NO FEAR

Since the Sisterhood is about being ambassadors for Christ, I thought I would make this last post an invitation to all who read to know more about Jesus Christ and His Father. I have chosen to write about prayer because I believe it is the cornerstone of our relationship with Christ, both as a seeker when coming to Him for salvation and as a learner when walking with Him once salvation becomes our own.



Just one glance at that brave soul and we think "Wow, no fear!". And we might be right. He or she does indeed seem to be fearless. To sit on the edge; to stare into the valley below; sitting confidently on the edge of the stone...yes, that must be one brave soul! Who could deny that or question it? To dangle your feet over the precipice and stare certain death in the face should the rock crack. Surely that is the personification of courage of fearlessness.

So, what is fear? Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. Anticipation or awareness of danger....hmmm, it seems Mr. Red-Coated Man doesn't understand that it is quite normal, natural to feel an emotional response to the anticipation or awareness of danger. If you look at his circumstances, do you see anticipation or awareness of danger? Well, of course you do. So, why no fear?

What causes such confidence in a man that he feels no fear? What can give him so much assurance that his circumstances do not cause him to recoil in fear? Perhaps it is confidence in his own ability. He's a climber and he has been in these circumstances many times before. He has the necessary skill sets to navigate this situation successfully. Perhaps it is confidence in his equipment. He has tested the equipment, it has never let him down. It has performed just as expected at every opportunity to display an affinity to operate well. Perhaps it is confidence in the solidity of the rock upon which he is seated. That rock has been there many years, perhaps thousands of years. It has demonstrated it's ability to remain stable. It performs consistently under all circumstances. No storm seems able to sway it.

Now, consider this man. In your opinion, which of these men display more courage, show less fear? Would it be the man who challenges the rock and the precipice below, or would it be the man who kneels before the God of the universe to offer petition, intercession or praise?

According to Ephesians 3:12, it is the man of prayer who displays the greater courage. It tells that through faith, we can approach the God of Heaven and we can have confidence that He will listen and hear our petition. He will consider our intercessory request for our brother or sister. He will accept as praise as a "sweet smelling savor" before Him.

Where does he get this confidence to go before His God? The verse says "through him". Just who is this "him"? The New Living Translation of this same verse says it this way, "Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence". Or, because of Christ's faithfulness we can come boldly and confidently into God's presence. Because Christ was faithful, God offers me and you bold and confident access to His personal presence.

It has nothing to do with you or me; it has only to do with Jesus Christ. Only He can offer access to God the Father; it comes by way of His shed blood. It has has nothing to do with our preparedness to face God on our own. No human can survive before the Holy God of creation if he or she approaches in any manner other than through Jesus Christ. Nothing I can summon in myself is worthy of His notice or attentions. It has nothing to do with my steadfastness in being faithful to Him. My faithfulness would not be possible without the blood of Jesus.

And, thus we come to this conclusion, it is the man or woman of faith, who has placed their trust in the sacrificial atoning blood of Jesus Christ and who has accepted His free offer of salvation who can walk with boldness and confidence into the presence of a Holy God and make petition or intercession and who can offer praise to that same Holy God. Once we accept the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we can come before a Holy God not only boldly and confidently, but freely and without fear.

The blood of Jesus Christ conquers fear and gives us faith; faith that can move mountains, faith that can restore relationships, faith that can heal wounded spirits, faith that can reclaim broken lives. Faith that gives us the free ticket to all of God's best and access to His thone at any time.

Ephesians 2:8 (NIRV) says "God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift". Salvation is the gift of God to the undeserving and He makes it accessible through the faith we place in Jesus Christ. We can't earn it, buy it, create it or develop it. It belongs only to God is His only to give.

The question now becomes do you take advantage of your grace gift? How often do we face troubles, temptations, disappointments, seemingly insurmountable circumstances and fail to take advantage of this marvelous gift of free and uninhibited access to the throne of Holy God? It is a simple process and does not require any magic or complicated procedures. No sophisticated words are needed. Just an open and honest heart willing to offer everything in return for more than we'll ever comprehend.



Through him and through

faith in him

we can approach God.

We can come to him freely.

We can come without fear.

Ephesians 3:12 (NIRV)

Friends...........

Friends

By:  Michael W. Smith

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful

Or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way.

It is not irritable,

And it keeps no record of being wronged.

It does not rejoice about injustice

But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith,

Is always hopeful, and endures

Through every circumstance.

I Corinthians 13: 4-7   (NLT)

 

 

 

Friends are friends forever......

 

 

A group of women from around the globe, of one mind---the mind of Christ; of one lineage---the line of Jesus Christ; of one heart---the heart of God; of one purpose---the commission to win those who are without Christ to His Kingdom.

 

Those who can meet annually in a chosen place to renew our strength in the Lord and to refresh our hearts in our relationship with Christ and with each other.  Precious hours of fellowship, testimony to the work our Savior is doing in our lives, communion, laughter, prayer, tears, praise, worship and simple adoration of our King.

 

The day of parting comes too soon and the day of returning lingers too far away.  Hearts are uplifted, wounds receive balm, spirits are encouraged to rejoin the battle and faith is strengthened.  The holiness of the presence of God in His anointing is almost palpable.  Such are the annual reunions of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf.

 

Indeed, friends are friends forever if the Lords the Lord of them.  We have released those whom we love to the arms of Jesus in death; we have welcomed others into our fellowship; we have prayed each other through all kinds of trial or tragedy; we have witnessed miraculous healing and we have witnessed restoration.  Through all of these experiences, our hearts are drawn closer to our Lord and to each other. 

 

The enemy trembles when the Sisters pray.  We have been witness to the awesome power of our God.  We walk forward, with open hearts and uplifted hands of praise, knowing not what our Lord will work in our presence before our next meeting.  Yet, we are confident of His love for us and His guidance in our daily lives. 

 

A lifetime is not too long to live as friends.  No indeed, a lifetime is not too long to live as friends!  For love leads the way.......

 



His Mercy Rains..........

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

By:  Chris Tomlin

 

 

My chains are gone, I've been set free................FREEDOM.  My heart is so full of love and thankfulness today. I have tried all day to write this blog and my heart is so full I just can't get past praise!  I am lost in the joy of the love of God, the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit witnessing to my heart that I am a child of the King!  He loves me and is the source of my strength and my only hope.

 

Yesterday that truth was sealed in my heart with an everlasting and unimpeachable seal.  Having gotten very distressing news recently regarding my health, I was due to visit my hepatologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.  The news I expected was not good. An enormous mass had encamped itself in my abdominal cavity and attached itself seemingly inextricably to every organ EXCEPT my heart.  There was no hope; those are the words my doctor used when he told me about the mass.  BUT GOD.................

 

But God has other plans for me.  He has yet a mission for me to accomplishment.  I haven't been informed of that mission yet, but I know He will tell me when it is in His perfect time to do so.  To walk so closely to the brink and then be so lovingly guided away from it leaves one astounded at God, aware of life and the freedom of worship His grace allows us.

 

A new scan yesterday revealed the handiwork of my Father; there was no mass, no evidence of any invasive tissue whatsoever!  In one brief moment I went from "no hope" to "only hope"!  All because of God!  No other explanation was the words my doctor used as he stood with tears rolling off his face.  I have issues, for sure, but I have life!  I have love!  I have eternal security!  I have a mission, a task to complete for my King.  What an awesome place to find one's self; the receptor of His Kingdom command.

 

My life has changed in so many ways, ways I could never have imagined only 5 years ago.  Things that brought so much pain have also brought indescribable joy and opportunity and blessing.  Losing Terry seemed like the ultimate curse, something from which I neither could nor would ever recover.  Yet, here I am four years later, not only alive but thriving.  My heart is opening up to new beginnings.  Exactly where that will lead is yet to be determined, or more accurately, revealed.  God already knows the plans He has for me and He reveals those plans as I need to know them. 

 

I rest secure in the knowledge that it is His desire to give me the desires of my heart and He is doing that, even when it seems to me He is so far away.  When I was lonely, He wanted to send me comfort but it required action on my part; I had to release the past in order to be able to meet the future.  Someone dear to me reminded me of that today.  I wonder how many blessings we miss because we think we're waiting on God when in fact it is He who is waiting on us?

 

Today, I walk in love and reverence for the Creator God of the universe and of my individual cells.  From the greatest to the most minuscule, He is Lord, He is the Creator, He is the Giver of Life, He is the Healer.  Over all He reigns with love and justice, continually reaching out to His creation with salvation and grace, with the mercy only He can give.  We walk in FREEDOM....our only debt to the Triune God who created us, gave His Son's life for us, sent His Spirit to comfort and guide us.  Oh, what a Mighty God we serve!  YES and AMEN!

 

 



Shout praises to the Lord!
Praise God in his temple.
Praise him in heaven,
his mighty fortress.
Praise our God!
His deeds are wonderful,
too marvelous to describe.

Praise God with trumpets
and all kinds of harps.
Praise him with tambourines
and dancing,
with stringed instruments
and woodwinds.
Praise God with cymbals,
with clashing cymbals.
Let every living creature
praise the Lord.
Shout praises to the Lord!

 

Psalm 150  (CEV)

 

 

 

Intertwined just as are our hearts one with the other.

 

This concludes my time with the Traveling Sock.  I have had adventures I never dreamed would be a part of this time.  The sock now moves on to the next Sister.  I eagerly await hearing of her adventures in her walk with our God!  I love you, my Sisters.  This Sisterhood is among the most wonderful blessings of my life.  I am changed forever because of your love for our Savior and your love for me.  What a joy to participate in this wonderful Sisterhood.  I wonder if Mrs. Mac dreamed this could be as precious as it is when she began the group?  Farewell to my sock; the mismatched pair will greet you all in New York in October!!!

Tea Cups and Tears.........

 

This Is The Stuff

Francesca Battistelli

Well, Blogger just is not cooperating with me!  Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe what I feel right now!  Then I hear this song and I'm reminded that frustration is part of life.  I can surrender to it or I can rise above it.  I chose to rise above it.  Then, with nothing done any differently than the other 12 times, the picture loaded, no problem!

This arrived with the sock from Connie Hopkins!

A wonderful packet of Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix in peppermint!

And, one of my now most treasured possessions.....

one of Connie's beautiful pink depression glass tea cups and saucer!

 

 



You know, I've found folks that just don't understand this sisterhood. They cannot understand how a group of women from across the globe can be so close to each other.  I always say that number one is the fact that our hearts are knit together with the love of, and for, Jesus Christ, who dwells in each of our hearts.  After that, I always tell them about how we pray powerful, mountain moving prayers for each other.  Then, I tell them about the joy that comes just to open up my laptop and go to one of a few places and there the faces are, looking at me with pure love written in their eyes. 

They say I don't really know all of you.  I say, tell me who you do really know.  All we have is appearances unless our spirits speak to one another in that quiet place in our hearts where the Holy Spirit bears witness to us that the other is His. We can trust that woman with our deepest, darkest secrets; our most painful hurts; our completely broken hearts and spirits when we're suffering together for a sister who is facing life's worst.

They say, they'll let you down. I say, so?  I've known people all my life who have let me down.  That doesn't mean they're bad people, just that they're human.  I'm human; I let people down sometimes.  I'll bet you do to.  Yet, when our hearts are woven in that beautiful tapestry of love and forgiveness, of loyalty and self sacrifice, then we walk forward knowing that we can depend on each other.  And, if we ever do fail, forgiveness is so instant, it is almost automatic.



 The Traveling Socks

 

 



The socks ( and the wearer of the socks) are tired tonight.  We had a busy day and the tootsies are aching.  Our journey on this day was not adventurous, nor was it super-exciting.  It was quiet, restful, peaceful, tranquil, still, subdued........we took a midnight walk down my country road.  It was misting rain and the wind was blowing just enough to ruffle your hair.  Houses were dark, animals were bedded down in the pastures and/or barns.  There was no traffic.  Skies were overcast with no stars or moon viable. 

My trusty flashlight was my companion.  Shining bright out ahead of me was a beam of light that made every pothole visible, every dip in the road apparent.  Suddenly, a bright moon peaked through the clouds.  The wet grass was alive with light bouncing from first one droplet to the other.  A dog barked off in the distance.  I heard the cows begin to moo and I heard a new colt running across the pasture, full of youth and vigor.

Just as suddenly as the moon appeared, it returned to it's hiding place.  Again, darkness prevailed and within seconds the world surrounding me was quiet.  The misty rain grew a bit heavier.  I raised my face to heaven as the rain washed over my head, running down my face cool and exhilarating.  My senses were at a fever pitch, waiting to feel every wet drop, hear every distant sound, see the light ahead reflected off the rain as it fell, taste the rain running over my face and lips. 

Again I raised my face to heaven with the most awesome sense of wonder at God and His creation.  The power of God's love permeated every pore of my body.  That's what this Sisterhood means to me...I can feel their prayers even though they are scattered around the globe.  I hear the sounds of their laughter and the trembling of their voices as we praise the Lord together.  I feel the touch of their arms extended around me, hugging me at that one time a year that we are blessed to be physically in each other's presence.

Some may not understand our bond, others may question the authenticity of our caring for each other.  It matters not to me for I am the recipient of that great love that comes as a natural consequence of women who love Jesus loving each other.  We have walked beside sisters through all kinds of loss and grief and we are made stronger with every trial we face.  Our voice becomes more united, our urgency more determined, our love purified through the fires of life.

My Sisters..........these women own my heart.  Wherever they go, whatever they do, whomever they're with, my heart is with them because I chose to give it to them, just as they chose to give pieces of themselves to each one of us.  We are on a mission.  First, to love our Lord, afterwards loving our families, and then reaching out to each one we meet who doesn't know the love of God.  We aren't just a group of cackling hens, we are a group of women of faith who have an urgent desire to introduce Jesus to those who do not know Him.

We've had our traveling scarf, our traveling apron, our traveling Bible and now our traveling socks.  Those around us have been touched by our adventures and they have been introduced to a perfect picture of what the love of Jesus can do for you, of what it means to love God unashamedly and without limits.  We are prayer warriors; the enemy trembles when the Sisters pray.  That didn't just happen, it took women making personal sacrifices to devote time to prayer, to the study of the Word, and to the world they inhabit. 

We pray; we praise; but more than anything else...........we love.........God, our family, those whom God places in our lives............we love them to Jesus.  We may not see the results of all our efforts, but the results will be there and they will be written in eternity. 

My Sisters.........our hearts will forever know each other, eternity will be so much sweeter because all of you will be there with me!

Dear friends,

since God loved us this much,

No one has ever seen God.

But if we love each other,

God lives in us,

and his love is truly in our hearts.

1 John 4: 11-12   (CEV)

Following......

I Will Follow

By:  Chris Tomlin

 

 

FOLLOW:  to go, proceed, or come after;  to engage in as a calling or way of life, to pursue; to accept as authority, to obey;  to seek to attain; to copy after, to imitate; to keep the mind on.

 

Thus are the definitions of the word "follow" in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

 

 ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples:

If any of you want to be my followers,

you must forget about yourself.

You must take up your cross and follow me. 

²⁵ If you want to save your life,

you will destroy it.

But if you give up your life for me,

you will find it.

Matthew 16: 24-25   (CEV)

 

 

We miss that portion of the understanding of following that means that we step out...out from behind the Savior, out of our comfort zone, out of our simple understanding in search of a deeper understanding...OUT.  You will note that the first definition offered when considering what follow means is to go, proceed, or come after.  There are options.  We can go, which simply means moving.  Don't stand still, that's complacency.  We can come after, which is the standard understanding of following; we come after the Lord, we walk in His footsteps.

 

Going, moving, refusing to be still and complacent; coming after the Lord, walking in His footsteps; these are not bad choices but they are choices.  However, we don't often think about that third choice; we can proceed.  So, what exactly does that mean?

 

To proceed is defined as to come forth from a source; to begin and carry on an action, process, or movement.  So then the third option in following is to come forth from our source, our relationship with Jesus Christ, and to begin and carry on the process we started by moving after His footsteps. 

 

It is at this juncture that many Christians misunderstand and think they are wrong if they step OUT.  Not to say we know our way alone and no longer need Christ; but to say we have learned at His feet, we have hidden His word in our heart, we have sought the high places and walked where angels trod.  It is now time to step OUT and take those experiences to others who are still caught in the moving after.

 

That third level takes more prayer, more studying, more intimate time with our Savior because it requires more of us.  We have to be receptacles of His direction through the Holy Spirit and set ourselves as accountable for the steps we take.  We know we will not fail if we listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit but the temptation to go our own way will be great. 

 

If we take that third step and move forward, step OUT, we set ourselves as accountable at a higher level.  Luke 12:48 from the CEV Bible says "But servants who don’t know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than generous, he will expect you to serve him even better." 

 

Therefore, we must understand the responsibilities that go with the step OUT.  However, if the responsibilities are greater, then so are the rewards when we serve well. Jeremiah 17:10 from the NLT Bible says "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."  

 

So, we have options when we serve Jesus.  Options come with responsibilities and accountability, but they also come with rewards.  It is ours to choose.  We are not punished if we decide to live in moving forward, coming after the Lord and walking in His footsteps.  It is not a matter of being sinful if we choose not to step OUT.  It is a matter of reward.

 

As I understand the Scriptures and the Revelation of John, rewards take many forms.  Some rewards are received while here and other are received after we enter heaven.  Those rewards are the crowns we will cast before the throne of our Savior as we worship around the Throne.  I have set my own heart to exercise my faith, turn from fear and to step OUT: to carry on what Jesus began in me when He saved me; to take what I've learned and use it to gain greater understanding of the Word and a more intimate relationship with my Savior. To go before Him, preparing hearts to hear His word, to recognize His spirit, to surrender to His free gift of salvation.

 

I am aware of the cost.  Luke 14: 27-28a in the NLT Bible says "And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost..."  

I would be foolish to begin the journey without doing so.  It will cost me convenience, comfort, perhaps friends or even family members, reputation, resources, ridicule, persecution, perhaps even my life.  I must be aware of these things and be willing to make whatever sacrifice is required in order to finish what He started in me. 

 

 If I begin and fail, I dishonor Him.  I choose the OUT kind of service because it is what my soul desires; it is what my heart craves.  Wherever, whatever, whoever, whenever.............where He leads me I will step OUT.

 

 

NEWness of Life

 

 How Beautiful by Twila Paris

 

 

I was thrilled to see the box from Texas sitting on my front porch.  I knew this meant I was next in the sock adventure journey.  I have thought about this journey and prayed over what the Lord would have me share.

 

As I have said several different times and in many places over the past few weeks, the Lord has been doing a pruning work in my spirit.  There were things I needed to let go of.  The biggest of which was my continued tight-fisted grasp on my life with Terry.  I couldn't stop loving Terry even if I wanted to.  I fought so hard against the Lord on this battle.

 

I finally realized that He wasn't asking me to stop loving Terry, only to let that love grow into a deeper and more abiding love for my Savior and for those to whom He will send me.  A piece of me abides in heaven now.  I thought I would never be able to be really happy, really filled with joy, really content again until I was reunited with that part of me.

 

As the Lord closed doors, I began to see the truth that I had allowed the enemy to hid from me.  The truth is that I was dishonoring not only Terry's memory, but the Lord as well because I chose not to let go.  I clung to those emotions as though I would die if I let go.  I insisted to the Lord that I wanted to walk in His path for me; yet I continued to hold on to things that kept me from doing that in a manner that honored Him.

 

I looked up a couple of words in the dictionary and I was accosted by the Holy Spirit as I read.

(1) FACADE:  a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect; an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.

(2) HYPOCRITE:  a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

 

As I pondered the definitions, I began to realize that I was a hypocrite living behind a facade.  I was saying all the right things, but was secretly coming apart inside.  I interacted with people, I was out and about; but when I came home and the night closed in around me, I melted into a heap of emotions and cried myself to a restless sleep every night.  I cried so much and so hard that my nose bled. 

 

I wasn't doing anything wrong...........that's the reasoning I used.  Yet, it was a lie; I was definitely doing things wrong.  I was placing my own need to hold on to my old life ahead of reaching out to grasp the new life the Lord was offering me.

 

When I first recognized what the Holy Spirit was saying to me, I rebelled in a big way.  Not out loud so everyone else could see my rebellion, but quietly so only the Holy Spirit and I knew what was going on.  I am a sly sinner!

 

So, to tie this all in to our sock adventure, this is what the Lord has said to me through His Word, prayer and the wooing of the Holy Spirit........release your past and allow it to become the blessing to you and others that it was meant to be; search diligently for the work of the present assigned to you; and look ahead to see where the Holy Spirit is drawing you in service.

 

For the first time since Terry's home going, I can lay my head on my pillow at night and drift into a peaceful night's rest without tears.  Pictures no longer cause a lump in my throat.  And music has again become my companion of joy instead of a tool for yet more tears.  Do I still cry?  Well, of course I do, but no longer out of sadness; it is now joy for the love we shared and the reunion we will have one day.

 

I cry when I pray; a feeling of empathy has returned for my brothers and sisters who are hurting.  I find myself seeking ways to love people better.  I work diligently at growing into the intimate relationship with the Lord that I know He wants for me.

 

For me, this journey became a journey in earnest last October at the lodge when Amy made a prophetic pronouncement to Donna.  As I sat and listened to what Amy was saying, I knew that word was meant for me as well............NEW.  It was time to find my new life, my new walk, my new place of service.

As Paul said in Acts 20:24 (NLT)............."But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

Today I stand ready and willing to go wherever He leads, do whatever He commands, be whomever He needs me to be in order to finish my work in His kingdom.  I am excited to see where this journey takes me.  My spirit knows there are going to be changes on my horizon, some small and seemingly inconsequential, others will be large and beyond my own imaginings.  Wherever, whatever, whoever, whenever.............where He leads me I will follow.

And these feet are the beginning of that journey.............



The TN leg of the Sock Adventure is off!

BEING REAL

Our sisterhood is a fun bunch and we know how to laugh and make each other giggle. Whether it's talking about mismatched socks, menopause or any other off the wall thing that pops into our heads, our hearts are united. Every single one of us in this special sisterhood has had to deal with their own hurts and heartaches. I love about being a part of this group. For me personally, when I was dealing with my Mom's terminal cancer and planning her funeral and simultaneously dealing with Dave's unexpected cancer diagnosis and his surgery, y'all were here for me! Your words of encouragement, prayers and cards have lifted me up during my darkest times. Our wonderful pastor reminds us all the time that God created us for relationship. Though I have only met face to face with one of the sisters (Cyndi), you could put me in a crowded room with a blindfold on and my heart would gravitate to each and every one of you! Only God knew what this group would come to embody and the impact we would make!

I used to think that life sailed along with an occasional pot hole here and there but now I realize that life is an ongoing journey of detours and road construction. The smooth sailing is more the exception than the rule. I despise traffic, it seems like such a waste of my time to sit in this stop and go, barely advancing line of cars and usually I find myself irritable and thinking, "Someone else's lack of consideration and selfishness has inconvenienced SO many people!" Yeah, not a lot of compassion, grace or mercy! I am JUST as selfish thinking of how this inconveniences ME!
Last night, the socks and I attended the new Bible Study at our church titled, "UNGLUED". Right from the get go I realized I am going to have my work cut out for me! The author points out that we are to be making imperfect progress. Then she makes a bold statement, "How you react, impacts your reach". I am a reactor, so much so you could probably hang one of those hazardous signs on my back to warn people ahead of time that you need to watch out for "fallout". Most days I am pretty good but other days, I don't care who is on the receiving end of my tirade!
Just a couple of days ago, I was at LOWES and because Dave has been a defensive driving instructor for the BNSF Railway, we have had the importance of backing into our parking spaces stressed repeatedly! (For the record, those couple of extra seconds that it takes, reduces your likelihood of backing into someone or being hit as you back out of your own parking space.) The key to backing into your parking space however is that you need to leave yourself enough room so that you can load your stuff into the back of your vehicle. I came out of LOWES with a bulky ceiling fan in my cart and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that some HUGE, honkin', diesel truck had extended WAAAY into my space right next to my bumper!! Yup, NUCLEAR FALLOUT!!! As I wrestled and wrangled that ceiling fan into the back of my car I manged to write the nastiest mental note known to man!! After parking my cart, I grabbed my notebook and wrote a note to the owner of the truck. As I grabbed the door handle to get out of my car and put the note underneath the windshield wiper, the Holy Spirit checked me. Don't you hate it sometimes when He does that? As idiotic as it sounds, sometimes I just WANT to be angry! However, I have learned the value of being obedient to the Holy Spirit's leading and I wadded up my piece of paper and drove off. Did I have a legitimate gripe, absolutely! Did I have the right to spill "written vomit" all over another person, ummm NO, I do not! "Imperfect progress" at it's best! It would be great to have the Jesus-appropriate response first but as I said, I have my work cut out for me!
This week we received the news that Dave's 3rd and final lab workup indicates that his cancer has returned somewhere. He will begin radiation as soon as we get the details ironed out. How did I react? Not so good! I thought we had licked this thing and it was behind us, after all, Dave IS my Superman! Once again I feel like our future is threatened; being someone that God had to heal from all of their insecurity issues, this feels like regression to me. I truly believe that God has me in this new Bible Study for a reason. As we read over King Jehosophat's response to the armies marching against him, he employed a bold tactic. Rather than sending out his version of Army Rangers or Navy Seals, he sent out the equivalent of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!!!! Singers went out before them, singing the Lord's praises and shouting of His unending faithfulness to His people! I can't help but think of God inhabiting the praises of His people and how that makes all the difference in how we either REACT or IMPACT.

My time with the sock adventure has come to a close. The Texas sock will be making an appearance next week, watch for it in the mail! Love you all!

TEXAS SIZED SOCK ADVENTURE!!

Yesterday, the Idaho sock and the Texas sock embarked on a Texas sized adventure!! The weekend that precedes the first Monday of the month, is Canton Trade days! For over 150 years Canton, Texas has welcomed Shoppers to the World Famous First Monday Trade Days, the Grand Daddy of all Flea Markets! Known worldwide as that "Canton Flea Market", First Monday Trade Days got it's name in the 1850's as the Circuit Judge came to the County Seat on the First Monday of every month. Swapping and trading just naturally sprang up around the Courthouse Square the weekend before Court on Monday. First Monday was moved to it's present location in 1965 and now up to 7500 vendors gather in Canton, Texas every month to display their wares from "apparel to zithers". First Monday Trade Days currently operates over 100 acres and depending on the time of year, up to 100,000 shoppers can and will frequent the fair in a weekend. Yesterday was a beautiful day for looking for Montana House treasures!!

No matter what you're looking for, you are sure to find it in Canton!

People brought their dogs which quite frankly, I didn't get! They were on leashes, in people's arms and riding in the shopping carts and wagons!

There is every kind of food you can imagine!

BRISKET NACHOS!!!

I got 2 small accent and one large area moose rug for the Master Bedroom and ordered a rug with bears on it for the new house.

Believe it or not, I am really excited about our new trash can!!

I found this oil burning lantern for Dave that I will decorate with greenery and pine cones.

At the end of a very long day of shopping and walking many miles, the Idaho sock and the Texas sock, were glad to be home once again!