Wa-Hoo!

Sunday, we had our first VBS Avalanche Ranch training headed up by Cowgirl Jill at Ranger Creek Ranch to the aroma of king ranch chicken by Chef Jonna. That's a mouthful and did we ever have a mouth full. The setting was perfect, as was everything involved. We also took this opportunity to thank our FWF ministers as well as prepare VBS helpers.

Have you ever heard a sermon on Nehemiah chapter 3? Me neither, until Thursday. The chapter consists of Nehemiah listing names and careers (goldsmiths, merchants and perfumemakers) of those who worked side-by-side in rebuilding the wall. These folks were from different parts of town and the surrounding areas with differents backgrounds, gifts and abilities. At first glance, this chapter would be pretty boring until you realize the importance of saying thank you for your hard work, sweat and tears. Giving credit where credit is due!

This was a mammoth job that was miraculously completed in 52 days. And God inspired the recording of it! It was not easy to be out of their normal routines...some had to leave the fields during summer harvest. I plan on writing my own Nehemiah chapter 3 for the childrens' ministry...and with VBS right around the corner, it is another mammoth job that will require much and many.

Newest FWFriend: Eryn Bryanne

Congratulations Tara! We love you!

The Extra Mile...

While on an Alaskan vacation, my cousin Jordan did an amazing thing. His mom and dad were resting and asked him, a twelve year old, to get them all some ice cream. They were intending for Jordan to get the ice cream from across the parking lot at the rv-park convenience shop. Yet, Jordan's thoughts went back to a previous trip they had taken to a quaint nearby (mile or so) town with an out-of-this world ice cream parlor.

When Jordan wasn't back in a timely manner, my aunt and uncle began to look for him. He was nowhere to be found and panic struck their hearts. While my aunt’s heart pounded, so did her fist on every door and window of neighboring trailers, until my uncle saw someone in the distance. Walking down the roadway on his way back from the ice cream parlor was Jordan; but, he didn't have ice cream...he had a piece of paper in which the lady tending his order had written every flavor for them to choose their favorite. He couldn't decide and wanted to get the order just right. Unaware of his parent's panic, he couldn't understand why his mom's knees buckled beneath her. What a guy...he wanted to bring his parents the very best. And he was willing to go-the-extra mile for their pleasure.

First of all, I hope I always give my best to the Father. And secondly, I hope that I adamantly search for the lost until they are found.

Dr. Dolittle II

Kent, Kaden and I had a fun weekend! At some time on Sunday, we were commenting on this crazy cat that keeps meowing at the back door. Kent told it, "We don't know what's wrong with you, if you'd just tell us we could help." Kaden said, "Ya know I understand dog and cat language." I asked him, "What is that cat trying to tell us?" And Kaden replied, "I don't know that cat's speakin' Spanish." LOL

A Message From Aunt Donna...

Leroy went back to work yesterday and was met with cake, balloons, cards and presents. He was overwhelmed and humbled by all the attention and hugs. He was pretty exhausted when he got home. But work is just what he needed. He does have headaches but we think they are tension related too. He just called me and is wanting to fish in a fishing tournament this weekend so that pretty much sums up how he is feeling. Praise God!!

PMS?!?!!!

"Images may appear larger than they really are." At least that's what I think the gist of the message is on side car mirrors. And that needs to be, if it's not, the medical disclaimer for PMS. I've never been happier to have Aunt 'Flo' visit than I was this time around. 'Issues' seemed larger than they really were there for a few days. Whew!

If We Could See Them Now...

"If you could see them now, they're walking streets of gold. If you could see them now, they're standing strong and whole. If you could see them now, you would never want them to leave this place."

Those words are from a song about loved ones that have gone on to heaven. Little Laurie has been struggling these past few weeks with the loss of her mom. (see Playhouses & Sandcastles from last month) Her FWF circle leader is Judy. Judy and I have discussed the frustration over feeling helpless in comforting Laurie. Well today, God showed up...Judy ministered to Laurie with words straight from heaven. Judy explained how she misses her daddy, too...how he is in heaven and probably knows her mom. Judy shared a precious story about a keepsake that has brought her comfort all these years. After some hugs and kisses, Judy asked Laurie if that is what she misses, mommy-kisses? 'Yes it is', she replied.

God doesn't always called the qualified, as Judy and I can attest, but He shows up and ministers anyway!!! He qualifies the called.

Gettin' Whooped

There are some times in life and in scripture where I get bogged down with God. The stuff with my uncle's depression was one of those times in life. My Aunt Jimmie Ann’s brain cancer is another. In scripture, the suffering of Job blows my mind especially where Satan presents himself to God and God, in essence, says 'how bout my boy Job?' Then God gave Satan permission to mess with his life, but not to lay a finger on him. So, Satan created havoc in Job’s world. OMG? Then the other instance that rocks my world is in Luke 22:31 where Jesus gave Satan permission to sift Peter as wheat. Peter made these huge, bold statements then Jesus lets him fall flat on his face in total humiliation. Some things I just don’t get.

Satan knows he can’t kill a christian. We belong to God. But, he sure tried to get my uncle to kill himself. John 10:10 says he wants him dead! Thank God he failed, so Satan isn’t doing a victory dance. But, he did settle for the consolation prize—making him feel dead even though he was still alive. But, it ain’t over till it’s over—I’ve read the Book and our team wins.

Job’s situation still baffles me, but Peter’s deal I sorta get. When you sift ‘something’ it’s for the purpose of removing the bad and keeping the good. In the end, the results make that ‘something’ better, more useful, pure.

I don’t know much, but here’s what I do know. God is good and God is loving. Because of Job chapter one, I believe that we have a hedge of protection around us. It’s hard to understand why God would take a step back and just let Satan at us. But, I do know that God doesn’t ever leave us. (Deut. 31:6, Josh. 1:5, Heb. 13:5) So, WHY? Why in the hell does He let us go thru hell?

Last week, Kent had a blow up in the control panel of the ice plant. It looked pretty bleak. Until a friend of our family, who just happens to be an electrical engineer, happened to be in Goree, America. He not only fixed the present problem, but he also fixed a past problem. Last summer our auger busted and piled a huge mountain of ice in the machine room on three different occasions. This present breakdown led to our plant becoming better and more efficient. Are we glad it happened?—NO! Are we glad to have that past problem dealt with?—YES!

Jordan, my cousin, got upset because he thought Donna and I were gonna dress up real weird and disco-ish then show up at his “Mom-Son Dance” and embarrass him. He got VERY upset—overboard upset, in fact. We all sat down on the bed and sorted thru things. Donna said, “Jordan, it’s been a tuff week for ya hasn’t it?” He lost it! She embraced him and he cried out every tear that he had bottled up from the whole week in regards to his Dad. His over-reaction to the dance was what God used to get his burdens from the week out in the open and off his chest. Am I glad that we hurt his feelings about the dance?—HECK NO! Am I glad that he’s better and his heart feels loads lighter?—YES!!!!

All I can say is, God works ALL things together for good. That verse doesn’t say that all the things are good, to me it says that he takes the good, the bad and the ugly then mixes them together for the good of those who love him.

Why does bad things happen to good people?

I don’t know. Is it because we live in a fallen world? Satan’s a jerk? I really, really don’t know… I’ve heard people say—well, if God were such a good God then why does he let stuff like this happen?

All I know is that God gave Adam and Eve dominion to run the show and they handed it over to the evil one. And I can’t talk, cuz there has been, is, and will be forbidden fruit in my life that I have had and will have trouble resisting for the rest of my days. So here I go again, handing over dominion of my life to the enemy.

My deal now is—I’m trying, violently I might add, to steal back some of the stuff he’s taken from me. At this moment in my life, it’s my health (overweight & unhealthy again) and my finances. I’m sick of it! I hate him! I finally stopped hating myself and started hating him. But, my battle is in the Spirit. Ephesians 6 has taught me how to fight in the Spirit—it’s one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat. My only offensive weapon is the sword, the Word of God. And I’m slowly but surely learning how to pierce the enemy right in the heart. Sometimes, I think I'm gaining on him.

Then there are times when I feel as though Satan's whippin' my tail. During those times, I don't feel strong enough to even stand up and engage (remember in Top Gun when Maverick went back into battle for the first time after losing his co-pilot, Goose, and wouldn’t engage in the fight?).

We are winners, victors, overcomers! Soul, stand up and fight!

Train Up...

Lil Mac's Easter party at school was fun!Belmont the Bear explained how he wanted to be the Easter Bunny because bunny's are cool, have a lot of friends and bears are scary. The kids weren't scared and they helped Belmont understand that he needed to be himself. They wanted to be his friend. Thanks Miss Tulane & Miss Jodie for a fun time!

“I’m so glad you were born!”

I have a new favorite thing to write in birthday cards. My niece, Emily, sent me a card this year for my birthday and she wrote, “I’m so glad you were born!” Those words made me feel so good that I’ve officially adopted them as my new favorite thing to write in everyone else’s birthday cards.

Today, way over a month past my birthday, I am still pondering that phrase. Why did it strike such a deep chord within me? Then I thought of my nephews. They and I have something in common…we weren't planned. Maybe, just maybe, that’s why those words struck a chord in me? Hmmm…someone is glad I was born. I know in my adult mind that a lot more than some ‘ones’ are glad. I came from God and through my Mom. I also know that my Father knit me together in my mother’s womb. My Master made me and I am a masterpiece. I haven’t always believed that…do my nephews? I’ll just have to be the one to tell them over and over in every birthday card I write!

Foulin' and sayin' sorry!

Kylie and Tiffany sat with me at last nights’ little dribblers games. They had been on the same team and their final game was last Thursday. As the girls reminisced about a game they recently played, I couldn’t keep from crackin’ up. Tiffany almost fouled out of the game. She said, “I guarded a girl that was twice my size and all I could do to stop her was foul.” Kyle added, “Yeah and after she’d foul her she would tell her, ‘I’m sorry’.” I laughingly stated, “Well, then those fouls shouldn’t have counted against you if you said you’re sorry!” They both wholeheartedly agreed, but the ref and bookkeeper hadn’t.

Isn’t that just a fine how do you do?

In a ballgame, when you foul the ref wants you to raise your hand acknowledging your mistake to the bookkeeper on the sideline. They keep up with your mistakes. And if you make too many, then you’re thrown out of the game. When we foul (sin) in life, we have the opportunity to admit it, like raising your hand at the refs whistle, and because of the blood our fouls are forgotten, erased from the books. I like God’s rules! But, only when I’m the fouler, not the foulee.

A Win/Win Situation

Yellin’ for both teams gets pretty confusing. At a little dribblers game there were kids from our ministry on both teams. People probably thought we were nuts because they didn’t know which team we were pulling for. I think that that is probably how God feels when he watches us compete with other towns, etc. He loves kids on both teams and wants them both to do well.

And what about the game of life, the game between good and evil? Can people figure out whose team I support? Am I whishy washy? Do I go back and forth between alliance with God’s team and Satan’s team? Lord, I want to be a die-hard fan!

Go God!

At church Miss Peggy shared a testimony that blessed our socks off! Miss Peg was laid off from her job a month or so ago and the thought of giving $50 bills for birthday gifts to two grandkids was weighing heavy on her heart. The birthdays were right around the corner and she was praying for a miracle to appear right around the corner (literally). As she went on her walk that day, her route weaved through the neighborhood right past the park. Her prayer that day, 'when I walk by the park, Lord, let me find a hundred dollar bill'. No miracle on 13th Street that day! The next day she prayed again, 'Lord, let me find a hundred dollar bill at the park'. Corners came and went and no miracle on 13th or Cisco Street that day, either.

Then the unimaginable became imaginable. While searching for a receipt in her purse, practically turning it inside out, she gasped. In a zipper pocket, rarely used, there it was...'A HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL'!!! It just so happened (God-incidence), that the remainder of her December 15th Christmas bonus was exactly one hundred dollars and hidden snuggly away for a rainy day!
APRIL SHOWERS!!!

Nothing is impossible with God!