Giveaway

Visit Sandi Lou's Musings for a great giveaway. This beautiful painting! Go check her site out you just may be the winner!

The Gift Of Sabbath Rest

Letting your soul catch up. I can get to running so fast that I leave everything behind. Not just God. Not just people. I can lose my own soul as well. I think that's why God instructed us to observe a regular period of extended rest in the middle of our busy lives. That's why he gave us a Sabbath. We Christians set aside Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection, for our Sabbath. But the chosen day is not as important as the chosen purpose-to bring balance and perspective to our work-weary lives on a weekly basis. The Sabbath needs to be different, set apart; it has to contrast noticeably with the other six days. The Sabbath should be a day of devotion. It's meant to be spent in the Living Room. Kitchen duties can wait. This is a time to focus our hearts and our minds on God alone. The Sabbath should be at least partially a family day-a time spent not only with our biological families, but also with the family of faith gathered for corporate worship and fellowship. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Thursday Thankfuls

While I was blog visiting this morning I read a beautiful post at Sandy Toes. She was sharing a story of her son and the blessings her family had received (you will need to visit her and read the complete post). I decided to borrow her icon below and post my on Thankful Thursday post. Over at Valarie's blog she has a post requesting prayer for her mom (go visit and read, I'm sure she will appreciate all support and prayers from you).

Today I am especially thankful for the blessings of having both my parents still here with me. My mom is the strongest, nicest, most kind hearted person you will meet. She took such good loving care of my grandma until God called her home. My grandma had Dementia and could do nothing for herself. She gave up so much of her life to make sure grandma stayed with her and never went to a Nursing Home. There is nothing wrong with having to use a Home, my grandma had just been so worried about having to go my mom wanted her home with her. Now she is taking care of my dad that was diagnosed with Dementia a year ago last month. She never complains and never ask anything for herself. I also would like to thank God for blessing us with my Dad's health. He is doing so much better than ever expected (by the doctors, not by us). So on this Thursday I am extremely thankful for my wonderful parents and the love of our Lord!

The Rhythm Of A Balanced Life

Being balanced is not so much a matter of staying in perfect equilibrium as it is a matter of finding the right rhythm for our lives. One day I may spend several hours in Bible study and prayer, settling softly on the side of intimacy with God, while the next day is given over to volunteering in my daughter's classroom, teetering over toward the service side. If you were to gauge those two days individually, they would appear totally out of balance. But not when you consider them together. As long as my heart is set toward both service and worship, I don't have to feel guilty when my life seems to settle longer on the one side because I know I'll eventually push off from that spot and spend some time on the other. Our lives are meant to be dynamic, not static. The truth is, we thrive on a life that is rhythmically balanced, not standing still. Up and down. Work and worship. Love the Lord and love other people. It's the dynamic rhythm that drives a meaningful, yes-centered, balanced life. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Pumpkin Night

I had both grand kiddos last night and big plans to carve a pumpkin for each of them. I had small ones for them to paint - sounds like fun humm??? Let me give you some free advice, one adult with a seven year old, a two year old, four pumpkins, paint, knives, NOT a good mixture! We ended up with only one (Eli's) carved. They did have fun painting the small ones and playing in the "guts" of the one we finished. Kaylin and I will work on hers tonight without brothers help. Okay Katie, I feel your pain over the picture - all I wanted was one picture of both kids with the finished "Mickey" pumpkin. NOOOO, Eli would have no part in getting his picture taken. I just gave up and took Kaylin's by it. Oh well, it was a fun night. Did I mention they spent the night? I had to come to work so I could get some rest! Have a great day!!

Disney Memories

On this cold day what better way to warm my heart than with these pictures!

All of us on our first day there! We look like some country pumpkins don't we?? It's hard to believe this was just three short weeks ago - seems like a lifetime. Have a wonderful day and as my friend Lorie would say "be blessed" cause I sure am!

Practice Saying Yes

We were created to say an enthusiastic yes to the call of God in our lives-both his call to devotion and his call to service. Saying yes to him releases his power and his joy to our souls. It's what gives us the strength and the energy to do what he wants us to do. At the same time, it's important to remember that saying yes to God doesn't mean saying yes to everything! When our lives are overbooked, it's easy for us to become spiritually dry and undernourished. We can barely hear God's voice above the busy noise, let alone say yes to what he is asking. In this case, we do need to learn how to say no, but only so we are able to say yes to God when he wants to give us an assignment. Go ahead! Practice saying it: "Y-y-y..." Same tongue, same roof of mouth, but instead of pointing the tongue up and inward, the tongue points up and outward-y-eh-ss! Yes, I think I can help. Yes, I think it might be arranged-let me pray about it. The effect can be absolutely euphoric! Especially when we make a conscious point of saying that yes to God. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Corrective Measures

Love the Lord your God....and love your neighbor as yourself. Love God? No problem! some of us think. And so there we stay, sitting on one side of our teeter totter, happy to be worshiping in the Lord's presence. But there is more- more to this balance Christian walk than only worship. Love people? Sure I do! others of us say to ourselves as we sit on the other end of the teeter totter. But there is more to this balanced Christian walk than only serving. He directs us-if I might put it this way-to get off our religious duffs and do the hard but rewarding work of balancing our Christianity, spending adequate amounts of our lives both in the Living Room and the Kitchen, worshiping and serving, loving God and loving people. While I have been justified by faith alone- saved not by my works but because of Christ's sacrifice- I must partner with the Lord in the process of being sanctified, that is, being made more like him. God provides the holy, and I provide the sweat. That's part of what it means to balance work and worship. Though we were created for worship, first and foremost, we were also "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". We were created for the intimate fellowship of the Lord's Prayer but also entrusted with the ministry of the Good Samaritan. Created to say yes to the call of both duty and devotion. (From: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Fourth of Fourth Tag

This tag is from Sandy Toes. The rules are to take the fourth picture from your fourth picture folder and write about it. Then you are to tag four people to do the same. I like this since you never know what picture you might find. Okay, so now here is my fourth picture:This is Jeff, Kaylin, Eli and Kerrie. We took this after bringing Eli home from the hospital so this would be the first week of May 2006. Oh my, how he has grown!
Now my four people to tag will be from:
These are the days of our lives
This crazy life
Boyett blog
Strive fitness

Help bring Owen home

You may have noticed that I added a button to my sidebar..."To China For Owen." Click on the button to go directly to the site where you can enter to win some wonderful prizes in a fundraiser designed to help this family bring their son, Owen home from China! Go check it out!

Martha by Max Lucado

Each week I receive Upwords with Max Lucado, the one below was from today. Since you have been sharing the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World with me I had to let you read this :

Every church needs a Martha. Change that. Every church needs a hundred Martha's. Sleeves rolled and ready, they keep the pace for the church. Because of Martha's, the church budget gets balanced, the church babies get bounced, and the church building gets built. You don't appreciate Martha's until a Martha is missing, and then all the Marys and Lazarus's are scrambling around looking for the keys and the thermostats and the overhead projectors.
Martha's are the Energizer bunnies of the church. They keep going and going and going. They store strength like a camel stores water. Since they don't seek the spotlight, they don't live off the applause. That's not to say they don't need it. They just aren't addicted to it.
Martha's have a mission. In fact, if Martha's have a weakness, it is their tendency to elevate the mission over the Master. Remember when Martha did that? A younger Martha invites a younger Jesus to come for dinner. Jesus accepts and brings his disciples.
The scene Luke describes has Mary seated and Martha fuming. Martha is angry because Mary is, horror of horrors, sitting at the feet of Jesus. How impractical! How irrelevant! How unnecessary! I mean, who has time to sit and listen when there is bread to be baked, tables to be set, and souls to be saved? So Martha complained, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me" (Luke 10:40).
All of a sudden Martha has gone from serving Jesus to making demands of Jesus. The room falls silent. The disciples duck their eyes. Mary flushes red. And Jesus speaks.
"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41--42).
Apparently Martha got the point, for later we find her serving again.
"Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (John 12:2--3 NIV).
Is Mary in the kitchen? No she is worshiping, for that is what she loves to do. But this time Martha doesn't object. She has learned that there is a place for praise and worship, and that is what Mary is doing. And what is Mary's part in the dinner? She brings a pint of very expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus' feet, then wipes his feet with her hair. The smell of the perfume fills the house, just like the sound of praise can fill a church.
An earlier Martha would have objected. Such an act was too lavish, too extravagant, too generous. But this mature Martha has learned that just as there is a place in the kingdom of God for sacrificial service, there is also a place for extravagant praise.

Our Supreme Example

Jesus was the most balanced individual the world has ever known. In fact, that is part of why he came-to show us how to manage the tricky balance between work and worship, between what we do and what we are. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself". You see, loving the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself was and is the very thing God has always wanted us to do-it's a perfect picture of the perfectly balanced life. These two verses sum up all of the Old Testament and the New Testament combined. God wants us to love him. Really love him. And he wants us to love each other. Really love each other. That's how we can know we belong to him-if we have love one for another. Love for God. Love for others. Worship and service. These are the two ends of our teeter totter. Through love for God comes first, the two can't be separated. One flows from the other-and back again. That's what it means to live a balance life, a Christlike life. (From: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

I Love Your Blog Award

Thank you Katie for this very nice award! I love your blog and the opportunity to know you better with each blog you write.
The rules say for me to post this on my blog. Thank the person who sent it to me. Nominate 7 blogs. So without further ado, I hereby give this award to...
1. Sandy Toes
2. Valarie
3. Lorie
4. Dana
5. Amy
6. Brandi
7. Amanda

Weird Things - About Me?

I was tagged by Amy so here is my list of (just) seven weird things about me:

1. I will NOT eat or drink anything after the expiration date. I know milk and other food items are good for a few days after that date - I just can't eat or drink it!! I don't like old food, I need fresh!
2. When going on a trip with the grand kiddos I like to pack for them. I'm obsessive compulsive and my daughter is total opposite. I have a packing list so I won't forget anything!
3. I love Cheetos and ice cream. What's weird about that you may ask, well I eat them for dinner several nights per week. Now remind me why can't I lose weight??
4. I can't work without a task list. I can't shop without a list. I'm list crazy! Not just any old list, a color coded list!
5. The second it turns cold outside I get shocked by touching anything! I'm full of electricity! I've tried static guard and tons of fabric softener sheets in the dryer. Any tips on how to avoid those shocks??
6. I hate pedicures! Most people love to get them, I don't like people touching my feet! Same goes for my finger nails.
7. The last weird thing about me is that I can't think of anything else! I guess I'll have to get some comments from Kerrie, Connie and other "friends" on what they think is weird about me!?

I'm going to have to pass this tag along to: Connie (because she is not blogging like she should), Lorie (because I'm not sure she has any weirdness about her), Brandi and Dana (because I'm getting to know you better).

Balancing Teetertotters

I wonder if God had teetertootters in mind when he placed Luke's story of Mary and Martha between two famous passages: the story of the Good Samaritan and Christ's teaching on the Lord's Prayer. One deals with our relationship with people. The other deals with our relationship with God. One teaches us how to serve. The other teaches us how to pray. One breaks down the wall that divides cultures. The other breaks down the wall that divides God and humanity. Perhaps that is why this tiny section of Scripture we first looked at is so important. I have to admit I struggle to keep that balance. We hosted a church banquet just a few months ago, and I found myself in the kitchen rather than in the worship service. Jesus had showed up in our midst, and I had been so busy washing dishes, I'd missed the opportunity to sit at his feet. I'd totally forgotten everything I'd been learning about balancing work and worship. Ouch. Bumpsies again! (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Holy Kisses

Judas offered Jesus a single kiss. The kiss of betrayal. How that must have hurt the heart of God. All the time they'd spent together, all the teaching, all the love-and then to be rejected that way. Jesus knew it was coming, of course, but even he seemed surprised by the chosen signal that night in Gethsemane. Can't you hear the pain in Luke 22:48 when Jesus asks, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Unlike Judas's stingy, mocking gesture, the loving attention Mary lavished upon the Savior's fee had nothing to do with manipulation or control. "I tell you the truth, " Jesus said in Mark 147:9, "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." And still the story is told-the story of a woman who loved so much she gave up just about everything. The sweet scent of Mary's extravagant sacrifice still lingers today. We sense the precious aroma of extravagant love rising once more to heaven each time one of God's children gives his or her everything to the One who gave his all. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Ever Had One Of Those Days?

It's almost midnight Monday night. Why are you still up you may be wondering..umm..let me tell you how my day went. Let's start late morning with four girls deciding on what to have at a luncheon tomorrow(Tuesday) for an ex-rep we invited (she is a wonderful person we all love and miss). Two of us wanted to buy lunch(me being one of those two) and two wanted to cook. Well....the two that wanted to buy let the other two win so... cook it will be. I am to make a red velvet cake and chicken and dressing. I tell myself "self you are leaving at 5:00, stopping at Griners and getting home to get this over with". Now don't get me wrong, I love to cook just not on a work night! Okay, all is going well - until I get in the car and it won't start. So what does a girl do? I call my hero Willie (Connie's hubby) and he is there in a Jiffy with a smile on his face! Now you may ask, why did she not call her own hubby - well that will be a story for another day. While he is jumping my car off I head to the drug store to pick up a Rx for Eli (he has a bad cough). Then off we go to the auto store for a new battery (I'm still okay, after all my car is a 2004 with the original battery in it). After "forever" there (they did give me a 10% discount because we got NO help replacing it - poor Willie had to do it in the parking lot). I just kept telling myself, this is happening for a reason. Could be that the guy at the Auto place was going to get fired if he didn't have enough sells, I don't know but it sounded good at the time. I head to Kerrie's to drop off Eli's medicine and pick up my cake stuff she had bought for me earlier that day. I start to leave her house and Eli is clinging to me saying "I miss you" wanting to come home with me. Oh yes I did bring him...who could leave him saying that?? I get home and guess what? It's late and I forgot my cake stuff! I guess they felt sorry for me so they brought it to me. In the meantime, I gave Eli some juice and didn't get the top on right so when he turned it up all of it came out on his PJ' s and his bed. I strip him and the bed washed, dried and made his bed back up, baked a cake, made the icing, baked cornbread, made my dressing and just took it out of the oven at midnight. I really hope the two (Amanda and Lilah) that wanted to cook enjoy it! I'm not questioning why it all happened, I know the reason is good. I just hope it was real good for someone else! Thanks for reading my venting - I'm feeling better now that all is done so I am just going to go snuggle with my little man Eli! Good Night!

First Place

My sweet little Kaylin won first place for second grade in the poster contest at Hazel Green Elem. School! We are so excited for her - she will receive a check for thirty dollars and a ribbon this Thursday. Ms. Gordon was nice enough to take this picture for us when she turned it in - WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

You have to check out this site for a beautiful little girl dress giveaway: Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Leaping Into Love

Do you ever feel yourself holding back parts of your life, wondering how much you can give and still have something left? Like Mary, you feel the call to total abandonment, but surrender like that makes you afraid. If you've felt that way, you're not alone. I think every one of us comes to a crossroads in our relationship with God where we're faced with the dilemma of total or partial surrender. I think I know a little bit of what Mary must have felt that day she stood at Jesus' feet. As she held her precious ointment, she must have trembled inside. For no one gives her everything without a struggle. No one gives her all without somehow wanting to keep part of it back. Perhaps Mary had wrestled with the thought of surrender as I did. Perhaps she'd stared at the alabaster bottle in the night. Can I? Should I? Will I? until she said, "Yes, Lord. I'll give my all." The extravagance might be misunderstood by the others, but not by the one that she loved. "She has done a beautiful thing for me," Jesus said in the face of his disciples' disapproval. Leave her alone. She belongs to me. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Lavish Love

The apostle John writes in 1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" What a wonderful picture- the lavish love of God. Love so wonderfully extravagant that, like a thick, rich hand cream, it must be spread around. So much love that the simple and the ordinary aren't enough. That's what set Mary's love apart that day in Bethany. She not only loved Jesus; she did something about it. And what she did and how she did it point toward the secret for more fully loving God and loving people. Mary loved with her whole heart. She didn't hold anything back. Instead, in sweet abandon, she poured everything she had into showing her love for Jesus. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Birthday at Disney

While we were on our trip my sweet Connie had a Birthday! As you get older those birthdays seem to come and go a little faster each year. She is such a precious person and deserves every happy moment life as to offer!

Does it look like Eli is having fun???

After one of the many "wet" rides Kerrie and Heather decide to do a little shopping for dry clothes. This is what they came back with... oh how I wish this body would fit into something like that!!

Kaylin having some fun at Universal Studios.

Extravagant Sacrifice

Jesus laid his life down knowing full well he wouldn't walk away alive. This transaction would cost him everything, yet still he gave. And that's not just impressive; it's revolutionary. Jesus laid down his life for you and me. He didn't have to do it. He could have spoken the word, and ten thousand angels would have flown to his rescue. But instead, he chose not to use his own power. He humbled himself and chose the way of sacrificial death. And there was never a hint of selfishness in his sacrifice-no self-interest, not a hint of mixed motives. Why did he do it? He did it out of love-extravagant, lavish, life-changing love. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

Get Wet and Veg Out

This was the new ride at Animal Kingdom - I decided to stay with Eli and Will while the others rode - smart hum??Kaylin after one of the water rides - not a dry spot on her!!
Eli taking it easy watching Mickey and friends cartoons.
Kaylin at Minnie's house. If you have not been it's really cool, you can go in each room of the house.

More pictures to come....

Two Kinds Of Hearts

Consider the following additional differences between the hearts of Mary and Judas. Which kind of heart do you have? Is it extravagant with gratitude or tight-fisted with greed?

Mary came with abandon.

Judas came with an agenda.

Mary heard what Jesus was saying-and she responded.

Judas heard but did not understand.

Mary held nothing back.

Judas gave nothing up.

Extravagant love is still rarely understood. But true love always costs the giver something. In the light of Mary's total abandon, halfway love is truly the "least" we can do. Do we love Jesus the who-o-o-le world? Or only when it's convenient? (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)



This really made me stop and think for a while. Am I guilty of loving Jesus when it's convenient? If I'm honest the answer would be way to much of the time! How sad is that? While on vacation and way off my normal schedule (I don't do well when off my routine) I thought several times about how I was not praying like I do when I'm at home. Sure I was on the run all the time and tired when I went to bed and never had any "alone" time. Was that a good enough excuse - let me answer that one for myself- NO! Guess what? I'm human - and thank God he forgives me for those things when I ask and believe me - I ask!

Mickey And Friends

I was really concerned that Eli would be afraid of the characters - Wrong! He loved them, we had to pull him away from them for the next person in line to have a turn.
From left to right:Kerrie, empty stroller,Heather,Will,Clay and Willie behind him,Nanny (me) and Connie. Great seats for the parade at Hollywood Studios, front row! Only problem was that it is really hard for an old fat woman to get up (yes, I did have to have help!). Hey, we have two missing....
Here's one (Kaylin) taking the picture and she cut her brother (Eli) out- he was in the stroller on the other side of Kerrie.
You gotta love Pluto! More to come.........

Extravagant Love Versus Tight-Fisted Love

Mary's treasure was not in her trousseau. Her hope didn't lie in what she could get from Jesus. Her joy lay in what she could give. Judas, on the other hand, was after all he could get. That is the first difference between a love that is extravagant and a heart that is mean and tight-fisted. Consider the following: Mary had a heart of gratitude. Her brother had been raised from the dead. The Messiah had come, and he'd called her friend. What greater honor-what greater joy-than to give her all to the One who had given her so very much. Judas had a heart of greed. Things weren't turning out the way he'd planned. It caused Judas to care more about the political situation and his own bank account than the condition of his heart. Greed is a tyrant. "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith," Paul warns Timothy in verse 10, "and pierced themselves with many griefs". The secret to happiness lies not in getting what you want, but in wanting what you have. How sad that is it possible to know God but never truly experience God. If we want intimacy with God, we must nurture a grateful heart that glorifies Jesus. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

I'm Back!!

Let me just start with by saying I have missed you all! I can't wait to start catching up on all my friends. The trip was wonderful and as always I was NOT ready to leave. I will have pictures to show you just about everyday for the rest of this year (you have been warned). So.... let's get started......

Kaylin as princess Minnie.

Eli as the Islands version of Mickey??

Goofy (Goopy per Eli) Heather and Island Mickey Kerrie.

Heather, Kaylin, Kerrie in the front. Willie and Will in the second seat. Connie and Clay in the third.

More to come.......

Blog Withdrawals

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for Disney (YES!). I am so blessed and excited about taking my precious family to this magical place I love to visit. I'm hoping I won't need therapy for my withdrawals from "blogville". If my niece takes her laptop I may keep my sanity. If not, well.... just know that I will truly miss reading each of your blogs. We will be returning home on the 11th so forget the unpacking, I will be reading and typing! Keep us in your prayers for a safe trip and may God Bless you all!!
Love, Debbie

A Tale Of Two Followers

Whether or not Judas's thought process happened as I've speculated, the result was the same. Matthew and Mark both place Judas's dark turn of heart as happening immediately after Mary's extravagant act of love. Life has a way of bringing to the surface who we really are, the deep hidden motivations of our heart. It certainly happened in Judas. But it happened in Mary as well. While the situation caused the evil dormant within Judas to rise to the surface, it was the same instance that brought something beautiful up from the depths of the maiden from Bethany. Instead of just sitting passively and listening to the Savior, instead of being overwhelmed by grief, this time Mary responded. She gave herself in worship to the One who had given so much to her and her family. Not so with Judas, apparently. Though Jesus knew the disciple's weaknesses, he had given Judas chance after chance in the three years they had traveled together. Imagine spending three years of your life with the Messiah, yet walking away more or less the same-or even worse than when you started. Judas did just that. It can happen to any of us if we don't settle, once and for all, the question of Christ's lordship in our lives. Until we determine whom we will serve, we run the risk of developing a Judas heart instead of a heart of sacrificial love. For whenever our interests conflict with his interests, we'll be tempted to sell Christ off as a slave to the highest bidder, rather than spend our all to anoint his feet. (From: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)

A View From The Dark Side

What a waste! Why a whole bottle when a few drops would have been more than adequate? Why break the jar when it could have easily been poured? Why doesn't he tell her to stop? Judas thought as he watched the woman's shameful abandon. But Judas had hitched his wagon to a star, and he was committed to the ride no matter how rocky it got. Certainly the Savior would establish his kingdom soon. Worst of all, the offerings had started to dry up. Jesus wasn't nearly as popular as before, judging by the weight of the moneybag Judas wore around his waist. It was getting more and more difficult to embezzle funds. Judas pointed at the woman and her broken flask. "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial," Jesus continued. "You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." Judas looked to the other disciples for support. But they diverted their eyes, looking away, around, anywhere but Judas or the Master. All this talk about dying....there was no kingdom to come. So much for being part of a new Jewish parliament. The gig was up. Unless....
(From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)