Checking in.

Where has this week gone??




I'm sure hoping the weekend goes slower. It'll be gone before we know it.

I hear we're christening the fire pit tonight. The kids gave Mike one for Father's Day - so naturally they want the honors.(jk) Hear that?? S'mores are calling my name . . .

Tomorrow will be spent in Nashville shopping with my Sammie. Nana and Sammie Day :)

GRACE on Sunday (www.gcomchurch.com) We missed signing up for Community/Small Group last week due to the electric outage. Something we've gotta fix this week :) Sunday will also be the kick-off for Operation Serve that's coming up next month. That's an easy one too. We've already been recruited :)

Mike has been working out of town for a while, so Empty Nest had taken on a whole new meaning. And when he has been home we've been so busy that it was easier to just eat out. So the old cupboards would be pretty bare. Hope to remedy that Sunday afternoon as well.

Looking forward to having my man home! And as much as the pooch missed him, I missed him more:)

Have a great weekend!

Crazy weekend . . .

We played catch up Friday night. Mike spent his birthday working out of town, so he caught up with some birthday wishes, gifts and cards. Sometimes so much is said with so little words . . .












Then we started our Saturday off with much needed yard work. We're trying to get a jump on the fall trimming, etc. We finished earlier than anticipated due to pretty amazing teamwork :) and were taking care of other odd and end chores when I received a call from an ER Nurse at Gateway.

I'm sure you can imagine how many directions my brain flew off in. Knowing my mom's condition, my dad's issues and just the fact that they, plus Mike's parents are well up in age, naturally sent me there for a moment. And of course we had the Forbes' traveling home from Nashville, Stephanie and Ricky, Sammie (my teenage driving granddaughter), my crazy sister who decided she needs a jet-ski, and on and on and on.

Well, it turned out to be none of these. Instead it was my brother. While doing repairs on a rental house he had seriously cut his fingers - with a skill saw. That makes you wince, huh? His house is waaaaay out towards Dickson off of Hwy 48. Fortunately, his 13 yr old son Zach was with him. So he loaded his dad's tools and they headed to the ER. They traveled the By-Pass to Warfield and made it almost to River Run before blowing a rear tire. He takes a blood thinner, so a dangerous situation had gotten worse until a lady stopped and offered to take him to the ER. This still left him with the dilemma of Zach and an expensive truck load of tools on the side of the road. Zach told his dad to just get in the car and go. My brother tossed him his phone and headed out.

Once there the ER called and Mike and I headed out to change the tire and retrieve Zach from the side of the road. In the meantime, my brother had contacted the CPD and asked that they check on his son. By the time we got there everything was well and completely under control.



There were a lot of Good Samaritan's out that day.

A special thanks to the lady who allowed a bleeding man in her car and went back to check on his son.

And to these teens - who put their own plans on hold. Their parents should be very proud.


My brother is fine. After several hours of tests, cleaning the wounds and a bunch of stitches, he was sent home to recuperate. No permanent damage anticipated.

I am so proud of the way Zach handled himself and the situation. The little guy was very worried about his dad, but he definitely handled it like a champ.

Following that, we got together with members of our former small group. It was hosted by Dana and Cooper and it gave us all a chance to just hang out and catch up. It's so hard to believe that we met so long ago! Will is our gauge. His mom and dad had just found out he was on his way when our group started. And I'm here to tell you, this little guy has stolen our hearts!!

I spent time doing what I love :)












And so did he . . .













Following our get together, we had Jaxon duty. Jaxon is our grand-dog and is he ever active! He gives his Papa a run for his money. He may be a puppy, but he tends to forget that :)












We (well, Papa) took him for a walk . . .












They had to have a heart-to-heart along the way . . .












Then, Jaxon being the pup he is, headed straight for the playground.













And being the Papa he is - well . . . you get the idea :)



Sunday was sign-ups for Connect at Grace. We were looking forward to checking everything out and getting plugged into a new group. Mother Nature had different plans. Although our electricity survived the hard strike in the middle of the night, we did lose power around 8:30 Sunday morning. Although we missed church, we were more fortunate than many and had power back on by 4:00. Hope the meteorologists are a little more accurate next time there's a 30% chance of rain . . .

We spent Sunday afternoon with The Forbes.

#1. Priss is having her week-long birthday celebration.
#2. It was HOT in our house.

After using the electricity we needed (jk) we headed out to eat for the birthday people. She wanted Ruby Tuesday and he wanted Chinese Buffet. He won.

Here's the aftermath . . .












Oh well, you get the idea :)

Great, busy, hectic, unusual weekend!

'It's just another day . . . '

I was raised in a family that could, and pretty much did, celebrate anything in some form or fashion.

Lost a tooth?
Tooth fairy dance.

Learned to ride your bike??
What's your favorite pie?

The yard is mowed.
Let's go swimming!

It's your birthday?
Party time!

And holidays? Get outta here!! I can still remember my mom changing drapes and bedspreads to match every season . . .

So it was only natural to expect the celebration traditions would carry over to our marriage. Problem was, Mike didn't grow up with the same traditions. So it was an adjustment for him.

I can still remember feeling confused and even shocked when his first birthday with me brought about his response of 'It's just another day.'

I mean, noooo - actually it's not. It's your BIRTH-DAY (Go Mikey! Go Mikey! It's your birthday! It's your birthday! :) I mean, how could a person's birthday be 'just another day?' So he was initiated with a SURPRISE party :)

But even after all these years - all of the birthdays, the attempts at 'surprising' him with gifts and parties, and so many birthdays and 'special' celebrations for the kids - he still tries his best to down-play today as 'just another day.'

Well, it's still not. Today is the ??th birthday of the man I fell absolutley head over heels in love with many moons ago. The man who is the best husband ever. My very best friend. The glue that holds us together. And the man who any child would be fortunate to call Dad (just ask ours).

So here it is honey . . . today is anything but just another day.



I love you!

School days . . .

School days, school days,
Dear old golden rule days.
'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic,
Taught to the tune of a hick'ry .....

Where does the time go?

I know many of you have asked yourselves that exact question this week as you've sent your kiddo's, many for the first time, off to school. And yeah, it might have been a while, but I definitely remember.

It was tough sending mine to kindergarten too, so I'm right there with you. But I'll never forget the feeling of middle school. I remember feeling like I was literally feeding my children to the wolves. And that, dear friends, was the day that this Mama cried.

But as you can see by the lyrics above, some things have changed. But not really the basics. Who's been school shopping?? I still remember the excitement of shopping for all of the latest and greatest school supplies. Had to have the coolest backpack, the best crayons and the perfect pencils and folders. Couldn't possibly wait for the list to come from the teacher. Oh no, no, no . . . had to get it all before it flew right off that shelf - or heaven forbid - they were to quit making the stuff. :)

Yep, those were the days. And I loved them. Every single one of them.

And now I have 3 grown children, two who are married and one who lives in another state. So as for school this year? Well, my only grandchild, Samantha, is a Senior in high school.

Say WHAT????



Uh, yeah . . . so I ask again . . . where DOES the time go?

Rein it in!

As much as it hurts to walk away from a situation and realize you've just made a complete jerk of yourself, it also hurts to see someone else do the same.

Ughhh! Why is that sometimes we just can't help but open our mouths and shove the whole foot in? I mean, from heel to toe. (And before you go all imaginary on me, it wasn't one of my crew. I prefer to think we have a handle on this - somewhat anyway.)

I totally understand that everyone has the occasional bad day. With the fast paced life, the unexpected bumps and bruises and the fact that much of our daily schedule relies pretty much upon the schedule of others - it can all play a huge part in the way we see a situation. But the way we react to something is completely and totally up to us. We are solely responsible for locking our lips and deciding if what comes out of our mouth is brook or volcano.

It's once again very 'time appropriate' that I received a devotional today dealing with this very issue. It described how the incident I witnessed yesterday is similar to the rodeo roping of a calf.

The little calf bursts from the stall and then the cowboy and his steed follow close behind. With his lasso in hand, the cowboy swings the rope in the air and attempts to lasso the calf before it escapes out of the corral door at the opposite side of the arena. That is a vivid picture of what we must do with the words that attempt to escape the gate, the mouth…we must rein them in.

Once we lasso a thought, we can decide which words leave the gate and which words need to be tied up and secured.

Unfortunately I witnessed a whole section of fence being ripped down yesterday. And while I can't seem to get it out of my mind, I also can't imagine how I would feel if the words had been directed at me. Again, I suppose the timely arrival of the devotional should be noted :)

It went on to say that 'studies show that we speak at about 120 to 180 words a minute. It seems like we need to do a bit more lassoing and a lot less running on.'

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you. (Philipians 4:8-9)

'Once the cowboy slips the lasso around the calf’s neck, he throws it to the ground and whips that rope around its kicking legs to make sure it doesn't go anywhere. Likewise, we need to “cast down” those thoughts back to the dirt where they came from and make sure they aren’t going anywhere.'

I realize that's a tough one. Emotions can cause our thoughts to be anything but cast down. They fly out of our mouth like a 4 year old shooting down a water slide on a hot summer day. Once they leave the starting line there's no stopping them until they're completely drenched.

And as painful as yesterday's experience was to witness, I hope it sticks with me for a long time. There are countless regretful things that have escaped my mouth. Maybe this will help me to remember what a jerk I must've been and how the people on the receiving end must have felt.

"I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35)

So all I can say is ...

Dear LORD,

Sometimes I just can’t believe what comes out of our mouths. Please help me to think before I speak. Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my big mouth.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Don't Do It!

Today is a typical Monday + the end/first of the month (ughh!) so I'm just passing along a devotion I received.

Besides, we're all adults here, right . . . ?

Don’t Do It

“Flee from sexual immorality…Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18, 19-20 NIV).

Can I talk girlfriend to girlfriend for just a moment? It’s about a very uncomfortable subject, and honestly, one most of us would rather pretend does not exist in “Christian circles.” It’s sexual sin.

In my last devotion, we stood road-side and looked at the story of the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus who set her free. Even though she wasn’t behind prison bars, she was in bondage to a sinful lifestyle. Sexual sin is highly addictive and the search for love in all the wrong places, insatiable. It is a drink that never satisfies the soul and leaves the partaker only thirsty for more.

A woman is enticed by a syrupy word from a co-worker, an e-mail from an old boyfriend, an invitation on Facebook, or an alluring smile at a neighborhood gathering. Loneliness fills the room and passion comes knocking at the door. But when the smoke clears, loneliness returns with new hunger pangs laced with regret.

Sex outside of marriage can lead to many things: unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, divorce, mistrust, regret, shame, loss of family and a whole list of undesirable dominos that tumble in succession. But in Jesus’ day, a woman caught in the act of adultery faced possible execution. In some parts of the world it is still enforced today. So why would the woman we meet in John Chapter 8 who was caught in the act of adultery take the risk? Was it worth it? No. The answer is always no.

There is no greater longing in the heart of a woman than to be loved, cherished, and cared for. It can cause the strongest to break a resolve and succumb to the tempter’s lure. Adultery has been the cause for church leaders to crumble, ministries to meltdown, and families to falter. Sexual sin has caused the most sensible to act like a fool, the most moral to march into madness, the most devout to be devoured by desire. The desire to love and be loved can sometimes scream over the din of reason.

The yearning for love gnaws at the heart. And then the brush of a hand, the glimpse of the eyes, or the stirring of a comment blows on a spark and sets it ablaze. Loneliness echoes in the hollow soul just as passion comes scratching at the door. Never doubt this, my friend: Satan is an opportunist who takes advantage of the lonely heart (Luke 4:13).

To be loved is one of the strongest desires of the human heart. God planned it that way because He longs for us to have that longing filled by a relationship with Him. But so many settle for a sip from the rusty tin cup when God offers an everlasting stream.

A woman can risk it all for a few moments of passion. She can lie to herself that a sexual relationship or liaison is love. Then after the brief pleasure lies exposed by the morning sun, she realizes what felt like love was tainted with the poison of shame. It can happen. It does happen. It did happen to the woman standing before Jesus with an angry mob of rock holding Pharisees gathered around. It has happened to many women who e-mail me every day.

I sat in a movie theater with a friend who had succumbed to sexual temptation. She had lost her husband, her family, and many of her “friends.” During a preview for another movie, the film showed a woman contemplating an affair with a suave Frenchman. She spoke a bit too loudly for the moviegoers sitting in the darkened theater. “Don’t do it,” she said aloud. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. She was living the devastation of yielding to sexual temptation, and her audible cry was the overflow of her pain-filled heart.

Can I shout with her for just a moment? “Don’t do it!”

I know this devotion is not for everybody. But if there is one woman out of the 200,000 or so that read this devotion…just one woman who will turn away from the temptation that is knocking on her door today, then it is worth it.

Don’t do it. Turn to God and allow Him to fill the emptiness in your heart today. He’s waiting with open arms.

Now It’s Your Turn

• Have you been contemplating a sexual relationship outside of marriage? What is God telling you today?
  


• Are you in a sexual relationship outside of marriage right now? What is God telling you today?

If neither one of these questions apply to you, then would you please pray for those who are fighting the temptation to enter into such a relationship or struggling to get out of one? Hit your knees for the women who desperately need your loving intercession.