Trekking with Me

This is my three brothers and I! I don't think I have ever had a picture of just us! I am so blessed... I think my brothers are the most amazing men in the world. Each of them are incredible husbands and fathers. No Lie, and even though I may be biased in my opinion, I know first hand that they are among the BEST! We shared a wonderful family Christmas a few days early - the 23rd - and we realized it was the FIRST Christmas we have ALL been together, for Christmas, in 15 years! It was truly blessed of the Lord! Praying you all, who read my blog, have had a very blessed Christmas - I pray Jesus is brighter and incredibly beautiful in a new way.... The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. From this fullness of His grace we have ALL received... ...ONE BLESSING AFTER ANOTHER. John 1:14,16 NIV

Last weekend some of my good friends and I escaped to Asheville, NC! Our end destination and goal was the Biltmore Estate! We booked a hotel, loaded up the car and headed for the beautiful mountains... and what a treat we had! God richly blessed our adventure... here are a few pictures I wanted to share with you: I love this one as it was taken right at dusk and the lights in the windows were just so.... perfect. It was a bit drizzly the first day, but that certainly did not dampen our spirits! The House was magnificent... the Fall Foliage was beyond capturing... the fun priceless! This is my good friend Carey... we actually first met each other in Mali!! Yes, can you believe it... and here she is attending CIU the same time I am. What a blessing she has been to me! This is Carey, Melanie and I... God has blessed us with each other so much. These girls are GEMS! This is me... working with my camera phone... :-) Thankful for what I have! Doesn't this just look romanti...

I kind of get discouraged with statistics. Over the last few weeks, I have had to read about worldwide happenings; sobering facts that evil and death exist and increases on our planet. Yeah, Surprise, surprise, surprise! It's not pretty; I look around me at my little world and see things that speak of the decay of sin, fallenness... more than once I have had thoughts; am I making a difference? Lord... help! About two weeks ago, as i was pulling into work, thinking of the people I work with, their apparent lostness, on top the articles I had read; a shadow of discouragement began to darken my sky, but then I Heard Him whisper: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Matt. 13:31b-32 My heart heard Him remind me of how His Kingdom works... in t...

Yes, I should be in bed, my eyes are buggin' out right now and I don't really have any profound thoughts at the moment but i wanted to blog.... as i pause after a few very busy weeks and days.... Deeeep breath. I thank the Lord that He does walk ahead and behind us... as the dust settles and I look back over the last few weeks I can hardly believe the transition between leisure summer days... sailing on Lake Murray, working hard on my tan... to crazy weeks full of variety in activities, appointments, obligations, assignments and events. I believe this year will be labeled "31 Flavors" for the diversity and variety in my life. Who woulda thunk? I kind of like the craziness, and am embracing the people and activities but goodness me, I am about out of breath and oh how sweet the quiet moments are when they come.... like right now; all i hear is the hum of my heater (oh yeah, FALL is here with tempts in the 40's) and my own breathing.... Kitty has even left me for...

But now, this is what the LORD says—        he who created you, O Jacob,        he who formed you, O Israel:        "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;        I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. 
       When you walk through the fire, 
       you will not be burned; 
       the flames will not set you ablaze.  3 For I am the LORD, your God, 
       the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; 
       I give Egypt for your ransom, 
       Cush and Seba in your stead.  4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, 
       and because I love you, 
       I will give men in exchange for you, 
       and people in exchange for your life.  5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; 
       I will bring your children from the east 
       and gather you from the west.  6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' 
       and to the south, 'Do not hold ...

I just discovered this guy this week... LOVE HIM!! Oh my, i love this style of music and i LOVE THIS SONG!!! :-O Can it ever be more perfect.... seriously my romantic side here!!! How fun....i want to go to THIS grocery store!! I love dancing... i think it is one of those undiscovered.... loves and joys....

Hello Blog world, This is Queen Kitty... most often called "Baby Kitty"... some know me as "Fat Kitty" but I choose not to respond to that derogatory term; I am fluffy. I thought I would give you an update on how things really are around here. Overall things are nice and dandy, except for the black mongrel who usually lives in the backyard, she gets far too much attention in my opinion. Note I said "usually" as the mongrel, aka, "Sasha" gets to enter the house most nights and is made to sleep beside T's bed... that was my territory. Though she does exit in the morning and most often she is pretty quiet and stationary during the night but not without a few corrections - she stays on her "blanket" - (she gets a blanket! at least it isn't like my quilt...). She is quite a dumb creature, I have no clue why she is allowed in the house... I am mildly accepting her into my space, though she does have quite a slobbery mouth and he...

He wants to USE ME....HERE AM I!

"Any moment now, he's going to take a look at me and say, "you are totally not worth it."...... "You ARE worth it!" This is a line from the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" - if you have not seen the movie, it is a cute movie of a gal who is of course, Greek, and she is in her 30's - in the beginning you see her very dejected, homely, and hopeless - and then the story shows how the person inside of her finally comes out and you see a beautiful, funny, woman emerge. And of course, a handsome, kind man comes into her world and "discovers" her.... he is not Greek and it is quite comical to see the vast differences between their families and beautiful, how lovingly he bridges the gap to be with her. I must put a disclaimer - their courtship is patterned after the "world's" order, please don't think i am endorsing that pattern - would not it be wonderful to see a movie like this in which they KEPT themselves and did...

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. I have been given the privilege of teaching the ladies SS class at church and the Lord has led me to Ephesians. This week, for "homework" I asked the ladies to work over this prayer Paul prays, for US who believe! To pray it for ourselves as well as others. I had a sneaking suspici...

Hey Friends and Fam - It is a beautiful Saturday morning in Columbia, South Carolina. The weather is giving us a break from the hot humid unbreathable weather we have had over the last few months - summer is worse here than in Florida! At least there you can run to the beach in less than an hours drive.... anyhow, what a blessing to have 60 something degree weather for several days; my a/c is OFF and windows have been open - much to my kitty's delight. As I shared in several earlier posts, this summer has been a blast. So many blessings, so much variety, even a GREAT tan to boot! I am milking this tan as long as I can by going sailing more than a few times in the last week or so... I am going again today AND on Monday! When am i going to get any studying done.... sailing - studying, SAILING! :-) I also had a fabulous, no make that, MAHVELOUS, Birthday this year... and i just had to share one of the blessings I received. I think God just decided to bless me more than abund...

Psalms 145:8-12 (NIV) The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. I am still enjoying these verses but haven't got them INTO the folds of my brain so I will stay here for the next two weeks. How they have ministered to me though.... I have taken these and personalized them... putting my name in where it fits, "The Lord is good to ME; He has compassion on me because He has made me.... I will praise YOU, O Lord.... I will extol YOU! I will tell of the glory of YOUR Kingdom and speak of Your Might, so that all men may know of YOur mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom!" It is AMAZING to think... I am a MEMBER, a vital part of HIS Kingdom! How...

Song for the day... for the seaon ... from my heart. .... i need to listen to this.... hear this.... everyday.

Yesterday I was driving into my neighborhood kind of feeling sorry for myself. Nothing bad had happened, I had had a great afternoon and enjoyed time helping some friends. It was a hot day but there really was no reason for me to sit in a puddle of pout, but I was... my thoughts were falling in the puddle because I felt so disconnected with people. Thoughts like, "no one even knows what I am doing", "no one even asks what my days are like..." or "I haven't had a good deep conversation with someone in...." "does anyone care?" Yeah, a real "I am going to go eat worms" kind of attitude! YET, I have had one of the BEST summers of my life... it at least tops the charts! But this desire for being connected goes deep... and the more I look outward, the more I realize it is NOT my personal issue. Everyone longs and aches to be seen, heard, accepted, smiled at... liked and loved. It reminds me of a quote from one of Don Miller's...

Psalms 145:8-12 (NIV) The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. I need to do better at writing these on flash cards. IT works so much better that way!!

Today is my brithday :-) Yes, I am 36 and have enjoyed a wonderful birthday with my family. I have received many birthday wishes on Facebook... and even a few presents! God is so good to me. One verse comes to mind... "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day!" Proverbs 4:18 This morning I was up trying to catch the sunrise and found this in the sky.... yes, the sun was blocked by a HUGE Stormy cloud; there was lightening flashing in the cloud ... the water rolling up on shore was silky smooth... the storm was WAY out over the water. Still, it was blocking my perfect sunrise picture... yet it was beautiful in its own way. Beautiful and soothing... I went back up to my room and watched as the sun worked it's way up over the cloud... and something amazing happened. As soon as the sun shone over the rim of that huge cloud, it was as if the cloud disappeared! I could NOT see the cloud at all! Isn't t...

I am enjoying an end of the summe vacation at the beach. I sit here, in a nice condo, sunbeams falling across the room, facing the atlantic ocean, coffee cup at my side, an open Bible propped on my knees, lingering on what God showed me this morning and enjoying His many blessings. Among my many blessings, i can't help to marvel over this past summer... God totally surprised me each week. Seriously, like a summer of 31 flavors... i did eat my share of ice cream this summer too, (Thanks Carey!). Each week of the past summer was blessed with such diversity. Between working on my house, completing a summer course, housesitting in North Carolina, babysitting, enjoying friends, working at the farmers market, the beach, sailing, swimming, meeting new people, spending time with dear friends, playing games (my new favorite, telephone dictionary!), going to the mountains for a ladies prayer retreat, playing with Sasha, getting a new roommate, and now this sweet little excursion to Fl...

This is an amazing song - Every girl needs to hear these words and plant them in her heart. Earlier this year, God literally made Psalm 45:10 come alive to me and He has been taking down the old lens that covered MY eyes and helping me see myself through HIS EYES... and He says, "I am ENTHRALLED with YOUR BEAUTY!" Can you hear that! Someone is totally TAKEN with me... even when i don't have make up or a pretty dress... He loves me and LIKES me... and I can dance before HIM in total freedom and laugh and love HIM with abandon, without fear or shame. Oh, it just makes me want to sing loud and tell everyone, "LOOK AT MY KING!" He is beautiful and you simply must meet HIM! I pray you can hear that voice today... and dance in His Love!

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. (NLT) Isn't that simply beautiful! He is SO AMAZING!

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart." Psalm 36:5-10 (NIV) This passage was posted on another blog I visit frequently and it is one I have gleaned from many times. I love the imagery of the "river of delights" - a FEAST of abundance.... and that in HIS LIGHT we see light. Right now, the last verse grips me, that is my prayer. "Lord, continue your love..." to me... help me know Your righteousness... open my eyes with Your Light. I h...

Some friends of mine lent me a video series called "the Stranger" - 6-7 mini-video's; each is one of Jesus' most well known scenes or parables. Stories such as The Prodigal son, Mary and Martha, the woman at the well; each of these are portrayed in a modernized way. Jesus "shows up" as a Stranger, meeting the person, speaking into their world Truth, Grace, Hope and Love. Each story illustrates powerful Truth in a fresh, very personal way. As I watched them, an ache in my heart rose. How wonderful it would be to meet Jesus; to interact with Him as this video portrays. He simplifies the mess, pulls out the real issue and reminds us that though details change, Truth does not. Several years ago there was a tv show called, "Touched by an Angel" - there was some controversy over that show - was it sound? But, you know what, it too brought SUCH encouragement to weary, hungry hearts reminding us: God LOVES You! We search and search for signi...

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Psalm 105:4 This short nugget of truth met me last week. I love how intimate and perfect God is - HE is who comes after us while we are lost going round and round in our own "wisdom." This verse reminded me that my weakness is quite "strong" - stubborn and blind; it robs us of what God has for us. His Truth showed me my reflection and I didn't like what I saw; He mercifully met me with His righteousness and strength. It is available to me, as HIS Child, and I stood up in that and know the change in me. I love it! When we, as Children of the King, don't walk under HIS covering and HIS clothing - we are choosing to wear our own filthy clothing - it is rather stinky, torn, dirty, and a cumbersome burden! Throw it off!! HIS strength is perfect in righteousness, light, easy, and beautiful!! PUT IT ON!

See, I am becoming a pretty good sailor!! Kind of bright huh!? That's me behind Bethany's slice of watermelon... truly blissful - sittin' on a sailboat, chowin' down on watermelon! A few more times out and I will have this down!!! maybe.... The best place on the boat to take a nap.... until the wind picks up and you about roll off!! Heading out to the Peach Festival tonight.... will try to add some more pics if I get some! Happy Independence Day!! POST SCRIPT... Post Peach Festival... i was too late, all the peach ice cream had been sold and I just walked through watching everyone pack up, oh well - but made up for the disappointment by talking with a friend on my way home, which was sweeter than peach ice cream! :-)

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ I love the word picture of sowing and harvesting. Isaiah 32:17 is another one of my favorite verses - it speaks of harvesting the fruit of righteousness... That is what I want in my life! This verse so blessed me the other day I chose it to be my next verse to work through.... Care to join me?

"I am lost for more to say...." Yeah - today is music day...two posts on ONE day... but can't help but share such blessings!

Okay, once your toes get to tabbing and you move some grooves - drink in these amazing words and dance all day long because...."I am FORGIVEN and LOVED!!" Laaaa-deee-daaaa....ohhhhh, "but there is NO condemnation for Me!!!"

Mercy doesn't get as much limelight as Grace. Mercy is something I am pondering a bit more. Hosea 6:6 says, "I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings." The dictionary defines mercy as "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." God is completely just, holy, righteous, - He has the power and right to punish us. We deserve it. Yet, He is merciful. He tells us to love mercy. I am thankful for mercy, from Him and also, applying it to myself. I have lived under law so much - much time has been spent beating myself up for not being perfect, yet He calls us to mercy: toward others and myself. He has forgiven me, washed me white as snow, so why do I walk under condemnation so much? Once I heard that if God is convicting you of sin, it is VERY specific - confess, and make it right. Condemnation is from the Enem...

It is such a beautiful morning here! The mornings in SC are so cool and refreshing you can hardly believe it gets so sweltering hot by 10AM! But, for people like me, who are up at the crack of dawn, it is an enjoyable gift. Plus, there is just something so magical to watch the morning wake the day - sunbeams pushing through the leaves and dancing in the dew, the sweet fragrances of the flowers and grasses, the quiet stillness... until Sasha spies a squirrel in the yard and i have to wake up from my dream to keep her from dragging me across the neighborhood. :-) She is doing better! This morning I am amazed at God's many blessings! Almost speechless! My refrigerator is FULL of FREE procduce (squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries, cantalope, peaches). Yes you read it correctly: F-R-E-E! There are a few farmers in my church and they bless us by bringing the excess produce to church on Sunday; they offer it to us for FREE. They say if you want to donate something...

This song is one what just captures my heart.... and I cannot even sing it without tears coming to my eyes....oh how I want this to be my prayer, my life.... my all. Oh, Lord... I seek you and I seek YOUR FACE.... may i see you more clearly today... may I help others to see how beautiful you are!

His mercies are truly new each morning... It has been ONE year to the day that I drove up here to Columbia, SC. This year has been a good year; full of new things - a new house, new "life," new church, new friends, new dog.... a New Heart and Mind! Yes, I see God has been renewing me this year and I am so very thankful for His continued faithfulness and unfailing, unchanging love & Nature. I feel as if He as lifted me up to a new place, a new "spacious" place as one of my favorite Psalms speaks of... "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:18-20 It definitely has not been an EASY transition but today my heart is light and I am so thankful for Jesus' yoke He invites us to carry - a "burden" that is LIGHT and a yoke that is easy. That truth as been one of my handles lately too; He invites us to rest in Him, to take on HIS yoke - Himself. How lovely that we have such a Savior; w...

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. Recently my Sunday school class enjoyed looking over Isaiah 58; it was r...

Classic, romantic, just one of those movies that you can enjoy with a warm cup of tea and your pj's on...and feel totally feminine. Audrey is so beautiful...recently I watched a biography of her and she really had a very sad life. Poor thing - wish she knew Jesus. Maybe she did, i don't know but the bio said she struggled with depression.... Anyhow, something in this movie struck me funny: The Nameless Cat. I thought I was the only one with a Nameless Cat! She has many sweet lovey-dovey names but when i go to the vet, I feel too embarrassed to tell them, "Putty Tat" or "My Little Goose"....yes, really - these are what come out of my mouth when I see her...and of course, "Precious Kitty" is a favorite. So, when people ask me what my cat's name is, I confess and say - oh she doesn't really have one, but I call her Baby Kitty most often. So, this is for my "Nameless Kitty" ....and Audrey Hepburn.

I am posting this more for me than anything else. Our battles really start and live in the mind - and this week a battle has been raging in my head. So, I am taking up this verse as my handle to my sword of the Spirit....and this is how I said it to myself tonight! "However, (Tammie!) as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to YOU by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. YOU are hearing the deep things of God! Are you listening and believing? God's Mind/Truth is in YOU, stop listening to your own! GOD wants you to know and believe HIS DEEP THOUGHTS - so He has given you HIS VERY SPIRIT, HE knows the very TRUE AWESOME WONDERFUL thoughts of God. (TAMMIE) YOU have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that YOU, YES You, may understand what God has freely given YOU! (Love, Peac...

Meet Milo. This is the little adorable kitten I gave my niece for her three year old birthday present. I have always loved kittens and Milo grabbed my heart when I first saw him. He is only six weeks old in this picture ...how can something so little grab your heart so? My niece is learning to be gentle...Milo seems to have a resilient personality so far ....as a three year old isn't always gentle; but we all have to learn some time! I thought you would enjoy seeing what has warmed my heart even today as I spent time with my niece and her new little charge.

"What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust ME in your times of troubles, and I will rescue you, and you will GIVE ME GLORY!" Psalm 50:14-15 "But giving thanks is a sacrifice that TRULY HONORS me, If you keep to my paths, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23

However, as it is written:    "No eye has seen,       no ear has heard,    no mind has conceived    what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.       The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. This is my next memory verse. I especially want to work on this one because it speaks of knowing God's mind - we can know it because HIS Spirit lives in us. I want to focus on this so I can hear Him more clearly, and receive more and more of what He has Freely given to me.

Lately I have been so thirsty for time with God. I have noticed I have been having a hard time focusing lately. When you have a "routine" for so many years - even though it is a very significant routine - you may find yourself falling asleep because it is so routine. Well, over the last few months I felt I wanted to do something new with my quiet times with God, so I bounced around trying new things.... but then I wasn't focused and i lost some depth that I usually enjoy. So, I knew I needed to pull back and do what I have always done....and enjoy HIM. Last night I went to bed knowing and purposing and desiring to spend quality time with Him today. I pulled out my familiar tools, a cup of coffee and drew up close to Him. I opened my Chronological Bible and picked up a few days behind where I should have been but I didn't care which date it said, I was just thirsty! Psalm 40 was the second Psalm for the date.... I didn't get much farther that that! He bega...

Today I had the privilege of chatting with a gentleman who is TRULY ALIVE. I am so blessed to attend Columbia International University - in my humble opinion it is one of THE BEST schools in the world. It truly lives up to it's motto "To Know Christ and To Make Him Known" - it draws in amazing students whose heart beats to know Jesus and to make Him known in this world. It also houses amazing staff and faculty. One such soul I have a growing admiration for: Dr. T Hulbert. I have only had him for one class, about ten years ago. He is officially retired but is still faithfully serving on our campus. I am always blessed when I see him, he remembers who I am for one and he is a man full of God's truth and grace. Today I crossed paths with him after our chapel service and we picked up on a conversation. His specialty is The Gospels: the Life of Christ. He has stuff published - yeah, he is famous! Anyhow, I asked what he was doing now and he told me he was teachin...

I CAN NOT wait for the moment when God gives me a man that I can kiss without shame or hesitation and say, "I love you madly!" ...So the whole world will see.....yeah, that is random, but I thought I would let ya know now.... I believe ONE DAY it will happen! I can't believe i just posted this...........

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:8 NIV Friends, have you ever felt that dark veil cover your mind and heart and makes you question - "Lord are you really there?" I have. Sometimes it comes over me and it feels very dark - yet I know that I know He is there even when I don't feel him. I am a "feeling" person and sometimes I wish I could reach out and literally touch his hands, his shoulder, hear his voice and hold him. I Peter 1:8 is my next memory verse - I need to sit on it for a while. I want that "inexpressible and glorious Joy" to characterize my days - my LIFE! I know everyday and every moment won't be like skipping through a rose garden but loving Him and knowing He loves me is more than good feelings - it is knowing I am DEEPLY LOVED even when I know I don't deserve or feel it, that gets me through t...

This is my office room. I love this time of the morning and Baby Kitty loves to lay here and soak in the cool morning and listen to the birds chirping outside. God and I have special times with this as my view.... Isn't He just wonderful to give such beautiful gifts!? This is a more recent picture of Sasha. She has grown so and is such a beauty in my opinion. She is learning to be a good dog. I am so proud that she has learned to walk "with" me. I don't have to continually correct her or pull the leash - not so many callouses on my hands now! As you can see I was washing my car and she likes to be close to me (isn't that nice!?) so I put her on a chain in the front yard as I washed my car. I don't trust her to stay close just yet without a fence or being on a leash. She LOVES to run and squirrels are her biggest temptation. I must stop and give God glory for something!! Yesterday I had a desire in my heart rise up over a digital camera. Now, I am re...

I DELIGHT GREATLY in the LORD; My Soul REJOICES in MY GOD, For He has clothed me with garments of Salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, So the SOVEREIGN LORD will make Righteousness and praise SPRING UP before ALL the Nations! Isaiah 61:10-11 I LOVE THIS VERSE!

I took these pictures last Saturday morning, about 7:30 in the morning! My yard (and the whole of South Carolina) is simply gorgeous this time of year! Seriously, i could just perch on my back step for a few hours and enjoy the view. Spring is so great. Wishing everyone a glorious Resurrection day! HIS IS RISEN!

My heart is still pounding over how much fun I had yesterday and seeing so many things about sailing that just clicks with me. The boat belongs to a kind gentleman in my church who is so good to offer a day of sailing; I don't think he bargained to strike such an eager disciple to the sport in me! I plan on going as many times as he will have the patience for! Maybe he will let me be a "skipper in training?" For those sailing experts, the boat was a Catalina 25 (I am still working on my sailing terminology.) It has an '85 hull. Pretty cool that my last name justifies a love of boating.... ;-) The first half of the adventure was kind of quiet. We would catch a wind now and then - enough not to crank up the outboard engine but not enough to move real good. Just as we decided to head back to the dock, actually taking down the "sheets"...the wind really picked up and our "Skipper" said..."lets sail back in!" The sail back in was...

"Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear; Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; Honor him, for he is your lord." This verse was given to me many years ago while I was in a YWAM school. God recently brought this back in front of me and it speaks volumes to me. Actually, the whole of it, verses 10-17 is what was prayed over me; I receive it more now than I did then; powerful and so intimately for me.

It is Saturday morning, clouds are hanging low in the sky. There are more rainy, cloudy days in SC than I care for...but if it actually rains today the grass and flowers and springs wonders will celebrate and the pollen may get pulled out of the air and washed down the drain. That is definitely a plus. Last week I had to wash the layers of pollen off of my car and there was yellow pools of water all over my driveway and yard. It like SNOWS pollen this time of year! I started running again this week. I take Sasha with me so she can get her energy out; Sasha has hit a learning curve! She has been a different dog this week! Like when a three year old finally realizes YOU ARE THE BOSS and moves WITH you instead of always fighting against you. Seriously, she is looking more and more like a dog whisperer trained dog. I am so proud! Back to running, I haven't been running for over a year or so... and kicking it back into gear is tough; but Friday I felt that wonderful feeling yo...

Over the past few weeks I have heard some profound messages in my classes and our chapel, as well as seeing dear friends grieve the death of their husband and father after a vigorous battle with pancreatic cancer. Needless to say, my Spirit has been attentive. Some truths are being illuminated. At times like these, our eyes get a heavenly adjustment if our hearts are open and receptive. With permission I share these profound incites. "What is crushed? I feel I am being crushed....and Your Word says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed..." this is the struggle we all feel, a question we all ask and some of us are literally being crushed, or so it seems. My friend, Dale, had a good answer to this - or rather, he pointed to the correct understanding and definition of "being crushed," here are his words: My family has been wondering what God's definition of crushed was...he says we will be pressed but not crushed or whatever...I had...