Post Thanksgiving Thankful List

1. My faithful, patient God that is ever teaching, changing and healing me. I love Him the most and only care to complete His perfect plan.

2. My strong, passionate daddy. The epitome of Pastor... ever concerned for the spirit & soul of people. The epitome of provider..He has taken such good care of our family. He gets more done in a day than most men do in weeks. If I can marry a man that loves God's work just like him, I will be blessed.

3. My proverbs 31 momma. Sweet, gentle, Christian. Nothing like the sound of her praying everyday, fervantly. I am what I am, because I have a praying momma. I love her so.

4. My entire family. They are my joy and strength. My sweet gram. My siblings and their spouses. The cutest, smartest nephews in the universe. And all the others.

5. "Kindred spirit" friends that remain throughout each of life's seasons. I am blessed with several dear ones. Sometimes words aren't even necessary. What a gift they are!

6. A warm, happy home.

7. My church...the people that make it up! Ever growing, ever exciting. Full of new faces, new converts, best friends, a sweet spirit of unity, revival and Second Chances. God has blessed us!

8. A paid off car and financial provision.

9. The oppurtunity to be in full-time ministry at my church. My love, my heart, my passion. Love working alongside an incredible team of gifted people that LOVE God's work.

10. Books


11. Dreams.


12. Prayers that have yet to come to fruition.

13. Smiles, Hot tea, warm sheets, perfume, high heels and bubble baths.

14. Laundry out of the dryer and Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice.

15. Christmas music and trees

16. Good Running shoes

17. Steamables (which I eat everyday of my life and which my family makes fun of me for.)

18. Challenges

19. Things that are clean. Organized. And clean. But mainly clean. :)

20. Coffee. With Cream. Or Organic Skim milk. And Stevia.

In my lifetime, in this order, please and thank you.

One of these.


And we'll go here.


...and here.


One or two of these..

And one or two of these...


Best pictures ever, eh? :)

Inside Out Article on AYC Trip

If you hadn't previously read my account of my missions trip this past summer, check it out at the General Youth Division's www.insideoutmag.org!

Words that make my heart do a little flitter thing.

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What’s it look like? If it’s with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that’s what you really wanted. But don’t you take the easy way out.”


“…I have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love … I love … I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”
-Pride and Prejudice



"I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”


"It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together … and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home. .. only to no home I’d ever known … I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like … magic.”

-Sleepless in Seattle


"No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

—Gone with the Wind

Selah

Could there be a word as beautiful as Selah for Thanksgiving? Is there anything that can capture our hearts quite like a stillness to measure the moment? The most significant part of this day is the pause.... the stillness ... to give thanks to my perfect Savior.
Yes, I have always heard Selah meant "to stop and think" and was in direct correlation to music. I like what I found this morning:

The first mention of “Selah” in the Bible is in 2 Kings 14:7
where King Joash conquered the city of Selah which was located in Edom. Most of its mentions are in the book of Psalms, with three also in the book of Habbakuk. “Selah,” [celah], is from the primary Hebrew root word “calah” which means “to hang,” and by implication to measure or weigh. In Biblical times, money, food, and other valuables were weighed by hanging them on scales. (Harvestime, 2011)

Enraptured by His great love for me, I measure my blessings and give thanks. Thankful for His favor, His plan, His ways and His strength.
And yet still, to pause for eye contact with the little ones. Tight hugs for family. Walks in the cold November air and naps cuddled up on the couch.

Today, like everyday, is a perfect, perfect day to remember that the lovely moments in life are captured by "weighing" them-- Measuring them and remembering their worth.

Happy Thanksgiving.

“But for now, let me say — without hope or agenda, just because it’s Christmas and at Christmas you tell the truth — to me, you are perfect. And my wasted heart will love you. Until you look like this [picture of a mummy]. Merry Christmas.”

Let it Go

By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! If family can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to .....

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains .....

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you .........

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents .....

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .......

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself
and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.
GOD is doing something for you!

LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then ....

LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three. –Belle

Sweet Talk

"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
James 3:5-6

The spoken word. All of humanity breathes and thrives on them. They are needed. Useful. Usually. So, how amazing to think that something so little can be the very life or death of something....or someone!
Yet, the spoken word is one of the most powerful things in the whole of our existence. Ill-spoken words can derail opportunities, damage emotions, cripple dreams, stifle growth and ruin lives.

We are given multiple choices each day in which to employ words for their God-given use, yet we often take the low road and use them for evil.
Often, we use them harshly against those we care for the most.

Take the obnoxious, belligerent woman, which is so against God's order. Forget women's lib and equal rights. I'm sure it's as disgusting to God as it is to me, hence the multiple scriptures included in the Bible against such foolishness. The story of the nagging, negative wife is all too familiar to us. She seems to be everywhere--the checkout, the mall, the resturant. Constantly barraging her husband with nagging, disrespect and sarcasm. Slowly eating away at his morale, attacking his masculinity and discrediting his character. He could never do enough to please her, and she makes sure he know. Sadly, once she assualted him enough, he probably has nothing left for her. Thus, a cycle begins. Words used for damage. In fact, the word choices in this paragraph probably left you with a tightness in your chest or stomach..because words are that powerful.

Yet, gently spoken, love-guided words can restore broken trust, heal wounds in children, bring peace to homes, and give damaged soldiers the hope of love.
When spoken, they fortify a husband's desire to protect his wife and give the daddy assurance he can make it through the tough assignment at work. Gentle words equal life. They are the life-blood of relationships.

There is a story told of a young couple that have a tragic accident, crippling him and leaving her in a coma. He was finally able to manuever a wheelchair and was at her side every day telling her that he needed her to wake up....that he loved her and wanted to finish life with her by his side. He continued this for months. In the back of his mind, he worried that once she woke up, that she wouldn't want him anymore, because he was crippled. Yet, he spoke to her and read to her every day. She finally awakened and wanted to know everything that had happened to them. He finally told her of his inability to walk and his doubts about her desire to be with him. She sat up in her hospital bed, slowly getting out of the bed. She grabbed the back of his wheelchair, put one arm around his neck and said, "Baby, I would never want to miss out on all this fun. Let's go for a spin".

No doubt he was humbled by her love. Her words were the hinge on which the door of their future rested. He was the familiar voice calling her from the arms of death, and she spoke the love laden words that allowed him to dream of their future together.

And so it is with us.

We may have to allow someone else's need and opinion to take precedence over our own. We may have to quietly nod when we have a mouthful of words. We may have to be brave enough to apologize and humble enough to speak encouragement. We may need to say less of what we think. We may need to speak more safe words...soft words... sweet words.

Go sweet talk somebody. :)