Musings from a Minister's Wife

Reflections

2012-01-11T11:29:00.001-06:00

So, I want to blog more in 2012. I did break my record in 2011 with 20 blog posts!!! I am gearing up again for school this spring (Research Eval & Statistics [Jan-Mar] and Cultural Counseling [Mar-May]) and will also be starting a 20-day kitchen coaching session with Sheri Rose Shepherd on 17 January that I got free when I ordered some books from her website. I am not sure what her eating plan is, but it probably has to do with cutting out bad stuff and eating whole foods...which is what I need to do anyway. :)

Goals for 2012 - I hate making resolutions, because I always break them. So this year, I am going to set reasonable, atainable goals throughout the year and break them down into mini-action steps. Several areas the Lord is speaking to me on lately is hospitality, organization, physical health, and finances. Yes, I know they are broad topics, so I will be breaking down these areas into Specific, Measuragle, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART) goals. (Thanks Life Coaching 501). I am not sure how I am going to break down these four areas yet, and I am not going to make so many goals that I get overwhemled and give up. :)

Major category breakdowns--

1) Hospitality - make house repairs so that we can have people over and they feel welcome in our home and I am not stressed. I want people to feel welcome and comfortable. And I want to feel comfortable too - so that I can relax and enjoy others. Hospitality is not high on my spiritual gifts list, but that is not an excuse to not work towards that area.

2) Organization - I hate feeling unorganized. I try making paper lists - but they just get lost or I forget about them. I have tried keeping a calendar in my purse, but it just gets messed up and falls apart. So, we bought an iPad. I can keep everything electronically. Calendar, lists, you name it! No more pieces of paper getting left in my car or buried deep in my purse. Also, I want to develop an organization system for our home. I found an iPad app for home organization at I'm An Organizing Junkie for $0.99 and its good. This website also has lots of good organization ideas that i will begin to implement. I also want to get back into blogging meal plans to help keep me accountable.

3) Physical Heath - need to lose this extra weight and get into shape. Step 1 and 2 will be to take the 20-day coaching session mentioned above and to start blogging meal plans.

4) Finances - goal - to have money set aside for emergencies. Develop better working budget.

I plan to blog once a week for each of these areas. I also want to begin writing devotionals along with it.

Whew! On to 2012 and excited to see what the Lord is going to do this year!

Highways and Byways

2011-10-11T11:01:00.001-05:00

Oh how the time has flown by! I can not believe its been since July that I last posted. So much has happened in the last 3 months.

August 2011 - I took a diabetes education class (4 weeks) that was phenomenal. I learned so much throughout these few weeks and I am getting better blood sugar readings at home. Still need to work on diet and exercise, but I finally feel like I'm in control of the disease instead of the disease being in control of me. During August, I also started back to school to finish my Masters Degree in Professional (Biblical) Counseling through Liberty University.

September 2011 - We began entertaining the idea of possibly merging with another church in the area.

October 2011 - We are still meeting with the other church with the possibility of merging. The area around the church is spiritually dark and economically poor. These people need the love, hope, and healing from Jesus. We are all missionaries and our job is to seek the least and the lost, no matter where they are at.

No longer can the church remain idle. People are not waking up on Sundays anymore and deciding to just go to church. We, the church, need to go to the people. Luke 14:23 states, "Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Jesus was telling us that we need to go to the people, not wait for them to come to us (the church building).

Budgeting and Menu Planning (9-15 July 2011)

2011-07-09T09:09:00.001-05:00

So the goal this week is to eat whats in the freezer and minimize what I have to buy at the store. And to use coupons when I can.

Breakfasts: omlets, scrambled eggs, coffee
Lunches: salads, leftovers, roastbeef or ham roll ups, veges
Snacks: cheese, protein, full fat greek yogurt, berries, apples, peanut butter
Dinners:
Saturday - not sure, since we have a birthday party at 4 and have to be at Lifeblood at 7 to set up and music practice
Sunday - taco salad w/homemade taco meat/seasoning, pepperjack, salsa
Monday - chicken breast sauteed with broccoli & cheese (freezer, need cheese)
Tuesday - CI Group - crockpot-pot roast w/celery, onions, beef broth, carrots, salad (freezer, need-celery & salad stuff)
Wednesday -sauteed snapper with green beans or broccoli (freezer)
Thursday - CI Group- Leftovers
Friday - Out!

Fighting Diabetes Type II

2011-07-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is July already! Where has the time gone? I want to journal to keep a history of how I am doing with fighing/controlling this disease. I need to lose some weight and this will help with controlling diabetes, but since this runs in my family (strongly rides my paternal line) I may not be able to reverse it completely.

Current diabetes meds: metformin 1000mg x2, glipizide 10mg

Goal: lose weight and get off meds (or at least reduce them) by 31 December 2011.

Pounds lost since 17 June 2011 - 7lbs

So, my doc put me on metformin and glipizide and I have to test my blood sugar twice a day (since 15 June 2011). I also am eating low carb (for the most part) and my doc gave me a referral for diabetes education classes (which, hopefully my insurance will cover because its $450 for four classes). Will find out next week what insurance will cover (supposedly should cover the cost since my insurance is BCBS out of Maryland and Maryland law requires insurance companies to pay for such classes).

So I have definitely noticed a drop in my fasting blood sugar, as it was 200-232 and has dropped to around 150-165. This is still rather high, as my doc wants it under 140. But since I can't quite control that "Dawn Phenomenon" I am not too concerned. From what I have read, it is the hardest to control and will probably work itself out once my non-fasting blood sugar comes down to normal range. Which was actually really good yesterday before dinner @ 126. I always thought it would really be awful to have to stick myself every day to check blood sugar, but actually its not all that bad. Its also kind of cool to see how food affects my blood sugar - like a lab experiment, which is how I am working this thing. I created a spreadsheet so I can log blood sugar, meals eaten, and exercise for each day. I can then take the numbers and find the average, which I can loosely associate with the A1C chart to see how my A1C is doing. Its dropped from a 9.5 to approx 7.5 in a month. My doc wants it under 7, and i want to try to get it in the 5-5.5 range (which is considered normal).

Whatnot Wednesday - Summertime!

2011-06-01T10:06:00.002-05:00

OMGoodness! Its Wednesday again already! I can't believe it! It only seems like Tuesday because of the holiday weekend last weekend.

--So, I am trying to use more coupons. I love getting a good deal and trying to match coupons with sales, but it seems like so many coupons are for processed foods and such that we just don't eat. So, usually the coupons I use are for yogurt, cheese, and cereal. So, I watched that ~~hoarder~~ extreme couponing show the other night (to my husband's chagrin - "oh, no, anything but THAT show") because I just had to see what all the hubbub was about. I was amazed/disgusted at the same time. Seriously, you need 93 bags of croutons??? Now, for sure, these stores are staging some of this stuff because I can't believe that any store in its right mind would actually let people come in and use $800 worth of coupons.

--So, last night I made pasta sauce from scratch on the fly. My 20 yr old son (who will be 21 in a few days) was actually at home for dinner. As I was cooking, he told me he didn't know you could used canned tomatoes to make sauce...he thought it had to come out of a jar (Prego, Classico, etc) *yikes* He was amazed that I could take an onion, garlic, spices, canned tomatoes, and ground beef and make a sauce with it! To his future wife, I am truly sorry...looks like i need to give him some cooking lessons :)

--Happy Anniversary today to my parents! 43 years - what a legacy! Praying you have many more!

--We had an awesome weekend over Memorial Day. Saturday, I bought a new washing machine (cause mine died) and did laundry most of the day. Funny, I enjoyed doing the first few loads, but the *newness* & *excitement* quickly wore off. :) Sunday, we had a great worship and praise service. Dave decided not to preach on Sunday - we had a great time of worship, prayer, testimony. Monday, we took the boat out fishing, but didn't catch anything except a sunburn. Ouch!

--In an attempt to save money & eat at home more (again), I am going to restart blogging menu plans and recipes! Somehow, putting it out here for everyone to see helps keep me accountable!

Whatnot Wednesday - Mid-May Edition

2011-05-18T12:28:00.002-05:00

In all the busi-ness thisweek, I totally forgot about Whatnot Wednesday until I saw my friend Emily's post on Facebook! Gotta love FB!
Too much going on this week at work with FY12 budget planning...yuck! But, if we want jobs next year, its a necessary evil. Don't know about you, but I kinda like getting paid. :)
We had an awesome church @ the beach last Sunday. It was also our church's first baptism service, with 3 chidlren being baptized! We had a cookout afterwards, and didn't get home until after 4:00pm. It was so worth it!
We decided to take the boat out Sunday afternoon to see how it was running (just spent $130 in repairs) - our son and his girlfriend rode with us. The tilt & trim worked great (it should! - that's what we fixed) but one of the carburators was sticking and so the boat would not go very well :( I kept getting splashed by waves and it was chilly outside, so i was cold, crabby, and not too happy. After many attempts by Dave to get the carburator unstuck, we limped the boat back to the dock. Dave took the boat out again Monday morning, and it ran fine. Go figure :/
We are attending two graduations this week, tonight our son's girlfriend graduates from Arnold High School and tomorrow night five seniors from our previous church youth group graduate from Rutherford. Gonna be busy, but so proud of them all for this accomplishment!
I have now achieved my annual post record for the most posts in a year, in 2009 I made 13 posts and this year, I have 15. WOO HOO! :)

Whatnot Wednesday

2011-05-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

WHAT!!! Is it Wednesday again already???? Where has the time gone?

--Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. I did. I came home from church and our son had put a card for me in the door window (so I'd see it). He had to work Sunday morning (long story) and so, we left before he did. He drew me a sweet card and wrote the most sweetest message in it. The funny part, though, was he put "I got you a Starbucks Card and I was going to give it to you when you woke up - but I couldn't find it. I looked in my truck, and in my room. And then found it in my pocket." HAHAHAHAHAHA! Love it! And the Starbucks card. :)

--Started reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love - yeah, i know its been out 3 years. But heard him at Expo Conference a few weeks ago and thought "I need to read his book." In my spare time. In addition to about 5 other books we picked up. :)

--I decided to click the "Stats" tab above on my "blogger dashboard" to see what it was. I was amazed to see that I have hits on my blog from Australia, Kenya, Russia, Slovenia, Lativa, Canada, Netherlands, China, Germany, and the Ukraine. Which is totally cool! Especially since I do not know anyone from any of those countries.

--So, on this same "Stats" tab, I found a "keyword" search, which is how some people find my blog. My top three favorites were: 3) a tale of two friends battling the bulge, 2) rap...cause I am so a rapper :), and *drumroll please* 1) minister with a controlling wife - spiritual. Shut up Dave, I can hear you laughing!!!!!

--Hope ya'll have a great rest of the week!

Whatnot Wednesday

2011-05-04T10:11:00.002-05:00

--We had a great time in Orlando last week at Exponential Conference (church planter conference). There were approximately 4,000 fellow church planters. Funny thing, it seems every where we go, my husband knows someone. This time, we met up with a good friend & fellow church planter from Jacksonville. Our son is always amazed or amused (not sure which) and teases Dave when this happens. So, yes, Shane, your dad knew someone there too. :)

--Speaking of the conference, it was absolutely incredible. This heartfelt movement of God to leave the traditional church model behind and move into a missional community lifestyle is exciting and risky. So much to say about this topic that it will be a separate post. We listened to speakers such as Alan Hirsh, Francis Chan, Rick Warren and others. It was so awesome to worship with 4,000 others who all wanted to be there and to worship.

--We skated back into town Friday, right in time for the wedding rehearsal that evening. Dave performed his first wedding on Saturday, 30 April 2011. It was awesome to see the bride and groom so excited and full of the Holy Spirit as they joined in marriage. These sweet people were so unselfish that they asked Dave to share the gospel prior to their wedding--they were willing to postpone their marriage vows so that someone may get saved. :)

--On another note, just finished reading a sweet friend's blog about the trials that she faced while leading worship at another church in town. I had to really fight my flesh as I was reading all of the ugly/evil things the pastors said and how they acted. Definitely not from God. Good thing I am not in the same room with them right now, but I know they will have to face the Lord one day and account for their actions. For that, I pray for them for mercy. Lord, help me to not ever act that way to anyone else.

--Looking forward to Gathering @ the Beach - we are having our Sunday worship gathering at Bonita Bay on 15 May 2011. We will have a low key, but heartfelt worship and our first baptism service. After that, we'll cook out, play in the water, fish, talk, and fellowship. Praying for opportunities to connect with others who are there.

Whatnot Wednesday

2011-04-20T09:26:00.004-05:00

I've been waiting all week for Whatnot Wednesday!

**Saturday we had a great time at Kidfest. We ran a booth for our church, and I have to say that I think my Pastor Husband is more of a kid than the kids were! He made balloon hats and animals nonstop for 6 hours. We also found out that we have incredible talent in our church...I've never seen such beautiful facepainting that one of our ladies did! Maybe she'll come help me decorate my house! :)

**Saturday was also our 21 Anniversary! We had visions of grandeur of coming home from Kidfest (we were there from 7am-5pm) and going out to dinner! We got home, laid on the couch, and decided to order in pizza...

**Sunday we had "Church in the Park" and it was incredible! The weather was gorgeous, we counted ~~everyone we could see in the park~~ everyone to be about 49 people in attendance. We had an awesome worship and preaching and one lady came forward for forgiveness/rededication. Love it when the Lord is about healing hearts and relationships. It was awesome!

**Since we were at Kidfest on our anniversary, we decided to go out last night for dinner and dance lessons. We went to Kobe (my new favorite restaurant) and it was amazing. We had the hibatchi filet mignon and shrimp (dinner for 2) and the steak was melt-in-your-mouth yumminess. After that, we went for our very first dance lessons (ballroom and latin) (where's those smilies when you need one???) . It was a lot of fun. Just in case you are now having visions of this:

or this

Le'ts just say we are not quite there yet. :) Oh, BTW, muscles I didn't know I had are now screaming at me. We are definitely going back for more....

** Can't wait for next week! We are going to Orlando for a church planters Exponential Conference from Tuesday-Friday!

**Just realized our son will be 21 in exactly 2 months! Eeeeekkkkk!

Whatnot Wednesday

2011-04-13T22:23:00.006-05:00

Wow...I've looked forward all week to Whatnot Wednesday and now I almost missed it!

** Ever watched the show "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files?" Its ~~one of my favorites~~ really interesting. This team of former FBI agents, computer graphics experts, cinamaphotograhers and other experts travel to different locations to debunk various claims such as UFOs, ghosts, etc.

** Shane, our son, had a good time at Prom last Saturday night with his girfriend Amanda. He finally made it to Prom, only two years after he graduated! I honestly had thoughts of what he'd look like when he gets married - he's assured me it will at least be a few years from now! (Whew! Where does the time go?)

** So excited our church plant is going to be part of Kidfest on Saturday and having Church in the Park on Sunday. After all the ~~silly hoops~~, ~~stupid beurocracy~~, normal process, we (Lifeblood) is now approved to meet at McKenzie Park on Sunday. I almost thought we'd have to give away our firstborn son for that! (Sorry, Shane!)

** I thought of a lot of whatnots throughout the week, but now they just don't seem to be entering my brain...only thing going on there now is...sleep...sleep...sleep...sleep...you want to go to sleep :)

** Which is exactly what my brain was telling me yesterday (all day) during the most awfulest, boringest, stupidist teleconference I have ever had to dial into. Let's just say it was bad. Wondered what they would think if just crawled under my desk for a nap. Don't think they'd even notice, they were too busy aruging and talking over each other. Maybe this ( Wicked Witch/Poisioned Poppies Video Clip ) was going on! "Poppies, poisoned poppies! This will put them to sleep!"

Eh, I still have an hour and half of Wednesday. Much to be said about procrastination!

Just had to add this last bit of whatnot...or more approprately whattheheck! Take a look at the photo on the bottom left. Apparently you are supposed to put this mask on your face to shock it! This photo was on MSN's Wacky Infomercials site. http://www.infomercial-hell.com/rejuvenique/ Um, yeah, cause that's just what I always wanted to do.

Saving Money :)

2011-04-08T12:07:00.001-05:00

So, I love reading blogs on how people save money at the grocery store and how they find all these great coupons on the internet. One really cool blog I read is couponing & budgeting. This blog has links to some other really good webpages, too. This woman went through some really awful times at an old church - serious spiritual abuse stuff - but that is another blog.

So, that said, I found lots and lots of coupons on the internet at Red Plum, Smart Source, Coupons.com. There were even some blogs I found where you can get coupons, but you have to buy them (doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of a coupon???) I'll stick to the free ones. I really like the idea of using multiple coupons for one item (manufacturer's coupon, store coupon, and store sale). This week my great deal is Cascadian Farms (any items) are 2/$4 at Publix. I also have 2 store coupons for $1off each, a manufacturer coupon for $1 off and $.75 off. So, for $4, I'll only spend 25cents!

So, couponing and menu planning go hand in hand, here is this week's menu.....Cause I just know everyone is just dying to know :)

Saturday - Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice w/mushrooms, and green beans
Sunday - Spaghetti & meatballs, garlic bread
Monday - fish, rice, vege of some sort
Tuesday - chicken w/tomatoes, onions, and olives (for me) and pasta
Wednesday - sausage and potatoes/onions/peppers
Thursday - pork chops, mac n cheese, and vege of some sort
Friday - OUT

I am just starting to get the hang of this couponing stuff...Publix has boneless skinless chicken for $1.99/lb too.

-------------------------------------
Just wanted to add an update:

I didn't really realize that couponing and planning from coupons was so time consuming. But, it paid off as I got:

Winn Dixie - $158 of groceries for $78
Publix - $46 of groceries for $22

Next week's goal: eat the pantry & fridge

Whatnot Wednesday

2011-04-06T14:55:00.001-05:00

OK, so I totally ~~stole~~ borrowed this idea from Emily...but this seems like a cool idea. Whatnot Wednesday...gotta be better than a
Melancholy Monday :). From my understanding, this is the place where you just put out whatever is on your brain at the moment...like a purging session. Uh, yeah, that could be scary. Well, let's see...

**I never knew how hard it would be to have a church service in the park...and I don't mean by the church members (cause they all rock, and are excited about this!) I mean by the bureaucratic mess that we have to go through to be able to do this fun event. Applications/permit, meeting/park walk through, approval by a committee, $100 refundable deposit (at least we get it back)...the list goes on. Seriously? What happened to the days when you could just set up a couple of chairs, lay out a picnic basket, and go at it??? Hrumph. I am so rolling my eyes right now.

**On a more better note, just got a call from my hubby, who told me to say "I have no faith, and you (hubby) are always right." Um, yeah, not sure I want to...But, I decided to play along. See, yesterday we were ministering to a lady, who is struggling to pay her bills and her power bill is due like several weeks ago. She is working hard & trying, but just having a rough time of it right now. We have known this since last Friday, and Dave told her to keep trusting in the Lord, that He will provide. Dave made phone calls yesterday and tried to tap into resources. She is trying to make as many tips between now and this Friday. Well, Dave just called me to say that someone just donated $110 towards her powerbill. The remaining balance is roughly $80. Its really cool to see the Lord provide for people. Can't wait to tell her! I totally LOVE this part of ministry.

**My hubby said I looked at him with "Holy Spirit" eyes yesterday. :)

**Can't decide if I like Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper better...Both are really good in their own right. But, I think Coke Zero wins.

**Just received a recipe in my inbox for mini broccoli fritattas...my first gut reaction was, uck...until I read the recipe and saw it has butter, bacon, and cheese in it. Mmmm...may have to try this afterall.

**New favorite fruit? Red grapes...tastes like chewy sweet tarts.

**Love that Shane is finally going to a Prom (two years after he graduated) with his girlfriend. Hope they have a good time. Will definitely post pics.

**For dinner tonight; Rachael Ray recipe Parmesan Chicken with Tomato and Basil & Roasted Potatoes. Bought everything for it during grocery shopping last Saturday. Except, forgot the shredded parmesan. :/ So, off to Publix I go, cause even though I try to only go shopping once a week, it never works out that way.

**Is it just me, or does everyone else's onions and potatoes seem to get old too fast? Seems like I am throwing away a rediculous amount of Os and Ps.

**Wow, half my post is about food of some sort...

Well, all the randomness has fallen out of my brain for the moment. Thanks, Emily, for letting me know about the brain dump. :)

Bittersweet Memories

2011-04-01T10:33:00.002-05:00

Throughout the last few years, I often wondered how I would feel when our time serving at Carlisle would end. I can't express how much Carlisle has blessed our family over the years. For sure, we have had our ups and downs and have suffered through some severe trials and heartache. But, we have also experienced some of the hugest blessings and greatest joy imaginable.

I remember when over 12 years ago (before my husband was saved) driving by "that church on the corner" each Sunday morning as I went to the laundry mat to wash our clothes. For 3 or 4 months, I'd drive by, and have the strongest urge to go there...like I was being pulled towards the church. Sometimes it was so strong, I would drive the long way to the laundry mat so that I could "ignore" the pull. I know now that it was the Holy Spirit pulling me towards that church. I was compelled to go...I could not ignore it. I finally gave into that pull, and took my son, who was 9 at the time, church on 4 July 1999. Who knew that day that 12 years later, we'd be starting a new church...let alone serving in ministry!

I was saved several years earlier, on Easter Sunday, 2006. But, I didn't really begin to grow in the Lord and start understanding His ways, until I began going to Carlisle. This church took me and Shane in with no judgment about Dave not attending church anywhere. They just loved me and Shane anyway. In 2001, the Lord got a hold of Dave's heart and radically changed him and healed our marriage. A year later, 2002, we went forward to let the church know that the Lord was calling us into ministry. I garantee you, that in 1999, when I stepped foot for the first time in that church, I had absolutely NO IDEA that the Lord would call us in this way. Ministry was the FURTHEST thing from my mind!

Over the last nine years, we poured our hearts and lives into the Youth that came through our youth group. Its awesome to still be in contact with some of the Youth to see how some of them have grown in the Lord, got married and some are now starting families of their own. For sure, we made our share of mistakes but we loved them. Also, awesome is the number of youth that came to Christ throughout the years. The Lord blessed us even more in the last few months as we led two more of our youth to Christ, and several others have repented and turned back to Him.

This past Sunday night, Carlisle gave us a "good-bye party." As I shed some tears, I realized they were tears of love and compassion. I know that the Lord has moved us into a different area of ministry. Carlisle will forever be in my heart. My heart and life is now with Lifeblood. Yes, this is a bittersweet time. I have complete peace.

How Big I'm Blessed

2011-03-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

I find myself sitting at my desk getting irritated with my officemate's teleconference - the phone is turned up so loud and their voices are like fingernails on a chalk board - ear piercing! I am bored and ready to go home. In my line of work, its pretty much feast or famine...and right now we are in a famine period. All this means is there is not a lot of work right now and the monotnous watching the clock each day is driving me crazy.
I have to chuckle, though because as I went to lunch today, this song played on the radio. Cowinkeydink, you think? Nope, not I. :) I know the Lord knew what I needed to hear at the right time...to get me to quit whinin'. In the song, Francesca Battistelli sings "in the midst of my little mess, I forget how big I'm blessed." Yep! Its so easy to wallow in my own self pity, frustration, and discouragement.

Colossians 3:12-17 "Therefore, as God's chosen people. holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Birthday Cake with Icing & Sprinkles on Top

2011-03-03T10:39:00.002-06:00

This post has been written on my heart for days, yet I am just now finding the time to write. We had such an awesome day in the Lord last Sunday, and I can only describe it as your favorite cake with your favorite icing and LOTS of sprinkes on top!

If you can imagine along with me...

Sunday morning: What an awesome worship service we had. The Lord was definitely present and we had just such a sweet time as we came together in unity as Lifeblood...following along with the early church example in Acts 2:41-47. This was like your most favorite cake that you have ever tasted...for me, it is a rich vanilla cake with a fresh lemon filling.

Sunday night: Dave & I went to Family of God church to present our church plant vision and ask for support from their church. This is the third time we have presented the vision to Family of God. We walked in to their church and the Holy Spirit was already there. We had an awesome time praising and worshipping our Lord with them. Dave shared our church plant vision. They even took up a love offering for us (for the church plant). We had no idea. This was like your most favorite icing on the cake. For me, its a fresh vanilla buttercream.

The sprinkles on top! God was not finished making our cake just yet. We would have been high and happy just off the cake and icing. But God is a God of details, and He wanted to pour on the sprinkes on top! During that night, at Family of God, one person rededicated her life to Christ, one person (who had never been there before) got saved, and one lady wants to come join us at Lifeblood to help grow the church! Wow! What an awesome praise!

We serve a God who is definitely in the details. Everything He does is extravagant.

(lest you think I made the cake in this photo, rest assured I did not. I found it on Google images...)

The "P" Word

2011-02-20T21:52:00.001-06:00

Perfect. Perfection. Perfectionism. Perfectionist. That describes me to a "P"! Not that I am perfect in any way, mind you, but that I (in my mind) think that I should be...All -or- nothing. No middle ground. Pass/Fail. What do I put that kind of pressure on myself? I do know that I am not alone in this mindset. Ever Read Proverbs 31 and think "there is NO WAY I can live up to this!!!" I have. Ever hear list of "DOs and DON'Ts" for Christians" and think there is NO WAY I can live up to this! I have. Read a list of "DOs and DONTs" Especially for Pastor's Wives Edition" and think there is NO WAY I can live up to this!!! Yep, me again.

Chained. Bound. Bondage. In bondage to sin, due to my poor choices, my wicked heart, and the enemy. What I was before I met Jesus. Hollow, empty, condemned already. God looked down from Heaven at me and loved me anyway...wow. Jesus took that sin on Him, and nailed it to the cross. So I can be free...all I have to do is repent of my sin, and turn to Christ...trust Him, not me. Die to myself daily, pick up my cross, and follow Him. He promises that if I give Him my burdens, that He will give me His. My burdens are heavy, but His are light. Seems simple, right? So easy, yet so hard.

Free. Freedom. Free in Christ. Liberty. Christ came to set the captives free...that was me. I can celebrate because of His grace and mercy...even though I didn't deserve it, earn it, or want it while still in my condemned state. Thank you Jesus for saving my soul, setting me free. Even though I stumble and fall, I pick myself up again and continue the race. I am free!

Home Cooked Meals - Week 3

2011-02-20T21:40:00.000-06:00

Another week of staying on track by cooking at home. I am actually enjoying trying new recipes and stuff. Goals for this week are the same as last week, and they are already met, with exception of actually cooking them.

SAT - Shrimp Gumbo Casserole - Paula Deen
SUN - Out
MON - Stuffed Peppers
TUE - Crock Pot BBQ ribs, mashed potatoes, sauteed snow peas
WED - left overs
THR - chicken stew, crusty bread
FRI - leftovers

Budgeting Part 2

2011-02-12T13:48:00.002-06:00

So, last week went pretty well. We cooked and ate at home three of the five days, which is doing good for us. Of the two days we ate out for dinner, one was for our son's girlfriend's birthday and the other was we just didn't have time between work and a meeting to come home and cook dinner.

This week's goals:

~~1) Make menu -~~ DONE
~~2) Make grocery list -~~ DONE
~~3) Go shopping~~ - DONE

~~SUN -~~ Hot Sausage Burgers w/Broccoli Rabe (Rachael Ray recipe) (repeat from last week to use up some ingredients)
~~MON -~~ Two Sauce Lasagna in Bowls (Rachael Ray recipe)
~~TUE~~ - Homemade pizza
~~WED~~ - homemade pizza
~~THR~~ - chicken w/raw tomato sauce and roasted potatoes
~~FRI~~ - Hot beef sandwiches

The "B" Word

2011-02-07T10:56:00.010-06:00

Ah, yes. The dreaded "b" word. BUDGETS. As I was looking over our acutals we spent in January, I confirmed my suspicions that we are spending way to much on eating out and groceries. Which means if we keep doing this, my clothing budget will have to expand too :( So, for February, I am going to attempt to reduce drastically these two areas of our budget.
I have read so many articles on saving money at the grocery store, couponing, cooking from scratch, once a week cooking, once a month cooking, ect., but each one of those great ideas require massive amounts of time and energy spent on them. Extra time, which I do not have. So, the perfectioninst in me says, well if I can't do it *perfectly*, I must not do it at all. But, I am working on that thinking, because I know that I cannot be *perfect*, nor does God expect me to be *perfect* because He did not create me to be *perfect*. So, this month, I am going to set up mini goals, and if I don't reach them, it will be ok. Because, you know what? I am not *perfect*. :) (Maybe I should have titled this post "The "P" Word.")

So, for this week. Here are my goals:

~~1) Create menu for week.~~ DONE
~~2) Make list.~~ DONE
3) ~~Go to grocery store.~~ DONE
4) ~~Clean out fridge to make room for new groceries~~ DONE (not *perfect*, but good enough)
5) Each night before bed, pull meat for next night's dinner & prep veges and stuff

~~MON~~ - Hot Sausage Burgers with Broccoli Rabe and Provolone - Rachael Ray - Definitely a keeper!
TUE - Dinner Out - for Amanda's Birthday
~~WED~~ - Taco Soup - Paula Deen and cornbread
THR - Out - we had several evening appointments and didn't have time to cook
~~FRI~~ - Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions - Rachael Ray
SUN - Crockpot hot roast beef sandwiches (2-3 lb beef roast in crockpot w/jar of sliced pepperoncini peppers, cook all day)

6) Actually COOK the food. (Um, yeah)

For my own accountability, I plan to update this page this week. If anyone reads this and has any ideas, please comment!

Jesus, Messiah, Lord of All

2011-02-06T07:52:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate our first Lord's Supper at Lifeblood. We are really excited to be able to share this sacred time with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I even attempted to make homemade unleavened bread! Can't wait to see how it turns out. :)

Pastor Dave will be walking us through the OT Passover and the NT Lord's Supper and how they interrelate and how Jesus is the Passover Lamb, the promise that the Israelites were trusting would come.

In obedience to God, the Israelites put their faith in the lamb's blood (the sacrifice), that it would protect them from the destroyer.

Exodus 12:21-28 "Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron."

Thousands of years later, the Lord saw fit to send His son,Jesus from Heaven to Earth. Jesus had to enter into our world, so He could show us the way back to Him. The Lord chose John "the Baptist" to come ahead of Jesus to bear witness (to announce ) to everyone that Jesus, the promised Messiah, was finally here. As John saw Jesus walking, he called out, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). The next day, as John was hanging out with two disciples, Jesus walked up to them. John cried out, "Behold, the Lamb of God." (John 1:36)

A few years later, Jesus was with His disciples getting ready to celebrate the passover meal. Little did His disciples know that this would be the last passover meal they would share with Jesus, and that Jesus IS the fulfullment of the passover. Let's take a trip back in time to this most awesome Passover meal and focus in with the disciples to see what it must have been like to celebrate with them.

Mark 14:12-26 "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. In the evening He came with the twelve. Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?” He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."
As I prepare for the Lord's Supper tomorrow, Lord, please show me areas that I need to repent and help me come to the table with a clean heart.

Psalm 34:8-9 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

Psalm 34:17-18 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Lifeblood ~ New Beginnings

2011-02-03T14:56:00.001-06:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been a month already since we launched Sunday morning services. We had a rockin' New Year's Eve Party & Preview Service to ring in the new year (btw, I cannot believe it is already 2011). So many people at our current church (Carlisle) have been so supportive of Dave & I as we take this next step of faith and start Lifeblood. We cannot thank them enough. I never knew how hard it would be to start a church from the ground up. So many hoops to go through and so many issues to think about. You'd think it would be quite simple.

We launched Sunday morning worship services on 9 January 2011. Our services at Lifeblood over the last month have been wonderful. The Lord has blessed us with His presence and we just cannot wait to go back each week. Dave & I are excited to see what the Lord has in store.

It seems like a common theme the Lord is putting on people's heart latey is "that we are all missionaries/disciples of Christ" and not just "good church people." That will be a topic for another blog. We are to be "outward" thinking, not "inward" thinking Christians. We (all Christians) are called to serve others, not ourselves. For now, please remember us in your prayers.

It's SHOUTIN' Time!

2010-12-06T13:36:00.002-06:00

This weekend, God has been so good to me...the encouragement He brought me is just astounding...like He HEAPED it on! Here is how it all started:

At the end of the day on Friday, I came home from work frustrated and down in spirit. As I believe all Christians are called to be missionaries in all aspects of life, I view my work as one of my mission fields. Lately it seems that people are making decisions to reject Christ and all He has to offer them; therefore, I have been sensing some rejection and criticism (not work related, but people related). I know that it is not an outright rejection of me, but of Christ in me,
but it still hurts none-the-less and to tell the truth, I have been depressed and really struggling with it lately.

Paul spoke about this very issue to the Corinthian church. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."

I don't know about you, but it is sometimes hard for me to remember that so many people throughout the ages have struggled and hurt when dealing with this same issue. Just thinking, but how many people throughout the years have taken comfort in these passages that Paul wrote almost 2,000 years ago? Millions?

Anyway, God knew I was struggling, so this is what He did! Saturday night, our church plant (Lifeblood) and a couple of the businesses we meet in (Emerald Coast Glass Protection and Pro-Tint) came together to serve hot chocolate and coffee to the community as people waited for the Christmas Parade. We figured we would hand out about 25-30 coffees/hot chocolates. Boy were we wrong! We passed out over 100 coffees and hot chocolates to people and everyone one was surprised that there was no "catch" or "hidden agenda" or anything...that we were doing this just because we wanted to serve. It was really cool and I can't wait until next year to do it again! (Note: bring more hot chocolate next year)

That would have been awesome in itself, but God didn't stop there. :) Sunday morning, we had an awesome time of worship at Church and I have not felt God's spirit there like that in a long while. Our pastor preached an awesome message, and our church came forward with commitments to pray, give, or go to help us with Lifeblood. Then, we had sweet time of prayer as the church prayed for us and commissioned Dave and I to go forth and make disciples. That would have been enough there...but God STILL DIDN"T STOP!

After that, two of our Youth that we have been working with came forward to make their professions of faith public. And to top it off, we got to talk to our son's girlfriend and pray with her to receive Christ! What an awesome God we serve! It's SHOUTIN' time! :)

Here Am I...Send Me!

2010-11-30T13:21:00.002-06:00

Wow..I can't believe it has been 6 months since I blogged last. Where has the time gone??? As I sit here writing, I feel a bit melancholy. As we are rocketing down the corridor into our next season of ministry, I find myself sometimes wanting to slow down for a while and breathe.
While I know our season at our current church is coming to a close, I wonder have we really had an impact on people for Christ? What kind of fruit have I been producing lately? Am I growing closer to the Father...or away from Him? Is it possible the Lord is really leading Dave and ME to start a new church? What kind of impact have I had on people at work? at home? at church? with family?

I do not know the answer to many of these questions...so I ponder and do a bit (ok...a lot) of soul-searching. As we slip into the last month of 2010 and welcome 2011....I look forward to the birth of a new year, the birth of a new church, and a birth of a new ministry.

All I know is this: Isaiah 6:6-8 "Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.' Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" I too, heard the call and answered "Here I am, send me."

A Tale of Two Friends ~ True Story

2010-05-21T06:44:00.001-05:00

This past week has been one of the roughest in the last 3 years. Back in 2007, I worked with two people, Joey and Sean. Joey was retired Navy EOD and Sean was a Mechanical Engineer. I began trying to witness to both of them and tried to share Christ with them. They both died this week.

Joey

Joey was antagonistic at first. After I shared Christ with him and our testimony, he would argue with me. He came back and asked many questions, but would get snarky and we argued a lot. I asked for prayer for him over a period of several months. During that time, he started dating a woman and got her pregnant. But, during this time, he would also come and ask me sincere questions about the bible. In November 2007, he came into my office and asked me how to be saved. I talked to him about sin and how we are all sinners, that he needed to confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 states,"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I talked to him about how he needed to repent, which means to turn from our sins. I talked to him about how he needed to ask Jesus to be Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9-10 states, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." I told him he needed to pray and ask the Lord to forgive him of his sins and to ask Him to be Lord and Savior of his life. Five minutes later, Joey came running down the hallway in tears and asked me to pray with him! We went out into the parking lot and prayed right there. Over the last few years, Joey had been attending church and I have seen him growing...especially in the last year. He would occasionally come in and tell me about a sermon he had heard or about a scripture he had read and we'd talk about it. He was trying to work things out with his baby's mama, but was having issues. He loved his little boy and tried his best to be a good daddy. I do not know why Joey killed himself last Monday. At least I know I will see him one day.

Sean

I met Sean about the time I met Joey. I tried to share Christ with Sean, but he didn't want to hear it. He listened to our testimony, but didn't want to know the things of Christ. I prayed for opportunities to share with him. I introduced him to my husband in hopes that Dave would be about to talk to Sean, but Sean didn't want to hear it. Sean went through a really rough time during the fall of 2008-spring 2009 and quit his job. We didn't see Sean after that. I found out that Sean killed himself last Friday. I don't think I will see him again. I did what I was supposed to do...I shared with him.

Moral of this Story

I did what I was supposed to do by trying to talk to each of these people and tried to share Christ with them. They both chose their own paths. I do not have any regrets that I didn't share with them. My regret is that as far as I know, Sean didn't choose to follow Christ. This breaks my heart, but I know that I can look myself in the mirror and know that I tried.

Challenges for You

1) Share Christ with others. Pray for the Lord to give you opportunities. Its ok if they shut you down or say they don't want to hear it. Keep trying. Respect them. But keep trying. You never know when that will be the last time you will see someone. I saw Joey last Friday. I had no idea that he was suicidal. He was just Joey. I miss my crazy friend.

2) If you are not saved, please read above what I told Joey. Contact me or someone who can/will share and pray with you.

3) If you don't know how to share your faith, I will teach you. Or we can find someone to teach you.

4) If you are thinking about suicide, tell someone. Get help.

5) If you have a friend or know someone who is saying they want to kill themselves, report it. Take them seriously...better be safe than sorry.

Battling the Bulge Week 1 26 April - 1 May 2010

2010-04-27T09:42:00.013-05:00

Arrgggg...whoever says weight loss is EASY...is either skinny or lying! Pick a plan, follow it, and exercise. Sounds simple enough, right? Should be easy enough, right? Don't know about you, but for me, it is HARD to pick a plan! I have read more diet books than you can imagine...Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, 3-Hr Diet, Sonoma Diet, Reality Diet, Sugar Busters, Weigh Down, First Place, Heathly Heart Diet, Zone Diet...its enough to make my head spin! Picking a plan is just as hard as sticking to it! Every one of them has pros and cons. I want the smorgasboard of plans!

I have decided to stick to a low carb diet...meaning I am cutting out flour, sugar, and starchy stuff (potatoes, rice, pasta). I have done this before and definitely feel better when I cut this stuff out.

I plan to journal my eats because I need a place to write it down.

Week 1 Day 1 - Monday, 26 April 2010
B - eggs with cheddar, coffee w/SF vanilla and cream
L - salad w/spring lettuce mix, spinach, tuna, black olives, 1/2 avocado, green onions, tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, yellow/red peppers, handful nuts, italian dressing & pepperjack cheese
D - chicken w/fresh herbs, spinach
Dessert - low carb strawberry cobbler w/whipped cream

Week 1 Day 2 - Tuesday, 27 April 2010
B - eggs w/cheddar, coffee w/SF vanilla and cream
S - handful nuts
L - salad w/spring mix , tuna, black olives, tomatoes, green onions, 1/2 avocado, red/yellow peppers, cucumbers, italian dressing, pickled okra & pepperjack cheese
D - italian meatloaf w/lettuce and tomato salad
Dessert - low carb strawberry cobbler w/whipped cream

Week 1 Day 3 - Wednesday, 28 April 2010
B - eggs w/cheddar, coffee w/SF vanilla and cream
L - salad w/spring mix, tuna, black olives, 1/2 avocado, green onions, tomatoes, red/yellow peppers, handful nuts, picked okra, cucumbers, italian dressing & pepperjack on the side
D - BBQ pork and broccoli w/cheese
S - mozzerella w/pepperoni and tomato sauce
Dessert - handful 60% dark chocolate chips

Week 1 Day 4 - Thursday, 29 April 2010
B - eggs/w sausage, cheddar, onions, peppers, & coffee w/SF vanilla and cream
L - salad w/spring mix, tuna, black olives, 1/2 avocado, green onions, tomatoes, red/yellow peppers, handful nuts, cucumbers, italian dressing
S - pepperoni and cheese
D - chicken sauteed w/olive oil, cumin, chili powder, peppers, onions topped/ cheese and salsa
S - handful 60% dark chocolate chips

Week 1 Day 5 - Friday, 30 April 2010
B - eggs w/sausage, cheddar, onions, peppers & coffee w/cream
L - grilled chicken salad from Chick-Fil-A
S - handful mixed nuts

2009 - The Year of CHANGES

2010-01-01T10:21:00.001-06:00

CH-CH-CHANGE! Good thing I like CHANGE, because 2009 brought a lot of CHANGES to the Dailey house. This year, I learned to walk through some of life's changes with the Lord's leading, direction, and help. Some of the most notable CHANGES:

1) January 2009 - Carlisle Baptist called Dave as an Associate Pastor after serving there for 7 years as the Youth Minister

2) May 2009 - Shane, our son, graduated high school...old doors closed behind him, but new doors opened before him.

3) May 2009 - Dave graduated from Baptist College of FL (with honors)

4) May 2009 - Dave had his ordination service, and became an ordained minister

5) August 2009 - Dave & I went to our first church planting seminar

6) August 2009 - Shane began his first year of college!

7) August 2009 - I started my Master's degree program!

8) August 2009 - My Dad retired from full-time work.

9) September 2009 - Dave & I launched our first home bible study under our church plant, Lifeblood Baptist.

Chasing Rainbows

2009-12-15T14:25:00.002-06:00

Every time since I had a miscarriage in 2002, when I am discouraged or stressed or upset, the Lord always gives me rainbows as a sign of hope and His promise that He will never leave me or forsake me. In Genesis, after the flood that destroyed the earth, the Lord gave Noah that same sign.

God's covenant with everyone:

Genesis 9:12-17 states, "12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Ezekiel's vision of the Lord:

26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

And another vision of the Lord:

Revelation 4:2-3 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was[a] like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

Today, on the way to work, I saw the MOST BEAUTIFUL rainbow...it was tall in the sky, but I only saw one of the posts of it. It had swirly stuff around it...I saw it all the way from Starbucks on Tyndall Parkway until I drove into the parking lot at work (off Thomas Drive). I got to look at it for about 30 minutes.

I have been struggling with anxiety and been under some serious spiritual warfare lately. I know the Lord gives me these visual signs to remimd me to keep focused on Him, not my circumstances. I will continue to chase rainbows with all my heart!

This Is How We Christmas....Decorations Edition!

2009-12-13T16:45:00.001-06:00

Lisa at The Preacher's Wife blog has asked us to blog about our decorations this week. This December has been so crazy and hectic that I have had to do decorating a little at a time. We got our Christmas tree last Saturday. Like Lisa, I got several tree branches to use for decorations... I got up early Tuesday morning before work to put the lights on it, and I placed the box of ornaments on the floor beside the tree and told Dave (hubby) and Shane (19) to put ornaments on the tree as you walk by it. So yesterday, the tree was half decorated. I took breaks between writing a paper for my course (due Wed) and finished decorating the tree...then we had to go to get a tree topper, because I could not find the angel topper :) Dave and Shane got the lights up yesterday, and so we are pretty well set...

Nativity Set

I bought this set at Kirklands in 2001...it has actually survived intact, with no broken pieces, for the last 8 years!

Decorations

Like Lisa was saying in her blog, my husband gives me grief when I get extra tree branches...this year, my hubby and son teased me, saying that I got enough extra branches to make another tree :/ Yeah, they THINK they're funny!

Our Tree

Finally got it decorated yesterday...it has an ensemble of old ornaments, some Shane made in school when he was younger, and new ornaments. We recently got rid of a massive entertainment center, but still have not moved the speakers out of the living room...as you can see behind the tree on the right :) Martha Stewart, I am not...

My Favorite Ornament

This is my most favorite ornament in the whole world...I have been hanging this ornament on the tree for as long as I can remember. My Mom was going to throw it out about 10 years ago...and it is not worth anything, but I saved it from impending doom and destruction! :)

Snow Globes

My collection of snow globes...mostly given to me by my mother in law...

Outdoor Decorating

Last, but not least, the outdoors....

My new wreath I bought during Black Friday at Hobby Lobby (yes, I was crazy enough to brave the crowds that day)

Now that I have procrastinated enough, I am going to post this blog, and work on my research paper.

This Is How We Christmas....Dailey Style!

2009-12-05T08:14:00.000-06:00

Ah....its that time again! Cold air, hot coffee, fires in the fire place, and snow on the ground! Well, no snow here in sunny Florida, but girl can always hope, right? :)

Lisa at www.apreacherswife.com is having asking us to blog about a variety of Christmas traditions throughout December. Each Thursday, she is going to post a new set of questions. This week she asked us about 1) The Santa Thing, 2) Christmas Eve Day, and 3) The Food and Parties and Games.

Dave and I have never had Christmas JUST at our house...ever...as long as we have been married (19 years). We have always had family living close to us, until 2007. How we do Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are dependant on which side of the family we are Christmasing with. So anyway, here goes!

1) The Santa Thing. For the first several years of our marriage, we were not following Christ, so we had no problems doing the "santa thing." We had pictures taken, presents from Santa, left cookies out, etc. Shane was about 9-10 when my husband became a Christian and so he was growing out of the Santa thing anyway. If I had to do it over, we would definitely celebrate Santa in the light of Christ...

2) Christmas Eve Day. As I stated above, we have never had Christmas JUST at our house. For the first 6 years Dave and I were married, BOTH sets of family lived here, too. Dave was working as a Chef at the time, so he usually had to work early Christmas Day. We split the day between HIS and HERs parents house...which meant two sets of presents and two Christmas dinners. Yeah, we were stuffed!

Christmas Now: We alternate between families. My in-laws live in Northern Alabama and my parents live in South Virginia...so there is NO way we can do Christmas each year with both families.

If we are at Dave's parents, Christmas Eve Day is usually spent finishing up wrapping Christmas presents, puttting up and decorating the Christmas tree, attending their church's Christmas eve service, and then (while eating a variety of junk food...chips/dip, cookies, candy for dinner) we listen while my Father-in-law reads the Christmas Story from the Bible. We then go around the room and pray.

If we are at My parents, Christmas Eve Day is usually spent finishing up shopping and then we go to a nice restaurant for dinner. We then go to late Christmas Mass (my parents are Catholic) and then to bed.

OH YEAH, every year we have gotten Shane a gift to open on Christmas Eve...every year its pajamas...and even though Shane is now 19, he still wants his Christmas Eve gift...and he always knows it pajamas...yet, he still expects it!

3) The Food & Parties & Games. Honestly, we don't get invited to too many parties or play too many games...but not because we don't want to :)

Christmas day food at Dave's parents: Prime Rib, baked potatoes, salad, and dessert.

Christmas day food at My parents: Turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes/gravy, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, deviled eggs, salad, dessert

I can't find any pics now, but I'll post some later if I can find them

What are You Thankful For?

2009-11-25T06:27:00.000-06:00

I've been dealing with some frustration and discouragement lately, so I decided to make a list of the things that I am thankful. Psalm 100:4, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

1) My Jesus, who died on the cross for MY sins and was resurrected. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.

2) My husband. I know I get frustrated with him sometimes, but I thank God for him and the awesome work God has done in his heart and life. Lord, please remind me that he is still a work in progress as I am and that he needs grace too, as I do.

3) My son. Thank you Lord, for giving me such a sweet son. I am so grateful that he is not out stirring up trouble. I am grateful that he feels he can talk to us about important stuff.

4) Our dog. Thank you for Jake, that he loves us

5) My family. Lord, please help me to remember to pray for Missy and Paul and my parents.

6) Dave’s family. Thank you that they are supportive of our craziness.

7) The IRS issues being resolved. Thank you that we finally got our money.

8) My ability to attend school. Thank you that You are providing me a way to pay for my masters degree.

9) My job. Thank you that You continue to provide for us through my work.

10) My friends. Thank you for my friends that I can trust. To tell me the good, bad, and ugly.

11) For ministry opportunities. Thank you for providing me opportunities to share Christ with others and to pour out into their lives.

12) Our past. I am not thankful for the things we did, but I am thankful for You having your hand on us through those dark years.

13) I know I am supposed to be thankful for the rough times, but I am having trouble being thankful for some of them. Please help me in this area.

Through the Looking Glass--It's All About Perspective

2009-11-15T22:26:00.008-06:00

Lately, it seems that the enemy has been shooting firey darts in our direction, aiming for that big target painted on our backs.

As Dave and I continue to work in the direction of the church plant, the Lord continues to provide us guidance and confirmation we are going in the right direction. Dave preached an awesome series at a youth bible drill weekend in a church about 30 miles away from here, and we had an awesome time in worship this morning. The bible study for the church plant is really taking off and everything is going great.

But, the enemy seems to be always lurking, seeking to devour. 1 Peter 5:6-11 admonishes us to, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast." Peter warned us that we would suffer attacks from the enemy, so therefore, we should not be surprised when these attacks happen.

In Ephesians 6:16, Paul admonishes us to "...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the firey darts of the evil one."

Lets face it, persecution hurts. Especially when it comes from people who claim to be Christians. And especially when it is undeserved and without merit. Why is it when everything seems to be going great, and the Lord is working mightly, that the enemy chooses those opportune moments to start firing away? These types of attacks aim right for that secret wound, that has been there since childhood, that only the Lord and the enemy know about. Paul also tells us in Ephesians 6:12 "that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms."

So, what has the Lord taught me today about persecution, firey darts, and the enemy? That I need to stand firm on the Word, put on my shield of faith (Eph 6:12), and to forgive those who persecute me (Romans 12:14). Romans 12:17-21 states, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

As a Christian, and a servant of the Most High, I have to remember that Jesus stated "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:9-12).

We will do well to remember that even though the enemy uses real flesh and blood people to do the attacking, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:12)

Lord, please help me to pray for those who are attacking us. For You to extend mercy to them. Please help me forgive them, as this is Your will. Please help me to continue to love them and to remember that Your will be done, not theirs. In Jesus name. Amen.

They pay for THAT?????

2009-11-09T18:38:00.003-06:00

HHmmmmm.....had an interesting and rather humerous conversation today at work. For those of you who don't know or who may actually care to know :), I work for a defense contractor. Anyway, we were discussing Hurricane Ida today and what kind of effects it would have in our area. Well, anyway, I was telling some friends that my hubby and our Pastor are in Pensacola, FL for a Florida Baptist Convention meeting and that they were talking about coming back tonight instead of tomorrow night because of the impending storm.

Now, for sure, everyone in my sphere of influence at work knows that I am a Christian and that my husband is a Pastor. Or so I thought... Anyway, one of the guys we were talking to asked me, "So what does your husband do?" To which I replied, "he is the Associate Pastor at our church." To which he replied, with a rather incredulous look on his face, "they pay for THAT?!?!?!?!?!!?"

PW/MW Treasure Hunt

2009-11-04T14:35:00.005-06:00

Here are answers for a treasure hunt for the M2M preachers wives group...

The Treasures

1. First Name.

Cindi, Mom, Dave's wife

2. State and Country of Residence.

Panama City, FL

3. Husband’s Ministry Title.

Associate Pastor of Students/Outreach (current church) and Church Planter (we are in the process of planting a new church)

4. Length of time in Current Ministry Location.

7ish years

5. Children? If yes, give gender and ages.

Shane, boy, 19

6. Number of unique homes in which you’ve lived during your marriage.

4 - three were apartments and town homes before we were saved and serving in ministry. We have lived in our current house since 1996.

7. Cook Sunday lunch or eat out?

I'd love to be able to say that I do a home-cooked meal every Sunday, but I'd be lying. Its usually "get your own lunch day" meaning make whatever sandwich or bowl of cereal or leftovers you want. Or, we go out to eat.

8. Typically on time for Sunday School or not?

I don't go to Sunday school (gasp!!!...I know). I help out in the church office during that time by updating the attendance records for the AM service.

9. Favorite TV Show.

We don't have cable. That said, I really like HEROS, the new Trauma show, CSI, Law & Order, and The Office :) Oh...and love watching the "24" series...we get them from Netflix.

10. Something you watch/like/do that you would never tell the church people. (Except now you just did…lol)

I love driving (with the wind whipping through my hair) and music blaring and sunroof open...sometimes Christian....sometimes old 80s. But, I have found out that there are some old songs I just can't sing anymore :/

11. Most annoying church-related pet peeve.

People who try to entrap me and others with the bondage of religion and legalism. Jesus set me & Dave free from the chains of bondage...why would I EVER want to go back???

12. One thing you need to throw away but can’t bring yourself to do it.

My old teddy bear (Bager Bear) that I have had since I was born. He is in a storage container in the garage...and has lost all his fuzz...and has holes...

13. The one food you can not live without.

ONLY ONE??? Reeces Big-Cups, Coke Zero, pizza, mexican cheezy stuff, Starbucks lattes

14. Parsonage or have your own home?

We own our own home...a PW friend of mine told me once when we were talking about "THE SERMON" ... you know the one that you may as well start packing your bags when your hubby says he is gonna preach "IT" ... She said, well at least you own your own home! :)

15. Freak when the doorbell rings or always ready for a visitor?

Freak...our home is always a wreck. I'd love to be a susie homemaker, but I just don't have enough time in the day.

Quiet Time 101

2009-10-05T06:46:00.005-05:00

Like so many other Christians, I struggle with having a daily quiet time. I am a "doer," a "Martha," and its hard for me to slow down. I also know its important and vital to my Christian walk, but, lets be honest, sometimes the bed just feels too good in the morning, or the alarm doesn't go off when its supposed to, or any other of the myriad of excuses I can come up with so that I can't get in my daily quiet time. Also, lets be honest again, I can tell (and so can Dave) if I have NOT had my quiet time in a while :/

So, after Saturday night's lesson from Wade Akins (during our Fall Revival Servcies) and the Lord convicting my heart about a quiet time with Him, I'm trying to establish a routine, daily, quiet time. One of the things that Wade taught us was how to hear from God. Wade taught us to read through scripture slowly and meditatively. He also suggested starting in Ephesians with 3 minutes a day. The first and most important step is to SHOW UP to your quiet time! Three simple steps when reading God's word:

1) Look for spiritual truths and underline it.
2) Ask the Lord what He is saying to ME.
3) Pray the truth back to the Lord.

Counseling 501 - Role of the Holy Spirit in the Life of a Counselor

2009-08-26T11:31:00.003-05:00

As some of you may know, I just started a Master's program in biblical counseling at Liberty Baptist (online). I have decided to blog some of my discussion questions.

Week 1

What role do you believe the Holy Spirit has in the personal and professional life of a Christian counselor?

The Holy Spirit active in the Counselor’s personal life is essential...It’s a must. In reality, ALL Christians are called on to be counselors at some level (Titus 2…older men and women should teach the younger ones), as all Christians are called on to be missionaries (Matthew 28:19-20). Now, if I am to counsel other Christians, I need to have the wisdom and mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:6-13 states, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy[d] Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

If I, as a “professional counselor” do not have the mind of Christ, or the Holy Spirit living in me, I CANNOT be a Christian Counselor. It is also ESSENTIAL that the Holy Spirit is part of the professional life of a Counselor. How can I have correct discernment or provide accurate help if I do not rely on the Holy Spirit at all points while counseling a client? If I am only filling the client’s head with worldly wisdom, what will the client profit? True healing ONLY comes through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. My client may or may not be a Christian. But, my hope and prayer is that by the power/influence of the Holy Spirit, the person would come into a saving relationship with Jesus. My job may be to plant seeds, water the seeds, or reap the harvest. But, if I don’t rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me, how would I know?

Church Planting Part 2

2009-08-21T19:36:00.003-05:00

We got back late last night from Ft Myers...we had a really good time and met some really wonderful people. There were about 16 people who were attending the training and about 6 or 7 seasoned church planters/stragetists who provided the training. The attendees ranged from a Haitian man from Jacksonville who is planting a church for Haitians in Jacksonville; a Black man from Tampa and his brother who just started a multicultural church; a Russian guy from South FL who has a heart for planting churches for Russian people in FL; and several White men/women who are planting various types of churches...one is planting a Cowboy Church for Spanish people in Ocala, several are planting contemporary churches, one is planting churches in gated communities, etc...it was really an eclectic group of people. Dave and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know everyone who was there...it is so cool to meet, get to know, and fellowship with people of different cultures...

Of course, just as ALWAYS knows someone when we go somewhere...wouldn't you guess that Dave would know someone all the way down in FT MYERS!!!!! When I told Shane, Shane just shook his head and laughed. Wouldn't you know it, Dave knew someone from Baptist College of FL there...

The group of leaders/teachers all are church planters with the Florida Baptist Convention and some have also been missionaries...they were really wonderful, totally approachable, and just really have a heart for helping others start churches. They were reluctant to share the details of church plants, because they are very concerned about planting ideas in people's heads...they are totally against copy cat churches...they value individuality and want us to pursue the vision the Lord has given us...There was also a guy from the North American Mission Board who is involved w/church plants...he was also totally approachable and wants to share his experiences and knowledge...we didn't know until he left that he actually has a PhD...

Some of the people there are a lot closer to starting their churches than we are...we are fortunate to have had this course. I totally recommend anyone who is interested in planting churches to attend this training...it has been immensely helpful. Dave and I started to define our vision statement, motto, and I think we have decided on our church name. Also, we have our church master plan started and a beginning integrated master schedule. We are praying about when to set our launch date...

Time for dinner...more later!

Spiritual Warfare (Church Planting - Planning/Formation Stage) Part 1

2009-08-20T04:57:00.008-05:00

This has been an awesome week for Dave and I. For those of you who do not know, we have been in Ft. Myers, FL at a Church Planting Seminar put on by the Fl Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board (NAMB). These guys have challenged us all week...and helped us pull out the vision of how/what the Lord is wanting us to do/how to structure our church plant. That will be another blog...We met some really cool people this week also...that will be another blog...

We have been under spiritual attack since before we left Panama City, FL. Dave and I have learned how important it is to have a group of people set aside to pray for specifics...that we could call at a moment's notice to pray for a specific item. Unfortunately, we did not learn this lesson before we left Panama City on Sunday...this will be something we will have to do next time we leave. We drove through a tropical storm, left our son home alone for the first time, and the stress level was rather high to say the least. Several nights I woke up at 1-2AM and my first thought was "did Shane make it home from work OK?" and so I would call him (yes, at 2AM...but that was about when he got home from work). Of course, he was either at home or on the way home, but it was nice to hear his voice and then chat with him on Facebook. At 2AM...which means I didn't get back to sleep until 3-4AM...but that's another story...

We should have seen the attacks coming and called them out as we went...Instead, we let our flesh get the better of us and we argued all Sunday afternoon as we were packing. We left at 3PM with a tropical storm preparing to make landfall later that evening. We took the "scenic" route to Ft. Myers, which meant we drove through Port St. Joe, FL; Apalatchacola, FL; and around the Big Bend of FL ... right through part of the worst of the storm. Granted it was mostly rainy and windy, but we did see tree branches fall in front of us, a couple of power lines that had been cut and were whipping in the wind, and waves splashing onto the road in some areas from the Gulf of Mexico. Sunday night, we decided to stop in Chiefland, FL about 9PM so that we could get some sleep...we were stressed out from driving in the storm. I wish I could tell you we did the godly thing and spent time in prayer once we reached the hotel...we didn't...we spent the rest of the evening arguing and getting on each other's nerves.

Monday morning we left around 9AM, since the person at the front desk told us we were about 3 1/2 hours away from Ft. Myers...boy, was SHE wrong! I think the enemy woke every living person up along the HWY95/29/19 South and told them to go driving on HWY95/29/19 South during that time...I have never seen SO MANY cars on the road as I did during that time period...needless to say we were NOT 3 1/2 hours away...we were more like 5 hours away...which meant we were an HOUR late for the start of the seminar. Now, for those of you who do not know Dave very well, he HATES to be even a MINUTE late for anything...

Monday night, Shane decided to spring on us that he wanted to get a tattoo on his right arm and a piercing in both ears...the next day! FTR, I am not opposed to tattoos or ear piercings on guys and cannot find any scripture against it...but COME ON! Shane, are you SERIOUS??? You are springing this on me at 2AM??? When I am 9 HOURS away??? I am very grateful that he was wanting our blessing, was willing to talk it out, respected us enough to listen, and has agreed to wait...I'd rather him get a temporary tattoo and fake ear piercings as a trial to see if this is what he REALLY wants to do.

I'll leave you with this for now, the Lord reminded me that as much as I love my son, that HE loves my son even more...and that MY son is actually HIS son...and that I need to relinquish control of him and trust the LORD to direct Shane's path...

Have to go...more later

IRS Woes

2009-08-14T08:35:00.006-05:00

I am officially tired of dealing with the IRS. I have tried to be patient, loving, kind, long-
suffering...you know, all the fruits of the Spirit...but the IRS just seems to keep pickin' my fruit before its ripe!

See, in 2008, Dave and I found out that someone had stolen our SSNs and thought it would be a good idea to file fraudulent tax returns for CY 2007 in our names. Thank you Liberty Tax in Miami FL and Jackson Hewett in Sunrise, FL for your fine and accurate (NOT!) way of identifying your customers! Apparently it made sense to these tax companies that Dave and I would travel 12 hours from NORTH FL PANHANDLE to SOUTH FL to file our tax returns.....and because they are so good and thorough at checking people's identities, they DID NOT ask for a picture ID nor did they make a COPY of the picture ID of the people who were posing as US. So, for 2008, the IRS thinks we owe them lots of money...instead of the IRS owing us a nice, big refund. :~(

Fast forward to now...I'll save you most the drama of dealing w/the IRS over the last year with this exception: The IRS has a branch of people whose sole purpose in life is to work fraudulent tax returns...the TAX ADVOCATE. We have been working with our TAX ADVOCATE for the last 13 months. He is a really nice guy, but way overworked. Six months ago, we sent our packet of identification...copy of SSN, paperwork from SS office saying we are who we say we are, signed copies of forms saying we promise we didn't file the fraudulent return, copies of bills with our names and current address, hair samples, blood samples, and our first born son...sorry, Shane :~) Anyway, we got a lovely letter from the IRS (the real IRS, not the advocate) yesterday saying they were taking our 2008 REFUND and applying it to what we OWE for 2007 and would we PLEASE send them the rest of the balance we owe...WE DON"T OWE YOU ANYTHING YOU OWE US A REFUND DUMMIES! Called the IRS advocate today...and he says, "I know its taking a long time for you and I'm really sorry. I have HUNDREDS of other cases just like yours that are taking a long time. I'll add you to my priority list and start working on your case next week..." Um, yeah....that's what you said in June....

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." IRS, will you kindly PLEASE QUIT PICKIN' MY FRUIT!

Mediate on Him

2009-08-13T10:36:00.006-05:00

Dear Blog,

I have been thinking about creating one of you for some time now. As I have been musing it over, I think of all the things I can do with you. I can write about truth, life, ministry issues, husbands :) , children, encouragement... but now that I started, I don't know where to begin. And as I was thinking about the title for you, I had to look up the word muse. From Webster's Dictionary, musing (v) means to "become absorbed in thought; especially : to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively." Yep! Thats me! I can do this for HOURS! Over the same topic! I end up wasting so much time mulling/musing about everything...what people said, what I said back, did I say the "right thing," did I say the "right thing in love," did I say truth the "right way?" Sometimes, I find it easier to "check out" for a while on Facebook...but, really, how will me playing Farmville, Farm Town, and Sorority Life on Facebook for hours effect a positive change in my life or bring encouragement to others???

In Phillipians 4:8-9, Paul stated, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate (muse) on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Father,

I want to bring glory to You. Please help me clear out the junk in my life that I am consuming my time with so that I can be a better servant to You and others. Please help me to remember to muse on things that are good, just, holy, and pure and please filter my mind of the junk that does not fit this. In Jesus Name, Amen

Musings from a Minister's Wife

Reflections

Highways and Byways

Budgeting and Menu Planning (9-15 July 2011)

Fighting Diabetes Type II

Whatnot Wednesday - Summertime!

Whatnot Wednesday - Mid-May Edition

Whatnot Wednesday

Whatnot Wednesday

Whatnot Wednesday

Whatnot Wednesday

Saving Money :)

Whatnot Wednesday

Bittersweet Memories

How Big I'm Blessed

Birthday Cake with Icing & Sprinkles on Top

The "P" Word

Home Cooked Meals - Week 3

Budgeting Part 2

The "B" Word

Jesus, Messiah, Lord of All

Lifeblood ~ New Beginnings

It's SHOUTIN' Time!

Here Am I...Send Me!

A Tale of Two Friends ~ True Story

Battling the Bulge ~~ Week 1 ~~ 26 April - 1 May 2010

2009 - The Year of CHANGES

Chasing Rainbows

This Is How We Christmas....Decorations Edition!

This Is How We Christmas....Dailey Style!

What are You Thankful For?

Through the Looking Glass--It's All About Perspective

They pay for THAT?????

PW/MW Treasure Hunt

Quiet Time 101

Counseling 501 - Role of the Holy Spirit in the Life of a Counselor

Church Planting Part 2

Spiritual Warfare (Church Planting - Planning/Formation Stage) Part 1

IRS Woes

Mediate on Him

Battling the Bulge Week 1 26 April - 1 May 2010