Saturday, December 25, 2004

One Big Happy Framily!!!!

Today could have been a day where three single ladies could have been very lonely and depressed. A few years ago, this divorced, single lady moved in with one of those other single ladies. Today we invited another single lady who was alone, to join us in celebration of our Savior's birth. None of us has any family here. I have my two kids but no extended family. This Christmas we came together...a single mom with two kids, a single woman who has never been married, and an elderly woman who's children are grown and husband is gone. We were one big happy framily!



If all the lonely people in this world reached out to other lonely people in this world....there wouldn't be lonely people at Christmas.

Miss Virginia and Christmas Blessings

Whew!



My compliments to the cook, Katie who prepared a fantastic Christmas dinner of ham and all the works! Mmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmm!



When we invited Miss Virginia for dinner, as I shared in the last post, she baked a pecan pie. When she brought it over, it was still hot. What we didn't know at the time is that although it was hot, it hadn't finished baking! LOL Katie finished baking it today and she feared that Miss Virginia would notice that the pie was a bit darker. Miss Virginia came over and saw it and said "I hope it's not too done. My son called while I was baking it and I lost track and I am so worried that it is burned." Katie just said that she put it in the over to warm it and left it a tad longer than she had intended, but that it was not burned. It was a delicious pecan pie and we were blessed that Miss Virginia so appreciated being invited to Christmas dinner that she baked it for the framily.



Miss Virginia arrived for dinner at the 2 o'clock scheduled time. Katie wasn't quite ready to put dinner on the table so Tif and I were left to welcome our guest and commence the conversation. This idea terrified me because I am an introvert and do not do well in situations where I need to chat with people I barely know. I quickly learned that with Miss Virginia I had nothing to fear because when it comes to conversation she has a corner on the market!



We were told many stories, some of them twice. She shared all she knew about the neighbor's vocations and stressed the importance of a good education. She is a retired teacher and had some things to share about that as well. Many of the stories were fun, but the topper was when she shared about her experience as a new mother some fifty odd years ago. She said "I just didn't know what to do with all that poo poo" LOLOLOL "You laugh because you think it's a joke, but we didn't have all this disposable diaper stuff that there is now. We used cloth diapers that we had to hand wash. I didn't know what to do with all that poo poo! Giant piles of poo poo! I didn't have a mother or a father and I had no one to learn from. I remember the nurse giving me a list of things to expect with a newborn and that I read on there to expect 25 poo poos a day" LOLOLOLOL Tif and I busted out laughing so hard! I could barely breathe!



Oh boy that was funny!



Miss Virginia was so excited to have been invited and after dinner she made sure to take some pictures. She loved the tree and kept complimenting Katie on how she decorated the house for Christmas "it the prettiest one on the circle" she'd exclaim. She took some pictures of the framily and we made sure to get her in some of them as well. I'm so glad she accepted the invitation and joined us for Christmas dinner.



It was a great way to celebrate Jesus today, by inviting a lonely person to share a meal with us. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Christ, the Savior of the world, whom God sent to us to reconcile man to himself. Through Jesus we are invited to join Him in His Kingdom. Like Miss Virginia had a choice to accept our invitation or not, God too gives us all a choice to join Him. I'm so thankful that I accepted His invitation and all the blessings that come with it.



It has been a merry Christmas with the framily, and I hope that you too, found a way to celebrate Christ's birth in a special way today.

Friday, December 24, 2004

Miss Virginia, Our Very Special Guest

Miss Virginia is an elderly neighbor lady. She lives across the street and is very proud of her magnolia tree that invades the entire front of her yard. The kids like to hide in it, but she usually shoos them away and worries that they may have broken a branch or two. She is quick to nit pick the landscaping of each property in the circle, and watches everything that goes on.



Miss Virginia is the neighborhood lady who always seems to know what is going on with everyone around here. Of course, what she "knows", or shares, isn't necessarily true, or maybe isn't even close to accurate, but she feels it necessary to offer an opinion about it anyway. She is harmless enough, and in conversations with her we usually end up shaking our heads in wonder and show quizzical expressions on our faces. Talking a short while with Miss Virginia, one will soon realize that she is "not all there". Many of her stories don't make any sense, and she will often "remember" things that never happened. It can be somewhat awkward to be around Miss Virginia, but she is a sweet lady with a kind heart.



Recently she mentioned to Katie that her grown children live too far away to visit her and rarely do they come, not even for special holidays. I can't think of a time I have ever noticed visitors at her house, although, I don't usually keep an eye on such things anyway.



This Christmas Katie and I decided to invite Miss Virginia over to share Christmas Dinner with the framily. It was one of those things that honestly, we didn't necessarily want to do, but we knew it was the right thing to do. It is what Jesus would do.



Well, it's amazing what God does as he multiplies blessings for those who choose to follow Him. As soon as she received our invitation, she must have immediately started to work. A few moments ago, Miss Virginia hand delivered a pecan pie, fresh from the oven! Still hot! She left a card with us that blessed us big. It is a simple friendship card, but it is what she shared in it that carries the most meaning. It is the part that affirmed that we did right by inviting her to dinner with us to celebrate the birth of our Savior.



She wrote:



"It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you...everytime you smile and offer your hand" (she quoted it but didn't name the source)



(of course, you do not need this pie, but I have just baked it for you--pecan pies freeze well, for New Years, Valentines, and Easter ~~~)





Then she wrote:



Dear, dear ones...what a nice surprise, and heart-warming gesture with this invitation~~just when I needed it most!!!!





Just when she needed it most! God's timing is perfect! I'm glad we followed His lead!



The card had a scripture that read "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you" Philippians 1:3 and to that Miss Virginia added how she thanked God for the time Katie rescued her from the Exxon when her car broke down. Problem is, Katie never rescued her and neither did I! LOL Who knows if she was ever really broken down! LOL



So, Christmas dinner should be very interesting tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. For the past few holidays the framily has been invited to eat elsewhere, but tomorrow, we shall be the host for a very special guest in Miss Virginia.



It may be the start of a new framily tradition!

Yay! Christmas is Here!

Yay! I just got home from work, ate some Cocoa Puffs, because I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, and now I'm relaxing because Christmas is here!



I'm very excited about it...not only is it a day off, it will be a day to share fun and laughter with the framily and celebrate Jesus' birth with scripture reading, a meal together and just some good framily time together.



Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 19, 2004

Spatulatches, the Commercial

Is your home in need of repair, but you just don't have the funds to do it?



or the know how?



Let me present to you a quick and easy solution to a nagging problem for those who need to update the kitchen, and it will work for the most frugal of homeowners.



The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home. It is also one of the most abused rooms in the home.



There is constant activity as the place where meals are created and served. It is a place of extreme temperatures from the fires of the oven and the nuclear capability of the microwave, to the frozen tundra of the "self-defrosting" freezer. Then those cabinet doors opening and closing multiple times a day. All of these things cause wear and tear on the kitchen.



Eventually, those cabinets start opening on their own. No matter what you do, they won't remain closed. Go ahead, slam it shut once and a few minutes later, it will again creep open. Like making the bed improves the look of the bedroom, kitchen cabinets that are closed give a kitchen that tidy appearance. Cabinets are made to be closed so we don't have to see all the "junk" behind the door!



Also, cabinet doors can prove to be hazardous to your health when you stumble into the kitchen in the dark looking for that midnight snack, when WHACK! you crack your head on that solid piece of wood which no longer has a sharp corner, but a very dull one because of the impression it left in your skull.



We have got a solution for those pesky, rebellious and hazardous cabinet doors that have a mind of their own!



Spatulatches!





While keeping the decor of the kitchen, they serve a two-fold purpose...keeping the cabinets closed, which in turn keeps your kitchen looking neat and your family safe, and then they are readily available when one needs to whip up some cake batter!



Spatulatches are available in a wide variety of colors and sizes to match your kitchen decorating needs.



Spatulatches are available anywhere you can find kitchen utensils, well, for example...anywhere you can buy a spatula!



Spatulatches are inexpensive and can be purchased individually or in a multi-pack.





You can see from the picture exactly how a spatulatch can work for you.



The spatulatch was invented out of necessity and Katie's determination to win the battle against the kitchen cabinet's persistance. Sue coined the term when she exclaimed "Ha! You've invented spatulatches! Cool! I'll have to blog about that!"



And like so many fine inventions, this post will eventually work its way down the page and off the main blog into the archives, where it will be forgotten and along with the post, the great invention will be lost until some day in the future, an Internet Arheologist digs up what remains of the idea. They will ponder why spatulatches never caught on!

Saturday, December 18, 2004

I Don't Wanna Wake Up!

The other day my alarm clock went off for 20 minutes before I actually heard it. I imagine it was because I was in the midst of the most wonderful dream I think I ever had. It was a dream about love, romance, chivalry, grace, mercy...in its most perfect form.



In the beginning it was scary. I was in the midst of a war zone. But all of a sudden I was in the presence of the Lover of my Soul. Me, my children, and all of my brothers and sisters in Christ were running in fear when out of nowhere, these big huge arms reached down and we were instantly caught up to a place where everything was white, and misty and peaceful. I felt love like I have never felt before. It was so amazing. Then I saw this huge table that seemed to go on forever....it was just like a painting. It was set for royalty...a feast like I have never seen. Then I saw His arms reaching out through the mist again..over the table. With His palms up, he stretched out his hands over the table and opened them wide as He said, "Come and dine with me".



I saw others there but it was as if they were in Spirit..kinda transparent but beautiful. I felt whole in body but I was like them as well. It was really strange but felt so right...so peaceful..so absolutely undescribably wonderful. Even though I knew others were there...I didn't care. I only wanted to see Jesus...just like the song... I didn't want to see my precious grandmother who has passed away, or anybody else...I just wanted to fall at His feet and worship the One who died so that I might be in that very place experiencing perfection in the presence of God. I just wanted to spend the rest of eternity at His feet crying, "Holy, Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!" Just like the Bible says we will do. Nothing mattered..nothing...Just Jesus.



That was it. Then I heard the alarm. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay asleep and continue the dream.



I know that what I experienced was absolutely nothing compared to what it will really be like to finally dwell in His presence for all eternity. I can only imagine! My heart groans with all creation for His return!

Friday, December 17, 2004

Day of Fire

Day of Fire was given a good review from CCM Magazine so buy it for someone for Christmas!



Here's my suggestions for some of this years best in Christian rock music:



(In no particular order)





Those are some suggestions for you and I encourage you to follow some of those links and listen to some audio clips. I think you'll like what you hear because it's some really great, God-glorifying music...IT ALL ROCKS!

Memphis 13th on Dangerous List

Most dangerous cities



In its latest City Crime Rankings released this week, Morgan Quitno Press ranked Memphis as the nation's 13th most dangerous city. Here's the 15 worst:



1. Camden, N.J.

2. Detroit

3, Atlanta

4. St. Louis

5. Gary, Ind.

6. Washington

7. Hartford, Conn.

8. New Orleans

9. Richmond, Va.

10. Birmingham

11. Baltimore

12. Richmond, Calif.

13. Memphis

14. Jackson, Miss.

15. Tampa, Fla.



That's not too good for Memphis when they are worse than New York, Los Angeles or Cleveland. Of course Memphis officials are scoffing at this listing saying that:

"These things come out two, three, four times every year, no two of them agree with each other, they are conducted by for-profit companies, they do not have full-time criminologists on staff, to my knowledge they are not affiliated with research universities or institutions," said Grey Mobley, senior research associate at the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.





I suppose though that had they been named the one of the safest places to live, the attitude toward the ranking would be different.



----



In other news, a tragedy at the Crystal Cathedral when long time orchestra conductor, Johnnie Carl, opened fire on congregants arriving for the Christmas Pageant before barricading himself in a bathroom where he killed himself. He was conductor at the Cathedral for 29 years and arranged/recorded music for Celine Dion, John Tesh and Michael Crawford. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

I can't imagine hurting so much and being without hope to the point of killing oneself. Tragic.



Tuesday, December 14, 2004

All I Want for Christmas

Katie is blessed beyond words that her 12-year old daughter asked for THIS for Christmas.



I was listening to a Focus on the Family program this morning on WAMP 88.1 when I took the kids to school. There was an interview with a jewelry designer sharing about purity signet rings. Unbeknownst to me, Tiffany was listening intently and came home to share about what she heard with her mom and practically begged for one. I think that's cool!



These purity rings are signet rings. They are engraved with a special symbol significant to the owner which is used to press into wax that seals a purity commitment letter.



From the Samaritan Arts website:



Included with our Signet Purity Ring is a card that describes how the signet ring has been used for centuries to seal a letter so that its contents would remain secure until the one for whom the letter was intended received it and opened it. Our ring package also contains a covenant card in the form of a letter to the young person's future spouse describing the commitment before God to remain sexually pure as a wedding gift.





So, on the wedding day, the ring wearer gives the purity commitment letter to her spouse as a wedding gift, then he breaks the seal and opens it to read about her commitment before God.



It's beautiful!



We'll have to start saving up for that one!

Sisters' Weblog: It Bloggles the Mind!

As I've made banners for the Blog Explosion rotation, it got me to thinking that people might wonder about this blog's title and what the different banners refer to. While some of it is self-explanatory and obvious, maybe other things aren't...especially to visitors only here for the obligatory thirty seconds.



"Sister's Weblog" refers to the fact that Sue (me) and Katie are sisters in Christ. We are not blood sisters, or related to each other in any way except in the family of God.



One banner says that we are two completely different women, "loved by the same man". That man is Jesus Christ and I used that banner to spark some interest and apparently it works with the click thru % I'm getting on that one! Katie and I are completely different too! I am an introvert and love my alone time, she on the other hand is an extreme extrovert and can strike up conversations with anyone. One time she even had a woman follow her home from Walmart to get the giant bag of cedar chips for her guinea pig, after ours died and we had no more use for it. A total stranger! Followed her home! LOL I am "not the mom" and she is the mother of two teens, but we all share a home together and call ourselves a framily. Actually, any friend of ours is considered a framily member. She likes to spend hours fixing her hair and makeup and dressing all pretty to go out for coffee at a local cafe. I like to throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and play on the computer for hours at a time. We both acknowledge that only God could have matched us up as friends who could manage to share a house together. Anyone who knows us would agree that we are two totally different kinds of people, but when a common bond is God, things have a tendency to work out.



Another banner I use says "we share the same blood you know...boy! moths sure do stink when they burn!" This refers to a comical moment in our early online history. Katie and I were internet buddies and would IM through ICQ quite a lot. I am adopted and have no knowledge of any blood relative at all, so that whole concept intrigues me, you know...actually looking like a family member, sharing traits and all that stuff. Well, one day as Katie and I chatted online, the conversation turned personal and she blessed my soul when she said "we share the same blood you know". I sat back in my chair pondering that wonderful sentiment and how deeply it touched me. I didn't have a chance to type anything in reply, when another message from Katie arrived and it said "Boy! Moths sure do stink when they burn!" because apparently a moth got caught in a lamp near her and got a little too close to the light and burned. That sure did ruin a tender moment in our friendship! LOL



"It Bloggles the Mind!" is a play on words and comes from that fact that I love to ponder things. I like my mind to be boggled, and nothing boggles my mind more than the grace, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness and love of God. At times on the Sisters' Weblog, we ponder and blog out our thoughts on scripture or other facets of Christianity and God things. Early in our friendship Katie and I would read and study scripture until all hours of the morning. We would blow each other's minds with some of the ponderables we'd share and it was great fun. I miss those days! Life and work have a tendency to interrupt stuff like that, but we still study...we just need our rest too.



So, that's a bit of information for you about the title of this blog. I hope you enjoy your visit to the Sister's Weblog and thanks for stopping by!

Monday, December 13, 2004

Toboggan Jump

I found this at a blog surfing BE...drat! I don't know where I found it so I can't give due credit! GRRRRR Well, go to wedudesign Toboggan Jump and kill 30 seconds...but, I bet you'll forget to watch the clock tick by! It's rather addicting and it makes me laugh out loud!

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Why? Why? Why?

Why is it necessary to package sinus & cold tablets in such away that I need wire cutters, ginsu knives, and a jackhammer to get the blasted things out!?!



I'M SICK AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS FIGHT WITH PLASTIC AND TIN FOIL!

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Madrigal Dinner

Back in college I had a gig each holiday season playing fanfares for the Madrigal Dinners at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, OH. It was fun and I enjoyed it.



A Madrigal Dinner is a meal and entertainment set in the 13th - 15/16th century. We have to dress in costumes of the era, which tonight had me in a tunic as a trumpeter announcing different events of the evening. There is the court complete with King and Queen, and court entertainers including jesters and troubadours. Music is the madrigal, which was a popular form of secular music of that day.



The other trumpet player tonight I had just met for this gig. We ran down the four fanfares and were ready to go. As we chatted I learned that in the mid to late 1980's, he was studying music in Cincinnati. I quickly formulated that there was a good possibility that he may know one of my former band directors, so I asked "Do you know Scott Nelson?" and he said "Yes! I knew him well, and Tom (another trumpet player mainly responsible for me getting any gigs in Jackson, like that whole Johnny Cash Band thing last summer) knew him really well!" Wow! Small world!



Scott Nelson was one of my middle school band directors and my high school band director my freshman and sophomore years at Highland High School. He was a great director and wonderful teacher. One of those who taught life lessons, not just trumpet lessons, and I always think back to those days with fondness. Especially the Pictures at an Exhibition halftime show! Memories!



Have any memories of high school to share?

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Kids Say the Darndest Things

I was at work the other day and the children started coming in for the before school program. One of my favorite little boys (about 6 or 7 years old) walked in behind his mother. As she signed him in, I decided to make conversation and asked him, "Are you ready for a visit from Santa?"



With the most serious expression he replied, "Santa's Dead".



I assume by the look on my face he thought I didn't understand so he attempted to clear things up by explainint to me that, "St. Nicholas is the real Santa and he died a long time ago."



I realize that some parents teach their children about the real St. Nicholas instead of the legend of Santa Claus. However, this was most definately not the answer I had expected! Kids! LOL.



Creative Juices Flowing

Blog Explosion has inspired yet something else for me to do, as if I am not busy enough!



Now I've been making banners to help promote the Sisters' Weblog at BE. The first banner I did was quick and simple. It was just something simple so that I could get a banner in the rotation quickly. Boy, that was redundant! I just paraphrased my own sentence and said the same thing twice!



Anyway, here are the three banners I've made, the first two are in the BE rotation, the last is awaiting approval. The presentation of the banners at BE are on white backgrounds, so if you want to see them with a white background, just click on them.













So, now I'm curious what the average click through on banners is? Right now my first banner has a click thru of 8.90% and has been shown almost 3800 times. My second banner has been shown just 438 times with a click thru of 5.84%. I figure that the second banner won't draw as many because I know that some folks avoid "God blogs" and that banner uses the very "offensive" word *gasp* "Christ".



So, what kind of click through percentages are you seeing for your banners?

Music News

First I saw this story Rocking for Christ at CBS news. It is an interesting story about Third Day, Kanye West and P.O.D.'s Christian influence on the top music of today. I was surprised to see a story such as this in the MSM.



Then I saw the story about Jay-Z becoming the president of Def Jam Records at USA Today.



Then I saw a horrific headline at DRUDGE: NIGHTCLUB SLAUGHTER



Shortly after the band began playing its first song, a man apparently ran onto the stage and began shooting, according to a witness who identified himself as Sean. At first, some members of the audience may have thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act, WCMH reported.



Apparantly five have been killed, including the gunmen. What is wrong with people?



One thing that struck me about the quote was the part that said "some members of the audience may have thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act".



What kind of society do we live in where our first reaction to a scene such as this is that it's part of the "entertainment"?

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Blog Explosion Observations

Blog Explosion has me addicted to blogging and blog surfing again. I've been a pretty consistent blogger since I started in September of 2002, never really going more than a week between posts, and I've always been steady about reading through my blogroll, but BE has brought some new excitement to hunting down some new sites.



I find myself staying up past my bedtime to earn more credits. Just a few more credits! I work retail so this time of year is NOT the time to lose sleep due to a blogging addiction! There I am, sitting at the keyboard, earning those surfing credits and enjoying the reads I find until the wee hours of the night morning. It's sad really.



I'll be sitting here staring at the monitor saying to myself, after the next few credits earned surfing, I'll get to bed. Then I win 2 mystery credits and I figure I'll try to hold out until the next mystery credit window appears sponteously. So, I continue surfing and reading until my head starts bobbing and my eyes start moving side to side uncontrollably fast.



This brings me to mention some things I've noticed about BE:



  • First off, I have blogmarked a few blogs and I appreciate the fact that Blog Explosion led me to find these new blog reads. I like that feature!



  • I like earning credits for surfing, although I don't know why. In the grand scheme of life, these credits amount to nothing. Then again, everything is a chasing after the wind.



  • I quickly filled up my "do not view" list though and wish I could add more sites to the list. I think that 25 "do not view" sites is too few. I guess I must be easily offended! Actually, many of the sites I send to the "DNV" list are "commercial" blogging sites. Other sites I send there because they deal with content I couldn't care less about like recipes, sports, gardening, or they are simply offensive to me because of the content.



  • Oh, and the profanity "filter" doesn't seem to work very well, either that or people aren't necessarily being truthful about their blog content. A few words here and there I can live with, but some of the posts I have come across simply use language I don't want to read or graphics that I find offensive.



  • I would like to see BE allow me to have more control over the type of sites I encounter while surfing and earning credits. For example, if someone likes recipes and gardening tips, they should be able to indicate a preference and then the "random" surfing could lead you through blogs with that kind of content. I guess having the ability to add more sites to the "DNV" list would also help in this area because it would automatically avoid sites that I didn't want to see, and after awhile, all that would be left would be the sites I find acceptable.



  • One thing I find most annoying is when I follow a link some blog pointed me to, and it leads away from the page. The BE error pops up to say "Did you try to close the window? If not please report this site to us, Site ID: #### You can also report the site after logging in again. Click report site and report the second site from the top." There is no way to avoid closing the browser window from this point. I even contacted BE about this and the response I received said that at this point they are Javascript limitations that won't allow it. I have trained myself to right click links to open in new window to avoid this problem.



  • One suggestion to those who list their blog on BE is to have your web addy visibly posted or linked to a button or something so I can snatch the http address. I suggest this because there are times I find a blog and want to bookmark it in my browser or blogroll immediately, but I can't find the actual web address. I know I can do that by going back to my BE blogmarks, but it would be so much simpler if people made their blog addy readily available. You can snatch the web address from the Sister's Weblog button in the left menu. I'm surprised by the number of blogs I can not find an address on! What would you do if you had to call 911? and the police came? and the fire department came? and they couldn't find you because your address isn't visible?



  • Something else I've noticed...while I'm not big on commenting very often, I have noticed that some blogs really rake in the ratings and the comments, yet other blogs are left virtually untouched. Obviously the controversial posts will gain attention, but I'm talking about blogs in which I can find really no rhyme or reason as to why there is such a feeding frenzy or why there is a commenting drought. I can't seem to find the pattern for blogs that get the action, and blogs that don't. I'm curious...what prompts a person to rate a site? or to comment? or to blogmark it? or to add it to the "do not view" list?



So, those are just some quick observations about Blog Explosion that I have. Do you have any to add?



Congratulations, if you read this entire post, you have successfully managed to stay here for more than thirty seconds. In fact, depending on the speed of your reading, you probably lasted a good two minutes! You may continue surfing now, or if you so choose, add more BE observations in the comments section of this post.



Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Ask Me a Question

Well, I came across something new that I haven't seen before. It could be interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try.



The site I found is Twenty Questions and I got there by way of a blog I happened across surfing Blog Explosion. Unfortunately, I can't remember what blog that was (one of my very few gripes about BE, not being about to "go back") or I'd give due credit. Satinevega is the person's Twenty Questions nick, so that will have to do I guess.



Anyway, I thought it would give you a chance to find out more about me. You can click and Ask me a question. So, what is it that you have always wanted to know about Sue?

Monday, December 06, 2004

Nations Prove His Glory

Yesterday at church we sang "Joy to the World". When it came to the part "He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love", I became very moved because of the fact that throughout history, the nations have proven the glory of His righteousness and wonders of His love. I started to blog about it and I remembered that I had been touched by this and blogged about it before. So, I researched the archives and found this blog from December of 2002.



As I read it, I realized that what I wanted to write about tonight remains the same as it was two years ago. So, instead of doing all that extra work, I decided to copy and paste the blog here:



Joy to the World!



For some reason, this Christmas, I have heard this song in a different way than ever before. So many times we sing our familiar Christmas carols without really getting a grasp on the message that God may have for us through the words. I remember the first time I braved singing a Christmas solo at church. It was 'O Holy Night'. I was singing it at home and got so touched and spoken to that I decided to sing it for our church. This was many years ago. I'll never forget the moment. God spoke to me the entire time I was singing. I was moved to tears. I wasn't even paying attention to how I was singing. When it was over, apparently God had used me to reach out and touch many. One special, unforgetable lady, asked me to sing it every year.





This year, God has done it to me again. It's not a big emotional thing, but He has caused me to ponder a verse in Joy to the World. That verse would be "He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love." I really don't know how to explain my ponderings about this verse but, just the phrase itself proves His majesty and that indeed He is the one in control and all authority belongs to Him. He does make the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of His love. Throughout history we have seen it. When a nation lives according to His will, that nation is blessed beyond words. But as a nation turns from Him, disaster is the consequence. Yet, His love and mercy always shines through it all. It all began in the garden of Eden. It has continued throughout history.





I have been reading through the Bible with Sue this year(2002). One thing we keep saying is how redundant it is. God blesses, the people worship Him, then they forget His blessings and turn from Him. Next they begin to suffer the consequences of their poor choices to rely on themselves and other false Gods. God warns them of these consequences but they don't listen. Then at their lowest moment, they realize that they can not live without God. So they return to Him with repentant hearts and He blesses them beyond words once again. Then they drift away again and the cycle begins once more. It's history. We never learn do we? Even in my own personal life I find this pattern all to common. But one thing is for sure....In my times of rebellion, He makes me prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love. You see, just like all of mankind throughout history, I have a tendency to rely on myself and this world when I should rely solely on God at all times and in all things. When I try to live outside His will, my life ends up in a mess. But, when I come back to Him, He blesses me beyond words. Sometimes He even blesses me in my rebellion by sending just the right person, or scripture, or verse in a song to draw me back to Him and to let me know that I do indeed need Him to have complete authority over my life.





The world in which we live is in such rebellion. But when disaster hits such as 911, we see massive amounts of people turning to God. They run out of ideas, they see that 'self' isn't enough. They turn to God. Sooner or later, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I'd rather it be sooner myself. What's so amazing about it all is His loving mercy and grace. He truly is loving, joyful, PATIENT, peaceful, kind, good and faithful. He forgives us seventy times seven.....just as He commands that we forgive others. Even in our rebellion, even in a world dominated by sin and unrighteousness........He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove.........





And yet so many still deny that HE IS





This is my Christmas card to all of you. When you sing about the babe in a manger, may you become like a little child, full of awe and wonder at His majesty, completely dependent, trusting in Him alone to be the ruler of your life. May you hear a new Christmas message when you sing old familiar carols. My Christmas wish to you is for you to experience the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.





Let earth recieve her King

Let every heart prepare Him room





Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Symphony and a Night of Praise

I've been having fun this weekend! Last night I performed with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra for the Holiday Pops Concert. It was fun. I spent the morning at work, then early afternoon was rehearsal and the performance last night. Woo! I'm tired!



So, now I'm up for church after having prepared some stuff for SaLT group this morning NOT answering the question posed below "What happens to people who die who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ", and I'll get back to you on that after the discussion this morning.



Worship this morning, then in early afternoon I have another rehearsal to prepare for tonight's Night of Praise at Englewood Baptist Church. I LOVE playing for these things! Great music all performed unto the Lord! Woohooo! I get chill bumps and I think the angels join us in worship! YES!

Friday, December 03, 2004

Poll

Here are a couple of polls for you:



















Arrival
How is it that you arrived at this blog today?
Blog Explosion
Search Engine
My personal bookmark
A Blog Directory (Eaton, Blogs4God, Blogorama, etc.)
I have no idea where I am or how I got here
View Result
Free Web Polls




















Reasons
Why are you taking part in this poll?
I love polls!
It's better than reading this blog!
It's an easy way to kill off 30 seconds for my Blog Explosion credit!
View Result
Free Web Polls

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Study Question for SaLT Group

The study question for SaLT with WaLT on Sunday is:



What happens to people who die and never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?



...pondering...





Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Le ers a e Mi i g Fr m My K ybo rd

I hate when I blog so much that the letters have worn off my keyboard!



The "R" is completely gone, the "E" looks like an "L" the "M and "N" are gone and I keep having to remind myself that on a keyboard the "N" comes before "M"! The "K" and "L" are all but gone as well. The "V" is only a \ and many other letters are showing signs of wear.



I wonder if the whole keyboard in the dishwasher thing is finally taking it's toll?



Is it time to get out the Sharpie?

"Answers" for Matt

This is the comment I posted at Matt's ModBlog on his post Are you a Christian?



Last I checked there was quite a bit of discussion going on over there in regards to his questions. If you would like to join the discussion, go HERE.



Ron posted his thoughts HERE, and you'll see mine below.



Some of Matt's questions are below, in bolded text, and some are paraphrased.



What make someone (YOU) decide to call himself or herself a Christian?



I never decided to call myself a "Christian". I was raised in a Catholic home with all the teachings of Christ and the catechism. I was born into a home and taught that I was a Christian, baptized as an infant. I grew up believing I was a Christian, and in fact, all my life I believed that I was.



I wasn't.



After some life struggles, I sought help from the One, the Only One I knew could help me and heal my heart. I was 32 years old and for the first time, humbled myself, (or actually I believe Jesus allowed circumstances in my life to humble me), to allow Jesus to take control of my life. I came to the realization that I was nothing, and that I am "nothing". I am a hopeless sinner, condemned to die. There is only One who is able to redeem me, and the only reason He is able to is because He came to earth, lived a Perfect life, and took my sin upon Himself. My sin hung there on a cross on a hill and died in my place. Jesus, the One who took my place on that cross through the ultimate example of humility, conquered death and through His resurrection, proved to a still unbelieving world, that He is God. On April 4, 1999 I gave my life to Christ, and now I am able to enjoy a freedom from the "wages of sin", that so few come to really know and appreciate. Forgiveness. Mercy. Grace. Simple words, with profound meaning. One of those special people that God placed in my life to help point me toward Him, sent me a card after my salvation experience. It didn't say "congratulations, now you are a Christian", it said "Happy first day of eternity".



Christianity is a man-made term which has many "interpretations/definitions" as evidenced by the comments on this thought provoking post.



Being a Christian to me is allowing Jesus to accomplish His Kingdom Purposes through me. It happens "through" me, because He, the Spirit of the One True God, lives within me. He lives there because I asked Him to. He offered me Himself and I accepted Him into my heart. It is stepping out of MY way and joining Him in HIS way. I believe that God is always at work around me, and that as a Christian it is my responsibility through obediance, to join Him in His work.





To YOU, what is a defining characteristic that would lead you to say, "Yes, I am a Christian!"?



Knowing the Truth, that God, my Father, has invited me and accepted my into His Kingdom. Jesus Christ, the One and Only Son of the Living God, lives within me. The Holy Spirit teaches and convicts me.





Why do some people consider themselves Christian if certain Christian beliefs aren't held? Some "Christians" might distance themselves when it comes to proclaiming Christ's divinity. My question, then, is why is there the need to call yourself Christian?



This is a very good question, and it blows my mind that if someone doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ, why they would even want to call themselves a Christian. As evidenced by some of the answers in the comments to this post, many define Christianity by a set of rules. Some believe that by following the "rules" and the teachings of Christ, that alone makes them Christian. This is the same error in understanding that condemned many of the Jewish Lawyers of Jesus' day.



I think some of it comes down to ignorance. I'm not saying stupidity, I'm using the term ignorance, because that is what I was before I was redeemed a little over five years ago. I grew up believing I was a Christian because I was raised in church and raised to "believe" certain things about the Bible and about Jesus, but those "beliefs" weren't necessarily mine, and in fact I often challenged the legalism of the church I attended, but that's a whole other story.



God wants an intimate, personal relationship with His creation. This is not a relationship that develops through following a set of guidelines or rules. In human relationships it doesn't work that way either. Would you fall in love with someone who said "If you make me dinner, tie my shoes, rub my back, clean the house, wash the car, smile at me when I look at you, I will love you." Usually, you fall in love with someone and then try to live to please them by cooking wonderful meals for them, and by rubbing their feet after a long days work. In Christianity, the work is a result of the love relationship with God. Unfortunately, so many Christians use their work to try to build their relationship.



I am more concerned with why people feel they have to fit into that category if they don't consider themselves devout. Is being a Deist not inclusive enough?



Just like I mentioned in the answer to the first question, I only thought I was a Christian. I went to church each and every week and every religious holiday in-between. I accepted communion and went through confirmation. Thinking and practicing as a "Christian" did not make me one. Being a Christian is a heart thing. When Jesus enters a heart, lives change.



I simply believe many people proclaim to know Jesus, when in reality they don't. To me there is a difference between said faith "I believe that Jesus in the Son of God" and real faith. In real faith the belief that Jesus is the Son of God will inevitably produce fruit in the life of that person. It will be noticeable.



There was a day not too long ago that a customer asked me "Are you are Christian?" and I said "yes". He said "I could tell." Out of curiousity I inquired as to how he could tell and he told me that it was because of the way I carried myself and my countenance. I can tell you, it's not me, it's Jesus! I praise God that His fruit pushes forth through me, a branch that only tries to hang on for dear life!



Does the Fruit always show? No, because Christians are flawed humans and can be very selfish at times, but if you look at the life of a Christian, the overall appearance should reflect a love for Christ. If it doesn't, there is a significant relationship problem.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Are You a Christian?

Matt wants to know, Are You a Christian?



Some of what he asks:



What make someone (YOU) decide to call himself or herself a Christian?
To YOU, what is a defining characteristic that would lead you to say, "Yes, I am a Christian!"? I am assuming for many "devout" Christians this will be a fairly simple question. I would really like to hear from people who consider themselves "marginal" Christians (not marginal people, mind you), those who don't consider themselves devout.

Matt is curious to hear some answers to his very good questions. Head on over to his POST and add your answers in his comments section. He'll appreciate it I'm sure!



I want to answer his question, and some of the comments he's getting, but I"m too tired right now. I'll have to come back to it later. It's something for me to ponder though and I do want to say I never "decided" to call myself a Christian. I turned over my life to Christ.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Adding To the Growing List of Stupid Questions

Ok, I'm sorry, I do not believe that the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.



There are many stupid questions, and truthfully, they wouldn't need to be asked if people simply thought about it first!



Since I am getting many new visitors via Blog Explosion, a tiny bit of "prep" is in order.



I am a retail music store manager and sell CDs, DVDs, and Games. In retail, we deal with the public on a daily basis and are usually never lacking in stupid questions. One winner in our "stupid question of the month" was a person who walked into the store and heard the music playing, saw the Top 20 selling CDs in front of them, picked up a CD and inquired "is this a music store"?



Today we have another one:



A person enters the store, again hears music playing overhead, sees that we sell CD and asks "What are you using to play the music?"



The answer:



"uhhhhhh, a CD player"

Friday, November 26, 2004

The "Future" of Home Computers

This is an actual picture from Popular Mechanics magazine in 1954. Scientists from RAND Corporation built this model to show what a home computer might look like in the year 2004. I would have had to build on an additional room to house that puppy!



I thought it interesting that the caption says "that the computer will require not yet invented technology to actually work..."

**UPDATED ON 11/23 - ACK! I was duped! Thanks to The Infamous Mike (who didn't leave his web addy in his comment) but left a link to Snopes, that shows the above "magazine picture" is a hoax! I normally catch this kind of stuff!

He also left a link to an interesting site at Worth 1000 where there are many examples of "edited" art and photos!

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey!

I'm so excited about turkey that I festively prance around the house singing the "turkey, turkey, turkey song" (I wrote it, ASCAP hasn't called yet.)



It's been known to put people on the floor laughing. Maybe you have to know me? I dunno, but I present for your listening pleasure (or not so much pleasure) the "Turkey, Turkey, Turkey Song" aka "The Gobble".



LISTEN



Katie celebrates the day by cooking. She is a great mom and homemaker (although she would probably disagree) and what makes it even better is that as she is slaving over the hot stove and making such wonderful creations as these, I get to blog and play. This is the life! (Actually, I did help a bit by cleaning some of the house today, I'm not totally useless! LOL)



Here's a pic of her turkey snacks made from cherry cordials, cookies and candy corn. Aren't they cute?











One Thing I Am Thankful For

If I had to be thankful for just one thing, I would be thankful for adoption.



Of course, adoption encompasses a many great things in my life. For one, I was adopted by two of the most loving parents the world has known. Always there for me, no matter how old I am, I still need my Ma and Pop! When I have good news to share, I just have to let them know! When I have decisions to make, I want their advice. If I am ever in need, they are always there. I am so blessed.



For two, I have been "adopted" by many people throughout my life. I live far from my home that was Hinckley and Medina, Ohio and because I work retail, getting home for the holidays is next to impossible. Today I have been invited to eat with Carol, as I have been for the past couple of Thanksgivings. In prior years I was invited by the McDonough's, but they have since moved to Texas. I sure do miss them over the holidays...I get all melancholy for them. I am also invited to share dinner with the Gushee's, but since I can't be in two places at once, I choose instead Carol's. Last year I also ate with Tommye and visited with her family for awhile. So, even though I can't be at home in Ohio, I am not at a loss for sharing the holidays with "family".



For three, I got to do some adopting myself! Katie and her kids are such a wonderful blessing. Sometimes when I think about my life as a single woman and I never would have imagined sitting through band concerts with my chest swelling with pride for Justin, my "not-the-son", playing drums or Tiffany, my "not-the-daughter", singing a solo in the Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. Sometimes I just get all teary-eyed thinking about the responsibility God gave me in caring for this framily. It is not always easy, and in fact I stress a lot, but in the end, I know and treasure this wonderful blessing.



For four, and the One thing I am most thankful for, is my adoption into God's Family. There is nothing in the world more precious to me than knowing He calls me daughter, His own.



The one thing I am thankful for today, if I had to pick just one thing of the many things I am thankful for, is adoption.

The One True God

I just began reading a guide for one of my SaLT group studies. It is called "On the Prophets & Kings of Israel" and put out by Focus on the Family. I was just reading the introduction to the study and found an interesting statement, so I thought I'd share.



In the introduction, the author is giving a brief overview about God's relationship with His chosen people, the Jews. It tells the story of the Hebrew people being led to the Promised Land and how God was using them to work out the beginning of His plan of salvation. "The nature of God's covenant relationship with His people demanded a place where their faith could be exercised and displayed to all nations so that the world would know of Yahweh, the true and faithful God."



By New Testament times, the Jewish people had been removed from the Promised Land, mainly due to Israel's inability to live obediently before God. During this time in an effort to recommit to God, new patterns of worship developed and experts in the Law emerged. There was a new focus for the Jews, but the Promised Land was now home to many other groups of people. Did this change the mission of God's chosen people? No...the mission remains the same, they were to live so that the world would know that their God was the one true God.



The Promised Land was the area, the "crossroads" where major trade routes were, in which the Jews would live obediently and serve Him as the world watched. Unfortunately they failed in their mission.



The mission has since been passed on to Christians. The study guide then speaks of how Christians today still think of the Promised Land by spirituality the concept as presented in the Bible. "Instead of seeing it as a crossroads from which to influence the world, modern Christians view it as a distant, heavenly city, a glorious 'Canaan' toward which we are traveling as we ignore the world around us. We are focused on the destination, not the journey."



It goes on to explain how we, as Christians, have separated our spiritual walk with Him from our responsibility in the world.



I believe that in many cases this is true. I think we have given away our responsibility. In America, it has led to many horrible things. As the world changes around us, Christians for too long have remained silent. It is now taking its toll in the form of removing God from almost every aspect of American life and when that happens we end up with abortion, gratuitous sex and violence at the movies, on tv and in video games. We end up gluttons and a people without purpose. Great empires fall when they lose purpose. I read yesterday that a school in CA is banning the declaration of Independence! Is that not a sign of a nation losing its direction?



As I read the news I start to consider the possibility that as the Jews failed to remain obedient and uphold their part of the covenant, Christians are failing too, and just as the Israelites began to refocus their energies and reclaim their faith, I see the same happening with Christians.



I see Christians banding together and trying to change some policies and attempting to stop actions that would remove God from the Pledge of Allegiance in the United States, and other similar things. More Christians are becoming involved in governmental positions and are working to change policy. I also read in the news today that in Europe, over a million Christians signed a petition that calls for their Christian heritage to be recognized in the EU constitution.



Christians need to be faithful to God right now. We need to live by faith and be obedient to Him. The world is watching us in this place, at this time. Our mission today is the same mission God gave to the Israelites, we are to live obediently within the world so that through us "the world may know that our God is the One True God."

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

2.5 Billion Pixels

I'm in the market for a digital camera...a nice one.



I want one that does THIS!



2.5 billion pixels...amazing! I could even read the license plates on the cars! WOW! Go check it out HERE!



Found via Garfieldt's blog.

Blog Explosion and Blog Surfing Habits

The Sisters' Weblog is getting more traffic, but does that mean anything?



I've been enjoying surfing some new weblogs discovered via Blog Explosion. Blog Explosion does in fact "explode" traffic to your site, but does anyone linger around long enough to read any of its content?



Does anyone linger around long enough to respond to its content?



Does anyone linger around long enough to sign the Guestbook and say hello from wherever they are from?



Everyone has their own purpose for blogging. Mine isn't necessarily to get hits, although I'd be lying if I said I'm not interested in seeing people actually visit this blog.



One of the most enjoyable things about blogging for me has been developing some online aquaintances. Some blogs I have been reading for two or so years. During that time period, one "gets to know" other bloggers because you have been "following" their life for a good period of time.



Blogs attract a certain readership, and eventually you start to "know" your "audience". From time to time comments are left and dialogue begins which can serve to deepen the online relationship, as thoughts and ideas are exchanged. When tragedy strikes the encouragement pours in, or goes out. When the wedding occurs we share some of the bliss. When the new born baby arrives we "hear" all about it. I actually think about some bloggers during the day, wondering if they are doing better or if they got that job they shared about.



I'm not sure any of that is happening with the thirty second visit from a Blog Explosion surfer.



I guess what Blog Explosion can do is increase the chances of making more online contacts. I know I have found a couple of sites that I will most likely end up adding to my blogroll.



I visit a lot of sites on a daily basis. I usually read most of my blogroll, and now that I have been checking out Blog Explosion, I have found a wealth of new ones. I do not often leave comments at other blogs, I'll read...ponder...move on. Now and then I do leave comments if I am so moved, or want to take the time to do it. Usually though, I catch up with that blogger's life from that daily post, and continue on.



So, I'm curious, what are your Blog Surfing Habits:



What are your blog surfing habit?



How do you find new sites?



What determines if you add a link to your blogroll?



Do you make mention of your visit via comments? tagboard? guestbook/map? email?

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

My Heart Took a Picture

After we sat in small groups and shared what we were thankful for, the church celebrated communion.



As music played after communion, people were sitting quietly in prayer and thanksgiving. Katie pointed out to me something that was so beautiful and tender, I choked up.



A young couple is expecting their first child in a month. She is seven months along and it shows. She is a petite woman and right now she is all baby!



After communion she sat in the chair with her head bowed in prayer. My eyes followed down her arm to see her hand gently resting on her husband's shoulder. Her husband was on his knees to her left, his head was bowed, resting on his wife's side. His hands were tenderly and lovingly resting on her abdomen as he was "holding" their child awaiting birth. It was such a tender moment to witness between husband, wife and unborn baby. My heart took a picture.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Tear-Jerker Alert

One of the most touching posts I have ever read:



Mostly Risible - An open letter to my dad

I Want My VCR!

It's official, I HATE DVDs!



The first DVD I purchased after my dad gave me his DVD player was Dances With Wolves. I took that DVD back to exchange it for one that would play!



During various other DVD viewings of other movies, it skips and sputters or just plain stops.



You can't fast-forward because it skips entire scenes then. I hate that.



I want to go back to VHS. Sure, now and then the tape was bad, but at least you could usually get past the bad part...with DVDs, you end up either stuck, or skipping entire scenes.



It takes about four hours to even get to the feature because of the whole big production that is made out of the menu. It's a MENU! A menu...that's it. Big whoop! Why can't I just start the movie!



There, I feel better now.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

New Blog Directories

I've noticed a couple of new Blog Directories popping up recently at different sites I've surfed across. I've found Blog Explosion, Blog Catalogue, Blogrank.net, and the Blogs By City Directory.



One that really has potential to increase traffic to your blog is Blog Explosion. It's a pretty sophisticated directory with bidding for banner ad time and earning credits for surfing member blogs. I still haven't figured it all out, but it has given me a new way to surf blogs. I've also noticed more hits daily to the Sister's Weblog, but I wonder if any are return visits? Blog Explosion requires a visitor surfing your blog to stay a minimum of thirty seconds, very few of those that surf this blog manage to stay beyond that. I know that when I surf blogs, I can usually determine whether or not I want to stay to read it within ten seconds, so I don't need that full thirty, but I stay to earn that credit. LOL I do think this nifty directory with some new fangled ideas woven in will catch on and who knows what will become of it.



While gandering through Blog Explosion I did "bookmark" some sites I ran across. I found something there that held my interest so I'll be making return visits. These are some of blogs I found that were noteworthy (at least to me):



  • Almanac of the Mundane - Photography and photojournals, Politics (conservative views and parodies), Religion (notes on scripture and culture), Music (songwriting and the Autoharp), Technology (Java and internet programming), Leisure, Money, and any other mundane topics.



  • Lost in Wisconsin - Just looking for a way . . .



  • BipolarDiary - Diary of a recovering depressed person



  • Paul's Ponderings - A Youth Minister's thoughts about God, Christianity, and Ministry.



  • Lockjaw's Lair - Opinions, happenings, essays and interests from a bookstore owning, amateur radio operating, libertarian, North Carolina ogre named Lockjaw



  • ...in the outer... - Musings, views, reviews, comments on faith journey, business, ethics, leadership and life.



  • LeeN's World and the Random thoughts that come and go - My random thoughts of everything that's going on, from things that I support, to politics, to my daily goings on & sometimes adventures! Oh, I can't wait for my big adventure to start...



  • From the Hammock Brain - Just a little bit of everything that comes from my head. Sometimes it's political, sometimes it's about entertainment, sometimes just general observations. I don't do it every day, but when I've got something to say, I say it.



Some other directories I've come across that seem to be fairly new are:



  • Blog Catalogue - Your basic cataloguing of blogs by type

  • Blogrank.net Blogs are indexed by type and then ranked according to clicks. I never do well with these type directories/listings. LOL

  • Blogs By City - Now this one has promise! At this posting, it lists only around 500 sites and it is organized by city, and these include major cities around the world. I believe you can add a city that isn't listed too. I think that is cool and eventually, as it grows, it will be easier to locate nearby blogs...at least ever since GeoUrl went down "for renovations"





So, for those avid bloggers out there...have fun exploring some of these new blog services!

Carol. Church. Conviction. Communion.

Carol, a member of our church, was diagnosed with Lukemia a year ago. She was given less than six months to live. Now she is in remission, and living cancer free. Praise God!



Carol has no family at all in this world. She is alone. She is unemployed. She has little or next to nothing. Some of her possessions are in our attic, and many more of her possessions are scattered at various other homes for safe keeping. At one point the pastor contacted a local funeral home to make her arrangements because we were told by the doctors she would not last past the first of the year. That was 2003! The church has taken on the responsibility of paying some of her bills, like utilities, to keep her apartment available becaue she is bound and determined to leave the nursing home where she is now and live on her own.



Carol is a blessing to the church because, although she has really nothing in the way of material things to give, nor can she serve, she is an inspiration and example to us. She has conquered the cancer so far, and we hear stories of her dependence on her Father. He is all she has. We believe God has her in our church so that we have an opportunity to minister to her needs. He is using Carol to grow us.



Her treatments began a year ago which kept her in Memphis for weeks at a time. Every now and then she would be able to come back "home" to stay in the nursing home nearby. I'm sure it has been a very rough year for Carol.



It is her birthday next week, Thanksgiving time is here and just around the bend, Christmas will arrive. One of the women, or maybe a few, who have been caring for Carol over the past year thought it would be nice to celebrate with her. They organized not a "party", but a worship service at the nursing home.



Tonight, about forty people from church showed up at the nursing home and we monopolized the cafeteria and shared a meal together. We all had a chance to talk with Carol to catch-up . We sang "Happy Birthday" and then Carol opened the gifts we all brought her. One SaLT group pitched in to buy her a DVD player, so many others started her DVD library by giving her some movies. She enjoys movies and reading books, and we tried to oblige. She will hopefully enjoy those things and it will help her pass the time, until she can move into her apartment which we hope someday she will do.



We sang some worship songs, praised God and prayed together before sharing in communion. It was a wonderful time of celebration and reflection. We took church to Carol since Carol hasn't been able to attend church at Northbrook. It was really a special time.



As I sat and watched Carol enjoy the evening, I couldn't help but feel ashamed.



Carol is a sister in Christ. She was in my SaLT group. Carol sat directly behind me in church each and every Sunday. Carol had many words of wisdom to share about faith and such things in classes we sometimes attended together.



Carol is staying in a nursing home within walking distance of my house. I never once have gone to visit. She has been there most of the year. She is living right around the corner from me!



I visited her in Memphis a couple of times during her initial cancer treatments, but that was last January. I haven't been to see her since, until now. I was so convicted about this tonight.



A woman, with no family lay dying and suffering for the better part of the year and I went on and lived my life. I prayed for Carol now and again, but did I leave my comfort zone? No. I passed by on the other side of the road.



I am the priest going down the same road. I am the Levite. I passed by on the other side.



Romans 7:19 "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing."



Before accepting the Bread tonight, I asked God to forgive me of my selfishness and failure to show kindness and goodness.



Father, show me my sin that I might lay it at your feet.



Carol lives within walking distance. I should go for walks more often.

Friday, November 19, 2004

A Music Meme

Snagged from The Ministry Blog: Ooh; a music meme! and I thought it'd be interesting to tackle:

First Record Bought: It was a 45, remember those? Well, for those of you who don't, they were singles on a plastic/vinyl record back in the day. My first 45 was ELO's "Telephone Line". Hello...How are you? Have you been alright, through all those lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely nights?...FLASHBACK!

First Concert: My own 5th grade band concert! HA! No, for real...let's see...I think my very first concert was Barry Manilow on his Swing Street tour.

Favorite Music Movie: Well, I used to enjoy the Sound of Music, but since moving to TN, Katie's kid has watched it (and I'm not kidding) about thirty times. Now it grates on my nerves! I haven't seen too many music movies. There's Grease, but that movie is filled with a lot of crude stuff which knocks it off my favorite list. Ok, I'll go with Aladdin! Fun music, fun movie...it's my favorite! Actually, I just defaulted to it because I can't think of anything else that just stands out.

Favorite Music Book: I really enjoyed reading "A Hard Days Write", a book that catalogers the events and circumstances behind every Beatle's song. It was arranged chronologically and I found it an interesting read.

Favorite Songwriter: Jennifer Knapp, and she's dropped off the planet as of late. I keep praying for her.

Favorite Magazine: CCM

Favorite Album Cover: I've always thought the cover for Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" was so beautiful.

Favorite Teen Idol: I was absolutely fascinated with Andy Gibb! He was soooooo cute!

Artist Who Broke Your Heart: Ummmm, I don't think I've ever had my heart broken by someone I didn't know, although it was depressing to hear about Andy's drug problem, rehab, and subsequent death.

Artist You Will Always Believe In: I don't "believe in" any artist, I just enjoy his/her music.

Singer Who Makes Your Skin Crawl: Eminem

Singer Who Makes You Swoon: I'll get back to you on this one.

Favorite Sound: I kind of like the cowbell in the middle of the bridge of "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns & Roses.

Album You Will Always Defend: I won't defend it, if it's bad, it's bad!

Album You Own That No One Else Does: Icicle Works, at least they don't here in the states.

Classic Album You Own but Don't Like: Tracy Chapman "Tracy Chapman"...I think I listened to it once.

Artist You're Supposed to Like but Don't: Bob Dylan or Neil Young...it's a toss up, while I can appreciate the lyrics, I CAN'T STAND THE SONGS OR THE VOICES THAT GO WITH THEM! Ugh!

Song You Can't Stand by an Artist You Like: "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John...I hated that song the first time I heard and and that darn thing was a blockbuster. It was on the chart for what seemed like forever!

Band That Should Break Up: Dave Matthews Band...the time has come.

Band That Should Re-form: Journey, the Steve Smith, Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, Ross Valory, and Neil Schon line up, as on the album "Escape". LOVE that album!

... and after thinking about it some more, I would love to see Edie Brickell and New Bohemians re-form!

Guilty Pleasure: I'll get back on this one too!

Favorite Music DVD: I don't really enjoy music DVDs.

Concert You Wish You'd Seen: The "One Day" Passion concerts with Chris Tomlin leading worship. I always wanted to attend one of those and missed the one in Memphis a few years ago. Drat.

Dream Collaboration: Since they are married, I'd love to hear a duet with Edie Brickell and Paul Simon.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

On Being Fruitful

"They will know we are Christians by our ___________ " I bet most everyone can fill in that blank.



Love. They will know we are Christians by our love. Love is a fruit of the Spirit.



Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and selfcontrol."





I'd like to broaden that and say "They will know we are Christians by our fruit".



I mean, won't it show? It should! The fruit should be so apparant, so obvious!



Ugh. I don't think it is always so obvious in my life. I read something yesterday that I want to share because it got me thinking.



I'm reading a book by Anne Graham Lotz called "My Heart's Cry, Longing for More of Jesus". In chapter 7 she talks about being "fruitful through my connection". Here's an excerpt:



Have you been making fruit-bearing more complicated and difficult than it is? Have you worn yourself out until you are discouraged over the lack of fruitfulness in your own service and resentful of others for the fruitfulness in theirs? Then I have wonderful news for you! You can relax! Not only are you freed from trying hard to bear fruit, you are freed from trying at all! That's the secret!"





She goes onto to talk about how we complicate things. How often have you heard it said that in getting places in life it's all about who you know? As a matter of fact, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from a former teacher of mine who said "Don't be afraid to get where you are going in life because of who you know." Well, as Christians we know Christ! Now THAT'S a CONNECTION!



He is the vine, I am the branch. I am connected to Him. Without Him I can do nothing. Nothing. With Him...I can do nothing but bear fruit. Fruit of the vine naturally comes from the branch when there is a healthy connection. As Lotz goes on to explain:



"For a branch to have fruit-bearing potential, it must be alive. Since it has no life of its own, it must be organically attached to the vine so that the sap, or life, of the vine flows up through the trunk and into the branch."





Amazingly, or not so amazingly when it comes to God getting your attention, the message on Sunday affirmed this concept. Paul, one of the pastors, talked about sap being the life that is pushed up through the trunk through the branches. He talked about Jesus pruning off the "dead leaves"...our sins and struggles, and when we allow Jesus' lifeblood, the sap, to flow through us, the branches, that sap pushes off the dead leaves and new fruit springs forth. I was entralled by this illustration and how on back to back days I heard the same message from two different sources...naw, scratch that...same source, two different fruit-bearing branches!

So, what is my job? To maintain the connection. To pray, study and cling to Him like a branch that will die without Him!



Saturday, November 13, 2004

A Blur

Have you ever had one of those days that so many things went wrong, seemingly all at once, and it just wasn't surprising anymore when the next "bad" thing happened?



I'm not talking like world-ending bad things, just small things like everything you pick up you drop, not once but twice. The repair people leave after "fixing" things and later you find that the thing is still broken, but now there are additional problems created from the "fixing". All the "needy" customers bombard you with questions that vy for the "stupid question of the month" title, like "when do you close?" "We closed a half-hour ago sir" "oh, well, do you have the Barnyardigans?" Then the computer battery pack alarm begins to sound...BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! aaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhh! Calgon take me away!



The day was so hectic and non-stop all day that it is all just a blur. I'm so glad it is today.



Today is a good day. I will be leaving soon for Union City as I will be performing again with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. I am glad I get the opportunity now and then to play, and I'm looking forward to the drive and time to spend with my best friend. Yay!



Well, I gotta get going!



Have a great day!

Monday, November 08, 2004

More Information

Here is another failure in the welfare system. I was told that my children would only qualify for medical assistance if I agreed to taking legal action to make their father obey his court order to provide them with medical insurance. She then told me not to worry because nothing would really be done to see that this is followed through.



In a way I was relieved. I don't want this abusive person in our lives causing instability. At the same time...I wonder....why have me agree to something I have no desire to see fulfilled...nor does the government intend to follow through with?

Welfare Reform

For 3 years I struggled through college to obtain an associate's degree. Due to a failing local public school system, I chose to put off my education in order to go to work and enroll my children in a private Christian school.



Up until this point, I recieved aid from the government with food and medical. I also recieved a grant to help me through college. It was very hard because I had no job during this time so we did without alot. But, it was worth it to make the sacrifice...or was it?



In May I graduated the local community college with honors. It was such a day of celebration. Soon after that I applied for a job in banking...of which I didn't qualify for (even though I had held the very same job in my past without a degree or any experience). In June I managed to land a job that barely pays above minimum wage.



In August I lost my food assistance due to all the great cash flow coming in (I say that in sarcasm). Although I work full time hours, I am only considered part-time and do not qualify for medical benefits. If I did however, the benefits would require me to get another job just to pay for them. Today, I was told that I earn too much to qualify for state funded medical benefits. As a result, for the first time in 12 years, I am uninsured. It is the most miserable feeling.



So, now that I have my degree, I am actually worse off than I was going to college and living off of the government.



I go to WRAP meetings offering hope to victims of domestic violence...telling them that they can make it without their abuser. Really??? Not in a system set up like this. Sure they can work two jobs and leave their kids with somebody else to raise. Sure they can come home in the evenings and try to make time for their children after a long days work...and after the dinner is cooked, the dishes are done, the laundry is done, homework is done, baths are done, and it is bedtime. Soccer? Sports? These are not things that there is time for. Fortunately, God has blessed me with a friend who helps so my children get these opportunities. But, what about those who have nobody?



There has to be a better way. There has to be a way the system can work by offering incentives instead of co-dependency. There has to be a way to teach and help people to get on their feet and actually take two steps forward without being knocked 10 yards back. Welfare is not the answer to poverty....it is only a vicious trap to keep one there.



I know this...I have lived it. And even though I have no medical benefits....even though I have no finiancial aid...somehow...I will make it. I have God and He will get me through this. And I WILL learn how to help others do the same.



There has to be a way to make it possible for those who want to do what it takes to be self-sufficient (without sacrificing the children in the process). God knows the way...I pray He will show me. It has to change and with God's help...it will change. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I covet the prayers of the saints...brothers and sisters in Christ...remember me.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Stupid Question of the Month

One of my co-workers shared with me yesterday the "stupid question of the month" that came from a customer.



I said "of the month?" and she said "it's too stupid to be the question of the day, it's definately for the entire month...maybe even more!" LOL



So what is the question?



Well, here's some background for those reading this that may not know what I do for a living. I manage an FYE store, For Your Entertainment. I sell CDs, DVDs and games. I LOVE IT!



Anyway, when one walks into the store which has a giant sign at the front that says FYE - MUSIC and MOVIES, the first thing one comes in contact with is the new releases for the week. Music CDs on one side, Movie DVDs on the other.



A customer walks into the store, with the new Jimmy Eat World CD blaring throughout the store, picks up a CD off the Top 20 endcap and asks (drumroll please.........................................)



Is this a music store?





BadaBOOM -- CHING!



As I posted last Wednesday, "Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever".

Thursday, November 04, 2004

The Monster

God has given me the awesome privilege of leading a young abused woman to Christ this year. This wonderful friend whom I call my sister has had a very difficult life. She has some disorders of her mind and can make a person a bit nervous and even frightened of her because of the things that she does as a result of her illnesses. I was so afraid to reach out to her but God kept putting her in my life. Finally I surrendered and asked God to help me reach out to her and to help me to love her because I knew I couldn't do it in my strength.

He answered my prayer...as He always does. Seeing her progress just because she has found love has blessed me beyond words. She still has issues with her illnesses and I am praying for her in that area. Regardless, God has taken my fear of her away and replaced it with love and compassion. She has become a wonderful tool of growth in the areas of patience,love, kindness, faithfulness, and compassion in my life. I have truly been blessed because of her.

Recently she gave me a book of poetry that she has written. It is a progressive book from before she met Christ until today. She talked about the monster living in her..lying to her, controlling her, abusing her. She talked about why she feels like she does an why she does what she does. She talked about a new friend that God has blessed her life with recently. I finally got inside her head and I seem to have a better understanding of what she goes through. I am so thankful for that. I also got to see how much her life was changed when she asked Jesus in her heart. She is not one who displays any emotion. It's hard to read her sometimes. But, the poetry really helped me to see that God truly is blessing her life.

Tonight I met another young woman like the first one only her illnesses seem to be worse. I don't know what to do to help her. I only know is that she needs to feel God's love and tonight I had the opportunity to be used in just that way. I held her in my arms and she wept so bitterly. I had no solutions to offer her for her problems. I saw her situation as hopeless. But, with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. God reached out to me through her tonight as my heart broke as I cried with her.

There is a monster and his name is satan. God please deliver these ladies from the lies he puts in their heads all day every day. Deliver them from their fears, self hatred and abuse. Let them see their worth in YOU! I want to be Your hands in their lives. Help me...use me! They need You! You are their only hope! Help me show them You in all that I do in their lives.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Bias, Malfeasance, and Sins of Omission

Geoff Metcalf -- Bias, Malfeasance, and Sins of Omission has one interesting post.

Here's another one on the media bias during this election campaign by Fred Barnes, They'll Do Anything.

Reading the "Paper"

Why is it when I refer to reading the Jackson Sun online that I still say "I'm reading the paper?".



There is no paper involved here.

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Day of Fire

Go listen to this testimony. Go buy the CD.



..::Day of Fire::..



Josh Brown, Jackson, TN native and former member of Full Devil Jacket, shares his story of how Jesus came into his life and touched him in a profound, deep way. The lyrics from Day of Fire are from Brown's own heart and pen, and the music rocks! Cornerstone is the first release off of this debut CD that is sure to be very successful.

Friday, October 29, 2004

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! It's FIXED!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! My Cowbox has been fixed! Restored! I didn't lose anything...except maybe some corrupted files! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!



I sure was dreading starting from scratch again. A BIG thank-you to Mitch with On|Site Computer Guys!



Woohooo! Now, I can surf stress free once again!



I can play BF1942 again!



I can lisen to WAYFM again!



Thanks so much Mitch!

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Liked This Quote

Katie just shared something she heard a man at work say today and I like it!



Ignorance is curable. Stupidity is forever.

Superblessed Christian Blog Awards

The Sisters' Weblog was nominated once again for a Superblessed Christian Blog Award. Always an honor, thanks Ganns!



Go celebrate the winners!



Superblessed Christian Blog Award winners 2004

Birthdays and Blogdays

I am one of those people who is really bad with birthdays. Oh, I remember them, like the fact that my Gram's birthday was last week, I'm just bad about doing something about them...like sending cards on time. I'm getting one in the mail Ma! Really, I am!



I'm so bad about this that I actually did forget to remember a special day: The Sisters' Weblog 2nd Blogday on September 9! Happy Blogday to us!



To commemorate here is a link to my very first post WORSHIP, and Katie's first post titled, well actually there is no title but it's HERE.



Last year we celebrated Blogday with THIS.



This year we we remember our Blogday by, well, by forgetting it. Oops. LOL Hey, we are only a month and a half late! Even Gram won't wait that long for her birthday card...I hope! LOL