Just A Word...or Two!

I just wanted to check in here and say hello! To those of you who may stop by while surfing, I want to say thank you for clicking in!
I have a new blog located at http://www.valerieshopechest.blogspot.com/
I do hope you'll check in there. I have posted over 160 times on this blog, so feel free to look around. Also, you can comment here if you like. I still check in to see if anyone has said hello.

Thanks again, and have a great day!

I've Moved!!

I've moved folks! Thanks for checking in here, but why not come on over and visit me at my new site? I'd love to have you! You can bring your coffee, or cappuccino, and sit back and relax. Oh, and don't forget to say hi!

I hope to see you there! :)

Well Guys, What Can I Say?

The only thing that comes to mind to say is "Thank you". Thank you for reading, commenting and at times, enduring, my life in the hill country. It's been great.

My life here has been wonderful. God has blessed us in so many ways. When I was lonely, He gave me blogging, and many faithful readers. I can never thank you enough for being there in cyberspace for me to fellowship with. I send you my heartfelt thanks.

My blogging days began on a slow day in September of '07. I did for fun, for a thrill. I was bored. I never dreamed it would become a passion, something I looked forward to everyday. I've enjoyed spilling my guts online. I figure, why try to hide it? Maybe by sharing my spiritual struggles I can help someone who's facing the same thing. This way, you'll know you're not alone. Every devotional or spiritual entry I've made has been something the Lord has worked me over with. Maybe my next blog, if there is one, should be called "Getting Real with Valerie". (Haha!) At this point, I'm not sure about a future blog. I can only hope. (Pun intended)

Please keep praying for us, and please keep in touch.

Thanks again, and I hope to see you soon! (Man, am I on a roll or what?)

~Valerie

Some Final Photos

Here are some photos of the party the church gave us after church:

The cake has us on it!! How neat!
Some of our people. Yes, that's my back to you there. I'm stuffing my face. It was hard not to! We had BBQ Brisket (Bristow-style) mashed potatoes, Watergate Salad by Lynn, and the list goes on!! It was so very good!
The church presented Terry a granite plague with a heartfelt message on it. Very touching. :[ We will miss them!
Here's Terry with the plaque. Sorry about the glare.
Thought I'd throw this one in too. It was such a beautiful sunset.

Now that you've waded through all those other photos, here's what we did for the Mom's today. Every lady got her picture taken this way. It was a hoot.

Ahhh. This is the life.

See ya soon...

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to wish all of you, my friends, a very happy Mother's Day!
I also wanted to wish the world's best Mom, Carolyn Courtney, a very happy Mother's Day. We can't wait to see you!!
Mom, you make the word "Mother" that much sweeter to me. Thank you for all you have done to rear me for the Lord, and thanks for all you do to help me keep my eyes on Him.
Thank you for taking an interest in my interests by faithfully reading my blog, and commenting, in a way that only a Mom can!

I love you.

~Valerie

PS Check back later to see a photo of how our church honored Moms today!

Saturday Snap Shots: A Tribute

Well, this will be my last Saturday Snap Shots from this blog. I thought it appropriate to dedicate this last edition (here) to the people who made my life in the hill country possible.
I went down to the church last night to gather my materials for Super Church, and it hit me: this would be my last time to do Super Church here! We had just had a thunderstorm and the air was heavy. Lightning sparkled across the distant sky and the smell of rain was very strong. I stepped off the porch of the church and a wave of emotion washed over me. I remembered how we felt on September 11, 2005, the night we were voted in unanimously. How we envisioned being here forever. My children have grown so much since we first unloaded and introduced ourselves to these dear people. And now, while they are not completely grown, they certainly have grown and changed so much. The childhood memories they've made will stay locked away down here for many years, at the least, and maybe forever.
It's time for change, and oh, how I dislike change. I long for security!! But, with security comes laziness (at times) and perhaps I was getting lazy here! I know God is leading us away, and I gladly obey. Yet, I am human. I don't mind telling you I will miss these kind faces. I hope they will miss me, too.
Before I start crying, again, I had better proceed! These photos were taken on Old-Fashioned Day, April 27, 2008.
Scotty and Ann Bristow(pictured with grandkids, Micah and Aspen): The people who make the world's best BBQ brisket! Miss Ann has taught Mitch's Sunday School class the entire time. They are both hard working, faithful and giving people.
Caroline Sanders: One of the sweetest ladies I know! She has baked us everything from homemade rolls to kolaches to cupcakes. She has written us notes of encouragement and given us money every time we go on trips. She prays for us and she loves us. You know what? We love her, too.
Doris Hinds: Lauren's Sunday School teacher the entire time we've been here. She is a great artist! She has drawn our cover for our bulletin and painted a mural for the wall, as well as for the baptistery. She has shown love for Lauren as she faithfully studies and prepares for her class, even though Lauren is her only student.
Randy and Teresa Sanders: Again, these are two faithful, hard working people. Teresa is always offering to help out any way possible. She works in the nursery a lot! Randy is faithful to all our soul winning efforts.
Lynn Nelson (pictured with grandson, Jordan): This lady makes the best Watergate Salad in the world! She made me a whole bowl full at the end of February for no reason!! Well, I guess the reason was she wanted to thrill me, and she did! She is a blessing!

Everyone of these dear people will be missed by my family. It tears my heart out. I will be so glad when the trumpet sounds and we can all be together forever. No more goodbyes. Won't that be wonderful?

Thank you, Northside Baptist Church, for treating me like I was a Texan! ;]

I will miss you.

Something for My "Partner"

I had wanted to post something special in honor of my "partner", my Dad, on his birthday or another special date. However, because I'm not sure as to what my blogging status will be on his birthday, July 2nd, I decided to go ahead with it now. As I was packing up, I came across several cards and notes that friends had sent after his death. I keep them in a box which I avoid. I don't look at them very often, for they cause sadness deep within my soul. The tears start as a gentle trickle and then rapidly increase from there. I decided today, however, I would go through the box again. It's been a while since I've looked through it. Even though I miss him terribly, and it causes sorrow, it's good for me to remember the wonderful Dad I had here- and who is waiting for me on the other shore. I just wanted to share some things with you about my parents while I had the chance.
First let me tell you about my relationship with my parents. To sum it up, it was, and still is, wonderful. My parents were, in my opinion, strict. This said to me, "We love you, Valerie". My parents were giving. This said to me, "We love you, Valerie." My parents enjoyed having a good time and laughing. This said to me, "We love you, Valerie." My parents were forgiving. After being disciplined, I would repent. They forgave me and never brought it up again. This said to me "We love you, Valerie." My parents never humiliated me publicly. This said to me, "We love you, Valerie." My parents read their Bibles daily, lived according to the Scriptures, and backed our preacher. This said to me, "We love the Lord, Valerie." My parents led balanced and disciplined lives themselves. This said to me "Live this way for happiness, Valerie. Follow us as we follow Christ, Valerie." My parents whole heartedly invested in my interests. Whether this was shown by giving of their time, money or by simply listening, they cared about what I cared about. This said to me "You matter to us, Valerie."
My Dad and I had a unique bond. He often referred to me as his "partner". We had similar personalities. We enjoyed doing the same things. We biked together many summer nights. We would lie on the bed with the windows open in the summer and he would tell me all about his childhood...okay, I asked him a lot of questions! He picked me up from school and often bought us milkshakes. (I told you we enjoyed the same things!) Sometimes, I'd go to work with him. He would give me a map of Arkansas with all the counties and some colored pencils. What fun!! We once drew a map of the USA to hang on our mantle at home.(I would give pretend weather forecasts using it.) He read books to me in the summer about the Presidents. We enjoyed being together. This was true of my Mom, as well. We all liked being with each other.
Here are some things I wanted to share with you about my Dad. These were written on 3x5 cards that were handed out at my home church soon after my Dad's homegoing. I hope it will give you a glimpse into the life of this remarkable man.

"Bro. Courtney was such a blessing. He always greeted you with a smile, always had something encouraging to say. I guess the biggest thing that I'll remember about Bro. Courtney is listening to him pray. He will always be in my heart." - Laura Herndon

"I always loved to sit near Bro. Courtney during church because he was always so enthusiastic during the preaching. You could tell by the way he would "amen" the preacher that he lived and believed what he said. I also loved to hear him pray. You could tell he had a close walk with God. He left a wonderful legacy!" - Alisha Samples

"Bro. Ron Courtney - A godly man and great example for the younger fathers in our church. We will greatly miss him at Victory Baptist Church." - Mary Thomas

"When I think of Bro. Ron, I think about his love for his children and grandchildren - but even more, his love for souls. I always loved to hear him play the trumpet."
- Sheila Herndon

"It was very hot outside and we were sitting in the church. [Note: At the time the church met in the gym while they were building their new building.] Bro. Ron got my attention and said "Don't you wish you were in Greenland?" Bro. Ron was an encouragement to us." - Bro. Marty Arnold, Missionary to Greenland

And there were many more! There are so many loving people in my home church. These notes have been such a comfort to me over the past 3 - almost four years.
My Dad was tall, 6'2", and many people thought he resembled Ronald Reagan, especially when Reagan was in office. He would get so tired of complete strangers telling him this. He did not share this opinion! ;]

Here's a poem that a faithful friend of our family wrote. The Payte family, Reggie, Debbie, Jenceson, Jim and Reuben, have been friends of ours for years. We grew in the Lord together first at Hot Springs Baptist Temple under Pastor Glenn Riggs, and later at Victory Baptist. I hope you don't mind this long post, I just wanted to share what Jim wrote.

His wavy white hair
His finely honed wit,
The strength of his handshake
His encouragement to never quit.

The height of his stature
Is just but a mite,
Compared to his example
Of a man who lived right.

And, oh, to hear him pray
That's what I loved most
He seemed as though he were best friends
With the Lord of hosts.

No thee's and thou's
No strain of thought,
Plain spoken words
Not rehearsed or taught.

His head tilted back
As he uttered his prayer
I peeked I suppose
It seemed the Lord was standing there.

The words that he spoke
Still ring in my ear
I want to pray like that
And feel the Lord so near.

Into God's presence
Now he'll abide.
For today he went home
Leaving his children and sweet wife by their side.

But don't worry, don't mourn, fret or despair.
Ron Courtney left a heritage...
He was a man of prayer

Now you can see him in Heaven
As he talks with the Lord.
I picture it quite the same
As it was here before.

His head tilted back
Now Glory in his eye,
Face to face praying and waiting,
For you and me to arrive. - Jim Payte

I sure hope I didn't bore you with all of this. Since I've had a blog, I've written about everyone in my family. Everyone except my Dad. I've said a few things here and there, but I hadn't really told you about him. And to think, I could continue to write about him, and my Mom, for hours! None of my feelings for my parents are a shock to them. I have no regrets about my relationship with my Dad and Mom. To God be the glory!
I'll close with a little quote from my Mom's favorite show, The Andy Griffith Show. (Here's a brief synopsis) This is the episode where Aunt Bea wants a bed jacket for her birthday, but Andy doesn't get it for her. He instead gets her two dozen preserve jars. Aunt Bea is crushed. When he realizes his error, he goes to get the bed jacket, but it's been sold...to the Mayor! Andy agrees to trade the Mayor his prize fishin' rod, Eagle-Eye Annie, for the bed jacket. At the end, when Opie asks his Pa where the rod went, Andy replies to Opie:
"No, I didn't say that [I'd never get rid of it], I said I kept it because it brought me so much pleasure. And ol' Eagle-Eye Annie's doin' just what she's always done. Even right now she's bringin' me pleasure. Real heart-warmin' pleasure."

Pleasure, that's what my family brings to me. Real heart warmin' pleasure.

Fitness Friday: One Final Bit of Fun

For my final "Fitness Friday" on this blog, I wanted to post a cartoon that explains exactly how I feel about my workouts and weight loss efforts lately. My life has been crazy - no schedule, no routine. Allow me to sum it up: I feel rotten!! I'm sluggish again and just blah.
I saw this and just HAD to share it! I hope all of you are doing better at reaching your goals than I've been lately.
Have a great weekend!

Seven Days To Go

The Countdown is On...
Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a little update on the progress here. We move one week from today! I can't believe it! We are doing well on getting packed up but I'm not doing well at living in a state of chaos! Things are boxed and stacked and there is clutter everywhere. When I think about loading all of my stuff onto a truck and moving it for the 8th time, I cringe! I take comfort in the fact that the Lord is behind this 100%, and He will help me move again. (But it is still no fun!)
Please pray for Northside. We are praying God will send them a good man to pick up the mantle here and go forward. The people are starting to perk up a little and think about the future, so that's a blessing. They are such sweet people! Whomever God does send is one blessed family! I am really getting excited about our move. I have been setting goals and making plans. It is fun to think about starting over fresh. I have made mistakes here, and I hope to have learned from those mistakes. It's nice to think about having a "clean slate." I know I will make mistakes there, but I hope not the same ones!

As for our move, this is the order in which I do things every time I move: (I've highlighted the step I'm at now)
1. Sort items in drawers, closets, etc. - Here are my categories: give away, throw away, yard sale and storage. After eight moves, I'm very hard-hearted. My throw away, yard sale or give away piles are huge! You wanna know if you should keep something or not? Ask yourself, "Would I be willing to move this eight times?" And you'll have your answer! (Haha!)
2. Pack all items for storage.
3. Clean and pack away items such as fans, seasonal decorations, etc.
4. Remove all items from walls, dust/clean and pack.
5. Pack items from closets. (Blankets, clothes we don't wear a lot, etc.)
6. I save the kitchen and bathrooms for last.
Since about three-four moves ago, I've been buying bubble wrap for the fragile items. It costs more than newspaper, but it's worth it! Things are safer and my dishes do not need to be washed upon unpacking when I use bubble wrap.
I leave these areas for my husband: Garage and Yard. He takes sole ownership of these and I have no say. I'd just like to say that I enjoy having no say over this. I have my hands full with the other 3,200 square feet! (3,800 square feet total)
Another update, we did some checking on local Internet access in Hope. There is a company that offers it, but it is way out of our price range. AT&T, our local phone company there, doesn't even offer dial-up!! We are going to do more checking after we get settled. We may try going wireless to see if that works. Or, we may not have it. :[ If not, that's okay. I know I'll make it. I will miss all of you though! You all have been so great to me to read my blog and comment or email me. Thank you so much.

Just a thought...
We recently found out that a local pastor has resigned his church and left his wife. It is heart breaking. We just saw them at a restaurant recently. She is such a sweet lady and they have two kids. I am reminded of some important things:
1. I need to keep a close walk with the Lord at all times.
2. I need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudging and/or screaming. A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt, DON'T!
3. I need to help and encourage my husband in his walk with the Lord in every way I can.
4. I need to pray for my husband and our marriage.
5. I need to be on guard against "the adulteress who hunts for the precious life".
6. I need to be sure that I am not portraying any of the characteristics of the adulteress myself!
This is a wake up call. I think of 1 Cor. 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I want to take heed now before it's too late!

Blessings of the Past

One thing you cannot avoid while packing and sorting, is coming across old scrapbooks, photo albums, notebooks and journals. I have been pretty good about not stopping to peruse each one as I've been packing, but I found one that I couldn't resist glancing through. It was a small notebook, so I knew it wouldn't take long to read through it.
I wanted to share a journal entry that I found in that notebook dated April 4, 2003. It was good that I read it, as it brought back memories of past blessings that God had graciously bestowed upon me. The Bible says in Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: Recalling the trials and subsequent blessings from the past gives me hope. (I didn't know it would mean I'd literally be going to Hope! ;] )
Here's the entry:

Fri. April 4, 2003
I haven't written in a while because I've been getting to bed so late. But I wanted to record some blessings God has given us during this time of testing*.
1. Terry had a suit and sport coat cleaned at Comet Cleaners and we only had to pay $.85! The total was $10.85, but we had a $10.00 credit!
2. Kathy Basham found 3 packages of diapers for Mitchell left at the college property.
3. Terry got paid $70.00 from BHBC (Blessed Hope Baptist College in Benton, AR) for teaching Kevin's Old Testament Survey class for two weeks while Kevin was away.
4. Terry repaired a guy's brakes for $50.00 today!
5. Mitch has an ear infection, but we got him to the doctor and on antibiotics. He will be much better by the time we leave for Texas*!
I was up late with him last night, (almost all night) so I am turning in.
Thank you, Lord, for all of these blessings!

* This time of testing was when we were facing many battles at the church where we were youth pastor/associate pastor at the time.
* This reference to Texas was when were preparing to go to Alice, Texas to preach in view of a call. They called us 100%, but we did not have peace about it, so we did not take it.

I was encouraged by reading about some of the large, and even the small blessings that God gave me during a time of trial. It indeed gives me hope, just as the Bible says it will! It also convicts me about writing down all of the blessings He gives me. I'm too good at forgetting what He does to not take time to record it on paper, or on screen! ;]
I've read the saying "God is good all the time" and that's true. More specifically, He's good when everything else is bad. Even during times of trial, His presence surrounds and refreshes me like a cool breeze on hot day. Yes, He is good. So very good to me.

What Really Matters

While working on my weekly Bible Study lesson from the book Be Patient - I'm Not Perfect Yet by Juanita Purcell, I read the following poem. It sums up how brief life is, and what really matters.

Through this toilsome world, alas!

Once and only once I pass;

If a kindness I may show,

If a good deed I may do

To a suffering fellow man,

Let me do it while I can.

No delay, for it is plain

I shall not pass this way again. - By Gail Harvey

Oh yeah, and One More Thing...

I just wanted to tell you about Terry's new blog. I have link to him in the sidebar. It's hilarious. If you need a good laugh, then go on over and check it out. Oh, and one more thing, could you leave him a comment? I know he'd love it!

Have a great day, everybody! :]

It's Not Really Over

As I go through my Bible each year, or as I teach through it in Super Church, I grieve when we "bury" a Bible character. I recently saw Samuel go to Heaven, and today, I opened up and started reading about the last words of David.
II Sam. 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
When I read that these were the last words of David, it made me sad. "You mean I've already finished his life? We just started!" I thought to myself. I remember being sad when I finished teaching about Moses in Super church. We'd had about 7 weeks of lessons about him. I hated to see him go. Fortunately, I can resurrect both David and Moses by simply flipping back a few pages. That's the beauty of any book, but especially the Bible. You can enjoy it over and over. With the Bible, you can get something brand new even though you've read it ten times! It's a living book.
I'm so thankful that I can enjoy the lives of great Bible characters over and over on Earth, and meet them face to face someday in Heaven!

Saturday Snap Shots

Hello, everybody! This week I wanted to share a few photos of our trip to Arkansas.

A view from the Mountain Tower in Hot Springs. I had never been there before!! The view was cloudy, and there were puffs of pollen constantly floating up from the pine trees. My sinuses thanked me for staying inside the enclosure!! :)
This is where Terry and I lived in Hot Springs...307 Richard Street. The house used to be a medium blue color, and the yard wasn't so full of plant life. I think it's too crowded looking, but maybe that's just me.
Here's Nana and the grandkids!! Oh yeah, and me too!

Lauren and Mitchell at the Mid-America Science Museum. The machine in the background was on display here when I was a youngster. It brought back memories.
This is a 500 lb. Quartz!
It was mined in Jessieville, Arkansas. This is the small town where my Mom used to be the Elementary Special Ed. teacher, and later the Elementary Principal. How neat!
This is little waterfall at the science museum. Arkansas does have lots of natural beauty.
The Sunday after we returned home, the church surprised Terry with this cake and a love offering for his 30th birthday! It was so thoughtful of them!

Here's Terry cutting his cake. (I'm talking in the background...as usual!! :] )Laci was trying to write like Daddy and Leslie. I thought it was sweet.Here it really does look like she's writing, but the pen isn't out so she can't really make marks. Didn't seem to bother her though! *sigh* Children are such a joy!

I best get back to packing. See you Monday, everyone!

Fitness Fridays: Moving is a Workout!

I have begun the packing process. I have started going through things for a yard sale, and I have packed up the school room. (Okay, not everything in the school room. My computer is in here!) The first thing I packed yesterday was my stability ball. The kids love rolling around on it, and I just knew it was gonna pop. So, I deflated it and packed it. I also conveniently packed my other weights and exercise videos. Hmmm, wonder why I packed those first? I know! Now I can say "I haven't been able to work out because I'm packing up!"
Nah, really. I am here to testify that packing up your entire house is a workout in and of itself. Not to mention the loss of appetite that accompanies having to say goodbye to friends that you have worked with, cried with, prayed with, etc. for over two years. And the loss of appetite that accompanies the nerves of starting over again in a new place. Thoughts like "What if they don't like me? What if I blow it somehow?" have a way of making you, well, not very hungry. So all of this contributes to weight loss!

But, after 5 hours of nothing put sorting and packing, the stomach has a way of letting you know that it's time to eat!!! My little chicklets have a way letting me know that, too!

Even if I weren't getting any physical exercise, the comic strip below brought me comfort that even working at a computer leads to some weight loss.

Have a great weekend!

Lauren's Prayers Are Answered!

I've been eagerly awaiting the day when I could make this important announcement. Terry has resigned as Pastor here at Northside Baptist Church and has accepted the pastorate of Grace Baptist Church in Hope, Arkansas. We are taking a church that not only has children, but teenagers as well! Lauren's prayers have been answered! That's right, God heard, and indeed answered, an eight year old girl's prayers! What a mighty God we serve, and how wonderful He is to us!
We usually take our annual trip to Arkansas around the first part of May, but when Terry was asked to preach in view of a call in Hope on April 20th, we moved our vacation up a wee bit.We were not looking for a place to go. In fact, the Lord has really been blessing our work here - oh, not by giving us huge numbers or large offerings, but in baby steps. Here a little, there a little. We have been anticipating great things in 2008 - and trust me, a move was not one of them. Here are a few interesting things about all of this that really meant nothing until we received the call to Grace Baptist Church:
1. As stated before, we were not looking to leave. This was all done in God's timing. An evangelist friend felt he should put our name in at this church, and it was of the Lord. They phoned Terry on April 2nd, and he drove to Hope to meet them on April 4th. They asked him to preach on April 20th. He preached there and we were called, unanimously, on April 27, 2008. That can only be the Lord!
2. We have had a real peace that God would bless our efforts to serve Him here, even when the battles were great. I've been using Hebrews 11:6 as my strength. It says: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Again, I was expecting the rewards to be given here in Burnet, but God had other plans.
3. We did not notice until after we were asked to go in view of a call that the stationary Terry had printed (at a costly amount) back in February did not have his name as Pastor on it! He did not do this intentionally, but I do not believe it was a coincidence. The church can continue to use this stationary after we are gone.
4. We are almost through with school for the year. This is a blessing! The children will not be uprooted from a school and friends because we home school...another benefit.
5. Terry had just discontinued our website (biblewaytexas.com) in mid March! (Although, as of now, it may still be going.) He simply felt he should end it. Again, it was of the Lord.
6. I have been unable to decide what theme to go with for a Mother/Daughter banquet. The Lord seemed silent on this subject, so I had decided to not have one this year.
7. I had just discontinued my monthly ladies newsletter due to financial and time constraints.
None of the above seemed very extraordinary at the time, but now, it seems clear it was God guiding us all along the way.

We make our move on May 15th! Grace Baptist Church is full of loving people. We had a feeling of being at home from the moment we walked through the door. The thought of packing and moving doesn't exactly thrill me, but at least I've got experience. :o) This will be my 8th move in 10 years of marriage. Yes, please pray for me.The church has a parsonage. I am unsure of the address as of this time, but I'll be posting my new information soon.
I praise the Lord for the success He's granted us here at Northside. We have not accrued any debt in the church's name. We have not seen the church split over something minute. We have seen souls saved on soul winning, and one saved in church. We have conducted a successful VBS (with only a few workers) and saw 7 girls saved. We've held Bible Institute classes, and a Ladies Bible Study. We have started Super Church. We have taken on five new missionaries for a total of 14. We have done a lot of work on the church building and parsonage. We are thankful to be able to say that we are leaving it better than we found it.
It will not be easy to say goodbye. We are dreading it. Please pray for us, the people here, and for the church to find a pastor quickly.I suppose my "Life in the Hill Country" is about to come to a close. I'm thankful that my life hasn't yet! :o) I am not sure if we will have Internet access in Hope. If so, I'll be starting a new blog. If not, well, I guess this will be it for a while.
Thanks for staying with me, guys. I hope we can keep in touch. Until then, I'll be keeping you posted on the joys of packing, moving and starting over...again!

Full Circle

The following is a little something I wrote on March 5, 2008. I love to write, and pour out my feelings on paper...or on a screen! ;o) The Lord brought this to mind again, and I wanted to share it with you. It was a lesson that I really needed!

Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Most of you know that my church is small. My husband is the Pastor and we have four kids. My kids are the only ones in the church. My eight year old daughter is often discouraged because she doesn't have any friends. At least once a week she goes forward during the invitation, (and is often the only one there) and asks Terry to pray with her that God will send her friends. As a Mom, this touches my heart.
I was recently explaining to the Lord myself that Lauren really needed friends; I told Him that it was very hard for a girl to not have friends. It was then that Lord said to me that He knew exactly what He was doing, and was I doubting Him? He then brought to my mind a fellow that my husband was friends with when his Dad pastored a small church in Virginia. From what Terry had said about him he wasn't a great influence - but he was all he had! I asked my husband if his life was made better or worse by his one friend and he said "Definitely worse. That guy tried to get me and my brother (a year younger) to do things that could have killed us (i.e. stunts that were dangerous. The Lord graciously protected him during these years). He tried to get me to sneak out of the house one night when he stayed over at our house...my Dad caught us just in time."
It was at that moment that I looked toward Heaven with a tear in my eye and thanked Him for NOT giving my daughter friends. I apologized for questioning His wisdom. I saw clearly that having no friends is better than having one bad friend. The Lord had brought me full circle. I went from being unhappy about a situation, to actually thanking Him for it!
God loves me, and He does know best.

The Dump Truck at my Door

I awoke to the loud beeping of a reverse alarm and an engine noise near my house. This truck sounded strangely close. It wasn't trash day. There was no construction going on in my area. What could this be? I reached for my bathrobe on the bedpost, and without even stopping by a mirror to comb my hair, I went to the front window. Before my eyes, and my front door, was a large dump truck. My heart started pounding. What in the world was this?! I heard the hydraulic lift raising the bed of the dump truck. Just then, a knock on my door. I ran to open the door, despite my "sleepy head" appearance. A man stood before me in cover-alls to guard against the nippy start to the day. "Hi ya, lady. Where do want the load today?" The man had a kind of northern accent, and was chewing gum. (I thought this to be quite odd at 6 AM. I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet!) Pushing these thoughts aside, I stared at him rather blankly. "Load?" I asked. "Yeah." he replied. "Ya know, your load of benefits for the day? Just tell me where ya want 'em and sign here." He said, shoving a clipboard with an attached pen in my face.
"Oh. Of course!" I said, looking down at the paper before me. It read:
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
This was my daily load of benefits from my Father! I hastily signed my name and smiled. "I'll take them right here." I said pointing at my office, where I read my Bible every day, and talked to my Father. "Okey dokey!" the man said to me while smacking his gum. He released the back of the truck and I watched in amazement as the benefits poured into my home! There was good health for the day. I saw "love, joy, peace, gentleness, long-suffering, meekness, goodness, faith and temperance". There was the Holy Spirit! I saw "good husband, Mother, children, sister, brother, and in-laws" pass by me. I smiled at "godly and praying friends" as it rolled past me. I had a tear to my eye when I watched "a goodly heritage" come inside my home. It was a blessing to my heart to open a small package that contained "God's compassion for the day. Lamentations 3:22-23" There were so many more, that I haven't time to tell you all of them! I did not earn any of these benefits! They are all just perks to the Christian life.
How could I forget that these benefits would be arriving? This was something that the Lord gave me everyday! Probably because, like all of us, I tend to take things for granted. Nevertheless, the Lord is there everyday, with His "dump truck" load of benefits and blessings. Today, however, I was reminded to thank Him for them.

Of course, this story is fictional, springing forth from my overly-active imagination! I thought that if I could literally receive a "load of benefits" at my front door everyday, then maybe I would be more grateful for that which I already do receive everyday! Because they aren't always visible, I often forget about the benefits and blessings that the Lord bestows upon me every single day of my life, and for eternity! Why, even during times of trial and testing, His "load of benefits" still arrives at my "door" every morning.
I thank the Lord for this unspeakable gift!

He Makes My Home Heaven on Earth

I was through with guys for quite some time, at least I thought so. Little did I know the man of my dreams, the man that I never thought I could get, would come along during a deep valley in my life and literally sweep me off me feet. No, he did not buy me a huge diamond. I don't drive an SUV. I don't get the latest fashions or live in a condo on the beach. Instead, I had a man pursue me with all that was in him. He never gave up on trying to win my heart. And he succeeded. Today, I live a home where I am loved and even adored. This love and admiration I know I do not deserve, yet Terry looks past my faults and sees the good. He is a wonderful picture of Christ. Christ loved me in spite of my faults. Christ loved me so much that He gave me a home in heaven someday, and a home that is heaven on Earth today. Terry is the reason for my heavenly abode!

I have a husband who is honest with me about myself. Yes, this sometimes hurts. But sometimes, love hurts. He is loving. He is thoughtful. He is hard working. He is wise beyond his years. He is faithful to the Lord first, to me second, our kids third, his parents fourth and to our church family fifth. He has his priorities in order. He fixes brakes for our church people for free. He takes me on dates to the Olive Garden!! (YES!) He takes the kids fishing. He cleans my Mom's gutters. He works on her car, in the hot sun. He bathes the kids when I am running late, or just to give me a break. He babysits our church kids so the ladies can attend our ladies fellowships or the Bible Study.

Terry doesn't go out and shake hands with the Mayor or the Chief of Police. He isn't trying to get in good with big name preachers. He isn't wanting a full page story in the newspaper. He is content with serving, working and loving behind the scenes.

Someday, I'll tell you all just how wonderful he is. I'll tell you how we met at 14 and couldn't stand each other!! I'll tell you about how his life took a detour from the Lord, and how the Lord righted his vessel. I'll tell you how he finally convinced me, and my Dad, to give him a chance. I'll tell you how he's weathered betrayal, disappointment, and even threats on his life for the cause of Christ. For now, I'll just tell you that I am so unworthy to be loved by such a wonderful man. He often tells me how he "married above himself in the caste system". The truth is, I'm the pauper in this relationship. I'm the beggar who married a prince.

Happy birthday, Terry.

I love you.

Happy Birthday To a Great Gal in Illinois

Misty, left, with her friend Melissa. I got this photo from her blog!!

Terry's cousin, (and my friend for many years prior to our marriage), Misty, had a birthday yesterday!! I'm still in Arkansas, and felt terrible yesterday when I remembered it was her birthday. I couldn't get on the computer to wish her a happy birthday then, so here is a belated birthday wish.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTY! So sorry I missed you yesterday. I hope you had a wonderful day. I hope you got to watch the fights, eat cake and ice cream, and get waited on hand and foot!!
Thanks for keeping in touch with me through the Internet and thanks for being a great cousin to all of us! I only wish we were closer to you so we could celebrate together!!!
We miss you!

Love from the whole gang:
Terry, Valerie, Lauren, Mitchell, Leslie and Laci