Thanking God for My Spiritual Heritage

On Saturday morning, I headed to Spartanburg to visit Helen, my great-aunt, as well as Jayne, a woman I met via Craig's List after advertising in the "wanted" section for free liriope.

Talk about a small world! Not only does Jayne live in my aunt's neighborhood (less than a mile from my great-aunt's) but she also attends the same church my grandparents did for 60+ years before having to move to assisted living several years ago. She not only knew my grandparents well, she had also taught my grandmother's Sunday School class for several months.

After doing a little digging, Jayne and I rested on her front porch while she showed me some things she had kept from Fairforest Baptist Church over the years. I quickly noticed how one piece of paper in particular had been carefully tucked away in a special file folder. She commented on how it was one of her greatest treasures as she carefully removed it from the folder. It was a small handwritten note from my grandmother, "MaMa", encouraging Jayne in her teaching efforts for their class. Attached to the tiny treasure was a piece of paper filled with handwritten names and phone numbers. With tears welling up in her eyes, Jayne shared how she had mentioned in class one Sunday that the ladies needed to pray for one another on a regular basis. On the following Sunday, Mama handed her what is now tucked away in Jayne's treasured file.

MaMa, soon to be 91, is still a prayer warrior to this day. Her memory may be failing, but her belief in the power of prayer has never faded.

Jayne also commented on how my grandfather, "PaPa", would come to the church office (she worked there for 10 years) and give anonymously to different missions and needs. He never wanted to be recognized or applauded for his giving.

It is a priceless gift to inherit such a spiritual heritage. May our grandchildren and great-grandchildren be able to say the same in the years to come.

At The Top of My LIst...

If you've read this blog for very long you know that I am a list-meister at heart -- especially so when it comes to making my vacation list.

At the top of this list? The books I'm taking to read and study during the week, including these:


The book covers alone send me in search of a hot cup of coffee and a comfy seat! Rest assured, you can judge these books by their covers as each page delivers thought-provoking questions, insightful quotes, and most importantly, truth from the Word.

Next on the list? My reading glasses so I can enjoy the first thing on my list.

It's That Time Again!

And it couldn't come soon enough for me.

Tonight, our Tuesday night study group aka "Women in the Word", will be meeting at Panera Bread on Fairview Rd. to kick off our study in Galatians, which officially begins next Tuesday.

In an effort to keep a healthy balance between family time and study/prep time, I'm trying a new approach with this study as I'll be preparing one study but teaching it twice. With our Sunday morning group studying Galatians for 6 weeks it seems to be the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

The most challenging aspect of this new approach will be choosing verses for the "big idea" instead of digging in verse-by-verse as our Tuesday night group is accustomed to doing. But I'm up for the challenge as I'm well aware of Who is leading and guiding the preparation, regardless of the approach.

If, for some reason, you didn't receive an invitation and would like to join us tonight/study, email me for more information. Everyone is welcome!

Snapshots from the Weekend

• After Brian played a quick round of frisbee golf (and I got some walking in), we enjoyed a relaxing night at home.
  

• After Zach's entrepreneurial victory last weekend (bought a bike at a yard sale for $10 and sold it the next day on Craig's List for $150.00) Brian and I decided to give it a try Saturday morning. The only difference is that we found things we liked, not things we could sell. Right, Brian? It was a fun morning and a cheap date. ha! Brian also painted our bathroom a very schweet steel gray called "Gentle Rain". How appropriate!
  

• This afternoon I'm gearing up for the Coca-Cola 600 that is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm. One thing I appreciate about NASCAR is their attention to the men and women who serve our country so faithfully as they defend our freedom. Watching the Air Force fly over the stadium during the last stanza of our National Anthem is one of my favorite segments of the race experience.
  

Out With The Old... In With The New

Literally.

A year or two ago we purchased this couch:


It fit our old house perfectly with the early 1900's wooden frame coming from Charleston and the woman rebuilding and recovering it without using horse hair (a common early 1900's cushion stuffer - one which wreaks havoc with people who suffer from allergies). It looked great, but even I'll admit it was not the most comfortable of couches - especially for a room where everyone hangs out and watches TV.

Several years ago we owned a couch with recliners on each end and Brian absolutely loved it. And he reminded me of it often. :) A few nights ago it occurred to me that we could sell the old couch and purchase a new one with the money. I was finally ready to give up the "look" in place of comfort.

That same night, I breezed through Craig's List and found an ad that had just been placed for a new (still with tags on) weathered leather type sofa with recliners on both ends for an absolute STEAL. I knew it was meant to be when I called the guy and asked if it came from a non-smoking home. We are both allergic to smoke! Brian ran over after work to pick up his sweet little comfortable deal and has been happy ever since.


There's no denying it -- pulling that little lever on the side of the couch brings comfort to us both, so... it's out with the old and in with the new. Literally.

Welcome, comfort!

It's Not What It Seems

Although I'm not a window shopper, I do love to browse through Craig's List from time to time. Tonight, I happened to notice an ad for a free boat. Although I'm not a boater, I am a curious "Cat" (my nickname in high school!) so I couldn't resist. See what you think...

Now, if the picture itself isn't attractive enough (ha!), check out the hard-to-resist description:

"full of holes but could be used as a planter box or maybe a sandbox etc."

Does this work in your landscape plan, Brian?

Sorry, it doesn't float my boat.

That is, if it floated.

A Quote to Remember

This quote from Louie Giglio's book, "The Air I Breathe" was the prelude to yesterday's lesson on living a life pleasing to God:

"You can worship whatever you want, but there'll always be a last twist to the story: Whatever you worship, you imitate; whatever you imitate, you become. In other words, what you value most will ultimately determine who you are.

Simply put: We become what we worship. If you don't like who you are becoming, take a quick inventory of the things on the throne of your heart."

Recommending...

There are few places I'd rather be than in a bookstore... especially a Christian bookstore. The first section I hit? Pastoral resources. It's in this section that I find books like this:


While its primary audience is obviously pastors, anyone who teaches a Bible class or group will benefit greatly from the insights gleaned from this practical book. It packs a punch!

I purchased my copy for Christmas but had not read it.... until tonight. While taking a break from prepping for Sunday, I picked it up... and could not put it down. I was hooked. Within an hour, I was on page 48 (it's an easy read) with a multitude of sentences underlined with my favorite fountain pen (I think I need a new cartridge Brian!).

No doubt I will revisit this book many times over. Consider it highly recommended!

Four of My Favorites in One Day

I've been looking forward to today, knowing I would spend time with four of my favorite people in the world... five, including Brian, but I figured that was a given. :)

• This morning, I headed to Southside Christian School to see Emily, a young lady in our Sunday C4 class, co-lead worship for the high school chapel. She has an amazing voice and it was a blessing to see her use it for God's glory, but it was especially meaningful because she lives it. Emily has a tender heart for the Lord and it is pure joy being on this journey with her.

• After an eye doctor appointment (I like him, but he's not on my "favorites" list! ha) I met my dad (who is definitely on that list!) for lunch. He is another list-maker so we enjoyed putting our heads together as we worked on the vacation menu. Yes, we are already planning our meals, grocery list, activities, etc. What can I say? He was an Eagle Scout so I guess that makes me an eaglet.

• And last, but certainly not least, Brian and I are meeting two of our favorite people in the world for dinner, Steve and Angie Prout. We miss not seeing them every Sunday but refuse to allow that to come between us. Steve and Brian meet regularly for lunch and Angie (and Robyn!) are in the Tuesday night Bible study (coming up in June!).

Ouch!

A couple of weeks ago in class, we handed out invitations as everyone entered the room. For the book of Micah, I think we need to begin handing out pairs of steel-toed shoes. Ouch! This prophet holds nothing back and his message is so relevant today that it still bruises the spiritual "toes".

I realized while preparing for Sunday's message that I'd much rather be teaching on other issues besides judgement. I found myself daydreaming about the book of Galatians that will soon follow, when the Word interrupted my "escape" with 2 Timothy 3:16, 17:

"ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (emphasis mine)

There it was -- the truth. Although it's a little more difficult for me to get excited about teaching on the subject of judgement, it is absolutely necessary to do so, especially in light of the verses that followed in 4:3,4:

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."

Count this teacher out of that gathering.

Could someone please hand me a pair of steel-toed shoes in size 8? I'm going to need them.

Weekend Snapshots

• I went to Lowes Friday morning to pick up potting soil. While milling around, the manager rolled a huge tray of plants by and said, "Happy Mother's Day! These pots are normally $25.98, but you can have them for 5.00 each." Anybody want to guess how long it took me to load two of those bad boys in my CRV? It was hilarious! Women all over the parking lot were trying to cram their "find" in tiny cars and crowded trunks. I'm convinced some would have strapped them to the top of their cars if possible. What a fun morning!
  

• On Saturday afternoon, our family attended Shari's memorial service at CRCC. Everyone there was gracious and it was good to see "old" friends and friendly faces. In some ways, it was like a CRCC reunion with friends coming from all their different churches for one purpose... to honor a wonderful friend. The service was very meaningful. Rich did a great job of presenting the Gospel, well aware of the fact that none of Shari's extended family enjoys a relationship with Jesus. David did an amazing job with the music! Shari had picked out the music during her final weeks and it showed, with each one pointing to Christ. She finished well.

• Today! First and foremost, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. It's such a blessing having a Mom who is a Christ-follower, in good health, very happy, and who lives close by! She's a great Mom and I love her very much. Zach and Sarah enjoyed lunch with her mom, Tammy (who is a wonderful mom, by the way!) and they plan to head over here for soy-grilled chicken tonight. We miss not having Brandon and Megan in town, especially on days like this, but the Lord has bigger plans for them, and that's the best gift a mother could ever ask for. I'm so proud to be Brandon and Zach's mom. I thank God for them often (and for my two "daughters", Megan and Sarah!)

What A Day!

We just returned from Zach's graduation from NGU, the wonderful reception that followed, and a family gathering at a local restaurant. It was a memorable day. We're very proud of Zach! He was awarded the Shirley A. Hickson History Award a couple of weeks ago and last week he was also awarded the Honors Program Student of the Year award last week. But one of the most rewarding parts of today for this parent was seeing the relationships he has developed with both professors and friends over the past four years. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Zach's Arabic Professor

The "Ultimate" Team - Ninja Geese

Zach with Jerry and Joan

Zach with Dad and Sherry

Zach with two proud parents

To God be the glory!

I Couldn't Resist...

The sun was out Saturday - perfect for picture taking - so like a mother of a newborn baby, I couldn't resist taking a few more pictures of the yard... and sharing them with friends.




It should be raining for the next few days so relax, no more pictures this week. ha! Actually, I appreciate all the nice emails about the yard. I'm thankful for free "therapy", clearance sales at Lowes, landscape fabric, and especially my hubster. I couldn't do it without him... nor would I want to.

What's Your Favorite Junk Food?

That was the question posed to the class this morning as we prepared to learn more about spiritual hunger and thirst in Isaiah 55. It is there we find God inviting us to a bigger, totally satisfying, and joyful kind-of-life. It was, quite frankly, one of my favorite lessons to teach.

Upon arrival, every person received an invitation with the typical things you would find on an invitation already listed for them: To, From, Time, and Cost. They also received a separate "R.S.V.P." card and a self-addressed envelope.

We saw that the invitation given in Isaiah 55 was extended to all those who are spiritually thirsting for something more and open to God's salvation. For those who have received Christ, the invitation was to forsake our weaknesses, failures, and sin and turn to Him in exchange for His amazing mercy. (v. 7) We saw that the time was "limited" according to verse 6 and the cost was "free", opening the door for all to partake of the water (refreshment), milk (nourishment) and wine (joy!) mentioned in verse 1.

We closed by observing one of the most important parts of any invitation... the R.S.V.P. (a french term for "please respond") In light of what God had revealed to them this morning, each person was asked to write their response to God and place it in the self-addressed envelope. After several minutes, I played Meredith Andrew's song "The River" (see below) and invited them to come forward and to make an exchange. Their response to God's invitation (envelope) for an ice-cold bottle of water. Our burdens in exchange for His refreshment.

So what will happen to the envelope? It will remain sealed and as the Lord leads, I will mail it back to each person, which will hopefully serve as a reminder of their response to God.

Come all who are thirsty!