom into adulthood and be able to say with enthusiam," We didn't completely mess up after all!" (just a feeble attempt at a joke, Josiah)

** Rod. I get to see ALOT more of Rod as he doesn't always need to be out on the job site because we have a wonderfully dependable employee. It is as if he is semi-retired and all up in my business all of a sudden. Awesome on so many levels. See above.

** Four Wheel Drive T.V. I have get to watch this enthralling half hour of television where they say things like " When we come back, we'll take a closer look at these all new engines featuring a Total Power Package combination of E-TEC cylinder heads, roller camshaft, roller rocker arms, Performer EPS Vortec intake and 650 cfm Thunder Series carburetor for repeatable, dyno-proven performance. Blah-blah,blagitty blah blah blah!"
Then they chuckle good naturedly as they break for commercials. But it is too late. I am already wishing someone would run me over(twice) with a 2005 1 ton Dodge Cummins diesel 4x4 duelly.With a Jake brake and an aftermarket exhaust system. Please make the pain stop... please just make it stop.... make them stop somebody.

Why do I put myself through this television show if it causes me so much distress, you ask? See above.

**The barn. It is being systematically torn apart and rebuilt. When I ask why, I hear a response like "the power vac doesn't fit...the snow load...the roof level...blah blah blaggity blah blah." Oh, and he seems to have some time off from the business. See above.

**The Dogs. Because we are in the midst of the DogDays of summer. I can tell because Chopper and Deliah are enjoying corn on the cob. My own Child of the Corn fed it to them. Later , he fed them s'mores around the cmpfire. (note to self: re-read the Josiah point above. A couple times.)

** All of your blogs. Even though I don't always have the time or inspiration to write one of my own, I love reading yours. Woot-woot!

Baloney Sandwich

I looked back on my blog a year and a day ago and found this. I noticed that I am not feeling all thankful and grateful like I was that morning.
But I heart the Baloney Sandwich story, so I am repeating it.
I can do this.
This is my blog.
Have a good day.
(I just republished this for today's date, which means all the original comments are re-published, too. Hope y'all still feel like this.:-)

This is just one of those thankful kind of days. Nothing special happened, but I am overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for everything He provides. Nice weather, jobs for our business, watermelon, the birds singing, tough lessons that He helps me learn, family, friends, DVR technology, beef on the grill.
In all honesty, my list could go on and on. Couldn't yours?

Here is a very cool little devotional called "A Baloney Sandwich" from the book "Stories Bob Benson Used to Tell."

Read it. Enjoy it. Be thankful to God this morning.

Realize that I typed it up for you with my two-fingered typing skillz. Because I love you.

A Baloney Sandwich

"You have come to share in the very being of God" 2nd Peter 1:4

"Do you remember when they had old fashioned Sunday School picnics? I do. As I recall, it was back in the "Olden days", as my kids would say, back before they had air conditioning.
They said, "We'll all meet at the Sycamore Lodge in Shelby Park at 4:30 on Saturday. You bring your supper and we'll furnish the iced tea.
But if you were like me, you came home at the last minute. When you got ready to pack your picnic, all you could find in the refrigerator was one piece of dried up baloney and just enough mustard at the bottom of the jar so you got it all over your knuckles trying to get to it. And just two slices of stale bread to go with it. So you made your baloney sandwich and wrapped it in an old brown bag and went to the picnic.
When it came time to eat you sat at the end of a table and spread out your sandwich. But the folks who sat next to you brought a feast. The lady was a good cook and had worked hard all day to get ready for the picnic. And she had fried chicken and baked beans and potato salad and homemade rolls and sliced tomatoes and pickles and olives and celery. And two big homemade chocolate pies to top it off. That's what they spread out there next to you while you sat with your baloney sandwich.
But they said to you, "Why don't we just put it all together?"
"No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't even think of it," you murmured in embarrassment, with one eye on the chicken.
"Oh, come on, there's plenty of chicken and plenty of pie and plenty of everything. And we just love baloney sandwiches. Let's just put it all together."
And so you did and there you sat, eating like a king when you came like a pauper.
One day, it dawned on me that God has been saying just that sort of thing to me. "Why don't you take what you have and what you are, and I will take what I have and what I am, and we'll share it together?" I began to see that when I put what I had and was and am and hope to be with what He is, I had stumbled upon the bargain of a lifetime.
I get to thinking sometimes, thinking of me sharing with God. when I think of how little I bring, and how much He brings and invites me to share, I know I should be shouting from the housetops, but I am so filled with awe and wonder that I can hardly speak. I know I don't have enough love or faith or grace or mercy or wisdom, but He does. He has all those things in abundance and He says, "Let's just put it all together."
Consecration, denial,sacrifice,commitment and crosses were all kind of hard words for me, until I saw them in the light of sharing. It isn't a case of me kicking in what I have because God is the biggest kid on the block and He wants it all for Himself. He is saying,"Everything I possess is available to you. Everything that I am and can be to a person, I will be to you."
When I think about it like that,it really amuses me to see somebody running along through life hanging on to their dumb bag with that stale baloney sandwich in it saying, "God's not going to get my sandwich! No sirree, this is mine!" Did you ever see anybody like that-so needy- just about half starved to death, yet hanging on for dear life. It's not that God wants your sandwich. The fact is you need His chicken!

Well, go ahead-eat your baloney sandwich, as long as you can. But when you can't stand its tastelessness or drabness any longer, when you get so tired of running your own life and doing it your way and figuring out the answers with no one to help, when trying to accumulate,hold,grasp and keep everything together in your own strength gets to be too big a load, when you begin to realize that by yourself you're never going to be able to fulfill your dreams, I hope you'll remember that it doesn't have to be that way.
You have been invited to something better, you know. You have been invited to share in the very being of God. "

Christian the Lion

Oh, ya gotta see this video. I'm not ashamed to say I cried when I watched it. Okay, maybe a little ashamed.
But it choked me up, I tell ya!
Bring your tissues.
And Cindy, no jokes about the Cowardly Lion. This is a tender moment.

"In 1969, two friends, John Rendall and Ace Berg, purchased a lion. At the time, Christian the lion was a 35-pound cub. He had been born in a zoo. The friends raised Christian in their London home. All three hung out in a friend’s furniture shop on the weekends.

Within a year, Christian had grown to 185 lbs. Rendall and Berg realized they couldn’t keep him much longer. But they didn’t know what to do with him. A chance encounter changed that. Two actors from the film Born Free walked into the furniture store.

The actors recommended a conservationist, George Adamson, living in Kenya. Christian was soon in Africa. There he was rehabilitated and released into the wild.

In 1974, Rendall and Berg decided to visit Christian one last time. He was now a wild animal. Adamson told them it was doubtful that Christian could be found. No one had seen him in nine months.

The two flew to Kenya, anyway. On the day they landed, Christian appeared outside Adamson’s camp. Somehow, he knew. He waited outside the camp until Rendall and Berg arrived.

This video was taken during their reunion with Christian. What a story! What a video!"

Zigging and Zagging

That is how I roll, people. I zig...
wait for it.....
watch for it.....
then I zag.

Which is oddly appropriate as I live in a little town nestled in the Cascade foothills called....

ZIGZAG.

Yep. Appropriate.

See, yesterday was all about poking good natured fun at Cindy using every Wizard of Oz pun we could come up with. Oh, the joy of humming "If I only had a Brain" while doing invoices and laundry!

But today is a whole different ball of wax because I want to share how moved I was this morning while doing some reading on the front porch. (notice the ZIG? See the ZAG?)

No, I wasn't moved because because Rod had rinsed his soapy truck-washing bucket in my precious little fountain and when I lifted my eyes from reading in Acts I saw this:

No to be honest, I was moved because I read a sermon written by Charles Spurgeon in the late 1800's. Now just stay with me.

I first read it a couple days ago and it caused tears then. I thought I must be weepy or hormonal or something, so I printed it out and read it this morning again.

Tears again. It deeply touched me. So I want to share it here. At least a part of it.

An Awful Contrast

"Then did they spit in his face."—Matthew 26:67.

...Observe that these men, the priests, and scribes, and orders, and their servitors, did this shameful deed after they had heard our Lord say, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. It was in contempt of this claim, in derision of this honor which he foretold for himself, that "then did they spit in his face," as if they could bear it no longer, that he, who stood to be judged of them, should claim to be their Judge; that he, whom they had brought at dead of night from the garden of Gethsemane as their captive, should talk of coming in the clouds of heaven: "Then did they spit in his face."

...There are two or three thoughts that come to my mind when I think that these wicked men did actually spit in Christ's face,—in that face which is the light of heaven, the joy of angels, the bliss of saints, and the very brightness of the Father's glory. This spitting shows us, first, how far sin will go. If we want proof of the depravity of the heart of man, I will not point you to the stews of Sodom and Gomorrah, nor will I take you to the places where blood is shed in streams by wretches like to Herod and men of that sort. No, the clearest proof that man is utterly fallen, and that the natural heart is enmity against God, is seen in the fact that they did spit in Christ's face, did falsely accuse him, and condemn him, and lead him out as a malefactor, and hang him up as a felon that he might die upon the cross.

Why, what evil had he done? What was there in his whole life that should give them occasion to spit in his face? Even at that moment, did his face flash with indignation against them? Did he look with contempt upon them? Not he; for he was all gentleness and tenderness even towards these his enemies, and their hearts must have been hard and brutal indeed that "then did they spit in his face."

He had healed their sick, he had fed their hungry, he had been among them a very fountain of blessing up and down Judaea and Samaria; and yet, "then did they spit in his face."

I say again, relate not to me the crimes of ancient nations, nor the horrible evils committed by uncivilized men, nor the more elaborate iniquities of our great cities; tell me not of the abominations of Greece or Rome;—this—this, in the sight of the angels of God, and in the eyes of the God of the angels, is the masterpiece of all iniquity: "Then did they spit in his face."

To enter into the King's own palace, and draw near to his only-begotten Son, and to spit in his face,—this is the crime of crimes which reveals the infamous wickedness of men. Humanity stands condemned of the blackest iniquity now that it has gone as far as to spit in Christ's face.

If you stayed with me, I am sure you can tell why I cried when I read it. My heart hurts. I am in awe of his great compassion for us. We, who didn't deserve it then and don't deserve it now and yet have rivers of grace and compassion and mercy and love and delight. Enough said.

Look what the book of Revelations says about Him whose face was spit upon:

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away."—Revelation 20:11

(Click on Charles Spurgeon's name up above if you would like to read the entire sermon...without my cutting, copying and pasting.)

Dear Cindy

Dear Cindy,

Thank you for sending all those millions tens of people over here to view my glamour shot. Since you posted it, I've been "discovered!"

There have been so many offers, I'm not sure which ones to accept.

There are a few from fans overseas like this one from "Barrister Desmond Duru" (gosh that sounds vaguely familiar)

" am Barrister Desmond Duru.I am the personal Attorney to my Late client Engr.Lens Hector,a National of your country, a Contractor who used to work with Chevron Oil and Gas Company here in Nigeria before his demise. Before his death which took place On Saturday,4 May 2002,my client,his wife and their two kids were involved in the plane crash accident which unforntunately claimed their lives,via the ill-fated E.A.S Airline crash."

I agree that this is a sad story, but the good news is, he wants to split their inheritance with me 55%-45%. And he never would have heard of me, if not for your blog. Thanks "a million" Cindy!

Then, there were a plethora of offers for diet programs (what did you tell them?!), EDS drugs, and apparently there are dozens of Christian singles waiting to meet me. I guess you forgot to mention my marital status.

But the offer I am most excited about is the modeling offer!
That's right, Cindy, this is Big Time. My rain drenched photograph was fierce, baby!
Now all I have to do is hire a stylist, a photographer, pick one out one of those diet plans and make a portfolio. The modeling agency is sure they can help "make all my modeling dreams come true!"

Here is a snapshot Rod took this morning, More of a "natural" look, I think, as I hadn't showered or even brushed my hair(or teeth) yet. "Blue Steel", don't you think?
I know, we love it, too.






And I have you to thank for all of it, Cindy. I won't forget "the little people" that made it all possible. You're a treasure, my friend.
Still praying for Brian,
Diane

If she only had a brian...

I'll bite.

"She could while away the hours,

conferrin' with the flowers, consulting with the rain.

With the thoughts she'd be thinkin', she could be another Lincoln....

(sing along everybody!)

If she only had a Brian!"

Gosh, it just doesn't have the same ring to it with the typo.

I better stop mocking now, or some people might think I have no heart. Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. I do have a heart.

It's just black as coal and small as a tiny little button.

Cindy, may I suggest we just go back to posting as usual about our families, vacations, memes, what-have-you.

Oh, "and your little dog, too!"

Coo-Coo for Coco Puffs!

Actually, I had Special K with Strawberries. But I was Coo-Coo for them. Even the little dried up strawberries during the height of Oregon strawberry season didn't offend my senses.

It is a perfect day outside. I got the guys sent off to work and I'm getting settled to spend some time with Jesus on the front porch.

Yes, it is Monday and I have a ton of things to do. Housework, business things, yard and garden work as well as other projects I've committed to.

But Jesus is calling my name this morning to spend some one on one time together. So my list of things can wait. They'll be there when we're done.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8

**What are your devotional routines? What does spending time with the Lord look like for you?

Summertime...and the livin' is easy....

Maybe a little too easy?

A couple of weeks ago my partner who works with Prison Fellowship received a call from the Sargent in charge of the jail where we minister. He told us we would no longer be able to come in on Wednesday evenings, and the only other time he might be able to fit us in was on Sunday afternoons.

What?!

Sunday afternoons? Are you kidding me?! We go to church and Sunday school on Sundays and Rod has that day off. My partner cannot come in on Sundays as she is a real estate agent and shows houses during that time. Who would I go in with ? This is bad! Sundays are bad!

So I have put off calling the Sargent back.


In the meantime, I've just been enjoying the slow moving summer days. Shopping for furniture for the deck. Nothing expensive. Just Craigslist stuff. But I love good deals. :-)

Sitting on the front porch in the morning with Rod and the dogs and Starbucks.


Attempting to run the loop, rather than walk it. Coming home to sit down on the new chairs with Rod, the dogs and Starbucks again. Figuring out if I can be a "runner." Liking this process.







Freshening the landscaping and fighting for dominion over the blackberries and maple seedlings. (we always lose that fight.)






BBQing with family in the warm evenings. Weddings. Painting the house. Laughing with friends on the phone while I'm sitting on the deck in the sun. Reading books. Making strawberry jam.

Just letting one day slide lazily into the next. It's been all about ME ME ME ME.
Even though summer is great for kicking back and relaxing, I know when I've let it go too far and frankly, I'm pretty tired of me right now.
I read this today:


"...If our lives are peaches and cream most of the time, if we’re poster children for the American Dream, then we’re not a threat. The demonic doesn’t take us seriously, because if it did we’d be feeling and seeing the attacks..."
"...Here’s the worst thing that anyone can say about you or me as Christians: 'You’re no threat to the Devil.'"
Sadly, I believe that large swaths of the American Church are just that. The Enemy distracts us with consumerism, entertainment, fads (even church-related ones), and an all-consuming loathing for anything that even remotely borders on boring. We know the entire storyline behind Lost, can name every contestant on the last American Idol, can’t wait to plop down a small fortune on the next iteration of Xbox or Playstation, spend more on movie theater tickets or DVDs than we drop in the offering plate, and generally run willy-nilly after umpteen thousand things that neutralize our threat on the grand cosmic battlefield. Without even breaking a sulfurous sweat, the dark principalities and powers have rendered millions of American Christians fat, lazy, double-minded, and utterly worthless for battle..."


Excerpts from: When The Devils Know Your Name at Cerulean Sanctum

I'll call the Sargent on Monday morning. Sundays would be a great day to go share Christ in jail.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

And the thunder rolls

We went to the wedding of Chris and Elisa Lund this last Sunday and I can't think of the last time I laughed so hard.

Not at the wedding or the wedded couple. Not at all. Beautiful ceremony. Lovely, Godly couple. They will be putting the Lord first in their lives. It was a pleasure to be there and be a part of the community that will help hold them accountable to each other and God. Loved that.

No, the funny came during the reception. The outdoor reception. With the ominous dark clouds and the rolling thunder and flashes of lightning that you kept hoping were the photographers. No such luck.

We all had time for dinner out there, then the bride and groom came to cut the cake. We noticed then the first, big fat rain drops.

Suddenly, it was each man, woman and child for themselves.

We turned from a polite wedding party into one of those out of control crowds at a futbol match in Brasil.

We ran for cover. And it was a distance my friends, especially wearing wedding finery. I passed by a few ladies wearing heels. So sad.

The rain pounded down. I mean pounded. My mascara was on my cheeks and I was so happy I curled my hair that afternoon. (Brenda's worst fear was the "spray-on-wash-off" tanning product she decided to wear that evening. I have no words.)

My friends and I were laughing so hard we could hardly breathe. But that might have been because of the volume of water we were swallowing. Not sure.

I heard later that some dedicated people were able to save the cake so those stragglers that stayed at the wedding were able to get a bite.

This was taken after we arrived home, an half an hour later. I've already wiped my face clean here. Gosh, I'm just so glad I thought to wear my sunglasses that day but forgot my camera.

If my brother in law, Eric sends over any good shots, I'll post them for you.