Shopping

In light of our upcoming study in Proverbs (about poverty, wealth and money in general) I have to share what happened today on my rare shopping trip (alone). Some backgroud: I used to love to shop. I would go with anyone...anywhere...anytime...for however long they wanted. Then I had kids...and now...even a trip to Target is almost more than I can handle if they are with me. Don't get me wrong...I love my kids....but by the time you load 'em up (and their gear), unload them at Target, load them into the buggy, strap them in (make sure you do this...I learned the hard way...Tucker), do your shopping...all the while coming up with 10 jillion excuses why you aren't buying another container of playdough (or whatever)...get to the checkout...(unloading and loading again...this time it's your purchases), go to the car...unload kids and purchases (AGAIN).....it leaves me wondering.....IS IT WORTH IT!!!????!!!...shopping online seems sweeter everyday!
But.....we are preparing to go out of town for a wedding next week and there were just a few things I needed to pick up and Bruce was willing to watch the maniacs...I mean kids...and so I took advantage of a few hours and headed to Frisco. So, I have been looking over the scriptures for Bible Study, preparing for the study and I have a new perspective on spending that really doesn't allow for a lot of needless spending....mind you....a new perspective does not mean I have mastered or even had the opportunity to implement it yet!
I jetted in to a few stores searching for something appropriate for Tucker to wear to a wedding (this is more difficult than you would think). Anyway, I ended up finding a spectacular sale at Old Navy and was able to get just the thing for him there...along with shoes...for less than $20.
I needed ballerina shoes for Savannah and picked up a pair and the good old Payless Shoes...
I picked up Bruce's suit (he's performing the ceremony) at Men's Wearhouse ...freshly pressed.
I was feeling pretty good about the progress I had made on my list....I just had myself left...this should be easy...yeah right! But I said a short prayer and asked God to give me some great bargains so that I could implement what I have been learning. And guess what....He did! I actually got 2 complete outfits and jewelry to match for the cost of what I had budgeted for 2 outfits. You might say....coincedence.....I think not. You see, I fully believe that when we ask God to help us obey that He sees our hearts and helps us...after all if your kids asked you to help them stay within their budget when shopping ....you would!
I challege all GBF ladies in Bible study to ask God for wisdom in dealing with their finances and track your results! God will do His part!

An Economic Quartet

The Rich, The Poor, The Beggar, The Thief....an odd mix....yet over and over in the book of Proverbs they are used as examples. So, we need to have a good idea of what each of them really are. Today, look in your concordance and see if you can find verses that help you understand better what these type of people might be like. If you have trouble, go to the dictionary and see how today's scholars define each one. This will be valuable information for you for next week's discussion. Bring your notes if you do this assignment!

On other news....we have booked our vacation to Tennessee for November. I personally can't wait! We will be taking full advantage of the cool weather...and yes...even Christmas festivities in Dollywood (yes...we are redneckin' it!!!!). It's been years since we've been through Gatlinburg and we loved it then...so we are happy to be able to go back to the Smokies.

Money Matters

Next week in Bible Study we will be talking about the rich and the poor. We will be going into great discussions on what makes a person rich or poor. Today, take some time listing what you think makes a person rich/poor. The words are direct opposites. Make sure that you identify the best of each and the worst of each.

This Bible study is such a blessing to me. As I prepare each week, God is showing me such wonderful things. These aha! moments are exciting to me. It's such a humbling experience to know and understand that he wants me to know and understand Him and His Word. Will I ever reach the point that I understand Him fully? No, but my eye is on the goal and one day we will know Him for all He is.

Family News: I am rejoicing tonight because a long time prayer request has been answered in regards to a family member. Ask me about it! I will be glad to tell you about it privately!
Mission Gunter continues week 2 of SAM club tomorrow!

Busy as Bees

YIKES! A few days ago we noticed a little buzzing activity going on outside my office area window. I didn't think too much about it...I have flowers planted and there is a flowering shrub at the end of the house. Well, the buzzing became louder and louder and soon enough we realized we had a real problem. After some investigation....(not me ...remember I am studying how to be wise and a wise person doesn't mess with buzzing bees) Bruce and some handy men friends of ours managed to take care of the problem. The bees had managed to actually get into our wall through a very tiny hole. The guys duct taped the hole after fogging them out. That should take care of the hole until we get it correctly fixed.
The start of this whole fiasco was that Bruce was trimming the bushes in the front of the house and realized that the problem was much bigger than we thought. In my reflection time I have thought about the way foolishness creeps into my life. It never shows up screaming "I'm here...do something stupid". It comes one bee at a time, through a tiny hole and soon you have a whole swarm of them. Wisdom knows to keep the shrubs trimmed and tidy so that bees don't feel comfortable in making a nest...and wisdom would make sure that holes are sealed properly....because....wisdom pays attention...is alert...focused. This got me to thinking about being more alert in my own spiritual life and making sure the holes are sealed properly, that I am staying alert and that I am aware of the foolishness around me....but not participating in it!
Looks like we are going to recover from our bee incident....and in the process will learn some valuable lessons about bees. We have remained sting free...at least til now.
Focus today on areas were you haven't kept your guard up...maybe it's a little white lie, a little gossip, a little slander, a little laziness. Take control before things get out of hand!

Searching

Misplaced keys, mismatched shoes, single socks and puzzle pieces are items that we are in search of quite a bit at our house. I don't want to even think about the time I have wasted in my life looking, searching in frustration, for these things! Why on earth don't we just learn were to place these things....where they belong???? Am I the only one with this problem?
As I was thinking about a verse in Proverbs this week, this thought came to my mind: If I searched for wisdom in the same way I search for missing keys or a shoe....with that same urgency, expectancy and perseverance....what would God reveal to me? Solomon says that in regards to wisdom, we should search for it with all our heart (remember the definition of heart in Proverbs is "core"). WOW! it just seems like I don't really want wisdom as much as I thought sometimes. Do I search with urgency? Do I search for it expecting to find something? Do I persevere? Take some time today to ask yourself the same questions. Ask God to give you the desire to take part in the search. List ways you can search for Him.

On another note....
I had an opportunity to catch up with a friend from high school today. Growing up she was probably the happiest person I knew! (that's saying a lot....we were teenagers....not normally very happy people!) We found each other on Facebook...It was awesome to reconnect after 16 years! WOW! She still possesses a great outlook on life. She has battled cancer and helps take care of her parents and a multitude of other amazing things. I feel inspired just talking with her. What a blessing!

15 Years and Counting

I found a song a couple of weeks ago that I love. You might have heard it on Christian radio. Anyway, I was listening to it last night and I thought....this is exactly like what we were talking about at Bible study last week about Proverbs 3:5-6 (especially the "make my path straight" part). Here's the link.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZayut9i45M Take a listen and think about the words. It was another hiitsu (sp?) (the half has not been told) moment. I hope it blesses your heart....it has mine.


Bruce and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary yesterday. Some days it seems like yesterday and others it seems like we have been married since the beginning of time. Aren't there benefits to both feelings? When you first get married there is that ooey gooey lovey dovey type of infatuation. Both husband and wife will bend over backwards to do whatever it is that the other needs. Ice cream at midnight....no problem, husband going to by feminine products...no problem....fireside chatting....no problem...watching football no problem. Then there's the comfortableness of an old pair of slippers, chair or sweats. It feels good and familiar. That's my marriage. Don't get me wrong....there's plenty of ooey gooey....but what I love about Bruce is that after 15 years he is familiar to me. He is here for the long haul. He isn't going anywhere without me, he is completely devoted to me and even though we are both a little worse for the wear after 15 years...he isn't throwing me out!!!!!!HAHA! I love our life together. For ten years before we had children, he consumed every moment of my everyday. Now that the hours fly by and we sometime feel like we are ships passing through the night....I am glad that he is my comfortable, familiar friend/husband/companion.

Mission Accomplished

The Mission Gunter has completed our first day of SAM Club (Summer Arts and More)! We had 48 kids register and 30 show up! It was a fantastic mix of ethnicity and economic backgrounds! Just what we were praying for. Keelie did a great job of teaching the lesson on oil pastels and lines. Every child created a unique masterpiece that will be showcased in our Gallery Night in August.
What is so great about this summer program is that finally we are getting the opportunity to build relationships with the people that we have been meeting casually over the last 9 months. We are beginning to recognize faces, know names and feel more comfortable with some of our new friends. It's a great time for the Mission in Gunter

GBF Ladies: Today's (tonight's) extra assignment is to write out a prayer for wisdom on a index card or in a journal and carefully ask God for the wisdom you need. Remember in James it tells us to ask, believe and persevere. You go girls!

Exercise in Wisdom

The most important things we can do in our quest for wisdom is to get in the Word of God and pray. As we talked about this at Bible Study last week, I was challenged to really get in God's word and find out what it said about the things that concern me most in my life right now. I took some time to check out the concordance in the back of my study Bible and found that it was a wealth of information in regards to quickly finding scriptures about the exact things I am struggling with. So, today, try it for yourself. Be honest with yourself as you list the three greatest concerns in your life. Then look them up in the back of your Bible in the concordance and look up the verses that it shows. Write down any wisdom you gain from this excercise. Hope it helps!

Dad's Day

I'm blessed to have had a dad who was a supreme example of what a father should be. He showed up for all the important events in my early life....basketball games, award ceremonies, church...he and my mom even went on a double date with me on my first date!!!! Talk about "being there"! He was really involved in my life. He helped my mom homeschool us kids for four years and he was the go-to guy for all the really tough questions. He challenged me to read and I credit him for my love of history and the book of Proverbs.
I miss him. There are days that it really hits me and other days that the memories are not as clear. I have now been without him for half my life. I missed him on my wedding day, on the day my children were born and on most days in between. He is one of the reasons heaven seems sweeter to me. I wish he had had the chance to meet Bruce. I wish that he had the opportunity to see The Mission and to know that he helped inspire that vision with his blatant generosity. Most of all I wish my children could have the opportunity to meet one of the most amazing people who ever lived.

Make a list- Women of Wisdom

Today's extra wisdom activity is to read chapters 1-3 of Proverbs in their entirety. Then list all the times the scriptures say a wise man (the wise, a wise son, a wise daughter or any other way the wise are discribed). Make a note of what principle (not promise) it mentions. Are there any principles that directly apply to what you are dealing with in your life?

Single's Night Out...tons of fun

We just returned home from our first ever Single's Night Out with the fantastic singles at our church. There were 7 adults who risked their lives at cosmic bowling and Manny's Mexican food! We had a great time. I admire these people. They truly are some of the hardest working, dedicated and responsible people I know. I looked around and saw 7 individuals who are moms, dads, professionals, church workers, friends, and leaders. It made me proud to share time with them. They aren't deadbeats, lazy or taking advantage of the system. They have responsibilities and they follow through. I was encouraged by them! I hope that I get to spend much more time with them in the future. I'm reminded that God has a different path for each of us...it's not better or worse because you are married or divorced or single or widowed...it's just different. God's plan for each of us is perfect and although we might not have picked the path we are on, He is in control and He knows what is best for us.

Go to the Source

GBF Women of Wisdom...today's bonus questions is: What are the benefits of memorizing scripture- look at Proverbs 2:1-5. Have you ever benefited from being able to recall a particular scripture during a difficult time. Write it down...then thank God for His Word!

It's a zoo around here!

My sister is in town. We hardly ever have the chance to have any quality time alone anymore, so this visit is very special to me. However, my kids know that when family comes to visit, things can get a little crazy! Amy is in town for a little more than 36 hours. We are trying to jam pack as much as we can into this time...crazy aren't we? She wanted to do something fun with the kids so we headed off to the zoo in Gainesville today. It's small....perfect for a 2 year old and there are enough animals to keep the attention of both my kids. The weather wasn't so unbearably hot and we had a really enjoyable time. Feeding the giraffe was the highlight of the excursion for sure. Later we caught a movie...Tucker's first....and unfortunately his last for a while.....he's not ready....so he and I spent a great portion of the movie in the theater hall and eventually the car. However, Savannah and Amy had a blast...so all was not wasted!

GBF Women of Wisdom...here's your bonus material for today: Why is it wise to pray for wisdom? Look at 2 Chronicles 1:10, Psalm 90:12, Ephesians 1:17, Colossians 1:9 and James 1:6.

Women Seeking Wisdom

Tonight was the beginning of our ladies Bible study. We are studying the book of Proverbs and praying believing that God will give us the wisdom we are asking for. For those women wishing to dig a little deeper this week in the study....here's your assignment for today.....Look up the words: scoffer, fool, and simple (as a noun). Use whatever you have...a dictionary, a thesaurus, Google them...get a better understanding of who Proverbs is talking about when it mentions these type people. Make a list of the character traits each of these have. Honestly examine your life and see if you need to make some heart improvements.

In other news, UPS delivered 9 of 14 boxes of art supplies for the Mission today. I haven't opened them yet....I have a slight addiction to office supplies so I am afraid I might get carried away if I rip the boxes open....better wait on Keelie (she appears to be more self - controlled). we had 28 or so sign up for SAM club yesterday at pre-registration! We had lots of parents volunteer to help so some of my fears are settling. It's amazing to see God's hand on every part of this ministry. Thank you Lord!

Yeowzaaaa!!!!!

Yesterday (Sunday) was quite a day! First of all, the worship through music at church was absolutely wonderful. Music has always been able to take me to a place of worship that nothing else can quite compare to. Our worship leader, Charlotte Scales, has a way of working scriptures, stories and Bible history all together and creating an environment that causes people to focus on the reason for our worship...Jesus Christ. It was great!
Then Bruce brought a message which included the announcement that we would be moving to the Gunter Elementary School for our services in September. This will solve all our space needs and it is just miraculous how God has worked it all out. We might feel a little like the children of Israel...moving from location to location...but it's ok...they eventually made it to the promised land!
After the first service a woman came up to me and ask me my name. I told her and she then said are you part of the Mission. I said yes, she then proceeded to tell me an amazing story of how God had restored her faith and family through groceries the Mission had left on her doorstep. It was such a confirmation that Keelie and I are doing exactly what God wants us to do in our community. I am so thankful for a God who knows when we need encouragement.
Tucker has completely recovered from his stomach bug, but now wants to be held all the time. This has resulted in numerous temper tantrums when holding him has been an impossibility...like when I am in the bathroom...or in the car....or cooking. He's so funny, when I tell him to wait just a second...he said...no! mommy hold me RIGHT NOW! (seems "right now" have become a couple of his favorite words!

What a Day!

After a busy day going to graduation parties, visiting a family in the church and grocery shopping, I was pretty worn out from it all. Tucker missed his nap so he went to bed fairly easy and Savannah was pretty wiped out too. So, that left me with a quiet evening to watch Autumn Rush, my long awaited Netflix. I have been waiting forever to watch this! Word of mouth quickly spread that it was a music lovers movie and I wasn't diappointed. Without giving away any details, what I liked most about the movie was that it pointed to hearing music in everyday life. It reminded me how that God says nature even cries out in praise and worship to Him. On days like today, that are almost too busy to stop and hear the music or smell the roses, it was a nice gentle reminder of my responsibility in it all.