Be Kinder than Necessary

I recently posted this quote on my Facebook page: "Be kinder than necessary, everyone you know is fighting some kind of battle." I like this saying because it is so very true. You never know what someone is dealing with. It just got me thinking about how if I truly lived by this motto, how different I would interact with people. Instead of getting aggravated at a rude drive thru window cashier, I should always remember that I never know what she is going through at home and the circumstances she has to deal with on a daily basis. Instead of getting mad, I should pray for these people who make me mad or get on my nerves. More importantly, I should ask these people who seem to be having a bad day, if they are ok and if I can pray for them. Sometimes people just need to feel like someone cares to help give them the strength to carry on and lift their spirits.

A friend of mine revealed to me yesterday after me telling her what was going on with me and Joseph about how she was having to deal with the infidelity of her husband. I was shocked and heartbroken for her. On the outside, everything seems just perfect. It seemed like they were living the American dream: three kids, nice house, etc. but things aren't as perfect as they appear. I would have never guess that she was going through all that, in the same way, many people I see on a daily basis don't know what I am going through. But through the two of us sharing our heartaches and pains, I realized that there are people out there who genuinely care. People who are empathetic and truly want to help and be there for you. People who will pray with you and for you. People who will just listen. People who understand. If we take the time to actually see people and look beyond the mask they wear, we are all fighting something. Our problems may be different, but they are troubles just the same. And it is amazing what just a few words of encouragement can do for people who are struggling. Pray without ceasing. Always be an encouragement. Just simply love one another.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. ~ James 5:16

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Called Out

I love reading the Called Out series of guest bloggers on the Preacher's Wife blog. I saw this particular post and thought I would just pass it along. I think it is a beautiful message about God and how He works.


Called Out: Behind the Scenes of Silence

via The Preacher's Wife by RachelH on 5/26/11

Behind the Scenes of Silence

By Jennifer Walker

Wherever we are…
Here we are, at this very moment…
On this specific day, in this exact place…
During this particular season of life, we must rest in this truth:

God knows, God remembers, God ordains and God orchestrates the milliseconds of our moments.
I was thinking about Zachariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1) today: the YEARS they served the Lord and walked righteously before Him, the YEARS they had prayed for a child, the 400 YEARS of silence from the Lord to His chosen people who for centuries were awaiting the promised Messiah, and that very moment on that specific day in that exact place during that particular season of life when humanly speaking, hope was gone.
God had woven every detail of their lives to bring them to that very day when the 400 years of silence was broken and Zachariah (whose name means “God remembers”) was told that God had heard his prayers. They would have a son and their son would prepare the way for the Savior of the World!

God’s timing was perfect.

Who but God knows what would have been different had Zachariah and Elizabeth had a child earlier. Who but God knows what would have changed had Zachariah been chosen years earlier to serve in the temple. The outcome would have been the same, but the story would have been different.
Aside from their trust in God, Zachariah and Elizabeth had no idea that the “years of silence” were not dormant. God was working behind the scenes, building, preparing, and making the way for His answer to their immediate prayers for a son, and their lifelong prayers for a Savior.
In that period of silence, God was setting the stage for Jesus, who would save us all from our sins and give to each of us real life. Our lives are changed and blessed because of the work God was doing in the “years of silence.”
This is a beautiful truth to me today. Right where we are at this very moment, on this specific day, in this exact place, during this particular season of life, God is not dormant. He is working, building, preparing, and making the way for His answer to our immediate prayers and to our lifelong ones.
In this period of “silence” God is working behind the scenes, setting the stage for Jesus, who will make Himself known and glorified as He changes and blesses our lives and the lives of others, through the work He is doing this very moment – that might seem silent to us.
The same is true for you today. Wherever you are, here you are, at this very moment, on this specific day, in this exact place, during this particular season of your life… God knows, God remembers, God ordains and God orchestrates the milliseconds of your moments.
And God is working, building, preparing, and making the way for His answer to your immediate prayers and to your lifelong ones. He is stetting the stage for Jesus, who will Glorify Himself and bless you and those around you through the work He is doing this very moment, even if it seems like a lot of silence to you.
May the Lord bless you and strengthen you in your times of “silence” my friends. Because one of these days, the curtain will rise, the silence will be broken and you and I will have some awesome stories to tell of all of God’s works. He will be honored by us and honored through our testimonies.

Hang in and hang on… God is working behind the scenes of silence!

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” Psalm 73:28

Jennifer is a Full-time Christ Follower, Minister’s Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, Homemaker, Bible student/teacher, Speaker, Writer, Blogger, Math tutor, Coffee drinker, and Truster of the Lord who has recently relocated from Nashville to the MS Delta. You can visit with Jennifer on her blog Smelling Coffee, where she shares “Faith, Family, Food, Fun, Life, Love and Living it all through Jesus Christ” and connect with her at SmellingCoffee on Twitter.

I'm turning off of real-life drive...

...I'm hittin' easy street on mud tires. I just got back from another whirlwind weekend over to the Hill. That four hour drive gets old, but its well worth it to see my family and friends. I wasn't planning on going over there, but somehow between ten phone calls and a gazillion text messages, I was convinced to come. What I will do for my friends! Plus, Stacey was there for her 10 year class reunion, so I had extra reason to drive over there. Although, Stacey was being shady per usual. (kidding, Stace!) This weekend was pretty low-key though. I have to say, I love me some Heath. He is super sweet to let me crash at his house every weekend and follow him around all day. But I love hanging out with old Heathie. Made me feel like I was about 17 again. Probably because of this: 

It had been a while since I have sat on a truck tailgate out at a cotton field just hanging out. Well, Preston and I hung out while Heath worked. Guess Heath had to do something productive on Saturday and since he was a slacker that morning, he had to work that evening. So we had to wait for him to get finished so we could meet some folks for dinner. I had forgotten how much fun it is just to sit on a farm watching the tractor make its rounds. Good times. And something else to bring me back to my younger days...riding dirt roads surrounded by peanut and cotton fields listening to some good music. Too bad I forgot my cowboy boots. :) Never a bad thing to get back to your roots and just enjoy being around good, down to earth people. It doesn't matter how long its been since you've seen them, you pick right up where you left off. Those are good friends. I'm thinking I've been a city girl for too long. You can take the girl off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the girl.

Not with a view like that, anyways!

Cute Target Finds, etcetera, etcetera

I love Target. You can find some of the cutest things there. And since I am bored at work today, I figured I would post about some cute jewelry I found the other day. I found this cute set of bracelets on my latest excursion to old Target.

 And then this necklace to match.

I love the light green color of the necklace. I was excited to see that Target had a lot more jewelry out for summer. I could drop a small fortune at Target every trip if I allowed myself. And just for fun, here is my little outfit I wore to work today with my new jewelry (and cheap-o skirt I found there as well!).

Did I mention that I was bored today? Guess I need to enjoy the rest while I can. I've got a four hour drive in front of me for the second weekend in a row. I have been summoned back to the Pensacola area for the pleasure of my company. A friend I haven't seen in probably years is back in town after being gone for quite a while and was upset that he didn't get to see me last weekend when I was over that way. So after about 8 phone calls and several text messages from him, my cousin, and some other friends, I finally relented and agreed to make an appearance.

And I guess I should blog a little bit about my past weekend. I went and spent some quality cousin time with Heath. We had a really great time together. When I got to his house on Friday night after an exhausting day of History Camp and a four hour drive, we decided to go to Jalisco's which is a tradition when I am in town. I asked him if it was ok if I went in my khaki shorts and camp t-shirt, looking skanky. He just laughed and said, I think you will fit right in. No worries. And of course, I knew he was right! Saturday consisted of a quick trip to Pensacola to do a little shopping and coming back to get fried in my aunt's pool. Yeah, I didn't think I needed sunscreen. I was WRONG. Then that evening Heath and I traveled over to Mobile to go eat on the causeway. We stopped in at my aunt and uncle's house in Spanish Fort and said hello. Then we headed out and enjoyed dinner. Sunday involved going to see my grandmothers and I even got to enjoy going to a birthday party for my great-aunt. She turned 85 and got to leave the nursing home and go home for her birthday. It was really special to spend time with her on her birthday. Then I headed back home, with a brief stop in Marianna at the interstate so I could see my daddy for a few minutes before getting back on the road. All in all, it was a good weekend. However, I am already dreading that drive back over there!

Heaven is for Real

After hearing several people talk about the book Heaven is for Real  by Todd Burpo, I had to go read it. It is a book about a 4 year old who goes to heaven during surgery for a ruptured appendix. I admit, anytime I read any personal account of people who have claimed to go to heaven (or hell, for that matter) I tend to take it with a grain of salt and skepticism. I don't need people's accounts of heaven to convince me that it exists. However, I am not God and I am not going to claim that these accounts didn't happen either. We know through Scripture that children are very precious to God and that we are to have a child-like faith in him, so who is to say that God didn't use little 4 year-old Colton to reveal to us on Earth what awaits us when we die and that Jesus is truly the only way to get to heaven? God can do whatever he wants to do. And there are several accounts in the Bible of people going to heaven and coming back to Earth: John in the book of Revelation, and the man that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians

"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses."

And on a different note I have to add one of my favorite passages in Scripture that comes right after this account in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 that I couldn't help but put in here because it makes you appreciate the Lord and His strength in times of struggle and hardships.
"I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Ok, back to the book. There were some moments in the book that I just sobbed and sobbed. And I'm sure I'm not the only woman who did when reading it. One of the things that Colton revealed to his mother a few months after his experience was that he told his mom that he had two sisters. His mother corrected him and told him that he only had one sister, Cassie. And he corrected his mother and said, no I have two sisters. He preceded to ask his mother about the baby that died in her womb. His mother was shocked because they had never mentioned the fact that they had a miscarriage in between having their oldest, Cassie and Colton. Colton told his mom that he had met his sister in heaven and that she was so excited to see him. That the girl had been adopted by God and didn't have a name because her parents never named her. Colton told his parents that the girl was waiting patiently until the day that her parents would join her in heaven. Any woman who has experienced the painful, heart wrenching experience of losing a baby would appreciate Colton's testimony that he indeed had met his unborn sister. After reading that, I hit my knees and just prayed to God about it through sobs.  I talked to God about the fact that I never got to hold that precious child here on Earth, but that I may get the opportunity to spend eternity with that child was something that just blew my mind. That our baby could be in heaven right now waiting for Joseph and I to get there to hold her. (I always thought the baby was a girl) The Bible tells us that God knows us in the womb. Jeremiah 1:5 speaks to that fact.

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God creates everyone and knows everything about that person when he creates them in the womb. Would it be that far of a stretch to imagine that if He calls that child home before they are born, that He takes care of them and that they are called into Heaven to be with Him? He created them, so why not? It does give me something to hope for and look forward to one day when I am called home. That our precious child has been anxiously awaiting for me to come to her. It brings tears to my eyes right now just thinking about it.

Colton says that Jesus was just wonderful. The first thing he described about Jesus was His "markers" which is how Colton described the nail holes in His palms and feet. How significant? Because it was Christ's sacrifice and His love for us that is permanently etched on His body in the form of scars. It just gives me chill bumps. Colton goes on to describe angels, talking with his great-grandfather, the Holy Spirit (that shoots down power to believers, no less. and I could use a good dose right about now!), the wonderful colors he saw, the animals, John the Baptist, Satan, and other things. It was a good book. Like I said, nothing to put all your faith in, but something that may bring the fact that our life here on Earth is but momentary. We were all created for God's purpose, for God's glory, and for His pleasure. I'm sure there are many times when I disappoint God, don't live my life in pursuit of the purpose He has for me, or do things that don't glorify Him. But it is times like now, just reading a simple book about a child's faith, that really puts life into perspective. I have been going through a very difficult season in my life the last few months, but through those struggles and heartache, I have had my eyes open to just who God is and what He can do. I have fallen more and more in love with Him each and every day. I just hate that it took something like a divorce to bring me to that point in my life to fully depend on Him and live a life for Him, on His terms and not my own. A child-like belief is all that is needed, which is good, because there are lots of things in this life that I truly don't understand, and probably won't understand this side of heaven. Why I had a miscarriage. Why my husband divorced me. Why several young, vibrant friends were taken at a young age. The beauty is that I don't have to know. God works all things for His purpose and He always works things to the good for those that are faithful to Him. That's a promise. And if you don't believe me, here is the proof:

Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Philippians 2:13
"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

It just helps to put things in perspective. What are we living for? Are we living for this life or the next? Because we will spend a whole lot more time in the next than in this one! It has helped me realize that I want to fulfill God's purpose He has for my life. I don't want to get to heaven and tell Him "sorry, I did what I wanted to do. I didn't fulfill my task you assigned me to do while on Earth." I want to hear, "well done, my good and faithful servant." Can I get an amen?

Oh and one more thing, a little girl, Akiane Kramarik claims that she has had visions of Heaven and Jesus. She started painting when she was about three. She painted a picture of Jesus. Colton for years would see pictures and paintings of Jesus that he always said were wrong and didn't look like Jesus. But this girl's painting looked more like Jesus than anyone he had ever seen. So question, is this what Christ sorta looks like, for real?

Can't wait until I find out for real with my own eyes!

History Camp Low-Down

Well...I survived History Camp last week! It was one long, very hot week, but so much fun. The kids really enjoyed learning about the history of the county and city and getting to do all the arts and crafts from the time period. I got to catch up on my elementary school vernacular and learned a very important lesson on using a Google search. Both made me feel extremely old. And FYI according to the Urban Dictionary "Gingerbreading" is not an architectural detail on Victorian homes, it has a slightly different, more dirty meaning. Thanks Google for my education (and making me feel like an old stick in the mud). And I don't suggest you look up the urban meaning, its not very nice! My vernacular I learned was from a very 

mischievous 5th grader that I have used all the time since. He was leaving his group table, threw up two peace signs with his hands and proclaims "peace out, suckas" with such gusto, that I just laughed my head off. Since that time, my co-worker Ephraim and I have been using that just about every single day. Thanks to our Abercrombie & Finch wearing-Justin Beiber haircut little friend. Oh and I totally fell for the old "spell icup for me" trick from a little 3rd grade girl. Of course, me being me and wanting to get it right had to ask if it was spelled like eye drop or iphone to make sure I was spelling it correctly. Yep. Totally fell right into that one! The things kids do haven't changed much since I was their age twenty years ago.

Here is the run down on some of the activities we did. Each day had a different period relating to our county's history. Monday was Native American Day. They made pottery, did basket making, face painting, made bead necklaces, listened to a Creek Indian come tell about life as a Native American, played stick ball, and built fires so they could pop popcorn for their snack. Safety Third!

Tuesday was Pioneer Day. The kids got to churn butter, make biscuits in the fireplace in the log cabin, use a cross-cut saw, shell peas, how to quilt, weaving, and plow a garden with a push plow. I think the kids decided they wouldn't have survived living as a pioneer! I got to teach the kids how butter was made and how to shell peas. Here I am in my best teacher mode.

Here is Ephraim looking real enthused to be cutting logs in 100 degree heat!

Getting the biscuits in the dutch oven.

And then the best part, eating homemade biscuits, homemade butter, and mayhaw jelly. It was so good and the kids tore those biscuits up! I am adding this picture for Stacey, because she makes fun of my love for Capri Sun juice boxes. I am sipping on mine and eyeing the boxes of juice boxes! Ha Ha!

Wednesday was Antebellem Day and involved a nice day with a visit from some Confederate soldier actors that came in and taught the kids about life during the Civil War (or War between the States, depending on what side of the Mason Dixon line you are).

Then they learned about women during the Confederacy, learned to dance the Virginia Reel, how to make rope, tie dyed t-shirts and got to play on the joggling board.

Thursday was the best day. Victorian Day! And this was only because they made home-made ice cream. It was so yummy. I think it was because the lady made the custard with the good stuff - heavy cream and half and half. They made stained glass windows, played croquet, took a tour of the 1885 Lapham-Patterson House, made spool puppets, washed clothes, and made silhouette portraits.

I am sad because apparently, the camera deleted most of the pictures from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I have no idea how that happened.

Friday was 20th Century Day. This was the day they took a trolley tour of downtown and all the Victorian homes and went and had lunch at the park. They made electric motors and then held a pagent for their parents to show them what all they had learned during the week. I was disappointed that they didn't learn how to make butter correctly from me. According to them, you make butter with buttermilk. I guess to a small child it would seem the best choice as far as milk products go to make butter.

I am happy that it is over and life can resume back to normal without me having to chase around a bunch of kids all day. After camp, I remembered why I dropped out of education courses after only two semesters in college! So, that is the low down of my week of camp. Fun times at the Museum of History. Ha Ha!

Dachshund Find of the Week

You guys know I love me some dachshunds. I have three real ones after all who are my precious babies. I found this cute ring holder on Etsy. It is adorable and I really need it for all my rings... So in the words of Beyonce, if you like it then you better put a ring on it.

Image from here