Don't Waste Your Life!

My Dear Husband and I visited in The Dalles for Thanksgiving.

That may seem like old news to some, but Jay had never done that, and I love him for stepping out of his comfort zone to travel. He is a 'stay-at-home' kind of guy.

We've since celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve, and I confess to y'all that I've been in a struggle all this time. Remember when Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32? Well I didn't want my hip to be injured like Jacob's, so today I relented. Every time I questioned God about this He deflected my reasoning. So...

I'm going to the Philippines on a mission trip to an orphanage called Nehemiah House.

I've wanted to make a difference, which I DO!...already, but the Lord has something more for me. I'm reading a book by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life, and it backs up the call for me to go. I teach and present workshops on Living Like You Mean It, so why I've been so reluctant is curious.

My excuses this morning:

*this morning at the crack of dawn after my prayer time I felt compelled to give all my money away to someone in GREAT need

* there's a wedding in April that my grandson will expect me to attend

*When I asked about the team (hoping they were full), I was told 3 people had just dropped out

God's responses this morning and this afternoon:

**The sermon this morning was about 'embracing the call'!

**The team needs someone to present a Bible study to women, and the one Monique (the leader) has been praying about is one I've been leading for several months! She needs me to present this.

**The team needs someone to lead morning songs for the girls in the orphanage, and I sing!

**I'd been afraid to bring up 'the call' to my husband because he is not a 'go-er', and when I confessed my struggle and perceived 'call' he told me that if I'm called I'd better go AND he'd help with finances!

**Last year if felt a need to renew my passport!

My life is not a waste unless I don't answer the calls on it! I want to live big this year. One of the women I coach told me that in her prayer time she was given that God was going to do something big in the next three months. Since He will do for all what he does for one, I took that and ran with it. My Resolution Chart is made, but it is all about the physical (food, weight, exercise). Now I have even more reason to believe He is calling me for more, for something BIG.

Has He called you for more? Are you reluctant too? Get on the train!

Let's go somewhere BIG for God.

I'll be making aprons madly to raise money for the trip. Also I'll take four with me as gifts to the women who cook for us...lots of white rice, fruits, veggies.

I covet your prayers, your warriors out there.

Answer my call for prayers; answer God's call to live a bigger life for Him this year.

He may not be calling to an overseas mission, but He IS calling you to something!

Don't waste your life!

The LORD has Spokane!

It all began last April when I discovered Beth Moore would be in Spokane in October. I prayed up whether I should buy tickets and how many. Being led to buy 3 tickets, reservations were made and Jay's daughter Lovella and some other friends got into the spirit of it to join me for the event that Beth dubbed, "The LORD has Spokane!" Below you can see the fabulous lunch we had at The Aloha Grill upon our early arrival into Spokane.

Lovella has come (reluctantly) from Hawaii to live in the wilds of Idaho for some time, so this was a blast from the past for her.

There was ONE table for two, and we ordered 'Plate Lunches" of Teryaki chicken on veggies, rice, pea salad and macaroni salad...all very native Hawaiian things to eat for lunch.

Beth's message was from Ephesians 4:1-16.

She spoke on the ONE-ness of God, the theme being,

"The sum total of every Divine equation is ONE".

One Father, One Son, One Holy Spirit =ONE

The Word for me was: "Pay the price! Do what it takes to fire up the flame to produce, to expand your gift." My gifts are teaching, encouragement and giving, and I've been in the process of really cranking down on those, so it was an affirmation for me to hear this

iterated by Beth and reiterated by Lovella on the way home.

"All of your work is meaningless if there is no love in it!"

and..."Forgive offenses because WE are offensive," Beth said. Unity in the church is more important that when or how we are offended.

However, if you don't respect your leadership, move to another church.

Fortunately for me, the respect I have for the leadership in my church is VERY high!

Getting to a Beth Moore event early and standing around for 1 1/2 hours to visit with others at the front of the line is all part of going to hear what God has for me. We did exactly that and were rewarded with seats on an isle and close to the front.

Below you see the picture I took of Beth presenting the owner of the restaurant at which she had had the pleasure of eating her lunch.

Beth always dresses in somewhat interesting clothing, and we were somewhat taken aback to find she was dressed like ME...black pants and a black V-neck, 3/4 sleeve shirt for Friday night.

Below you see how she is on Saturday speaking from Ephesians 4:14-16 in her more Beth-ish outfit with lace shirt under colorful and 'interesting' blouse under a brown vest. She'd collected fall leaves to spread on the stage because they don't have fall in Houston apparently.

She cracked us up, as usual, with humorous family stories to accompany a heavy message.

Below she joins Travis and another singer in the praise team for the Victory in Jesus song. I love how you can see a small screen of what was projected onto the big screens in the arena.


Travis Cottrell is an awesome worship leader, singer and piano player, so the experiece was rich in that regard too.

Also, God did a wonderful work to bless me in that I had this extra ticket in my pocket that my daughter was unable to use. I didn't feel led to call at the last moment to find someone for it, but merely kept it in my pocket. Just before the doors opened a young woman came along the line asking every ten feet or so if someone might have an extra ticket.

When she got to me, I smiled and told her I did. She just about fell down.

She'd been counting on the LORD to provide...and He did.

We serve and awesome God who provides for our every need. I was deeply disappointed that my daughter couldn't join us, and am grateful for how everything turned out for the best!
And another thing: Just a few rows behind me, when I turned around to look at the full arena holding 5500 women, were four dear old friends from my Gateway church in The Dalles.

Was THATa wonderful surprise and blessing!

A Tisket, a Tasket, God Provides a Basket...and a Short Cut

When God called me to China in order to teach spoken English for a year He impressed upon me to 'touch' everything I owned in order for Him to impress me with what to 1) keep, 2) give away, and 3) sell. I had a wonderful garage sale that earned enough to pay for a small storage unit (8' X 10') to hold all the 'keepers'.

Below is a basket with the story of God's provision. I had picked up an Asian basket at a yard sale in Sacramento when visiting my son. Southwest Airlines was so enamoured of it they let me bring it on as a carry-on. Then the call on my life came to go to China, the basket was to be sold. A sweet Asian lady came to my garage sale and burst into tears upon seeing it; she told me of how she used one like it in her homeland. I gave it to her, gladly.

Last week I was called to teach Vacation Bible School for my church, and, in setting up and decorating for the African theme, a dear lady brought this basket in for a prop. I was shocked, told her my story; she smiled sweetly, telling me to take it home with me when VBS was finished. I nearly cried. It has come back to me! Isn't God the ultimate Provider?!

Also, I've been praying for new hair. The style of my hair has been with me (below) for about 15 years. It is time for a change, but it is scary to go short, joining all the brave women who are willing to sacrifice what we think of as our femininity in order to affect some change, have a freer life or to simplify. I prayed up someone who would give me something sweet, cute, easy and yet still feminine.

Old hair (above) was good, it was easy, it was simply old. Below is the first of the "Pixie" pics of my new hair. Even my DH loves it, calling me a "Little Pixie" this morning. Now, THAT'S progress!

So, am I the cutest girl on the block? I know, I know, I'm the only girl on the block. I love this new and easy hair. And I thank God for providing it too.