CHARM is DECEPTIVE, and BEAUTY is FLEETING, but a woman who FEARS the LORD is to be PRAISED . Proverbs 31:30

3/31/09

Speaking the Truth in Love.....

We love our pastor at Grace church, and we are always blessed by his messages. This past Sunday's message was very passionate, and worth the time to set aside and listen to......

http://www.greenvillegrace.org/Resources.html
~click on MP3, for Leviticus 12

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

Just wanting to share this awesome skit that a sweet and precious friend of mine shared with me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

3/29/09

Ethics, what Ethics ?

In order to maintain our Foster Care License, we have to complete 20 hours/year of training classes. Yesterday, we took a class titled "Ethics". Either the culture is changing faster than I would like to admit, or my view on ethics is twisted. At the beginning of the class, the trainer passes out a "quiz", we are to read the different situations, and then choose A, B, or C. The trainer was trying to teach us that we will make a choice based on our own ethics. I want to share one "situation" that I could not refuse to argue with............

Here it is;
One rainy evening I wandered into a shop, where I left my name brand umbrella in a basket near the door. When I was ready to leave, my umbrella was gone. There were several others in the basket. Should I have (A)taken a similar name brand umbrella, (B)taken a lesser quality model or (C)just gotten wet?

Now I realize that there are better things to debate, but one man's honest answer and the trainer's response, had my mind spinning, my heart beating, and prayers to God that He will allow me to be patient and speak wisely..........and for those that know me well, ok, maybe you don't even have to know me well, maybe you just got stuck being around me for more than five minutes, :] , I am under major construction when it comes to guarding the opening on the front of my face! LOL! Does anybody have an Amen? :] (God is working on me, please be patient)
Anyways, I did patiently wait, and thought through if it was worth throwing in my two cents.
After all, I was not in a room with like-minded people, and I would have to spend the rest of the day with a group of people that could hate me, for standing my ground.
So, back to the story, the man answered with honesty, he said that he would have taken a similar name brand. When questioned further about it, he said that he should not have to suffer, but someone else should have to go without, and that it is now someone else's problem. For about 15 minutes, I listened as the trainer threw in other details, like maybe the umbrella belonged to an old woman, who was sick and should not get wet. He stood his ground, someone took his, so he is going to take someone elses, and that is just "too bad" for that other person! At this point, all I could hear was; ("it is all about "me"(mentality), as long as I am not suffering, who cares about others around me!") The conversation about that "situation" was ending, and I was going to remain silent, until I heard the trainer say this......"There is no right or wrong answer".

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????? I waited until she was finished, and I decided to share............
My response went something like this..........................
"I have to disagree with you, there is a right and wrong response in this situation. Taking something that does not belong to you, is STEALING! If our child brought a toy to school, and lost his, but three other kids had the same one, we would not teach our children to take the toy from the other child, because they should not go without, (maybe this guy would). I will give the guy credit for being honest, he never did see anything wrong with taking something that belonged to someone else, and let me just say that through the course of the day, he showed himself, to be a VERY UN-trustworthy person.

It was a mind opening experience for me, and a reminder of what God has done in my heart and in my life. And to be totally honest, I stand guilty of lying, stealing, being judgemental, adultery (in my mind/heart), hate for others, not forgiving, and every sin that is possible to man. But, by the grace of God He has forgiven me, and has changed my heart and my mind. Do I still make wrong choices, daily! But, Christ paid them in full, and I want to live daily in the spirit.
1 Peter 3: 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

3/16/09

Almost Famous ?

This past October, I was blessed by being able to attend the first "True Woman" '08 conference in Chicago, with a group of women from our church. If you have not heard, or had a chance to check out the conference, here is the link~ http://www.truewoman.com/

And what a surprise to see me on the front of the monthly newsletter, with a "caught in the moment" look on my face.










I also thought I would add some pictures from the conference, thanks to friends who had their cameras.


Before we can even get out of the church parking lot, we have to jump-start Sherri's van.















This picture was actually taken by the professionals, and is posted on the True Woman photo gallery. I am all the way to the left, in the cute pink apron :} , and to the right, are some of the women from my church.













Most of the women from our church, we are missing a couple of them.














Me with Kelly.














The back of me (I volunteered as an Usher), which I absolutely loved!














Me with Tammy.














Tammy, me, and some crazy lady! (Sherri)





















The Getty's performed many wonderful songs.

3/7/09

One year ago....

We got a phone call that would change our lives forever.

There was a baby boy that needed a home. My response would be;
"When can I pick him up?"
"Unsure", would be my answer.
Little did we know, that it would be four weeks later.
(Even though, the day after the phone call,
I had everything out of the attic, washed and ready)

For the first two weeks, we were not allowed to touch him, we could only look...













It was hard, but at least twice a week, I would go to the hospital, and watch him sleep....













Eventually...big brother and sister were allowed to come watch him sleep....



















Finally...we got to hold him....













The nurses would tell us how fussy he was,













but he was always content when we were there...



















There was an instant bond...














And now, one year later, we could not imagine our lives without him...
Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook: Asher's first birthday

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3/5/09

Blessed and Burdened at the same time....

My blessings are so abundant, and yet my heart is overwhelmed. I do not deserve all that has been given to me;
~Jesus Christ, my Savior, that died on a cross, for my sins, so that I could enjoy God forever.....
~My husband, who loves me more than any human could, who sacrifices much for his family, who is (which I will never understand) seriously attracted to me ;] , and the list goes on.....
~Healthy and Wonderful children, many of them........
~A large home, so large, that even though I could work diligently on it daily,
it would still never be clean.....
~Income to pay the bills.....
~Vehicles that are dependable......
~A church that loves God, and wants to see Him Glorified.....
~Friends and Family that keep me accountable, and still love me anyways.....
~An abundance of food......
~Being able to stay home, to raise and enjoy my children......

This list for me is never ending......there is sooooo much to be thankful for,
I do not deserve any of it!

And yet my heart is troubled.
As I look at those around me, as I go to Walmart and talk to my favorite cashiers, as I talk with strangers who pass me by, as I am given prayer requests, as I am talking to friends, as I am listening to the lives around me,
I think,
"Why me",
"why have I been so blessed?", (not that I have been trauma free),
"what can I do to bless those around me, that are suffering and having a hard time?"

Sometimes, when I feel so blessed, I question God with the "why's", and I am half afraid that He will give me burdens, because He thinks I am asking for them, (there is no truth in this, just fear taking over my thoughts).

Anyways, I am thankful for ALL the blessings around me, I pray that the Lord will use me to bless those around me, who are suffering, and struggling with issues in their lives.

3/3/09

Pushing Politics in public schools

Last night, Abby shared with me that this is "Going Green" week at school. Now, before I get into why I am bothered by it, I want to state that I am in agreement with recycling, and taking care of the earth that God created, but what is disturbing is that this is just another attempt to push politics onto children. This year, as been by far the worst! It seems that "some" teachers speak without facts, like after Obama had been president for only two weeks, Elijah comes home and shares, that his substitute teacher, tells the whole class that he is the best president we have ever had. What? He has not even had a chance to prove himself. Now, maybe, if after a year, or so, she could say that, based on evidence, but two weeks, what did he do to make himself the best president ever?
Ok, I better get back to my original thoughts!
Any ways, Abby hands me some printed material she has to read, along with a letter from the teacher, stating that this is "Going green" week at school, and for her evening reading, it has to be this material, or any article about "going green". Now, I grew up in ,California, and I remember being taught about recycling and conserving water, (at that time we were having a drought). So, again I am not disagreeing with teaching children about about these things. But, as I look through the material, some is about recycling and waste, but most of it is very political. Some of it Abby would not even be able to understand, and a lot of it was geared towards adults.
So, in my attempt to make sure Abby is being taught the facts, I decide to find "any articles", about environmental issues, if she is going to read about it, we want her to know the facts.
My purpose on posting this was not to complain about the school system or teachers, but that we, as parents can be proactive about teaching and talking to our children at home, do not assume that just because they "go to school", that they are being taught facts.

And to share with you a cool new website, (not political or environmental), that I came across, as I was trying to find articles for Abby.
As the website states:
Believing it. Defending it. Proclaiming it.

Global Warming in Perspective - Answers in Genesis

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