Trading Dreams...

This is a dress I found a few months ago. I always wondered what my wedding
dress would ever look like- seeing how I'm not really a girlie girl. When I ran
across this dress my heart fell in love with it. The trim around the top is
chocolate brown which is one of my favorite colors. Anyway, seeing things
like this and with the holidays around the corner...it tends to bring about a
bit of the blues for me. Now...please...please don't let this sound like my voice
or heart is having a pity party or anything. I'm just trying to gear myself up
to make it through the holidays...which are the only times that being single
bothers me. The following is a piece of an email I shared with someone last
week. I'm really posting this to remind myself of what I have always tried
to hold on to.

There was someone a year ago that I just knew was the "one". We had served many many years ago in the youth ministry together. I have in my dreams always wanted to marry someone in the ministry. He and his wife divorced two years ago. I have always admired his walk with God. We talked a couple of times and actually went out with another couple. I just knew he was the one....I prayed so hard over it. God's answer...well I'm still single. However, saying all that I trust God...and that trust is growing every day. He is my provision and my joy. I long for Him to be that....my Prince. I have this dream of every little girls dream wedding, to be a wife and mother and a house with the white picket fence. So what do I do with what seems like an unanswered dream...trade it in for His! Last night I almost allowed some unhealthy thoughts to trickle in...I'm so glad I'm in a place right now in my walk to be able to shut those thoughts down.

I think about Mary as she agrees to accept the plans God had for her to carry
out His plans. After her agreement...all her plans seemed lost. Her soon to
be Joseph plans to leave and the reputation she carried looks ruined in others
eyes. I can't imagine what Mary's life and walk with God must have looked
like. But what a wonderful example she gives of tading in her comfort and
desires to fulfill God's.

My faith has it's ups and downs...and I'm gearing up...hunkering down...
and digging in to God's Word and the truth that He has plans for me (Jer. 29:11).
Keeping my head up looking at our Groom....
Thanks for listening...

No Smell of Fire

Okay Girls...I'm not a girlie girl but for this post I thought
it be fitting to do it in PINK...as most of you know I'm
going to be an Aunt again...yep...


IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

Okay can you stand a bit of PRAISE?????

Some of you remember the first of the year I asked you

to help me pray for my friend LeaAnn...she is only in her

fourties and they found cancer...WELL...she went back to

New York this week I just received word that they got back

the results today...SHE HAS NO...NO TUMORS!!!

Praise you Jesus!!! HE is the Most High God and He is sooo

AMAZING!!! Oh thank you Lord...thank you!!

As some of you know I'm in the middle of the Daniel study

by Mrs. Beth Moore. I keep coming back to so many

things I have learned...but there is one that keeps coming

back. It is from the session "No Smell of Smoke". It's the

three Scenarios that people face when faced by a fiery trial.

Scenario A: We can be delievered from the fire.

Scenario B: We can be delievered through the fire.

Scenario C: We can be delievered by the fire straight into His arms.

Now, I need to ask you join me once again for another prayer

request...thank you in advance. A precious friend of mine has

found out her 82 year old dad has cancer. It is already in stage

four. He says he's had a wonder 82 years and doesn't plan to

start any kind of treatments. However, I want to pray for

another scenario B. Also, Linda at Growin With It...her dad

is facing reaccuring cancer (Linda hope you don't mind me

mentioning this). Something amazing happens when the Body

of Christ come together before the throne!

"Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your

request to God". Philippians 4:6

I was talking with a friend tonight and a quote that I had once

read came to mind. It was about five years ago when I was

sitting in the lobby of a couseling center that a framed

cross stitch caught my eye. I can't remember the exact quote

but it went something like this....

A stain glass window can't shine unless...there is darkness all

around...and the light that makes it glow has to come from

within.

That quote carried some heavy impact on me in those days

and it still does today.

As a sat there later on thinking about it I remembered

another set of stain glass windows. The former church I

was attending had a sanctuary surrounded by such windows.

However, I never knew it until the church caught on fire.

The people started talking about rebuilding and about how

they wish they could put the stain glass windows back. See

they were there all along...but years ago they were boarded

up framed in on the inside and bricked up on the outside....

Tonight thinking back on that it brings thoughts.

How much are "we" like that at times. We are this beautiful

stain glass window that our Creator formed. He sets us in

place... We experience things and we frame up the inside.

Other things happen and we brick in the outside. For

protection? To keep from having to go out? But non-the-

less...what a shame....a beautiful creation hidden. Unable

to do what it was created for. To let the light of the One

who created it to shine through. If it weren't for the Light

the window would have no beauty....

In order for the church to regain the view of the windows...

there were many things they had to go through. The pain

and shock of what had happened. Going through the

remains of the building to see what had been lost. The

worry from the financial strain of rebuilding. Were would

they hold service's until the rebuild...and oh my... the

rebuild. A seeming for ever long process.

To exspose the beauty of who He created us to be is also

a seemingly long rebuilding process. There may be things

we have to loose, things that would have to be torn down

so He can rebuild, allowing Him to put on a fresh new coat

of paint within the walls of our hearts.

I know there are many of us who feel we are at the moment

in the dark. It feels like we are just feeling around not to

stumble and fall. The darkness can be so pitch black at

times we feel so afraid and alone but we are not. The

Light is there in us waiting for the right time to shine.

When He does it will be when He will be the only thing

receiving the Glory...not the window or the building it

sets in...the Light. The flame is there and it's lit...I

think it's called Hope. Hold on to the lampstand...

Hemmed in...

This evening I was walking and my nephew was riding his toy
jeep down the driveway with me. When he got to the end, he
started yelling my name. It scared me at first I thought he may
have seen a snake or something. I quickened my pace as I
yelled back "what?!". He said "look at the moon! It's beautiful!"
Yes sir, you are right it is beautiful indeed! (I tried to take a
photo but it didn't take) As we turned around and headed
back up the driveway...I saw something else beautiful going on
in the sky. A huge full moon was coming up on one side of the
sky...while in the same moment...the other side of the sky was
full of a sunset...both moments to take your breath away in
beauty. It looked and felt as if I were standing in the middle
of the two....
It was as if God was saying He had me hemmed in on all
sides. It also reminded me of how much He loved me
and this scripture came to mind....



"...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ, and to know this love that
surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to
the measure of all the fullness of God." Eph. 3:18-19



I pray tonight you feel Him all around you...He is...

A little view of my world...

Sharon and I were talking the otherday about how neat
it would be to see where the other lived. So we decided
to take some snapshots and give a tour around.

This is the big Oak Tree that is in my Grandmother's
yard. Honestly this is only part of it I could get the
whole thing in view.

This is the view just down the road from our house.
The sun just beams through in the mornings.

The pictures below were taken today with my cell phone.

Now, some I was stopped for and yes some I admit I was

driving. Hey, it's illegal to text message and drive- I heard

nothing about taking pictures!

Now, this would be a good way to throw in a hint to my

family that a digital camera for Christmas would be nice!

Okay, this is a picture of the sunrise I saw this morning

driving into work.

This is a picture of my church. It's just as beautiful on the

inside. The school is directly across the road from the

church and when I was in the 5th grade the original church

burned to the ground. We were in school when it happened...

such an amazingly sad site. God has blessed us though...

The next two pictures are 20 miles of the 35 mile commute that I

drive to work (it is 35 miles oneway). Yes, this is also the same

road that the rock flew into my window on my birthday and it's

also the same road that Mr. Policeman stopped me to say "Hi"

and "Slow Down".

This is a picture of the kiddo's running up the driveway...

No...I was not driving behind them in the car...hahaha.

"Home Sweet Home"

If I disappear, get quiet or don't post for awhile...

this is why!!!! This is a picture of JUST one of the THREE

stacks of study cards I have floating around with me

everywhere I go!!! I'm studying hard Girls! I'm taking the

GRE at the end of the year in hopes to go back to school

the Spring of next year. God's will is the only way!!

Hope you enjoyed your trip along with me!

You guys are the Best Traveling Companions ever!!

let's have some fun...whatcha say...

I LOVE this time of the year!!!! The Fall is my favorite
season. I love the temperature change. It just makes me
feel good inside! It was mentioned to me the other day
about having fun. This week that thought has been on my
mind...having fun. It had been such a long summer and
things were a bit disappointing and so the season
changed. Praise the Lord!! Yesterday I was able to grab
my camera and take some photos for a friend of her
family. I must say that was so much fun to me. I love
capturing things with my camera. That is something
fun I love.
God has also sent something unexpected my way...
a new friend. There is nothing like it. It's our preacher's
wife. They have three kiddo's that are under our feet
and I love it. The kids call me Aunt M just like my own
do. This summer she asked me to help with the Ladies
Ministry and we had a ball!! This is so much fun to me.
This year God has introduced me to you Girls! I have
loved getting to know you guys and doing life with you.
I have found amazing friends here and faithful prayer
warriors! You my friends are some kind of fun to me!!
Then we have this Amazing amazing Father God in
Heaven Who loves us beyond measure!! To walk out
a day in our life should be about being happy because
we have Him!!! I don't know about you but I'm ready
to have some fun....we are the child of the King...we
are allowed to have some fun!!

moments with Him...

On the mountain top with Jesus...what a wonderful place to be!

It would be nice to stay there forever...wouldn't it?! My thoughts

are here today after reading O. Chambers. Here's what he had to

say...

"We have all had times on the mount, when we have seen things from God's standpoint and have wanted to stay there; but God will never allow us to stay there. The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have power to rise only, something is wrong. It is a great thing to be on the mount with God, but a man only gets there in order that afterwards he may get down among the devil-possessed and lift them up. We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle. Spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mount. We feel we could talk like angels and live like angels, if only we could stay on the mount. The times of exaltation are exceptional, they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware lest our spiritual selfishness wants to make them the only time.

We are apt to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz., into character. The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a great snare in asking - What is the use of it? In spiritual matters we can never calculate on that line. The moments on the mountain tops are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God's purpose."

I thought about the scripture in Matthew 17 where Peter, James

and John had the amazing chance to be on top of the mountain

when Jesus transfigured before them with Moses and Elijah.

Remember Peter's words..."Lord, it is good for us to be here...".

Oh, yeah Peter it's good to be there and I'd love to stay and

enjoy a longer stay with Him. He and I have work to do down

in the valley. When we discover the rough or the ordinary

time have a purpose it makes it so much easier to put one

foot in front of the other.

I love what Mr. Chamber says about the mountain

top moments are meant to make us something. God please

mold me and make me what You have me be.