satan you're the Biggest Loser...

I just finished watching the beginning episode of the
Biggest Loser. I love this show because it's so
motivating. I have to say that right now I'm loving
on the Red Team because they are parents with a
son with Autism and the Brown Team they are
from the home state! As I watched it tonight I had
these huge lumps in my throat. When I watch a
sad movie my throat is killing me at the end because
when I cry it's an ugly cry. When that wife on the
Orange Team started pushing her husband to keep
going and not to quit....yeah....I lost it! The ugly
cry was on. It just hit me that even though they
were pushing through the physical realm...I am
pushing through the Spiritual realm!! We all are.
We look around and see the shape we are in and
think how in the world did I get here?! If only I
hadn't gotten so lazy and off focus. If I had just
trusted Him and kept closer to Him I wouldn't
have strayed to this.
As I mentioned in my last post- satan has so been
trying to pull me back to a place God and I have
pulled me out of. Satan is crazy if he thinks I'm
going back there again! I think the biggest thing
that has helped me is the accountability I have
found here in Blogland. I know that you Girls are
going to help pray me through things...as I intend
to continue doing for you. There are some of you
that call me out on things. We need each other.
Not in a "needy" clingy unhealthy way. We need
prayer partners, cheerleaders, party people to do
victory dances with, we need to hold up each others
arms when we grow weary and we need to hold
each others feet to the fire in commitments we've
made.
So here's to being on the same Team...Go Team Go!!

YIKES!! I just realized it's been a week since my last post!!
Well, let's see....We've been working on our Fall Festival at
church, we started our Daniel Bible Study and I also picked up
studying for the GRE. So....test...ugh....Fall Fest...work....ahh
Bible study...ding ding we have a winner. Ok, let's talk about
Bible study...may I just say my toes have already been stepped
on?!?? That's okay though because it's a good thang! I feel like
some of the fog has become clear. In other words in an area of
real confusion God has given me MAJOR insight.
In our study the first question got me. Mrs. Moore said, "We
also have an enemy who wants to return us to places God
called us to leave." She also talked about how satan didn't
want to just set us back, that he wanted to take us all the
way back. To make it look like we had made no progress.
Well, I think that my restlessness in my job has been doing
just that for me. After graduation I thought things would
neatly fall into place....boy was that far from what happened.
He's been trying to tell me for two years that it's all in His
time. I know I know.... There have just been a lot of things
going on at work and it's already a stressful job in itself.
There have just been times were it did seem like there
was no progress. Oh, but there has been!! I have a
couple of other thoughts I'd like to share through the
week....I wish I had the time now and all the thoughts
processed to share.
If you are in a cloud of fog...I pray that He will soon make
things clear. In the meantime don't let satan use the
foggy times to make you think there's no progress
being made. As a friend of my tells me often
"Trust what is True". Keep believing...Keep walking.

Little treasures...

I love photography! I haven't picked my camera up in months. So,
last Sat. I decided to carry it with me when I went out the door. I
thought I'd share with you one of my finds....

Where's your focus?

God's timing was in play for my reading of My Utmost for His Highest today.
I'll share the reading and then explain a little of why....

September 6th.
DIFFUSIVENESS OF LIFE
"Rivers of living water." John 7:38
A river touches places of which its source knows nothing, and Jesus says if we have received of His fulness, however small the visible measure of our lives, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless to the uttermost parts of the earth. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "This is the work of God that ye believe. . . ." God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.
A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is baulked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.
Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up marvellous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others.

I have this "obstacle" at work. We will just say I've seen this obstacle coming
up from down stream for quite a while now. Friday it quickly approached.
I'm so glad I woke up this morning and read this. That in the midst of my
restless sleep last night He prepared these words for me as I woke. That He
would remind me to keep my focus on Him and not the obstacle. I began
to think about a Geology class we (Psych majors) had to take. How we
learned of things like rivers and how when the flow and current became
strong it would cut a course over time and form a new bend in the river.
As the rivers of our life flows along hopefully on a peaceful beautiful
landscaped scene...and then the river banks get narrow and up ahead
a large boulder laying right in the middle of the banks. And you may
think this is it...this is the end...how in the world....what in the world.
God is reminding us today to keep our eyes on Him and not the
boulder.
I know that God has placed me in this place in the river/work
"for such a time as this". As I've finally reached this dreaded
boulder...I pray and ask God Almighty not to just find a way around
it but that for the "boulder's" sake He will overflow His Water
to soak a sun dried piece of broken rock.
Girls, I have to walk in Monday...and I need God to speak through
me more than for me...the extra prayers would sure help!

Keep the focus on Him and not the obstacle!!

I took this picture with my cell phone while going to work today.

I was stopped at a red light at the time and not driving =)

This post may seem simple in thought...but it was something God

used today to catch my attention. It was one of those moments

that something you've heard, read or even know just flips like a

light switch. I love those moments! Today God just made it so

real and vivid to me...or else I would have missed or even dismissed

it.

I was looking at the clouds and there was this mixture of dark clouds

left over from Hurricane Gustav and peeks of blue sky. Then as

quick as I could look back down and straight ahead it was raining and

completely dark again. Just like that it hit...that's the way my life

has been in the last year or so. One minute it's raining, next minute

some sunshine, a few more minutes and it's cloudy, then raining

again....thus the cycle rolls on and on. For some reason today it

struck me that...yes....He is always there. No matter if it's cloudy,

raining, storming or sunny...He is there behind it all....with me!!

It may look like He is gone or feel like He is gone but He's not!

It was important for Him to open my eyes to this today...not

because I didn't know He wasn't there. It was to remind me that

He is going to reveal things to me in His time. Here's something I

read the first of the week from Oswald Chambers:

"You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you

know is that God knows what He is doing... Each morning you

wake it is to be a "going out" building in confidence on God.

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will

never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do;

He reveals to you Who He is."

I think that in the midst of my "going out" I'm making a trip

He has for me through a deep dark forest. I feel like I can't

see where I'm going or which way to walk. I'm not sure God

is going to tell me what He is up to until it becomes hindsight.

I cling to the knowlege that He knows what He is doing and I

trust that He is going to guide my way. I long with a hunger

deep in me to see and wait as He reveals to me Who He Is!!

What an amazing statement...He won't reveal the details of

this or that but instead He reveals Himself....I may not get

answers but I'll get Him!

Row Row Row your boat....

Rain Rain go away....


We have received more rain in the last two days than we normally
get all summer. We have had some small flooding in town...I am a
country girl...and a few trees down here and there. I'm so grateful
that God didn't allow the winds to do more damage across the state.
We are out of school another day. I guess we will have to wait and
see about tomorrow.

Okay, on to some best news....can you say it that way? First, I
have to tell you something funny "Emmy G." said. Last Sunday
night both the kids rode home with me from church. My nephew
yells out the window..."Mom, I'm going with Aunt Melanie!"
My niece is in the back and yells..."My r 2!" (I am too).
Man, I love those kiddos!! OK, back to the news...
As some of you remember at my Grandmother's birthday party
"Emmy G." announces that she is going to be a Big Sister!!!!

Well, her Mom went to the Dr. yesterday and we found out that

he/she will be arriving around March 31 st. I can't wait until we

find out if it's a Boy or a Girl!!!! I also, can't wait to put that

sweet head on my shoulder and pat that bottom until he/she

can't stand me anymore!!!!

I've had a friend remind me lately to watch for....falling rocks....no

just kidding...God's signs of love. So watch out today for HIM to

show you how much He loves you...let me know what you find!!!

A neat thing happened yesterday when I was in the grocery store.
As you know in my last post or so- I mentioned that I had started
walking. Well, I was going along in the grocery store and certian
old friends from the shelves started "waving" at me. Waves of
temptations from my old friend "Little Debbie" you know she
makes those awsome little brownies with the chopped up nuts on
top. Then I ran into the chip aisle..oh mercy..I grabbed a bag of
Cheetos for the kids and took off before my eyes could catch the
Doritos! Then as I'm thinking let's get some...I caught myself
thinking (not talking aloud) I can't eat that I have to go walking
in a little while or I did all that walking I'm not going to blow it
for that! Not that my discipline is strong but for now it's a
steady go.
I've thought back today on our last Ladies Night at church. We
are gearing up for our next Bible study and we wanted the
night to center around getting focused. I heard Nicki at
Three Girly Girls doing one of her Bible study podcast. She
was talking about filling containers with the wrong things.
We took the examples and made a short skit out of it. We
put clothes in the trash can instead of the clothes basket,
trash in a flower vase, and a fish in a coffee pot of water.


So many times we do the same thing in our lives. We fill our lives
full of things like....worry, stress, food, depression, bitterness, anger, ect.


For me these are a few of the things I pick up first. Instead of picking up
my Bible, putting in a praise cd or hitting my knees in prayer.


It's time to empty out the things that have drifted in and don't belong.
It's time to fill up with the Bread of Life and drink deeply from the
Living Water....so we can produce the Fruit we were intended to bare.