Anna's Healing

About The Book:  Anna’s Healing is the first book in a brand-new collection from popular author Vannetta Chapman. These stories of love and family and Amish community in Oklahoma tell of the miracles that can happen when lives are lived in service to God and to one another.  When a tornado strikes the farms surrounding Cody’s Creek, Anna Schwartz’s life is changed forever. She suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic.  Three people—Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz—join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle’s. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.  Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world’s attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.

About The Author:  Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel Falling to Pieces was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top Ten Fiction list. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full time. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com

My Thoughts On The Book:  The books starts out slowly so that the reader can get to know each of the characters involved.  It was a wonderful story line book. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. It will really shows the power of prayer and faith. I have read many of Vannetta Chapman's books and this one is my favorite.  When you finish reading it you have a whole new outlook on prayer, at least I did.  I LOVED IT!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from Harvest House Publishers and Net Galley Publicity Group as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

November Newsletter - From Karen With Love

It is November….and you know what that means……Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I always spend a lot of time during November counting my many blessings.  So, let me ask you this…Just what are you thankful for? You know We gather, every year around this time, to reflect on the blessings of God over the past year. But in most families, Thanksgiving is less about real gratitude and more about stuffing your face, watching football, and hanging with the family. Some actually dread Thanksgiving, because they're forced to sit in a room with people they really don't enjoy.   How sad is that?  Now I'm all in favor of the food and the football. But this year, let's make Thanksgiving about giving and about thanks. This year, more than any, might force us to dig deeper. For many, it will mark a year since they've had employment .For others, Thanksgiving will bring another reminder that they haven't found that significant other. And there are those couples who have to face the family questions of why they still can't have children. For many, this was a year marked by pain. So how do we summon the gratitude? Well, if you're a Christian, you're basis is not your circumstances, but something greater. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica that they could "give thanks in everything." Why? Because this was the "will of God in Christ."   In other words, followers of Christ believe that every piece of hardship is a grace gift from the Lord, sent for their growth, sanctification, and further intimacy with the Almighty. We don't believe we're here on this earth all alone. We believe God is firmly in charge. Though life may get hard--and it does--it all falls under God's sovereign will. And so we give thanks.   As Americans, we really have cause for gratitude. I have to periodically remind myself of this and remind my family. We so easily get caught up in the easy lust for more stuff. Bigger house, nicer car, better clothes, newest gadgets. But then I think about Kat and Brian in Moldova, where they have seen real poverty--and real gratitude on the part of the Christians there.   Tonight,I am blessed because my family  will go to bed with full stomachs. They'll have a roof over their heads. They will ride in cars. They will have a future that includes a good education. All of those are things most kids in the world don't have. And so, they should be grateful.   So, on Thanksgiving Day, let's not sit around the table griping about the up-coming election, complaining about our job status, whining about injustices from friends. Let's instead reset our gratitude meters and offer genuine, heartfelt thanks to God. For salvation in Christ. For His daily care. And for friends and family He graciously provides.   God Bless You This Holiday Season,   Karen

A Rainy Day Hodge Podge

It is that day again and here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge and my answers.  Want to play along?  It is a lot of fun. All you have to do is answer on your own blog, then hop back over to Joyce's blog by clicking here to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. Are you comfortable with silence? If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise? Do you seek out times and places to be silent? What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent?  I love silence.  I truly believe that it is golden.  Frank has a big voice and it interrupts my silence more often than not.  My favorite place to find silence is in Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains.2. October 28th is National Chocolate Day. Can't let that go by without a mention now, can we? Will you celebrate? How? Let's say you can have one of the following right this very minute... a cup of hot chocolate, a strawberry dipped in chocolate, a bowl of plain chocolate ice cream, or a slice of chocolate pie...what's your pleasure?  Yes, to all of the above....but a hot cup of chocolate right now would be awesome.  It is chilly and rainy and my bones are aching.3. How do you feel about blue jeans? Favorite thing in the world to wear or nope, don't own a single pair? How often do you wear blue jeans in a typical week? Do you own a blue jean jacket?  I love blue jeans.  We are allowed to wear them on Friday as long as we are sporting school colors.  I would wear them everyday if I could.  Did I say that I love them!  I also own a blue jean jacket....but I wear it with skirts and dresses.4. Are you superstitious? If so, in what way?  Sort of....I don't walk under ladders, I don't sweep or wash on New Years, I don't like black cats crossing my path....but do I think something will happen....not really....but why tempt fate.5. If you had to come up with a costume using only things you have on hand right now, what could you come up with? A hobo, a fortune teller, or a hippie.
6. What scares you a little? What do you do when you feel scared?  Storms scare me a good bit.  I read the Bible, or something I am reviewing, when it is storming...unless we have lost power....then I pray...and watch the lightening.

7. Perhaps today will be the day I get the junk room straightened so that it is workable..
8.  This is Homecoming week at RCHS.  It has been crazy. We have been on pep rally schedule all week and there has been some activity each day at 2:15.  We have had a Womanless Beauty Padgent (with the football team), the Olympics, a Basketball Challenge between the classes...and we will have a huge pep rally on Friday.  On top of all this we have been decorating our doors for judging.  Mine is perfect for the local Spanish Teacher.  My niece, Ramona, did the crocheted swag at the top of my door and my door is all about Dia de los Muertos....y dice....Dia de los Muertos para Beulah.  I love it!  I have a picture but for some reason cannot get it to upload this morning.  *sigh*

Heartsong Cottage

About The Book:  Two weary strangers are about to rest their burdens in Eternity Springs, where there's hope for every broken heart.
Haunted by the loss of his wife and son, Daniel Garrett left the police force to devote his life to finding missing children. But he still hasn't found a way to mend the wounds of his past-until he attends a wedding in the small mountain town of Eternity Springs...and meets a beautiful, intriguing woman who offers a glimpse of something Daniel thought he'd never have again.
Sometimes life gives us
a second chance at love.
Shannon O'Toole isn't looking for romance. Ever since her fiancé's death, she created a quiet life for herself restoring Victorian cottages. Still, she can't deny her attraction to the handsome, broad-shouldered stranger. Daniel makes her feel things she's hasn't felt in years-including the desire to share her secrets. But can Shannon trust a detective when doing so could bring danger to her cottage door? In Eternity Springs, anything-and everything-is possible...
About The Author: Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.
My Thoughts On The Book:  This is  my first book in this series and I didn't find it a problem not having read the other books.  I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the series! This is not the kind of romance book I would normally read.  But, it was one that drew the reader right into the story line.  Emily Marsh is a word master and knows how to handle her plot and characters.  One minute I was a reader and the next minute I was a character.  I laughed, I cried, I worried, I fell in love with the stars of the book.  I am delighted to have had the opportunity to read and review this book.  AWESOME!   
 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from St.Martins Publishers and Net Galley Publicity Group as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Bartimaeus and His Persistence, Passion, and Pursuit

My scripture today comes from Mark 10:46-52

Do you ever feel like life is passing you by? That is how Bartimaeus felt. He had been sitting on the sidelines of life. He was begging because he was blind and had no way of making a living for himself. He could not go on a trip as the people with Jesus were doing. The whole crowd was passing him by. There was a lot of excitement as the people with Jesus anticipated getting to Jerusalem for the special religious feast of Passover. The city of Jerusalem would be decorated and full of the smells of this special occasion in the religious life of the people. It would be comparable to us coming home for Christmas. There was joy in the voices of the people as they passed by Bartimaeus. He was hearing it all, but he was not a part of it. He was not a part of much of anything, because of his blindness. People were laughing as they bustled by him. But there was an added excitement that Bartimaeus sensed. Someone told him that Jesus was in the crowd. He had heard about Jesus. People had told him about his teachings and the healing miracles that he had performed, and he began to cry out at the top of his voice: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” It was a moment that would change his life forever.  I want us to see the life of Bartimaeus as an example of what our response should be when Jesus is passing our way — which he is doing this very moment. The first thing that I believe Bartimaeus and his experience with Jesus teaches us is: Jesus Christ rewards those who are PERSISTENT with him. When Bartimaeus began calling out to Jesus there were those who tried to silence him, but he was not to be discouraged. Some of the people in the crowd did not want to be delayed by the request of some nondescript beggar. They did not want anything to interfere with their trip to the holy city. Others thought he would annoy Jesus and that he should not bother him with his request. But Bartimaeus did not pay any attention to them. In fact, he cried out to Jesus even louder. When it seemed as though Jesus did not hear him, and would pass him by, he kept crying out until Jesus did hear him. He was not going to let this blessing pass. What I want you to notice is that when Jesus caught the sound of this blind man’s voice, he stopped in his tracks. He heard the desperate cry of someone over all the other voices in that great crowd. Jesus not only heard with his ears, he heard with his heart. The cry of human need touched the heart of Christ and he stopped. He would go no further until he met the need of this man. Bartimaeus’ persistence paid off, because if he had allowed the people to silence him, he would never have received his healing. If he had been afraid that his request was not important enough to bother the Master, he would never have met the Master. If he had been afraid that he might annoy Jesus with his request, life would have passed him by and there would have been no change in his life. Jesus taught In Luke 18:1 that we “should always pray and not give up”. You can’t receive anything from God if you do not ask anything from God. And you cannot receive something from God if you are going to give up after the first time you ask. You have to keep coming, in spite of what people say or the discouragements you face. You have to keep calling out to God, even when it seems like he is passing you by. You have to call to Jesus Christ even when people tell you that your request is not valid or important enough. You have to be persistent. You have to ask, and when God does not seem to hear you, ask again. When you ask again and you do not receive an answer, then knock. When you knock and do not receive an answer, then seek.   In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus said, “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”. The kingdom of God belongs to those who are persistent and keep coming to God in faith, even when their first cry does not seem to be heard.   The second thing that Bartimaeus’ experience with Jesus teaches us is: Jesus Christ rewards those who are passionate about him. I have always been fascinated by Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:12 which say: “the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it”. The kingdom of God is not for the mild and mellow. It is for those who will passionately pursue God with all their hearts. God spoke to the people of Israel in Jeremiah 29:13 saying, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. What that means is that if you do not seek God with all your heart, you will not find him. You cannot be passive about God and at the same time be seeking God. How interested are you in knowing God and having him as a part of your life? Your answer to that question will determine how much God is a part of your life. You may come to church, but are you actively, passionately seeking God throughout the week? Does a little dose of God do it for you, or do you want everything God has for you and feel like you cannot get enough of him?  Often people think that the opposite of love is hatred. But, actually, the opposite of love is indifference. You may not hate God, but if your heart is indifferent to him, it is very far from him indeed.  If you have no hunger for God and his righteousness, then you will not be filled — you will remain empty. God blesses people with hunger and desire. He pays attention to those who are passionate.  Bartimaeus was passionate about seeking God that day. He kept calling out to God with all of his heart, in spite of all the obstacles and the people who were trying to discourage him. He kept calling out when it seemed like Jesus was not responding to him. When they tried to silence him, he only cried out louder. Bartimaeus called him the “Son of David.” It was a Messianic title. He was expressing his belief in Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one of God. Jesus responded to his passionate plea. He stopped in his tracks. He looked in the direction of the heartfelt cry he heard. Jesus then said to those around him to bring Bartimaeus to him. He was so excited that he threw down his outer garment. He had probably been holding the lap of his robe out like a pocket for people to place money in it. But he threw it down, even though someone might steal it, and ran toward Jesus’ voice — even though he could not see him. He didn’t even care if he ran into something. His heart was racing with desire. Then Jesus asked him an interesting question. He said, “What do you want me to do for you?” He had only asked for mercy from Jesus. He had not said whether he just wanted a gift of money, or whether he wanted something more. Think of how tragic it would have been if he had only wanted to hit the lottery that day. That is, after all, about all the higher people’s minds often go. They see money as the answer to their problems instead of Jesus. But Bartimaeus wanted a touch from Jesus. How much we miss by not seeking God with all of our heart’s passion.  Bruce Wilkinson tells this story in his little book, which is Amazon’s top selling volume, The Prayer of Jabez: “There’s a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. . . . Mr. Jones notices an odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse — it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. ‘You really don’t want to see what’s in there,’ he tells the new arrival. ‘Why would there be any secrets in heaven?’ Jones wonders. What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there? When the official tour is over he’s still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure. Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr. Jones almost knocks him over in his haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. ‘These boxes all have names on them,’ Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, ‘Do I have one?’ ‘Yes, you do.’ Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. ‘Frankly,’ Peter says, ‘if I were you. . . .’ But Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the ‘J’ aisle to find his box. Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition, and he lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so many times before. Because there in Mr. Jones’s white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth. . . but Mr. Jones had never asked.”  God has so much to give us, but we are too busy pursuing the things of this world to be passionate about the things of God, and so we never ask. We think that spiritual gifts from God could not possibly be as wonderful as the things we can buy, feel and touch. But God rewards and blesses those who passionately seek him and what he has to give.  The third thing that Bartimaeus’ experience with Jesus teaches us is: Jesus Christ rewards those who are in pursuit of him. The first thing that Bartimaeus did was to leave his former world and follow Jesus. When Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus said, “I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Then it says, “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road”. I can just see him jumping and dancing along the way. Once life had been passing him by, but now he was fully enjoying the blessings of God. He had entered into life in its fullness and followed Jesus. Lee Strobel, in his great book, The Case for Faith, tells an amazing story of the famous atheist Charles Templeton. Templeton had not always been an atheist. In fact, he had been an evangelist working side by side with his close friend Billy Graham. Before his conversion to Christ he had been on the sports staff of the Toronto Globe. But he became disgusted with his lifestyle and knelt by his bed one evening and gave his life to Christ. He wrote about the experience saying, “An ineffable warmth began to suffuse my body. It seemed that a light had turned on in my chest and that it had cleansed me.” But Templeton would later abandon his faith and write a book entitled: Farewell to God: My Reasons for Rejecting the Christian Faith. According to Templeton, the loss of his faith began when he saw a photograph in Life magazine. He said, “It was a picture of a black woman in Northern Africa. They were experiencing a devastating drought. And she was holding her dead baby in her arms and looking up to heaven with the most forlorn expression. I looked at it and I thought, ‘Is it possible to believe that there is a loving or caring Creator when all this woman needed was rain?’” Templeton was dying from an incurable disease as Strobel interviewed him. They talked of death and what was beyond. Eventually, they began to talk about the person of Jesus Christ. Templeton’s tone completely changed when Strobel asked him what he thought of Jesus. He looked at Strobel and said, “He was the greatest human being who has ever lived. He was a moral genius.” Strobel was surprised at his words and replied, “You sound like you really care about him.” “Well, yes,” he said. “He’s the most important thing in my life. I... I... I... I know it may sound strange, but I have to say... I adore him!” Strobel was a little shocked as he said, “You say that with some emotion.” “Well, yes. Everything good I know, everything decent I know, everything pure I know, I learned from Jesus.” “There was a brief pause, almost as if he was uncertain whether he should continue,” Strobel writes. Templeton went on as he spoke slowly and deliberately: “He’s the most.... In my view he is the most important human being who has ever existed.” Then it was that Templeton uttered the words that Strobel never thought he would hear: “And if I may put it this way,” he said as his voice began to crack, “ I... miss... him!” “With that, tears flooded his eyes. He turned his head and looked downward, raising his left hand to shield his face from me. His shoulders bobbed as he wept.”   Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46). Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price, and to lose him is to lose everything.

I Will Praise Him No Matter What For Children

Scripture: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." Mark 10:51 (NIV) 

 Isn't this a beautiful bouquet of flowers? Can you imagine what it must be like to be blind and never see the beauty of things such as these beautiful flowers? The gift of sight is one of the most precious of all of God's gifts.

There is a story in the Bible of a man named Bartimaeus. He had never seen the beauty of a bouquet of flowers, because Bartimaeus was blind. One day as he sat begging beside the road, he heard the sound of a large crowd of people coming his way. He asked someone what was happening and they told him that Jesus was passing by.  Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus and about how he had healed many who were blind. He began to call out to Jesus. Others in the crowd tried to get Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he would not be silent.

Jesus heard the voice of Bartimaeus calling out to him and he stopped and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"  "Teacher, I want to see!" said Bartimaeus.

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." The Bible tells us that immediately, Bartimaeus received his sight.  That is a wonderful story, isn't it? Unfortunately, stories about the blind don't always end that way. There are many blind people who want to see, and yet they are never healed. Fanny Crosby was one of those people.  When Fanny was only six weeks old, she was left blind by an illness. Even though she was blind for the rest of her life, Fanny was never bitter or complaining. Instead she made the most of her life by using the other gifts that God had given her. She had a wonderful gift for writing poetry and during her lifetime, she wrote over 8000 poems. Some of her poems were set to music and many of them are still in our hymnals today.  One day a well-meaning minister said to Fanny, "I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you."

 "Oh no!" Fanny replied. "If I could have only one request, it would be to be born blind."  "Why?" asked the surprised minister.  "Because," answered Fanny, "when I get to heaven, the first face that these blind eyes will ever see is the face of Jesus, my Savior."  Some, like Bartimaeus, receive the gift of sight. Some, like Fanny Crosby, are blind their entire life. One thing is certain, when we get to heaven, we will all see Jesus.

 

 

A Tale of Two Hannahs

Sixteen years ago today my world exploded.  Roulain, my DIL, went into pre-mature labor and was rushed to UAB Hospital in Birmingham.  The family rushed to get there....and prayers began going up.  Roulie knew it was going to be a little girl and teased me that her name would be Blaze Starr.  I was beside myself.  I did not want a granddaughter with a hooker name.  I begged and pleaded for her to change her mind....and then it happened.  At almost 24 weeks gestation my precious granddaughter came into the world.  Non of us knew if she were going to make it.  We just put her in God's hands and waited.  It was about that time that I found this verse:  I am a woman who is deeply troubled…I was pouring out my soul to the LORD  (1 Samuel 1:15, NIV).  Those days were a blurr.  I remember the day she had open heart surgery at a week old.  The physicians hands were huge...and she was no bigger than a Barbie doll....but she made it.  I knew then that she was a fighter and it made me smile.  I learned a lot in Samuel over the next few weeks.  I met Hannah of the Old Testament: a godly woman who had some serious problems.  Her problems weren’t brief and they weren’t simple.  They were year after year problems.  Challenges that made her feel empty and frustrated. Have you got a few of those in your life?  Sure you do.  We all do.  Each of us goes through trials and faces pain.  My family was living at UAB and never knowing day to day if Hannah would be there on the next visit.   The Hannah of the Bible experienced infertility and she also had a disturbing rival-wife problem that was miserably complicated. Yes, cringe with me, I said rival-wife.  She was one of two wives to her husband…a cultural norm at the time…but terribly difficult no matter how you slice it. (Read 1 Samuel 1-2 for the full story of Hannah.)  Refreshingly enough, in her pain Hannah didn’t pretend to be okay.  She openly admitted, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled” (1 Samuel 1:15).  There are many lessons we can learn from Hannah, but today I’d like us to look at her response to the problems that burdened her heart.  Hanna took her problems to God.  She cried out to the Lord.  “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:10).  She took her burdens directly to God.  On those fall days that turned to winter before our eyes I cannot tell you that I went to the throne....AFTER I went to the phone.  I poured out my heart to my friends....and ignored my heavenly father.  I wanted a chance to love Hannah Ruth.  Life consisted of teaching, praying,....and traveling to UAB. Hannah from the Bible didn’t just briefly bend a knee here, she poured out her soul!  She poured out her sorrow, her disappointments, her frustrations, her depression, her confusion, her anger, her embarrassments, her anguish and her grief. She poured out her emptiness! And guess what happened?  God filled her with the fullness of His peace!  Before she spent time with the Lord, Hannah had lost her appetite and was filled with despair. After she poured out her soul to God, the Bible shows us that her appetite returned and her countenance had changed.  “Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:18, emphasis mine). Hannah was “no longer downcast” because she experienced the One and Only life-changing God in the chamber of His presence.   I learned during the birth of my Hannah that God is faithful.  He longs to fill our souls with peace regardless of the circumstances we face.  I found such a peace on my drives back and forth to UAB. Hannah didn’t just do a “drive thru” prayer time with God and so did I.  I parked with him for a while and did some serious business with Him.   In March....the month Hannah was actually due to be born....she came home.   She is a normal sixteen year old beautiful girl.  When I look at her I can hardly remember those UAB days.  She is an amazing young woman.....I am one proud grandmother.....and MY God is AWESOME!  

Eating Crow Is Not Tasty

Sometimes my mouth overloads my brain, thus was the case last Friday.  Two of my classes were eating because it was the end of Hispanic Heritage Month and they were the last two classes to eat.  I separated 3rd period's food from 4th periods and told my 3rd period class what food they were to leave alone.  I thought they understood my directions.  After everyone had fixed their plates I noticed that the 4th period cheese dip lid was askew so I got up and went to put it back on........thinking that it had been bumped.  It had been bumped alright.  Over half of their dip was gone.  When 3rd period ran out of dip several of the students helped themselves to 4th periods dip.  I was livid.  I turned to the class and asked them who had done this....of course no one owned up to it.  It would have been easy to identify because the two dips were drastically different....instead I said, "whoever did this...I hope you choke on it."  Now...I was not speaking literally...I was speaking metaphorically.....BUT my comment came back to bite me in the rear end.  On Tuesday a fellow teacher showed me a FACEBOOK post a mother had posted about me...and all the comments it had received by people who had never even met me.  I came unglued.  I went to the Principal and Asst. Principal so they would not be blind-sided by this....and showed them the apology I was going to give to my 3rd block class.  They were very supportive.  I wanted them to send me home for the day....but they didn't.  I actually wanted to retire...right that minute.  But...that was not happening either.  So, when 3rd period came in I said to them, "

Dear Class,

Friday when some students did not follow directions….I said something that was not right.  Any of you who know me….know that I suffer from a streak of sarcasm.  I did not seriously want one of you to choke….For that one comment I want to apologize. I am ashamed I spoke without thinking.  Number 1 I am an adult and you are just children….number 2 I am a teacher and therefore in authority….and number 3 I am a pastor….and should know how to temper my comments.  But…above all that I am also human.  Humans make mistakes….teachers and preachers do too.  I blew it!  I did not mean to terrify some of you.  I would have died if one of you had actually choked.  I explained what food was available to you and still…some of you took something away from another class who was getting a special treat just like you.  I realize that YOUR cheese dip was gone….but that did not give you the right to take someone elses.  Did the ones of you who ate their cheese dip stay around and apologize to them?  No…only one student stayed behind and explained what happened.  I promise I will curb my tongue and publicly put this apology on facebook so the people who have responded so veamently will see my peace offering.  If your parents have anything more to say to or about me I ask that they address me….and not social media.
Drama is something teenage girls love.  I thought this was over....but yesterday during another teacher's class it was brought up again....and three girls who had been on a field trip the day I read my statement felt I should apologize again....one of them was the daughter of the woman who blasted me on facebook.  I again sought out my bosses, told them the situation, and asked them to send me home.  They wouldn't and told me to carry on with class as normal.....and under no circumstances NOT to give another apology.  Class came in, I carried on, nothing else was said.  What bothers me so much is the fact that this person did not give me the courtesy of a phone call so I could explain the circumstance and then that same someone, who does not even know me, lambasted me on social media and that will never go away.  Yes, I spoke out of term to high school children who can not distinguish between literal and metaphorical.  I have students in that class who have parents who teach with me and when I spoke with them they knew nothing about the comment.  People should be cautious about what they post on social media.  What say ye?

Wacky Week Hodge Podge

Hello Hodgepodgers!  What can I say....it has been a week....and you wouldn't believe me if I told you.  Add your link at the end of Joyce's post and  visit a few while you are there. 

1.  October 21, 2015 is Back to the Future Day. Did you see the movie? The sequels? In the second film, Doc takes Marty into the future to prevent Marty's future son from making a mistake. They leave 1985 and land on a 'skyway' on October 21st, 2015. So tell us, what were you doing in the fall of 1985?  I am not a big fan of sequels.  I did see the movies, and loved the first, thought the second and third were okay.  In the fall of 1985 I was the mother of a five year old, a fourteen year old, and one who had just gotten his learner's permit.  I was teaching in a small rural school, and just starting to attend Alabama's Rural Pacer's Program.2. If time travel were possible, would you want to go to the future? The past?
I don't want to know about the future.  I do agree with Joyce in saying  I'd love to go back in time if I could skip any sadness, and just relive the good stuff.   I'd think twice about traveling either direction. The future and the past are both filled with highs and lows, love and loss, joy and sorrow. I feel a huge sense of relief knowing I'm not in charge of time.  
3.  We're not flying cars, but some of the technology imagined in the 80's film has indeed come to pass in real life 2015-flat screen TVs on the wall, tablets, fingerprint recognition, video conferencing, online banking, 3-D movies, motion controlled video games, drone cameras, and smart glasses (Google glass). Do you worry technology is growing at a rate so fast we'll soon be unable to keep up with it's demands? Do you think the Internet does more harm than good?  I think it's safe to say there is no un-doing the Internet. In general I think it's done more good than harm, but of course there is always that one bad apple (or ten) who like to spoil things.  Social media is sometimes a nightmare.  Hover boards are in existence....but I think flying cars....are on the drawing board somewhere, don't you think?
4. Your favorite dish prepared in a slow-cooker? Your favorite fast food?  A pot roast with vegetables and/or chili/potato soup.  Fast Food favorite is Chic Fil A.  I love the original and we don't eat there often....near us is one of the Dwarf Houses.  It is so cute.
5. No time like the present, down time, face time, pressed for time, in the nick of time, make time, mark time or just in time...which timely saying most relates to your life right now?
Mine would have to be a toss up between No time like the present and pressed for time.  During school we have so many deadlines that have to be met in a timely manner.  Sometimes I wait til the last minute to fill out forms.
6.  Tell us about a place you went as a child or younger person that's no longer there or is now something else. How does that make you feel?  Mine would be my childhood church.  The building itself is still there...but instead of First United Methodist church with it's beautiful stained glass windows....the windows are gone...my favorite one of Jesus as the Shepherd has been replaced with a garish piece of metal art that is a zodiac on a museum called the Harriet.  While we are on this subject....the house I lived in til I was 5 is gone...it is part of City Place in West Palm Beach....where The Harriet is located.  The house I lived in until I went away to college and got married is also gone.  My neighborhood was made into a sports practice field....for FAU.  It is so sad.7.  Describe your comfort zone.  My answer is simple....and three fold.  On the beach, in the Smokies, or home.8. Insert your own random thought here.  What is your take on social media and airing your laundry there?  For the first time in my life....I was the recipient of a social media rampage....and it hurt.  I cried all day yesterday and even asked my boss to send me home.  He hugged me and told me to get in there and fight like a champ.  When I went back into my room the Rachel Platten song, This is My Fight Song was playing....God works in funny ways sometimes.

Woman On A Mission

It is getting close to Christmas time and I always seem to feel the need to give during these final few weeks of the year.  I was reading Luke 6 and working on a sermon when verse 38 jumped up and slapped me.  "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:38, NIV).
I am a woman on a mission.  It is time for me to purge all the "stuff" that is clogging me, my life, and my relationship with God.  When did this "stuff" become so important.  My game plan is to purge our home of every unnecessary, unused, or no longer wanted item. I am not sure if Frank  is on board...I may have to get started and light a fire under him.  He has a lot of "stuff" too.  I am planning to be brutal because I don't want my children arguing about, or having to deal with all this “stuff.” Frank and I have moved many times in our marriage and each time we have a yard sale, give away, donate to a charity "stuff"....and we leave one home and move to the next with a lot lighter load....and then the "stuff" seems to find us.  Oh, it is not the same "stuff"....but it is "stuff" just the same.  Last weekend while Frank was at a conference at Camp Sumatonga God and I wrestled over this and he called me on the carpet and convicted me of the truth that if something is no longer serving a purpose in our lives, it could very well be meeting a need in the life of someone else.  I laughed out loud....I remembered what my mom used to say...."One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure." So I made a list of my most prized possessions and thought about how I would feel if I love them....would it change my life in anyway?   so I prayed to have an eternal perspective of my "stuff".  In my case....I thought....most of the "stuff" I have could be another person's necessity.  I have china(I bought for myself....service for 12.....from Publix with stamps....I do use it....a few times a year.....and LOVE IT, Forest Green glasses, every day dishes, fall tablescapes and dishes, enough cups for 40 people to drink coffee, Christmas dishes....three Christmas trees of varying sizes and enough ornaments to decorate them all....three times over.  My first stop in purging....would be boxes that have never been opened since the last move.   Obviously I do not need them.  I want someone to get these....who needs them.....a lot!  I loved them first...now they can love them again.  At a Women of Faith conference....one of the speakers gave me a bumblebee pin after I commented on how beautiful it was.  She stood right there...and gave it to me.  I was stunned.  She told me that she always did that if someone "loved" something like that.  It was just a possession.  I wore that pin nearly every day for a year...and one Sunday at church one of Frank's congregation members made the comment that they loved my bee pin.  Right then and there....I took it off and pinned it on her.  She was shocked and tried to give it back....and I explained my reasoning behind giving it.  My possessions are nothing more than resources loaned to me by God for me to disperse. They are not earned rewards or deserved pleasures. Every spiritual gift, every financial resource and each possession has been given to me by God as a way to serve others.  "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others" (I Peter 4:10, NIV).  After spending time with Kat and Brian (missionaries in Moldova) and hearing their stories of what they do....and seeing that they do not regret the "stuff" they got rid of to do this....I decided (with God's nudging, of course) that I want to live my life with open hands, dusty feet, calloused knees, and rolled-up sleeves. I want to be a generous giver. I may not have much money...but I do have "stuff", and I can give what I have.  Let the culling  begin!

You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up....

Friday night I attended a viewing for someone I adored.  Many people where there....this was especially true since there were three viewings that night.  The funeral would be on Saturday.  I was singing and Frank was preaching.  It was to be a military funeral and those always make me especially sad....especially when Taps is played.  The day of the funeral the casket was wheeled in....and there was an extremely long pause.....the family did not follow.  Ten minutes later the family and friends came in....and I knew something was not right.  The funeral was a sweet one.  The man who had died was loved by many and a really neat guy.  As the funeral ended and the family filed out one of the sons began to speak louder than normal....I could not see what was going on because I was hidden behind flowers.  By the time the pianist and I filed out everyone was in their car.  There in lies yet another gripe.  The city police led the procession to the city limits and left us.  There was no sheriff escort....and we were only going about a mile so we went on.....it amazed and angered me at the number of people going west on the highway we were traveling who did not pull over....this is a sign of respect.  This was NOT an interstate...or even a four lane.  It was a small two lane road and this is the SOUTH!  There is not law saying you HAVE to do it.... it is an "unspoken rule" in Alabama to stop for funeral processions.  "Here in the South, most people do it out of courtesy and respect for the family," he said. "It's been done here so long that some think it's the law."We are known for our signs of respect!  Obviously I was mistaken.  I was surprised by who did not stop....or even slow down.  It was not just young people...it was old, young, men, women, white and black.  It was SHOCKING!  We arrived at the cemetery....filed in and waited for them to place the casket.  I had opened my door and was waiting to leave my car when I heard a POP!  I looked toward the hearse and saw one of the sons firing a gun into the cemetery.  All of sudden....life moved in slow motion.  It was like watching a movie play out before my eyes.  The son emptied the barrel of the gun he held....and reached into his pocket to reload.  It was at that moment that my husband shouted and grown men scattered to attempt to subdue the man.  A chase ensued and it took three men to wrestle him to the ground before he could reload....and it took two of them to get the gun away from him.  911 was called and in a matter of a few minutes there were five officers present.  The son was placed in their custody and once everyone settled down....my dear friend's graveside was conducted.  A lot of things had happened....and the son was just beyond himself in grief.  He wanted a 21 gun salute for his father...and the military here does not do them anymore because of all the Vets who suffer from PTSD.  He meant his dad would have one....It was heartbreaking for all of the family involved and terrifying for the family and friends present.  Did he have a permit to carry?  No....where did he get the gun....who knows.  Both Frank and I are licensed to carry a weapon.  We love to target shoot.  Neither of us had one on that day.  I sure am glad.  God was definitely with us....with all that happened....no one was physically hurt...we live in a small town so it did not make the 6:00 news....it is one of those things....that you just cannot make up.  I ran on pure adrenaline for a little over two hours....and when I got home and crashed....I did just that....crashed.  Frank said I was talking ninety to nothing.....and then there was quiet.  When he looked over at me I was out like a light.  I promise you that is the closest I want to be to a gun being fired in a crowd...not at a target....EVER!

It Is Not About Moving On Up

My Scripture today would have come from Mark 10:35-45;  This was Gideon Sunday.  I was prepared and told him to take all the time he needed.  I love listening to the Gideon's and his story was very touching.  Needless to say....I did not deliver this sermon....but it was too good to let it just be tossed.  IF I had preached today this is what I would have said.  I was talking with a friend of mine this past week about the United Methodist appointive system.  We both agreed that, in our opinions, The United Methodist Church has the best system for deciding what pastor goes to what church and so on……but even within the best of systems…there are flaws.  My friend spoke about pastors he has known who have spent their entire careers calculating their next big move……how they will get moved up to a bigger church, which of course, means a bigger salary and I suppose more prestige.  Ministers are human creatures just like everyone else, and can easily fall prey to thinking about Christian ministry in worldly ways.  And the first disciples of Jesus were no exception to this flaw in thinking.  Here in our Gospel Lesson for this morning we find James and John asking Jesus to give them positions of prestige and power…“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  In Mark chapter 9:33-35.  Jesus has just gone through this same discussion with the twelve……and a chapter later He must deal with it again.  The disciples missed the point in chapter 9 and they miss it again in chapter 10……and some 2,000 years later, we often miss it as well!  So let me ask you this morning….What is greatness?  In the kingdom of God greatness is not about moving on up……it’s about transformation!!!  The violent reversal of the world’s way of measuring greatness…can go no further than Jesus explains it, embodies it, models it, and makes it possible!!!  In Jesus’ world…which is the world of reality……the greatest at the banquet is the slave who does the serving……not the one sitting at the head of the table making the toasts, getting all the attention, and telling others what to do. Well, let’s think about it……let’s really think about it…  Within our families, our social circles, our church……who is it that we love and respect the most?  Who do we prize the most?  Who do we trust the most?  Is it the person who drives the most expensive car?  Is it the person who wears the most flashy and expensive clothing?  Is it the person who is best looking?  Is it the person who holds high positions and tells others what to do?  Is it the one who ‘lords it over us’…who exercises their authority over us…who causes us to quake in our boots? Or is it the person, rich or poor, who is not a show off…if they do happen to have anything to show off?  The person who is the first to visit us when we are sick…maybe bringing us a pot of homemade chicken soup?  The person who is more than willing to sit and listen to our problems…without complaining…without judging?  The person who holds our hands and prays for and with us when we are facing trials and tribulations?  The person who rejoices with us when good things happen in our lives, and grieves with us when bad things happen?  The person that we know we can count on to help us in our time of need no matter what?  Let’s look at verses 42-45 in our Gospel Lesson.  “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.” Again we find Jesus turning the world upside down!  Notice the irony and scorn in the phrase: “those who are regarded as rulers…”.Talk about popping the balloon of human pomp and circumstance!  Here, Jesus punctures the pretensions of all ruling classes, all ‘so-called superior races’, all self-designated caste systems……greatness is found in humility, honesty and repentance.  There is a little boy on the sidewalk in the fairy tale called “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”  While the rest of the crowd, are enraptured and full of flatter over the supposed gossamer-thin clothing of the emperor, the realistic little boy blurts out the truth, “Why, he hasn’t anything on at all. He’s naked!”  And isn’t this what Christ is saying to us?  There is no real leadership in the tyranny of power; the only real greatness lies in service.  This reversal of the world’s measurements may be hard for us to accept; but until we do accept it we are far from the kingdom of God!  Suppose our lives were measured only by the amount of real service we have offered to other people?  How great would our lives really be?  Well, here Jesus is telling us that this is precisely how they are measured!  After James and John ask Jesus to let one of them sit at His right and the other at His left…Jesus replies: “You don’t know what you are asking…Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”  Jesus uses here two symbolic words, familiar in the Old Testament, cup and baptism.  They are clear words and they are huge in their implications.  They are much more than mere figures of speech!  Jesus had just finished telling His disciples what was going to go on when He goes up to Jerusalem: they will mock Him and spit on Him, and torture Him, and kill Him.  The cup that Jesus drank and the baptism that Jesus was baptized with was His actual offering of His life!!!  So, His question to James and John was literally this: “Can you, too, offer your lives?”  In order for any of us to even come close to ‘greatness’ we must be transformed!  We must allow the Holy Sprit of God take complete control of our lives and of our appetites.  We must daily take up the Cross, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus.  We must not look at life through the eyes of the world…we must not measure greatness by the measuring stick of the world.  We must ask God to peal off the layers and layers of selfishness and selfish ambitions we hav…we must honestly ask to be humbled to the dust…which can be a very painful process.We must rely only on the love of Jesus Christ, we must live on His Word alone, and we must continually pray, “Not our will, but Your will be done.”  We must not lay up for ourselves treasures on this earth—this earth which is coming to nothing—but instead we must store up for ourselves treasures in heaven…treasures of selfless service, of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, of concern for the spiritual and physical welfare of the unsaved.art of what will happen to us if and as we are molded more and more into the image of our Savior is that we will develop a Christlike sensitiveness toward human need that brings real pain into our lives.  We will expose our nerves to the hurts of others, we will load their burdens onto our shoulders, and we will allow our hearts to be torn with anguish over the sufferings of others.  This is not easy.  But it is the cup from which Jesus drank.  If we are to drink from this cup, we will be shutting out all possibilities that we will live lives of easy comfort and clam-like indifference.  Can we drink of this cup?  The baptism that Jesus was baptized with means putting ourselves into conflict with evil and dangerous powers. It means being willing to go all the way for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It’s like jumping in front of a moving train in order to save a blind person who is wandering on the tracks.  Jesus probably could have avoided crucifixion by staying in Galilee.  He wasn’t brought to trial for saying, “Consider the lilies…, how they grow.  It was for saying, “Consider the thieves in the temple, how they steal!”  That is one of the things that brought on the crisis.  It was when He drove out demons, when He raised the dead, when He faced the evil forces that Jesus was baptized with conflict!  Can we be baptized with the baptism Christ is baptized with?  Obviously not until we are transformed!  Look at Romans 12:2.  And this transformation is a process.  It’s a process that begins when we finally yield to Christ’s call on our lives to repent and be born again…it’s a process that continues as we put our faith into action through service, fellowship, worship, Bible Study and witnessing……it is a process of being able to more and more have the ability “to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?  ‘We can,’ they answered.  Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with…”  But then He says, in a sense, “it’s not about moving on up…You have to let me change your thinking, change your priorities, change your perspective……it’s not about moving on up, it’s the exact opposite, actually.  It’s about allowing yourselves to become the least for the sake of others……it’s about radical transformation!”

Greatness In The Eyes Of A Child

Our lesson in the sermon today is that there is no real leadership in the tyranny of power….but real greatness lies in service.  I want to tell you a story….It is about an emperor who thought he was a great man…but was he really?   Once upon a time there was an emperor whose only interest in life was to dress up in fashionable clothes. He kept changing his clothes so that people could admire him.  Once, two thieves decided to teach him a lesson. They told the emperor that they were very fine tailors and could sew a lovely new suit for him. It would be so light and fine that it would seem invisible. Only those who were stupid could not see it. The emperor was very excited and ordered the new tailors to begin their work.  One day, the king asked the prime minister to go and see how much work the two tailors had done. He saw the two men moving scissors in the air but he could see no cloth! He kept quiet for fear of being called stupid and ignorant. Instead, he praised the fabric and said it was marvelous.  Finally, the emperor’s new dress was ready. He could see nothing but he too did not want to appear stupid. He admired the dress and thanked the tailors. He was asked to parade down the street for all to see the new clothes. The emperor paraded down the main street. The people could only see a naked emperor but no one admitted it for fear of being thought stupid.  They foolishly praised the invisible fabric and the colors. The emperor was very happy.  At last, a child cried out, “The emperor is not wearing anything at all!”  Soon everyone began to murmur the same thing and very soon all shouted, “The emperor is not wearing anything!”  The emperor realized the truth but preferred to believe that his people were ignorant.  So guys.....serving others....and not climbing over others to be great...is what Jesus wants from us.

The Sermon That Wasn't

Today was Gideon Sunday.  Gideon's go into the churches, talk about their Bible placement programs, tell some stories all in the space of 10-15 minutes.  I told my Gideon, Mr. House, that I was prepared to speak....or not to speak....and told him to let the Lord lead his talk.  He was awesome...and when I looked at my watch it was almost 12.  I did not want him to stop.  So, here is what would have been my sermon for October 18th.

My Scripture today was  from Mark 10:35-45

I was talking with a friend of mine this past week about the United Methodist appointive system.  We both agreed that, in our opinions, The United Methodist Church has the best system for deciding what pastor goes to what church and so on……but even within the best of systems…there are flaws.  My friend spoke about pastors he has known who have spent their entire careers calculating their next big move……how they will get moved up to a bigger church, which of course, means a bigger salary and I suppose more prestige.  Ministers are human creatures just like everyone else, and can easily fall prey to thinking about Christian ministry in worldly ways.  And the first disciples of Jesus were no exception to this flaw in thinking.  Here in our Gospel Lesson for this morning we find James and John asking Jesus to give them positions of prestige and power…“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  In Mark chapter 9:33-35.  Jesus has just gone through this same discussion with the twelve……and a chapter later He must deal with it again.  The disciples missed the point in chapter 9 and they miss it again in chapter 10……and some 2,000 years later, we often miss it as well!  So let me ask you this morning….What is greatness?  In the kingdom of God greatness is not about moving on up……it’s about transformation!!!  The violent reversal of the world’s way of measuring greatness…can go no further than Jesus explains it, embodies it, models it, and makes it possible!!!  In Jesus’ world…which is the world of reality……the greatest at the banquet is the slave who does the serving……not the one sitting at the head of the table making the toasts, getting all the attention, and telling others what to do.  Well, let’s think about it……let’s really think about it…  Within our families, our social circles, our church……who is it that we love and respect the most?  Who do we prize the most?  Who do we trust the most?  Is it the person who drives the most expensive car?  Is it the person who wears the most flashy and expensive clothing?  Is it the person who is best looking?  Is it the person who holds high positions and tells others what to do?  Is it the one who ‘lords it over us’…who exercises their authority over us…who causes us to quake in our boots? Or is it the person, rich or poor, who is not a show off…if they do happen to have anything to show off?  The person who is the first to visit us when we are sick…maybe bringing us a pot of homemade chicken soup?  The person who is more than willing to sit and listen to our problems…without complaining…without judging?  The person who holds our hands and prays for and with us when we are facing trials and tribulations?  The person who rejoices with us when good things happen in our lives, and grieves with us when bad things happen?  The person that we know we can count on to help us in our time of need no matter what?  Let’s look at verses 42-45 in our Gospel Lesson.  “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.”  Again we find Jesus turning the world upside down!  Notice the irony and scorn in the phrase: “those who are regarded as rulers…”.Talk about popping the balloon of human pomp and circumstance!  Here, Jesus punctures the pretensions of all ruling classes, all ‘so-called superior races’, all self-designated caste systems……greatness is found in humility, honesty and repentance.  There is a little boy on the sidewalk in the fairy tale called “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”  While the rest of the crowd, are enraptured and full of flatter over the supposed gossamer-thin clothing of the emperor, the realistic little boy blurts out the truth, “Why, he hasn’t anything on at all. He’s naked!  And isn’t this what Christ is saying to us?  There is no real leadership in the tyranny of power; the only real greatness lies in service.  This reversal of the world’s measurements may be hard for us to accept; but until we do accept it we are far from the kingdom of God!  Suppose our lives were measured only by the amount of real service we have offered to other people?  How great would our lives really be?  Well, here Jesus is telling us that this is precisely how they are measured!  After James and John ask Jesus to let one of them sit at His right and the other at His left…Jesus replies: “You don’t know what you are asking…Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”  Jesus uses here two symbolic words, familiar in the Old Testament, cup and baptism.  They are clear words and they are huge in their implications.  They are much more than mere figures of speech!  Jesus had just finished telling His disciples what was going to go on when He goes up to Jerusalem: they will mock Him and spit on Him, and torture Him, and kill Him.  The cup that Jesus drank and the baptism that Jesus was baptized with was His actual offering of His life!!!  So, His question to James and John was literally this: “Can you, too, offer your lives?”  In order for any of us to even come close to ‘greatness’ we must be transformed!  We must allow the Holy Sprit of God take complete control of our lives and of our appetites.  We must daily take up the Cross, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus.  We must not look at life through the eyes of the world…we must not measure greatness by the measuring stick of the world.  We must ask God to peal off the layers and layers of selfishness and selfish ambitions we hav…we must honestly ask to be humbled to the dust…which can be a very painful process.  We must rely only on the love of Jesus Christ, we must live on His Word alone, and we must continually pray, “Not our will, but Your will be done.”  We must not lay up for ourselves treasures on this earth—this earth which is coming to nothing—but instead we must store up for ourselves treasures in heaven…treasures of selfless service, of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, of concern for the spiritual and physical welfare of the unsaved.  Part of what will happen to us if and as we are molded more and more into the image of our Savior is that we will develop a Christlike sensitiveness toward human need that brings real pain into our lives.  We will expose our nerves to the hurts of others, we will load their burdens onto our shoulders, and we will allow our hearts to be torn with anguish over the sufferings of others.  This is not easy.  But it is the cup from which Jesus drank.  If we are to drink from this cup, we will be shutting out all possibilities that we will live lives of easy comfort and clam-like indifference.  Can we drink of this cup?  The baptism that Jesus was baptized with means putting ourselves into conflict with evil and dangerous powers. It means being willing to go all the way for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It’s like jumping in front of a moving train in order to save a blind person who is wandering on the tracks.  Jesus probably could have avoided crucifixion by staying in Galilee.  He wasn’t brought to trial for saying, “Consider the lilies…, how they grow.  It was for saying, “Consider the thieves in the temple, how they steal!”  That is one of the things that brought on the crisis.  It was when He drove out demons, when He raised the dead, when He faced the evil forces that Jesus was baptized with conflict!  Can we be baptized with the baptism Christ is baptized with?  Obviously not until we are transformed!  Look at Romans 12:2.  And this transformation is a process.  It’s a process that begins when we finally yield to Christ’s call on our lives to repent and be born again…it’s a process that continues as we put our faith into action through service, fellowship, worship, Bible Study and witnessing……it is a process of being able to more and more have the ability “to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?  ‘We can,’ they answered.  Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with…”  But then He says, in a sense, “it’s not about moving on up…You have to let me change your thinking, change your priorities, change your perspective……it’s not about moving on up, it’s the exact opposite, actually.  It’s about allowing yourselves to become the least for the sake of others……it’s about radical transformation!”

A Miracle At Macy's

About The Book:  One lost dog. Two lonely hearts. A Manhattan Christmas full of magic.'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' meets 'Marley & Me' with the romance of 'When Harry Met Sally'! This is the story of shy homebody Charlotte who loses her beloved pet dog Hudson the week before Christmas. With the help of uptight Englishman Henry, Charlotte goes on a magical treasure hunt around Manhattan to find her furry, four-legged bestie, who she rescued from the trash years before and gave him a place in her home – and her heart.  Spotted in Central Park as one of Santa's Little Helpers, or last seen in the arms of a supermodel in Times Square, Hudson leads Charlotte and Henry on a very merry dance around the Big Apple, where love, (or should that be Christmas?!) actually is all around.

This is a brand new romantic comedy from Lynn Marie Hulsman, author of the bestselling 'Christmas at Thornton Hall' and 'Summer at Castle Stone'.

About The Author:  Lynn Marie Hulsman is the bestselling author of three romantic comedies, who also writes cookbooks. She enjoys Nora Ephron movies, pop psychology, terriers, and napping. She is not a fan of people walking three abreast on New York City sidewalks or spiders of any ilk. She does not believe in white chocolate. Once a stand-up comic, and now a PTA mom and corporate ideation agent, she spends a lot of energy keeping her wise-cracks to herself. Find out more about Lynn Marie by following her on Twitter and Facebook, and by visiting her website. She's on Pinterest, but accepts defeat in the face of true crafty types. Don't be shy about reaching out to say hi - as a Black Belt Procrastinator, she welcomes the distraction. Twitter: @LynnMarieSays FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Lynn-Marie-Hulsman-Author-591579824213840/ Website: www.lynnmariehulsman.com

My Thoughts On The Book:  Loved it!  I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I enjoyed.  I could not put it down from the moment I picked it up.  It was wonderful.  Every minute of reading the book I felt as if I was in New York on the Great American Dog Hunt.  The book if rich with two love stories and written by someone who obviously is a dog lover.  New York comes to life with each word printed on the page and Hulsman's characters are vivid and life-like.  This is the feel good book of the year!  This was my first book by Lynn Marie Hulsman and I have to say I cannot wait to read more.  If you are a dog lover this is the book for you. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from Harper Collins UK and Net Galley Publicity Group as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Unlikely Rebel: A Church Girl's Journey Out Of Shoulds And Shame

About The Book:  No formulas, no pat answers. Just real life. Real questions. Real transformation.Approach many women in the church and if they re being honest, they'll tell you they
try hard to keep it all together; are frustrated that being good doesn't deliver the perfect life;
feel trapped in expectations; make decisions based on shoulds ; feel selfish when they say no; and are uncertain of their place in God s kingdom. Between the desire to please God, the need to feel valued, and the compulsion to make everyone around them happy, women often find themselves denying their desires. It s safer to stay in the life of shoulds even if it means being spiritually and emotionally disconnected.  Kelli Gotthardt knows their pain. Always considered a good girl, she threw herself into every ministry, saying yes to every request her church family made. On the outside, her life looked completely together but she was drowning in self-doubt and shame. Unlikely Rebel is the story of how Kelly slowly shed shoulds and shame, learning to love God and love who He created her to be. The journey from the comfort of doing everything expected of a perfect pastor s wife to the uncertainty of living authentically and true to her unique calling is equal parts exhausting and exhilarating. Many Christians condemned her, responding with fear or anger to her greater intimacy with God s calling when it didn t match their own vision. For others, though, her journey inspired courage to embrace God s path for their own lives.  Now Kelli invites other women to discover God s leading in their lives, learning that if they throw off the despondency of underserved shame, abundant life awaits.
About The Author:  Kelli Gotthardt - is a pastor's wife, international speaker, and leadership consultant.  She holds a Master's degree in spiritual formation, and helps Christian leaders develop life rhythms for sustainable ministry. 
My Thoughts On The Book:  As a pastor's wife and pastor myself I have to admit I was drawn to the book from the moment I saw the title. This book could easily have been my own story. I grew up in a household with parents who believed you went to church every Wednesday night, Sunday am and Sunday pm. I was more active in church than I was at school.  Church was my life. I was always in the lime light because my parents were leaders in the church we attended so I always had to be good.   I had a low self-esteem as a child and so the need to be in every activity, choir, and group was my main goal.  I wanted to be validated and church was where I got that.  I believed you could never say no...because if you did....you would lose your talent.  So I sang in all three choirs and New Dawn.  I was terrified that if I ever turned down something I would lose my voice.  I didn't marry a pastor.  I married Frank....and after a dream about being poor at seminary he told me that God had been calling him for years.....so I became a pastors wife.  Believe me...being a pastor's wife is not easy. I did not want to let God down so I never said no to anything.  The book deals with a number of topics that are not usually discussed and she offers insight into the way to come to the light out of the darkness.  I would recommend this book to any woman's book study group because it deals with topics that most of the time get pushed under the rug.  Loved it!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from Kregel Publications  as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!