As I wait...

The family will be here in an hour or so. You'd think I would be frantically trying to clean/straighten/organize. Not me. I'm a "Mary" kind of person. I say that almost honestly. The problem is that while it's not crucial for me to have every speck of dust relegated to the trash heap there's a tiny part deep inside that really feels inadequate. You see, some of our guests today are used to linen napkins while 3-ply Vanity Fair is as close to linen as we'll get today. They pour tea from a crystal pitcher while the large plastic canister will have to suffice here. These are folks I love with all my heart, but I do occasionally feel like trailer park trash next to Beverly Hills glitz. Strange, but true.

On a happier note, Terry & I are trying out a '04 Ford FreeStar minivan. Who knows...we might actually buy it.

It's been quiet around here since Christmas Day. The Kids & Kidlettes departed and left the echoes of happy sounds. Oh, I've talked to all the girls & some of the kidlettes several times since Tuesday, but there've been no small feet running or tiny hands/knees crawling through the house. I've spent these few days napping, computering, studying and eating (which I'll have to give up on Jan 2nd). Terry's worked all but Wednesday so the quiet has almost shouted at me. But I'm one of those people who needs some serious downtime a lot more frequently than I get it. I could have filled my days off with activities, but the need for quiet introspection won out. And, yes, I'm ready for the human interaction again. Good thing, too, since tomorrow is Sunday, which will include church and my families' Christmas meal.

When the TV has been on this week, it's sad message of tiger attacks and martyrdom made me seek other things to do. Thankfully, I discovered iTunes about a year ago and the praise & worship music I've accumulated soothed my heart, mind & soul. And I'm ending the year reading in the book of Isaiah. God's message through this great prophet is not always a happy one, but it is always a hopeful one. There's so much of Jesus, the Christ, in Isaiah's writings and He's so much about hope and life. It's hard to stay sad when reading the scriptures.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night w/ my mom, brother, sister-in-law, nephew & all our crew. We so seldom get a chance to be together. This year DaddyG has been on my mind more than ever. The first moment I see Darrell is always a shock; he's so much like DaddyG. Can you say "spittin' image"? There's also a funny side to our get-togethers. MomaG, Darrell, Kay & Craig are not used to the chaos associated with lots of little ones. You can see them begin to get antsy after about an hour. Oh, well, it's the price they pay for being kin to this prolific side of the family.

Christmas Day was a wonderful day at our house. Kids & Kidlettes started arriving about 9:30. Our friend, Janice, also joined us for a few hours. While brunch was warming/cooking, Kevin read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20 and led us in prayer. Marlee Kupcake was sitting in Papaw’s lap – next to Kevin. She didn’t make a peep but kept her eyes fixed on Kevin as he read the scripture. Occasionally she’d look back at her Papaw, eyes wide, then her gaze went right back to Kevin. She was enthralled.

One of the funniest scenes of the day was Marlee’s reaction when Papaw took off his cap. She would cry loudly until he put the cap back on. Needless to say, after trying to leave the cap off a couple of times, he finally relented and left it on.

The kids prepared all sorts of food: pancakes, sausage balls, ham/biscuits, stuffed crescent rolls, Morning muffins, breakfast pie and all sorts of snacks. For some reason I didn’t sleep well last night. Wonder why!

For Mamaw’s sake we open gifts one-at-a-time so we can see what each one has gotten. The Kidlettes racked up, as always. The adults didn’t do too badly, either. I got a digital picture frame – something I’ve been wanting; a shirt that says “Somebody special calls me Mamaw”. Make that 6.9 special somebodies. Papaw and I got calendars made with Katelee & Tucker’s artwork. I’ll try to scan some of those for later posts. There were several cameras flashing so I’ll have some pictures to post, too. My most special Christmas present was having all the family together for most of the day. The Kidlettes were in good moods, w/ the occasional whine when hunger or tiredness struck. It’s amazing to me that little ones can act so sweet when their little bodies, emotions and minds are on overload from all the food, attention and new stuff.

What a day! Thank You, Father, for all the blessings You’ve gifted us with.

He leaned against the splintered post, chewing a piece of straw, while surveying the scene before him. He should be tired, but he wasn't; and neither, apparently, was anyone else. The young teenaged boys sat in wide-eyed wonder, even after working all night. It was the strangest thing: They'd wandered in as if drawn there, as if they belonged. And he didn't have the heart to tell them to leave.

He almost laughed out loud at a tiny lamb that tripped over it's own feet, but his gaze caught the shy smile of his young wife and he didn't want her to think he was laughing at her. She'd been through such a difficult time and had handled it with a quiet dignity beyond her years. The rumor mill had run rampant; and many a time he'd wanted to stuff sackcloth in a gossiping old biddy's mouth. But his wife's calm acceptance of it all had taught him some lessons. He'd thought he would be the teacher in this relationship, but he was learning differently. She'd taught him that if he pleased God, he didn't have to please anyone else; and if he didn't please God, it didn't matter who else he pleased.

The young boys were looking at him with concern and he realized there was a whimpering sound coming from the makeshift bed. He glanced at Mary and saw that she was asleep. No need to wake her. He straightened from the post and walked over to the tiny Babe. Not much experience with infants, but this One apparently needed comforting and he was going to learn. Joseph didn't know why he'd been chosen, but he would give all he had to give to do the right thing.

He smiled in wonder as he picked up this Infant, this King, this Jesus.

~LaRue 2005

A small hand waved in the cold Bethlehem night....

The infant had somehow escaped his swaddling...again. He seemed to be directing some unseen orchestra. Before she tucked him back into the warm strips of cloth, the young mother checked...again...to make sure he had ten toes. She smiled at his dimpled knees. And she wondered at such an aristocratic nose on such a tiny face. As his soft, tiny hand brushed her soft, nurturing hand, she checked there for fingers and thumb; and lingered to look at his palm. A scripture from Isaiah, one she’d heard her brother repeat, came to mind. “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands...” (Isaiah 49:16a nasb). This was the first of countless times in the next thirty-three years that she would ponder deep, hidden treasures in her heart. That same heart would turn over with laughter at a toddler’s antics; and catch in her throat with unshed tears when the crowds jeered him; and break half in two when she witnessed his death. But that was for later. For tonight, there was the joy of motherhood. She caught his tiny hand, tucked him close and knew she held a most precious gift in her arms
...really.

Merry Christmas with love,
Terry &LaRue

I’ll be hard pressed to relate all the wonderful events of last week. Thursday night our SS class went out to eat. Mind you, that’s not all we did. Katrina Estes Hill – author, illustrator & storyteller – entertained us with tales from her childhood. All her stories were in poem format and hilarious. Those of you raised on a farm or near a farm will be delighted by her books. We also played “dirty Santa”. We firmly believe in “stealing” and newbies get the brunt of this tradition. Bro. Kelly (minister of music) had a book, a pair of binoculars and a cake stolen from him. He did finally get a chance to steal the binoculars back & went home happy. My ladies are so nice to me all year ‘round, but at Christmas they shine. Last year I got a beautiful clock from them and this year they gave me the most beautiful afghan, which is a misnomer. It’s a rich wine color velvet that looks more like it should be the focal point on a wall somewhere.

Saturday MomaG & I went to Katelee & Tucker’s Christmas program dress rehearsal since we couldn’t attend Sunday night. Talk about a couple of little hams. They danced and sang with all their hearts. Katelee’s solo was great even though she was upset about some props that were missing.

Katey, Andy & I drove up to Memphis to eat dinner with Molly & Kevin and attend the Memphis Symphony Orchestra & Choir’s performance of Handel’s Messiah – the whole 3-hour piece. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was. We were all awestruck that one man could write all that. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been having Laurie with us, but at this stage of her pregnancy she definitely couldn’t sit through the performance, even with the intermission. The Cannon Center for Performing Arts is a huge place that can accommodate lots of activities at once. The auditorium where we were seats approximately 2200 people. Saturday night’s proceeds went to the Orphanos charity. It was so much fun to laugh with the kids – lots of laughter before & after the performance. We got home about midnight - late for this Mamaw.

Last night was the BBC cantata – On This Very Night – a labor of love and you could hear it in every part from the choir and the orchestra. It takes a lot to make something like that come together. Kudos to the choir, soloists, instrumentalists, sound guys, audio/visual team, narrators and Bro. Kelly. And hats off to those who volunteered to kept the nursery.

There's lots going on this week at work; then a long break. If nothing happens, we should be off all next week and the first two days of the next, coming back on January 2nd . Let’s hope nothing happens!

It was a nice weekend. I planned more for Saturday at home than I was able to accomplish. I wrote my own Christmas cards this year, and while that was done back in April (who knows why it came to me in April??) I didn’t leave enough time for printing. That’s how I spent Saturday morning. And naturally, when you need a printer to work efficiently, it doesn’t work at all. But they’re done and will go in the mail tomorrow.

Last night I went to Parkway for a bar-b-que supper and the Christmas cantata. There’s a young man named Matt who played 2 keyboards and a computer. It was magnificent, as was the entire cantata. The Parkway choir has an unusual amount of depth in all sections for a small church choir. I’d sit through it all again!

This will be a busy week. Darrell is coming over to spend a few days and we’re going out to dinner tonight with MomaG. Thursday night we’re going to the Country Squire for our Sunday School Christmas party. Saturday I’ll go to Katelee & Tucker’s dress rehearsal, then to Memphis for Handel’s Messiah. Sunday night is the cantata at BBC. Somewhere in there I need to work on Sunday school lesson preparation. (Genesis, praise God!) Whew! By then I’ll need to take a vacation.

Those who know me know that music is my heart, so even if I’m tired, it will be worth it. Merry Christmas with love.

Disappointment reigns. The Kindle did not help me. I think it is a great product – slightly pricey – for someone who is not fighting a battle with double vision. It only happens when I’m using my bifocals to read, so I’m back at my computer using the Libronix Library to read the NASB. I was excited and hopeful, but I’m not devastated that the Kindle didn’t work out. Thank goodness, Amazon has a great return policy.

There are numerous web sites that contain the New American Standard Bible that I could read from, but I chose to buy the Libronix version because I can highlight and make notes. The cross reference feature is easy to use and there are lots of other learning tools that came with it. So I’m satisfied that I have the best thing for me right now.

Laurie’s family is on the mend. They finally decided to join a blogging community. You can find them here. Don’t even ask what Kingmooka means.

Katey’s crew is working hard on their house. They probably won’t be in by Christmas but consider that a blessing now. It might have been too much stress to move during the holidays. Katey is in adult choir which will present their cantata Friday night & Sunday night. And the kids are in the children’s musical. Lots to keep them busy.

I’m hoping we’ll be off the week of Christmas. I am so looking forward to some family time.

The Kindle is coming! The Kindle is coming! They kept pushing the shipping date back as late as end of year, but I got notice today that it shipped and should arrive tomorrow. Can you guess how excited I am?!! Calm down. Remember, expectations sometimes exceed reality. You can bet I'll let everyone know if it works for me.

My first purchase for the Kindle was the New International Version of the Bible. My second choice, really, but the New American Standard Bible is not yet available in Kindle format. And, yes, I've already written to the Locman Foundation asking them to partner w/ Amazon to make the NASB available. I already have an extensive list of books I want to read, so restraining myself from such easy purchases will be a challenge. Can you say NO?

A trip to the ophthalmalogist yesterday resulted in a horrendous headache. In order to see the backs of my eyes to make sure nothing strange is going on, he had to shine lots of lights back there. Not fun. I don't have diabetes and there doesn't appear to be a brain tumor, so here's what's going on (he thinks): The vision in my left eye has worsened over the last couple of months and my brain (gee, aren't you glad to know I have one?) is refusing to connect info from my left eye with info from my right eye. Poor brain! I thought there was smoke coming out of my ears the other day.

The entire thing is filled with history, science, math, language, poetry, social studies and civics. Everything we need to know has its' foundation in this collection of books. We might not enjoy all those subjects, but there's one thing we can't resist: It's written by our Heavenly Father.

Today we started studying Genesis (beginning), not as history, but as His Story. The first four words of chapter 1 give us lots of information. Who? God. When? In the beginning. (Ours, not His. He has no beginning or end.) In the beginning God tells me that He planned it all and carried it all out. And our Father started early on eaching us about the Trinity. In fact, the first three verses tell us that at that moment of creation's beginning there was God, Spirit and Son. Oh, the Son is implied (and supported by many other scriptures) by "spoke". You see, John 1:1 tells us that In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

And if you look at Isaiah 40:22 you'll see that old Chris Columbus could have saved himself a trip. Over 2000 years before he sailed off in the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria God told us the earth was round. It is He who sits above the circle of the earth...

Of all creation, human beings are unique. God created us for a special relationship with Himself. And at first that relationship was perfect. Do you think Adam and God had fun naming all the animals? A black & white striped four legged animal scampers by and Adam turns to God and says, "Zebra?" God says, "That's good Adam. I like that name." But you know, as much fun as God must have had creating the zebra, He didn't plan to die for the zebra. And He probably smiles when He smells a rose, but He wasn't going to shed His life's blood for a rose. He formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

And God did all this, knowing one day He would lay aside His glory and come to earth to tabernacle with us. He became one of us, only sinless, so that He could save whoever would believe in Him. He lived; He died; He rose again. And He did it for you and me. It's all part of His story and you can read about it in the Bible. When you've read it, or re-read it, go out and tell someone the story of Jesus. They're waiting to hear.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CATHY!!

Cathy and I have been friends for the longest time – since 1978, in fact. We went to church together back in those days; she played organ & I sang in the choir. Our kids played at Cecil’s and we went out for supper on Sunday nights. We even sang together – Christian music and country music.

Those of you who read her blog surely know she’s a free spirit – always has been – but her move south seems to have freed her spirit even more. We disagree on most things – theology, psychology, politics, social issues – but on this we do agree: we can love and respect each other despite the differences.

Even after all the years and miles between we can pick up conversations and talk as if we only spoke yesterday. I love her smile and her nervous laughter. Her insight into others’ motives and feelings is uncanny. She is not afraid to put her vulnerabilities out there for all to see. And she’s not afraid to step on toes with her opinions. (God love her)

Cathy, my friend, have a joyous, blessed day!

Friend Cathy has pointed me to a new technology that I hope will be an answer to my reading challenge. It's called a Kindle by Amazon.com. It uses a new technology known as ePaper that eliminates a lot of glare caused by backlighting. One feature that sold me on this reader is the ability to manipulate text size. But that would be useless if there were no books I wanted to read. Yea! There are plenty. Amazon carries a lot of my favorites in Kindle edition: Lucado, Swindoll, Lotz, LaHaye and many others. And there's a ton of other features. It's what Terry is getting me for Christmas...and it may be that late. It's on backorder and they keep pushing the ship date out; right now it stands at 12/6/07.

I hope my expectations don't exceed reality. I read all the pro/con reviews, and came to the conclusion that each person had to try it for themselves. It's pricey, but books are $9.99 and it holds over 200 titles. The only drawback is that right now I can't find a Bible in Kindle edition. If anyone sees one, please let me know.

Kids & Kidlettes are coming over today for Thanksgiving lunch. They're bringing food and I'm only required to make tea. Better get at it.

...in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus...Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 23 NASB

Trustful thanks. It doesn’t roll off the tongue easily. Maybe they meant something else; maybe thankful trust? But, no, it stuck in my mind as trustful thanks. And here’s where it led me….

First, there’s praise. Praise is the awe-inspired, reverent acknowledgement that God is, well, God. He is Creator and Sovereign Ruler. He has always been and will always be. The Triune Godhead is three in Person and one in nature. Praise has nothing to do with me and everything to do with God.

Then, there’s thanks. Thanks is an acknowledgement that God in all His deity and sovereignty rules over my life for His purpose and my good. He has created a beautiful planet for me to live on, replete with all I need to exist. And there are the everyday blessings of family, health, job…I could go on for hours. Thanks is what I give for all the blessings.

But what is trustful thanks? It means giving thanks to God for what He will do in the future. It’s giving thanks when I don’t feel like it. It’s giving thanks when I have no clue how He will answer my petition, but trusting that He will answer to His purpose and my benefit. It’s giving thanks in an information vacuum and trusting Him to work it out.

Trustful thanks is important to where I am right now. Example: This morning it took over an hour for me to read three chapters in the gospel of John and one Psalm. Not too long ago it might have taken 30 minutes. My vision seems to be getting worse. My eyes don’t work together, giving the sense of being cross-eyed when I'm reading printed text. In the near future I may have to read my Bible on the computer. Nothing wrong with that; I just love to hold the book in my hands. Scripture has always been alive to me, running up through my fingers and arms to settle itself in my heart and mind. Reading on the computer will take some getting used to. (And to my friend: No, I don’t worship the Bible, but I do worship the Author and anything He writes to me is very special.)

So, back to trustful thanks. I’m going to thank God in advance for the way He’s going to work in all this. And I’ll thank Him for all the friends and family who pray for me. And I’ll thank Him for Jesus Christ, Who went through so much more than I can ever imagine.

O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. Isaiah 25:1 (NASB)

Weeks of stress and pressure at work finally took a toll and I played hooky yesterday. Those of you who know me know that's way out of character. I don't call in sick unless I'm so physically ill that it would be harmful to others if I showed up. But yesterday was different. In fact, while talking to one of my direct reports (I have two) on Thursday she told me to take a sick day. And I hadn't even told her anything was wrong; she's a very astute person.

It's not that I'm irreplaceable; my parents raised me to know that there are plenty of folks out there who can do the job. My responsibility is to do the very best I can and stay strong. That means going to work every day even if a hangnail is bothering me. It means giving all I have to my job and the people I work with. None of us are owed a job or a paycheck unless we earn it and don't you forget it (I can hear my daddy say).

I'm taking full advantage of this mini retreat. Yesterday I spent some quality time reading the scriptures and praying; there was a little tv watching; a short nap; and Domino's delivered a pizza. {To digress: Laurie says it's a very pitiful thing when the pizza delivery place answers the phone saying, "Hi, Mrs. Peters. The usual?" Glenda & I eat pizza once a week at work and they know us well. It may help that we tip these folks well for bringing our lunch to us. That first bite of a deep dish double pepperoni pizza makes everything better. Talk about comfort food.}

Today will be much the same as yesterday, sans pizza. Some self-examination of my feelings, words and actions over the last few weeks may warrant a trip to the doctor. Or maybe I should just cut myself some slack, do the very best job possible at work and let the rest go. I certainly don't want to start taking anti-depressants again. They are a wonderful thing when prescribed appropriately, but they make me extremely hungry and the weight starts piling on. I'll probably just start using some of the vacation/sick time I've accumulated and see if that helps first. And there'll be a lot more prayer time. Jesus is still the answer.

Ordinal numbers. Do you know what they are? Early in the week Laurie called and asked, “What are ordinal numbers?” Absolutely nothing came to mind, but I didn’t feel too dumb until she said, “Carter brought home a worksheet and the instructions say to color the ordinal numbers. When I asked him if he knew what they were, he said, ‘Do you mean first, second, third…?’” Note: we should have listened to him.

Oh, yeah, it gets weirder. Not having a clue, I recommended she consult one of our family’s math whizzes. She called Katey and Katey said, “Do you mean first, second, third…?” OK. That cinched it, but we weren’t through yet. Katey said, “I wouldn’t have remembered but Tucker had homework on that subject last week.” Mind you, Carter is in kindergarten and Tucker is in first (ordinal number) grade. And the adults can’t even help them with their homework??

Weirder still…. Last night on So You Think You’re Smarter Than a Fifth (ordinal number) Grader one of the questions for Regis Philbin was “What is the ordinal number for ten?”

Stranger things have happened, but this one has made my week!

Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: ordinal number
Function: noun
Date: 1607
1 : a number designating the place (as first, second, or third) occupied by an item in an ordered sequence — see number table 2 : a number assigned to an ordered set that designates both the order of its elements and its cardinal number

(Do you know what a cardinal number is?)

We're waking to a cool Sunday morning. This weather makes me feel better, more relaxed, less lethargic. We're so blessed to have different seasons, each making us appreciate the next and long for the former. When it's cold & dreary will we long for the sweltering days of summer? Well, maybe not long for. Most people probably enjoy spring and fall for the same reasons I do - less extreme conditions.

My friend Cathy told of seeing a beautiful moonrise yesterday. What's more beautiful than a harvest moon peeking over a field, then rising in majesty? It seems so close you could reach out and touch it. Since I'm a morning person my favorite is sunrise, especially when rain is in the forecast. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight. (Technology that allows a screen as opposed to a tiny viewfinder on a camera is a wonderful thing for people w/ vision impairments.)


In a few hours I'll join many others for a time of fellowship, Bible study and worship. My mom, Laurie & I go to BBC, so there are four generations of us there every Sunday. Laurie couldn't be in this picture because she was the one w/ the camera phone. Maybe next time.

Surely there’s more going on in the world than what’s in my tiny sphere, but 12-hour work days have kept my focus tight. I’m coming up for air, though, and hoping the long hours are over. Ha! New directives/programs came down this week that ensure more of the hectic schedule.

I probably didn’t miss much. The cursory glances I gave to headlines showed the Dow on its usual rollercoaster, politics as usual inside & outside the Beltway, mudslinging as usual in federal/state/local elections, the usual cultural tensions agitated by outsiders who need a life (and to stay out of my community, thank you very much!).

There are unusually bright spots, though: sweet (but too short) visits with family, dinner with friends, church. Oh! Sunday night a ladies’ ensemble (Laurie included) sang an A cappella version of Gentle Healer. It blew us away; the entire congregation was stunned into silence for an instant, then erupted into applause.

To digress for a moment…applause in worship services bothers some folks while others feel it’s appropriate. Surely there’s not a “right” or “wrong” feeling about this issue unless the applause is strictly performance appreciation. At Belden amens are heard throughout the service and on a few occasions applause has punctuated some much-agreed-with points in Bro. Jim’s sermons. Both amens & applause follow some music – it’s not performance appreciation. It’s a recognition that God has blessed BBC with some extremely talented people who use that talent for His glory. Sometimes the heart, soul and spirit are so moved by a display of God’s glory that only an outward manifestation of praise will suffice. So if you don’t “amen”, applaud or raise your hands in worship, please don’t criticize those who do. And if you do all those things, please don’t criticize those who don’t. End of digression.

Older people say a baby will “get up out of the way” when there’s another baby on the way. There has to be a kernel of truth in every “old wives’ tale”, so it’s no surprise that Marlee Kupcake has taken to the sippy cup at less than 8 months. And she’s crawling all over the place. It won’t be long before she’s pulling up, then walking, then running. Goodness, the time flies by as the babies turn into toddlers; then toddlers into children; and so on until they’re grown & gone.

Terry and I are so blessed !! (Psalm 127:4-5)

We’re studying through the gospel of Matthew this Sunday school quarter. As we begin each new book of the Bible I have a fresh appreciation for both the author and his writings. But even more, my appreciation includes God’s use of different personalities. As the Holy Spirit inspired these writers, He used the distinct individualism God graced us all with. For instance, at first reading Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life on earth might seem dry and boring. Not so! He was a tax collector – a record-keeper. His account gives facts with an eye to detail. Mark, a young man, roars through his account like a biker on the open road. You’ll notice frequent use of the word “immediately”. Luke, a physician, tells the story from a caregiver’s point of view, offering more of the human factor – more of what people felt. John’s account soars with the deity of Jesus. All four gospels state clearly, and in so many ways, Jesus’ Messiahship and divinity. As John the disciple tells us, if all Jesus did during His time here was written down, th earth would not hold all the books.

But we do have the treasure of God’s words to us – a tiny glimpse of all the many things He did from the beginning to the establishment of the church. And it is a joy, a privilege and an awesome responsibility to be called to lead others in a study of His word. This year I’m staying a week ahead of the lessons. Each week I hand out a study guide with questions and scriptures that are not in their Learner books. Some use these guides; some don’t. A few actually “study” and some just read the lesson on Sunday mornings before they come to class. Whatever the case, I want to at least provide them with some extra material to use if they so desire.

A teacher knows she’s called when she has the burning desire to share all she learns with everyone around her. That’s how I feel. And it’s not just about teaching. The whole process is a learning experience for me: I learn from my studies and I learn from my ladies. And there’s always a surprise, a nugget of something valuable that God has hidden for us to find. He graces me with more than my heart can hold and He is worthy of my praise.

Life is sometimes overwhelming when you live where the buck stops. Sandwiched between employees and upper management, those of us in the middle can really feel the squeeze. This has been borne out in the lives of family, friends and my own personal experience over the last few months.

On the one hand, I’m so thankful to have a job – a calling, really – where my abilities find a home and where I can help others. On the other hand, the person in the middle gets all the complaints and none of the credit. And where’s the support? Is it true that everyone is out for #1?

So how do we survive this pressure? As I’ve been praying about it, the first thing that comes to mind is this: My worth is not found in the voices of those on either side of me; my worth is based in Jesus Christ, Who is my Lord and Savior. And it’s really not “my” worth; it’s His. It’s only mine because He graces me with worth.

Second, God is in control. Easy to say; hard to understand. But the truth revealed throughout scripture is that nothing happens in His creation without His express consent. God can change the hearts of our enemies; He can hold us tight and teach us lessons while we go through the storms; He can test our dependence on Him; and He can answer with a greater “yes” than we ever imagined.

Knowing that God is in control and that my worth is bound up in His worth frees me. He will do what is best for me, tough as it may seem at the time. My responsibility in all this is to glorify Him in every circumstance.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

The weeks before and after a holiday are always crazy at work. Everyone is anxious to get a long weekend; then they wish it had been longer. Add to that the fact that the office air conditioner went out and it was 89* in my office for two days with no fan. Got a fan and the air conditioner repaired about the same time. Oh, yeah, the 89* temp was up from the normal 86* is has been in my office this summer when the AC was working. Meltdown!

Terry & I have started a little tradition this summer that we’ve enjoyed. Most afternoons when we get home from work we cut a watermelon (or take the other half out of the fridge) and dig in before supper. We don’t eat a lot (who needs the tummy ache), but we sit where it’s cool & share the day. He has spoiled me by cutting out bite-size pieces for me. We had a few watermelons in a patch at his sister’s house, but the weirdest thing was the voluntary vine that came up under our bedroom window and grew out over our patio. There were a couple of tiny watermelons on the vine, but we also had one at 55 pounds and another larger than that which he didn’t weigh. (Sounds like the fish that got away, doesn’t it?! But other people saw these melons & will testify.)

Our chief chef has been at my house cooking. Laurie is enjoying having all the boys in school. Carter goes to kindergarten every day, and Aaron & Marcus go to preschool Tuesday & Thursday. Those days give her a much-needed respite and some special time with Marlee. Anyway, cakes and pies await me, as well as spinach artichoke dip. Let me tell you….NO ONE can make spinach artichoke dip like Laurie can. Oh drat, every stinkin’ bit of this has lots of calories and loads of fat, but if I divide it up in tiny pieces to dole out sparingly, I can continue the slow pace of weight loss.

My brother, Darrell, lives in Alabama so we don’t get to visit as often as we’d like. Last night was one of those too rare occasions when we got to sit down and talk for a while. After dinner at MomaG’s the conversation turned to memories of the past.

Like me, Darrell doesn’t have a lot of childhood memories, but some things are imprinted on our brains. He was one year old when we moved from New Chapel to Nettleton, so that’s when his recollections start. I do have some memories of New Chapel, including getting a whoopin’ for throwing rocks at my aunt who is only a few years older than me.

MomaG was surprised at the stories we related, and she told one I’d never heard. They owned the Western Auto & a doctor’s wife asked DaddyG to order her one of the first dishwashers. It was much like the portable ones you can still get today that you manually hook up to the sink faucet. MomaG decided she needed one, too, but it wasn’t money well spent. She said it wouldn’t wash dishes worth a hoot. DaddyG would buy and sell almost anything & one day he loaded up the mattress & box springs off their bed and sold it to someone who’d bought a bedroom suit from him.

Like most towns, Nettleton has a large ditch that runs through it. Darrell & friend Steve decided to try to dam up a section and fill it with water so we could swim. No telling how much water was wasted before they were caught & stopped. And one day I was filling up the plastic pool and didn’t stop at the parent-designated level, so Darrell got a hoe and chopped the water hose in two.

More memories surfaced as we talked and it turned out to be a wonderful evening. I hope we’ll do it more often.

Being #1 is nothing to brag about. A foxnews.com headline reads, “Mississippi Ranked as Fattest State in U.S.”. Well, gee, who’d-a-thought. A full 30% of Mississippians are obese. (Check out your Body Mass Index here and get more information about weight/health.) The article made me more conscious than ever about my weight loss. It’s a slow go, but I’ve been able to drop a pound or two every month. It doesn’t sound like much, but at least the numbers are going down & not up.

A friend of mine works in the lunchroom at a county school. She says that no matter how appetizing they try to make the healthy foods, kids won’t eat them. So they offer lasagna, spaghetti and other high-carb, high-calorie foods that the kids will eat and offer very little in the way of physical activity. According to the article, schools will have to change their ways this year and next. Let’s hope it works.

Yesterday was a really good “church” day. At BBC we’ve gone back to the tradition of Sunday school promotion. We all met in the sanctuary and classes were dismissed by age. Quaint, you might think, but it was very effective; just what we needed to stir the spirit of Sunday school. Of all the programs of the church, Sunday school is surely the most critical to the life of a church. This particular program provides for small groups of people who get to know each other (fellowship), study together (discipleship) and meet each others’ needs (service). Most people who are saved have been involved in Sunday school where Christians have witnessed by testifying to what Jesus has done for them. How great is that!?!?

Sometimes the Holy Spirit so fills the sanctuary during worship service that mere words can’t describe the moment. I can tell you what happened in sequence yesterday – we prayed, we welcomed, we sang Days of Elijah and Glorify Thy Name – but if you weren’t there you can’t know the true sense of worship that permeated the room. Every song, every prayer, all the preacher’s points brought us closer to our Father.

And there’s the matter of naps. Huh? Here I was talking about high and holy things, then I switched to naps. Well, that is an important part of my Sabbath experience. After working hard all week, I need to recuperate and rejuvenate. A nap usually does it for me.

Last night I visited Parkway Baptist to hear their choir present a summer musical – Sanctuary. There was a very good balance of praise songs, old Southern gospel and traditional songs. There’s a thread you’ve probably picked up on: music leads my spirit to worship.

And I got to see some of the kids and all the kidlettes this weekend. See pictures here.

Yesterday ended better than it started. Maybe it has something to do with expectations. It was just another day at work, but after work I had a treat. MomaG and my cousin, Susan, from Atlanta picked me up at 4:00 and we took the grand tour of the Nettleton/New Chapel area. We spent a lot of time revisiting the past by going to sites where our parents/grandparents/great grandparents lived years ago. MomaG remembers a lot of our family history. We made a brief stop at New Chapel cemetery where many of our relatives are buried, including my dad, Susan’s mom and our grandparents. Susan commented that we’re probably kin to most of the folks buried there.

Our meandering led us to Applebee’s for supper (Southern for dinner). Calories don’t count on your birthday, do they? Then we backtracked to see the progress being made on Katey & Andy’s house. I hated to leave the good company, but this chick goes to bed with the chickens in order to be up at 4:15.

There were phone calls from my girls and my brother, a very sweet post from Carolyn, cards in the mail and emails – all sending birthday wishes. (And a Terry rendition of “Happy Birthday”) All in all it was a very good day.

It’s almost intolerable, and I’m inside. How on earth do people work outside in this heat?? The air conditioner in our office hasn’t cycled off all day and it’s still over 80*. Do you know how hard it is to cool a metal building?!? Tempers aren’t faring very well in this extreme heat, either, and we’re moving about as fast as molasses in winter. Ah, for winter. Laurie expresses my sentiments when she says, “I don’t do HOT.”

For those of you who believe it has to do with global warming, I remind you that in the 1930’s the South experienced these same kinds of consistently HOT days. And, no, I wasn’t alive then, but I’ve seen some of the data. Most seniors I've heard talk about the weather say it goes in cycles and this just happens to be one of the hot ones.

Stay cool. Stay hydrated.

It's been a Mamaw kind of weekend. Marlee Kupcake kept me company Friday night for a few hours while her mom & dad had some much-needed alone time. Then she stayed with me a few more hours yesterday afternoon. We ate, we slept, we talked. She told me all sorts of secrets that I'll never tell. { 1. because I can keep a secret, and 2. because she was speaking another language. :-) } And her brothers visited for a while, too. Lest I forget, Laurie & Dewayne were here. Now I understand how my mom & dad felt when we took the girls to visit them; they hardly knew we were there for all the attention they were giving the little ones.

The Sunday school lesson this morning came from Malachi 1, about how worthy God is of our love and how that love should manifest itself in our daily lives and our corporate worship. Lots to digest and evaluate. The entire worship service was very powerful. Anyone who knows me, knows that music is, to me, the purest form of worship. The Offertory, How Great Thou Art, lifted us up to glimpse God's Glory. The special music, a very different genre, got us pumped up and ready to hear God's Word. Bro. Jim preached a powerful sermon about keeping the lighthouse clean. First Corinthians 5 is a very difficult scripture and much shunned by today's church, but Bro. Jim's teaching showed that scripture is very clear about church discipline. Lots more to digest and more examination needed in my own life first. I do love God's Word.

It's back to work tomorrow with triple digit temps and even higher heat indices. Everyone should remember to stay hydrated - water or power drinks, not carbonated or alcoholic drinks. Have a great week and remember Whose you are.

A much needed day off. YEA! The down side is that our work has slowed some, but we're hoping we'll have only a few short weeks. The up side is a break from the daily grind. And we conserve energy by turning off the air conditioners and lights and all the equipment for an extra day. Thursday the air conditioner in the office area never cycled off and at 3:30 it was still 80* in there.

Hey, the Tupelo plant won the LC Industries Safety Award for the second year in a row. Our percentage of workers' comp related injuries/illnesses per employee was the lowest of any other site - 2.2%. We had a pizza party and extended lunch break yesterday to celebrate. Our Health, Safety & Environment Manager is working on an incentive program (more than a pizza party) that will reward locations throughout the year for staying safe. One reason competitive industry hesitates to hire people who are handicapped, especially those who are blind, is a fear that the person will pose a safety hazard. Actually, the opposite is true: we have a much better safety record than other like industries.

Here's a look at "my folks".

I promise it's not laziness; there's just no time for two posts today. Click here for news about my kids & kidlettes. Cathy, you can share my secret now & thanks for keeping the confidence. You're a friend, indeed.

The computer hasn’t been on all weekend and I’m far behind in posting. Maybe the muse has deserted me. It was an extremely busy weekend – busy for this homebody, at least. Friday night and Saturday morning I went to a Growing Churches Conference at 1st Baptist. Talk about a bargain: Attendees got to choose 5 classes for the sum total of $5.00. You can’t beat that, especially since the classes were well-prepared, well-lead and very helpful. The conference wasn’t just for pastors and other church staff. There were more lay people there than ministerial staff.

Katey & I left the conference and headed straight to Carolyn’s house. She started a tradition 4 years ago where all Mrs. Virginia’s kids and kidlettes and great kidlettes get together the last Saturday in July and grill burgers. Every family provides a side dish. For the longest time in the Peters family there were no little ones to coo over and rock to sleep, but now we have a passel of them. If I didn’t leave anyone out, the latest count is 14 under the age of eight. Rowdy times, but what a blessing!

The only regret this weekend is that I didn’t get to go to the Plantersville Reunion. Read Cathy’s post and George’s post if you’re interested. (And to make it even more fun, the link function isn't working properly. You can link to Cathy's site to the right and from her site choose The Plantersville Connection.) Sounds like everyone had a really good time. Buddy, Betty Sue & CD went before lunch at Carolyn’s and got to see lots of folks they knew. Who ever thought this up had a really great idea. Kudos to all who worked on it !!

The computer hasn’t been on all weekend and I’m far behind in posting. Maybe the muse has deserted me. It was an extremely busy weekend – busy for this homebody, at least. Friday night and Saturday morning I went to a Growing Churches Conference at 1st Baptist. Talk about a bargain: Attendees got to choose 5 classes for the sum total of $5.00. You can’t beat that, especially since the classes were well-prepared, well-lead and very helpful. The conference wasn’t just for pastors and other church staff. There were more lay people there than ministerial staff.

Katey & I left the conference and headed straight to Carolyn’s house. She started a tradition 4 years ago where all Mrs. Virginia’s kids and kidlettes and great kidlettes get together the last Saturday in July and grill burgers. Every family provides a side dish. For the longest time in the Peters family there were no little ones to coo over and rock to sleep, but now we have a passel of them. If I didn’t leave anyone out, the latest count is 14 under the age of eight. Rowdy times, but what a blessing!

The only regret this weekend is that I didn’t get to go to the Plantersville Reunion. Read Cathy’s post and George’s post if you’re interested. Sounds like everyone had a really good time. Buddy, Betty Sue & CD went before lunch at Carolyn’s and got to see lots of folks they knew. Who ever thought this up had a really great idea. Kudos to all who worked on it !!

“…let them not look at God through difficulties, as we see the sun shorn of splendor through a fog; but let them look at difficulties through God. Let them put God between themselves and the disasters which threaten them. Let them cast the whole responsibility upon Him. Has He not thus brought you into difficulties, that He may have an opportunity of strengthening your faith, by giving some unexampled proof of His power? Wait only on the Lord, trust also in Him: His name is Jehovah-jireh; He will provide.” Abraham, or the Obedience of Faith by F.B. Meyer

It’s not a disaster that I face, but an uncertain time at work. There are some personnel issues that are plaguing me now and the deep breathing is not quite enough to decrease the stress level. But I can depend on God to show up and prove His transcendent power.

And while I’m waiting…..Think of family. Think of friends. Think of mountains and gurgling brooks. Think of baby kisses and husband hugs. See! My blood pressure is going down already.

Sweet, messy, wet baby kisses are a treat. That’s what I got yesterday after Marlee Kupcake finished her bottle. She took a little catnap while drinking her afternoon snack and woke up in a sweet mood. Even at 4+ months, she likes to “give sugars”. Little Miss Bright Eyes laughed like she’d done something great. Mamaw thought so, too..

Those sweet moments make up for some of the rougher ones that come during working hours. But there are some bright spots. One of my employee’s went to a convention in Atlanta the week of the 4th. His group toured the Coca-Cola plant and he brought me a 6-ounce Coke. I don’t even care for the Coca-Cola drink, but take one of the little ones, ice it down until crystals form and there’s absolutely nothing better.

I’m not the nostalgic sort, but the little Coke brought back a couple of good memories. While I was looking for a bottle opener (who uses those any more?) I remembered that when I was growing up, there were no canned drinks and none in the plastic bottle with the screw-on top. Every single time my friends & I opened a drink in a glass bottle, we ran our fingers around the mouth of the bottle to remove the rust (?), then put our thumb inside and “popped” it.

Another memory is of the old Catfish Hotel on the Tennessee River. We had to climb a narrow set of rickety old stairs to the restaurant. They served the best slaw – my first memory of paprika. And they kept bringing the little Cokes as long as we asked for them. By the time we finished our catfish dinner our table was littered with a sea of empty Coke bottles. Daddy, Mama, Darrell & I always went with Mama’s sister & her family who lived in Corinth. (We did a lot of vacationing & weekend loafing with Uncle Paul, Aunt Ruth, Richard & Susan.) We’d sit there over the empty bottles and the bones of those fish, look out over that muddy river and laugh about eating fish from it. I do miss my Aunt Ruth.

We’re beginning to feel almost human again. Rain on Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon and this morning. It’s too late for most of the vegetables in Terry’s garden, but we have really needed the rain for other reasons, too.

I’m one of those people who need a rainy, gloomy day occasionally. I would have enjoyed staying home this morning just to soak up the dreary day. Sunshine is great, but the inner me needs the opposite. People who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) use light therapy. Is there a “dark” therapy? Oh, yeah, it’s called “blindness”. Seriously, it’s not what I can or can’t see; it’s what I can feel. Weird, huh?

It does me good - spirit, heart, soul, mind & body - to spend time thinking about Who God is and how I fit in to His creative purpose. That's what I did this morning on the treadmill.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - three in person; one in nature. These three Persons of the Trinity work in various ways in Their creation. Two places in scripture place all three Persons in our world at one time in special ways. The first chapter of Genesis records these words, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said..." John tells us in his gospel that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (1:1) The second place can be found in Matt 3:16-17 where Matthew records, "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'"

There's a picture in my mind of the Father, seated on His throne in Heaven, completely Sovereign and perfect in all His ways. He tells us in Isaiah that He knows the end from the beginning; therefore, nothing is outside His control. He doesn't fret or wring His Hands when humans make mistakes; there is no Plan B with God. As hard as it is for us to understand, He got it right the first time and there is no do-over. Our Father is just and will not abide or tolerate sin. So how can sinful man have a relationship with Him?

We can see the Son, Jesus Christ, seated beside the Father, who has given Him all power and authority. (Matt 28:18; Rom 1:4; Eph 1:18-23) The Son paid the perfect price for our sins and only through Him can we approach our Father. (1 Tim 2:5) Can't you just hear Him!

"Look, there she comes through the throne room door. Your daughter's heart is shining with joy that she belongs to Us. Just hear the praise pouring from her. Don't We love her beyond words or measure!"

"Look, there she comes through the throne room door. Your daughter's heart is dark with sin she wants to confess. Isn't it right that she runs to Us instead of away from Us when she's done wrong! Don't We love her beyond words or measure!"

"Look, there she comes through the throne room door. Your daughter is bowed down with a burden much to heavy for her. Isn't it good that she comes to Us for relief. Don't we love her beyond words or measure!"

The third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit: Indweller, Comforter, Friend, Guide, Teacher, Convictor, Remembrancer. Christ dwells in us through His Spirit. Col 1:26-27 says, "...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

This is all so far beyond my comprehension, but I have no trouble believing it because on occasion the Father, Son and Spirit smile on me, as if to say, "Let's give her a glimpse. She doesn't deserve it, but don't We love her beyond words or measure!"

Normal people sleep late on Saturdays - especially rainy Saturdays. No claim to normalcy here. I was awake and out of bed before 5am. Of course, the benefit is a quiet time with the sound of gentle rain and the smell of brewing coffee.

No long post right now. I'm scanning pictures that you'll be able to see in my xanga photo album later this weekend.

It’s been a strange week. With a holiday smack in the middle, there’ve been two Mondays and two Fridays and two Saturdays. Weird. Our company allowed anyone who wanted to take a vacation this week to do so. We’ve been working w/ a half crew, but it’s been a lot quieter, for some reason.

An employee and friend lost her baby brother this week. This 43 year old man worked Tue morning, mowed the yard Tue afternoon, laid down for a nap Tue evening and never woke up. How very sad for this dear family. Another employee’s dad is on total life support and they are agonizing over the decision that could end his life. Been there, done that. Hurts terribly. (Note to self: Make a living will very soon. Note fo family: DNR)

On a lighter note......

Home-made strawberry ice cream….yum-yum. Laurie & crew came over Wed afternoon bearing a sweet gift. David (D’s dad) makes a mean ice cream. I’ve been rationing it and I’m already looking forward to the last installment tonight. It’s not helping my weight loss effort, but IT IS SOOOOO GOOD.

Look on my xanga site tomorrow for a few new pics.

It’s a matter of semantics to most folks, but ask a person who is blind, deaf, paralyzed, etc., and they will tell you it matters greatly. People who don’t have a physical handicap are prone to refer to those who do as dis-abled. News flash! We’re not dis-abled; we’re handicapped. “Disabled” implies we are not able and that’s far from the truth. And it’s not just the people who have physical challenges who are handicapped. There’s the man who can’t get a job; the single mom w/ no financial support; the teen w/ abusive parents; the successful career woman who hides her crippling emotional baggage. Whether it’s chronic back pain or chronic heart pain, it’s a handicap. And we all have them.

I thought of Mike Orman recently and it brought all this to mind again. If you’ve heard my “Mike” story, just skip this part.

Mike used to build street rods, work on motorcycles and race both. After he went totally blind from diabetic retinopathy he still built street rods and worked on motorcycles. And occasionally some dummy would take him out on a back road and let him drive. One night Mike and his wife went out to dinner at Malone’s Fish & Steak House. When they were about to leave they ran into a sighted guy and his date. Since James worked w/ Mike, there was lots to talk about, but it was sprinkling rain. Mike’s wife noticed they had a flat & relayed this info to Mike. James said, “I’ll get my date seated and come back to help you.” Mike was removing the flat when he heard James walk up behind him and start talking. Since he didn’t offer to help, Mike continued the messy job of putting on the spare. When he finished, he put all the tools and the flat in the trunk and they were on their way. He sneered when he said to Wanda, “James certainly was a big help.” Wanda laughingly replied, “Yes, he was. He stood there and held the flashlight for you the whole time.”

You see, James didn’t think of Mike as disabled. To James he was just another guy who could take care of things. It probably took Mike a little longer to change the flat (hence the description handicapped), but he still accomplished the task with no help. Oh, except for the light of the flashlight, which he couldn’t see!

So when you catch yourself referring to someone as disabled, stop and think. Are they really? Or do they just have a handicap, like most other human beings?

My life hasn't been this busy since the girls were living at home. Work takes up way too many hours of my day, especially days when there's a conference call that prevents me leaving work until 6pm; and inventory days; and evaluation days. Since my work day begins at 6:15am, these sorts of things make for long, tiring days. It's hard to get in any treadmill time when I leave home at 6a and get home at 6p. There will be a smaller group at work next week. Quite a few employees opted to take their vacation time now. Entirely too hot for me. I'd just as soon be in an air conditioned building and take my vacation in the mountains in October. Add to my hectic work schedule a trip to Southaven to look at a house Molly & Kevin are making an offer on and a couple of hours at the salon getting my hair color rejuvenated. Now that I think about it, I do need a vacation.

One way to use my vacation time is a few days off before the new Sunday school quarter begins. That way I can do some indepth study of the Bible book we'll study for 3 months. Nothing satisfies like burying myself in God's Word and letting His Spirit teach me.

Kevin's mom & dad are being displaced by the new Toyota facility, and Terry is going to wire the new house they will build. Kevin & Molly are starting new jobs and buying a new house. Katey & Andy are building a new house & putting the kids in a new school. Laurie & Dewayne have their hands full w/ babies & work. Our lives are full and blessed. How rich can one family be?!?! And how grateful we are to our Father for all He does for us!

Anniversary # 36 !!!!! Terry & I celebrated 36 years of wedded bliss yesterday. Well, there may have been a few rough spots along the way, but we persevered and here we are, together still. Sometimes he worked at it harder than I did and sometimes I did all the work. What you call compromise? We’ve both mellowed over the years and to be honest, he spoils me rotten. There’s a song the Forester Sisters recorded several years ago that says what I feel.

Looking in my life thru
the eyes of a young girl,
Growing older all the time,
maybe just a little wiser.
I can clearly see all my
mistakes keep coming back to visit me.
Pointing out the roads not taken
So much I'd like to change,
but one thing I'd do the same.

I'd choose you again
I'd choose you again
If God gave me the chance to do it all again
I'd carefully consider every choice and then
Of all the boys in the world,
I'd choose you again

Given the chance, I’d do some things differently – better. But I wouldn’t change Terry. I’d choose him again.

The weight loss effort is an up and down process. PUN INTENDED. I was thrilled Wednesday when I stepped on the scale and had lost 5lbs. Ha! The next day a pound reappeared from somewhere. Just how many calories does a chicken BLT salad from Wendy's have? Thursday night my SS class went to Bonanza and last night Terry picked up supper from Old West. Let me tell you....this morning I walked 30 minutes and plan to walk another 30 minutes this afternoon. People, please do not put food in front of me.

MY BABY'S HOME! Well, almost. Katey called this morning as soon as they landed in Atlanta after flying most of the night from Keto Ecuador. (Yes, Terry, their arms were very tired.) Oh, did I mention she called at 5:15am? That's perfectly OK. I needed to know she was back. Lots of family & friends went to Atlanta yesterday so they could meet the plane this morning.

Habakkuk calls. I'm outta here.

George gave some more details and some different scenarios about the voting issue, and I appreciate that. I understood all that, but here are the problems I have with it:

1) There probably are some people who are dishonest enough to try to pad the votes for a certain person. Please do not assume that it is only Republicans who might do this. Dishonesty knows no party affiliation. Would it be that many in the grand scheme of things? Enough to change an election outcome? Surely not. Usually, you can't get 10 people to agree on anything, much less try to influence the outcome of an election.

2) I've always been opposed to the primary system. There have been candidates in both parties that I really wanted to see elected. If I was voting only for sheriff, there'd be no problem. But maybe I want to vote for a republican sheriff and a republican tax collector, but there's a democratic constable I really want to see elected. I can't even vote to make sure that person gets into the general election.

OK, I'm gonna get off this kick for a while, but thank you George, for weighing in. I like to have different perspectives to consider.

On a more positive note....Janet, Laurie's mother-in-law, MomaG and I kept nursery at church yesterday. That's always a hoot. We had Marlee K and 5 other babies between 2 & 8 months. We were hot and tired at 11:30, but when all was said & done, we were 3 happy Grandmas.

See links below for a Daily Journal article and an opinion.

It’s true. We will no longer be able to vote for “the person.” We will be required to declare a party affiliation or “unaffiliated”. If we declare “unaffiliated”, who can we vote for? We also will be required to show a registration card and a photo ID in the primary, something that has been struck down by other courts in other states. Wouldn’t it be more fair to allow one person to vote for one person, no matter the person’s party affiliation? As a Mississippian I feel like the proverbial red-haired stepchild.

Opinions I’ve read seem to stick on the issue of Republicans “raiding” the Democratic candidates, therefore changing the outcome of elections. No one seems to see the deeper, more sinister issue of citizens being denied their right to vote for the person of their choice. And, to me, that’s what it amounts to. Why should either party be afraid of the other. If candidates and supporters get out and work to get voters registered (period), then a few folks from one party would not be able to influence the outcome of an election.

Color me disappointed, frustrated, irritated, oppressed and abused. And yes, I would say that even if I leaned toward democratic candidates. I DO NOT like being told who I can vote for. So, there!!

Article
Opinion

Maybe I should just weigh once a week. It’s disheartening to step on the scales and not see any change. That’s been the case for 3 days. And the kicker is that I walked 31 minutes yesterday afternoon and 16 minutes this morning at 4:15. And, no, I didn’t overindulge in food yesterday. Oh well, maybe there will be an improvement tomorrow.

A local political candidate told me something yesterday that irritates me. I’ve always thought my voting rights were being abused when I had to choose which party I would vote for in the primaries. Sure, I lean more in the Republican direction, but occasionally I’d like to vote for a particular Democrat. This guy told me yesterday that even the current law is about to become much stricter. After next year I will have to register as a Republican or Democrat and I will not be allowed to cross-over and vote the other way even in the general election. Can someone tell me? Is that information correct? How can that be right? When I pointed out that I know of other states where you can vote for either party, even in the primaries (as long as you only vote for one person), he told me that we are covered by the Voting Rights Act and some other states are not.

Now, I understand the reasoning behind that law. Blacks, in the 50s & 60s were treated terribly at the polling booths, but thankfully, things have changed. My voting rights are already restricted too much, and now my rights will be restricted even more. How can this be right?

Cathy made me do it. Yes, she did. It's all her fault. Mommy, I don't want to exercise! Whine/Whine. Yep, Ms Sippi, I broke out the old treadmill and walked for 31 minutes this afternoon. I hereby try to promise to try to walk 15 minutes every morning to get my metabolism kicked into high gear and at least 20 minutes in the afternoons. Are you happy now? Huh? Is that enough for you? And BTW, I've lost 4 lbs, also. I'm already on the Calorie Count site and it's great. Don't pout when I tell you I can consume 1928 calories/day. Of course, my daily life is significantly different.

I'd love the water aerobics, but with the challenges I have, the treadmill will have to be my pal. It's a really good time to pray and sing praise songs. This afternoon as I was breathing in through my nose & out through my mouth, it occurred to me that I could inhale the Holy Spirit and exhale my sins. When I started naming them specifically it took me all of the 31 minutes and I still wasn't finished. And that's just today's sins. You know, dear friend, I'm really glad to have been inspired by you. Let's get healthy together!

We had the best time Saturday. After photo sessions Katey, Laurie, Molly & Carolyn came over for pizza. And naturally they brought all the kids. (Ha! I wouldn’t let them come if they didn’t bring the younguns!) We all enjoyed pizza then just visited for a while. It’s been too long since we’ve done that. Anden, Carolyn’s daughter, let me rock her to sleep and so did Marlee Kupcake. (Was I in heaven, or what!) I just love being around the little ones. And the big ones are kinda nice, too.

But, if you’ll remember, I was sick all of last week, so when they all left, I crashed. Goodness, I didn’t know sitting around, talking & rocking babies would wear me out. I made it to Sunday school, but was coughing so much I didn’t stay for worship service. Katey, Katelee & Tucker came over for Sunday lunch, but didn’t stay long. Getting ready for Ecuador takes a lot of her time.

It’s awfully hot here. Cooling a 25,000 sq ft room takes a lot of energy & BTUs, but I definitely want my folks to be comfortable if at all possible. And, BTW, where is the rain? Our yards & gardens put me in mind of Ezekiel’s dry bones. Lord, please send a soaking rain for this drought plagued area.

I’m so disappointed. The Plantersville reunion is the same day that I’m signed up for a morning seminar, then a family event – both planned long in advance. It would be great to see all those folks who were such a big part of our lives.

Lunch hour (a misnomer) is over and it’s back to the salt mines.

Finally! I may actually live. Several times during this week Terry's mother's words came to mind. "I'll have to get better to die." My two biggest failings with sickness are: 1) hating to go to the doctor, and 2) refusing to stay home & rest. Gets me every time. One day there will be a really big price to pay if I don't change my ways.

I finally got my voice back yesterday and had some of those one-minute manager moments w/ some folks. And, no, they weren't all of the negative sort. My comeuppance arrived in a phone call yesterday afternoon. Don't you just hate it when you do what the boss tells you, then he backpedals when his boss questions it. I was left in the commonly known position of "holding the bag." Oh well, it's why they pay me the medium bucks.

Good news: The staples seem to be working. I lost 3 pounds in a week. Whether it's physical or psychological, I'm just glad it works for me. For those of you considering this method for weight loss, be VERY SURE to use a reputable healthcare provider. Video store clerks are not recommended and should be shut down.

My friend, Cathy, is (almost) inspiring me to exercise. I have a treadmill, but the carport will have to be cleaned out before I put it out there again. And there's no room inside the house. Excuses, excuses.

Laurie & family had a great vacation in the Ozarks last week. And lived to tell about it, even while traveling with 4 small children. Her in-laws went with them & brought the kids back a day early so Laurie & Dewayne could have some much-needed alone time. The carpenters have started framing Katey & Andy's house. A plus to building outside city limits is that there are no street lights so you can see the stars. They're excited. And Katey leaves for Ecuador next Friday. I'm praying hard & leaving it in my loving Father's Hands. They've raised the money and made all the preparations. Molly & Kevin celebrated their 5th anniversary yesterday. He starts his new job the 18th and they're still looking for a house. Molly will start teaching in the fall. MomaG just got back from Gatlinburg. "You go, girl" can always be applied to her, although her trips are not as long as in the past. She does love to travel.

Katey, Laurie & Carolyn are taking their kids to have pictures made today. Molly is going along for crowd control. So there's a better than good chance that I'll get to see my kids & kidlettes today. Mamaw is happy. :-)

Most of us were taught, early in life, to share. In some cases sharing is not a good thing. Some of my employees brought a respiratory virus to work and shared it w/ me. And I'm sure that I shared it with others. I still feel absolutely yucky, so no church today. But no choice about going to work tomorrow. The guy I depend on in my absence is on vacation. Since he'll retire in October, it's time to start getting someone else trained for the job. It's not as easy as you'd think. Employees tend to take advantage of a new person - much like a substitute teacher.

Last year I began a weight-loss regimen that worked for me. I was able to lose and keep off about 18 pounds. The Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays put the brakes on, and now it's time to start again. Acupuncture worked the last time, so that's my method of choice again this time. Dr. Z uses needles on some who are allergic to nickel, but for those of us who have no such allergy, we get staples. Yep, she uses a small staple gun to put a staple in each ear. Skeptical? It doesn't work for everyone, but it surely did help me. And, yes, I realize there's a psychological aspect to it, but if it works, why not? About 10 minutes after she put the staples in, I felt as if I'd just eaten. Maybe the staple pressing on a particular nerve tricks the brain into thinking I'm full.

We got rain yesterday----YEA! The rain guage showed 1-1/4", which was almost a flood for the Tupelo area. It's been dry as a bone here. What we really need is a 3-day soaker, but we're thankful for every single drop. The forecast for the next seven days is DRY & HOT. Crank up the air conditioning.

She's mean.
She doesn't like me.
She's on the warpath.

WELL!! Yes, all those statements are true if you consider that I was trying to get some grown people to do what they're paid to do. Can you spell W.O.R.K. ?? I can laugh about it now, but it's very frustrating when one or two new people can stir up so much trouble. As you might guess, last week was a bully-wooger. Am I getting too old for this? At any rate, it's been good to have a long weekend to regroup and chill. (Yes, I said chill.)

Last night's phone call really put my priorities in order. Katey called as she & Andy were enroute to the hospital to be w/ friends. Kylie Grace (5 months old) was born w/ numerous health problems and has undergone a lengthy, complicated surgery. Her road to good health will be lifelong. In a fluke accident last night her mom fell while carrying her in the yard. Now Kylie Grace is in LeBonheur w/ a bruise on her brain and a fractured skull. Please pray for this precious baby and her parents. They've been through so much. Their faith is still strong and the family/friends support around them is great. Pray for God's healing power to work in Kylie Grace; for His peace to pour over Casey & Phillip; for His knowledge to be found in the doctors & other caregivers; for His arms to wrap around this family as they go through this newest trial.

Molly's going for an interview tomorrow at a DeSoto county school. She & Kevin spent Saturday looking for a house near Memphis. Kevin starts his new job June 18th and they don't have a place to live, yet. They're not worried and neither am I. God has a plan. Laurie & family are going to the Ozarks for a vacation this week. Can you imagine traveling with 4 younguns, 5 years & under?!? Katey is getting ready for VBS, then her mission trip to Ecuador (while they build a house).

I love standing on the sidelines and watching their lives unfold. We are so rich and blessed.

Occasionally I assign homework to my Sunday school class. (They grumble.) Our assignment for this week was to read Psalm 119 and pick out any verses that did not refer specifically to God's Word. Yesterday I read through all 176 verses and underlined every time David used words (interchangeably) to mean Law. In the NASB he used word, way, law, judgments, ordinances, precepts, testimonies, commandments and statutes. In a couple of cases I felt David's use of word conveyed more of the meaning of future promises rather than being a synonym for law. I could find only 4 verses that didn't specifically mention the law. That's right - 4 out of 176.

What does this teach me? God's Word was important to David. God's Word should be important to me. In two verses David tells us he hates false ways. How did he recognize false ways? He thought about, meditated on and prayed over God's Word. We have to remember that He didn't have the 4 Gospels or Paul's letters or John's or Peter's. He had the Law handed down at Mt. Sinai, and he loved it. What, to some, is a dry, obsolete, useless document was, to David, alive, fruitful, worthy of his total attention, meant for his instruction. By constantly reading the Truth, he was able to easily recognize a lie.

Our defense against false teachings and spiritual errors today is to immerse ourselves in God's Word. Don't even handle the counterfeit stuff; it begets a dangerous temptation. Some will say we live in a different culture and we must move with the times. To them I would say that God does not change. The Creator of all things is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Word, from Genesis through The Revelation, is relevant for us today - necessary to our total spiritual health. In the Bible we find the answers to all the questions that we have about life and living.

Think about God's Word; meditate on it; pray over it. Soak up the Love Letter from your Father, and depend on the Holy Spirit to lead you to God's Truth.

It was such a nice weekend. Saturday was quiet and uneventful – just the way I like it. Then, in an unplanned moment everything fell in place for all the kids & kidlettes to be at the house Saturday night. The kidlettes were in a good mood and played while all the grownups actually got to eat at the same table and carry on some (semi)-adult conversation. Did I just refer to my daughters and sons-in-law as grownups? Where does the time go!

In case I’ve never said it before Terry & I have super-terrific daughters who married super-terrific young men and have given us six super-terrific grandchildren. (More to come, I’m sure.) Makes Mother’s Day a really special time.

You’d have laughed to see the dining room table. I really wish I’d taken a picture. Since I don’t cook much (ever?), we ordered from Malone’s Fish & Steak. The table was awash with Styrofoam take-out plates. There was hardly room to sneeze with 8 adults juggling plates, salad containers, glasses, butter, salt…..you get the picture. But it was so much fun.

In case I haven’t mentioned this – my girls have some super-terrific in-laws. As much as possible we all celebrate special occasions together. This year Andy’s mom hosted the celebration. It makes for a full house, but there’s some wonderful love and laughter when we get together. We’re blessed by God’s grace to have a strong Christian foundation in all our homes, which accounts for the camaraderie. And over the years, we’ve just come to love each other a lot. I’m very thankful to have all of them in my life.

So it was a nice weekend, a nice Mother’s Day, a nice celebration of family.

A Lamp Unto My Feet

Our Sunday school lesson tomorrow deals with the importance of God's Word in our lives and to our lives. Several years ago some of us were asked to give a testimony at Thanksgiving service of what we were thankful for. I'm thankful for God's word in printed form.

What if I lived in a time before Christians had access to the Bible? Would it be less important to me? more? I can only say that I love the Scriptures. There's nothing magical about leather, paper and ink, but because His word is alive and active it sometimes literally jumps up off the page. There have been times when it pierced me to the bone with conviction of sin. Other times it has reached up to wrap me in the comfort of its truth.

And it has the power to make me laugh. I smile when I read in Numbers 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" It doesn't surprise me at all that God can make a donkey talk. But I have to laugh out loud when I read in verse 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey...

The importance of God's written word is found in the very first phrase of the first chapter of the first book - Genesis. "In the beginning, God..." Every word, every phrase, is filled with love. He teaches us, He reproves us, He corrects us, He trains us (2Tim 3:16) for His purposes. As Rick Warren says, "It's not about you." It's about God; it's about His work for His glory.

Jesus says in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. If we spend time in His Word He will press it deep within us to be our guide, our light. David said that God's word was a lamp to his feet, a light to his path. (Ps 119:105) And he said in 119:11 that he had hidden God's word in his heart so he wouldn't sin against Him.

God has given us a great gift - His word. It is our instruction book; it holds the keys to our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well-being. It is God-breathed, infallible truth. And this world needs that truth.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your word. And thank You for Your Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us. Your grace, mercy, forgiveness and love are beyond my comprehension. Press Your word deep within me as a treasure to be used for Your glory and honor. Amen

My mom is terrific. At 70 years of age, she's still trekking all over the place. When she moved to Tupelo last year, she determined to become my personal taxi as often as possible and it's been great. I don't think we spent this much time together when I was young & living at home. Of course, during those teen years I didn't appreciate her like I do now.

Yesterday we had a good time eating lunch at IHOP, going to the salon for a "do", having pictures taken for a church directory. She was slightly offended when the lady who was showing her the proofs told her they could airbrush some of the wrinkles out. She told her she'd earned every single one of her wrinkles and would keep them, thank you very much. I told her I didn't like having my picture taken 'cause they always managed to make them look too much like me. We laughed a lot yesterday, as usual.

Do I know how blessed I am to still have my mom around? You bet! And I'm going to treasure every single minute of it. I love you, MomaG.

Spiritual Vertigo

One minute he was feeling fine; the next minute he was feeling awful. What came on so suddenly? Virus? Blood pressure? Heart problems? Diagnosis: Vertigo, commonly known as inner ear problems. If you’ve ever been plagued with this malady, you know how unnerving it can be. You’re sitting in a chair and feel as if you’re falling. You’re lying in bed and feel as if it jumped out from under you. You’re walking through the kitchen and the floor moves to the ceiling. And you thought you were doing so well.

Does that ever happen to you spiritually? Satan likes to sneak up on us and zap us with inner spirit problems. The insidious attack begins to show itself when we don’t pray in a focused, Spirit-led way. Or we ‘don’t have time for’ Bible reading and meditation. Or we skip church one Sunday, then two. And what happens? The dog trips us and we ‘lose our religion’. The boss reprimands us and we tear someone’s reputation to shreds. The better half breathes hard in our space and we go ballistic.

But it happened so suddenly! No, it didn’t. That’s why we need to pay so much attention to the disciplines of prayer, Bible study and corporate worship. These disciplines lead us to godly behavior. We need to be intentional in our spiritual growth. Second Peter 1:5-9 (niv) says,

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to
goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in
increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he
is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his
past sins.

Spiritual vertigo. Don’t let it catch you by surprise. Let’s be intentional in our walk with God so our gate will be steady, our gaze sure and our path straight.

Sunday school is always a pleasure for me. A person knows they're called to teach if they have an uncontrollable desire to share absolutely everything they learn. I'm so thankful the Holy Spirit has given me both the desire to learn & the desire to share. There's always more information on a subject than can possibly be dealt with in 30-40 minutes, but last Sunday our class voted to start 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled time so we'll have more time for Bible study and all without any prompting from me. The Sunshine Ladies love to study God's Word. Aren't they great!!

We've been playing catch-up for the last several Sundays. We began this quarter by meeting in the sanctuary under the leadership of our pastor to explore the vision God has for Belden. Other classes might have just picked up on the date they went back to their classes, but we're studying 1 & 2 Peter and we didn't want to miss a word. We've been trying to cover two lessons each week and after tomorrow we'll be back on track.

Our lessons build on each other naturally as we use the Explore the Bible material that covers a book at a time. The two lessons we're studying tomorrow are definitely yoked together. The first comes from 1 Peter 4 about staying focused on God's purposes. The second lesson is from 1 Peter 5 and covers acting with humility.

You just can't do one without the other. In order to stay focused on God's purposes our hearts must be humbled to understand that His purposes are what we're about. If we try to serve His purposes without humility, our activity is just that - activity. And self-righteous activity, at that. And "humility" without acknowledging God's purposes becomes low self-esteem with no goal. God has created us in such a way that our ultimate fulfillment is only found in Him. His purpose should be my goal; His glory should be what I'm about; His Kingdom should reign. And you know what? His glory, His purpose and His Kingdom will always be supreme, no matter what I do. But what a blessing I'll miss if I choose not to be a part of it, all because He created me to be a part of it.

So I commit to staying focused on God's purposes and to acting with humility. Those of you know me wonder if I can do the second. Absolutely not - not without Him. Humility isn't a personality trait in God's Kingdom. It's a recognition that God is sovereign and that my sole purpose is to serve His purpose. His purpose includes putting the needs of others before my own. It means crucifying the "I-itis" that is part of the old person. I don't get it right every time, but it's my desire to do so. In Psalm 37:4 David says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." And in 63:8 he says, "My soul followeth hard after Thee." (KJV) I'm praying that the desire of my heart will be to follow hard after Him.

School Days

Laurie sent school pictures of Carter & Aaron. The teacher told her they had to take dozens of shots of Aaron to get the one below. He didn’t understand the concept of the hand-in-pocket; he wanted to shove his whole hand in as far as possible. But they finally got just the right pose and with a smile, even. Most people think Aaron looks just like his dad, and while I agree, I still think he has the Roebuck look about him. I can’t decide who Carter looks like, but he’s a ham for the camera. Maybe I’ll have school pics of Katelee & Tucker soon.

Carter (l); Aaron (r)

My world seems very small sometimes. If it happens outside my sphere of influence (incoming & outgoing), it doesn’t hold my attention very long. Does that seem shallow? Maybe. But there’s so much I can’t control that I have to pay attention to what I can (semi-) control.

Most of the time I feel that work demands entirely too much of my self – emotional and physical. This week I’ve been dealing with maintenance techs from Texas – very nice guys. Unusual circumstances sap my energy. I’ve also had government audits and safety audits/training. In the midst of all this unusual activity I forgot something very important – Secretary’s Day.

Glenda doesn’t wear the formal title of “Secretary”; she’s the Office Administrator/Safety Coordinator. But she is the one who makes my life a whole lot easier. She’s important to the company, to the Tupelo plant and to me. It made me sad that I forgot a day dedicated to those who help maintain order in our chaotic worlds. She’s very good at what she does and I’d be lost without her. I learned long ago that surrounding myself with intelligent, capable people poses no threat to my job; it makes me look a whole lot better. So I’m glad to have Glenda in my world. She’s not only an employee and co-worker; she’s a dear friend.

Goodness, I spent my lunch writing a post and lost it when my new computer went haywire. Here’s what I was thinking about…

Yesterday was a banner day at Belden Baptist Church. We started out with a great Sunday school lesson. I say that, not because I’m the Lead Learner, but because there was lots of participation/sharing about some wonderful, but often misunderstood, scripture. Ladies, y’all are the best!

Worship service included recognition of Bible drillers, then Parent/Child dedication. I’m so thankful that BBC encourages Bible drill participation; it’s one of the best things my girls were involved in at Plantersville. Their leaders were heroes of faith to them and the scriptures learned have always ‘stuck’.

Only last year Marcus was dedicated, and this year Marlee was in the lineup. Of course, I was tickled when Bro. Jim told everyone, “Her name is Marlee K; just K; it doesn’t stand for anything.” The he pointed out that she’s a true Baptist – she was eating in church. Babies do not wait around when it’s bottle time.

After church some in our SS class went to Santa Fe Cattle Company for lunch. Good food; good fun; good fellowship. Shelia, I’ll buy dessert next time.

And last night…..Words (almost) fail me. The combined choirs and orchestras of BBC and DeSota Hills Baptist Church of Southaven presented He’s Alive Forever. We couldn’t have gotten any closer to the threshold of Heaven. So many people worked long, hard hours to put this together and it showed. I naturally was proud of Dewayne’s bass solo and Laurie’s flute solos. There was a large crowd and we were all blessed. Thank You, Father, for so many talented people who love to praise You through music. And thank You for ears to hear.

Today’s Aaron’s 3rd birthday. There’s a post about him on my xanga site.

What a week! By Thursday I was so aggravated by such little things that I was miserable. And I know I was making others feel miserable, too. Late Thu night & early Fri morning I spent a lot of time praying, asking forgiveness, staying close to my Father. It helped a lot. And it helped to stop watching all TV reports on the week's events.

My heart aches for the losses so many families are dealing with right now. And the public needs to know about what's going on. But 24-hour cable news has changed our reception and perception of the human condition. Most of what we hear is bad. Is it any wonder that people are depressed, ill (read ornery) and medicated ?!?

The truth is that lots of very good things go on in our world. But our atavistic side wants to feed on the darker side of things. (OK. I just got up, turned the TV off and turned on my iTunes Praise & Worship playlist.) Christians should never let their darker side have the upper hand. In fact, that darker side was crucified on a cross 2,000 years ago. I insult my Savior when I act like the old person I was before He saved me. We're children of the Living Lord and His Spirit abides in us. It's not who I am, but whose I am. His Light should always shine out of me. Cathy's story about which wolf we feed speaks to this issue. Here it is:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

"The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, "Which wolf wins?

"The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
The illustration worked perfectly with our SS lesson last week about displaying a new identity, taken from 1 Peter 2:1-12. (Thank you, Cathy.)

So, I commit to feeding the good things by staying in the Word, by talking frequently with my Father, by remembering the enormous, unspeakable sacrifice Jesus Christ made to free me from the bondage of sin, to look for the good in others, to remember whose I am.