Just a Reminder

My friend, Jaime Gibbs, is a wonderful writer. This was on her blog yesterday, and it so ministerd to me, I thought I would share it with you. Thank you Jaime for your sensititity to the Lord.

Just in case you needed some encouragement this evening... Let me remind you that God IS listening to you. He knows your hurts, He knows all the things you've done and thoughts you've had in the past. He is transforming your life everyday, sometimes in big, noticable ways and other times in small, quiet ways. If you've entrusted your life to Him, He is very carefully, very thoughtfully, very lovingly making you the person HE wants you to be. There is something hidden in you that your family and the world around you desperately needs. Although you may not see it right now, God is at work in your life. His strength is being made perfect right in the midst of your weakness.

Have a beautiful and blessed evening.

Girls of Grace

Our church offers a program for girls ages 10-12 called Girls of Grace. Sis. Cheryl Vaughan and Sis. Pam Knapp care for this group of budding women, leading them in all things feminine and proper. Last month, Sis. Vaughan asked me if I would teach them how to properly TEA. (Used as a verb.) I had to pray and think about it. After about 15 seconds, I felt like He said yes. I accepted. The girls were a joy.



On that Saturday morning, we met at the church, had our time of tea instruction, ate quiche and sipped tea.


Promptly at 10:30, the van left with the girls for our 11:00 reservations at Into My Garden Tearoom in Plano.
What a delightful afternoon we had sipping tea and learning proper etiquitte!

Thought for the Day

Borrowed from my friend's blog:

Bread & water can easily be made into toast and tea.

Thanks Rebekah.

Tea Time, Tee Time, and "T" Time

Written by Anne Bower

Time is something that is easily slipping through our fingers. Each day brings something that can rob us of precious time. I have learned in this fast-paced life that we must take some Tea Time. One of the most enjoyable parts of your day can be putting the kettle on for a cup of tea. It has been said that you can read a Psalm during the boiling process, which is approximately 2 minutes.


Tee Time... A little golf anyone? I am not one who has gone to play any type of golf except mini-golf, but I do find that the process itself can be refreshing. The time it takes to stand and watch others hit that little ball can give you just enough time to reflect on the activities of the day, or better yet a breath of fresh air to fill your lungs and reflect on the beauty of God's creation.


And now the other "T" Time. We as women sometimes need to go out and buy that ugly, sloppy t-shirt, put it on, and proclaim "T" Time! Doing something out the ordinary can break the monotonous feeling that life just isn't going to get any better. I once had a t-shirt that proclaimed "You Can Do It" when I knew at that precise moment I could not do it and neither did I want to do it, but proclaiming to the world that I could do it sure made me feel like a winner.


Well, girlfriend, find a little T Time for yourself and surely you will be able to get through another day of whatever it is you've got to get through. Whether it's a Psalm, a golf outing, or a shopping day for that outlandish t-shirt, have yourself some T!



---


Anne Bower is a pastor's wife in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Roses

Our family devotions this morning were interupted by a knock on our door and then the chime of our doorbell. The kids ran to see who it might be, and there laying on the ground was a long box. They quickly brought the box in and tore into it. There before us lay 18 of the most beautiful roses--sent to me expressly by my pastor and his wife for mother's day.

I arranged them in the beautiful vase they came in, and then set our dining room table with our china. I was so excited that the colors in the roses EXACTLY MATCH MY OLD COUNTRY ROSES CHINA!!!



I am still in awe, and so humbled by such a generous gesture. "Thank you Jesus for putting us in a church with such a capable and loving pastor."

Ladies Conference 2007

What a great weekend we had!

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Grandma Ellison

There'll be no sorrow there. No more burdens to bear.
No more sickness no more pain. No more parting over there.
And forever I will be with the One who died for me.
What a day, glorious day that will be.


She wasn't really 'our' grandma, but she claimed us all. The first time I met her--July 22, 2001, she let me know, "I am the church grandma, and you can call me grandma." Every year she never failed to send each of my 3 kids a card on their birthday complete with a $5 bill. We all recognized what a sacrifice that was on a limited social security income, and this past year, Bethani returned the favor to grandma on her birthday with her own $5 bill.

She was our biggest fan. It didn't matter how things were going. Even when it seemed the world was against us, she would tell us, "You are the best pastor. I love you." She was a pastor's dream. She believed the best about people. Always the encourager and as faithful as the day is long. When the church doors were open, she was there.

She loved the ladies of our church, and whatever we were doing, she wanted to be right in the middle of it. None of the ladies that went with us to my mom's house for a 'pampered ladies weekend' will ever forget the 'Suzuki' incident where Susan Smith and I rescued grandma from drowning in the jacuzzi. :) She loved to have fun.

There never lived a more genuine christian lady. She is with Jesus now. At last she has made it to that place that she so often sang and dreamed of. She has been rewarded with all of heaven's best now that she is safely in the arms of her master.

Richmond will not be the same without her. I will miss her terribly. Thank you grandma, for living such a godly example. We will see you again--what a day that will be.

A Few Things to Ponder

Just a few things to ponder in your spare time . . .

-If people can have triplets and quadruplets why not singlets and doublets?
-Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
-Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
-I asked a bookstore saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
-If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
-If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
-If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
-Is there another word for synonym?
-Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?
-Where do forest rangers go "to get away from it all"?
-What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
-If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
-Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
-Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
-If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
-Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
-Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Remembering 2006...

We have made it through yet another year. Here are some highlights of 2006. Enjoy!

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