The fruits of my life

John 15:11-17 (The Message) I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. But remember the root command: Love one another. So, in my job as a realtor I get really excited when my friends call on me to help them buy or sell a property. It gives me great joy to share what I know with them, but what I really love is that moment

Cold? Did I ask for cold? Just a week ago, when it was close to 90, I was wishing for fall weather, so I could put on some jeans and a sweater. And now, well it's really chilly. And because it's only September, I cannot turn on the furnace. It's a silly rule really, just like I won't turn on the air in May. Those two months, I think should be windows open months. However, the other night I left all the windows open on the first floor.......it was 55 degrees when we woke up. I had to put on socks; I am so not a sock person. But the last few mornings, I have socked up so that my toes don't fall off. I am loving the BSF study group I joined, we are studying the book of Isaiah. It is sooooo not my learning style as it's a very academic approach. But, here's the thing, I want a better understanding of God's promises for those who seek Him. This book is also a source of comfort and learning for my oldest daughter, and as with all teenagers it's a challenge

This past weekend has been a little scary and exciting at the same time and almost the same reason. On Friday morning my mother in law (Darris) called and said that she had taken my father in law (Fred) to the hospital with sever abdominal pain. After several hours of not finding answers, they finally got someone to read the CT scan they did and determined that he had a blockage in his lower bowl and needed surgery. They decided that they wanted to be transported to a larger hospital with a surgeon he had been operated on by before. After several more hours they finally had the transfer paperwork done and they were on the way. At Riverside, we had to wait for the ER staff to get up to speed and for the surgeon to see him. Then.....finally.......they took Fred up to prep him for surgery. The surgery was a success and Darris said that right after recovery, Fred said he felt better than he has in over a month. I can't imagine how poorly he must have felt before. But I am thankful that

NEW COMPUTER HEAVEN!!!! I am so excited that we finally picked up a new laptop for me today. My Dell died a sad death last week! While I was super sad, I love being able to know that this one will be working next time I turn it on:) I will be posting pictures later of my journey...... This is a picture of my old, scratch that, VERY OLD, Dell computer. While in the middle of listing a Princess TV and DVD player for sale on E-bay, it decided it was done. Just like that, silent, black screen.....gone! And no I am not one of those responsible people who backs up her work, I am hoping that my brother Curt can pull the hard drive and get the info and pictures for me so that I can put them on my new shiny Sony Vaio laptop. Everything so far is wonderful, but (of course there is a but, it's a computer) I cannot figure out how to configure my outlook to my works exchange server. That could be because I am a computer non-genius, or that my office is running Office 2003 and I am on Office 2

I was talking with a good friend of mine yesterday on the phone and we started talking about contentment, and I got up on my sassy horse and went on a rant about how she needed to find it. Feeling like I had given her sound advice based on my past experiences, I went about my afternoon. Later that night when I went to bed, I said to Casey, I think I'm going to get my next tattoo down the side of my body. Seriously? It hasn't even been a week since my last one. It's on my foot. It was 3 hours of terrible pain, but totally worth it. I love it!!! The idea came to me during a bible study I started in January. The study is called Transformed Inside Out, it's about finding contentment and balance in your life based on scripture. It was a fantastic study for me and put lots of things in perspective. I am actually going to lead the 12 week study this fall. I am sending up lots of prayers, as I have never lead a study before and I'm slightly nervous, but since God put the id

I went to high school in the early 90's and while fashion was loud and hair was big, girls were the same. In every group of girl friends, each girl at one time or another who took a turn being the victim of ridicule. But today, girls have many ways to reach their intended targets. From facebook , to txt messages, to email. No longer can you go home from school and be safe, because the insults, threats, and general meanness is waiting for you there on your profile page and blinking on your cell phone. I certainly took my turn being laughed at and being called mean names, and at times it was devastating . But none of that prepared me for having to deal with those same things happening to my teenage daughter. It is so heartbreaking. What absolutely kills me is that the reason she is under attack is because her "friends" don't like her boyfriend. One of the girls is even from her church small group. This was supposed to be a safe place for her. I am so sad, especially

The scale needs to be hidden. I am addicted to standing on it. Seriously! Do I think it's going to miraculously say 150 just because I want it to. And when (yes when) it does say 150 will everything just be better? I ask myself this question often. The answer is always no, still I haven't given up hopping on the darn thing every time I go upstairs. So what makes things better? Tomorrow is the last day of the bible study I have been doing. It's called Transformed Inside Out. It has been a journey about developing a balanced healthy lifestyle that honors God in every area of our lives. Every week has taken me a step closer to God in areas that I have fallen away. As always some of the study was easy and a lot of it was rocky, scary, frustrating, and enlightening. I have learned that I have a choice. And most importantly I need to CHOOSE to change. As I look back through my study pages and read my thoughts and answers I am surprised how far I have come. Do you ever have that f

About 10 weeks ago I began a journey to take better care of my body, AKA the temple of God's Holy Spirit in me. 1 Corinthinans 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? It has been a wonderful but difficult journey. But the bible study has come to it's last week. I will weigh in this Thursday and then my weekly weigh-ins are on my own. I know that the only way I can get a healthy weight is with God's help. So, here I go! I decided that since I won't be able to meet weekly with my journey partners, I would keep track of my progress here. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2