Thanks to Kandid Kiwi we are copying her elf fun - click here to see the 4 of us in a cheery holiday elfish type dance. Hope it brings as big a smile to your face as it does to ours - btw check out me and my amazing ability to keep up!!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1123591263
"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, scythian, slave or free but Christ is all, and is in all."
I see two things in the first part of these verses - it is an action of taking off and putting on. You can't merely take off the old self and be done - there MUST be a putting on of a NEW self. This NEW self is the ability to be like the Creator. In our old selves we do NOT have the ability to choose GOD or His ways. We desperately need Christ and need to be renewed in the knowledge in the image of GOD. The other thing that I see in these verses is that Christ does not play favorites - He is available to all - regardless of race, gender, social class. I am so thankful for MY God. He is not like us (THANK GOODNESS - we tend to play favorites even though we try our hardest NOT to!) I long to be like Christ in the very depths of my soul. I am really enjoying memorizing Colossians 3. Thanks to Wrestling Mat for spearheading this challenge and for the pep talk this morning!
Thanks to Mrs. J for her willingness to teach my girls the piano - they are having their lesson right now and they are sure starting to sound like they know what they are doing. I hope they will stick with this.
I have decided that I have been running away from being still before God - I have a hard time staying home during the day. I think partly - ok, probably MOSTLY - that it is because I am afraid of the lonliness. I try to keep busy so that I don't have to be still and have the overwhelmingness of the situation sink in. I am so thankful for the kids. I have told myself - "Self, you NEED to stay home a little and lay at the feet of Jesus. Don't run from Him. He will heal you!" So, my new goal is to spend more time at home and at the feet of Jesus!
Thanksgiving turned out to be GREAT fun - thanks to all who came (Missing Mississippi, Blue Bicycle, More Water, Bergan Herd and The Sailers). We ate, fired up SPARKLERS and watched Survivor! We truly had a houseFULL and for that I was extremely THANKFUL.
I had someone comment on my new profile picture - my very good friend, Missing Mississippi, brought GERBER daisies over while her, Blue Bike and Mrs. J cleaned my house before Thanksgiving - THANK YOU FOR THAT YOU GALS! Those are my favorites and so I took pictures of these flowers while they sat on my table and voila - new avatar! It is cheery - don't you think?
I am starting a new "tag your it"! Here is what you are to do - when you are tagged, you simply write out the lyrics to a song that is currently meaningful in your life. I got this idea from LAughter Thoughts Amazing Grace video and Great Adventures blog - I just noticed her post with the lyrics of a Caedman's Call song (good choice!!) I will start first and then I tag Blue Bicycle, Mrs. J, Kandid Kiwi and Smile.
My song is very important to me because of the trials in my life now and my theme is to continually praise God through it all. So without further adou I give you Mercy Me's Bring on the Rain (thanks for Florianne for directing me to this song!!)
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
We had our annual Pie and Praise at our church tonight. Of course, I felt compelled to be there - how could I NOT? For those that don't know about Pie and Praise it is our annual official corporate time to come together and PRAISE God for all He has done in our lives over the last year! Of course, it was a very emotional time for me as well as others!! Luckily, Tim foresaw that it would be difficult for me and Susie who just happened to sit together, so he provided the two of us with our own tissue BOX! Thanks, Tim.
So, for those that couldn't understand me (through my tears) or who just couldn't be there for whatever reason - here is my list of PRAISES
I THANK MY GOD for my husband
I THANK MY GOD for my marriage
I THANK MY GOD for the 17 years I have had with Brent
I THANK MY GOD for my children
I THANK MY GOD for His faithfulness
I THANK MY GOD for all that He will do through this experience
I THANK MY GOD for His comfort
I THANK MY GOD for my church family
I THANK MY GOD for my family and friends
I THANK MY GOD for the ability to THANK my God
OK, so I added a few that I didn't say at the pie and praise BUT I just wasn't able to say everything I had on my heart.
~The picture is of Aloha Pie from our trip to Maui in August. It was not readily available here in the desert so that is why I just brought my famous double stuffed oreo pie!! hee hee
Marchelle gave me a daily devotional called Streams in the Desert at the beginning of my new life. It has been such a source of comfort. L.B. Cowman wrote it when her husband was dying. She wrote this in 1925 and is a collection of her prayful meditations, christian writings and God's written promises. We haven't been very faithful at keeping up with the meditations on each day - but we are trying. Feel free to check out our new blog. StreamsToday
What would we do without our friends? God has been so GOOD with the people that he has placed in our lives over the last -well, 37 years! I love you all and hold each one of you close to my heart. God knows what He is doing when you each came across my path! You have each helped me in one way or another during these cloudy days of late. You have prayed for me, laughed with, cried with and for me, 
watched tv with me, hugged me, travelled GREAT distances to be with me in my time of need, brought me chocolate and LOTS of flowers, listened to my rants, made me and my kids hats for the cold, 
supported us with LOTS of your hard earned dollars, cried with me some more, went on walks with me, cleaned my house - numerous times, took out my trash, changed my lightbulbs, prayed for me some more, sent me cards upon cards and the list goes on and on. You guys ROCK! What would a girl do without her friends.
Please don't be sad if you don't see your picture listed here - you know who you are and I love each and every one of you!! From California to the East Coast!!!!
YEAH!!! People are reading my blog!!
There are a few of us in blogworld that are taking Wrestling Mat's challenge of memorizing Colossians 3 (Mr and Mrs Wrestling Mat, Mr J, Great Adventures and Blue Bicycle). This is our first week and we are memorizing the first 4 verses, which are
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on heavenly things where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above and not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears then you will also appear with him in Glory.
I am NOT having a hard time setting my heart on heavenly things, since half of me is in heaven! It should not be that way, though. I should've always felt this way even when the other half of me was with me - because the One living in me is also in Heaven and that should've been enough of a draw for me to set my heart on heavenly things. BUT we are just poor sinners who could never worship God wholeheartedly -which is the very reason we need a SAVIOR! He bridges that gap for us and takes our puny imperfect worship and makes it perfect and takes it to our HOLY God! I, for one, cannot even wait to appear with Christ in Glory. God has so much He wants to do and show us in this lifetime and unless we are setting our sites on Him - we will MISS it! My goal in this life is to not miss ANYTHING He has in store for me. I want to fully be the person He wants me to be.
I am sure NO one is reading my blog anymore - but I am eager to have a new post! I have been keeping up with all my friend's blogs and there is so much life going on these days! Count me in - well, count us all in! We are living and have joy beyond measure! It is so amazing to me how God grants us each enough grace for the day and then by the end of the day we run low and go to sleep and wake up and lo and behold He has granted us MORE - just enough for the next day! God is so AWESOME and worthy to be praised even amid the most painful experiences of our lives. I encourage anyone (if anyone is even reading this blog!) to give a great BIG shout out to GOD who sustains and is in control of all things! He loves us so deeply and even when really bad things happen in our lives HE is there and when HE seems to NOT grant our prayers it is BECAUSE He loves us and has OUR best in mind. SO get out there and PRAISE God TODAY!!!!
