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I have been inspired to blog again!  Visit my new blog at http://www.forthedisplayofhissplendor-nancy.blogspot.com/

If I would've had time to post this past week, here's what I would've shared...

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1Peter 4:8

My Man Monday
Every time we go camping, it rains. It just does. And 9 times out of 10, it rains on Friday when we have to set everything up. (Side Bar: Because of this pattern, we traded in our tent for a pop-up camper 2 years ago. After last weekend, my husband is now looking for a regular camper - one that doesn't require a crank to set it up!) Our latest camping trip was no exception, only this time there was a major thunderstorm with a heavy downpour on Friday night. FUN! FUN! FUN!

But my husband, who had already waited VERY patiently for the children and I to get ourselves ready to go, wasn't about to let a lot of thunder, lightening, and rain stop him! No, sir.

When we arrived at our campsite in the dark and pouring rain, my generous husband gave me the umbrella. Then, guess what God did??!!! He sent us some helpers! The folks staying beside us asked if they could help. The first thing they did was park their car where its headlights were shining on our site so we could see what we were doing!!! Then, they helped my husband set up our camper in the rain! WOW!!! What a tremendous blessing!

Once the camper was ready, the rain really got heavy. So, my husband sent me and the children inside the camper while he unloaded EVERYTHING out of the truck - all by himself. He got soaked! But he did not complain. Nor did he remind me that if we had left earlier (like he had planned,) we would have avoided setting up in the rain all together. THANKS HONEY!!! You're my knight in soaking wet shining armor!

Here's a picture taken Saturday morning on our walk - no signs of the storm from the night before. *It was too wet to unpack my new camera and take pictures in the rain Friday night - SORRY!*

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T-Man Tuesday

He's growing up!!! And he's practicing his driving skills! Today it's a lawn mower, but before you know it, it will be a car - YIKES! (I foresee my prayer life reaching a whole new level when that happens!)

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Wrennie Wednesday

She really enjoys being outside. And just because the fish aren't biting doesn't stop her from fishing. There's always hope - and persistence.

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And The Truth Is...

Tanner loves his little sister very much! Why else would he aggravate her every chance he gets share his 12 years of wisdom with her??!!!!!

Faith Wrenn loves her big brother very much! Why else would she blame him for everything encourage him and cheer him on??!!!

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1Peter 4:8

And God Speaks Through Christian Fiction

Over the (Easter) weekend, my family and I went camping. Our relaxing trip allowed me to finally read "The Debt" by Angela Hunt. My mom told me months ago to read this book. I did check it out from our church library but didn't have time to read it. So, I returned it. But, a few weeks ago, I found myself checking it out again.

I now know why I wasn't able to read the book before this weekend... God's perfect timing! I needed to hear from God at the semi-silent retreat (last weekend) before I read the book (this weekend.)

Without giving anything away, I'll just say this book deals a lot with Christian "comfort zones" and what we miss if we choose to stay in them. SOUND FAMILIAR??!!! (If not, read previous post.) Yeah, God has really been showing me how my own comfort zone is hindering my walk with Him and the future He has planned for me.

Isn't God amazing??!!!

Please pray for me as I take the necessary steps to get out of my comfort zone. Pray that I will trust God enough to be uncomfortable for His will - NO MATTER WHAT HIS WILL IS AND NO MATTER WHERE IT MAY LEAD!

God Speaks Through Trail Mix and Hair Brushes...

This past weekend, I participated in a semi-silent retreat with 13 other ladies. We went to a conference center where we each had our own private room. We only met together (briefly) to be encouraged, share, sing, pray, and eat. The majority of the time, we were alone with God.

Have you ever tried to quiet your spirit and totally clear your mind? I'm talking about completely clearing your mind and only focusing on ONE thing - God.

On Friday night as I began to try to do this, the only thing that was clear to me was that my mind was ADHD and in serious need of spiritual Ritalin!!! My thoughts were jumping around like a competitive ping pong match.

Fortunately, our retreat leader Ruth gave us some material to help us focus. So I decided to read over what she gave us. One thing I read was a list of ways to focus on God from the book "Practicing the Presence of God." What caught my attention was the suggestion "to hum a hymn or chorus --- inaudibly." I was intrigued because I am NOT a music person - I cannot sing (maybe that's why it said to hum!!!LOL)

Anyway, God brought a song to my mind right then, and I kept hearing it play over and over again. Then, the next thing I read was directly related to the song playing in my head!!! God was speaking to me through the song and confirming it with written words! How powerful!

This continued all weekend. God would give me a new song and then show me something in His Word or in the focus material I was reading that was directly related to the song!!! I'm so glad that I journaled all of this because I do not ever want to forget the specifics of my time with God.

God also spoke in some other tangible ways. On Friday night, we each were given a goody bag filled with lots of treats. The first thing I ate was a bag of trail mix. I ate everything except the raisins - I do not like them.

As my time alone with God continued, I started going through a devotion book that Ruth gave us. The very first devotion was entitled "Help me to say yes... to any request ." A few things came to mind immediately that I knew God wanted me to do, but I hadn't done yet. So, I wrote them down. Then my eyes glanced at the bag of raisins. That's when God spoke to my spirit and said...

"That bag of raisins represents your obedience to Me lately. You have been picking and choosing what you want to do instead of doing EVERYTHING I have asked you to do. (OUCH!!!) I need you to trust Me with all your heart and surrender your will to Mine - completely."

Partial obedience is still disobedience. I've been doing only the things that were easy or that I liked. But, God has been calling me to do so much more. He wants me out of my comfort zone, completely dependent on Him, so He gets the glory instead of me.

On Saturday morning while getting ready for breakfast, I'm not even sure where this came from God brought to mind my hair brushes and other "utensils" I use to fix my hair. All 5 of them!That's right, count 'em 1,2,3,4,5!

Here's how the conversation with God went...

GOD: "Can you please explain why you use 5 "brushes" to fix your short hair?"

Me: "Aaaah.....Hmmm......well......I've never even thought about it. Let me think. Aaaah, because I have been doing it this way since high school. It's a habit I started back when I had really long hair, and I've just continued it."

GOD: "It's time for some new habits. And I'm not just talking about how you fix your hair!"

Me: "It's that comfort zone thing again, isn't it Lord?"

GOD: "Yes it is. You need to trust me with every single detail of your life so we can move forward - together. It's time for a new thing!"

WOW! The quality time God and I spent together sure made me feel loved. It also gave new meaning to "Be still and know that I am God."

I highly recommend spending some time alone with God today. If you listen, He will speak.

Wordless Wrennie Wednesday

T-Man Tuesday

*UPDATE* Wednesday, 4/8/09

This morning I went to work and look what my aunt gave me!!!!! This is sooooo GOD and HIS PERFECT TIMING! WOW!!!

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"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." Ephesians 5:15-16

Some Quality Time Together

On Monday afternoons, Faith Wrenn has started taking piano lessons after school. Usually, Tanner likes for me to drop him off at the house so he does not have to go with us.

This week when I asked Tanner if he wanted to stay at home, he said, "No, I'll go with you. Hey Mom, can you and I play soccer while we wait?"

And play soccer we did! I snapped a few pictures and then put the camera away so I could give Tanner and soccer my undivided attention.






We had fun and did not let the roaring wind, frigid air, or the neighbor's vicious-looking dog stop us from playing!

This time with Tanner was extra special because of what God revealed to me on Sunday morning. I was up early cutting strawberries and and talking to God. My thoughts took me back to my childhood and God gave me another piece of the puzzle to my life.

God revealed to me that certain relationships in my life are somewhat distance today because of the foundation that was laid when I was young. The reason...my love language (what makes me feel loved) is quality time, and growing up there wasn't much quality one-on-one time with some folks in my family. We did spend a lot of time together, but looking back now I realize that we were usually in a group. There were always other people around. But, what I really needed to feel loved was some undivided, one-on-one time. (Hind sight is 20/20!)

God did not show me this so I could place blame or have a pity party. He showed me this so I could be reminded that He's given me 2 children who need quality time with me RIGHT NOW!!! So, when Tanner wanted to go to piano and play soccer with me, I knew this opportunity was from the Lord. That's just the kind of God I serve!!!

Is there someone in your life who needs some undivided, one-on-one quality time with you? Make the effort. Take the time. Connect with them. Enjoy them. They are worth it. And so are you.

My Man Monday

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength....Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

It seems that the past few Mondays have been quite challenging and blogging about my husband has drawn the short end of the stick every time. But, I did not want to neglect bragging on SS again for yet another week, so I'm forfeiting sleep to do it tonight.

SS has been asking God to love other people through him, and God has been answering!!! He has been giving SS lots of opportunities to reach out to others. Here's just a few examples.....

While heading home after working 12 hours, SS saw someone's car on fire. He recognized the man as a customer from Chick-fil-A and offered to help. SS ended up taking the man and his family to the local high school to pick up another child. Then, he took all of them home - their home was not in the same direction as our home.

Our Sunday School teacher asked SS to share with the class what God is doing in his life. SS spoke like I've never heard him speak before. His topic - LOVE. He allowed himself to be vulnerable. It was very touching.

Last Wednesday, I kept my 11 month old niece Grace. She actually spent the night with us. When I asked SS if he wanted to take Tanner to church or to keep Grace while I took Tanner, SS said he would keep Grace. It's been 7 years since he's taken care of a baby, and I was gone for over 2 hours. You see, I meet with a friend on Wednesday nights to chat and pray while Tanner is in youth group. SS said he didn't want me to miss that! I definitely felt loved!

One of SS's co-workers has been asking SS to reach out to her husband. SS has arranged for their entire family to come over for dinner next week!

The air conditioner in my van stopped working. SS made arrangements for our mechanic to work on it last week. We got my van back on Friday, but the air conditioner started having some new problems - the compressor would cut off and the cold air would turn warm. SS was on it immediately. I've got proof.

You might be a redneck wonderful husband if you have to pop the hood of your wife's van every few miles,

and jiggle the blue wire to turn her air conditioner back on!
(SS has arranged for the mechanic to work on my van again in the morning!) My hero!!!

I could go on and on about SS. But, I won't. I am just so grateful for what God is doing in SS's heart and life. And for SS who is choosing to love God and love people just like Mark 12:30-31 says. God is transforming my husband which is transforming our marriage. And I'm in awe.

Wrennie Wednesday on Thursday

"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 6:19-20

Today, we are giving a big shout out to MODESTY!

One of Faith Wrenn's favorite ways to study her spelling words is to write them in shaving cream. We usually put the shaving cream on a baking sheet to make it easy to write on. To avoid the usual mess, I decided to use the bathtub this time since it can be cleaned up easily. As you can see in this picture, Faith Wrenn sometimes gets a little carried away with the shaving cream. She got really creative this time and covered herself and the bathtub. Then, she literally started skiing back and forth in the tub.

She had so much fun and it was absolutely hilarious! So, naturally I wanted to take a picture of her skiing. Faith Wrenn agreed but said that I could only take a picture of her feet. The 1st picture that I took (which is NOT shown) included her knees. When she saw it, she got upset and asked me to delete it. I completely respect Faith Wrenn's modesty. It makes me smile!


And what does our laundry area have to do with modesty??? Well, the day we had Faith Wrenn's birthday party at our house, she told me at least 3 times that I had to be sure to put away all of our clothes, both clean and dirty. She said she did not want any of her friends to see her clothes like that.

Give me a M. Give me an O. Give me a D. Give me an E. Give me a S. Give me a T. Give me a Y. What's that spell? MODESTY! You go Faith Wrenn. Stand firm.

Oh, and just in case you thought I was exaggerating, this picture is for you.

A Few Steps Forward On My Journey

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart....." Proverbs 3:5

Today is actually Wrennie Wednesday. However, I was so tired (I'm still not 100% after the flu last week and a very busy schedule this week) that I decided to do that post tomorrow. So, I went to bed early and waited for sweet sleep to come. It didn't. Instead came this post.

I've learned that when God begins to compose, I must be willing to transcribe, despite my plans or the time. So, I've left the security and comfort of my warm covers to openly bear my soul to you out of obedience to God.

God is doing a mighty work in me. He has the roots of my trust issues in His righteous right hand, and He has started pulling. The ground is loosening.

So far, here is what He has revealed to me: (Disclaimer - the roots are 25 years old. It seems quite strange, rather juvenile, to be talking about these things now. But, I'm finally at a place in my walk with Christ that I can understand the extensive impact of these events in my life. Not only understand them but also be completely healed and freed from them. And just for the record, my husband is aware of everything, and them some, of what I am going to share.)

When I was a teenager, I put a lot of faith and trust in my boyfriend C. He was a top priority for me for about 3 years. We were both Christians, and we primarily saw each other at youth group at church. We were both bold in sharing our faith in Christ at that time. Then, things changed, and my world was on very, very shaky ground.

What I learned from that experience was to always choose your friends over your boyfriend because friends will last forever, boyfriends won't. Unfortunately, this new truth didn't remain true for very long in my life! I was deeply hurt by some close Christian friends who were also in my youth group.

Fortunately, God wouldn't allow me to be bitter or to harbor unforgiveness. So, I moved on and eventually began dating again. Enter boyfriend D, someone new to my church youth group. Within a year, the same exact betrayal happened again with D and with the same Christian friends. Lesson learned....it is not safe to trust others so protect your heart and keep people at a safe distance to avoid being hurt again.

So, I began building the protective wall around my heart. Over the years, there have been times when I actually removed some pieces of the wall. But then, I would realize what I was doing and quickly put them back in place.

In the last month, God has really shown me what this wall has done to my life. My mistrust has managed to rear its ugly head in my relationship with my children. Not to mention the impact its had on my marriage. I'm sure my husband has felt like he was on an emotional roller coaster blindfolded - not knowing what was coming next!!!

This past Sunday night in our small group (that is doing the "Fireproof" marriage study), we were talking about addictions/parasites in our lives that can and will destroy our marriages. One of the ladies said that most people think of alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. when talking about addictions. But she wanted us to think about ANYTHING that prevented us from giving our hearts COMPLETELY to our spouses. Immediately, God convicted me of the wall I had built around my heart!!! I never, ever thought of my trust issues in this light before! WOW! This was huge for me.

Unfortunately, I must also admit that my apprehension to fully trust has even spilled over into my relationship with the Lord.

But, God has brought us to "Nineveh" for healing. He's already started. The mere fact that I'm blogging about all of this is evidence of that.

I feel the need for a third dose of Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" Bible study coming on. (It's about breaking cycles of sin in our lives.) And wouldn't you know it, Beth has been working on an updated version to be released in just a few months. God's perfect timing. He and I have some serious work to do on my journey to learn to trust Him completely, and it's going to require access to my whole heart. So please excuse me. I've gotta run. I've just taken a new construction demolition job and I've got a pretty big wall to destroy.

T-Man Tuesday

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear (timidity), but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. " 2 Timothy 1:7

BEFORE

AFTER

Brave! Very, Very Brave!

My Top 10 Blessings From Being Sick This Past Week.....

10. I didn't have to wear make-up;

9. It was the middle of the month, and I was all caught up at work - I didn't get behind either;

8. I've gotten more sleep in the last 5 days than I have in the past 3 months;

7. I was able to conserve my favorite perfume because everywhere I went, someone was spraying Lysol all around me;

6. I haven't cooked since LAST WEEKEND;

5. I was "complimented" often. Here's a few: "Mom, are you feeling better because you look a little bit better today?!!" Said with a look of shock on his face, "Mom, you got dressed today!" "Honey, can I get you anything? I know you feel really bad. You look like death warmed over!" It's a good thing that my love language is NOT words of affirmation, huh??!!!

4. Tanner completed his math project 5 days EARLY and WITHOUT me sitting right beside him cheering him on (HUGE PRAISE!);

3. Tanner and Faith Wrenn got along very well and rarely argued (either that or I slept through their arguments!);

2. I haven't cooked since LAST WEEKEND; and

1. When Tanner got home from school on Wednesday, he said "Mom, I asked Mrs. L to pray for you today. Are you feeling better?" WOW! He asked his Language Arts teacher (in a public school) to pray for me. This really did make me feel special, and I was very proud of Tanner for entrusting my health to God.

There are blessings all around us, even in strep throat and the flu! It's all a matter of perspective. So put on your spiritual glasses and look for God's blessings in your circumstances today.

Happy Birthday to you...

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY WRENNIE!!!

Jesus said..."I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

It was on a cold and rainy morning 8 years ago today that the Lord blessed us with our beautiful daughter. Her determination and strong will were obvious from the start - just ask the nurses at BMC!

The Lord has some amazing plans for you, Faith Wrenn, and He has equipped you with exactly what you need to fulfill them. My prayer for you is that you will love, seek, trust, and obey God with all your heart. What an honor it is to be your mom! I LOVE YOU SWEET GIRL TOMBOY!

Faith Wrenn celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese

*Faith Wrenn and I did spend part of our day today at an urgent care center - we BOTH have strep throat. We are on antibiotics now. You would never know anything is wrong with Faith Wrenn. As for me, I think I'm dying!!! Oh to be young again!

Tonight I feel...

beat up by the enemy! That's the only way to describe it.

Anytime that I lead a Bible study or share what God is doing in my life with others, I have this mental battle with the enemy afterwards. He tries to convince me that I should not have said certain things. He tells me that what I said was misunderstood or taken the wrong way by others. He tries to turn my peace into a pit of regret. He tries to discourage me from sharing Christ again.

But, today, I did not teach or "formally" share with a group. Today, I hosted my daughter's birthday party.

Instead of having sunny 80 degree weather like last Saturday, we had cold (low 40s) and rainy weather today. This of course meant that all 14 of the precious, energetic (that's putting it mildly) children were in the house. For whatever reason, God wanted us inside.

I'll be honest, it was loud, chaotic (at times), and exhausting trying to "entertain" everyone. But, just as the party was winding down, I sensed God reminding me that "Nineveh" is my family's mission field. We have been called to share Him with this community, which does include the new friends that Faith Wrenn has made this year in public school.

Then God also reminded me that the house we live in belongs to HIM. So the 14 children who were here today were not in our house, they were in GOD'S HOUSE! A place that some of them have never been but were able to experience today because God lives here.

Now, the enemy has me replaying everything that happened today. He is trying to bury me in condemnation for the things that didn't go as planned. For the arguments that occurred. For allowing the kids to take over the house at times. For being a little relaxed with a house rule or two. For being more patient with other children than with my own.

The Bible says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

I'm going to eject the enemy's tape from my mind now and go to bed! Please pray that I do not put that same tape back in when I wake up in the morning.

19 years ago today...

I was attending Cal State Northridge (CSUN - located in the Los Angeles area) my sophomore year in college as part of the National Student Exchange Program and planning to transfer there permanently. That was my plan until I received the news from over 3000 miles away that would change my life forever.

While at work. my stepmom Rachel was killed - brutally murdered. The events that unfolded over the next two years were like nothing I could have ever imagined. People in my family were falsely accused - they were only proven innocent after enduring a death penalty trial.

Not only were our hearts breaking over the death of Rachel, but our family was ripped to pieces by the false accusations. It took years before I was able to really mourn losing Rachel. She and my dad had been married for over 10 years, and we were close.

We all coped the best we could. Unfortunately, the grief, numbness (at times I could literally feel NOTHING), anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness that my heart harbored left no room for the Holy Spirit. I chose what the world had to offer as my remedy - not God.

In another post I'll have to share how God's hand of protection was on me and how He used this period in my life as preparation for what was yet to come. He allowed me 13 years later to be in a somewhat similar situation and to have another opportunity to choose Him, instead of the world. Ohhh what a difference doing life God's way can make!!!!!

On my birthday 2 years ago, I received the best birthday present ever. It was a letter from my stepsister Angie! We had not spoken to each other in 17 years. Angie was my stepmom's only biological child, and Rachel's death absolutely devastated Angie as you can imagine.

In the letter, Angie told me that she had just accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior while in jail, and He had changed her life!!! WOW! If I had not been living in "Nineveh," I'm not sure that I would have ever received that letter. You see, our county allows you to look up people on the internet who have been arrested &/or are serving time in the jail. Someone told me that Angie was in the county jail so I looked her up. Sure enough, she was there.

Now here is how God works. On my route to take my children to school, I had to pass by that same jail - at least 4 times a day. I felt convicted to pray for her, and I did every time I drove by. Then, the Holy Spirit prompted me to send her a card to tell her that I had been praying for her. After hesitating initially, I finally sent the card.

In her letter, Angie told me that since she had become a Follower of Christ, she had started praying for me and my brother. She wrote...

"God had put you and S. (my brother) on my mind a lot lately. Especially the last 3 or 4 weeks before I got your card. I had started praying to God right before I got your card and 3 nights before I got it, I talked to God about you and S. So you can imagine how it made me feel when I saw your name on the card. I was so amazed. After 17 long years of no contact and only 3 nights after I talked to God about it.

But you see I have not reached out to God until I came in here. I really had been mad at God all these years. But now I realize that my life was saved when I was brought to jail."

My God is the Restorer of Relationships!

I do believe that I had to do my part and obey God in order to receive this blessing in this special way. And my journey of obedience started when I moved back to "Nineveh" 5 years ago.

So whatever it is that you know God wants you to do, DO IT!!! No more hesitation or justification - JUST DO IT!

"I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

#3 and I'm Complete

A Double Triple Dose of Dads

I grew up hearing people talk about my Dad #3. I was told that He loved me unconditionally and would forgive me, no matter what. I was told that He even wrote a Book for me that was full of instructions on how to live an abundant life. And then it happened. I finally got to meet Him for myself when I was 10 years old! I was soooo excited!

Like most new relationships, we spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other. I thought about Him all the time and constantly talked about Him to other people. I wanted to do things that would please Him, make Him proud of me. I thought the more I did, the more He would love me. I also thought that when I messed up, He was ready and waiting to punish me -after all, I deserved it.

Over the years, I allowed my imperfection to take its toll on our relationship. I didn't spend much time with Him anymore. Oh, I knew He was there, but I chose other people and other things over Him. However, I always knew that when I finished college and got married, He would be an important part of my life again.

What I didn't expect were the horrific events that took place my sophomore and junior years in college. "Lifetime" could have made a movie about it!!! Unfortunately not having a close relationship with Him during this time resulted in some very poor decisions on my part. I was simply in survival mode - the world's way. Even then, He never left my side. He protected me.

Finally, my life began to settle down. I got married and invited Him to be a more active part of my life, especially when challenges arose. He was always there, no matter my motive. Then, I had children and my communication with Him become more consistent. A few of the scales were removed from my eyes, and my hard heart was beginning to thaw.

In 2002 while taking my very first women's Bible study (Beth Moore's "Breaking Free"), my relationship with Him went to an entirely new level!!! And the healing began.

Since then, He has healed me from.....

- the lies that I believed about Him for so long (He was an angry judge just waiting to sentence me for my sins; He wouldn't love me or allow me to approach Him until I was perfect, etc.)

- the sins I committed because of the lies that I believed, both about Him and about life; You know, the thoughts we have and the things we believe (right or wrong) play themselves out in the choices that we make and the actions that we take.

- my bitterness, anger, disappointment, unforgiveness, perfectionism, control issues, etc.

- expecting other people to meet all of my needs; That's God's job, not anyone else's. This realization has been huge for me. It has allowed me to let people, especially my husband, off the hook. I've learned to turn to God first.

He healed me by extending His love, mercy, forgiveness & grace to me. He replaced the lies that I believed with truth, His Truth from His Word. He turned my anger & bitterness into joy.

So without further adue, let me introduce you to my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Counselor, my Everything......

He is my Creator; my Abba Father (& yours)- 39 years ago today, I was born. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:13-14

He is my Protector (& yours) Our house burned down when I was just one year old. We lost everything (all my baby pictures - which is why I take so many pics now!; the Easter dress my Granny had made for me; all of our worldly possessions), but we did NOT lose each other!!! No one was at home when an electrical problem started the fire.

He is my Triune God (& yours) He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all wrapped into one. The character of God is so vast that it's hard to wrap our little brains around it. The concept of the Trinity reminds me of an egg, to be tangible about it. An egg is made up of 3 parts - the yoke, the white, and the shell. These 3 parts come together to form 1 egg, not 3 separate items. Each part has its own purpose to fulfill, and an egg wouldn't be an egg without each part. God is the same way. He is The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit - each with His own special purpose to fulfill.

When I am afraid or in over my head, He is my Rescuer and my Comforter (& yours.) He is always with me (& you.) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

He is my Redeemer and my Savior (& yours) God loved us sooooooo much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

He is my "Change Agent" (& yours) He loves me (& you) way too much to let me (& you) remain the same. So, He is constantly molding me, stretching me, and transforming me into the likeness of His Son.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

"Yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8
I'm praying that God will use me as His hands in ministry to those around me, and that my life will be a reflection of God's handy work. May the imprint of God on my life be used for His glory.

He is my Gift Giver (& yours.) God gave me a birthday present today...I have a daily Bible verse calendar that I read everyday. Today's verse said, "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." WOW! What a gift!!! "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

And this is just the INTRODUCTION of who God is!!! I will be posting more about God and His attributes at least twice a month - more or less depending on the Holy Spirit's promptings.

So, how has God revealed Himself to you?

Another Dose Needed

A Double Triple Dose of Dads

About 30 years ago, God blessed me with my stepdad, Wayne. Once Tanner, the first grandchild, was born, my stepdad's name changed to Whack. We have affectionately been calling him that ever since.

Several years ago, Whack's health became a major issue. The Lord saw fit to completely heal him by taking him home in June 2007. Today March 6th was his birthday. In honor of him and what he meant to me, I would like to share some memories with you.

*Whack was a single dad raising 2 boys when he met my mom all those years ago. He loved to play sports, but softball was his favorite. He and my mom actually met at the softball field.

This is Whack and Nana (my mom)

*Whack was a pitcher and he stuck his tongue out with every pitch. He was known as "Hollywood" back then with his red afro and orange tinted sunglasses.

*Needless to say, we spent a lot of time at the ball field. One night, Whack was playing a game, and my siblings and I were playing in an open area at the end of the field. Someone was being mean to me so I had to walk beside the field to go tell my mom of the injustice that had occurred. The next thing I know, a foul ball hits me in the head and knocks me off my feet! The batter behind this infraction - WHACK!!! He felt really bad, but not nearly as bad as my head!!!

*There were 5 children (yours-2; mine-2; ours-1) in my family, and we were not cheap. So, Whack worked 2 jobs - a full-time 9 to 5 & a newspaper route in the middle of the night. He also played sports & coached our teams in between. There must have been more than 24 hours in his day! I can't remember him ever complaining about his schedule either. My mom may have a different story to tell, but even so, he never complained in front of us (the kids.)

*Whack came from a musically talented family. Singing was his strong suit. He also had a signature dance move that he performed only when he was driving. It makes me laugh just thinking about it!

*Whack played with us. He was never too busy or too tired. I can remember we would divide into 2 teams and Whack would be the pitcher for both sides. He was also the referee. He gave us instruction & encouragement.

*Supervising was a role Whack did very well. My older stepbrother would cringe & probably have nightmares if he heard me say "french drain!"

I could go on and on about Whack. Instead, I'll just spend some time praising God for making Whack a part of my life.

Oh, just one more thing..... Whack taught me about the importance of always making time for family and taking care of them. I hope I leave the same legacy.

My First Dose

A Double Triple Dose of Dads

Some of us are more needy than others, wouldn't you agree? Well, God knew that I was one of those people who would need some dads in my life.

Today, I want to tell you about my dad - Max. Here's a little background. He was the "baby" of 16 children. I must add that my grandmother was told by her doctor that she would never be able to have children. God apparently didn't get that memo!!!!! (She actually had 18 pregnancies, but two of them ended in miscarriages.) Everything is indeed possible with God!

My dad grew up on a farm on the outskirts of "Nineveh." This not only instilled an incredible work ethic within him but also a strong desire to provide for his family (so we wouldn't have to live a life of "hand-me downs.") So, it's no surprise that my dad went into business for himself when I was really young. He's been working hard ever since.

Although my parents divorced when I was 6 years old, I've always lived within a mile or 2 of my dad, until I went to college. I could see him whenever I wanted. Fortunately, my parents (and my stepparents) made the decision to get along with each other - after an initial healing period. Today, we celebrate birthdays, special occasions, Thanksgiving, and vacations together. God makes all the difference, and I'm so very grateful.

If I had to describe my dad in one word, it would be G-E-N-E-R-O-U-S. He is an incredibly kind and giving person. He cares about people and helps others any way he can.

Case in point, when SS lost his job 6 years ago, my dad gave him a job. When we moved back to "Nineveh," my dad let us move into one of his houses - the one he was going to sale. Well it's been 5 years now and we are still here. There's no For Sale sign in the yard either.

Some of my fondest memories with my dad are..... my 5th birthday when dad brought home a big purple bike for me (my bell bottom pants got caught in the chain the first time I rode it, but my dad picked me up when I fell down.) Going tent camping in the mountains. Spending Sunday afternoons on the lake learning to water ski. Getting a camper and staying at a local campground with a swimming pool (dad drove back and forth to work everyday.) Riding go-carts in the backyard. Going to the Shaun Cassidy concert. Trading in the boat & camper for a swimming pool. Playing softball and volleyball weekly with family and friends. Going to the race track on Saturday nights (my dad sponsored a car and actually raced it for awhile.) Cookouts. Just spending time together as a family.

Here's my dad, the chef, with T-Man, the taste tester!

Probably the most important thing my dad taught me was to treat everyone the same. I love you dad! I'm so glad God chose you to be my dad.

A Desire to Serve

"Wrennie Wednesday"

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3

Faith Wrenn has been looking for ways to serve others recently. SS and I decided to eat in the living room (which we rarely do) so we could watch the race on Sunday afternoon. SS had a TV tray, and we were going to share it. Without saying a word, Faith Wrenn went downstairs, got another TV tray, brought it upstairs, and then set it up for me. How thoughtful!

After playing in the snow Sunday night for nearly 2 hours, we finally decided to come inside and warm up. Faith Wrenn immediately ran upstairs and got her dad's bedroom shoes because she heard him say that his feet were cold. He was pleasantly surprised and very thankful. Upon delivering the shoes to her dad, Faith Wrenn said "Mom, I wanted to bring your shoes too, but I couldn't find them" - the thought really does count!

Then, yesterday morning, Faith Wrenn saw my sweatshirt laying on the bed, picked it up, and got it ready for me to put on. (I'm sure you moms can picture this because we do it all the time for our younger children.) She just wanted to help, and who was I to deny her the opportunity..... We've almost got it! The Bible does say that two are better than one, right??!!! Sometimes, we get in such a rush that we don't allow our children to do things that they see as being helpful to us. I could sense God telling me to let Faith Wrenn help and not refuse her offer because I was in a hurry or because it would be easier if I did it myself. What strikes me the most about these acts of kindness is that Faith Wrenn does them without saying a word. She is genuinely acting out of love and a desire to serve others. I'm praying that her servant's heart will continue to grow and grow and grow!

One Small Step for Tanner; One Giant Leap for His Mama

"T-Man Tuesday"

"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:4

Yesterday, Tanner headed outside to play in the snow. Any evidence that we had played in it the night before had been covered up by new snow. The only thing that could be seen was SS's footprints from earlier that morning.

When Tanner stepped onto the porch he said, "I'm going to follow in dad's footsteps." Then he proceeded to step only into the visible footprints that his dad had left behind.


After walking in his dad's footprints for a while, Tanner said "I'm just going to make a set of footprints of my own."
Tears welled up in my eyes and eventually made their way down my cheeks before I could stop them! This scene is exactly what is happening in "real life!" Tanner is quickly approaching teenagehood (I don't think that is a real word, but you know what I mean.) He is reaching the point in his life where independence will become his primary goal. He will be making his own footprints in this world.

My prayer is that he will follow in his Heavenly Father's footsteps.

One Snowy Night

It rained for 2 days, and then it all turned to snow Sunday afternoon - a lot of it. We knew that SS would have to work today so we decided to play in the snow together last night while it was still snowing pretty hard. Here are some pictures:

We made 3 snowmen total, but this one was the largest. It took a lot of patting to get it to stand up and stick together. In the next picture, you will see how this snowman looked this morning.

"The Leaning Snowman of Nineveh!" Obviously, she had a rough night but is still standing slanting.
Faith Wrenn eating a "snow biscuit" made especially for her by her daddy. Look out Chick-fil-A!

Me and SS on the sled preparing to go down the driveway.

Tanner, SS and Faith Wrenn at the end of their sled ride Tanner early this morning in training for the Polar Bear Club!

Our measuring stick

A view of God's creation from the front porch.
"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." Romans 1:20 (NLT)

A view of God's creation from the back porch.

One of my favorite things about the snow is the calm and the quiet. Our neighborhood is off a main highway so we can hear the constant sounds of cars in motion, especially from the master bedroom. But when it snows, everything is still, perfectly still. Until SS had to get up at 4:15 a.m. to go to work and I complained the entire time he was getting ready!!!

SS's footprints from walking to his truck very early this morningThis reminds me of the "Footprints" poem when Jesus says there is only one set of footprints (instead of 2) because He is carrying the person through their difficult time.