Well, I'll be tagged!

I was reading kablot's Christmas list and thinking how I would answer the questions and lo and behold, when I got to the bottom, there was my name! So, here goes:

1. Paper wrapping or gift bags.
A combination. I wrap the gifts for family because they all have to be sent somewhere else, and bags don't fare too well that way. I use bags for party jingle gifts and things I get for friends here, because I see so many really pretty ones.

2. Real tree or artificial.
When I was a child we always had real ones because we lived on a farm and just went up on the hill behind the house and found one. There is really nothing like the smell of a real tree. But now, it is artificial; gets put back in its box every year. The "real Christmas tree" spray ain't.

3. When do you put the tree up?
We always put it up on Christmas Eve as I was growing up. When my son was young, we would put it up on Dec 1. I haven't put up a tree in several years now; not since he moved out. We talk about it every year, but never seem to find the time to actually do it.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Because we used a real tree, it usually was gone by the middle of January. My birthday is the 17th, and I don't ever remember a tree being in the house for my party. During my son's growing up years, we took it down on January 2.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yeah boy! Best tastin' stuff I can think of! Especially when you make your own!

6. Favorite gift received.
Three years ago, L got me a pair of rhodalite (purple) garnet earrings that he chose without my being with him. I was here, he was still in Ohio. It told me he put a lot of thought into the selection, because he knows I like silver or white gold and really like my birthstone. The purple of this pair is similar to an amythyst. I still wear them a lot.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, I have never had one; either indoor or outdoor.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
That would have to be multiplied by 5. The quints' birthday is Dec 12, and trying to buy for both celebrations for that many in one family presents a real challenge.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
L. Buy anything having to do with birds (even a bird, I did that one year); or clothing. He loves shirts, sweaters, ties (yep, ties.)

10. Worst gift I have received.
One year, my ex husband got me a neclace and earring set in an orangish stone. He really was trying to be nice to me, but I don't wear anything orange. I think I wore it once.

11. Favorite ornament
I have 3 sets of tiered glass bells that are sort of like chimes. When the tree moves, they tinkle and sparkle, and they pick up the reflection of the tree lights.

12. Favorite Christmas movie
Has to be "It's a Wonderful Life." I can watch that one over and over again. Reminds me that one person not only can, but does make a difference in the world, so often not even realizing the impact he or she is having.

13. When do you start Christmas shopping?
Usually right after Thanksgiving (NOT Black Friday) because of the quints.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas gift?
Once or twice when a gift I have gotten as a party jingle ended up being nice, but not what I would use myself. If I think it fits someone I am buying for, I will regift it.

15. What is your favorite Christmas food?
Eggnog! And homemade stuffing.

16. Clear lights or colored?
Colored, and the more the better! Clear is nice too, but I really prefer the colored ones, and no twinking. I have had as many as 1100 lights on a 7 1/2 foot tree!

17. Favorite Christmas song
O Holy Night

18. Traveling or staying home?
Traveling. Most of L's family now live in and around the Metroplex, so we go there for the holidays.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Well, I can't say I didn't cheat, since I read Kablot's post, but I won't look back and give it a go: Prancer, Dancer, Donder Blitzen, Rudolph...nope. And I can even hear Burl Ives singing!

20. Angel or star on the top of the tree?
A star. We have always had a star on the top of the tree. Some have been lighted, some have not. I like lights, remember?

21. When do you open the gifts?
One on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas morning. Mom and Dad would not let us open anything until Christmas morning.

22. Most anoying thing about the Christmas season
The Christmas music that (now) starts before Halloween! By the time Christmas actually arrives, I am sick to death of hearing it.

23. Does Santa always wrap the gifts?
Not always. Depends on the size of the gift. I got a bicycle for my 8th Christmas/9th birthday--it wasn't wrapped, just had a great big bow on it.

24. Did you ever leave cookies for Santa?
No, we lived so far out in the country that Santa didn't have time to stay and eat. Actually, "Santa" would only leave one gift for each of us. The rest were from mom, dad, grandparents, etc. We usually got clothes, shoes, fruit, etc. Not much in the way of toys. We needed the other things too badly.

25. What is your favorite Christmas memory?
Watching my son help "decorate" the tree when he was little. His dad is 6' 4", and he would put Aaron on his shoulders and let him put the ornaments on the upper branches and help place the star. Then he would throw tinsle at the tree. Some of it actually stayed there.

Ok, now I tag marme and rhondiemarie

Quiet Day, Busy Weekend

Thanksgiving Day was quiet at my house. For me, it was truly a day of thanksgiving. L is home. He has been pleasant, congenial. He cooked the turkey. We talked on and off all day about birds, Dallas, Arizona. Good talking. I had time to read and pray. I had opportunity to experience the freedom of forgiveness. Giving L that freedom also returns it to me. I learned several years ago the power of forgiveness for my own life as well as the life of the one "let off the hook" so to speak. Sometimes, walking in what I know can be a challenge, but God is faithful to help when I call.

Then on Friday, we decided at around 11:15 that we could go see family in the Dallas area since I didn't have to work after all, and we scurried around and were out the door and on the road by 12:30. Now that's some moving on! It was a good visit with family, and we took some time to look around the area. L is pretty familiar with the northern sections of the Dallas metro area, so it was pretty easy to see some of the shopping districts, etc. We came back home on Sunday, tired but content. It was one of the better holidays I've spent.

Thanksgiving Blessings!

I pray you all have a wonderful Jesus-filled day tomorrow. It really is my favorite holiday because it is celebrated specifically to thank the Lord for His grace, goodness and bounty. It gets glossed over so easily because it is hard to commercialize it like we've done to Christmas. The nurses on DSU got an extra blessing today. Most of us were scheduled to work on Friday, but since most of the doctors offices will be closed over the whole holiday weekend, we will be also. That translates into a 4 day weekend. I don't have to go back to work till Monday morning. We're keeping things simple this year, just the bird and potato and veggies and of course, pumpkin pie. I'm looking forward to some down-time. And you won't find me out on Black Friday at any point in the day fighting the shopping crowd!

Blessings to you all!

For Those Interested

Grandma's Homemade Rolls

1 c hot water
pinch salt (1/2 tsp)
1 small cake yeast or 1 pkg dry yeast
1/2 c warm water (mix warm water and yeast together)
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp butter
5 c flour

To hot water add salt, sugar, butter. To warm water add yeast. Combine after yeast is melted. Add water to flour, mix with fork (can add flour or water to get right consistency.) Let stand 5 min. Knead (the more it is worked, the more air is incorporated, making lighter bread.) Grease bottom of a large bowl with butter or grease. Let mix raise for 20 min, work down. Let stand 30 min. Grease shallow baking pan with butter, form rolls (pinch off a piece of dough about the size of 1/2 a tennis ball, form into a roll by placing thumb in the center of the dough and pulling the dough around thumb several times until dough is smooth everwhere but where your thumb has been, close this spot by pinching the edges against each other and placing the dough in the pan with the spot as the bottom.) Coat tops with butter, let rise to top of pan. (approx. double original size or more.) Bake for 30 min, until tops are golden to dark brown.

Oven temp 375, can preheat to 400

Hope you enjoy them. They are one of my favorite foods from childhood.

Banker's Hours (?)

I have spent the last 3 days working 1-9pm, or more aptly named, 1-close. Day Surgery officially closes it's doors at 9pm, but often there are still patients remaining at that time. So on Monday night, I didn't clock out until 11:50 and Tuesday night it was 10:55. I am scheduled to work at 8:30am on Thursday and Friday, and have been praying all day that tonight would not be another late night. So, our last patient went to surgery at 6:35 (really late), but was scheduled for a pacemaker insertion and was to be admitted to the medical floor afterward. When we found that out, we packed our bags as fast as we could, locked the doors and ran! Our only other patient had been gone about an hour. We didn't hang around long enough to let anyone call and say, "oh, by the way...". So, the Lord heard my plea and is allowing me to have a full night's sleep. He is so good! This is not a shift I would want on a full-time basis. I never have cared much for evening shift because you have to miss so much of what goes on in the family and community. I really like my 9:30-6 or 10:30-7 shifts. I can still attend church, etc. even if I have to be a few minutes late. Someone said it sounds like banker's hours. Don't know about that, but I do like the not-so-early morning and the not-so-late night. Lets me have time to spend with the Lord in the morning, and a couple of hours in the evening to unwind. The nurse who normally works the 1-9 shift is out right now recovering from knee surgery. I'll be glad when she gets back, but not just because we will be back to full staff; she's also my friend.

A Much Better Day

Well, today was busy, but nothing like yesterday. I can do without any more days like that. And to top it off, L fixed my lack of computer sound while I was at work. I am sitting here listening to Albert Svenddal play "As the Deer" on the steel guitar in surround-sound while I type this. I know: "HUH?!" But I gotta tell you, it sounds really good. I am a long-time guitar (regular acoustic) fan, and the steel, when played well, gives me that same sit-back-and-soak-it-in feeling. Albert plays really well. Such a nice welcome home. I could hear it as soon as I walked in from the garage, and knew, "that ain't computer speakers!" See y'all later. I'm gonna soak awhile.

How you do not want your day to go

Ok, so the day isn't over yet! How you do NOT want your day to go.

1. Arrive at work at 9:30. At 9:40, have someone call a code 99 (cardiac arrest) on YOUR unit!
2. Find out that all your heart catheterization patients that have already been waiting a couple of hours for their turn will be waiting until around lunchtime because the computer module in the cath lab is on the fritz. That means that all of them will be with you ALL DAY LONG!
3. Have an emergency case go to the OR, pre-empting all the scheduled cases and putting them hours behind, so that you are just getting the first of the surgical patients back when they should be just about ready to go home.
4. Have a patient returned to your unit, with dismissal orders filled out; then finding out from an angry Dr. that this patient is NOT going home today, and what is she doing on YOUR unit anyway? (Because he filled out the wrong set of orders? Yeah, that would be why.)
5. Be scrambling and running trying to get said patient comfortable, so when it is time to go home, not a scrap of charting has been done.
6. Stay an extra two hours getting caught up, thus missing a (by now very much needed) Bible study.
7. Coming home and trying to post all this mess, and hitting "enter" after you type in the title, thus posting a nothing note. (That's why the first comment about the day not being over yet.)

Well, I am home now, and feeling much better. I surely hope tomorrow is a better day. Good night.

So Blessed!

Today has been a day of soaking in the presence of the Lord in both services. We have been praying on Monday nights, for the last couple of weeks, and I believe that the Lord has already begun to move in response. While I have no desire to turn church into a bless-me club, is it just wonderful to walk with the Lord, having Him meet us where we are. I feel just saturated right now; rested and peaceful.

The week had been a little tense for me as I waited for L. to come home. I guess the Lord knew I needed a time of refreshing. I am so glad it was with other believers who also got to be refreshed in His presence. I should sleep well tonight.

It was also really great to see Kablot today and get to sing with her. She is such a special lady, and I enjoy her company immensely. I like her singing pretty well, too! ;D Several of us went to grab some lunch after morning service, and I think the staff at Charcoal House wondered what in the world they had let in the door. We were in the back because there were 9 of us, but not many of us have what could be termed a quiet voice, and that place isn't very big...you get the picture. But the food was good, and our server got to assist in pulling a prank on Lorna.

All in all, it was a day that prepared me for the workweek ahead. Which is the way it is supposed to be, I think. Prime the pump, and let the river flow!

A Different Direction

I spent today traveling. I went to Eastland to meet L and pick up some of his belongings because he couldn't carry everything in his car in one trip. He will be home on Wednesday, (possibly Tuesday evening.) I am not sure about my feelings in this, or what to do/how to act with him here, since we have been apart for so long. I'd like to ask you to pray. The Lord has been dealing with me about a variation on "WWJD" and I have been hearing Chuck Swindoll all week long as he preached on Joseph. When I was praying several weeks ago about this situation, the Lord asked me if I wanted him back. I said yes. So I'm trying. Gonna be an interesting few weeks, I'm thinkin'.

TAGGED (Blame it on Marmee)

Ok, Marmee--seven things you probably don't want to know about me.



1. I grew up on a small farm in Western Maryland, and milked cows twice a day for most of my middler and teen years. Because of that, I used to have a grip strength equal to that of most men. I am not that strong anymore, but still have more power in my grip than many women.



2. I can ttupe 70 wmp buty you cant;'r readi it verywel..l/]



3. I am a former Navy Wave, and was active duty during the end of the Viet Nam Conflict.



4. I lived for 2 1/2 years in Iceland, courtesy of the US Government. That was an awesome time in my life, and I cried when we left. People there are drawn very close very quickly, especially if they are Christians. While I was there, I got to preach to an Icelandic Bible Study, using an interpreter. That was fun, but it sure made it interesting trying to keep a train of thought going!



5. I am a twin, but was raised as a singleton. My sister only lived 7 weeks. She was the larger of us, weighing in at 6 lb 4 oz. I only weighed 4 lb 7 oz. At the age of 18, I weighed 115 lbs. I haven't seen either of those numbers in a very long time. I didn't find out about her until I was 13, but it explained why I always felt like part of me was missing.



6. I am the step-grandmother of quints. Most of you probably already knew that. Two girls and three boys will be 7 in December.



7. I used to drive a rig. Yep, the 18-wheeler variety. I have been in 46 of the 48 continental states, only missing Montana and Rhode Island.

Now I tag f. f

This post is a bit lengthy. I post it in hope that it will prompt Christians to pray.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says, “Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best RegardsHonestly and Respectfully, Ben Stein

I felt this had merrit and passed it on to several on my mailing list. But the thing that really got me was the reply I received from my sister today.

She said:
"We have no idea what we gave up when we quit praying as a nation, or what we left ourselves open to. I am convinced that action was the first in a series of three that will lead to the downfall of this nation. In 1963, we told God we do not need Him anymore. In 1973, we said life that God created is worthless and can be disposed of at our convenience. There is one more step and then we will be gone. I believe that will be when we allow 'In God We Trust' to be removed from our money. That will cover the three main areas of life: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. And I do not believe we are far from that day when the Son of Perdition will show himself and demand that everyone take the mark. We have already taken 2 of the 3 sixes, so it will be no great shock to take the third. We have fallen so far that we do not know how to stand."

I have to tell you that I had not considered that the "666" might be a series of events rather than (or maybe in addition to) an actual number. Ok, off my soapbox. I just think we need to pray more fervently than we do currently. Or at least, I know I do.

What a way to end the day!

Today was an incredibly busy day at work, making me run most of it just to stay even. It was just Satan's way of trying to mess up the meeting I was supposed to attend at church this evening. Last Sunday, one of the ladies at church asked another of the ladies and me to pray for her to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We set it up to meet at the church at 7 pm. I didn't even get out the door at work until 6:58, but was still at church by 7:19. Both ladies were waiting, just visiting with each other. We started to pray, making sure the lady was a Christian, asking for Satan to be bound, and inviting the Holy Spirit to join us. It was wonderful! Such a sweet peace flooded the altar, that we ended up just soaking Him in. And the next thing we knew, our friend was softly praying in a new language! It was beautiful! I went into church kind of frazzled and tired, and came out just praising my wonderful Lord for all that He accomplishes in us when we let Him. I was still tired (a good tired), but no longer frazzled. I love it when the ones called to minister get as blessed as the one asking for ministering. What a way to end the day!

I thought I'd lost the blog!

Ok, I see some of you with new template designes and went hunting. I found one I really like, and tried to install it, following the instructions on the site. I got an error message, but was able to find a way to restore the old one, but now it has a few problems. Anyone know how to switch the old for the new? The one I like is on Final Sense. Thanks for the help.

MMM.....mini meatloafs! One of my favorite foods. Mom just called them "meat patties". I gave them their current title. Something that is easy to make and feeds several (or me several times!) It was her way of making the meat for a meal stretch to feed four, snice none of us liked real meatloaf. Recipe? Make meatloaf, then shape into patties and FRY them! My recipe: 1 lb lean hamburger, 1 large egg, about 1/2 cup oatmeal, about 1/4 cup sweet relish, diced onion, garlic salt, pepper and hot sauce. Blend, fry, enjoy! I don't think my actual recipe is ever the same twice, and Mom would never have used hot sauce!

I can remember watching my grandmother cook, as I was growing up, and asked her once after I had returned home for several of her recipes that were my particular favorites. She started telling me and used measurements like a "dash" of this and a "pinch" of that. Wait a minute! How much is a pinch, a dash? So we went to the kitchen and she made all those dishes for me in one afternoon, bless her heart, allowing me to quantify that "dash" and "pinch." The result was we dined sumptuously for several days (I was staying with her for vacation) and I came away with recipe cards which still reside in my box along with all those other goodies I have accumulated over the years. You still can't beat her hot roll recipe. So many of those old-time recipes were the result of having to "make do" or stretch what was in the cupboard, but they were so good! As you can see from the recipe above, I have taken to my grandma's ways!

Guess I'm getting a little nostalgic. Must be the holiday season approaching. I just may break out some of the cooking utensils and do some old-fashioned homemaking! That would be a switch, 'cause I don't cook much anymore, since there's just me. (That may be changing shortly. Larry is talking about coming home, at least for a little while, at the end of the month. That should be interesting.)

Christian Fun

Well, I just got in from having dinner at Cafe Italia with 20 other women. It was wonderful! I am a part of Community Bible Study and this week was a break week and all the different classes were encouraged to go have some fun together as a class just to fellowship and get to know each other better. Of course, we females bond best around food! The ladies' class this year is pretty large, and all but 2 or 3 women were able to come to our outing. RW, you would be proud of me--I sat with a group of ladies that I barely knew. It was such fun. We were all to bring a baby picture with us, and part of the time was spent trying to figure out which picture went with which lady. The talking was non-stop, and I know the people in the front dining area must have been wondering what all the noise was about in the back room. I can imagine the shock if they had known it was a womens' Bible Study group! (We Christians aren't supposed to have fun, you know.) These ladies come from all different backgrounds and all different denominations. It's so neat that we all get along so well. No denominational arguing is allowed, of course; but in the year+ that I have been attending, I've not heard even a hint of "I'm right, you're wrong." What a blessing!

Meeting the Neighbors

Well, today I finally got the water faucet out by the lofts repaired. I managed to back over it with the lawn tractor on Labor Day, snapping it clean in two, and have been carrying water to the birds from the house. My neighbor came over and put it back together for me. It will be so nice to just carry the jugs a few feet again. Fortunagely, the previous owner must have forseen such a scenario, because the faucet was actually a "T" off the main line with it't own shut-off valve. Was I ever glad to see that when we dug up the line!

It's so funny, I really don't know my neighbors well at all, and if it were left up to me, it would probably stay that way. (I'm basically a shy person--DON'T LAUGH!) But God always has other plans, and if He can't ge me to go to them, He brings them to me, sometimes in the most unusual ways! You'd think I'd learn eventually. Guess it's time to follow RW in changing the way I relate to others. Glad you all are here, this is one of the ways I am trying to come out of the shell a bit.

I pray each of you has a wonderful encounter with Jesus at church tomorrow, and that you can carry the sense of His presence with you throughout the week. Isn't He awesome?!

TIRED!!!!

The week has been non-stop hectic. I have had at least an hour overtime for 4 of the 5 days. My feet hurt, my back hurts, and it will definitely be an Ibuprofen night for this gal. Some of the happenings were pretty neat. I got to see at least two people that I know from other spheres, and I always enjoy getting to take care of someone I have registered over the phone. It's fun trying to put an image with the voice, and I am often surprised when I see the real person. I wonder if they feel the same way about seeing me after having bared their (health) soul to me. (We do ask some very nosey questions.) And most of you know that I like to cut up and kid with people, and I do that during the registration process as well. I kinda think there is some spiritual application in here somewhere, but I am too tired tonight to try to figure it out! I can really hear my bed calling me...

Where did this month go!?

September has been such a busy month that it has just gone by in a blur. We spent lots of time and effort getting ready for our church dedication, which was a wonderful day from start to finish. We had around 160 people present for the dedication ceremony alone, along with guests at the morning service and people from a couple other churches who joined us to help provide an atmosphere of worship. Two weeks (I think) prior to that we hosted the sectional fellowship and got to bless and be blessed by the pastors/wives of several churches in the area. That was like a prelude to the dedication. Then this past weekend was the Ladies Retreat. I am tired, but I gotta tell you that I wouldn't trade one moment of any of it for just sitting back on my pew and waiting to see if the Lord will move me. I have learned that I don't like being idle. I get bored very quickly. Give me something to do. Even at work, if I have to stand around very long I get itchy. The girls there have already learned to keep me moving!

Lessons learned from Boot Camp

How do I even begin to process this weekend? It was nothing I expected and everything I needed. The praise and worship was wonderful. The speakers were just so real. They told things about themselves that made us know that they struggled with the same issues they were challenging us about. Responses ran the gamut from bowed heads, quiet tears and furtive swipes at eyes to gut-wrenching sobbing and wailing. Seeing other women coming face-to-face with Jesus (and themselves) sometimes made it easier to allow myself to enter in. I spent a lot of time walking and praying (it's hard to find a place to sit and pray with 30+ other women trying to do the same thing, as I neither wanted to intrude or be intruded upon.) There were not many incidences of jumping, hooting and wild praising. But there were multitudes of breakings and breakthroughs. One of my prayers for the ladies this weekend was that no one would leave the same way she came. That has certainly been answered in my life. It will take some time to fully understand all that happened in 2 days. Some things I will be chewing on for a long time.

As is usually the case when there is a true encounter with Jesus, we were asked to make it real by committing something He had shown us to Him. The time around the bonfire was such a release for me because I saw and heard others revealing their secret fears and longings and realized that I am not the only one who struggles with feelings of inadequacy and lack of worth. I already knew that, but now I know it. I think I have discovered (again) that it is ok to be not perfect. It's ok to have questions and wonder if I've heard right. It's ok to stumble or even fall. Jesus will pick me back up. All things I knew. And all things I have had to learn again as if it was for the first time. All things I have allowed Satan to rob me of, and the hard part is, he will try to rob it again, try to send me back to business as usual. And that is what has to be stopped. I am loved. I am accepted. I am humbled.

Anticipation

Two more days! I am looking forward to the Ladies Retreat this weekend. I really feel that the Lord will minister in a mighty way to any woman who will open her heart to Him and allow Him to do whatever work He has in mind for her life. Not a work of works, but a work of love, of drawing closer to Him. I have been eagerly awaiting this weekend for over a month now. Of course, I think that the prayer over the events has helped substantially; not just my own, which have certainly drawn me closer already, but the prayers of evey lady attending have totally bathed this retreat in His power and blessing. I am praying that not one of us leaves that place the same as we came. I am praying that wherever we are right now, that we will find a place of fulfillment and total grace; and come home ready to explode with the start of revival!

After hearing the ladies of First Assembly talk about how they are able to minister to each other through blogging, I decided to see if I can join you. I hope this is a way to stay in contact now that the Sunday evening visits to church are coming to a close. I am looking forward to starting our own evening services, but I will really miss you all. I've moved many times over the course of my adult life, and have left friends at each church I've been involved in, but I don't think I have felt so accepted by any group since I left my hometown in 2000. So I will miss seeing your smiling faces, and look forward to seeing you at our building dedication in Sept.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to let you know that I'm here!