After having my Monday posts designated for a year, I'm wondering what to do with this space....
It was good to take that time and look things over as I approached 50, but in going back over it I find so many things that I aimed for and missed. Things I wanted to have achieved, or overcome, or straightened out by the time I hit that milestone. And I'm still working, still struggling and still muddling in so many of them.
My house isn't neat and organized. My fabric stash has continued to grow. Middle age spread has hit my middle, and so far it appears only drastic measures...such as fasting...will reduce it.
I can do drastic measures for a while, but I can't make it a lifestyle. And I don't want to 'drastic measure' myself down to something I'd term acceptable, just to have the weight creep back on with what I'd consider normal life.
So I'm looking at the life messes that didn't get resolved by age 50 and wondering if I'll *ever* get them out of my life. And feeling rather discouraged about the whole thing.
And what to my weary eyes should appear, but an encouraging word from someone who's in a similar state, albeit ten years behind me.
She's right, you know. It's not time to give up...it's time to just start over.
Thanks, Sarah, I needed that... ;)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Verge '09
I am interrupting my regularly scheduled blogging break to pass along a link. This week is our annual youth camp in San Destin, FL...and for the first time, the services are being livestreamed, with an accompanying chat room. It's where I've been for the past three nights; it has been amazing on so many levels, even if the feed is not absolutely perfect.
Tonight is the last night; it'll be way late for the folks on the east coast; it's pretty late for those of us in central time. But, oh, my.
Anyway, if you're interested, here's the link:
Rock Family TV.
There are services at 10 AM and 8:30 PM CDT today; the camp speaker, Sean Smith, along with worship leaders Rita Springer and Paulette Wooten, will be in all three services at church on Sunday (8 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:15 AM) and will also be livestreamed on that channel.
Just for anyone who's interested....
ok. Back to work now. ;)
Tonight is the last night; it'll be way late for the folks on the east coast; it's pretty late for those of us in central time. But, oh, my.
Anyway, if you're interested, here's the link:
Rock Family TV.
There are services at 10 AM and 8:30 PM CDT today; the camp speaker, Sean Smith, along with worship leaders Rita Springer and Paulette Wooten, will be in all three services at church on Sunday (8 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:15 AM) and will also be livestreamed on that channel.
Just for anyone who's interested....
ok. Back to work now. ;)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A Little Bit of Heaven
If you didn't know I grew up on an Indiana farm, this would for sure give it away...
I mean, really, it just doesn't get any better than this. This corn was on the stalk in Dad's patch when the sun came up this morning. MMMmmmmm....
We took the Flute Player to our Designated Meeting Place in western Kentucky and traded her for a cooler full of sweet corn.
Next week, they'll give us another cooler full of sweet corn to take her back... ;)
Meantime, next week is the Quarterly Blogging Break, so, while the other three kids are at camp on the beach, I'll be working and (hopefully) doing some much-needed catch up around here.
And eating sweet corn.
I mean, really, it just doesn't get any better than this. This corn was on the stalk in Dad's patch when the sun came up this morning. MMMmmmmm....
We took the Flute Player to our Designated Meeting Place in western Kentucky and traded her for a cooler full of sweet corn.
Next week, they'll give us another cooler full of sweet corn to take her back... ;)
Meantime, next week is the Quarterly Blogging Break, so, while the other three kids are at camp on the beach, I'll be working and (hopefully) doing some much-needed catch up around here.
And eating sweet corn.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fresh Start....
I guess this will be the cap on the Jubilee posts...
So, the surprise My Sweet Baboo planned was a night at the Really Big Fancy Resort Place in Nashville, TN. It was marvelous...so long as I don't think about how much it cost. ;) But, I've always wanted to walk through those atriums with him, and boy, did we walk. through. those. atriums.
We also walked over to the mall that's about a half mile away and ate dinner at The Aquarium restaurant. Very unique!
On Saturday, which was actually my birthday, we came home and took the kids to Macaroni Grill for my birthday dinner...and, no, I didn't let them request a birthday seranade!
I walked enough that my weight was down a pound on Sunday morning, even after eating a hefty slice of birthday cake:
All in all, I was thoroughly distracted from the facts of the day, and had a lovely time.
But now...what will I post about on Mondays? Hm....
So, the surprise My Sweet Baboo planned was a night at the Really Big Fancy Resort Place in Nashville, TN. It was marvelous...so long as I don't think about how much it cost. ;) But, I've always wanted to walk through those atriums with him, and boy, did we walk. through. those. atriums.
We also walked over to the mall that's about a half mile away and ate dinner at The Aquarium restaurant. Very unique!
On Saturday, which was actually my birthday, we came home and took the kids to Macaroni Grill for my birthday dinner...and, no, I didn't let them request a birthday seranade!
I walked enough that my weight was down a pound on Sunday morning, even after eating a hefty slice of birthday cake:
All in all, I was thoroughly distracted from the facts of the day, and had a lovely time.
But now...what will I post about on Mondays? Hm....
Friday, July 10, 2009
James Lesson 10: Apply the Principles of Patience
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 10 James 5: 7 – 20 Apply the Principles of Patience
I. Be Patient as You Wait on God – James 5: 7 - 8
Verse 7 instructs us to Be patient...until the Lord's coming. While the Second Coming is an obvious interpretation/ application for these verses it could also mean 'Be patient until the Lord comes to you...until He shows up in your circumstances.'
A farmer can be patient waiting on the crop; if he put the seed in the ground, he knows the crop will come. Furthermore, he knows that there is nothing he can do to the crop itself to make it mature any faster. If the farmer gave up on the crop because it didn't mature as quickly as he wanted, he'd walk away from the field and miss the harvest.
Don't give up before God shows up!
II. Be Patient with Each Other – James 5:9 - 12
James then lists some specific ways we are to be patient with each other, beginning with 'Don't grumble against each other.' Grumbling is blaming someone else for circumstances. Think about the Israelites in the desert; over and over again they blamed Moses for unpleasant situations. And over and over again, they suffered judgment for what they did. But, when they grumbled against Moses after Aaron died, and the snakes came into the camp, the Israelites went to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you.' (Numbers 21:7). Moses interceded for the people, God healed them through the bronze snake, and they were able to enter the promised land. That was the last time they were recorded as grumbling! They finally confessed that it was a sin, gave it up, and were able to go into what God had for them.
James refers his readers to the example of the prophets, who were patient even in suffering. Specifically, he mentions Job, noting that, despite his losses and dire situations, God did deliver him and restore him in the end.
One other thing James instructs us to do in exercising patience with each other is to maintain one's integrity. Don't swear oaths ('by heaven or by earth or anything else'); plain 'yes' and 'no' should be sufficient.
Oath – A formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling upon God or some other sacred object as witness; The words or formula of such a declaration or promise; That which is promised or declared; An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything held sacred (New American Heritage Dictionary).
An oath is an attempt to add authority to your words; unwilling to allow your words to prove themselves over time. Our character should be such that yes and no is sufficient to those who know us.
III. Put Prayer to Work (13 – 20)
Finally, James says that the true work of patience is prayer. We are to pray
When in trouble
When someone who is sick has asked for prayer
When you have sinned
After confessing sin to one another
(I posted the portion of teaching dealing with 'How to pray' already...it's Here)
Prayer brings help (implied v. 13),healing and forgiveness. James provides the example of Elijah, who was someone just as human and fallible as any of us, yet his prayers were powerful enough to control the weather.
Prayer produces changed lives; leading someone who has strayed back to the truth.
Prayer is the weapon of patience.
Things to think about:
In what situations of my life am I considering giving up on God’s way and doing something else?
Who in my life am I blaming for unpleasant circumstances? In what situations am I adding oaths to bolster my authority? Why isn’t my character sufficient to uphold my word?
How many circumstances/issues of my everyday life do I honestly pray through on a regular basis? What keeps me from praying ‘fervently’?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 10 James 5: 7 – 20 Apply the Principles of Patience
I. Be Patient as You Wait on God – James 5: 7 - 8
Verse 7 instructs us to Be patient...until the Lord's coming. While the Second Coming is an obvious interpretation/ application for these verses it could also mean 'Be patient until the Lord comes to you...until He shows up in your circumstances.'
A farmer can be patient waiting on the crop; if he put the seed in the ground, he knows the crop will come. Furthermore, he knows that there is nothing he can do to the crop itself to make it mature any faster. If the farmer gave up on the crop because it didn't mature as quickly as he wanted, he'd walk away from the field and miss the harvest.
Don't give up before God shows up!
II. Be Patient with Each Other – James 5:9 - 12
James then lists some specific ways we are to be patient with each other, beginning with 'Don't grumble against each other.' Grumbling is blaming someone else for circumstances. Think about the Israelites in the desert; over and over again they blamed Moses for unpleasant situations. And over and over again, they suffered judgment for what they did. But, when they grumbled against Moses after Aaron died, and the snakes came into the camp, the Israelites went to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you.' (Numbers 21:7). Moses interceded for the people, God healed them through the bronze snake, and they were able to enter the promised land. That was the last time they were recorded as grumbling! They finally confessed that it was a sin, gave it up, and were able to go into what God had for them.
James refers his readers to the example of the prophets, who were patient even in suffering. Specifically, he mentions Job, noting that, despite his losses and dire situations, God did deliver him and restore him in the end.
One other thing James instructs us to do in exercising patience with each other is to maintain one's integrity. Don't swear oaths ('by heaven or by earth or anything else'); plain 'yes' and 'no' should be sufficient.
Oath – A formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling upon God or some other sacred object as witness; The words or formula of such a declaration or promise; That which is promised or declared; An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything held sacred (New American Heritage Dictionary).
An oath is an attempt to add authority to your words; unwilling to allow your words to prove themselves over time. Our character should be such that yes and no is sufficient to those who know us.
III. Put Prayer to Work (13 – 20)
Finally, James says that the true work of patience is prayer. We are to pray
When in trouble
When someone who is sick has asked for prayer
When you have sinned
After confessing sin to one another
(I posted the portion of teaching dealing with 'How to pray' already...it's Here)
Prayer brings help (implied v. 13),healing and forgiveness. James provides the example of Elijah, who was someone just as human and fallible as any of us, yet his prayers were powerful enough to control the weather.
Prayer produces changed lives; leading someone who has strayed back to the truth.
Prayer is the weapon of patience.
Things to think about:
In what situations of my life am I considering giving up on God’s way and doing something else?
Who in my life am I blaming for unpleasant circumstances? In what situations am I adding oaths to bolster my authority? Why isn’t my character sufficient to uphold my word?
How many circumstances/issues of my everyday life do I honestly pray through on a regular basis? What keeps me from praying ‘fervently’?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
Thursday, July 9, 2009
What hill?
Where? When? I don't remember any hill...
My Sweet Baboo gave me a t-shirt with that sentiment upon it...ten years ago.
Since I've had some comments from folks who also share July 11th as a birthday, I thought I'd post about finding out someone else has a birthday on that day...
Ten years ago I spent my 40th birthday off on an Adventure. I left the Rocket City early on July 6, and drove down through Birmingham, past Tuscaloosa, through Mississippi and Louisiana and a good bit into Texas to spend a week at Teen Mania Headquarters, doing a week's worth of various odd jobs as a summer missions volunteer while teen missionaries came in, trained, left for their missions, and another group returned, debriefed and headed home.
So I was in Texas on my birthday.
And I found out something. The founder of Teen Mania, Ron Luce, has the same birthday I do (I am two years older than he is). I don't know if what happened on the night of my birthday had anything to do with the fact that Mr. Luce was also celebrating a birthday, but there was a surprise concert by the Newsboys for the kids who had arrived that day from their various mission trips.
And I got to go and rock out with the rest of the folks on campus that day. It was a cool way to turn 40....
Three days later I climbed back in the car and made the return trip. I had an amazing week, but I was sure glad to get back home to my Sweet Baboo and hot water in my shower... ;)
My Sweet Baboo gave me a t-shirt with that sentiment upon it...ten years ago.
Since I've had some comments from folks who also share July 11th as a birthday, I thought I'd post about finding out someone else has a birthday on that day...
Ten years ago I spent my 40th birthday off on an Adventure. I left the Rocket City early on July 6, and drove down through Birmingham, past Tuscaloosa, through Mississippi and Louisiana and a good bit into Texas to spend a week at Teen Mania Headquarters, doing a week's worth of various odd jobs as a summer missions volunteer while teen missionaries came in, trained, left for their missions, and another group returned, debriefed and headed home.
So I was in Texas on my birthday.
And I found out something. The founder of Teen Mania, Ron Luce, has the same birthday I do (I am two years older than he is). I don't know if what happened on the night of my birthday had anything to do with the fact that Mr. Luce was also celebrating a birthday, but there was a surprise concert by the Newsboys for the kids who had arrived that day from their various mission trips.
And I got to go and rock out with the rest of the folks on campus that day. It was a cool way to turn 40....
Three days later I climbed back in the car and made the return trip. I had an amazing week, but I was sure glad to get back home to my Sweet Baboo and hot water in my shower... ;)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Jubilee Monday #44- The Final Week
Well, this time next week my Jubilee year will be over. It has been a very interesting year...lots of introspection and some things learned. A few of them have even been applied and I feel like I've grown. The rest of those issues will be continuing education...for the rest of my life, no doubt!
Thanks to everyone who's hung with me for this year... I don't know if it *really* is going to make turning 50 any less painful than it would have been otherwise, but I'm glad I had the company and the occasional encouraging comment.
As to celebration...My Sweet Baboo just told me that he and I will be leaving town Friday morning and returning Saturday afternoon, and we'll have a 'family celebration' Saturday evening.
I won't find out what I need to pack for our night out until Friday morning.
I love surprises! ;)
(only 44 posts...I know I missed a few weeks, but I expected more than that. Wonder if I mislabeled something somewhere?)
Thanks to everyone who's hung with me for this year... I don't know if it *really* is going to make turning 50 any less painful than it would have been otherwise, but I'm glad I had the company and the occasional encouraging comment.
As to celebration...My Sweet Baboo just told me that he and I will be leaving town Friday morning and returning Saturday afternoon, and we'll have a 'family celebration' Saturday evening.
I won't find out what I need to pack for our night out until Friday morning.
I love surprises! ;)
(only 44 posts...I know I missed a few weeks, but I expected more than that. Wonder if I mislabeled something somewhere?)
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