Trekking with Me

I am so thankful for this past week.  I have gotten some much needed rest.  And with that rest, God has done a few wonderful things in my mind and heart. Being a teacher in the past, an analogy comes to mind.  A teacher has a challenge before them each unit of study:  by some form and fashion, each unit holds with itself goals of learning, milestones that measure the learning of that particular section.  You can not move forward until those are completed.  As some of you know - especially homeschool mom's, sometimes those milestones fall together very haphazardly - children learn in different ways.  If a child is not ready to grasp something today... after some time, growth, and patience, in their own unique way, that milestone is grasped.  We can't really decide the order and time it happens, but it does happen. This year, I see some very clear lessons God has been running through my life.  I rejoice that He has allowed me to see His han...

No More Sugar.  Yep. I don't know about you but over the last year I have been giving myself a lot of liberties in the sweets area. Somehow a sneaky philosophy came over me - "I worked out this morning, so i can eat dessert every meal AND three oreo's with a small glass of milk today..."  or "I will workout in the morning so I can have my favorite brownie cup with ice cream dessert creation... again, tonight..." I was in denial.  I have come to realize I need HELP! I must stop. Now, no like a few months ago.  I confess... i have fallen... yes, pride comes before a fall... me, Miss Health Nut. So... a few weeks ago (actually it was Christmas WEEK of all weeks) I had had enough of myself:  there were things pushing out where I have never had problems before... good grief. I have given myself a small vice: my coffee.  I like those fancy flavored creamers... but i am working on an alternative to wean myself off.  And my sugar will become Xylitol: m...

An idea has been flapping around in my head... over giving.  I can't exactly do a "comment on my blog and in two days you may win this magnificent prize" - kind of contest or drawing, though I don't think it would be too hard for the five of you who read; you should get a prize just for visiting, as it means a LOT to me.  BUT, I wanted to give something via my blog. I love to give things that have changed or touched my life to others.  Something God used to show me more of Himself or helped me grow or change... so, I thought I would share a few things that have made a difference, this year, in my life.  Then, you can either order it or download it and enjoy it - like a Christmas gift from me to you! So here ya go... Hunger For Healing  by J. Keith Miller. I had to read this for a class last Spring; this book has seriously changed me - or rather, the Truths the author fleshes out in these pages, have done a marvelous work in me.  grab a copy and re...

I love how God is with us.  He is so tender, so gentle, so patient... so good. There are many things in my heart and mind and life that tempt me to get all wound up, worried, anxious, perplexed.  I usually have a hard time leaving something alone too.  I pick at it over and over and over... like a child who just can not leave well enough alone and spoils the surprise with immature impatience, a lack of trust. Last night, after a long, busy week, I was thankful to have a few hours to sit in my favorite chair and spend time with the Lord.  I even had to be disciplined in doing that, as I was tempted to disengage with the TV, but I knew my Spirit was hungry for the Lord's Presence and honestly, my quiet times have been getting slim in quality and in quantity; when i feel myself getting to that point, a song rises in my heart.  I don't even know who sang it, and I have not heard it in years - but the words are... "I miss my time with you, those moments togeth...

Friday Morning Sky from my back fence; it was one of the most incredible sunrise skies I have ever seen! I like pancakes, but i have always had a battle with making them ...  these were a little on the thick side... i hate it when it is still uncooked in the middle... the pan was too hot... so... Sasha was happy to take care of some of them. Jimbo helped me out and the last half of the batch actually turned out decent.  Ask Kayden... she even shared them with George. :-) Now THIS is the face of a satisfied customer! This one... it's up for debate. ;-)

I am officially looking for a full time job.  My current job has exhausted itself; my program is coming to a halt with only my internship to complete.  Finishing my internship will take a while I am guessing and right now it looks like a very haphazard thing; a little here, a little there... So, I must look for fulltime employment. Hunting for a fun job, in this time and place, and always with me being the hunter, is a challenge!  I have a few things on my resume that look good and are very helpful, but I admit i feel very intimidated, scared, weak, and unacceptable.  Talk about vulnerability.  I hate hate "selling" myself.  hate. it. Being Chosen is my favorite.  It's everyone's favorite! When I look back over my career path, 9 out of ten of those were handed to me.  Seriously, once i simply walked on the premises and a lady met me on the sidewalk in front of the main office and offered me the job! So, I sent in my first resume this morni...

Okay, this is South Carolina.  I know I mentioned a few months back the joys of each season lasting 3 months, give or take a few weeks; offering a good heaping, helping of that particular season weather.   I am trying to remind myself of these perks when I am too cold to even take my poor puppy for a walk. The Weather Man just said we broke TWO records today: it has not gotten over 37 degrees today... I am sitting here on my couch, wrapped in my green blanket and silk cuddle duds.  Okay... let's think of some things to be thankful for in these temperatures: 1.  Kitty is much more affectionate; even now she laying over my arm as a type.  She is a great little heater. 2.  Cuddle duds. 3.  Flannel sheets 4.  A cozy house: there a so many homeless here in Columbia, I can't even imagine what it would be like to roam the streets in tattered clothes, especially in this weather. 5.  Health: I just worked out to help warm myself up, AND bu...

"Tis the Season to be Jolly...." I have rolled into this season with mixed emotions.  I am facing saying "goodbye" to my brother and his family in a few days.... the semester is closing fast and i am not sure what is happening next.  It is haunting me like an invisible ghost - something is there i just don't know what. These unknowns, and closings and changes... ugh, i can't really say i am all that jolly. YET, in the last few months I have sensed in my being a gentle settling... i love my new church, i love the potential ministry opportunities... I am hopeful for what is ahead and God keeps reminding me His heart is worth Trusting even when I can't see: He fills me with inexpressible joy and peace. So today... I decorated the house a little tiny bit.  I don't want the neighbors to think I am a heathen.  I have to admit Christmas decorations are beautiful and make me feel so at home and loved.  On the other hand, I am kind of lazy in that I run...

"can't catch me." I am a little tired today.  It can all be blamed on this varmint. "it's my favorite to get my picture taken!" Last night my folks came to town bringing sweet Sasha home!  She seemed happy to be home and we all loved on her a lot - she really liked that! I came home from school to find a wonderful dinner of grilled hamburger and mac'n cheese!  Toys were typically haphazardly ornamenting the living room floor - evidence of my brother and nieces being present for a mini-family reunion.  It is nice to come home to a full house - yet my house screams "little house" when they all descend. Bed time rolled around - none too soon - I had a long day and I had started early.  My folks stayed with me and since i have a queen size bed, my mom slept with me.  I have flannel sheets on my bed for the winter months - which i love, love, love - yet i discovered something last night.  It gets REALLY hot when there are two bodies in t...

A few weeks ago I was challenged to memorize Psalm 46, from my friend Corrie's blog (and Daniel) .  This week I have taken it to task and God is already making it come to life as I let it marinate in my mind.  I hope to have it completely imprinted in my brain by Christmas - care to join me? (Or at least keep me accountable?) 1  God is our refuge and strength,    an ever-present help in trouble. 2  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3  though its waters roar and foam    and the mountains quake with their surging.   4  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,    the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5  God is within her, she will not fall;    God will help her at break of day. 6  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;    he lifts his voice, the earth m...

I have loved this song for a long time ago - I first heard it while working at Brother John's in Toccoa, GA; it would play on the radio and it just made me smile every time I heard it!!! Now... what's one of your favorite Christmas songs??  I dedicate this post to all my nieces and nephews... love you all!! 

My goodness!! I can not even put into words how happy I am that I am able to be back into my blog!!  I have been locked out for almost a week; and i was seriously feeling some grief over losing my blog here.  I could hardly believe the loss i felt!  This little blog has become like a first born to me... my creative outlet, my baby.... and I thought i had lost it forever!!! I attempted starting a new blog too...  Place of Palms  yet i could not get the "umph" up to begin pouring myself into it... so, i guess i will leave it be - maybe the Lord has a purpose for that blog too.  I will wait and see.  Nothing happens by accident... and i was trying to listen throughout this frustrating experience - through my surprising emotional grief... for what the Lord was trying to say... it just seemed like a frustrating thing that I could do nothing about... yet... the key to solving it was not known to me and was easy, easy, easy.  Reminds me of a sermon I h...

Hey Friends!!  I am a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia and I am absolutely lovin' that they are making some Great movies based on this series!! My FAVORITE Story in the series is about to be released this December; believe me, I will be there opening night!!! As my anticipation has been growing, i got an idea!  It has been many moons since i read this particular book - and i want to read it again before seeing the movie.  Sound fun?? Well, it would be even MORE FUN if i had a few friends reading it with me - or reading it with your family - and then to all go see it... of course, ideally together - but at least we can all plan to see it and then we can compare notes!!! Sorta like our own little book club and movie review team.   Some of you may already be reading it... and are ahead of me...  So... do I have any takers?? I am going to begin reading it this weekend - during my Thanksgiving break.  If you want to join in on reading with us - tell me; if you ...

I asked God from something special on the way home today... as I have noticed my shoulders hanging a little lower than normal and my steps a little draggy... I received this note in my Email: A Better Plan from a Better Planner By John Ortberg It’s almost Thanksgiving, with Christmas right behind. Often on the holidays we become aware that life does not go the way we plan. We think to ourselves: I was supposed to be married by now. I was supposed to be promoted by now. I was supposed to have retired, or to have children, or to have achieved this dream- Or, I wasn’t supposed to go bankrupt.  I wasn’t supposed to lose my job, or get divorced, or get cancer. What do you do when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned? One of the great statements of the Bible reads:  “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope, and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11 We all have plans. But God does not say:...

My sister-in-love posted a fun link on her Facebook page a few days ago of " The Pioneer Woman " blog.  Later that day I clicked and ... got hooked.  I got all involved in reading Black Heels to Tractor Wheels , her beautiful, funny, romantic love story.  Seriously, I have not indulged in such a sweet little story in a very long time.  I have been reading other more serious stuff while in seminary so I can be really smart someday. yep. Between chapters, I would run across other posts she authored; I was just plain intrigued! I wish she was my neighbor.  She is hysterical and just plain down to earth.  I love her writing style and loved her story.  I have spent the better part of this day perusing other parts of her blog since I finished her epic tale.  It was fun and I have had to make myself stop to get some other demanding responsibilities finished.  But, I can't wait to go back... again and again. One of her post challenged me to use...

An Awesome Bridge!!  Three weddings in about 8 weeks.... two in the last week.  Those latter two took me out of town... which is fun - though I am exhausted because I have literally been running in and out of my house.  My roommate just commented on how fast-pace our lives have been in the last week.  We have only filled one bag of trash since last trash pick up... usually it is at least 2-3 or 4.  Wow. My dear friend Deidre wedded Friday night.  It was amazingly beautiful.  It was a beautiful wedding and a very nice reception - with fun dancing and a newlywed game... :-)  It was in St. Augustine and I relished in being in FL as it is the perfect temperature, 70-80ish - the first morning I had to changed from my two layer sweater top to a short sleeve shirt and flip-flops! Amazing that you can travel a few hours and the temperature change so drastically.  I even went running the second morning - in shorts and a short sleeve top... it is ...

One thing that God is showing me more and more is He is a LOVING God and HE is here with me - with us!! In the past years I have had some dark days when I felt just the opposite: in the recent few years God has been peeling back those layers of lies that I allowed to lay over my heart and mind. So much like Eve... doubting God's intention to be her everything and give her more than she imagined - in His Way and Time which is beautifully perfect... In the last few days I heard a message that pointed out something A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. He takes us into the desert to build up our discouraged hearts... so we can be strong in Spirit.. and like John the Baptist ... every single one of our actions will point to Jesus. I can not even tell you how many truth lessons have been pointing to His Greatness, His Love, and His presense and His desire for me to totally depend on Him, Trust Him... Love Him completely lately. As I see this truth, this purpose... more and more, my stubborn independenc...

This was my street in mid-October.... This was this morning... I hope to get one with more sunshine later this week...  Fall is truly a beautiful season.  I love the brilliant colors and SC is sweet in that each season last about 3 months... so, if you aren't a fan of a particular season, a new season will emerge in a few weeks.  I heard a gentleman measure it off like that this past summer and it fit well in my mind.  You get a nice taste of each season here.  What a delight! Here is a picture from our trip to Savannah this weekend.  A friend of ours (a group of us went down) got married in Savannah and since we were so close to the beach, we had to find it and put our toes in the sand.  We were blessed by a kind friend of the Bride who had a GPS (what an amazing contraption!) that led us right to Tybee Island in good time to catch the last few hints of the sunset... I had some fun getting down low enough to catch the moon AND my friends stan...

Last Saturday I was in a very silly mood.  I was reading at home and listening to Christmas music on Pandora.  A Jim Brickman song started playing and the album cover was displayed on the screen.  Jim Brickman is a very handsome blue-eyed man.  I flipped on to Facebook and bravely wrote... "I wonder if Jim Brickman is a Christian and if he is single..." verbatim.  A few hours later I noticed an announcement on Facebook from a local coffee shop saying, "Come enjoy a LIVE intimate performance of Jim Brickman, Tuesday...."  I laughed out loud.  How ironic!? I quickly cut and pasted the announcement and said, "someone is pulling my leg!" to which several family and friends commented and conversed - demanding I better be there with lipstick on! ha! I love live music, I love coffee, and I love Jim Brickman's music.... so, you know I was there! Yes, with lipstick on too. ;-)  I enjoyed feeling the first beams of the morning sun shine over the city as...

For this little FL chick the last few days have been "Brrrrrrrr!!!" here in South Carolina! I had to turn on the heat to get the chill out of the house a few mornings ago. I tried holding out...to save money... and I made it the whole month of October plus a few days on either side without heat or AC. But when the top of my head and my ears get cold when I am sleeping and I wake up shivering, IT IS TIME FOR THE HEAT - and my flannel sheets. My flannel sheets are ONE of my FAVORITE things about the temps dropping. There isn't anything much cozier than snuggling down into my sweet bed wrapped all up in my flannel sheets. It is as snug as a bug in a rug.... It is a Beautiful day this November 8th. I am kinda feelin' like a slug because when it's cold i just like to curl up and stay warm; so this morning I did not walk Sasha, though I did go to the gym, but our class was canceled so I did not push myself near as hard - cause I am a wimp like that when no one ...

Ever have an experience that made you want to crawl in a hole and die? Earlier in the week I had an assignment to lead a discussion of sorts with a small group.  It went phenomenal until I opened my mouth.  Seriously, the first half was simply powerful and tender.  God blew me away with the experience; then for some weak reason, I felt I needed to open my mouth and add something.  (In reflection, this is the point I wish I had a partner with me who loved me enough to see the downward spiral of my words and would kick me to make me stop.)  My words seemed to defuse the warm, sweet atmosphere that had warmed the room seconds before.  Not that I was saying something wrong, I simply did not need to add anything; in all honesty, it was my insecure flesh wanting to be something significant and approved.  Well, God's got that covered already, so please shut my mouth - right?! Later in sharing my horrific embarrassment with some girlfriends, they helped me r...

Church was amazing yesterday.  I am loving the solid teaching in this new church. I am rejoicing as I watch what God is doing in our little transplanted "cell."  I am anticipating what God has for me, as I embrace this new, mixed with some "older" known members, as well.  It is exciting! Transitions are hard; I was surprised (though after I recognized what was going on i was not so surprised) even at my own discomfort in moving to this new church.  I admit, I was very happy over the change and what I hopefully imagined church would look like for me in this new setting.  So, when the first few Sundays left me feeling oddly uncomfortable, I was surprised I felt that way; even though it was a positive transition it was still painful.  (BTW, I really don't like using the word "uncomfortable"... it sounds like I am using church to be this cozy bed of roses I can hide away in from the world... NOT.  It is more to describe the odd pain we all experience whe...

I love the story of Lazarus.  I just finished reading it.  There are so many aspects of this story that can be unfolded to reveal God to us.  The whole incident is  - "so that God's Son may be glorified through it." As I read through it, I noticed a few things and I played with a few of the words: In verse 5, I played with the names...  "Jesus loved (Tammie) and her (friends) and (others Tammie cares about)...." I also noticed how often the phrase, "But, Lord..." or "But Rabbi..." and a few other "but..." statements; I love Jesus' kind reminder in verse 40, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" How often I am hit with challenging circumstances and heavy thoughts, find myself kneeling before My Savior, heavy-laden and distraught... "But Lord...." He is so patient. It seems odd to look at that phrase and realize the two words I am using; "But" casts doub...

Morning on the Mountain. Nothing beats a sunset from this view! What more can I say? It was w-i-n-d-y ... and cold. brrrrr. Gorgeous. I love  this. "He clothes the lillies of the valleys...." Apples! My first time picking in an apple orchard... yummy! Me and Dad. Brasstown Bald, Ga. :-)

....did she read my journal?...

This is about as clear as it gets. God understands............ I love Him. How precious and tender.... may our hearts be so soft to receive... and see and understand His love for us.

My goodness, it is PAST 11PM - and I am UP not feeling a wee bit tired; and i woke up a little past 4AM this morning... I took a tiny little napper this afternoon but nothing that gives me reason to be up now, feeling like this!  So... figured I would blog. I am working on a homework assignment for a book called The Critical Journey  by Janet Hagberg.  It blessed my socks off; it is kind of a spiritual assessment guide.  Pre-reading I had an assumption it would be a dry book.  I was wrong.  Could NOT put it down; one part I love about it is the personal spiritual journey's of the authors.  There are two; I am too lazy to bend down and get the other name.  Hagberg is the one I remember.  Reading their stories made it very alive and fresh. Anywho... my assignment is a personal one, to assess myself using the stages described in the book.  It is one of those assignments the professor says he can't really grade but invites us to be open ...

An improved version of the previous post of this video... Enjoy!

Saturday's are great!! I had a project on my list and here it is: my utility room.  It was getting mighty messy and making it NOT a great utility area.  So.... I went to work this morning. Before After :-) I have a great space here and it feels great to actually be able to use it!! It is incredibly HOT today... so I am now cooling off... I hope to post a video later.   Stay Tuned.

Hi Friends!! It is officially the second day of Fall, the weather here in SC at this moment reads 89 degrees; it's still quite hot - but hints of Fall are all around. This past month I have had an extra guest in my house; her name is Tracy and it has been a HUGE blessing to my heart to have her stay.  God knows what we need; how thankful I am for friends.  Over the past year and half she and Jamison, another sweet friend, and I, have been enjoying a growing friendship.  All of us are single, all over 30, all experiencing being a student AGAIN, each of us has a unique personality and each of us have come to appreciate, celebrate and treasure the value of needing each other in our lives - for balance, health and fulfillment. God designed us to need each other; people come and go in our lives.  Relationships grow, shrink, disappear and morph over the years; being single, the need for connection and belonging is magnified.  I know many married folks who feel alo...

The Lord blessed me with the honor of being asked to coordinate a wedding for a young couple in my church.  The sweet bride was timid in asking; I was so excited and ready to jump in.  Coordinating a wedding is something I have wanted to try my hand in and now my opportunity was here! I was blessed in more ways than I expected.  One of the most beautiful things about this wedding was the tender love this couple has for the Lord Jesus.  Christ being their first love made this wedding that much more beautiful; His smile seemed to make a radiant bride and a gleaming groom sparkle that much more - it honestly took my breath away!!  My congratulations goes to David and Cassie Smillie, here are a few snap shots I took... Some fun with the photographer - the weather was so perfect!!! I love this! God sent some butterflies to celebrate with us! The Groom is in there somewhere....  Self Portrait :-)