A Slice of Inspiration ...

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking: "My name is I am." I waited and God continued: "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I will be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here.

My name is I AM."

~ Helen Mellincost

Amazing Gifts ...

These are written by Elisabeth Eliot's father ... moment by moment "gifts" from our Heavenly Daddy taken for granted. I am compelled to share. May they bless you, like they did me ....

"'Blessings taken for granted are often forgotten. Yet our Heavenly Father 'daily loadeth us with benefits' (Ps. 68:19). Think of some of the common things which are nevertheless wonderful:

"'--the intricate, delicate mechanism of the lungs steadily and silently taking in fresh air 18 to 20 times a minute;

"'--the untiring heart, pumping great quantities of clean blood through the labyrinth of blood vessels;

"'--the constant body temperature, normally varying less than one degree;

"'--the atmospheric temperature, varying widely it is true, but never so much as to destroy human and animal life;

"'--the orderly succession of day and night, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, so that, with few exceptions, man can make his plans accordingly;

"'--the great variety of foods, from the farm, the field, the forest, and the sea, to suit our differing desires and physical needs;

"'--the beauties of each day--the morning star and growing light of sunrise, the white clouds of afternoon, the soft tints of a peaceful sunset, and the glory of the starry heavens;

"'--the symphony of early morning bird songs, ranging from the unmusical trill of the chipping sparrow to the lilting ecstasy of the goldfinch and the calm, rich, bell-like tones of the wood and hermit thrushes;

"'--the refreshment that sleep brings;

"'--the simple joys of home--the children's laughter and whimsical remarks, happy times around the table, the love and understanding of husband and wife, and the harmony of voices raised together in praise to God.'"

"'All these and many others come from the beautiful hand of Him "who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."' That's from Psalm 103 (vs. 4-5)."

And then from Lamentations (3:22-23), "'"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."

"'"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High" (Ps. 92:1).'"

More Gifts ....

276. Free tickets to the circus!
277. Cotton candy.
278. Elephants and the amazing tricks they are taught to do!

279. Simplicity!
280. Pen pals. Mine is from high school and it is fun!
281. Businesses that unashamedly profess their belief in our Lord and Savior on the walls of their dining room and in the testimony they tell in their activities.

282. Bees and the awesome fresh honey they produce.

283. Old things repurposed beautifully #1 … flowers in old chair.

284. Mainstay Farm's homegrown Christmas trees.

285. Old things repurposed beautifully #2 … there was something about this wheel. It was part of the back of an old truck, I think. The bed was filled with pumpkins. It was breath-taking! Maybe it would fall under the category of “ugly-beautiful” ... seeing cast-offs flourish with new purpose.

286. A red seat.

287. Old tractors … can you tell I long to live in the country on a farm?

288. Fun old license tags.

289. Washing hands in a washtub outside.

290. Playing cards with Paw-Paw.

291. Playing dollhouse with Grannie.

292. Mazes and how they reflect our lives … don’t give up, keep your eyes on Him and He will lead you through them.

293. Fall displays.

294. A sound mind so I am able to choose to see life through different eyes … blessings and challenges, not curses and yucky. We are so privileged!
295. That, in spite of 24/7 dizziness, I can still function and God has a purpose and He will heal me in His good time. Thank you Lord! And, in the meantime, His grace is sufficient for me!
296. Doctors who are interested in a true diagnosis versus handing out meds.
297. That Daniel was so courageous and forthright in the Lord. Talk about walking out your purpose in life WITHOUT compromising in a society where that would be so easy today … sound familiar? Wow! Read Daniel 6. Trust in the Lord! He NEVER fails.
298. “It’s A Wonderful Life” ... the movie and mine!
299. My rock awesome husband who God gifted with creativity and craftiness blessing his adoring wife with a bookcase! Yep, I'm special!

300. Boy Scouts.

More Gifts ....

219. (New one, because old was a duplicate ... thank you, editor!) "Dancing With the Stars."

241. Outdoor classroom.

242. Shopping for Halloween costumes.

243. Ice cream cones from Chik-Fil-A.

244. My awesome "Arise & Shine" prayer group.

245. Not turning on the computer until after school, per God's instruction, which brings extreme peace to our day.

246. A pink "lacy" pumpkin.

247. Awesome fall weather!

248. When handsome husband comes home from being out-of-town for way too long!

249. Cards in the mail.
250. The luxury of being a stay-at-home mom.
251. That the world is still full of cool things.
252. The ability to read and write.
253. The still small voice of God that I am able to hear.
254. That there are still those in this world who I have the privilege of showing Him to.
255. New friends at homeschool p.e. group.
256. The awesomeness of knowing people who when you are having a bad day or don’t feel good or are just heavy in spirit immediately pray for you … on the spot!
257. Birthday cake.

258. Wisdom that is shared with me and changes my walk or my thought process.
259. A Heavenly Father who when I cry out to Him for help … He helps me!
260. Merry-go-rounds.

261. The world and everything in it that belongs to Him … now how big is that?262. And, while I am talking about big … OUR DADDY WHO IS HUGE. Seriously, HE IS HUGE …
263. … and I am eternally grateful that there are those in my life who remind me of that when I, for even one second, forget.
264. Little surprises like my sweet girlfriend and her family are “accidentally” at the same pumpkin patch as we are on my birthday … what a nice surprise gift.

265. Birthday cards and flowers from hubby.

266. Sleeping daughters snuggled next to each other.

267. Healthy, growing daughters.

268. My camera to record our life.
269. My journals … another record.
270. HUSBAND: Back didn’t go out considering all the standing I did while on the job out-of-town.
271. HUSBAND: Sleeping in my own bed next to wife after too long away.
272. OLDEST DAUGHTER: Reading my Bible everyday.
273: YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: “Chihuahua” movie.
274. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Singing for Jesus.
275. OLDEST DAUGHTER: Experiments with growing radishes.

A Slice of Inspiration ...

"A godly man isn't someone who has arrived.

A godly man is one who is well engaged in the process."
Dr. Richard Averbeck, Professor of Old Testament & Semitic Languages at TEDS

One Year Ago Today ....

Mainstay Farm

One of our FAVORITE fall traditions is to go to the Mainstay Farm. We love this place for several reasons. It is family friendly with lots to do for all ages. It is spread out and so you aren't on top of other people (unless you are in the lunch line). The fun includes hayrides, frisby, pumpkins, a free-for-all haybarn with bales to climb on and plenty hay to throw at each other, pedaled go-carts to race, a three story tree house, a large spider web to cross, a huge wooden maze, face painting, a place to feed goats and more. The weather was perfect this year and we had the Byrd's and half of the Robinson's join us in the fun. The coolest thing about the Mainstay Farm is when the Wilson family unabashedly shares their testimony for the Lord on the hayride ... Jesus is their Mainstay ... and ours!

The gang is all here and ready for a hay fight!

Beautiful daughters!











Sliding out of the 100 foot rippled slide on burlap sacks for extra speed ... wheeee!










Waiting for lunch in the way-cool converted barn ... oooh how I long to live in the country!








Simply lovely.














Get your engines, I mean pedals, started ... Go!













Can we go again?












Help, I can't find my way out!












We are soooo clever!















Balance act on the spider web.












I LOVE pumpkins.










Face painting ... halloween.










Face painting ... masquerade.










Waiting with Daddy for the hayride!












Happy family after a long, fun day!

Under the Big Top!

I LOVE the circus, especially when it's done like it was when I was little ... all innocence and good clean fun with enough entertainment to make you "oooo" and "awwww" and alot of patriotism thrown in to remind you that we live in American, the Land of the Free and the Brave. Thursday night we went for our third year in a row to the Moslaw Shrine Circus with the Herrold's. Look forward to this every year. This year was just as fun as the others. Thank goodness that there are still reminders of time gone past when life was simple and so was entertainment. Thank you Lord for simple reminders of Your goodness!

Can't have a circus without a picture with a big clown.










Anticipation .... and cotton candy!












Lions jumping through flames ...













Tightwire walkers with incredible balance ... phew!











How about that hoola-hooping?!










Serious balance.












A boy all squished into a box and not a small one either, the boy, I mean. Who knew men could be so limber?







Now that is serious balance ... wow!



















Elephant rides and pure joy!








Dancing ponies ...











Parading poodles ...












and the flying trapeze artists!











My personal favorite, the elephants!









Proud to be an American!













Blessed with great friends. God has given us a group of wonderful Godly relationships as a blessing to ourselves and to our children. I praise Him for that. These are some of our dearest!

A Challenge

I love being challenged and I hate being challenged. God keeps calling me to higher things and satan keeps putting his foot out and I keep tripping over it because I allow myself to get side-tracked and lazy. Ugh! And God, in His loving and gentle ways shows me grace and mercy and tells me, “Get up daughter, you are equipped to do all that I am calling you to do.” Thank you Lord!

One of these challenges is memorizing His word. Ann at “A Holy Experience” put out the challenge … or maybe I should say God has challenged me through Ann … to memorize His word. A lengthy scripture and this is the one I chose …

2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

9. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:2-3, 9-18

"Because what our hearts know by heart fuels our intentions.”

P.S. I have had this little piece written for a couple of weeks because October was supposed to be “Memory Month.” But God in His graciousness has told me what I already know … that every day, every month, all the time is “Memory Month.” I was encouraged … again (yes, sometimes I’m a little slow) … to pick up my sword, which is the Word of God, and get back to memorizing. Here is another little nugget of truth that re-inspired me from “A Holy Experience”…

“In the context of Scripture, our lives make sense. Created by the Creator, we on this globe are made to live out our story within the pages of The Story. And carry The Story throughout the globe.

Because in the Book, we meet the Person of Peace. Become people of peace.

The children read and the cat suns and the leaves fall and the world hurtles and I kneel at the prayer bench, run hand across the page. I reread the verse I underlined in the dawning. Read the one following it.

Then, unannounced, come ones we’ve been memorizing. Ones too we’ve been listening to during mealtimes, playing in the stereo. Others we’ve been meditating on during family prayer.

I’m making my way back into The Story again.

In the midst of domestic disequilibrium and global turmoil, I feel something… like a rock. An island refuge. I close my eyes, settle. I’ve found my place.”

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4)

Baby Cuteness!

Okay, since it's my birthday ... I thought I would share a little of my cute baby-ness! Thanks for indulging me! :)



Me two days old!
















A picture my mom took to compare how big I was with a toy.











The toy, which I still own, and must surely be an antique now ... not me, the toy!


























Just another of me looking caaaa-yuuuuute!

My Birthday!

Today is my birthday and what a great celebration! God is so good to me. Here’s how it went …

• My sweet husband called at 6:30 a.m. to be the first one to wish me “Happy Birthday” and sing to his “precious wife". My heart leaps at the thought of that sweet man that God has gifted me with!
• Several of my dear, sweet, best friends emailed, called and texted me “Happy Birthday!”
• Daughters collaborated making me breakfast in bed and then did a trampoline routine to the tune of … you guessed it … “Happy Birthday!”
• My sister, my parents and my mother-in-love called and sang, “Happy Birthday!”
• We went to a pumpkin patch that the girls have now outgrown (sad), but while we were there, one of my best girlfriends and her family found us and came to hug and hang. I love fall and I love pumpkin patches and I am so looking forward to the one at Mainstay Farm this weekend.
• We had my favorite ice cream from Chik-Fil-A … I know, I am strange, but it’s yummy to me!
• When we got home … a lovely bouquet with an even more precious card from sweetest husband in the world … can’t wait until that man gets home!
• All day the girls said, “No mommy, you pick, it’s your birthday!” and wrote me sweet love notes.
• Oh, and, the day before, I was blessed tremendously at my prayer group, “Arise and Shine,” by my sisters and brother in Christ who were in attendance. They sang, we prayed, had some birthday ganauche and God had some good words for me. He loves me … and you, too!

It was a very, very good day … and it’s not over yet. I get to have birthday week 'cause when awesome hubby gets home, we’ll get to celebrate some more. Cool!

A Slice of Inspiration ...

"May we remember as parents that we are His children, and He is about the business of changing our hearts, of repairing our ruins, of remaking us. And though He has not finished with us, He has placed in our care His children. May He in His grace keep our hearts aflame for these children. May He give us minds like steel traps that we would never be distracted, that we would not forsake our calling. May He, that great Steward, make us faithful stewards of children, the most precious gifts, of which is the kingdom of God."

R. C. Sproul, Jr. "When You Rise Up"

A Slice of Inspiration ...

"God's truth does not change according

to our ability to stomach it."

Flannery O'Connor

More Gifts ....

211. Innocence ... may we, as their parents, protect them ... with great wisdom and discernment ... from the world and its ways as long as it is within our ability to do so!

212. Swinging.
213. Painting.
214. Forts ... building them, playing in them, inventing different ones, sleeping in them ...

215. Learning to write.

216. Trees … "and the trees raise their arms in praise to Him who made them and the willow trees bow at His feet".

217. And the two shall become one (Mark 10:8), rooted in Christ.

218. Camera’s, especially digital ... to capture all that is joy, the "ugly-beautiful", the fun, all that is our life ... our real life.
219. Warm blankets.
220. Crayons.
221. Water … to drink, to wash in, to swim in … living water.
222. Couples weekend away with our Home Team, our spiritual family, full of laughter, jokes, great conversation, lots of junk food, serious breakfast, poker, golf and pedicures.
223. M & M's.

224. Reading great books … like mother, like daughter.

225. Teaching puppies to walk (or is it puppies walking daughters?)

226. Men fighting for our country’s freedom.
227. Paths less traveled ... and we are all the better for it.

228. Climbing vines.

229. Balance … on log bridges … and in life.

230. Puppy love!

231. Funny sayings that come from the mouths of babes ... my latest favorite from youngest daughter ... "Dern shaddit!"
232. Death has no hold on us! Last week, Misty graduated to heaven. I and many others had been praying for her healing on this earth. It was not to be. Her husband, Darren, is walking with God and that faith does not waiver in spite of his earthly loss. God is good, all the time.
233. A clean desk!
234. Flowers ... God's love shown in simple beauty.

235. And, youngest daughter who loves flowers like her mommy does and sees the beauty in them, in spite of the weeds.

236. Girl's focused on the "gift" list ... they took a notepad and pencil without my prompting with us on our latest nature walk. They penciled in their own list as we walked along. Thank you Lord!

(courage!)

237. Hunter husband ...

238. ... and the fact that he is eager to include us on these adventures in spite of the added noise that I'm sure keeps him from his "dinner" mission. :)

239. Girls who love the outdoors and who are brave enough for any other activity Daddy might suggest.

240. Determination.

This Election

As I was praying over this presidential election and the candidates I believe in, God gave me a verse to be praying over them. Join me in praying ...

"May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community (the United States) to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

Numbers 27:16-17