Random Thoughts and Pet Peeves

TV
You know, since I have been home during the day, I have seen some TV that I have not had time to watch in a very long time. There are some shows that are funny, and don't get me wrong when I watch TV or go to a movie, I like to be entertained; But, for a long time now I have seen TV shows especially undermining the family and especially the Father role. This really, really ticks me off big time! I see show after show where the wife is the only smart one, and very smart alec to the Dad in front of the kids, which in turn causes the kids to view the Dad as some dumb, stupid moron to be made fun of. And the kids do just that! And what does the Dad do, just take it. We don't see any Wild at Heart examples on TV. That is not God's plan. Girls, don't for a moment think that what you see on TV is the way it is supposed to be, don't model that, that is not God's heart! Read Song of Solomon, get Tommy Nelson's CD's and listen for the practical knowledge of what God has intended between Husband and Wife and the family as a whole. Guys, don't take it! Don't settle for the TV example. You are a warrior at heart, God made you that way! You are the head, to be the Priest of the home! Ephesians 5:20-33. Society may tell you that is not the way it is today, but God never changes, His word never changes. It is still as valid and relevent as it ever was. Believe it or not, there are still some of us girls that do still want it God's way! There are still those of us who want the guy to be Wild at Heart, be the priest of the home, take the lead and the headship. I truly mean it! Not just saying it to hear ourselves talk, but we really mean it! Does that mean we will still get exasperated with one another, still not understand one another at times, still have to work through difficult times.......you bet! But the Whole package God has intended it so worth it! Let me hear from you and what you think! Please don't tell me that you guys like for these girls to treat you like dirt.....put you down and pretty much act like a "witch". I see so many girls doing that to their guys and I can't comprehend it. You know the bible tells us out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.......
CHANGE
There are things in my life that are changing. There are certain ministries that I have been a part of for a while. My role has been diminishing for many months now, but it is a God thing. God is getting me ready for the next stage, next chapter in my life. Moving forward to the next adventure. Wherever I go, whomever He has me with, the one He gives my heart to; I want to make an impact for Jesus and walk in the destiny he has for us. Serving God makes you flexible. I am used to change, some has been overnight, some has been very slowly. It could be missions, music, serving, praying for others....I'm flexible. One thing I do know, my heart is so about Praise and Worship. I truly love to worship Him, I love to harmonize and sing His praises. It has been in me for the past 12-13 years to be not only a follower of Christ, but to be a worshipper of Christ and to lead His people into His presence, into the throne room of God. That holiest of holies where you stand in awe of Him, in His presence where you are totally abandoned to Him and He can then do the things in us that He needs to do.....Surrendured.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
I love being outside in the sunshine. I love nature, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, volleyball, kickball, the mountains, the water, I love it all. I so enjoy the handywork of God. We have had some beautiful weather for February. Today is so pretty. The flowers will be coming soon. I love flowers. I love the stars and just sitting out there looking at them and talking to my Lord....my best friend. I can tell Him everything and He listens and talks with me too. That is something that I want in a husband.....a best friend.

Winter Jam 2007

Winter Jam 2007

Tonight several of us from The Loop and church went to the Winter Jam concert downtown. There was some good music (Sanctus Real, Jeremy Camp, The Following). What I liked most was the invitation for people to get saved, make Jesus Lord of their life, the emphasis on winning souls. We had a great time. I really liked Jeremy Camp's songs. That was the first time I had seen him in person. I got some good pic's just click on them. SCC was there too (Steven Curtis Chapman). There was a surprise visit by The President of the United States (well an impersonator).

Killing Desire May Look Like Santification......

Wow, I had to share this. God has truly been talking to me about how I look at Him. He has continually asked me to "get real" with Him and my heart. He has asked me to examine what is in my heart. What is my true hearts Desire? What is it I am most Passionate about, what is it that He keeps bringing me back to over and over again? What is the Core, what is it He has called me to do? What is it that I Love? Where is my Desire? He has shared with me not to bury that Desire, not to settle for something less than all that He has promised, all that HE has put in my Heart. Not to dim that Passion because He put that Passion and that Desire there! It is His nature which He has placed in us! He has asked me if I will Dare to believe Him. It is His Passion, His Desire and I DARE to Believe Him for it! I Dare to Believe Him for the Impossible! That is what He is looking for! He has asked me if I will Dare to Trust Him! (Malachi 3) Jesus, I love you.......

"You may recall the story Jesus told of the man who entrusted three of his servants with thousands of dollars (literally, “talents”), urging them to handle his affairs well while he was away. When he returned, he listened eagerly to their reports. The first two fellows went out into the marketplace and doubled their investment. As a result, they were handsomely rewarded. The third servant was not so fortunate. His gold was taken from him, and he was thrown into “outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” My goodness. Why? All he did was bury the money under the porch until his master’s return. Most of us would probably agree with the path he chose—at least the money was safe there. But listen to his reasoning. Speaking to his master, he said, “I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it” (see Matt. 25:14–30 NLT). He was afraid of the master, whom he saw as a hard man. He didn’t trust his master’s heart.

The issue isn’t capital gains—it’s what we think of God. When we bury our desires, we are saying the same thing: “God, I don’t dare desire because I fear you; I think you are hard-hearted.”

Even though we may profess at one level a genuine faith in him, at another level we are like the third servant. Our obedience is not so much out of love as it is out of carefulness. “Just tell me what to do, God, and I’ll do it.” Killing desire may look like sanctification, but it’s really godlessness. Literally, our way of handling life without God. The deepest moral issue is always what we, in our heart of hearts, believe about God. And nothing reveals this belief as clearly as what we do with our desire." (The Journey of Desire , 57–59)

Passion or Indifference?

This is today's devotional from the Eldredges. To be indifferent or passionate, there is no choice for me. I have always been passionate about everything I do, for the most part. This is no different. Life is too short to not live it with passion, espcially in marriage. It is your heart, your life you are sharing, if anything it should be passionate. Don't settle for anything less than God's best.....He gave us the passion, and we serve a passionate God!

"I thought of the last story we have from the life of the prophet Elisha. Jehoash was king of Israel at the time, and he went to visit Elisha on his sickbed. He knew that without the help of this great prophet, the future of Israel was looking dim. Enemies were closing in on every side, waiting for the kill. Elisha told the king to take in hand some arrows.

And the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated [your enemies] completely . . . But now you will defeat [them] only three times.” Elisha died and was buried. (2 Kings 13:18–20)

That’s it? What a strange story! Why was the old prophet so angry? Because the king was nonchalant; he was passionless, indifferent. He gave the ground a whack or two. His heart wasn’t in it. God says, in effect, “If that is how little you care about the future of your people, that is all the help you will get.” In other words, if your heart’s not in it, well then, neither is mine. You can’t lead a country, let alone flourish in a marriage, with an attitude like that. To abandon desire is to say, “I don’t really need you; I don’t really want you. But I will live with you because, well, I’m supposed to.” It is a grotesque corruption of what was meant to be a beautiful dance between desire and devotion." (The Journey of Desire , 56–57)

Unbelievable!

This is the world [God] has made. This is the world that is still going on. And he doesn’t walk away from the mess we’ve made of it. Now he lives, almost cheerfully, certainly heroically, in a dynamic relationship with us and with our world. “Then the Lord intervened” is perhaps the single most common phrase about him in Scripture, in one form or another. Look at the stories he writes. There’s the one where the children of Israel are pinned against the Red Sea, no way out, with Pharaoh and his army barreling down on them in murderous fury. Then God shows up. There’s Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who get rescued only after they’re thrown into the fiery furnace. Then God shows up. He lets the mob kill Jesus, bury him . . . then he shows up. Do you know why God loves writing such incredible stories? Because he loves to come through. He loves to show us that he has what it takes.

It’s not the nature of God to limit his risks and cover his bases. Far from it. Most of the time, he actually lets the odds stack up against him. Against Goliath, a seasoned soldier and a trained killer, he sends . . . a freckle-faced little shepherd kid with a slingshot. Most commanders going into battle want as many infantry as they can get. God cuts Gideon’s army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred. Then he equips the ragtag little band that’s left with torches and watering pots. It’s not just a battle or two that God takes his chances with, either. Have you thought about his handling of the gospel? God needs to get a message out to the human race, without which they will perish . . . forever. What’s the plan? First, he starts with the most unlikely group ever: a couple of prostitutes, a few fishermen with no better than a second-grade education, a tax collector. Then, he passes the ball to us. Unbelievable. (Wild at Heart , 31–32)

Again we see that God is a Risk taker. He took a risk by giving His ALL for us. That's His nature, and He has placed His nature in Us. Shouldn't we be after God's heart, take risks, give our ALL for each other? Wouldn't the results be one great adventure after another? THE ULTIMATE RISK THAT ANYONE WILL EVER TAKE....IS TO LOVE

Bowling Blast!

The Loop Bowling Pics

About 25-30 of us from The Loop had dinner at La Mariachi and went bowling tonight despite the weather. We had a great time, and everyone hammed it up for the camera. Our team had the last lane and Buck even got credited for a strike when he went down the gutter. Now that's the way to keep score! It was cold, and the roads were icy, but it was a good time.

God is a Risk Taker..........What About You?

In an attempt to secure the sovereignty of God, theologians have overstated their case and left us with a chess-player God playing both sides of the board, making all his moves and all ours too. But clearly, this is not so. God is a person who takes immense risks. No doubt the biggest risk of all was when he gave angels and men free will, including the freedom to reject him—not just once, but every single day. Does God cause a person to sin? “Absolutely not!” says Paul (Gal. 2:17). Then he can’t be moving all the pieces on the board, because people sin all the time. Fallen angels and men use their powers to commit horrendous daily evil. Does God stop every bullet fired at an innocent victim? Does he prevent teenage liaisons from producing teenage pregnancies? There is something much more risky going on here than we’re often willing to admit.

Most of us do everything we can to reduce the element of risk in our lives. We wear our seat belts, watch our cholesterol, and practice birth control. I know some couples who have decided against having children altogether; they simply aren’t willing to chance the heartache children often bring. What if they are born with a crippling disease? What if they turn their backs on us, and God? What if . . . ? God seems to fly in the face of all caution. Even though he knew what would happen, what heartbreak and suffering and devastation would follow upon our disobedience, God chose to have children. And unlike some hyper-controlling parents, who take away every element of choice they can from their children, God gave us a remarkable choice. He did not make Adam and Eve obey him. He took a risk. A staggering risk, with staggering consequences. He let others into his story, and he lets their choices shape it profoundly. (Wild at Heart , 30–31)

Life is full of changes, ups and downs, joy and heartache, but adventure for sure. Life is not worth living without taking risks. There is so much out there that is worth the risk; True Love - sharing your life with the one God has given your heart to in one great adventure after another. There is Joy unspeakable, We can walk in the "exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think." A Life worth living for sure. God is a risk taker........will you be too?

Please Pray......................

I just found out that I have been laid off of my job. I also have to find a new place to live by the end of the month. To say it has been a challenging week is probably an understatement; a little overwhelmed would be more accurate. I am not sure of what direction God has in store for me, but I know that I am in His very capable hands. I ask for your prayers for the doors to open where He wants me and to close where He does not. I always want His will and His plan and I am open to whatever He wants, I truly mean that. Thank you so much for your agreement prayers. To God I give ALL the Glory! Love, Tammy

The Loop.............great service!

Ok, I was down at The Loop for the second week in a row and it was definitly a great service. The praise and worship was great and God really spoke to me in through this message. It was the last part of a two part series...Meaningful Relationships. Bringing people into the Body of Christ and creating relationships in order for them to stay. The guest speaker this week was Chris Conlee from Memphis. He started with John 15:12-14 "This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you."

He talked about the 2 Great commandments "Love God, Love People" and how are we walking that out. If we come to great services, and the speakers are awesome, but no meaningful relationships are built, then people won't stay.

God's commandment isn't to KNOW more, but to LOVE more.
Independence from relationships is independence from God.

He talked about Excellence attracts people, but Relationship keeps them. Without friends, meaningful relationships, it is impossible to be happy, healthy and holy.
He said "What is more important than meaningful relationships? What is more difficult than meaningful relationships? What is more rewarding than meaningful relationships?"

God built the church on meaningful relationships. It is important to have Friend development rather than always having Self Development (speaking about all of the self help books out there).

The Information Age we live in has given us more information at our fingertips, more knowledge at our fingertips and we are lonelier than ever before. It has brought more Isolation from meaningful relationships.

Hebrews 10:24-25 This verse isn't about attendance, it's about relationship. It is far more difficult to drift out of friendship than attendance. Faithfulness depends upon connectedness. Friendships can inspire faithfulness or faithlessness. The church is at it's best when we build meaningful relationships.

You need God's people, just as much as you need God. You will not overcome problems without God's people. You can't reach your full potential without meaningful relationships.
Anyway, this was from my notes and it was really good. I can honestly say that I don't know when I have ever had a group of people make me feel so welcome and helping me to get plugged in. People I met last week looking for me this week, coming to sit with me, making sure I knew about all of the upcoming events. Emailing me to do lunch and stay connected. It is a great atmosphere that makes you feel like you are not going to fall through the cracks. If your single, check out The Loop on Monday nights in Brentwood. Starts at 7:30 and here is their link:
www.theloopnashville.com
Lot's of great events coming up, and they really want you to be a part. I have already been invited to 3 other events. When you see people practicing what Jesus did, it draws you and endears you. Love you guys!

Beautiful Snow!

Snow, Beautiful Snow

I woke up this morning and was surprised to see the snow. I did'nt watch any weather reports, so it was a nice surprise. I love the snow, it's beautiful, clean, pure. When it snows there's just this hush that comes over the area..........a quiet calm that says "slow down, take your time......enjoy the moment." Too bad it wasn't enough snow to build a decent snow man. I really want to go snow skiing this year. I just know it would be breathtaking!

I drove into work late this morning and I saw, in 2 different locations, Dad's that had taken their kids out snow sledding. It was awesome to watch the wonder of it. Pure joy and delight on those kids faces as they sailed down the banks. I wanted to jump out there and join them..........

Magnificent, Glorious, God's Doing, God's Design...

Taking a break from the Eldredges for a moment, I got this amazing article today from John Piper about Marriage. "Marriage is God's doing and it is God's design" Glorious! There is more to marraige, a greater purpose, than just what we see on the surface (but don't discount the "fringe" benefits that come with marriage either! That is part of it!) "Heaven come down to earth" as Pat Robertson said in the prophecy for 2007. Read this article and be so blessed. I pray the Holy Spirit will illuminate this truth to all of us and anoint us to walk in it for His Glory! Click on the title of this post and it will take you to the article.

The Point of All Living

"I love watching a herd of horses grazing in an open pasture, or running free across the wide, sage-covered plateaus in Montana. I love hiking in the high country when the wildflowers are blooming—the purple lupine and the Indian paintbrush when it’s turning magenta. I love thunder clouds, massive ones. My family loves to sit outside on summer nights and watch the lightning, hear the thunder as a storm rolls in across Colorado. I love water, too—the ocean, streams, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, rain. I love jumping off high rocks into lakes with my boys. I love old barns, windmills, the West. I love vineyards. I love it when Stasi is loving something, love watching her delight. I love my boys. I love God.

Everything you love is what makes a life worth living. Take a moment, set down the book, and make a list of all the things you love. Don’t edit yourself; don’t worry about prioritizing or anything of that sort. Simply think of all the things you love. Whether it’s the people in your life or the things that bring you joy or the places that are dear to you or your God, you could not love them if you did not have a heart. Loving requires a heart alive and awake and free. A life filled with loving is a life most like the one that God lives, which is life as it was meant to be (Eph. 5:1–2).

Of all the things that are required of us in this life, which is the most important? What is the real point of our existence? Jesus was confronted with the question point-blank one day, and he boiled it all down to two things: loving God and loving others. Do this, he said, and you will find the purpose of your life. Everything else will fall into place. Somewhere down inside we know it’s true; we know love is the point. We know if we could truly love, and be loved, and never lose love, we would finally be happy. And is it even possible to love without your heart?"
(Waking the Dead , 47–48)

"...For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (NIV)
"Many waters can not quench love, neither can the floods drown it;..." Song of Solomon 8:7 (NKJV)

Don't Lose Heart.......My Thoughts

You know I love the Eldredges, God has used them, among others, to minister to me at this point in my life. I could post another excerpt from one of their books, but, I wanted to share about the heart, from my heart. Sitting here at my computer, listening to the shuffle of songs and messages that have played; "Atlantic" Keane, "Amazing Grace" Tree63, "Love is the Reversal" Starfield, "Head Home" Midlake, "I Love You" Massive, "The Favor Factor" TD Jakes, "I Hope You Dance" LeAnn Womack, "There is Nothing Like" United, "In This Camp" Midlake, "Lesson One" Lylas, "Concerning the UFO Sighting" Sufjan Stevens, "My Desire" Jeremy Camp, "Let It Flow" Jeff Deyo, "Somewhere Only We Know" Keane, "Seven Swans" Sufjan Stevens, "The Finish Line" Snow Patrol, "In The Name of Love" U2, "Track 13" Mute Math, to name a few. (Side note: listening to Sufjan Stevens is just a musical feast for the senses!) Anyway, back to the heart.

It is key, central, the focal point for our existence in every way, at the very center of who we are. What is the first thing God deals with when we are drawn to Him to be saved, to make Jesus Lord of our life? The Heart. What is the first thing that is touched when we see someone hurting and want to help......the Heart. What can soar and sing when we see the face of and hear the voice of the one we love...........the Heart. It is the foundation, if you will, of our existence and yet seems to be so overlooked. Do we dare explore the depths of it? Because if we do, we will find things there that have been buried, or hidden for far too long, and we will have to deal with it. But deal with it we must or else we will never get to the fullness of life that God wants us to walk in. If we dare to explore its depths, we will find ourselves getting "real" with God. Admitting to Him, and to ourselves, those long overlooked desires, longings, adventures and realness that we know is there, but do not quite know how to walk in; so we just leave it there......dormant, untapped. But guess what? It keeps knocking, and keeps knocking, and you hear the voice that says "Let me out. Don't lock me away, don't ignore me, I am suffocating in here! I know there is more out there than what I have in here. Let me out so we can allow God to take us to it, to go find it, to experience everything He has made us for! Let's walk in the destiny He has for us." The Sacred Romance is taking place. He is wooing us, He really is. I can vouch for that.


I have found the more that I have explored the depths of my heart, the more intimate I have become with God, the more "real" I become with Him, the greater the desire has become. The desire to be a part of one great adventure after another, to be right in the middle of what God is calling me to do, right along side the one He is calling me to accomplish it with. Destiny being fulfilled. God is calling us to believe Him for the impossible, to believe Him for more than where we are, for more than what we know. To believe Him for supernatural miracles that so many need. He NEEDS us to go to the next level in HIM. He NEEDS us to complete His work, to walk in all that He has called us to do, and in doing so, we will experience great adventure after great adventure, with Him as our guide. Now that's life! That's living! He has caused a Revolution in my life over the past year, one that has changed me from the inside out! (love that song by United). I am not the same person I used to be.....Praise God! Life is a process and our Heart walk is a process.

I am not an expert, I can only share what the Lord has shared with me to hopefully encourage and be a blessing....so, I Choose Life, I Choose Love, I Choose to Trust Him, I Choose Blessings, I Choose the Joy of the Lord which is my strength, I Choose to Believe Him for the Impossible, I Choose to be a vessel that He can work through, I Choose to be a Blessing. I Choose to Get Real with Him, I Choose to allow Him to change me in every way He wants and needs to. I Choose to give my Heart to Him.....He knows how to take care of it and He knows who to give it to.

Shopping for a Wedding Dress :-o

Shopping for a Wedding Dress

Yes, it's true....my good friend RyLee who is marrying my good friend Clay in April, asked me to go wedding dress shopping with her on Saturday. It was a good time. I took lots and lots of pics......BUT......Clay's not supposed to see the dress before the wedding.......sooooooo.......I can't post them! Sorry Clay! But I did get a great shot of the little shop we were in, very vintage. Me, Charcy and RyLee and one with the Shop owner. RyLee found a beautiful dress, out of the 3 she tried on, each one got better and when she tried the third one on.........we all knew that was it! "The One". We shopped till we dropped, found the bridesmaid dresses and it was a very productive and fun day! When we left the shop, we ran into my good friend Tyler McGee outside in the parking lot filming some skaters.

God is a Warrior and...........

On the day Adam and Eve fell from grace, they ran off and hid in the bushes. And God came looking for them. He called to Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). Thus began the long and painful story of God’s pursuit of mankind. Though we betrayed him and fell into the hands of the Evil One, God did not abandon us. Even a quick read of the Old Testament would be enough to convince you that rescue is God’s plan. First with Noah, then with Abraham, and then with the nation Israel, you see God looking for a people who will turn to him from the heart, be his intimate allies once more.

The dramatic archetype is the Exodus, where God goes to war against the Egyptian taskmasters to set his captive people free.

Four hundred years they have languished in a life of despair. Suddenly—blood. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death. Plague after plague descends on Egypt like the blows of some unrelenting ax. Pharaoh releases his grip, but only for a moment. The fleeing slaves are pinned against the Red Sea when Egypt makes a last charge, hurtling down on them in chariots. God drowns those soldiers in the sea, every last one of them. Standing in shock and joy on the opposite shore, the Hebrews proclaim, “The LORD is a warrior” (Ex. 15:3). God is a warrior. He has come to rescue us. (Epic 61-62)

I am reminded of a song "I need you Jesus, to come to my rescue; where else could I go. There's no other name by which we are saved, capture me with grace....." We have sung this at church occasionally and it comes to life in this excerpt from Epic. God has been showing me about what it really means to "turn to Him from the heart", not just going through the motions, not just giving lip service, but, "to be His intimate ally." He has taken me to 2 Chronicles 20 over and over. He is truly a Warrior, He truly does fight for us, and we truly have His attributes. The Guys are created Warriors-in the image of their Father, to fight for and rescue us-his beauty. He has made the Girls Warrior Princesses at those times that it is needed......don't believe it? Let someone or something come against our man, and we will be on them or on it, standing with our sword, to fight-in a heartbeat, with no questions asked! God desires for us to be in intimate fellowship with Him, best friends with Him, allies with Him and so He has given this example of how it should be between The Warrior and The Beauty-Husband and Wife-Male and Female, as well.......to be continued---Tammy

Dinner with Friends

Dinner with Friends

Had dinner with some friends tonight. We had been trying to get together since Softball season ended........and finally made it! Jason and Maci Ashworth hosted and made the wonderful Mexican dinner. Their house is great! Their dog Bella loves all the attention. Doug and Melissa Herron were there with the kids, Jeremiah, Faith and Titus. The little man was not lacking for any attention. I loved making him laugh.....his giggle was infectious. I am looking forward to the day that I have some babies of my own to play with and make them giggle. A childs laugh is one of the greatest and most innocent things I know. So precious. Ryan and Andrea rounded out the evening. They love the kids and they are going to be great parents too! It was a good evening.

The "Heart" of the Matter....Who We Really Are

The Heart of God......Our Heart

We all share the same dilemma—we long for life and we’re not sure where to find it. We wonder if we ever do find it, can we make it last? The longing for life within us seems incongruent with the life we find around us. What is available seems at times close to what we want, but never quite a fit. Our days come to us as a riddle, and the answers aren’t handed out with our birth certificates. We must journey to find the life we prize. And the guide we have been given is the desire set deep within, the desire we often overlook or mistake for something else or even choose to ignore.

The greatest human tragedy is simply to give up the search. There is nothing of greater importance than the life of our deep heart. To lose heart is to lose everything. And if we are to bring our hearts along in our life’s journey, we simply must not, we cannot, abandon this desire. Gerald May writes in The Awakened Heart,

There is a desire within each of us, in the deep center of ourselves that we call our heart. We were born with it, it is never completely satisfied, and it never dies. We are often unaware of it, but it is always awake . . . Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this desire.

The clue as to who we really are and why we are here comes to us through our heart’s desire. (The Journey of Desire, 2)

The Great Stories.....Born Into An Epic

Notice that all the great stories pretty much follow the same story line. Things were once good, then something awful happened, and now a great battle must be fought or a journey taken. At just the right moment (which feels like the last possible moment), a hero comes and sets things right, and life is found again.

It’s true of every fairy tale, every myth, every Western, every epic—just about every story you can think of, one way or another. Braveheart, Titanic, the Star Wars series, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They pretty much all follow the same story line. Have you ever wondered why?

Every story, great and small, shares the same essential structure because every story we tell borrows its power from a Larger Story, a Story woven into the fabric of our being—what pioneer psychologist Carl Jung tried to explain as archetype, or what his more recent popularizer Joseph Campbell called myth.

All of these stories borrow from the Story. From Reality. We hear echoes of it through our lives. Some secret written on our hearts. A great battle to fight, and someone to fight for us. An adventure, something that requires everything we have, something to be shared with those we love and need.

There is a Story that we just can’t seem to escape. There is a Story written on the human heart.

A Story. An Epic. Something hidden in the ancient past. Something dangerous now unfolding. Something waiting in the future for us to discover. Some crucial role for us to play.

Christianity, in its true form, tells us that there is an Author and that he is good, the essence of all that is good and beautiful and true, for he is the source of all these things. It tells us that he has set our hearts’ longings within us, for he has made us to live in an Epic. It warns that the truth is always in danger of being twisted and corrupted and stolen from us because there is a Villain in the Story who hates our hearts and wants to destroy us. It calls us up into a Story that is truer and deeper than any other, and assures us that there we will find the meaning of our lives.

What if all the great stories that have ever moved you, brought you joy or tears—what if they are telling you something about the true Story into which you were born, the Epic into which you have been cast?

We won’t begin to understand our lives, or what this so-called gospel is that Christianity speaks of, until we understand the Story in which we have found ourselves. For when you were born, you were born into an Epic that has already been under way for quite some time. It is a Story of beauty and intimacy and adventure, a Story of danger and loss and heroism and betrayal.(Epic, 12-15)

The Buckeyes vs The Gators

The Buckeyes vs The Gators

People watching on Monday night for the bowl game was so funny. You have the Parry's, being from Ohio, and staunch Buckeye fans, versus Sonya, John, Jason, Andrew, Scott and Susan who were Gator fans! Some people take their football seriously. It was funny to watch the celebrating, the jabs, the craziness of it all. The food was great! And everyone had a good time. I don't keep up with college football, so it was people watching for me. Dixie got wings from Calhouns, I made some Salsa and Chili, and Stephanie made some great iced brownies and John and Jason brought the ice cream to go with them. Scott and Susan brought the spinach artichoke dip. Did I happen to mention that the food was great!

Our Heart Can Be Pure

According to the Scriptures, the heart can be troubled, wounded, pierced, grieved, even broken. How well we all know that. Thankfully, it can also be cheerful, glad, merry, joyful, rejoicing. The heart can be whole or divided—as in that phrase we often use, “Well, part of me wants to, but the other part of me doesn’t.” It can be wise or foolish. It can be steadfast, true, upright, stout, valiant. (All of these descriptions can be found by perusing the listings for the word heart in any concordance.) It can also be frightened, faint, cowardly, melt like wax. The heart can be wandering, forgetful, dull, stubborn, proud, hardened. Wicked and perverse. I think we know that as well.

Much to our surprise, according to Jesus, a heart can also be pure, as in, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8). And even noble, as in his story about the sower: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15). The Bible sees the heart as the source of all creativity, courage, and conviction. It is the source of our faith, our hope, and of course, our love. It is the “wellspring of life” within us (Prov. 4:23), the very essence of our existence, the center of our being, the fount of our life.

There is no escaping the centrality of the heart. God knows that; it’s why he made it the central theme of the Bible, just as he placed the physical heart in the center of the human body. The heart is central; to find our lives, we must make it central again. (Waking the Dead, 40-41)

Life.....it is a story........

We Have Lost Our Story

"And here’s where we run into a problem.

For most of us, life feels like a movie we’ve arrived at forty-five minutes late.

Something important seems to be going on . . . maybe. I mean, good things do happen, sometimes beautiful things. You meet someone, fall in love. You find that work that is yours alone to fulfill. But tragic things happen too. You fall out of love, or perhaps the other person falls out of love with you. Work begins to feel like a punishment. Everything starts to feel like an endless routine.

If there is meaning to this life, then why do our days seem so random? What is this drama we’ve been dropped into the middle of? If there is a God, what sort of story is he telling here? At some point we begin to wonder if Macbeth wasn’t right after all: Is life a tale “told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”?

No wonder we keep losing heart.

We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, often a confusing mixture of both, and we haven’t a clue how to make sense of it all. It’s like we’re holding in our hands some pages torn out of a book. These pages are the days of our lives. Fragments of a story. They seem important, or at least we long to know they are, but what does it all mean? If only we could find the book that contains the rest of the story.

Chesterton had it right when he said, “With every step of our lives we enter into the middle of some story which we are certain to misunderstand.” (Epic, 7-9)"

There Is a Larger Story

"Walk into any large mall, museum, amusement park, university, or hospital, and you will typically meet at once a very large map with the famous red star and the encouraging words You are here. These maps are offered to visitors as ways to orient themselves to their situation, get some perspective on things. This is the Big Picture. This is where you are in that picture. Hopefully you now know where to go. You have your bearings.

Oh, that we had something like this for our lives.

“This is the Story in which you have found yourself. Here is how it got started. Here is where it went wrong. Here is what will happen next. Now this—this is the role you’ve been given. If you want to fulfill your destiny, this is what you must do. These are your cues. And here is how things are going to turn out in the end.”

We can discover the Story. Maybe not with perfect clarity, maybe not in the detail that you would like, but in greater clarity than most of us now have, and that would be worth the price of admission. I mean, to have some clarity would be gold right now. Wouldn’t it? (Epic, 10-11)"

John Eldredge - Epic

Happy New Year Everyone!

New Years Eve 2006/2007

We had some friends over at our place last night and a good time was had by all. Great food! I made my Savory Sandwich Ring........mmmmmmmm.......savory. And I made the Touchdown Taco Dip! Yummmmm......yes Jason, I had 2 count them TWO homemade items and you had how many? Let's see..........Zero?!!!! Anyway, Jason did bring some good desserts, the cake was great with the buttercream frosting.........the Guava Bars..........not so much. Wes put together a good black bean/chili dip and brought one of my favorites.......black cherry soda! We had some snickerdoodles and brownies too, you know all that good for you stuff! We played Taboo, which can be pretty funny all by itself, but when it evolved into ShockBoo, it got hysterical. I was laughing so hard and I had tears rolling down my face. Jennifer had this machine with the two pads on it that you place on your muscles and then you can set the shock charges as low or as high as you need to relax the muscles. Well, this turned into our new "buzzer" for Taboo. Almost everyone (not me) held this in their hands when it was their turn to give clues and the opposite team was in charge of the shocks! Well, as you can imagine, turning it all the way up to 10 was a floor show all by itself! Wes' arms shot straight out in front of him and he could not bend them. If you had the pads in the palm of your hands, you could not open your hands once you were being shocked. Jennifer let out a blood curdling scream and almost killed Wes! Andy and Sean were crazy funny when they got shocked. Taboo will never be the same again. We watched Lady in the Water, and were scaring each other at tense moments. We prayed and toasted in the New Year with our Sparkling Apple Cider. A good time was had by all.

Thank you all for being a part of my life in 2006. I pray that this year is the greatest and best year of your lives so far. I pray that your dreams and hearts desires are manifested this year. May God Bless you exceeding, abundantly above all that you can ask or think, this year, and may He use all of us in a greater way, to touch more lives for Him for His Glory! I love all of you.................

The Girls Are Back In Town!

The Girls are Back in Town

My wonderful Hawaiian friends are back in town and we went out on the town tonight. We got dressed up in our best dresses and had a wonderful dinner at Red Lobster and then went over to Opryland Hotel to see all of the awesome Christmas decorations. It was quite spectacularous. Noni, Keo and Pomai were in rare form as the sisters three toured the hotel for the first time! Quite a treat for us all. We ran into my good friend Teagan and her boyfriend Chris. A magnificous time was had by all!

What Does Love Mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
________
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got
arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8
_____
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4
_____
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5
_____
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6
___
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4
_____
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

Danny - age 7
_____
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8
_____
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7
_____
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"

Nikka - age 6
_____
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7
_____
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

Tommy - age 6
_____
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

Chris - age 7
_____
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann - age 4
_____
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

Lauren - age 4
_____
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."

Karen - age 7
_____
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."

Mark - age 6
_____
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8
_____
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly
gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"

Out of the mouth of babes..................

Christmas at Mom and Dad's

Christmas at Mom and Dad's

Well I just returned very late last night from East Tennessee where I have been since last Saturday. I spent Christmas with my parents and my brother and his wife and my sister and her two kids came also. It was a great break from the craziness of life. You can go home where things don't change much, and it just renew's you somehow. I did not have any access to a computer, so it was also nice to take a break from that as well. It was a nice Christmas, non eventful, low keyed, but great to be with family. Mom and Dad were so glad we were all there. We ate too much, watched too much TV (my brother got Mom and Dad season 3 of "Everybody Loves Raymond", and we pretty muched vegged. Kaitlyn was thrilled with getting a cell phone for Christmas and Mark was pretty pleased with all of his gift cards. Mom and Dad were surprised and very happy with the new bar stools and cushions that me and my sister got for them. Boy were those others on their last legs (ha!) Made a coconut cake, coconut cream pie, dressing, my sister made a pecan pie, Mom and Dad made the ham (it was yummy) and my sister in law made a great dump cake and cookies. Can't wait to get back in the gym this week! I ate way too many sweets! I hope you all had a wonderful, glorious Christmas! Be blessed!

Lazer Tag, Bumper Cars, Ice Skating

Family Fun Center

We went to the Family Fun Center last night and had a great time! We played Lazer tag......and hey! I didn't do too shabby! Beat everyone the first game at least. But I did pick a dream team to go into battle with! The Parry's boyz, Danny and Jonathan. Sorry about the "frendly fire" Danny! The guy let us play twice without getting back in line. It was great. Ice skating was funny to watch. There were so many people on the ice I decided to just watch......besides they had not "smoothed" the ice before everyone skated, so it was a mess. Jess & Trey were an ice skating couple with lots of great moves; and of course who could top Danny when he blew everyone away with his NSYNC moves to "Bye, Bye, Bye". Stuart was doing some pretty wild and crazy moves of his own, but I don't think they were on purpose :-O Bumper cars was a blast and they let us stay on twice. It was a good time. Everyone have a wonderful Christmas, I love you guys!

Christmas for Kids.....Kids for Christmas

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Christmas For Kids.....Kids for Christmas

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Picture this, over 350 under priviledged kids, on 63 buses from all around Nashville, at the Hendersonville WalMart, meeting up with 350 "Chaperones" to help them shop for their Christmas presents! Its was amazing! This was my first year to volunteer to be a Chaperone and I want to do it again next year. The kids were great. They got to spend $175.00 each for what they wanted for Christmas and we each had a child and a calculator to help them keep track and shop! I had Jadn and she was quiet, but knew what she liked and didn't like! We were able to help her get several sets of cloths, shoes, pajamas, CD Player, games, batteries, gloves, coat and more! What an amazing experience. The kids from church went to the Parry's this past weekend and Dance, Dance Revolution was a HUGE hit! It is so addictive! None of us could stop! Elliot and Stu were up until 2AM challenging each other. Karoke was another great favorite as everyone sang along with every song. Kids and Christmas, I love both. IT is like seeing things totally from a new perspective when you see it through the childrens eyes. Wonder of wonders.

A Beauty to Unveil

From John Eldredge 12/12/06

Is there any doubt that the God John beheld (Rev. 4:3,6) was beautiful beyond description? But of course. God must be even more glorious than this glorious creation, for it “foretells” or “displays” the glory that is God’s. John said God was as radiant as gemstones, richly adorned in golds and reds and greens and blues, shimmering as crystal. Why, these are the very things that Cinderella is given—the very things women still prefer to adorn themselves with when they want to look their finest. Hmmm. And isn’t that just what a woman longs to hear? “You are radiant this evening. You are absolutely breathtaking.”

Saints from ages past would speak of the highest pleasures of heaven as simply beholding the beauty of God, the “beautific vision.”

The reason a woman wants a beauty to unveil, the reason she asks, Do you delight in me? is simply that God does as well. God is captivating beauty. As David prays, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may . . . gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Ps. 27:4). Can there be any doubt that God wants to be worshiped? That he wants to be seen, and for us to be captivated by what we see? (Wild at Heart)

But in order to make the matter perfectly clear, God has given us Eve. The crowning touch of creation. Beauty is the essence of a woman. We want to be perfectly clear that we mean both a physical beauty and a soulful/spiritual beauty. The one depends upon and flows out of the other. Yes, the world cheapens and prostitutes beauty, making it all about a perfect figure few women can attain. But Christians minimize it too, or over-spiritualize it, making it all about “character.” We must recover the prize of Beauty. The church must take it back. Beauty is too vital to lose.
(Captivating , 35–36)

The Many Faces of Christmas and Friends

I have taken a lot of pics over the past several weeks and just have not had time to download them. I have included several in this album. Christmas is a wonderful time of year. The lights, the hustle bustle, the wonderful fragrances, the smiles, the colors...............friends, life, love, wonderful memories. This is probably my favorite time of year. It is cold outside, the sky with the stars and moon at night are so clear and beautiful. I love giving and seeing the great expressions on the faces of those you want to be a blessing to......it is priceless. It's not about giving presents though, and not about getting them either. It is about relationships.......friendships.....creating memories that last a life time. Spending time with and sharing life with those that we love and care about..........creating those wonderful memories together. We only have right here, right now to create those memories, once now is gone, we don't get it back. I don't want to waste time when there are so many out there who need Jesus, who need a kind word, a smile, a hug, encouragement. We have such a great opportunity every day to touch someones life, especially those we care so much about, those closest to us. They are usually the ones we take for granted the most. Life is too busy, slow down and share yourself, share your time, share the love God has filled you with, with those around you. We can't love too much, we can't laugh too much, we can't hug too much, we can't say too many encouraging things to one another. May we all be the greatest blessing to others not only now, at Christmas, but throughout 2007. God is so faithful and loves us so much. I do love you all very much and I wish you much love, laughter, blessings and friends now and always.......................

(I am having problems with HTML, click on my profile, then click on Wishlist to get to my webalbums and view the latest album)

The Final Burden of Remembrance

When I consider all that is at stake in this journey I am on, how vulnerable are my heart and the hearts of those I love, I am moved to fall on my face and cry out to God for the grace to remember.

George MacDonald says it better in poetry:

Were there but some deep, holy spell, whereby

Always I should remember thee . . .

Lord, see thou to it, take thou remembrance’s load:

Only when I bethink me can I cry;

Remember thou, and prick me with love’s goad.

When I can no more stir my soul to move,

And life is but the ashes of a fire;

When I can but remember that my heart

Once used to live and love, long and aspire—

Oh, be thou then the first, the one thou art;

Be thou the calling, before all answering love,

And in me wake hope, fear, boundless desire.

(Diary of an Old Soul )

The final burden of remembrance does not rest on us; if it did, we should all despair. Jesus is called the “author and perfector of our faith” (Rom. 12:2). He is the One who put the romance in our hearts and the One who first opened our eyes to see that our deepest desire is fulfilled in him. He started us on the journey, even though we may for long seasons forget him, he does not forget us. I am always with you;you hold me by my right hand.You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will take me into glory . . .My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

(Ps. 73:23–24, 26)(The Sacred Romance , 208–9)

Your Heart Has Been Set Free

"In [Christ] you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ. (Col. 2:11)

It’s not just that the Cross did something for us. Something deep and profound happened to us in the death of Christ. Remember—the heart is the problem. God understands this better than anyone, and he goes for the root. God promised in the new covenant to “take away your heart of stone.” How? By joining us to the death of Christ. Our nature was nailed to the cross with Christ; we died there, with him, in him. Yes, it is a deep mystery—“deep magic” as Lewis called it—but that does not make it untrue. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all . . . In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin” (Rom. 6:10–11). Jesus was the Last Adam, the end of that terrible story.

You’ve been far more than forgiven. God has removed your heart of stone. You’ve been delivered of what held you back from what you were meant to be. You’ve been rescued from the part of you that sabotages even your best intentions. Your heart has been circumcised to God. Your heart has been set free."
(Waking the Dead , 63)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

Clay and RyLee

Congratulations are in order for my friends Clay Krasner and RyLee Madison! They got engaged on Friday! I am so happy for you guys! You are perfect for one another. Clay, you are like a new man! I don't know when I have seen you so happy. RyLee you are an awesome godly woman with much wisdom. You are blessed with my great friend Clay and he is blessed to have you my friend. I can't wait to see all of the awesome things God is going to do in your lives, your marriage, your ministry together, your music, your anointing. Be so very blessed my friends......I love you both!

Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

Thanksgiving-Thankfulness

This week was full of food, food, food! I am thankful for the food, I just don't want anymore for a while! We had Thanksgiving dinner at my brother Bill's and his wife Diane. My sister Sonya came with Mark my nephew and Kaitlyn my niece and our Mom and Dad were there. We had quite a spread, all of us cooked family favorites. I love my family and I am thankful that we were all able to be together this week. Great stories, lot's of laughs, my brother is quite the story teller. Every year his embellishment of the actual facts grows, and I still laugh! He is so funny! I am also thankful for my friends. One I have not seen since the summer, Keo, and others I have not seen that often because they moved (Andy and Shontel). They all have been a blessing to my life in so many ways. And I got to spend time with my good friends Clay and RyLee (more about them in the next blog). I am thankful for their love and their friendship. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with those that mean the most to you. You all mean so much to me. I love you bunches.........

The Journey of Desire

I have posted a lot this week, but I can't help it. This is really and truly been hitting me right where I am and I know that God is having me share this with all the singles out there, as well as married couples. In order for things to change in our lives, in order for us to receive from Jesus the things that He has desired for us all along (which is where the desire comes from), we have to come to the knowledge of these truths that are being spoken. To say this is an amazing book is not saying enough. Get it, read it, let it take you to where God wants and needs you to be. Allow Him to complete in you the work that He started so long ago. We will never "arrive" here on this earth, but there is so much more to the life He wants us to live than we are living. Haven't you said to God "There has got to be more than this? My heart truly yearns for more." I pray this is helping many of you out there as it is helping me. God desires for us to "get real" with Him in our prayers, in our intimacy with him. You see, He already "knows" our heart, our dreams, our "desires". So it is us that are not being honest with Him and ourselves. Read on and be so forever changed and blessed my friends. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for. We serve an awesome, amazing God who loves us so much that He does not want us to stay in the place we are, but wants us to come up higher and walk in so much more. I love you all so much.

"Embarrassed by Desire?"
A young woman came to see me, as most seeking counseling do, because she was at the end of her rope. What had begun a year earlier as mild depression had sunk deeper and deeper until she found herself contemplating suicide. We met for many weeks, and I came to know a delightful woman with a poet’s heart, whose soul was buried beneath years not so much of tragedy but of neglect. This one particular afternoon, we had spoken for more than an hour of how deeply she longed for love, how almost completely ignored and misunderstood she felt her entire life. It was a tender, honest, and deeply moving session. As our time drew to a close, I asked her if she would pray with me. I could hardly believe what came next. She assumed a rather bland, religious tone to her voice and said something to the effect of “God, thank you for being here. Show me what I ought to do.” I found myself speechless. You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought. That’s not how you feel at all. I know your heart’s true cry. You are far more desperate than that.

Why are we so embarrassed by our desire? Why do we pretend that we’re doing fine, thank you, that we don’t need a thing? The persistent widow wasn’t too proud to seek help. Neither was the psalmist. Their humility allowed them to express their desire. How little we come to God with what really matters to us. How rare it is that we even admit it to ourselves. We don’t pray like Jesus because we don’t allow ourselves to be nearly so alive. We don’t allow ourselves to feel how desperate our situation truly is. We sense that our desire will undo us if we let it rise up in all its fullness. Wouldn’t it be better to bury the disappointment and the yearning and just get on with life? As Larry Crabb has pointed out, pretending seems a much more reliable road to Christian maturity. The only price we pay is a loss of soul, of communion with God, a loss of direction, and a loss of hope.
(The Journey of Desire , 60–61)

Prayers and Pleadings
The book of Hebrews describes the prayer life of Jesus in the following way: “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him” (5:7 NLT). That doesn’t sound like the way prayers are offered up in most churches on a typical Sunday morning. “Dear Lord, we thank you for this day, and we ask you to be with us in all we say and do. Amen.” No pleading here, no loud cries and tears. Our prayers are cordial, modest, even reverent. Eugene Peterson calls them “cut-flower prayers.” They are not like Jesus’ prayers, or, for that matter, like the psalms. The ranting and raving, the passion and ecstasy, the fury and desolation found in the psalms are so far from our religious expression that it seems hard to believe they were given to us as our guide to prayer. They seem so, well, desperate. Yet E. M. Bounds reminds us,

Desire gives fervor to prayer. The soul cannot be listless when some great desire fixes and inflames it . . .Strong desires make strong prayers . . . The neglect of prayer is the fearful token of dead spiritual desires . . .There can be no true praying without desire. (Man of Prayer)
(The Journey of Desire , 59–60)

Restored

This CD has really been a blessing to me. It has been ministering to me a great deal. If you don't have it.......try it out. This song has meant a lot to me.............

Letting Go
by Jeremy Camp
album: Restored (2004)

Gripping arms so tight
The security I have inside
Knowing what is right
Holding onto my cry

Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears

I have been brought to a place
Where I want to give up everything
Where all I can do is seek your face
The brokenness I will bring

Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears

Holding onto the things I deem so strong
Holding on even though I know I've held on
too long

Letting Go
Letting Go
Of the things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go
Of the Things I hold so dear
Letting Go
Of all my pain and all my fears
Of all my pain and all my fears
Letting Go.

Read On............

 

The Feminine Heart.........“There are three desires that I have found essential to a woman’s heart, which are not entirely different from a man’s and yet they remain distinctly feminine. Not every woman wants a battle to fight, but every woman yearns to be fought for. Listen to the longing of a woman’s heart: She wants to be more than noticed—she wants to be wanted. She wants to be pursued.

Every woman also wants an adventure to share. “I want to be Isabo in Ladyhawk,” confessed a female friend. “To be cherished, pursued, fought for—yes. But also, I want to be strong and a part of the adventure.” So many men make the mistake of thinking that the woman is the adventure. But that is where the relationship immediately goes downhill. A woman doesn’t want to be the adventure; she wants to be caught up into something greater than herself.

And finally, every woman wants to have a beauty to unveil. Not to conjure, but to unveil. Most women feel the pressure to be beautiful from very young, but that is not what I speak of. There is also a deep desire to simply and truly be the beauty, and be delighted in.

The world kills a woman’s heart when it tells her to be tough, efficient, and independent. Sadly, Christianity has missed her heart as well. Walk into most churches in America, have a look around, and ask yourself this question: What is a Christian woman? Again, don’t listen to what is said, look at what you find there. There is no doubt about it. You’d have to admit a Christian woman is . . . tired. All we’ve offered the feminine soul is pressure to “be a good servant.” No one is fighting for her heart; there is no grand adventure to be swept up in; and every woman doubts very much that she has any beauty to unveil.(Wild at Heart , 16–17)

An Invitation to Leap from the Falls..........
What if ? What if those deep desires in our hearts are telling us the truth, revealing to us the life we were meant to live? God gave us eyes so that we might see; he gave us ears that we might hear; he gave us wills that we might choose; and he gave us hearts that we might live. The way we handle the heart is everything. A man must know he is powerful; he must know he has what it takes. A woman must know she is beautiful; she must know she is worth fighting for. “But you don’t understand,” said one woman to me. “I’m living with a hollow man.” No, it’s in there. His heart is there. It may have evaded you, like a wounded animal, always out of reach, one step beyond your catching. But it’s there. “I don’t know when I died,” said another man. “But I feel like I’m just using up oxygen.” I understand. Your heart may feel dead and gone, but it’s there. Something wild and strong and valiant, just waiting to be released.

If you are going to know who you truly are as a man, if you are going to find a life worth living, if you are going to love a woman deeply and not pass on your confusion to your children, you simply must get your heart back. You must head up into the high country of the soul, into wild and uncharted regions and track down that elusive prey. (Wild at Heart , 18) 

The Whole Package.....a personal testimony

I was talking with the Lord yesterday, about "stuff" and He reminded me of the things that He started in me a little over a year ago. Things that He has shown me, done in me, changed in me over this past year or so. I felt really impressed to share this testimony with other singles. While it opens me up and makes me very vulnerable on things you like to keep very private, I know that the Lord wanted me to share it so it could help others that are currently in the same place that I was last year at this time.

I had just finished watching the movie "The Kid" by Disney with Bruce Willis. It was the second time the Lord had used that movie to do some major deliverance in me. I went upstairs to my loft and sat down and just started talking to the Lord about the second half of the movie and what I had just seen. I have always wanted to be married, learned so much about it from the Word of God, books, teachers, couples etc, thought I knew something and then that night, what the Lord revealed to me totally shocked me. As I prayed and talked with Him He told me that I had been "afraid" of marriage. Well that surprised me, but as I sat there, with this newfound knowledge, and allowed God to show me things, He unfolded what had been going on in my life for many years. Way in the back of my mind, not even concious of it, I began to see that I had been looking for and waiting for and beliving for a "perfect marriage". You know, you see other couples having problems, not being nice to one another, just everyday normal stuff and you think "that is not going to happen to me and my husband! It will be different for us because we are Christians (followers of Christ)." You know those thoughts that most singles have that things will be just perfect, God will bring our mate to us, we won't even have to work for it, and then we will float off in to la-la land on love and never have a cross word or any problems! Yep, that was me, but I had not realized it until that night. God told me that I had not been willing to accept "the whole package". I was looking for perfect up until that point. He said that everyone comes to a marriage with baggage, scars, flaws, hurts-all of us; and we have to be willing to accept the Whole Package. The mate for each of us includes all of those things. We will never have a marriage or the mate He has intended for us until we are willing to accept all that comes with that.....everyday life! I have listened to many singles talking for the past several months, and I do hear these undertones. I was there....I know.

What God did for me that night was deliver me from that "perfection mode" for marriage and a mate. I repented and asked God to forgive me for not being willing to accept the whole package prior to that. I asked Him to forgive me for running and being afraid of the very thing that I wanted the most....to share my life with the man God intended for me and me for him. I asked God to forgive me for not being willing to come outside of the little box I had built for myself......small, comfortable (or so I thought), easy. I mean afterall, to look outside of the box, the norm (or the worlds definition of norm) was just too much work, it was hard to be shaped and molded into something new; but praise God He did that in me. From that day forward (late September 2005) I allowed Him to do a new thing in me. He brought me so far out of the box, you would not believe. I began to see relationships, marriages, from a new perspective, from a "real" perspective and God brought me to the place that I was very willing to "accept the whole package". You see, "the package" may not look like we think it should look like, may not sound like we think it should sound, may not come wrapped the way we think it should come......and that is how we can miss out on what God is doing. There is a lot of truth in the saying "never judge a book by it's cover." So whether you are a guy or a girl, waiting for "the one", just remember to allow God to take you outside of the box, and do in you what He wants to do, so that you are willing to accept "the whole package." Remember, you are a package too, and when you get married, the person you marry has to be willing to accept you and all of your flaws, and scars and pain and baggage......and God knows how to make that happen. TRUST HIM. Let go of the control singles.........let God bring you outside of the box you have created for yourself and show you a whole new world, a whole new outlook, a fresh anointing! You will be so glad you did.

One last note, not long after this night of deliverance and revelation for me, God gave me a vision right before I woke up. It was about "becoming" together. He used a Pampered Chef recipe that I do a lot, and showed the ingredients being put into the bowl one at a time. The bowl that held the ingredients was God, the foundation or base ingredient in the recipe was the Word, Jesus. The next ingredient that was added was the man, then the next was the woman, then the sauce and the garlic for "spice and flavor". Then the whole thing was mixed together, blended together, and put into the crust and placed in the oven. It "became" the finished product, a sweet smelling savor. But none of those ingredients would have been good alone. Italian sausage is great, but not by itself. Bell Pepper and Onions are great, but not by themselves. Garlic and sauce are great, but not by themselves. It took putting all of the ingredients, the husband, the wife, and all that went into the marriage - the spices the flavor, the "whole package" to make the finished product! And they "became" together. When two people come together as husband and wife, it is a start of a new journey, a new process and they "become" together. That is what the Lord showed me that morning. Be blessed my friends, I truly want Gods very best for every one of you. I love you all...........

Can I just say............................

 

.......that the Muth Math Concert tonight was amazingly remarkable . I had heard great things about them "live", but now that I have experienced it first hand........man oh man was it awesome! They are not only talented musicians, but very educated musicians as well (you're welcome Clay!). Several of us went tonight and it was amazing, just amazing.......and the drummer was crazy-insane! I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Proverbs 13:12

"Do we form no friendships because our friends might be taken from us? Do we refuse to love because we may be hurt? Do we forsake our dreams because hope has been deferred? To desire is to open our hearts to the possibility of pain; to shut down our hearts is to die altogether. The full proverb reads this way: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy.” The road to life and joy lies through, not around, the heartsickness of hope deferred. A good friend came to this realization recently. As we sat talking over breakfast, he put words to our dilemma:

I stand at the crossroads, and I am afraid of the desire. For forty-one years I’ve tried to control my life by killing the desire, but I can’t. Now I know it. But to allow it to be, to let it out is frightening because I know I’ll have to give up the control of my life. Is there another option?

The option most of us have chosen is to reduce our desire to a more manageable size. We allow it out only in small doses—just what we can arrange for. Dinner out, a new sofa, a vacation to look forward to, a little too much to drink. It’s not working. The tremors of the earthquake inside are beginning to break out."
(The Journey of Desire , 23–24) John Eldredge

This has long been one of my favorite scriptures because there has been some things that have been "deferred" in my life, for a really long time now. What are we without "Hope"? Bible hope is "earnest expectation", not wishing. I love the Eldredges and the ministry they have brought to the body of Christ about the Heart. It has and is changing my heart and giving me a greater perspective on God's heart...........His heart for us. He truly wants to give us His very best in every area of our lives, we just have to surrender it all to Him so He can. No striving, No hiding, No controlling...........just pure and simple TRUST.

Chill Time.......................

Party Time-Chillin' at the Parry's

Several of us went to the Parry's after church on Sunday for homemade waffles and bacon and a great time! We took our turns on the trampoline (we laughed so hard) and ate some great food, football, music, and some great fellowship time. It was great! Take a look at the pic's. The last pic's are from Friday night......we had a great time!

Thoughts.................

Some thoughts I have wanted to share with you all. Many of us have been talking about these things for a while. As singles they are on our minds and heart so I thought I would give voice to those thoughts and pulled from a few resources to share……………..

"Has God abandoned us? Did we not pray enough? Is this just something we accept as “part of life,” suck it up, even though it breaks our hearts? After a while, the accumulation of event after event that we do not like and do not understand erodes our confidence that we are part of something grand and good, and reduces us to a survivalist mind-set. I know, I know—we’ve been told that we matter to God. And part of us partly believes it. But life has a way of chipping away at that conviction, undermining our settled belief that he means us well. I mean, if that’s true, then why didn’t he _______? Fill in the blank. Heal your mom. Save your marriage. Get you married. Help you out more. Bring the finances.

Either (a) we’re blowing it, or (b) God is holding out on us. Or some combination of both, which is where most people land. Think about it. Isn’t this where you land, with all the things that haven’t gone the way you’d hoped and wanted?"
Waking the Dead (John Eldredge)

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.”

Captivating, Wild at Heart (taking part in a great adventure and Relationships and Marriage are just that-A Great Adventure); and Song of Solomon. My roommates and I are watching the 12 part series by Tommy Nelson (which I have not seen in several years) on Song of Solomon. It is a great series and I have never heard anyone teach on it, especially not like Tommy Nelson who takes you verse by verse through the entire 8 chapters of this book. Snow Patrol has a song that says “It's not as easy as willing it all to be right , Got to be more than hoping it's right I want to hear you laugh like you really mean it, collapse into me tired with joy.” Did God just take something as complicated as Love, Relationships, Marriage, and just put us here and say “Hey, I know it’s not easy, but figure it out and hope that is works!” I don’t think so, because it is not easy, He gave us His blueprint for this very thing “Song of Solomon”. I am no expert, but I can share with you what God has to say about it in His word and let you walk it through in your own lives. In this amazing book, which the church has shied away from, because of it’s explicit content, God teaches us how He intended it to be between Men and Women from the Attraction, to Dating to Courting to Romance to Marriage and Sex (yep, it’s in there) to Confrontation/Fighting Fair, to Making Up to Life Long Commitment. It sheds light on this Mystery called Love and Marriage.

“The spiritual life cannot be made suburban,” said Howard Macey. “It is always frontier and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed.” The greatest obstacle to realizing our dreams is the false self’s hatred of mystery. That’s a problem, you see, because mystery is essential to adventure. More than that, mystery is the heart of the universe and the God who made it. The most important aspects of any man’s world— his relationship with his God and with the people in his life, his calling, the spiritual battles he’ll face—every one of them is fraught with mystery. But that is not a bad thing; it is a joyful, rich part of reality and essential to our soul’s thirst for adventure.”
Wild at Heart (John Eldredge)

It’s important to lay some foundational things. There is more to relationships than just being attracted to one another, exploding with desire for one another (which burns out quickly if that is all it is based on). You want to be best friends with the person you will marry. You want to be able to talk and share about everything, and want to share your life and all the experiences that go with that. Sex is a great part of marriage, but if you don’t have the best friendship, the dreaming and working to achieve together, with God as your center (think of the triangle) then it won’t last the test and trials that life will bring.

Think about that. As John Bevere said at Desperation Conference in Colorado: “You want the relationship (mate) that will propel you to your destiny, not hinder you from it.” When two people decide that they want to get married, part of that has to be “What is God calling us to do together, what does He need us to accomplish for Him that we can not do by ourselves (alone).” All things are for His purposes, and He gives us “all things to enjoy.” There is always a greater reason for two people coming together in marriage than just being attracted or just making love (sex) or just having children, and all of those things are great…..don’t get me wrong. But as I heard it said many years ago, as the Kingdom of God goes, there is little that is more powerful than a husband and wife in one mind, one accord. They can change a whole city because a husband and wife can be one like no other two people can be. The enemy knows this, which is why he has fought marriages, Christian marriages so hard. You have to go into the Marriage/Relationship with the mind set “Divorce is not an option!” Take a stand against the enemy together, and watch your home, your family, your city change because of it! True, if it were easy, everyone would do it, and stick with it, but it is about Jesus, and the Word of God says “I can do all things through Christ (the anointed one and His anointing) that strengthens me.”

Song of Solomon shows us the blueprint of how to do this, for a lifetime and bring Glory to God at the same time. He shows us in this book the art of Attraction, and still glorify God, Courting and still Glorify God, Marriage, the wedding night (sex) and yes, bringing God Glory at the same time, Romance and still giving God the Glory, Fighting Fair and Resolving differences while giving God the Glory, and Romance and Companionship for a lifetime while giving God the Glory.

“You are Mine, You are Mine, You are Mine all mine, You are mine.” (Mute Math)

Love is Chosen: “Any parent or lover knows this: love is chosen. You cannot, in the end, force anyone to love you.

So if you are writing a story where love is the meaning, where love is the highest and best of all, where love is the point, then you have to allow each person a choice. You have to allow freedom. You cannot force love. God gives us the dignity of freedom, to choose for or against Him (and friends, to ignore Him is to choose against Him).

This is the reason for what C.S. Lewis called the Problem of Pain. Why would a kind and loving God create a world where evil is possible? Doesn’t he care about our happiness? Isn’t he good? Indeed, he does and he is. He cares so much for our happiness that he endows us with the capacity to love and to be loved, which is the greatest happiness of all.
He endows us with a dignity that is almost unimaginable. For this creator God is no puppeteer. “
Epic (John Eldredge)

“I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'
Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance” Lee Ann Womack

“I hope all my days will be lit by your face
I hope all the years will hold tight our promises
I don't want to be old and sleep alone
An empty house is not a home
I don't want to be old and feel afraid” Keane

You all are welcome to come and watch the “Song of Solomon” series with us. It will truly be an eye opening experience and you will be blessed! All you singles out there, feel free to comment! I love you all…….