And it is Sunday.

Today is a really beautiful day outside for the 24th of November.

And it is Sunday.  

So it is the Lord’s day and He has blessed with gathering, worshiping, feasting, visiting and time.

As i take time today to reflect and think and ponder the feelings of my heart . . . i am sad.  

First, I wish I could love myself they way Jesus loves me.

Second, I wish I could easily forgive and love those I am connected to by extension.

Third, I 'want' to display joy because I am so grateful for Jesus in my life . . . He is my hope.  My only hope.  And my desire.  And fulfiller of my deepest needs.  Protector of my deepest fears.  Music in my loneliest night.

Fourth, I wrestle with the effort I have to give with those that do not consider Him worthy enough . . .

Lord, if you took me tonight I would be relieved.  I am tired and weary in this world and I am ready for Heaven and joy and rejoicing and love all around me.

God, go before us this day and EVERY day.  Be with our girls and please make right what Ryan and I do wrong in raising/teaching/guiding them.  Give us wisdom Lord!  Until You take me home, please anoint me with Your wisdom and guide me in the way of truth and righteousness!

Lord, I pray for Brandon Roth and his back.  God, You have granted me a miracle with mine and I'm asking for a miracle for him!

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over--will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  ~Luke 6:38

Oh Jesus, help me to keep my hands open after giving so that i can receive your blessing!
amen and amen!

p.s.  thank You sweet Jesus for the lesson today.  For the jog this morning.  For new mercies every morning!

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . and then . . .

Yes, it is New Year's Day 2019! 

Wait, what???  That is crazy? 

How can I be 47 (turning 48 this year)?
How can Ellen be turning 18 in 16 days and graduating from highschool this May?
How can my sweet Erin be dating our highschool friend's son?
How can my baby be a teenager and finishing 8th grade?
THEY ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH!!!

I was fortunate enough to be with my mom & dad & my grandma today . . . my aunt & uncle were there too - we made New Years Cookies and had soup and conversation for a while.  I am so blessed to be with people I love and who love me . . . what a gift.

Today, January 1, 2019, I am reminded once again how fragile life is in some regards, how quickly time travels and how blessed I am.

God, thank You! 

Dear Ryan, Ellen, Erin & Emily . . . you are so precious to me.   I hope I can be a person whom you look up to, are thankful for and want in your life.  I forever want you in mine.

I have limited my responsibilities this year so as to "smother Ellen" with a momma's love!  God, as the 2nd part of the school year begins, help us to focus on matters of eternal importance.  Help us to be an example in word & deed of You; of love.

Looking back as we prepare to move forward:
Sold & Closed on Park Lane home/Wollmann home.
State Volleyball Tourney in Emporia (1A) 3rd place - Ellen State VB Honors - well deserved!
Ellen college decision:  FHSU; senior pics, no boyfriend; HeartSprings volunteer; piano lessons with Miss Carol, Europe Senior trip (Venice, Rome & Paris), HS Musical solo
Erin - sophomore, VB Starter, Brady Boyfriend, Good student, Cole Street Singers, HS Musical part
Emily - VB Setter, Gertie Green part in play, participated in HS Musical; Basketball PG, still a baby Erma G (smile).
Ryan - still the love of my life!  Working/leading at BCO.  I'm so proud of the man he is and am so thankful he picked me!

So, Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year . . . and then the lights come down, the decor put away and I get a little sad for a bit . . .help me to remember LORD, Easter's coming, the Sun will rise and God is on His throne.  Help me to put my hand in yours and let you lead when I'm not sure where we are going.  Bless You and thank You.  Amen.

The Great Sadness . . .

First, I must tell you the title is from a wonderful book, "The Shack" in which a devastating event is labeled 'the great sadness' for a major character.  

Here are my notes during worship service this morning (yes, my mind was a bit preoccupied):

Twenty-two (22) years ago today, my sister--Janelle Marie--was killed by a drunk driver--our world was jolted to a halt and life stopped for a while.  Sure, breath continued, bodies were in motion, but our hearts were split and they just spilled out.  No one knew if the healing process innate within us started on the top or on the bottom or if we were supposed to wait for someone to push the halves together so the heart could reattach and grow strong once again . . .

Thank You Jesus for conquering death--for nailing it to the cross--for the absolute promise that we will be together again.

July 9, 1995 . . . the day the great sadness arrived.  When did it leave?  Oh, well, it never leaves.  Rather, it moves around - even hides sometimes, but every so often it shows itself at certain times and places.  Sometimes, it is right there in front of you and one has to take notice and just deal with it.  Other times, its a slow entrance you know is coming, so you have time to prepare for its visit.  I don't hate or dread its coming.  I love to remember the reason for it's visit and replay the memories . . . like the song says . . . I could have missed the pain, but I'd have to miss the dance.  No way!

Dear Janelle, I love you so much!!!
https://youtu.be/ztmZKMdr154

Words with Wisdom

Hey, I'm not even referring to Solomon, the wisest of all men . . . no, these are quotes from children's books that are so sweet . . . they make you smile . . .

“‘What day is it?’, asked Winnie the Pooh.
‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet.
‘My favorite day,’ said Pooh.”

What words to live each day by . . . like Jesus said, don't worry about tomorrow, the day has enough trouble of its own . . . God, for THIS day, I am grateful!  For THIS day, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

“When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.” 
—A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

 . . . in those moments of not knowing what to do, the honorable thing I believe is to try and honor the "who" . . .

Is this not a momma's love . . .


 “Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear. Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.”

—Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

I think I need to read this book!  Oh, my prayer for my girls . . . the Wisdom God from You to choose her path right (according to Your best for her), free from unkindness and fear (let her trust be in You alone Jesus, in Christ alone)!


 “It doesn’t happen all at once,” he said. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” 
—The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Oh, and this I understand . . . it is in the growing, and the learning and the living we do the loving.  It isn't always pretty and the more you do it, the more worn out you become (physically speaking) but the heart bears all things and loves all things and endures all things and the greatest is LOVE and "real love" is never ugly or bothersome, "except to people who don't understand"!

Dear Mr. Lewis,
I think you are brilliant!
God must have granted you eyes to see and ears to hear
Him.

 “There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” 
—The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

This is such a great children's book.  I read this to my girls probably 5 years ago and I just want to go pull it out, start again and make them listen and hear the beauty in this truth.  There is NOTHING sweeter than someone in the flesh who truly loves you . . . God, I am so grateful You have given this to me!





Preach!!!  The blessing is all of it . . . without the bad, would we be grateful for the good?!?!?

My sweet sister dear Jesus . . .  my sweet Janelle . . . 

"Courage, dear heart!"  ~the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis)

grateful.   God, I'm just so grateful . . . thank You!  amen~

Phantom, the Opera Ghost

Ahhhh . . . it is with a grateful heart I write about a most beloved story of mine.  Yes, I am a complete sucker for a good love story--one that makes you cry and doesn't always end 'happy ever after' (although the Princess Bride is on the top of my list).  Last Fall, I purchased 6 tickets to The Phantom of the Opera, performed at the Music Hall in Kansas City.  Yesterday, we piled in and headed that way for the 2:00 performance.

Okay, in all honesty, 2 of the 3 lead performers were awesome - 1 was extremely weak for the role he played . . . disappointing to both Ryan & I.  There were some slight script/scene changes which were not to my liking (I am a traditionalist when it comes to this story).  Last June, we traveled to Florida and I read the original writing by Gaston Leroux . . . the Phantom wasn't as romanticized as I had made him out to be, but a beautiful love story nonetheless.

The feat of a musical production is truly mind.blowing . . . from the live orchestra, to the singing, the dancing, the choreographing, the costumes . . . oh, how God would have granted me the ability to perform (He did not); smile.  Thus, I am a grateful admirer!

So, the one thing which was the most impressive?  Without a doubt, it was the role of the Phantom--his biography--"about him"--which so impressed me.  They list his schooling, his accolades, his website and twitter handle and he is quoted for thanking Him who has given Derrick the opportunities and gifts to do what he loves.  He gave God the glory with no shame or apology.

When the show had ended and they were receiving their encore, the actor who played the role of the Phantom, looked up, pointed up and then bowed!

Praise You Jesus!  Praise You Yahweh!  Praise You most Holy One, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The God of me . . .

We learned this morning from Pastor Jason to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ--rather to share and shine brightly for Him.

Dear Derrick Davis, may you continue to shine brightly for the Lord Jesus Christ!  You have amazing gifts; it was a joy to watch!

Elephant Love

I started writing about this in my journal last Sunday; it went something like this . . .

It's called a "momma's love". I learned this love from my momma and her momma and I hope I can pass it on to my own girls. I am attracted to elephants and I find them fascinating. They are extremely matriarchal . . . they travel in herds, they can be fierce when threatened, they love their babies and they have deep souls . . . to look into their eyes must be one of the most beautiful experiences as I believe you would see another world.

My momma has always loved me. And her momma has always loved me. How unbelievably blessed am I. Three things happened this week which brought to mind how blessed I am . . .

1) My sweet niece had to give a not-more-than-2-minute speech, but a not-less-than-1.5-minute speech. So, she asked if I would listen to her after church this morning while a friend videoed. OF COURSE! Absolutely of course I would do this. Thanks for asking Miss Nat! Anyway, she gets up there (the 6 of us listening are about 6 feet away) and she starts: "Hi, my name is Natalie Kaufman, I'm a Senior at Moundridge High School and I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself." No joke, my eyes watered and tears welled and I had a flashback of my own sweet sister saying so much of the very same and I was overcome with love for this darling; this sweet young woman I have watched grow up since infancy and I wanted to grab her and hide her away and not let her grow up anymore or want her to graduate or time to keep ticking. My heart was so full it absolutely hurt because of the tenderness . . . like when a pregnant woman has to drink so much water so a sonogram will give a good reading . . .you are so full it hurts until it can be let go.


Dear Natalie, Just so you know. I love you and pray God's best for you and I hope that I can be a positive influence in your life for a long, long time. I ask God to let me see you get married, have babies and just be a part of whatever you do for Him! Praying wisdom & guidance for you as you look to next year. I am always here if you need me and will protect you as fiercely as I can. You were precious today. Love,m.

2) It is a wonderful, marvelous 2 year anniversary for me! Two years ago today, Ryan hauled me to the Kansas Spine Hospital for my back surgery. God's hand was in everything that transpired . . . from the rupture to the restoration. God, to You be the glory for all You orchestrated on my behalf . . . thank You! As Chris Tomlin sings Your promises are "Yes and Amen!" I thank You over and over and am so grateful. Each time I walk, run, exercise I marvel at how wonderful You did put me together and I praise You!

3) We were at Hutch Trinity vs Moundridge JV game watching Ellen and in the foyer of the gym there is a crucifix - or a statue of Jesus on the cross with His side pierced and a red marking to symbolize the piercing. I have never seen a picture or symbol of this where I noticed his right side was pierced. In my mind, everytime I have read the scriptures I have always pictured his left side and I'm not sure why. I was searching the scriptures today in church and have not yet found if it says which side was pierced . . . again, it's not a new insight into His word, its just I saw it in a new way . . . something I have read many times before. So here's my thought: I spent a few hours with my grandma today - just her and me. I tried to look at her and really notice her--her hair, her eyes, the way she talks, her mannerisms, the joy in what she was sharing with me-church, her friends, Linda, Helen, the neighbors across the street she took bread too; Arlo & Teresa who she also made bread for; the calendar she writes anything down she wants to remember and everything she thinks of for each day. I just tried to soak her into my being . . . telling her things I remember about growing up with her--special foods she made; looking at some pictures and clothes she had in her closet. God, I love her so much and I thank You for Your provision to her! Like I prayed on the way home--when You call her, please let it be a short call. We know the number and will talk with her again!


It's a momma's love like Mary's when the bible tells us she "was treasuring all these things in her heart and meditating on them." Luke 2:19
It's a momma's love that nourishes and comforts and cares and cries. God, help me to leave a legacy of Love! I want my family to know how dear they are to me. How much I love them. I want the world to know how much I love You. How I praise Your name. How Your love carries me.
Thank You and Amen!

Power of the Stripes

It is a beautiful time of year for me.
It’s the culmination of Basketball for the year.
I love this game. Really, I LOVE this game. #lovelovelove

After an intense substate week, ending in a victory last night (which means we head to Manhatten for the State tournament), I realized something so clear to me this morning.

THE POWER OF THE STRIPES!

In most sports there are Referees, Officials, Umpires . . . those people who have the power to influence the game Hugely!

I have never blamed a referee for losing a game for us . . . I have yet to see that perfect game played; HOWEVER, i have taken pictures of those I deem absolutely unworthy to be holding a whistle and running at the same time as they are obviously not multi.taskers! #frustration

I also have never figured out why someone yelling in the stands about how bad dumb the referee is and how inadequate they are . . . I have never understood, why this fan would think that would be in our favor? After all, those stripe.wearers are human; with ears; and, um, yea! They do have the power to make that call, and that one and guess what, that one too if they choose. It’s not always black & white--is it a jump ball? travel? foul? Depends on their perspective when it happens.

So, are the Stripes powerful? Absolutely. Do they cause us to win? to lose? to stop trying? Absolutely NOT.

Ultimately, it is only by “His Stripes we are healed.” Is 53:6
Jesus Christ alone has the power to cause us to Win. He was in the game, He played it perfectly. He endured the hate, the loss, the shame, because He knew the Power of His stripes and He shed them freely for you & me. Praise God! We are healed. We are saved.
WE ARE VICTORIOUS!!!

Are there power in the stripes? Yes ma’am.
There is.
The power to defeat anything & everything so that when the buzzer sounds, the whistle blows, the time ends, our game continues on another court, in another gym and it will be Awesome!

#getinthegame

We win 2A Sub-State 46-43 over Berean! #takestate

Posted by Moundridge USD 423 on Saturday, March 5, 2016

55 seconds left in 3rd and we take the lead 34-32 over Berean! #makestate

Posted by Moundridge USD 423 on Saturday, March 5, 2016

Dear Mr. Heart Holder

Dear Mr.,

My sweet daughter has given you her heart--unknowingly perhaps, but genuinely and sincerely nonetheless. She has let you have a part of who she is and shaping who she is becoming because she trusts you, believes the good in you and trusts your belief in her.

You, my friend, are a heart.holder.

So, Dear Mr., please take special care of her heart as it is breakable, and it is bendable, but mostly because it is trusting and pure. Heart.holder, be gentle; move it carefully as you carry it with you; and, when you need to set it down or let it go, please do so with grace and love and peace.

And also, dear Mr.Heart.holder, when the time comes, if it comes and you need to send it on it's way, would you be so kind as to send it with wings to fly because you love her heart too?

You see, her heart was taught to "never give up, to never lose faith, to always have hope and to know that it can & will endure."

So, dear Mr. Heart.holder, you will always hold some of her heart because a heart once held is a heart truly loved.

Time will pass and life will move on, but Love sometimes stands still
and remembers
and there is a quiet beating only the heart can hear.

Listen closely in those moments and give thanks for the gift of holding a heart, knowing that every once in a while she is doing the same.

Signed,

`the heart bearer


1 Corinthians 13:6

In Sympathy

Dear Friend,

As you mourn, as you remember, as you hurt in your heart, know this:

Those who hold a loss share something special.
Those who carry a hope share love.

Those who love know it comes with a price...Praise God, He has paid it.

So, then, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope . . . Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

In a short while . . . until then, let us encourage one another and build up one another to love & good works!

With Love & Sympthay,

your friend.

(1 Thess 4:13,17; Hebrews 10:24)

Grace Wins

It’s Sunday evening and I have only downloaded one song today from itunes, although I have previewed probably 20 and listened to them on youtube a good many times over! I am not quite sure why God did not give me a voice to sing, because I really, really love music and one of my favorite things to do is drive fast with my music loud singing my heart out! So, I downloaded Matthew West’s lastest song, “Grace Wins” today and I am just struck by this phrase,

“ . . .there’s a war between guild & grace and their fighting for a sacred space, but I’m living proof: Grace WINS every time! No more lying down in death’s defeat, now I’m rising up in victory singing “Hallelujah!” Grace wins EVERY time!

For the prodigal son, grace wins
For the woman at the well, grace wins
For the blind man and the beggar, grace wins
For always and forever, grace wins
For the lost out on the street, grace wins
For the worst part of you and me, grace wins
For the thief on the cross, grace wins
For a world that is lost
Grace Wins!”

Dear Jesus, thank You so much for Grace winning over anything & everything. Lord God, Father God, Savior God, Healer God, Redeeming God, Loving God, dear God . . . my heart comes to the throne of Grace asking for mercy for those who are hurting and hopeless . . . for those who see the odds so outweighing any hope they are close to giving up. God, I ask on their behalf, to restore their/mine trust and belief in who You are: God Almighty, the Great I AM, El Shaddai, Emamuel--God with us. Lord, I pray for little babies fighting to survive and their mommas & pappas fighting to be strong. Lord, I lift up grandmas & grandpas hurting for their children and grandchildren while fighting struggles of their own.

So, God, I know in my heart & mind how trustworthy You are . . . God, You CAN DO ANYTHING--DO IT LORD!

There is a popular song right now by Charlie Puth titled, “One Call Away” . . . Jesus, You are not even a prayer away and You will be there to save the day . . . regardless of how the day ends on this side of heaven. Jesus, let our hearts & minds be focused on things eternal while living in our mortality. We love You. We ask You for Your will to be done and the grace to accept what we might not understand. In Your sweet name, Jesus, we pray.

~amen

Sam Hunt Concert

First HS Volleyball Game

Ellen, so proud of you and your hard work.  We love watching you out yourself out there and try!  It takes guts and courage to work hard when there is an easy way...to try and miss when you could play safe and not even try...to fall on that floor going for the ball when you know that it going to hurt when you hit...

Wear your jersey proudly not because you are full of pride, but because you are part of something bigger than yourself!  Because "together" you WILL accomplish more.  I love you!   I hope you keep in mind it's only a game...play it well!  

Romance!

Helped out at Beth Moore's simulcast from Wichita, KS this Saturday--so awesome!  My soul was refreshed...was reminded I am a Mighty woman of God...Jesus needs to be my First Love...she started with Esau and the selling of his birthright because he did not value it...and ended with Jesus telling the church in the book of Revelation "I have this against you...you have forsaken your first love."  

Oh Jesus, romance me like only you can.  I love You so!!!  I need You so!!!  Swoon me and help me to keep You as my first love.  Thank You for the opportunity to serve You this weekend--I was honored and I loved it!!!

MYM . . . Lord, do it!

God,


"Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9 All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God."

Psalm 86, a prayer of David, a prayer of mine.

Lord, direct our paths, make straight our ways. Lead us into the way everlasting.
Lord Jesus, I want to offer up thanksgiving for the goal and purpose of MYM. I feel Satan is trying to
discourage, to thwart, to hinder, to "steal, kill and destroy" this ministry and I am asking You, Lord Jesus,
to show off big! As Your word says, "You alone are God." You alone can prosper it. You alone can grow it.
You alone can use it.
You alone.
You.

It's all about You, Lord Jesus. I know You are more than my feeble mind can ask or imagine, so my
prayer is Holy Spirit, intercede on behalf for MYM.

You alone, Jesus - DO IT!

Amen~

"Just Be Real!" says the Grinch.

Goodness, I feel like the Grinch today and I wish I could act like him a little; when he goes to Whoville and "wows" everyone with a dose of realism.
In todays Social Media craze, i have come to realize without a doubt, life is perfect for some people! It's "days of joy" and "thankfulness countdowns" and "look at what my family is doing; rather look at what I am doing" and "so blessed" and blah, blah, blah . . .

See, I am the Grinch.

OR

Do I want real people in my world who are grateful, are full of joy, are thankful, are blessed and are REAL because this world is HARD for even the most joyous Christ Followers!

I LOVE Jesus. I WANT to honor Jesus. I TRY to be more like Jesus. And Jesus was not always joyful.

He grieved; he was angry; he pleaded; he hurt for Jerusalem; BUT He always loved. Always and no matter what.

So, in a world gone bonkers over instagram posts, twitter feeds, facebook status updates, blog following . . . let us not forget what it is really all about: LOVE. Loving. As Beth Moore would say, it is a "present active participle" (did I get that right Miss Beth?). It is an act of doing, even once done, even done a thousand times, it is continuing to do now and always.

We might be grateful, thankful, blessed, full of joy and blogging to our hearts content, but let us not be so caught up in Posting what we are and/or want to be that we forget to put our Talk to the Walk. Like the brother of Jesus said, "Faith without works is nothing" (thank you James for the reminder and the reality check). If we are not loving in a way honoring to Jesus, it really doesn't matter how many followers we gather. It's not about us; it has never been about us; it was always and will continue to be about Him.

HE is the begining, He is the ending. He is everything.

This Christmas Season, above all else guard your heart by keeping Christ the center!

KLOVE had this as the encouraging word of the day last week, I feel God gave this directly to me in a time of bombardment of this World. It is from Hebrews 10:36 and reads,

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

It almost makes me laugh, as "patient endurance" seems upside down and backwards in our world today. But, I know the promise that God's word stands forever, is useful for building up, is steadfast and true, that it Saves.

Patient endurance to fight the good fight; run the race set before us; to stand firm against satan. We are "told" and (me guilty too) and we mostly do, buy what we need, if it's not dvr'd, we don't watch (who wants to waste time at commercials), we don't leave messages, we just text, we are a now society and I'm not sure we are building a generation who will find value in working for something if there is not immediate gratification. I do not know of any tower being constructed to reach the heavens like in the days of old. I do know of towers that enable this to be connected to virtually anyone, towers that send signals back and forth allowing us access to virtually anything. Our towers weren't constructed to reach God . . . maybe they should be.

Jesus, help me to be more like You . . . fill me, every place in me . . . let Your love overflow in abundance through me. I am so thankful, so grateful, so blessed . . . let me live like it!

~amen

Hi & Lo

Everybody get "high"...everybody get "low"...  Why does the game of volleyball fluctuate so?!

Ellen, so proud of you today!  Good job!

A Songs Holds a Memory

Oh my, does it ever.  Today, riding my bike to work, I was listening to my daughter's ipod nano.  All of a sudden, my gut was just in knots and there was this feeling of "Whoa Cowboy, What was that?!"

Then, I remembered.  Then, I felt.  Then, I remembered the feelings . . . it was a song we played at my sisters funeral.  My sister, who was 2 months over 18; killed by a drunk driver.  It was her funeral and it was our song.  Here is the link.  I played it over and over because the it was a bad memory; it was a sweet memory of the love I carry deep within my heart for this sweet baby girl.  It is the hope I have of being with her again one day.

The Song holds a memory I pray I never lose . . . a memory of the dance we shared . . . thank you Garth for this song.  It holds a life!

Romance!

Helped out at Beth Moore's simulcast from Wichita, KS this Saturday--so awesome!  My soul was refreshed...was reminded I am a Mighty woman of God...Jesus needs to be my First Love...she started with Esau and the selling of his birthright because he did not value it...and ended with Jesus telling the church in the book of Revelation "I have this against you...you have forsaken your first love."  

Oh Jesus, romance me like only you can.  I love You so!!!  I need You so!!!  Swoon me and help me to put my hope in You alone. Thank You for the Lifeway Team I served with today; I LOVED it! Met this precious woman who I served along side. Lord, I ask Your blessings on this precious lady and her family. God, I pray You put people and circumstances in her son's life to show him how much he is loved by You! God, we know You love him. Help him to know You love him.

Thank You for Beth Moore who seeks to serve you by serving women. I pray for her ministry and Your hand to be upon it. We love You Jesus!
Amen~

What a gift!

I post this tonight to just put out there how thankful I am for the gift!

The gift...

...of a mom who loves me and my children,

...of a family who loves one another...

...of the freedom to pray together...

...of a community of believers...

...for friends among family...

...for You Jesus; mostly, for You!

Amen~

First day!

5th grader

7th grader

9th grader

Love them too pieces!

God guide their feet; make straight their paths!  Equip them according to your word!