Okay looks like I've been tagged by Dana over at Filled with Laughter. I'm thrilled that she tagged me but dread writing 6 random things about myself.



These are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you

2) Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading)

3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below)

4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them (This is only a game)

5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog

6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up



Here are the six random things about me:

1. I adore being a grandmother. It feels like a do over for my lack of parenting skills when I was raising my own kids. I thought they needed to be perfect to reflect how perfect I was. Now I just want to love my grandkids unconditionally and show them how imperfect I am but how special God still thinks I am.


2. I love walking on the beach. Its where I feel the very closest to God. When I lived in Florida I used to walk beside the gulf pretending it was the Sea of Galilee and Jesus was at my side. He's a pretty playful kind of guy. Every once in a while he'd dip his foot in the ocean and splash water at me. Can't you just picture him doing that to Peter every so often.


3. I have wanted to be an actress since I was 3 years old. I used to iceskate on a frozen pond (okay it was actually an oversized mud puddle where the flowing well drained out into the farm pasture). There I would make up plays and skits etc. My favorite enactment was pretending that the Blessed Virgin appeared to me like the 3 children in Fatima. I finally got my nerve up my senior year to try out for the high school play. I had to talk my best friend in to trying out with me. She got a part and I didn't. She felt so bad knowing how bad I wanted it, that she gave up her part thinking the director would give it to me. The director gave the part to someone else, and the worst part was that my boyfiend (future husband) didn't even try out for the play but the director gave him a part anyway. Duh....Do you think God was trying to tell me show biz wasn't what he was callin me to do?


4. I have an active imagination (see # 2 and #3)


5. I had my first baby induced so I could go to the Orange Bowl game with my husband. My husband was playing in the game, so the doctor agreed to induce labor a week before my due date so I could go. Football is a big deal in Nebraska!


6. If I could have one super power I would chose to fly. Seriously, I have dreams all the time that I fly. All I do in my dreams is start to lay back and suddenly I'm levitating and floating gently in the breeze of my dreams. See #4 above for further comment.

Thanks Dana. I was actually dreading doing this but I guess I did have lots of radom nothingness to write about.

Now for the people I'm tagging - I'm not sure I can do six people. Most of the blogs I frequent have already been tagged but here goes.

The first three people are widows like me and I consider them soul sisters.

The first is Janine. I happened to be sitting at her table at the She Speaks conference when we found out we had this unfortunate thing in common. In her 7th month of widowhood, I find her blog to be so down to earth and gut wrenching at times and I remember being right where she is. She's been gracious enough to let me follow along as she bears a pain none of us would wish on our worst enemy. You can find her at One Breath at a Time

Next is LeAnn from Proverbs 31 Ministries. She hasn't been blogging long, but she certainly writes like a pro. Read A Widows Might

Linds at Rocking Chair Reflections just found out she's going to be a Grandmother. I just found her blog a few days ago and haven't even left her a comment. Wont she be surprised to hear from me?

I'm tagging another woman I met at She Speaks her name is Dee Dee and we sat together often. You'll find DeeDee at No Greater Joy

I'm tagging Jenny over at Standing at the waters edge but it may take a while for her to post since she's in the middle of a move.

And finally my blog bible study, and fellow Husker wife Lelia at Write From the Heart. I'm usually hanging on every word she writes.

Hope those of you I have tagged won't be upset with me. I'm only following directions.

Crazy Days of Summer

Hi All,

Just checking in. Nothing tooexciting to write about but just trying to keep writing.



Yesterday was a full of unexpected happenings. Oldest grandson was scheduled to have an extended family birthday party. It couldn't be done last weekend because of baseball tournaments so yesterday was the scheduled shindig.



Thursday darling daughter got a call from the twins coach asking if they could play in yet another tournament. She agreed. And wouldn't you know it they ended up playing on Sunday for the championship.



So at the last minute the party got shifted to my house. All the party paraphernalia, food, plates, silverware, lawn chairs etc was delivered in shifts. A party that was supposed to start at 1:00 didn't truly get underway until 2:00. Darling daughter left to take the boys back for the last game, and then hurried back to continue hostessing the party.



I think the party may have gone on longer but I had told dd (darling daughter) to wrap things up because I had plans for the evening and I would be leaving at 6p.m.



You would have thought EF Hutton had just spoken because everyone turned an ear to find out what my plans were. I guess they all assumed that since I was going out at night that I must have a date.



Nope-no date. It was just the Sunday night outdoor concert and I'd made plans to go hear a tribute to the BeeGee's. Great show. Great music. Wonderful tribute from a band called "Stayin' Alive.



That was a fun way to end a crazy weekend.

Pictures of Ice Cream Crunch

For pictures of yesterday's award winning recipes, please hop over to First Tea.

What Is Your Quiet Time Routine

This is my "morning quiet time" material.

I usually start my time with God between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. In the winter I like to stay in my bedroom snuggled under my comforter, but in the summer I like to watch the sun come up from my living room chair.

I start with my prayer journal. Next I read the daily scriptures that my church outlines, followed by "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. After that I read the daily reading in "The Word for You Today" and I try and spend time meditating between each reading. It's one of the benefits of being single and retired.

With the remaining time I work on whatever bible study I'm doing. Right now I'm reading "The Cup of Our Life" by Joyce Rupp and "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" by Lysa TerKeurst.

When I'm finished reading I try and journal something God has shown me through one of the readings. Sometimes, I find myself getting so excited over something God has shown me that I want to go right to my blog and start sharing it. But usually by the time I interrupt my thought process to turn on the computer and get a second cup of coffee, I loose the momentum. Usually, I've completely lost the awesome revelation by the time my fingers are ready to type.

I get so frustrated when I try and recall the way God spoke and the way the words came so eloquently into my mind. When I try to repeat them in writing or in speaking they are gone and just the concrete knowledge remains. My conversation with God will usually go something like this: "Okay God that was an astounding piece of information. How come you revealed this to me and now I can't even remember your words as I try to share with everyone else?

I can usually hear God whispering "That's because that piece of knowledge is for you alone. I will reveal it to others in my own time and way."

Does that ever happen to you?

The other morning as I was surfing the blogs I came across a post asking "What kind of a soil are you? I was excited because God had just shown me something on Sunday that surprised me and I'd been wondering whether or not to share it.

I mentioned above that one of the things I do each morning is read the daily scriptures my church has outlined. Each week they list those Scriptures in our church bulletin. It was only about a year ago I finally started adding these readings to my morning quiet time. There is an old testament reading, a Psalm reading, and a Gospel reading, and on Sunday there is an additional reading from one of the Epistles.

What I like about the Sundays readings is that they are the same readings that will be read in every Catholic church throughout the world that day. I like that so many people are being fed the exact words that day because it helps me feel even more a part of the "Body of Christ".

Last Sundays Gospel Reading was "The Parable of the Four Soils".

Whenever I have read that scripture in the past, I imagined each soil to represent a different kind of person, and I was always bothered hearing Jesus tells the disciples that anyone who hears the word and does not understand it will have it plucked away by the evil one, then Jesus talks in parables so only a few understand him?

That just didn't make a lot of sense to me because I believe God wants us all to be saved and how can we believe if we can't understand that we need to be saved in the first place.

Sunday, God gave me the revelation to begin looking at the soil differently.

Each soil doesn't represent a kind of person. Each soil is manifested in me.

"Some seed fell along the path": A path is where we walk as we journey to God. If we get off our path and take a different course thinking we know a better way, or by letting sin lure us away, then we leave the path where God sprinkled his Word, unprotected, and Satan is able to come and take away everything God has scattered for us.

"Some seed fell on rocky places": Jesus tells us this is the seed that we recieve eagerly but it can't take root and dies off.

How often do I get fired up to make a change in my life? Like losing weight. Every morning I get up and say "today's the day".

My body is a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells, but I don't take care of it like I should. Why is that important? I learned a few years ago that when I exercise, my mind seems to have more of a capacity for clearer thinking. If I think more clearly, I am more likely to comprehend what God is saying to me. If you haven't reached age 50 yet that statement may not ring true. But those of you who have had brain cells go south will understand that statement much better.

Also, eating the wrong kind of food zaps the energy I should have to move around and to stay alert enough to hear and see God working in my life.

My rocky soil also consists of areas of unforgiveness or perhaps an area of greed. Sometimes all I need to do is toss out some of the rocks that are cluttering my soil. But other times a jack hammer is need to chop through the strongholds in order to find more soil that can be cultivated and prepared for planting.

"Other seed fell among the thorns and choked the plants": Jesus tells us this is the seed fails to take root because of worry. The thorns grow up and choke the fruit in areas where I have failed to respond to God's leading. How many times have I failed to step out in faith because I was worried of looking like a fool. How many times have I missed an opportunity to minister to someone because I was too lazy or because it would take me out of my comfort zone. How many times have I robbed God with my tithes because of my own lack of trust.

Jesus tells us "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him"

I don't want to sound greedy but I really don't have nearly enough knowledge of God and his plan for my life. I would certainly hate to have him take away what little amount I do have.

So I guess its up to me to start conserving my soil. I need to quite planting the soil of my mind with useless knowledge like, what happened on the latest episode of Desperate Housewives, so there will be more fertile ground for God to plant his wisdom.

I need to stay on the path and protect what God sows. I need to get rid of the rocks in my life so there is more area for God's word to take root. I need to fertilize, and water the seed that lands on my soil not just so it takes root but so it produces fruit. And I need to trust God more so weeds cannot grow up and choke to death the crop God is trying to produce through me.

So this is a sample of what God reveals to me in my quiet time. How about you? What's your quiet time routine and what has God shown you?

Happy Birthday To My Special Angel

Dear Oldest Grandson,




Twelve years ago a very special boy came into this world. He was born into a broken family still grieving from the loss of someone who was also very special, but his birth helped heal many hearts.





That special boy is you and today I celebrate your birth.




I remember rocking you the night you came home from the hospital, and holding you close I softly sang "You are my special angel" to you for the first time.









It wasn't long before you went from a baby to a big brother and you had to learn to share with your brothers.











Sometimes, you didn't like sharing me with your brothers, and you acted less than angelic.















And as the oldest you've always wanted to be Captain of the Ship.















You're a serious student, with just a minimal amount of clowning around.











You're willing to help me out, and you aren't afraid to be different from the crowd.







So Happy 12th Birthday Oldest Grandson.









You Rock!

Just me n' the boys

A Hundred years from now it will not matter, what my bank account was, what kind of house I lived in or what kind of car I drove....but the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a CHILD! Dr. Forest E Witcraft


This summer I'm spending time with my grandsons while their mom is at work.


Its not exactly where I thought the Lord was leading last year when he was told me it was time to leave my job.

I must admit, after having just returned from the 2007 She Speaks conference a few months before I was hoping it meant the publishers would love my proposal and want publish my book. Nope that wasn't what he had in mind.


So this year I signed up for the Speaker tract. Nope I don't feel the tug along those lines either.


But he's presented me with the opportunity to make a difference in 3 boys lives this summer. We're having fun and I hope were making memories that will last a lifetime.


We're going to parades







We're making Rainbow Jell-o



We have exercise toys-

Back yard games

Indoor games

Quiet activities


Rainy day fun

And even Wednesday morning Mass.
But today, instead of coming to my house to have fun, they were supposed to be staying home cleaning bedrooms for an upcoming birthday party.

After an appointment, I decided to surprise them and lend a helping hand. On my way over I stopped at Walmart and picked up some platic tubs so we could sort the clothes they'd outgrown.



They were surprised all right! Oh my, I thought a tornado had hit the house! I mean there wasn't a place to walk without stepping on something. I began folding clothes and they began picking up about a gazillion football and baseball cards that were laying on the ground.



One of the twins had to call his mom for something. "Don't tell her I'm here."


How come Grandma? Do you want her to think we cleanned this by ourselves?


No, I want her to be surprised that it looks nice, but if she knows I'm here helping, she might think it will look better than it does, and she'll be disappointed. (I don't have the cleanning capacity I used to have. )


Grandma, do we have to tell Mom you helped us?



Before I could say "would that be the honest thing to do?, oldest grandson said

"I don't think we should do that."


I was just about to go into an, aww I'm so proud of my grandson for being honest, mode, when he said, "If she thinks we got it this clean by ourselves, she'll expect us to always do this good of a job!"



4 hours later I bid the boys farewell and loaded a trunk full of clothes for the Rescue Mission.



I'm exhausted.

And oh by the way, dear daughter if your reading this, there was one little problem. Umm, You may want to stop and pick up a new vaccuum on your way home.

Female Warrior

I'm jumping ahead. Tomorrow begins week 2 of the bible study Lelia Chealey is hosting on Lysa TerKeursts book "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith". But God has put something on my heart that just can't wait until tomorrow.



At the end of chapter two Lysa asks us to research the meaning of our names. I'd already done it a few years ago when I began reading The Yada Yada Prayer Group series. Jody Baxter the main character in the books researches the meaning of her students as well as her prayer group's name. It piqued an interest to find out the meaning of my name.



I discovered the name Luanne means "Female Warrior".(click here to find the meaning of your name)

I had to laugh when I read it because the name was so fitting to my character. I've been told more than once that I love playing the devil's advocate. I never consider it to be the devil I'm advocating for. I usually fight for the underdog.



Just last week on our "up north girls only vacation" we began a discussion on what clothes you should never wear without nylons. From there we began looking at pictures of years past and we were cracking up at outfits that we thought were so cool and now looked so dorky. We had teased one of our friends for years about the time she wore black nylons with white pants. She's taken it well all these years but I'm sure she gets sick of hearing about it.


A few months ago I was watching Good Morning America and noticed that Diane Sawyer was wearing black nylons with a white skirt. Even though it was only 7:30 in the morning, I called my friend to have her turn on the TV.



When the fashion topic came up this year she felt quite vindicated knowing she was in the company of Diane Sawyer. But the whole discussion has made me realize how hurtful our opinions on what should be socially acceptable can be. I couldn't help but think about Lysa's story of wearing white shoes out of season to a country club engagement.



I opened my big mouth and gave my opinion about giving our opinions, and one of my friends pointed out that sometimes voicing our opinion is necessary in order to create change. Her comment silenced me. I'd have to give it some thought.


Since then I've begun to wonder how many of our opinions that we give in the name of righteousness would probably be self righteous in the eyes of Jesus'. Ouch, Ouch and Ouch again.

The Pharisees and Sadducee's had the law correct and Jesus never condemed them for following the law. He condemed them for looking down their nose at someone who wasn't.


I want to share a story with you of something similar that happened to my grandson.

Several weeks ago, my oldest grandson came to my house after school. I overheard him talking to his mother on the phone. She was questioning him about something that had gone on at school the day before.

My grandson attends public school and over lunch one of his good friends stood up and announced that he was moving to a different table and he wanted everyone who loved Jesus to move to the table with him. My grandson stayed at the table where he was, along with twin brothers who were his good friends also.

Needless to say that for the next few days the talk of his peer group was that he (oldest grandson) doesn't love Jesus. My daughter had learned of this from the mother of one of the boys who had moved to the other table.



When oldest grandson told me the story my first reaction was to clutch my chest as I waited for the lightening to come down from above and strike him dead. But the Holy Spirit prompted me to use restraint and so I quietly I asked, "Why didn't you move to the other table?"

He answered "Grama, it just didn't feel like the right thing to do, because A and B would have been sitting there alone and I didn't want them to feel embarrased because their parents don't take them to church."

My heart wanted to burst with pride for his compassion.

I replied "I believe that is the way Jesus would have handled it too!

If that should ever happen again I hope you will remember and be brave enough to say "I love Jesus, but I prefer to stay right here.

Maybe that will show your friends who don't know about Jesus, that you are proud to love Jesus, but also that you aren't judging themI believe that is what living your faith means and it just may attract them to God more then seperating yourself from them will." I related it to Tom Sawyer having so much fun painting the fence that his friends wanted to paint too. Okay I know that you shouldn't pretend you love Jesus but in theory it's kind of the same idea. Lead by example.

My heart wanted to break that already at 11 years old he is having to make hard decisions. And yet how much I rejoiced for the reminder that God is already deeply involved in my grandsons life.

I would love it if you would help me pray for my grandson. Pray that he will never be afraid to admit his love for Jesus, and that his compassion would love others to Christ.

Now for the main thing: After being at the She Speaks conference and now going through this bible study, I've been getting a little antsy for God to hurry up and show me where exactly he is leading.

I have some ideas but I'm trying to be open and not rush ahead like I've done so many times in the past.

Today God prompted me take a baby step in the direction of something I feel passionate about. Since my name means female warrior I've decided to war against the sexual promiscuity that is causing an STD epidemic among our teenage population today. I've been up in arms ever since I heard pediatrician, Dr. Meg Meeker, on the radio. Please take the time to listen to this 3 part series .

Part 1

Part 2 (be patient, this one skips at the beginning)

Part 3

I get so frustrated when I listen to Dr Meeker talk about young teens having sex because they feel it will make them more cool, it will help them fit in, or because they are trying to fix a bigger problem , a need to feel loved.

I just wantted to shake every teenager I knew into right thinking but then I remember all of the mistakes that I, as a woman of 50, made for one of the same reasons.

If you've been following my blog First Tea you've been reading about some of those mistakes. I've been posting them so maybe just one person will read it and identify and let God change their thinking as he did for me.

After listening to Dr Meeker I hope you will join me in fighting the war that Satan is waging against our children and be a voice that can point them to the One that thinks they are way cooler than they could ever imagine.

God Bless The USA

Happy 4th of July Everyone

This week I've been posting over at my other blog. Please hop over and check it out.

I hope today will be more than just a day to picnic and watch parades. I hope you will remember what this day is all about and take time to praise God for our freedom. A freedom that came with a price and an obligation.

No matter what state we hail from or what political party we prefer we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Back to Reality

I'm home from a fabulous vacation at the lake. We had a great time doing

Lots of relaxing

A little fashion

And phone calls to those who couldn't make the trip.

Before packing up and heading back home to reality,we boarded the boat for a cruise

Up the lazy river

With the captain of our ship, our friend Gary.

I hope you'll click here to read my actual post for today.

Toodle-loo

I have barely unpacked my suitcase and it's time to fill it back up again.

This weekend will be the 21st anniversary of TDC.

In the early 1980's one of my high school friends moved to Colorado. When she came home to visit her parent's the next summer a few friends got together and went out to dinner with her. This continued for a few years. We always had so much fun and it seemed as though we never had enough time to catch up on everyone's lives. So in 1986 we made a pact that the following year we would go somewhere and spend a weekend together.

We made our reservations and then found out the the friend from Colorado would not be able to make it that year. Another friend Berta sent us all a note that said:

Since Cathy can't come and since we would like a foursome to play golf, do we
A. Invite someone in her place
B. Play golf with a threesome
C. Skip golf and just shop
D. You're making this way too darn complicated.

Of course we all chose D. since the object of the weekend was no kids, no husbands and NO decisions other than where do we want to go for dinner.

We joked all weekend and if something started getting too complicated we'd holler out TDC.
When the weekend was over we decided that it should become an annual affair.

The second year as a joke, Berta had T-shirts printed that said 2nd Annual TDC Weekend. The name stuck and we have since referred to it that way.

We've stepped it up a notch also. Instead of just a weekend we also do a week in Florida in the winter, and now refer to the gatherings as TDC North and TDC South.

Only 5 of the 8 will be gathering this weekend. The out of state friends couldn't work it into their schedules, even though we promised to never let anything get in our way.

After the non stop, mind fillin', God praisin' weekend I had in NC, I'm looking forward to kickin' back and relaxin'. So toodle-loo for now.

Drawl Envy

Last week a friend and I sat discussing the new guidelines for high school graduation in Michigan. When I heard that one of the new requirements will be 2 years of a world language (a.k.a. foreign language) I started sweating.

I barely made it through one semester of Spanish. I signed up for the class thinking I was going to learn how to actually say words, not conjugate verbs!

So I dropped out and took a speech class. To be honest, I did learn one phrase after hearing the teacher repeat it to me over and over.

"Luanna usted boca es grande."

(Translation...Luanne you have a big mouth!)

I kind of wish I would have stayed in that class; especially after taking part in my Speaker Evaluation Group at She Speaks Conference last weekend in NC.

Judith, one of the women in my group gave her speeches in both English and in Spanish. Was I impressed!

So impressed that I'm thinking of going back to college and taking a world language.

Yep, as soon as someone teaches a class in "Southern Drawl" I'll be the first in line.

I'm not kidding y'all. Things just come out sounding cuter and more friendly in Southern.

And I'm not alone in my thinking. At the "Blogging Q&A session, one woman said that the blogs from the South are funnier than those in the North. Another woman stood and agreed. She said that Northerner's humor comes off as sarcasm not humor. That got a big laugh.

I was really cracking up too, because I had just come from my room where I had been practicing my speech. I had heard so much southern drawl the last few days that half way through I realized I'd been practicing it using a southern accent. It is quite contagious ya know. Take this video for example.

The conference was phenomenal. This year was my second time at She Speaks, and I am really hoping to be able to do a 3rd and 4th etc.

Lysa TerKeurst and the rest of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Team did an excellent job of providing top notch programs that filled our minds with new ideas and techniques, and left our hearts overflowing with a greater love for God and also for our new Sisters in Christ. Let me show you some awesome women.

In the thirty fifth chapter of his book "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren talks about Ministry. He says that “Ministry begins with vulnerability. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others.”

Friday evening, eleven anxious women gathered together in our leader Van Waltons hotel suite and showed just how vulnerable we are by sharing Our Story/Testimony. We had 3 minutes to try and convey all of the wondrous mercies that God has so lavishly poured out to us. The presence of God's Holy Spirit was so evident in the room that night.

We walked into the room as total strangers but we walked out transformed and holding a piece of each women's heart to treasure deep in our own.

Thank you God and Proverbs 31 Ministries for such an educational, Spirit filled weekend.

Ya All invite me back next year, ya hear!

I'm Pooped

What a week this has been.


I volunteered to help with vacation bible school thinking that I could be one of the helpers who walked the kids from station to station, or maybe one of the ladies who fixed the cute snacks that coordinate with the bible story of the day.


But oh no. In a moment of weakness I said I would go where ever I was needed. They assigned to be the leader for the "Bible Blast station. Oh my!

At the Bible Blast station, kids hear the Bible story and engage in activities that help them experience what the Bible characters experienced. I realized, as I read through a week of scripts, that this station would be better served with a much younger leader. But it was too late to get a replacement. I prayed that my enthusiasm would make up for all my inadequacies.


I loved watching the dynamics of the different groups each day. VBS was open to kids from 4 years old to 5th grade. The preschoolers were full of fear the first day, but by the end of the week they were so eager to participate that they would raise their hand even if they didn't have an answer.

The ages of the "kid helpers" ranged from 6th grade to high school seniors.


The 6th grade helpers were close enough in age that they still wanted to participate and several times the adults had to remind them they were supposed to be helping.


The Juniors and Seniors were more interested in hanging out with each other and getting community service credits than they were in helping the kids. Often they too had to be reminded that they were there to help.


But from 7th -10th grade, the kids were genuinely interested in helping.

Oh, if we could only have collected all of their enthusiasm and given it to the rest of the world to share, we could have changed the world. And I hope we did.


The first day of VBS we learned that Jesus gives us the power to be thankful, and not ungrateful like nine out of the ten healed lepers in the Bible story. The kids pretended to be lepers, going around the outside of the village...(made with decorated cardboard boxes) and calling out "Unclean Unclean".

We quarantined the entire crew with caution tape, and when we cut them loose it signified that they had been healed. My question to them just before we cut the tape was - "What is the first thing you would do if you had just been healed by Jesus? When I cut you loose I want you to show me what you would do."

Like the nine lepers, they all ran off to reconnect with friends instead of remembering to stop and give thanks. After reading the conclusion of the story about the nine that didn't return and the one who did, many did come back and hug me and thank me for being healed.

One little girl I call "Little T" latched on to me the very first day for some reason. I must have remided her of her grandma. Whenever she saw me she'd come for a hug. At the end of the first day Little T was pretty tired and when all the other kids were up dancing and singing to the music CD, Little T came and knelt on the seat next to me and put her head on my shoulder and took the cross I was wearing in her hand to look closer. When she did her hand brushed the bare skin above my V-neck T-shirt. "You're Squishy right there" she announced loud enough to make all around me begin to chuckle.
Boy was I thankful I had remembered to turn off my cordless microphone so more people didn't get in on the laugh.


Tuesday the kids were blindfolded and lead into church and there learned how it must have felt to be blind like the man sitting outside the gate the day Jesus came to town. They were healed after they had a special mud mixture (baby oatmeal) placed over their eyes, and then washed off, and we learned that "Jesus gives us the power to help others".

Our parish is in the middle of a diocesan wide drive to gather food, clothing and personal care products for the migrant workers. We printed a letter asking the kids to bring in a personal care item and we pinned the letter on their back to remind them that we are all supposed to be carrying our brothers on our back. The kids answered the call in a big way and their generous donations will help many of our brothers.

Wednesdays lesson that "Jesus gives us the power to be brave" was the favorite . A midnight boat cruise with the disciples turned into a powerful storm where the kids got sprayed with water and all got wet.

We used brown tarps for the boat and draped blue table covering on the seats of the chairs to look like waves. We had storm music playing in the background. When one little girl hid under the chair when she heard the thunder and felt the rain and I couldn't help but think how many times in my life I have done the same. When the storms in my life arrive, I bury my head in my hands and call out to God to take the storm away. Instead of keeping my focus on Jesus and believing that though the storm rages he is right beside me and eventually he will quiet the wind and when he does I will be a stronger person for having weathered it.

When the boat ride ended, each child got a chance to experience the feeling of walking on water. The church carpeting was a mess with the gooey mixture of cornstarch and water, despite the huge mats we put down



Our VBS is only 4 days long, and on the last day the kids learned that Jesus gives us the power to tell others about him." The bible story was about receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

I enlisted the help of my oldest grandson Andrew to explain the miracle of Pentecost. He was a foreign guest who was trying to tell me something in a foreign language that I couldn't understand. He was so funny making up words. Most came out like a grunt. The kids had to make up their own language and go around to the other groups and speak the new language and listen to the others.

The little kids were wide eyed as the story played out. They couldn't take their eyes off Andrew, and I think they were a little afraid of is guttural samurai warrior sounds.

There were giggles and many groans of embarrassment as the crews made up and spoke their language of gibberish.

The lesson ends by telling the kids that they can tell others about Jesus by letting others see Jesus in them. They each made a Thank you card for someone who helped them learn about Jesus this week. Lots of them made cards to take home to mom and dad. But it was craft station lady who had the biggest fan club.

Yes, this past week has exhausted me, but it was worth it. I'm praying for each little head that entered my station and heard God's word proclaimed. I'm praying that every day they will start and end their day with a thankful heart. I'm praying that their eyes may always be open to the injustices that surrond them. I'm praying that when the are afraid they will turn to God for their strength and protection. And last of all I'm praying that their lives may always

God Has Spoken

The Lord has been waiting for me to ask for his help. And yesterday I began hearing him loud and clear!

I had been on such a high from all the time I spent working on the benefit dinner http://lpgodspots.blogspot.com/2008/05/saying-yes-to-god.html
that coming back down got me a little depressed. I know we can’t stay on the mountain with God all the time, but I wish when I came down I didn’t always feel like I crashed and burned. But Saturday night after I got into bed I told God I needed his help, because my life was out of control.

One of my jobs for the benefit was to be in charge of anything that needed writing or printing.

I love to design stuff, but I am an absolutely terrible proof reader. I am posting a picture of my office to help you get a sense of what I am about to say. The papers on the floor, on the desk, on top of the bookcase, and printer are all goofs. I must admit they weren’t all my goofs. Lots of things that I had printed for our silent auction had to be renumbered and reprinted when last minute donations arrived. But somehow the goofs never get in the trash. I give you exhibit #1



I said I loved to design; however what comes to my head sometimes takes a lot of time to get right, since I am self taught. Notice the watermelon paper. I spent most of Friday night making this border just to jazz up a plain piece of white paper. The women in the group have no idea they are so special to me that I want to give them special paper. Sometimes I think God just shakes his head at the amount of time I spend on things that aren't necessarily of his kingdom. Even when it is for his precious widows. Here is Exhibit #2

Our “Survivors” (other widows) Get Together in June is going to be a picnic, so I wanted to fancy up the newsletter by using that theme. The watermelon frame looked too plain so I needed to add a border and for the life of me I couldn’t seem to figure out where on earth to find the program I had used to do it before. Finally at midnight on Friday, I finished printing the letters.

My dining room table turned into this mess on Saturday morning. See Exhibit #3


The short envelope is a stack of thank you notes for the benefit that I had just finished stamping. The newspaper is there because I kept fielding calls asking if I remembered to include so and so in the newspaper thank-you! There is a pile of mail that I can no longer leave unattended, and my computer to google addresses for my sister to put on her stack of thank you notes.

The long envelopes are newsletters to be sent to the widows of my “Survivors” group. As I finished sealing the last self sticking envelope I remembered I hadn’t included the birthday list. So instead of reprinting the letter I decided to just enclose a 2x3 card inside. So I had to unstick 45 envelopes and insert this little ditty.Exhibit #4


By the time I was finished stuffing and drove to the post office for stamps it was closed and so I had to resort to using some old stamps and I do mean old. I'll show you what I mean. Exhibit #5




Saturday evening (or for that matter the whole last two weeks) I didn’t have the energy or desire to lift one finger to clean the mess.

That’s why I was on my knees calling out to God for help Saturday night.

I am absolutely positive that God allowed me to feel that depression so I would draw closer to him. As much as I understand, and never failed to mention, that all the credit belonged to God for every positive thing that the benefit produced, it was really hard work not letting all the accolades go to my head. While the depression was keeping me humble, it was creating havoc with my home. I needed to de-clutter.

When I took it to God he simply said “Fast.” Like an obedient daughter, I said okay, and fell sound asleep.

Well needless to say I forgot about the fast until I was getting ready for church. My Raisin Bran was already digesting, but even so I decided to begin right that second.

When I got home from church my stomach was calling out for something sweet. Instead of feeding the urge I filled a 3 cup glass full of water and began sipping.

The fasting was Gods way of helping me get started, by de-cluttering my life, by first stopping my food addictions.

I am a stress eater. During the benefit preparations I found myself being calmed by anything sweet and gooey, and at the most stressful times I wanted something I could crunch.

When I failed to eat the sugar that spiked my blood sugar and then zapped my energy, I got something accomplished. Ex#6


and Ehhibit #7





And I had enough energy left to walk to the post office and mail my letters.

And since 6 a.m. this morning I have spent an hour in prayer, eaten a half a cup of oatmeal and I’m ready to face day 2 of cereal, and water.

P.S. In His discussion with me God has convinced me he wants me to send to Goodwill the rubber tubs of clothing I have been waiting to fit back into. (Obviously my fasting isn’t going to produce all the effects I hoped it would)

The Newest Angel

"A penny for your thoughts" seems like all I've been saying to God lately. What with the earthquake in China, the cyclone in Burma, the devestating tornado's here in America, and the devasting loss of three precious children of Christan Singers Todd Smith, Nicole Sponberg and Stephen Curtis Chapman, I just have to stop and wonder what God is thinking.

He's certainly got my attention. What are you trying to tell me thru these tragedies, Lord?
How can I make a difference in the lives of these hurting people?

My prayers, even if I prayed all day long, seem so insignificant in the midst of so much suffering. Sometimes words even if they are prayers don't feel powerful enough and I just have to get my hands on something before I can feel that I've helped in any way.

While I'm in waiting for my next "hands on project" I will just have to be satisfied letting my fingers do the work here on the keyboard. My hands are yours Lord. Use them however you wish.

I have been reminded the last few weeks of a poem I memorized as a teenager. My mother who belonged to the "Book of the Month Club" got a poem book one day entitled The Best Loved Poems of The American People. I was so into poetry and I kept the book in my bed stand and read it over and over. My favorite section was the Memory and Grief Section. Morbid? You bet. But after all I was a teenage girl and we all know how much they like drama!

The poem I memorized was called PRAYER FOR A VERY NEW ANGEL, by Violet Alleyn Storey. I would read the poem out loud and break into a wail of tears. As I have been feeling the pain of the Smiths, Sponbergs and Chapmans this week I decided to post the poem as my prayer for all the new little angels in Gods kingdom.

God, God, be lenient her first night there.
The crib she slept in was so near my bed;
Her blue and white blanket was so soft,
Her pillow hollowed so to fit her head.

Teach me that she'll not want small rooms or me
When she has You and Heavens's immensity!

I always left a light out in the hall.
I hoped to make her fearless in the dark;
And yet, she was so small-one little light,
Not in the room, it scarcely mattered. Hark!

No,no; she seldom cried! Please God, not too far,
For her to see, this first night, light a star!

And in the morning, when she first woke up,
I always kissed her on her left cheek where
The dimple was. And, oh, I wet the brush.
It makes it easier to curl her hair.

Just, just tomorrow morning, God, I pray,
When she wakes up, could you do things for her my way!

Violet Alleyn Storey

Saying YES to God

I have just come off the most amazing 6 weeks of my life as I watched God’s hand at work in an up close and personal way.

It all began with a phone call as I lay basking in the warmth of the Florida sun in the middle of March. My sister Jo, who belongs to the same bible study as I do, was calling to give me an update on Deb, one of the women in our group.

Deb, who has been battling breast cancer for the last six years, had just received some tough news from her oncologist. Despite her chemo, the cancer was continuing to invade her brain. As an accountant for a local restaurant business, she had no choice but to finally resign from her job. It would be a while before she would be able to start collecting any kind of disability and until then her finances would be tight.

Jo was calling to ask my opinion on holding a benefit to help with some of Deb’s expenses, and if they did have one, would I like to help?

Betty, another woman in the group, had come up with the idea. Just a few weeks prior we had been discussing what real love for God looked like and Ken one of the men in the group had said “I think if you really love Jesus, you don't just sit around worshiping all day you reach out and do something for one of God's children. Its kind of like the Nike slogan,so if you love him you'll 'Just Do It!' ”

Kens words would remain with Betty, and when her love for God deepened her compassion for Deb, she sprung into action and she recruited my sister’s help .

“Sure, I’ll help. It sounds like a great idea” I told my sister over the phone. Stretched out in my chaise lounge watching the clouds roll by, I figured, if I was lucky, by the time I got back home the whole thing would be planned and all I would have to do was put on an apron and serve up some spaghetti.

………….at least that’s what I had hoped.

A few days after I returned from Florida, we met for lunch for the first time at the restaurant where Deb had been employed for many years. There were four of us, Betty, Jo, Kate, and myself.

As we discussed our thoughts, our worries increased. Was this something we thought we could pull off? Certainly none of us were qualified to do this and yet something spurred us on, or should I say SOMEONE.

What was God getting us into? We were all shaking in our boots.

I had just started an on-line bible study on one of my favorite blogs “Write From the Heart by Lelia Chealey http://leliachealey.blogspot.com/2008/03/learning-to-say-yes.html
The Bible Study is called “What Happens When Women Say YES To God” by Lysa TerKeurst http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/.

I was first introduced to Lysa when I heard her speak in Naples. Her topic that day was based on her book and was called “Radically Obedient Outrageously Blessed".
I remember wondering as we sat around discussing the benefit, if this radical obedience to God we were undertaking, would make us outrageously blessed when it was all said and done.

We finished our lunch that afternoon and made plans to meet again a few days later. As we were preparing to leave, the restaurant manager stopped by our table and we shared our plans with her. She asked us to call if she could help in any way.

The next morning as I prayed for God’s hand in this giant endeavor, he led me to a scripture.

“Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord,
I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken
to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

The LORD said to him, "Who gave
man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him
blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will
teach you what to say."

But Moses said, "O Lord, please
send someone else to do it." Exodus 4:10-15

My sentiments exactly. “Lord isn’t there someone else more qualified that knows what they’re doing.”

We met back at the same restaurant at the end of the week. Before we started any conversation Jo asked if we could please start with a prayer, and she asked the Holy Spirit to come to our aid and to be with us and guide our decisions that day.

The prayer helped us to focus on making this an endeavor that would glorify God.

Our original plan for a meal was fried chicken. As we planned the menu several employees stopped by our table to offer their support and tell us about other benefits they had attended. Some thought chicken would eat into our profits too much, and we agreed, and we began looking into pulled pork sandwiches.

After 2 hours we had visited and revisited the menu so many times that it was our brain that was fried. Just as we were planning our next meeting, a woman walked to our table and handed us a folded check. She was not a woman the world would think of as “one of the beautiful people.” But we were just about to learn the difference between the worlds view and God’s view.

We learned that as a new employee at the restaurant, Deb had befriended this woman when no one else seemed to give her the time of day. Deb had made her feel special and now she wanted to be able to make the first donation to her benefit. She was a single woman, making only minimum wage, and yet when we unfolded the check our mouths fell open. It was made out for $500 and noted that it was for benefit expenses.

Any doubt we may have had about whether or not this benefit was something God wanted us to do was quickly disolved. And this would only be the first of the miracles God was to perform through the generosity of the community.

Before leaving, another blessing came our way. The waitresses and bakery staff came forward and offered to provide, free of charge, all the desserts for the dinner. Amazing!

Everything I have learned over the last few years about God using the talents he has given us to glorify Him, was coming true. It amazed me to see God working thru the four of us. I could walk up to a total stranger and tell my life story. But asking for a donation left me tongue tied. So instead of seeking donations, I offered to be the person to write up a letter for someone else to take to the local businesses asking for help with a either a prize donation or a gift of money. They all agreed because none of them wanted this job.

After asking for God to give me the words for the letter, he led me to the 27th Psalm

“I am confident of this, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”

The verse became the theme for our benefit. Yes, we hoped to raise money to help Deb out, but more than financial blessings we wanted Deb to be able to experience God’s love in a powerful way thru her community.

It really surprised me when Kate and Betty, the two very reserved members of the team, agreed, ever so hesitantly, to go around together and ask for the donations. I couldn’t help but think of the Exodus scripture again.

"I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak
to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you
were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform
miraculous signs with it."

As the two women found their voice over the next few weeks and not only asked for donations, but spoke to a newspaper reporter, and also spoke in front of two different groups, the Moses scripture played out. Not only did God send them out together like he did Moses and Aaron, but he gave them the words they were to say. We all agreed that the letter they took with them, containing the Word of God, had spoken to the merchants’ heart. It became their staff and with God's help they were able to gather some wonderful donations. People were being so generous. Most days it felt like God had opened the sky and was pouring down blessings from above.

Jo’s area of expertise was coordinating the dinner. By our third meeting we had again changed the menu and now we were planning on serving ham, meatballs, baked beans, potatoes, and coleslaw. Not only was Jo able to persuade several organizations to loan their cooking equipment and their extra table and chairs, she also managed to get the ham and meatballs donated by two area businesses, as well as donations of food from the local supermarket. A team effort scored gift cards for food at two major food chains, and 42 dozen rolls were donated by a friend who managed the bakery in a big restaurant in a neighboring town. Various parish members brought roasters of beans or potatoes, or items for the bake sale.

Our original plan had been to hold the benefit in our church hall. It seated 250 people. When we kept hearing that we should plan for 500 people, we tried to reserve the Knights of Columbus hall. The Knights agreed to cut the rent in half for us, but the date we were planning was already taken.

After prayerful consideration we all decided it should be held at the church. It was something we all had pictured in our mind and God gave us peace about our decision, and then blessed us with yet another donation. The Taymouth Township Fire Department not only donated a tent to house any overflow, but they agreed to put it up and take it down at no cost.

Every day heralded a new blessing. The camaraderie among the four of us was truly amazing. Several times we had a difference of opinion, but the dedication to follow God’s will helped us to remember to lay down our own will and go with the flow.

Some days we would be up to our elbows on a project and someone would remember we had forgotten to pray, and we would stop what we were doing and take the time to give God praise and ask for guidance.

Every time our minds wanted to play the “what if” game, we kept repeating the phrase “God is in control, and whatever happens will be in His will and for His purpose.”

May 16th finally arrived. With the dawn came the awareness that God had sent us a picture perfect day. Not too hot and not too cold. The daily readings spoke directly to our hearts and we felt God’s hand so strongly that day.

The workers began arriving. Jo worked in the kitchen and Betty, Kate and I worked in the church putting the finishing touches on the items donated for a silent auction and raffle. Our entire Bible Study group was on hand manning the bake sale, setting up tables, bringing in food, selling and taking tickets, and greeting the public. Our families joined in to help.

From the time the doors opened to the public at 4p.m. until the ending time of 7 p.m. the people came in steady streams. There were Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Baptists all gathered together under one church roof for one purpose, to do the will of God by supporting their sister in need.

God’s Spirit was so alive and evident in the heart of everyone who walked thru the doors that night. The look on their faces told us they felt the awesomeness of God’s presence.

Deb and her family were truly humbled and overwhelmed to see so many people turn out for the event. They were blessed to see the abundant generosity in the hearts of their community.

After the miraculous way God had orchestrated this event, we shouldn’t have been surprised that there was not only enough food to feed the multitudes, approximately 500 people, but at the end of the night there were enough leftovers to fill 12 baskets. Actually there was enough food left to send home with Debs family, to send to the Emmaus House, a shelter for women, to put in the freezer for a funeral several days later, to feed the girls softball team the following day, and to send home with the kitchen workers.

Our small in size community gave in a big way and poured out over $13,000 to help Deb with her cancer expenses. The gift of love they left in her heart is priceless.

I am so glad that I was able to be part of this small miracle. How many blessings would I have missed if the work had been done and all I would have had to do was serve up some spaghetti as I had originally hoped?

I can’t begin to thank God enough for allowing me the opportunity to say YES to Him. I will savor the outrageous blessings forever.

Doubting Thomas

Finally the sun is shining for the first time since stepping back on Michigan soil.

I have been doing a study called "At Home With The Word. " We have a study book but instead of going to class we write our thoughts via the internet. I love it because I don't even need to get out of my pajama's to attend.

This week we were to write our thoughts on John 20:19-31. Doubting Thomas. I decided to take the easy way out and post my thoughts to my blog today. Here goes:

I’m having some doubts about this chapter!! Ha Ha

I've read the doubting Thomas story over about 5 times and last night before going to sleep I read it again and noticed that when Jesus appears to the apostles without Thomas, John mentions the fact that Jesus showed them all His hands and side. Jesus doesn't just stand before them in His resurrected body and they believe. No, he reveals himself to them. In other accounts, Mary Magdelene had to hear him say her name before she recognized Him, the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn't realize it was Jesus until he broke bread, and even John who was the first to believe, had to see the evidence of the burial clothes.

Yet Jesus says "Blessed are those who believe even though they haven't seen?"

Well, needless to say that left lot's of questions rambling around in my empty head as I went to sleep. After much tossing and turning as I pondered it all, I came up with the following thoughts:

After his appearance Jesus' instructions were "Okay now that you've seen, go out and tell everyone about me". Even though the story was pretty preposterous, when the apostles told the story of the Risen Christ, others believed them, because of their first hand knowledge. The apostles must also have had something special about them that made them credible witnesses to others, something that reflected Christ.

As the news spread, how come it didn’t get to be unreliable? Wouldn’t it eventually be like saying "I know it's the truth because my uncle heard it from my aunt who heard it from her son who heard it from his best friend, etc.

It made me think about little kids always asking "Why" Sometimes parents can give them an explanation they understand; other times the parents don’t really have a good answer and so they say "Because I said so". While the kid ends up following in his parents footsteps, does he really believe anything?

I think many of our churches are full of people who believe like that. But what kind of a witness for Christ can that belief be? "Because I said so" doesn't make it believable.

But when someone tells me how Christ makes a difference in their life, and can give eyewitness accounts of His faithfulness, and their life, as well as their words, reflect His goodness, I find it easy to believe. And once I believe, then God can reveal Himself to me on a personal level and he changes me inwardly and outwardly so I can be a reliable witness for Him to someone else. I believe that’s how the Gospel spreads.

Could Thomas' testimony have been reliable if he only had the words of the others to testify about?

I believe we need to ask God more not less to reveal Himself to us. Not because we can’t believe without seeing Him, but because the revelation of God strengthens our resolve and gives credibility to our testimony. I think God wants to do that more than anything else in the world. Faith is believing that the Christ will reveal Himself to us, but most likely we won’t see the nail scared hands, we will see someone who looks like Jane or John Doe.

Last fall I heard Margaret Nutting Ralph (or is it Ralph Nutting?) speak. She's the author of "And God Said What?"

She told the story of preparing to teach a class on the Resurrection, and she was totally perplexed and annoyed that she didn't understand why the apostles didn't recognize Christ when He returned.

As she was preparing for class her dad had a stroke and she had to rush to the hospital. She found out that when her father was released he would be going home instead of to a rehab center. She knew her mother wouldn't know how to care for him and Margaret was really getting upset and didn't know what to do.

In tears and not wanting to talk to anyone she got into the elevator to go for coffee and prayer. As the elevator doors closed a voice behind her said

"You probably don't recognize me but I took a class from you last year."

Margaret didn't really want to get into a conversation with the woman, but felt like she needed to be kind and so she said half heartedly,

“What ministry are you in?"

The woman replied "Oh I'm not in the ministry; I am a home health care director. I oversee an organization that goes into people’s homes and teaches them how to care for their loved ones who have had a stroke or an injury."

After hearing Margaret’s story, the woman offered to personally come to her fathers home and stay until they felt confident to care for him.

Several months later, Margaret’s father had to return to the hospital and when she went to visit she noticed that his lips that were fine when he left his home, had become dry and cracked and he had not been getting the proper oral care.

When Margaret mentioned this to the nurse the nurse got angry and said,

"We are just too overworked and there are some things we just can't get to. If it needs to be done, do it yourself"

Again, visibly shaken, Margaret headed down for coffee before doing or saying something she regretted.

She got into the elevator feeling glad she was alone. The door closed and as the elevator started to move, it gave a violent shake and the doors opened back up.

Margaret wasn't about to stay in the elevator so she headed to the stairway. As she walked down the corridor she heard a voice behind her say

"You probably won't recognize me, but I was in a class you taught last spring."

Margaret said she already knew the routine so without turning around she said,

"And just what do you do for a living?"

The woman replied "I am a patient advocate. I intervene for the patient when they feel they are not receiving proper medical care."

Margaret said all at once she realized that Jesus’ Resurrected body looks like an every day person. Often we never look for God in the every day occurrences, or in the people we meet on the street. But that is where the Risen Lord will most likely be revealed. Don’t chalk it up to coincidence.

I believe that finding Jesus in those every day happenings is what will give meaning to our testimonies and how our belief in Christ can become that of an eyewitness. But I think we need to ask God to reveal himself to us and believe that he will. After all doesn’t he tell us "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” Matthew 7:6-8

That doesn’t sound like a “Because I said so” kind of God to me.

Earlier in one of the Gospels when Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter answers, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God”, Jesus praises Peter saying “Blessed are you, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Again God reveals himself. Matthew 16:15-17

So after much deliberation, I believe the true sin of doubt isn’t needing to see, but doubting that God will and wants to reveal himself to us if we only ask.