Hurry Up, God!

I love doing things fast. My best line is "Do you want it fast, or do you want accuracy? Pick one, because I can't guarantee both!" I want to place God to do 'fast' too - silly me! In Exodus, he led the people around the desert road toward the Red Sea. The alternate route would've been faster - a straight line - and we know the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. Though they didn't know it, a straight line might've meant the end for them. Fast is not always what God is looking for. If it was, then as soon as we got saved, we'd be beamed up (or killed) and that would be it - done - heaven - straight line! Instead, scripture says he wants us to be conformed to the image of Christ - a potentially longer road with unforgettable learnings along the way! Would we really 'get it' otherwise? So when we spend hours asking God to bless us, change our situation, open doors, change our husband/wife, give us wisdom NOW, remember that God is still working, even though we can't see it. Keep asking and God will keep answering - gradually conforming us in a way that lasts!

New Day

Well, it is in fact a new day. History was made last night & Obama (I love this photo) will be moving into the White House in a few short months. I'd love to be on the transition team - wouldn't that be cool? He wasn't my choice and actually, neither was McCain, but I chose the least liberal. I'll be behind him and pray, pray, pray for him because as Daniel says, "God puts them on the throne & he takes them down." I was pondering man's everchanging word versus God's neverchanging word this morn. God's word is only thing we can securely lean on! Thankfully, He still reigns!

I think I'll leave my 'bitter praying gun-owner' sticker on my car just for grins :-)

Equally exciting - fresh cranberries are in! Yaaah! They are only available in the stores Nov/Dec. Did everyone else know that but me? I bought 10 bags - just in case - and here are leftovers from the first bag for a snack later - nummy! Just throw them in a pot with some butter, a little OJ and brown sugar and cook them a few minutes. They're good wrapped in a crepe, made as fried pies, or poured over brie - oh that's good! Can't wait!

Learnings from Job

As a result of an unwelcomed work assignment this summer, I’m now blessed to be on Pastor Wayne Cordeiro’s Life Plan reading schedule currently in Job from the OT & a couple of books in the NT. Job is the great sufferer of all time and his friends are there throughout to firstly encourage & console, then later accuse & judge. Nothing new there, but a couple of new learnings for me. First, since the focus of the book is Job’s calamity, suffering and God’s blessing, I have always missed these first few lines of Job:
4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.

I don’t know the cultural meaning behind some of that, but it’s clear that Job regularly honored God in a big way and desired the same for his children. Imagine being so burdened for your teenagers, 20somethings, etc., that you would regularly sacrifice to God each time they had the opportunity to party. My parents would’ve had to quit their jobs. And don’t forget the sister part – that’s just wrong. Job was really a good guy! Anyway, even with all that goodness, Job’s buddies eventually rip him to shreds.

Secondly, from the first speaker/friend, Eliphaz, comes a great honest approach for friends who are going through rough times. Eliphaz basically says something like this, “Job, do you mind if I talk to you? But what friend could keep silent at a time like this watching you go through so much!” Then he follows with gentle encouragement, treads lightly, compliments Job, suggests that he turn to God and predicts good things for the future.

Unfortunately, later in the book, Eliphaz becomes hurtful displaying a judgmental human nature familiar to us all. But thankfully God is perfect, just, merciful & full of grace. And in the end, He saves the day! Yaaah!

Before We Go

It dawned on me this wknd that I have about a week left here. I have great memories of Daytona Beach. As kids, my dad would wake my brother & me at 4am & with our pillows we would pile into the car for the long ride south from middle TN. It's unheard of now, but we always went to church somewhere in GA and inevitably were asked to go home for lunch with strangers who loved the Lord. Life has sure changed! I loved the boardwalk at night, putt putt, the Drive-In Church and in particular staying at the Thunderbird (now Seaside). As a 6yr old I remember watching a car get carried out to sea by a high tide. I decided to drive there at lunchtime today. I haven't been there in years, but things are never as you remember them. I almost cried coming home. I think I just missed my mom & dad :).

Sunday, I visited the Drive-In Church, which oddly is more relevant than ever. The greeters are incredible, there's a fellowship hall to get coffee and have a little community, message, worship, communion, offering & out. All car windows are open, (smoking allowed) so you can pull right up next to someone if you really want community. They took a special offering for their sister Galveston Church as we drove out the exit, so I know they collected a lot since you couldn't get past them. The homeless, crippled & disenfranchised were serving with so much joy, I was ashamed to be sitting in the car! God has shown me so much since April & I'm thankful!

Hooray for Fall

OMG, it's fall!! Okay first OMG means oh my goodness in my world; in fact I shouldn't even type it. It's like freakin' - we all know where it comes from. Prohibited in our house was darn, shoot, crap, f-rt - junior cuss words, I still can't say that last one. Anyway I just love Oct and I'm a little glad we're going back to O-town for the 'holidays' even though I still think God was clear with me about selling our house and I'll roll with it either way.

Next week is Catalyst, and you can follow it at Backstage which is currently Ben Arment's under-construction site. Ben exploded with The White Board Sessions, an awesome one-day conference outside of DC back in May. After that, Ben had many choices, and settled on a good one :-)!

Later in Oct I get to go home to Nashville! I cut a deal with AG that if I go now, we can have the holidays in FL. Something cool there in November is the Blvd Bolt, a 5-mile run in Belle Meade every Thanksgiving morning and I'll hate missing the time there with my cousin, bro & sissy.

But my like-a-sister friend, Suzanne, is going with me and we'll both visit our fams & go to APSU's homecoming & reunion, and maybe a bluegrass place or 2! My college beau, Randy & his 2 brothers all QB'd at APSU in the 70s and now the oldest, Rick, is the coach and everyone is all a-buzz. At 0 and 3, I'm not sure how long the buzz will last!

C'mon Man!

Somebody take this guy down!

MetroRedNexual

After viewing my wknd hunt camp pics on Facebook, my son, Matt, simply commented - rrreeedddd neeeecccck & I love it. I think he threw in the 'love it' part to make me feel better - like a slap, then a kiss. :) He's smart like that. Being from west TN, I buried the term redneck & have blamed all recent redneck activity on my husband who fully embraces it. Funny, he's actually a 2nd gen Italian from DE. However, someone in his family was involved in starting Punkin Chuckin up there - that's another blog!

So anyway, I began seriously considering my son's comment. I started my workweek in beautiful SE Georgia, coincidentally the home of my great great greats & where I spent my childhood summers. Later in the week I cleaned my Dale Earnhardt Rem 12 gauge, picked up some live shrimp for fishing, bought a cute camo tank top, talked my husband out of a new camo cap he'd bought for himself, watched a fishin' show, checked to see what was on the speed channel and spent hours 'trickin' out' & cleaning around our spider-infested hunt trailer so that I wouldn't be scared to spend the night there. Okay, so Matt's right, but there is nothing that beats the sound of the breeze thru the pines - and not another noise. I just love it in the fall - a fire burning, the smell of food cooking, no distractions. And the mornings! Oh they're so glorious as the woods come to life. Last fall, I remember spending hours uninterupted in scripture & with God and practically wrote a sermon on Psalm 119.

There are many theories about the term redneck one of which is related to my Scots-Irish fam who I have traced back to NC in 1690 - whoa! I suppose I will start enjoying my heritage but will still insist on using my iphone gps to find my way out of the woods. There are bears out there!

Competitive Social Networking

Feeling pulled in many directions today, I rec'd this morning's timely Edevotion from The Springs helping me sort through the things that were critical - Ephesians 6:6-7 – “….Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”

Shortly after, I rec'd this video that revealed the source of my stress - Social Networking. It is a dangerous, competitive sport. I don't care what they say - I'm keeping my old-fashioned Facebook!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyPDHh4d1Xo

The Elephants are Back!

Election years have always been exciting for me.
As a child, I had public servants on both sides (of the family, not the aisle). My daddy was a reddish-blonde Andy Griffith and I adored him! His TN state position and disposition, from my small perspective, seemed to teeter on whoever was elected to whatever office, particularly governor. We would all be on the edge of our seats until the newly crowned took office and the administration changes were made. I didn't know why at the time, but I loved the excitement! I'm sure my daddy didn't.

Some things have changed over 40 years. But there is still good ole corruption and many say just what we want to hear making the parties indistinguishable much of the time. I lean unashamedly to the right and am pro-life, pro-gun, pro-bible, pro-God, pro-man/woman marriage, pro-America, pro-capitalist, pro-small government, etc. I've stayed awake at night yearning for someone to dig both heels in & define 'my side' again, just like the old days.

Alas, in one quick evening, Sarah Palin did us all a favor by single-handedly shoving the elephants back to the right of center. Granted, she's only the VP nominee, but she & her family exemplify what I love about America, fighting for & achieving much through hard work, passion & loyalty. Her firm conservative stance, grass-roots experience, fearlessness & wit are just what I needed to get excited again! Win or lose, bring on November!

Biblia Reading

Several of us are reading through the bible in one year via Wayne Cordeiro’s Life Journal. Wayne is the lead pastor of New Hope, a cool multi-campus church in Hawaii http://www.enewhope.org/ a church I'd like to attend if we move there! The Life Journal organizes bible reading, prayer, journaling and scripture memorization all in one process and leads you to apply what you've learned each day. I'm already seeing the effects of this discipline even though I rebelled like a 13yr old girl initially. You'll find the reading and the journal on New Hope's website.

If you have an iPhone, you can have the entire daily reading at your fingertips with just a click - easier than Bible Applications b/c the assigned scripture is already loaded. And there are 2 versions of audio so you can listen too.

In Safari, type enewhope.org, click the plus sign, click Add to home screen

TaDA! The icon will show up on your screen. I just love technology!

Great Things

Reading Good to Great again this summer has only brought attention to my looming restlessness. So I’m officially in hedgehog mode this month, i.e. defining 1) what I can be incredible at, 2) what I am passionate about & 3) what will work within my economic parameters (pays). Having done this before, I can only determine that my hedgehog is moving.

Tropical Storm Fay parked this morn with her eye directly over Daytona giving us a break in the wind & rain.

I went to the beach at 6:30 to capture the 'sunrise' & then walked down to check our boatlines. My husband is clearly a professional knot-tyer! Two hours have passed & Fay's western wall is beginning to move in. Just like a snow day! I loved them, but recall that they got old just like this is.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice & be glad in it!

Temporarius

All blog titles will be in Latin this month - all 2 of them :-)

Those who know me well know that where I reside is not so important. Over the years, I have come to terms with the temporal nature of things including homes. Moving to Ponce, I took only my HBA’s and clothes and learned quickly that I didn’t have to have the skillet I love or the Cutco knives or countless other items. For the record, both Pampered Chef & Cutco started as favors for friends. I know you know what mean!

But it occurred to me this morn that come November, I will be longing for the solitude of this boardwalk. I nearly kill myself some days trying to get out here by 7am after seeing my husband off, coffee, bible reading, checking email, etc. Walking out onto the water reminds me that my Creator didn’t intend for me to get caught up or hang on to anything but Him in this life. Everything will pass from this world except Him. Reading through Jeremiah this month, I’m reminded that God measures us not by what we have, but by our obedience, faithfulness & a heart that surrenders all that we have to Him. His salvation, peace, & protection are the greatest riches anyone can have and they’re not temporary!

Speaking of temporary riches, did I show you this little skirt I bought at Ann Taylor Loft yesterday after church? They're having a sale AND they gave will give you a $25 gift card for spending $50! I don't know about you, but that's the deal of the week! However, I should've been buying water & batteries in preparation for Tropical Storm Fay!

Robbie O'brien had a great service at http://www.thebeachsidechurch.com/ in Ormond Beach yesterday. It was packed with people and intense in both worship & teaching. Beachside people were embracing and they also serve up a fair amount of food & coffee. One thing I had never seen was the line of tiny cups filled with cheerios for kids making the donuts last a lot longer for the rest of us, making the parents happy and requiring less sugar/carpet cleanup. :-) He also provided communion 'during' the connection & kids departure time so that everyone was standing talking and those who chose could go forward, bring their offering & take communion unnoticed. Not sure who first made the Lord's supper a solemn moment, but yesterday was cool.