The Confessing Lunatic

Today, I spent the day with Jim and our kids at the lake for Jim's birthday. I wanted to share some of the highlights of the day in picture form. Happy birthday, honey. I love you more than words can say. The last nineteen years of my life have been a blast. I can't wait for the next nineteen. Loading the boats...can you see the excitement? Everybody has a job. If you look carefully, Jordan is connecting the battery to the old boat. He'll drive that one off the trailer to the shore. He 's not "legal" until he turns 13 in August. Until then, we limit the time he drives. Jaden standing on the trailer waiting for the boats to be put in the water. He can't wait. Caitlin sitting astride one of the boats. She looks like she knows what she's doing! My job is to pull the trailer off the ramp and park The Beast. Cali took this picture of me while we were waiting for them to finish loading the boats. I took this picture of Cali...isn't she a dol...

Thank you, Matthew West, for writing so succinctly what I am feeling this week: The TV is talking The telephone’s ringing The lights are all on And the radio’s screaming A million distractions are stealing my heart from You I’m tired and empty This life is relentless It weakens my knees And breaks my defenses It’s wearing me down and I’m desperate to hear from You Stop the world I wanna get out I need an escape away from this crowd Just to hear You speak to me I need to be still before I make a move I need to be humble with nothing to prove I need Your Word to show me the truth And I need time, precious time Stop the world I wanna get out I need an escape away from this crowd Just to hear You speak to me Stop the world I’m ready to listen Show me sign, give me a vision of heaven I can hold on to Stop the world I need some time with You Before I can find my voice I need to hear Your voice Above all the senseless noise

Seventeen...it's really hard to believe that Jim and I have been married for seventeen years. It feels like yesterday that we were newly wed and living in seminary housing. Yes, I was a young bride (if you subtract 17 from 37 that's right, you get 20) but I never would have traded my early marriage for anything in the world. This has been a great 17 years! In honor of my seventeenth anniversary, I thought I would post seventeen wonderful things about my marriage to Jim. 1. Jim loves me for who I am not what I look, act or talk like. 2. Jim and I share a deep love for Jesus. 3. We have a passion for youth ministry. 4. I could spend 24 hours a day with Jim and never grow weary of being with him. 5. We share a similar love for movies of all genres, although sometimes I think he merely tolerates my "girl" movies! 6. I love singing with Jim. Our voices compliment each other well. 7. We have made four beautiful children, and I'm not biased ONE BIT! 8. We bo...

"Each believer adds to or subtracts from a congregation's capacity to experience genuine Christian community." Agree? Disagree?

In honor of the number 37 (wink, wink), I thought instead of wishing I could skip this day, I would count the top 37 reasons I am blessed. Here goes: 1. I have hope for the future ( Jeremiah 29:11 ). 2. I have the most amazing husband. 3. I have four great kids. 4. Jesus died for me ( John 3:16 ). 5. My wonderful parents live in town. 6. I have good health. 7. My wonderful in-laws also live in town. 8. Jim's grandmother, Grandma Great, is such a sweet woman and SHE lives in town, too. 9. My kids have a great relationship with all their grandparents 10. Grandma Great's chocolate cake. 11. Our family enjoys spending time together. 12. I have a great job. 13. We have a lot of fun at the lake with our two Yamaha WaveRunners. 14. Jordan. 15. Caitlin. 16. Jaden. 17. Calise. 18. Jim and I could spend 24 hours a day with each other and never get tired of one another. 19. I live in a country where I can worship God openly. 20. Sweet Cream Ice...

Physician George Adams found encouragement to be so vital to a person’s existence that he called it “oxygen to the soul.” Developing the Leaders Around You, p 187 by John Maxwell I’ve recently been promoted to a supervisory position. It’s not a job that was advertised or for which I interviewed, which IS rather surprising I know since I've interviewed for SO many in the last year, unsuccessfully I might add . And now I am, just like that. One day I wasn’t a supervisor and the next day I was. I thought I would be completely happy but it was kind of anti-climatic but that really is a post for another day. I have a lot of management experience (as the mother of four children) and some Team Leader experience (for a multi-District team that I see only every other month for a couple of days) but little practical experience with the team that I'm now supposed to supervise. So when Jim and I were enjoying our most recent trip to Sam's Club without the children, I search...

I teach the youth Sunday School class and this particular Sunday, we were studying the parable that Jesus told about the parable of the wedding banquet. We were talking about those that were the first invited guests and those that were invited after the original guests didn't show. I was making the point to the students that how cool was it that those attending the party could say they were accepted because they came to the party. One of the students said, "They went to the right party." I immediately came home and started this post. I confess...it's been a month since I started this post. I never finished it but love the title and don't want to delete it. So, not much meat to this post just a cool title. I went to the right party. I was invited even though I didn't deserve it. How cool is that?

I confess...I'm a diet junkie. I've never really had lasting success with any diet program that I've started. Either I get bored or I think it's too hard or "it's just not the right diet for me." If you knew my BMI or my weight and compared it to the "normal' weights and BMI for women my height and age, you would find that I am considered obese - hence my search for the "perfect diet." Well, in my search, I came across a diet from a guy named Jay Robb. I was intrigued by his diets (he actually has three) because he claims God brought him back from high blood pressure, diabetes and a host of other illnesses. I tried his "Three Day Fruit Flush" and was moderately successful with a 6 pound weight loss. I am now embarking on "The Fat Burning Diet," which sounds like something I could really use. After reading his book and trying out a couple of recipes, I think this may be "the one." So, I'll start to...

I have several blog topics running around in my head but nothing seems to work it's way past my brain to my fingers. So many things I want to say yet nothing ... so until I'm free of the mental block, I'll post some favorite scripture. Okay, so I started this post this several days ago and didn't get anywhere. Does that mean I don't have any favorite Bible verses? Well, no because I could rattle off a number of favorites but I started a search on Bible Gateway because I wanted to find something new. Yet nothing "jumped out" at me. I am stumped. I think that means that I haven't been in God's Word enough lately. I could blame it on being a single parent (this week while Jim's out of town), a single working parent, a single working parent with a dirty house, a tired, single, working parent with a dirty house, etc. You get the picture. Nothing really seems adequate to say why I haven't been in the Word. Yet, God is here. God is speaking. ...

Today's post title is the title of today's sermon, which I think was quite clever. I wanted to jot down a couple of thoughts before I forget with all that has to be done today. 1. When we are physically thirsty we drink many things that don't fill us up. We know that water is the best thing to satisfy our thirst. 2. When we are spiritually thirsty we attempt to fill us up with things just like soda, juice, alcohol that don't satisfy our thirst. 3. When we are dry physically, it's because of a couple of things a. We've been filling up with things that only make us more thirsty. b. We have problems and we're leaking. The problem is not that we aren't being filled; it is that we have holes that need fixing. What holes do you need God to fix? Any you care to share?

I saw the title of this post somewhere. I confess...I thought it would make a good blog subject so as soon as I got home, I started this post. Unfortunately, it's sat there as a draft for a month now. I don't know why I feel compelled to complete this post or why it matters to me, but it does. I just can't bear to delete it. So, why do so many live in fear? Just look around you. There are signs everywhere warning us about this cancer or that bad food (hello, donuts) or the dangers of using the hairdryer while in the shower or bathtub. Some fear is good...a healthy respect for things that are dangerous is not necessarily a bad thing. Warnings such as don't touch the stove or you'll burn your hand; look both ways before crossing the street; and always wear clean underwear because you never know when you're going to get into an accident are ones to keep in mind. My warning to my children every time we visit a restroom is always wash your hands and NEVER tou...

Today Caitlin danced in her fifth dance recital. I am so proud of her. I wanted to post a couple of pictures from the recital, plus some others. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Caitlin in her tap costume. She danced to "42nd Street." Caitlin in her jazz number. She had "Fun, Fun, Fun." Good thing she's not driving. Daddy would not think twice before taking her T-bird away! Caitlin and Ashytn showing off their clogging costumes. They danced to "Nobody's Perfect" but these girls were "More Than Perfect!" And last, Caitlin in her ballet costume. Her ballet number was "Mayflower Ballet." Jordan and Caitlin after the recital. Cali...hamming it up! Jaden at Pre-school Graduation

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

Okay, so I was catching up on my blog reading when I read Trey Morgan's blog showing a video of David Hasselhoff (of the TV show Baywatch) singing "Hooked on a Feeling." Being the total music nerd that I am, I just had to see more. Who knew the Baywatch boy had a singing career? Who knew Knight Rider could look more weird singing that he did in his TV show? But, "Don't Hassel the Hoff" is not the subject of this post, Bruce Willis is. For many, the name Bruce Willis conjures up visions of airplanes and airports blowing up, lots of obscenities, and a young actor playing a private detective. How I didn't know this shows what a small world I live in...my husband on the other hand knew that Bruce Willis sang in a band. Maybe he's just well read and I'm not. Anyway...so I found this video after traipsing around for about an hour on YouTube . Who knew Bruce Willis could sing?? Certainly not me, but I hope you enjoy this video of him as much as ...