Needs or wants...

How do you do?

Stand...

The anchor...

Thirsty land...

Faithful equation...

Greatest tragedy...

Sufficient...

Don't mistake the two...

Barren land...

Outta mind...

Rhythm of Prayer

Today...

Cooperate

Long term...

Study hard...

Thankfully...

Striving, but have yet to arrive...

Don't be anxious...

Today's service was special: Homecoming! Not only did the aroma of delicious, home-cooked food permeate the sanctuary, but the word was just as appetizing. After our first service, we had a wonderful fellowship, and then went back for our second service. It was a testimony and worship service. Some shared by word and shared by song. A very good friend of mine, and sister in the Lord, gave us encouraging word. She spoke about what was going on in her life and how the Lord is bringing her through it. She said that there is a verse that she goes to for strength. This is that verse. Be encouraged.

Building blocks...

Making good marriages...

A little bit if faith...

I know what you're thinking.  What does that shirt have to do with ANYTHING this blog is about?  Like all the other pictures, this one has a story. 

Last year, my sweetie bear and I went to a FSU game for fun.  We aren't really into football (don't tell the South, we'll be exiled ;-)), so, of course, we had no gear. 

We stood out like sore thumbs in our regular t-shirts and jeans amongst the sea of garnet and gold.  To keep people from staring at us, we paid more for spirit shirts than I think I have ever paid for a single item of clothing in my life (my wedding dress may have been a few pennies more expensive ;-)).  The story behind this shirt was so funny to my husband and I that we laughed about it for weeks.  Then about a month later, I never wanted to see this shirt again.

What altered this story was so far out of my hands that it shook me to my very core.

It was a chilly Friday morning.  My school was having a faculty spirit day and we were told to wear spirit gear.  Since I signed over my firstborn for this shirt, I figured I had better get some use out of it. 

Not six hours later, still in this shirt, on a beautiful, crisp blue, November day, I was at the bedside of my Grandfather as he unexpectedly departed this world, leaving us shattered and broken a week before Thanksgiving. 

I had not believed that this sickness would claim him.  He was a believer and I just knew there was more he had left to do.  If I'm honest, I was hurt and confused for longer than I care to admit.  Even as a believer, even knowing that by taking him God healed him and answered our prayers, I didn't get it.  The sound of monitors beeping made me ill for months and I buried this shirt in the abyss that is my wardrobe so that I didn't have to confront my own lack of faith in my creator.

Yesterday, we received an email stating that it was that time again: pull out the spirit wear for the faculty photo! Not only that, wear the spirit gear on THE EXACT SAME DAY that one of my MOST favorite people in the world, my dad, must undergo a minor heart procedure.  My heart fell and my stomach churned thinking about this non-threatening FSU shirt.  Since the idea made me sick, I convinced myself that I would NOT bring out that bright, yellow reminder.  I especially wouldn't wear it to a hospital again to see my Dad since the last time did not turn out how I wanted!  I made this determination: I would just wear regular clothes.  Most people accept I am not sporty and prefer glitter to golf any day, no one would be the wiser. 

But God would know why I didn't.

He would know that I didn't wear that shirt because I somehow associate it with a day he "did me wrong."

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I HAVE to wear this tee tomorrow.  God doesn't answer prayers based on what I wear.  If I analyze what I really was doing, I was being superstitious. 

I have already prayed and believed that God is going to make sure my dad is even better before he went in.  He will annoint the hands of the doctors and open their minds to the correct course.  I believe that by his stripes, my dad is healed.

And all of this has NOTHING to do with whether or not I wear an overpriced FSU t-shirt or not.

Not drowning...

Like so many people, I find myself in various states of stress pretty much every day. Today, in particular, I had let situations and worries consume my thoughts on my 45 minute drive home from work. When I got within 5 minutes of my driveway, the sky opened up. The gray clouds that had held out most of my drive, opened without reserve. I might now have seen it had I not turned around to make sure I locked the door.After I dashed from my car to the stoop to avoid to drops, I was single-minded trying to get into my house. Then it caught my eye. A tiny rainbow hanging like a banner over my car. I could see from one end to the other (no gold, I checked). I was immediately reminded that the rainbow is a symbol of a promise from God. The first rainbow was God's seal that he would not destroy the earth again with water. My little rainbow reminded me that even though I feel like I am just barely treading water, God will not let me drown.