It's a busy time at our house. We're moving next week so it looks like a tornado has blown through this place! I will be the first to admit I am not the world's best housekeeper, but I just can't stand this clutter! Oh well, it will be over soon.

God continues to reveal this plan of His to me. WHO KNEW?! I still can't believe how long it's taken me to get this, not that I really get it now, but I'm starting to and it's really exciting! And He's given me such wonderful sisters (and an incredible husband!) to share in this journey! THANKS GOD!!

I don't think it's a coincidence that God has chosen THIS time to make Himself more known to me. Being a stepmother is hard work. And you know what else? Being a stepmother of an almost 16 year old boy is even harder! I so want to be Jesus to him. And I so want to be an encouragement to his dad.

Excitement of the day: My husby and I were eating lunch at Hideaway Pizza today. I saw this guy come in and he looked really familiar. I kept looking at him, trying to figure out if it was someone I knew. GARTH BROOKS!!!! :D That was fun!

He's still working on me.....

I don't know why, but I continue to be AMAZED at how God works! (Of course, it would be a very sad thing if I were to stop being amazed at God!) Bible studies, conversations, blogs, etc. have all had a theme for me recently. In our Beth Moore study, I have been convicted of legalism in my life that I really had no idea was even there! I don't want to be a Pharisee!!! Today, the lesson talked about prejudice...even prejudice against other religious groups/denominations! WHAT! I'm a legalist AND prejudiced?! The "ironic" thing is we have been having all these discussions recently about personality types, etc and I just realized that this legalistic, Pharisaical thing is part of my personality! UGH! I've been thinking and wondering and working through what is to happen at Workshop this year. While I certainly don't agree with those who have chosen to boycott, I've had some struggles in my own heart about it too. All of these things seem to go together....But here's the GOOD NEWS! God is NOT finished with me! The way I think/feel/act WILL change if I continue to seek Him with ALL of my heart, soul, mind, strength! God loves me TOO MUCH to leave me where I am! WHOO-HOO! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I am totally stealing this from Mike Cope and I know Carrie mentioned it recently too, but I love the question and the memories it brings flooding! (As I read the comments on Mike Cope's blog, I had tears in my eyes!)

So...

"I want worship to be directed to God and to express the thoughts of the whole community of faith. BUT, if I got to pick my favorite three worship songs to sing this Sunday morning, they would be . . . ."

Finish the sentence. I'll give you mine later.

New Year, New Me?

Well, my blog sisters, along with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, have inspired me to put in writing some New Year's resolutions. :o)

1) Spend time in God's word every day. Life is so much better when I do this, but I so often get "busy" and leave Him out.

2) Spend more time in prayer.

3) Be more selfless in my marriage.

4) Have a better attitude, a positive one, about my stepson.

5) Take more time to cultivate my friendships.

6) Lose 10 pounds.

7) Not beat myself up when I stumble. :o)

Thank you to my sweet friends who have encouraged me in ways they will never know completely!

A Rainbow on Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve. It's been a rainy, foggy Christmas Eve, just like the song. But there was something unexpected tonight. The sun was setting and it had actually come out after a very rainy day. When I saw the sun was out, I ran to the front door and looked to the east. There it was: a rainbow on Christmas Eve! I couldn't help but think of what the rainbow means to me-the reminder of God's faithful promises. And then it hit me: The ultimate symbol of promise-keeping on the eve of the day we remember God's ultimate promise fulfilled! What an AWESOME God we serve!!!!

It seems like I always start a new post with: "It's been a long time since I blogged...." but it always has. It's not that I don't think of blogging or don't want to, it's just that I so often wonder if I have anything good to say, like that is what a blog is for anyway! So I was sitting here reading Theresa's and Heather's blogs....I could have written both of them. (Heather, Julia did not call for me and sing so sweetly...it was your post previous to that one!) Last night my husband asked me if I was happy with my life. My answer: "Yeah, pretty much." So of course then he asked what I would change. I gave some answers that are totally non-changeable, but as I thought more about it, it hit me: I have this GREAT life! What is my deal?! OK, so I am reading Theresa and Heather's blogs and thinking: I am right there with you my sisters, my FRIENDS. So why do we let each other feel like this when we feel so deeply for each other???? It hurts my heart to know that one of my friends is feeling lonely or insecure. Yet, I am feeling the same. I am going to step out on a limb here and make an early New Year's resolution: to check in with my friends more, maybe ESPECIALLY when I am feeling blah. Hmmmm....that just might kill two birds with one stone!

I'm a little behind in my Bible reading, so I read all of Philippians today. "Interestingly", I think there was a reason I got behind and read that entire book this morning.

First of all, I felt relieved to be reminded that God isn't finished with me yet. Not only is He not finished, He WON'T finish until His work in me is complete. WHEW!

Then the convicting began. :o) God through Paul reminded me that I am to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, that I should look not only to my own interests but to the interests of others. Ouch....I have been pretty consumed with me lately. (I'm sorry Doug and the rest of you that I have blown off somewhat because of my selfishness.)

And then another awesome reminder: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." There is this thing in my life that I think I have given to God, but I obviously haven't because it keeps BUGGING me!!

God is SO good in gently reminding us of our shortcomings and giving us a way to overcome them! THANK YOU!!!!

It's been a long time since I blogged. It's not that I haven't wanted to, it's just that the things/topics I have felt like I needed to blog about I feel are things I SHOULD'T blog about. I think I don't want people to know what I am REALLY like. They probably wouldn't like me.

On that same note, I took a personality test this week. I should be glad that I had one, but I have been fretting about it ever since I took it! I didn't like what I turned out to be. For some reason, I only saw all the negative traits of that personality type. Oddly enough, a friend told me that's part of my personality type! :o)

There seems to be an undeniable theme in my Bible study lately: repentance and confession. It came up again in BSF this morning. We were talking about Cain killing Abel and feeling not much remorse, except in the fact that he got caught! God gave him a chance to repent and he basically blew God off. Our leader talked about resentment and how it can take over our lives. She defined resentment as ill will toward a real or imagined grievance. Ouch! God showed me this morning that I have been very resentful toward my husband's ex-wife. I have so often felt like I deserved to be angry towards her. I mean, look at what she does, how she acts, etc! But God knows my heart. The leader stated that sometimes we believe God will change a circumstance more than a heart. I prayed this morning that He would change my heart. I don't want to be resentful or bitter or unrepentant. So here I am confessing. Why is that so hard for us? For ME? "Rebellion is centered on self; obedience is centered on God." Oh, I want to be obedient! The only way to uproot bitterness and sin is to call on the name of the Lord.

Hey, God......

I LOVE FALL! This is my absolute FAVORITE time of year! I love the sound of my windchimes chiming. I love the feel of the cool breeze (or wind, as the case may be!) I love the changing leaves, the smells. Cool days, especially the first ones, make me smile! :o)

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I am counting my blessings today. I have the most wonderful husband! I can't believe I get to be married to him!

And friends! Oh my goodness! Sometimes I feel lonely and insecure; but then someone hands me a piece of bread and tells me how much they love me and what an encouragement I am to them. And as they do, they have no idea how much I needed that at that precise moment. But God did.

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God, thank you for cool breezes....and cool friends! And the COOLEST husband!!!!

Did you ever think about the world being created for YOU? The order of creation was just that: order. God created everything in order, culminating in His ultimate creation: MAN. WOW! That is so cool! How did I not see that before? How does God show us something new from something we have heard/read/known our entire lives? (The story of creation.) AMAZING!

And guess what else I learned in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this morning? KNOWING GOD IS THE MEANING OF LIFE! MY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO SERVE AND GLORIFY HIM! Whew! Now I can stop trying to figure these things out!

Something I really struggle with is insecurity. Am I a good wife? Am I a good friend? Am I a good daughter/stepmother/sister, etc.? This is something I don't really like about myself. "Coincidentally", some scriptures have come to mind that speak to this.

Genesis 1: 27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Nothing else in all creation was created in God's own image!)


Isaiah 41:9-10
I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, "You are my servant"; I have chosen you and have not rejected you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


Isaiah 43:1b, 4
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.


Of course these verses are just the tip of the iceberg!

So it begs the question: why do I live as one who is not chosen?

Blogging 101

OK, so my first blog was really my husband talking, but it is true. I have been encouraged and yes, even threatened, to get blogging. Of course, it's not as easy as it appears. I had a blog that I had never blogged on. Now that I want to blog, I couldn't get it to work, so I had to start over. Of course this made me not want to blog at all! Anyway....here I am. :o)

I have been thinking today about what I might like to blog about. I think what has prevented me until now is that I wondered what I would have to say that anyone would care to read or comment on. Then I realized that's not really what it's about. As I talked to some friends, I realized this was a way for us to get to know each other better. No interruptions, no time constraints...

So....I am still gathering my thoughts on what I might like to blog about....

Stay tuned.....

Ok Heather, you baited me into it!!!!

Hah, I am on!