Trekking with Me

I love Palm Sunday! I savor this day because of an experience I had when I was 14; I was a resident student at a place called "Edgewood Children's Ranch" - a wonderful place God tenderly deeply set my feet firmly in Him. On this day, my dorm mom, Terry Hotalen Newman, woke us up, wearing her usual African wrap, waving her hands in the air, telling us how in Africa, the villagers all gather palm branches, and come to church singing and waving them high, celebrating the events of our Savior!  Somehow, that vision planted in me such a vibrant excitement of this day!  Jesus came to town, on a donkey, and God revealed Himself and allowed Himself to be lifted up, in praise!  The whole earth recognized HIM that day... a week before His being lifted up on a cross and resurrecting... from the dead!! Ever since, I feel such a wonderful celebratory anticipation of Him on this day!  It's almost, almost, as exciting as Easter! Are we celebrating and welcoming HIM into ou...

The swoosh of a slam dunk always amazes me:  you are focused on your team, the sweat flying off the arms and legs of the players running, squeaking down the court, following the ball ever so tightly, intensity builds as you hold your breath, then as smooth as molasses, the ball  swooches  into the net!!  Everyone is surprised, screams, yells!  The players relax their shoulders a bit, gracefully turn around and jog back to the other end. The last player bouncing the ball effortlessly down the court for the next play to move into action. That swoosh always surprises, smooths... and continues the game.  It was hard work getting it there. That's how I feel right now. I just got a JOB!( Swoosh!) I am swirling with excitement, disbelief, amazement, gratitude.... I can hardly breath!  At the same time I feel a surge of what a deer in head lights must feel like... What! I have a REAL Job, with real responsibilities... what if... if ...*gulp* I  fai...

I am half way through: February 14 is the half-way mark for my birth day.  It conveniently falls on Valentine's Day.  Not that I am pushing for my birthday to get here sooner, or even lamenting that it's going so fast, it's just one of those things that pops up in my head. Admittedly, this year, my 39th year, causes some shock waves; like a wake up call or something.  Not bad, but definitely something that makes me a little more alert to what I am doing, where I am going, and the decisions I make and why. Just a minute ago I read a question from  The Pioneer Woman's Blog . If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you be? I can clearly say, I like where I am, right here, right now.  I have been through some tough waters in the last ten years, emotionally speaking.  I feel I am finally gaining some ground over fear, over hang-ups, insecurities and pits.  I am finally resting in who I am in Jesus, understanding that more, ...

Care to join me for a Sunday evening chat with a delightful cup of hot tea?  It's the perfect evening for it.  I recently bought a "Night Time Tea Herbal Blend" tea and discovered it is my new favorite!  It's very smooth, mildly spicy and softly cozy.  Perfect treat as you snuggle down for a quiet moment before bed. Loving Fall, as it has come in it's fullness this last week or so here in Columbia, South Carolina.  It's Fall when you use the blower instead of the mower to do yard work!   I blew off my yard on Friday and it looked like it was in need of another blowing this afternoon.  Instead I gathered up some pine cones and kindling to light up a fire in my fire pit.  A friend stopped by and he graciously offered to finish the process.  We soon had some flames licking up the needles and my flip-flop baring feet enjoyed the toasty heat from a few inches away from the fire pit.  Lovely. So I smell like smoke now, as I drink my Night ...

Today is my 39th Birthday.  Wow.  How did I get here so fast? To be very honest, I have been dreading this day all year.  I have been trying to find the break pedal since last birthday.  39 just seems so....,  close to 40! These last few weeks I have had weird emotions about it too.  So odd of me, but some birthdays do that to all of us.  Slap us around, tell us reality isn't what we had dreamed or something like that.  I was wrestling and pushing over the fact I am here and not there, so to speak.  Ya know?  Yet God, My precious gentle, wonderful, patient Lord and Love did something for me these last few days...  He breathed on me a truth... Love... Hope... Joy.  He changed my perspective. How?  Well, how do you explain how God changes that?  This past weekend, I had a lot of time alone.  I did not plan it that way, in fact it had been planned otherwise.  All my plans fell through.  God gave ...

I did it!! Woooo-Hooooo!! God is so good! I can't believe four years have come and gone.  I can't believe what I thought would take me TWO years stretched into Four!  I can remember a night early in the four year journey when I started freaking out when I realized it was going to take that much longer!!  A very wise mentor gently prodded me on by saying "where else will you be in four years?"  Hmmm, simple logic is a good thing.  It calms me down and I love sweet friends who gracious, non-judgementally point it out to me.   It kept me going for sure. I wrote about the beginning of this journey and the reason for it  way back in 2008, before even moving here.   God is so good.  MUCH ground has been covered in these four years.  I feel like a different person, and yet more of who God made me to be. This part of the journey is where it starts to feel like I am jumping off a cliff.  It is scary and exhilarating to finish something. ...

Okay.  Matthew 14 has me thinking this morning. So, in this passage we see some incredible things Jesus does: Jesus mourning John the baptist's death, and Jesus feeding the 5,000, and Jesus walking on the water. And, in previous chapters, we see Jesus healing the sick, lame, blind, deaf and mute.  His disciples have front row seats to these amazing, miraculous works.  He speaks with authority, He is continually moved with compassion to touch, heal, and meet the need of the hurting, hungry, and lost around him. Okay, so He responds to the obvious needs around Him.  He is full of compassion... we get this, right? Well, then... why the whole walking-on-the-water thing?  What need is he meeting? Why did He do this? Hmmm,... so Jesus put his disciples in a boat, and went up into the mountain to be alone and pray.  The disciples start rowing and got stuck in the winds and waves in the middle of the lake.  These were experienced fishermen so they knew...

With an estimated 44,000 people registered for the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run, Charleston was packed with people.  I guess I did not realize it was such a big deal,  I was amazed at the numbers of people!  You could feel the swell of excitement!  Races are so fun!  We left our boat at 5:25AM to get into the shuttle lines by 6AM.  After some sort of stall with the start of the race -- it should have started at 8, they did not blow the whistle until 8:30.  My Group (wave) and I crossed the START LINE at 9:36AM!   This Bridge is GI-Normous! Those cables are like the size of a good thick tree trunk.  Almost at the TOP of the bridge!! I ran most of the race, which was good for me.  I am not the runner I once was a few years ago, so I was proud of my time (1:21:46), I ran about 75%... it was GREAT! After the race, it was time to sail!  My first time on "the big waters" - we stayed mostly in the harbor area as we did not have ...

It's Christmas time: a season of joy.  A time to be with family and loved ones, to celebrate with lights, a beautiful tree, presents and so much food you once again consider a new year's resolution to get back into shape. Yet Christmas... or rather the REAL STORY for why we celebrate Christmas had some awkward, painful, confusing and difficult beginnings.  I ran across this verse a few days ago... "But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.   You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.   32   He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,   and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Mary most likely knew a divine joy upon learning she would be the one bringing the Messiah into the world, the Son of God, no less!?  I would suspect that she did know joy, ye...

I have this old hymn running through my head tonight.  I remember singing it LOUDLY in my Sunday school classes as a child: Happiness is to know the Savior Living a life within His favor, I love His Favor: "Year of the LORD's Favor" was the Word He gave me in January.  It has been drenched with it.   Having a change in my behavior Happinesss is the Lord He has definitely challenged me in some areas that have brought about transformation.  I love this! His Favor means He never takes His eyes off of me, His heart towards me is ALWAYS GOOD, He never gives up on me and He never fails! Happiness is a new creation Jesus in me in close relation Having   a part in His salvation What a wonderful truth to know more and more that I am made in my Creator's Image!  He designed me to LIVE in, through, and by Him - "close relation!" - I am never alone.  He has made me new in every way, and every day He draws me closer to Him.  AND He invites me to be ...

Because I am in need of a little extra fiber... Because I am in a domestic mood today... Because it is an amazingly beautiful October day... Because I promised a fresh loaf of bread to a friend who is having a baby and isn't particularly comfortable in these pregnancy months... Because I wanted my house to smell like fresh bread today... I am baking bread and want to give a few loaves away - they are the smallish size version - like I usually eat a whole little loaf myself seconds after extracting the cute little mouth-watering buns from the oven... The first 3 people who leave a comment on this post... will get a fresh loaf of bread delivered to them today! (DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN COLUMBIA, SC TO WIN)

About a year ago I had the privilege of coordinating  a wedding  for some dear friends.   Something very significant happened in that event. After the hub-bub of getting the wedding party all in line, checking that all the details were in place, the main ceremony unfolded.  I stood in the back of the room near the audio booth, and took a deep satisfying breath.  As I watched the couple taking their vows, a light of invitation was flashed up in my heart, an invitation to intimate vulnerability.  My heart shivered at the incredible possibility. He was inviting me deeper. Was I brave enough to go there?  I know I wanted to... He whispered into my being that He was good and strong, I can trust Him because He loves me. Over the past year He has been showing me little by little, proving to me His unfailing love for me; strengthening my heart. Funny how I imagined intimacy before - I don't even know how I imagined it - something more along the lines...

Ever play that hide-and-seek game as a child, or with your children?  Something is hidden, as they search for it, you gently give them hints: "you are close, getting warmer, warmer... you are getting HOT..."  which means, "you are RIGHT THERE! OPEN YOUR EYES!" I think that God does that in the Word. God has given me a few wonderful life-giving Words, some "rhema" over the past few year.  He is always speaking if we listen.  Last weekend, as I said, He tied a few strings together that connected several concepts I was getting close to: He Lit it Up for me! One concept He opened was how He has revealed Himself in Scripture. This actually started several weeks ago.  This little house I live in is the home of two very early risers.  My roommate gets up in the wee hours of the morning, sprawls our her Bible, her notes, her pens and pours over His Word.  By the time I fall out of bed, she has been up at least half an hour or so... and this is all before...