Fun Friday!

This makes one week working at the bank! I have learned a lot in a week.
I get my cash drawer and window!

Also, we get to wear jeans and our school t-shirts to support our team. Isn't that fun? I don't have to come up with an outfit... (whew - my wardrobe is needing some serious updating since I haven't "worked for pay" in 2 1/2 years and I was about 20 pounds lighter then - and it was spring!) I have lived in capris and cutoffs with t-shirts and flipflops... not exactly appropriate "banker attire"...

Another fun thing is that, vacation officially starts - not for me, but for my hugs'um. He finally gets time off! I have to admit that my timing of starting a new job was not so wonderful, but we do what we need to do. He had already planned this time and had someone set up to preach for him. He has done what he needs to do so he is ready for the first Charge Conference. He is in much need of some fun time and some r&r... I hope he gets in some golf and just doing what he wants to do. If we were in GA, we would head to the beach.

BUT .... since we are in another part of the country....
He is leaving early to go to Tulsa and play golf with our oldest son. As soon as I get off work, I will hit the road and head that way too!

We get to see and visit with the kids and grandkids... YIPPEE!!!!

Needless to say, I am excited.

I am so thankful that we are where we are. We plan our ways, but God directs our paths and His plans are so much greater than what we could ever imagine, ask or think.

Have a great weekend! I know that I will! Pictures to follow....

Thank GOD it's FRIDAY!!!!

Thursday Thirteen

Things that I thank God for and I love ... (in random order)
1. My grandson saying "I love you, grandmoma" (or a close rendition of it)
2. My granddaughter saying, "Hi, grandmoma"
3. My children and their mates (they are all really AWESOME people!!!)
4. My dog, Andy... the way he greets me at the door and makes me feel welcome and loved, and how he takes naps with me.
5. My car - I love my Toyota!
6. Diet Dr. Pepper
7. My hair when it is cut and just colored
8. My tall standing mirror... it is as tall as I am and is adjustable.... I can see my entire back and my hair while I'm fixing it.
9. My parents and sister and brother and their families
10. My friends who keep in touch through emails and phone calls
11. My books - right now, I'm really enjoying my Devotional book, "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" by Rick Renner
12. My computer - it keeps me in touch with the world through email and blogging
13. My husband (or hugs'um as the kids called him when they were little because that's what he did when he came in he hugged 'um! and they loved it and him!)

Wonderful Wednesday

Well, I have started a new job. I now work at a bank. I have never worked at a bank, but I have had a bank account almost all my life! I've found that it is very different.

Banking has a whole language and set of initials that are much different than what I am used to.

Example... they kept talking about "denominations". Well, OBVIOUSLY, to a Pastor's wife "I" knew what that meant... Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran.... nope - not to BANKERS... they mean ones, fives, tens, etc.... That is just one of the areas of miscommunication I have and then have to stop and REthink what I'm hearing.

They just throw around all these initials... "gl", " gsl", "fdic", etc. I have no idea what they mean. I have asked, but still don't understand. I need it broken down in real simple terms... give me steps, give me plain English!

I enjoy working there. It is a great place to work and everyone is so nice and helpful. It is like a big family. Everyone there knows EVERYONE who comes in the door... that is except me, I only know the Methodists who come in. That is the good thing because I get to know other people. I am excited because it opens my world. I feel a part of the community more. I love where I am!

I am learning. I am growing. I am being stretched! At 57 (almost 58) it is more challenging to begin learning a whole new way of thinking. I love it! It is a challenge!

It is a wonderful Wednesday ... yes, it is what we used to call "hump day" - meaning it is the middle of the week and headed toward the weekend.

We have this weekend off. It is very rare to have a weekend. It is the first one since we moved here. I am excited. I don't know what we will do, but maybe we will get to see grandbabies! I think we need some good sweet sugar from those precious little ones!

Tuesday Two

Requesting prayer for two cousins.

1. On my Daddy's side of family please pray for one cousin's son, Scott. He has just had surgery for a brain tumor. He is facing a long battle to recovery. But, praise the Lord, they were able to remove the tumor. Please lift up his parents and family. Thirty years ago his younger brother died with the exact same thing. His brother was about 10 months old. The family is struggling with fear and the grief all over again.

2. On my Mama's side a cousin lost her son. He was 31 and lost the battle against viral pneumonia. Please lift up Loretta. She and her family need much prayer.

Thank you! What would we do without the comfort and peace and help of Jesus! He is faithful.

CLA

Conjugated Linoleic Acid = CLA

You can get it easily. It is sometimes sold with the vitamins, sometimes with the weight loss aids, and sometimes sold with the sports/muscle building products.

It almost always has "tonalin" on the bottle.

CLA is great for losing weight. It fights - helps get rid of- the fat around the waist because it increases the basal metabolic rate. That just means that your body burns fat. But, the important thing is that it is burning the fat around the middle. That is the dangerous fat that causes so many health problems.

CLA has been shown to fight cancer in many areas and to help inhibit growth and reduce growth in breast, prostate, colorectal, and stomach. It is also fights against skin cancer including melanoma!

This wonderful little (well, it is not really little) substance is good for so many things. I take 3,000 to 4,000 mg a day. I do this in the morning because it does burn fat and give me energy. If I took it later in the day, I might not be able to sleep or relax. I do not take all the pills at one time, but spread them out through my breakfast. It seems that if I take all at once, my stomach burns a little.

As it reduces fat, especially in the tummy area, it also enhances muscle growth.

There are so many things and benefits of CLA, that it is hard to list them all. You can check it out more online.

I think CLA is a very vital part of health and wellness, as well as weight loss and being fit and in shape.

CLA used to be found in abundance in beef, cheese and butter. Today, if you get meat from cows that have been grass fed it will have more CLA in it than from cows which are fattened in feedlots. I was talking with one rancher who grows grass fed cattle, and also supplements their food with CLA. I would say that his beef would be healthier (maybe a little tougher, though) than most that you buy in the major stores.

Just a little food for thought!

Sunday Seven...

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Seven reasons I love my hugs'um and wish him a happy birthday.... (there are lots more, but seven starts w/ "s")
1. He loves Jesus with all his heart and his passion is to see souls saved.
2. He never does anything half-way. He always puts everything he is into what he is doing.
3. He is honest and truthful (sometimes TOO truthful - so be careful and don't ask if you have gained weight ;) )
4. He is someone you can trust and rely on. He will do what he says.
5. He does not procrastinate.
6. He is very generous and giving.
7. He loves me and his family unselfishly. He will sacrifice his needs and desires to give his family what they need and desire.

I'm very blessed to have a loving man of God who walks willingly in His gifts and calling.

Vitamins "C" and "E"

I have had lots of people ask me what I take as far as vitamins go. I do not take a multiple vitamin. I take MULTIPLE vitamins!


Before I start, I want to make a disclaimer. I am only telling you what I do. I am not recommending or prescribing for you to do the same thing. If you have any questions you need to check with your health care provider.


I will just start with a couple and tell you why I take them. I will share more later. Of course, I take all the regular vitamins plus many more supplements. But, I make sure that they are natural. Like with E, it should say it is d-alpha and C should be an Ester.


With vitamins, it is important that they are natural and come from good sources. If it is a synthetic vitamin, it can cause allergic reactions and other problems. They should be fresh and of good quality.


The purpose of taking vitamins is to supplement what you are not getting in your diet. They are not to take the place of food or to give you an excuse to eat junk and then take a pill to make up for it.


Let's start with "C". I take 1000 mg in the morning and at night for maintenance, and up to 6,000 if I'm fighting off a cold or stressed or something. C is a great antioxidant and helps to protect the body from free-radicals. It helps to fight off disease and build the immune system. This vitamin has so many wonderful benefits. It can help prevent some types of cancer, it helps to reduce heart disease, reduces frequency and severity of asthma, and helps wounds heal faster. This is just a little bit of what C can do.


Another basic vitamin that I take is "E". I take a 1000 mg gelcap in the morning and at night.


E is great for lots of things also. it lowers cholesterol, slows Alzheimer's, prevents heart disease and attacks, protects against certain types of cancer, helps hair and skin, reduces hot flashes, improves brain health, normalizes hormone levels, lowers blood pressure, and enhances immune system. Vitamin E is great to neutralize free radicals and is an antioxidant and helps the body fight toxins from the environment.


Hope that gives you some food for thought... These are two vitamins that I take everyday.


I do not trust solely in vitamins and supplements. I trust in Jesus. He is the healer. He has also given us herbs of the field and leaves of the trees as medicine. It is very important to be balanced spirit, soul, and body. We need to be healthy in all areas.

Image

I am laughing at myself.

I never really believed that I was vain or someone consumed with the way that I look. I DO like to look nice and take the time every day to put on makeup and fix my hair.
But, I do not think that I am overly focused on my looks. I mean, once I get dressed for the day, then I rarely go back and fix my hair or makeup and I do my BEST not to change clothes again that day. (I hate to change clothes)

In fact, I've often thought that getting ready is the worst part of the day and my most dreaded.

So, having said all that - I came to realize that I am VERY vain! God has been working on my "image" problem and exposing it to me. He has a very good sense of humor, I might add, but He does hit below the belt!

When we moved to our new place, I had been a little stressed. So the week of Conference, when I'm meeting new pastors, District Superintendents, The Bishop, members of our Church.... I grow this, ummmmm "beautiful" HUGE fever blister that covers the area from under my nose across the top of my lip.

I was horrified and humiliated, to say the least. I begged not to have to set foot outside the motel room. It stayed in perfect place until the week we moved into our new appointment. Again, I'm meeting lots of new people. I am, after all, the "new Pastor's wife" and I have an image to keep up... so, Yes, I greeted (very warmly - I might add) everyone with one hand covering my face, at least my upper lip. I could imagine them saying..."have you met our new Pastor's wife? She is very nice, but I think she is a hair-lip!" (now, if you are a hair lip, please accept my apologies. I'm not making fun of you, I am very much sympathetic!)

I can go on and on with different ways that my vanity has been exposed and my "image" has been damaged.

Last Saturday night, after having been gone for almost 2 weeks, I was brushing my teeth when what I feared, happened! A filling came out. This was not just a filling in the back teeth that could not be seen (I have lots of those already) NOOOOOOOO, it was in a FRONT tooth... on the front - VERY visible!!!!!!

So, I had to go to church Sunday morning with a south Georgia redneck hick smile! Again, I was greeting our members with my hand over my mouth!

I began asking everyone who their dentist was. I got so many different answers that I couldn't remember any one.

Now, if you know me, you know that I despise dentists... nothing personal, just professionally. I have not had good experiences with them. So, I just don't go unless I do not have a choice about it.

This happened to be one of those times. Mind you, I have at least 3 fillings that have fallen out of other teeth - but THIS one, was obvious.

I first had to find the information about our dental insurance (that took until Tuesday) then I had to find a dentist that took our insurance. Finally, Tuesday afternoon, I was able to set an appointment. They didn't have an opening for over a WEEK!!!! That meant that I had to start a new job and go to church again w/ this gaping beautiful sight!

God had mercy on me! They called this morning and they worked me in today!
On the form there is a question asking if there is anything they need to know about my dental problems. I circled "yes"... and then wrote "FEAR!" and circled it. They took my blood pressure and were so nice and gentle and told me everything they were doing before they did it. He kept asking if I was alright. I guess I sort of scared THEM!

It was one of the best dental experiences I've ever had! (well, my last dentist was absolutely wonderful and he would pray with me and for me) To top it all off, he is a Methodist and is taking his pastor to play golf tomorrow (my hugs'um will love that!). Also... his last name is Bennitt and he could be a relative from my great great great something, Eli Bennett, who moved to OK as a Methodist preacher! Dr. Bennitt said they changed the spelling of their name because there was a horse thief with the same name and they didn't want to be confused. But, we could be related.

Well, now that my image has been repaired, I can smile again with confidence and start my new job at ease! They did make me set up another appointment next month to have my teeth cleaned! I'll keep you posted on that one!

Busy

Since I got home from Georgia, I have been busy. It seems there is no end to busyness. I left about 3 days after I had originally planned. It was a great 3 days in Georgia. I enjoyed it so much. It was very hard to leave.

When I got back to town, it was in the middle of a home football game. And afterward, our church was having a 5th quarter for the town. I was blessed, I did not have to go. I was able to unload the car and sort of unwind and catch up on some computer things (email - WAY over 100 new ones that I had received since the last time I was able to log on - 3 days earlier).

Waiting for me was the typing of the 2 separate Charge Conference books. If you are not Methodist and have never experienced a Charge Conference then you don't understand I'm sure. It is a yearly accounting of everything the church has done in ministry, groups and organizations, with their finances, officers and leaders being elected and it is supposed to be a celebration of what Jesus has done in and with our church. My husband does one of the very best booklets ever! It has lots of great stuff in it. It is about 30 or more pages. Needless to say, it takes lots of work and he "gets" to do TWO of them this year.

I have jokingly said that the purpose for a Charge Conference is to develop character in the Pastor and secretary.... (of which we do not have one, hence the reason that I am doing it.)

On top of this, we are learning the ropes in our new conference and many of the reports must be filed online, then printed out and put in the booklet. The problem is that we are having major problems getting them filed. There is a certain format and WAY to do it - and we have yet to get there.

And. this week... I also have a Parsonage Committee meeting and Parsonage walk-through. Now, every Methodist Pastor's wife trembles and quakes at the mere mention of "parsonage committee meeting". It means that they come into the parsonage and are to inspect it. It is a safeguard for the church and pastor because it is an opportunity for them to see the condition of the house - if it needs repairs or updates. It also gives them an opportunity to see the condition of the house - if WE are keeping and maintaining it properly.

So, in the middle of typing and figuring and stressing over the Charge Conference, I am also trying to clean. Since I've been gone, it has gotten very dusty and things have moved out of place (I'm not saying anyone moved them or misplaced them... just some phantom must have come in and played a trick or two...) Also, I brought a few things home from Georgia that I need to work into the mix of what is here and I still have not unpacked my suitcase! (not to mention about 4 plastic bins and 5 or 6 boxes that are stuck in the corner of my room - that MUST be hidden or something)

As we were eating supper tonight (yes, I DID cook!) I found out that we have a funeral on Friday.

AND, I have two different bulletins to do for Sunday....

AND AND.... Sunday is my hugsum's birthday!!!!

Please pray for me that I have peace and supernatural wisdom and insight and revelation as to how to get it all done. Also, that HE has the same thing in his life....

I'm so thankful that God's grace is sufficient for me and that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! Glory!

Life's Turns and Destiny

I was just thinking again about where we are and how we got here. How one decision lead our entire family and changed our destiny. I am always amazed at how things work out.

When we first got married, we packed up everything we had and moved to southern Florida. We became active in a church there and the Pastor and Assistant Pastor were both from Texas. We felt God's Hand on our lives and decided to go into some sort of Christian work. They recommended a school in Texas.

Neither of us felt worthy of the pastorate, but we wanted to help people, so we thought about getting our degree in Christian counseling and opening a practice to help people. Since I was told that I could not have children, we thought it was a wonderful idea. We wanted to do counseling together.

We made plans and took steps and were accepted to the school in Texas. (there are lots and LOTS of details I'm leaving out....) While we were there we became friends with a couple and he had grown up in Tulsa and talked about Oral Roberts University and how beautiful it was. He encouraged us to take whatever opportunity we needed to visit there.

So.... skip a few years... (and LOTS more details) We have moved back to Georgia and now entered the ministry full time. We have 2 children and I'm pregnant with the third... (the doctors were wrong and God is good!) My husband graduated from college with a degree in psychology and we made plans to go to seminary. His first choice was Oral Roberts University. We could never get it out of our minds what our friend had told us years earlier.

We moved to Tulsa in June of 1979. Our third child was born while we were there. We stayed only summer and fall semesters. Then we had an opportunity to move back to Georgia to a pastorate that was only 45 minutes from my parents. So, in January of 1980 we left and seminary was continued at Emory University.

We were only in Tulsa less than 6 months. During that time, our oldest son, who was 4, decided that he wanted to go to college there. He never changed his mind. Our second son followed three years later, then the daughter who was born there also went and then our youngest followed suit. The older three married people who also went to ORU.

So, a decision to move to Texas to go to school introduced us to ORU. Then the decision to go to seminary at ORU - even though it was only 6 months - determined the destiny and lives of our family. All our children live there and 3 married there.

Man plans his ways, but God orders his steps...
God knows the plans He has for us - plans to prosper us and to give us a future.

Somehow we always think that we are in control. But, it is very important to be aware of the decisions we make. We do not know the eternal consequences and the lives and destinies that are changed because of one friendship, one decision. God knows. He plans. He leads. He guides. He ordains. Praise His Name!

Home

Well, I'm home now. Home has so many meanings. It definitely is where the heart is. I am torn because my heart is in two states.

I loved being back in Georgia at my parents' home. What a privilege and blessing it is to have them. They are still so much in love and enjoy each other. They laugh and sing and do almost everything together.

I had fun looking through old pictures of the family. They are all over the house in boxes and albums and in frames, on the refrigerator. The memories of times gone by flooded my mind. So many things to be thankful for!

While I was there, I brought back a mirror that my Daddy painted when he was young. It proclaims what we have prayed and believed and has been done, don't you agree?

God has been good to our family. We are blessed.

I drove back in this car. My uncle, who is wise about these things, took this car and had it in top working condition. Even though it is 17 years old, it hummed all the way across country!

I returned to this absolutely beautiful sunset. I watched the sun go down over the mountains and the enjoyed the afterglow. What beauty!!!!!

I am very happy to be home where I am. I love my husband and where we live. We are blessed here. I am content in whatever state I am in!

Memory Lane

Friday, a week ago was a fun day! I was in Atlanta (really Conyers) staying with my parents. It was a great visit. I enjoyed my time with them. Mama has her wonderful sense of humor and keeps us laughing. Daddy is getting his strength back and he is making sure that we keep Mama's schedule and keeping her going.

Also, I got to spend time with my brother and his family and my sister and some of hers. I also got to visit with my Uncle Maynard and Aunt Mart. He took a special interest in fixing up my old volvo.

But, on this particular Friday... I got to visit with my BEST friend all the way through school. Funny that we seem to be able to pick up our friendship right where we left off like there is no lapse of time. We have seen each other about 3 or 4 times in 34 years!

I was able to meet her at the motel where she was staying. The neat thing is that it is on the corner of the street where she lived when we first met.

This was her house when we first met. It was white then.

The motel backs up to the house that her grandmother lived in and also the one where her family lived. This was her grandmother's house on the same street. It is still tree lined and like it was 50 years ago!

We walked down the street and around the corner to the street where I lived. My old house had been changed a good bit (it was red brick when we lived there), but it still had lots of good memories. We talked about our neighbors and the other kids that lived in our neighborhood. We had such a good time remembering. We even talked with the mother of one of our friends. We had played in their yard and jumped off the bridge on their driveway.

This was the church where we went to school in the third grade. This is where she sent to church and was active as a youth. This is the church where I went to first grade and we had our Bluebird meetings in a building behind the church. (Back then, the schools were so crowded that we had to have our classes in local churches until they got our elementary school built. We were in the 4th grade by then!)

It was such a special day! I even made a new friend! She had also come and we had a great time sharing our childhood memories.

Happy Birthday Beka!

Happiest Birthday EVER to you!

Site Seeing

Over the weekend our youngest daughter and her husband came for a visit.It was fun having them here. It was the first time they had been to spend the night. They had come after we first moved in to bring us a load of our things we had in storage. So, this was a more relaxed and fun visit.

While they were here, my hugsum took him out to see the area around. They took our camera and came back with some fun pictures.

These are come pictures of a prairie dog village... There were lots of them running around all busy and doing some important things (I'm sure I don't know what is important to them, but they act like they know what they are doing.)

Once when we were there they were all in their holes because some coyotes were running around looking for some dinner.

This little doggie has found something to eat. I'm not sure what it is. But looking at him closely, he doesn't look anything like I imagined he would.

They also took a drive to the top of our highest mountain around - and the only you can actually drive up. Here is a picture one of the lakes below and also some of the flat land in the distance.

This is a pretty awesome land we live in! I am so blessed! I love being here and especially being close to the kids and grandkids. God is good!

Packing

Okay, so I'm actually cleaning. My youngest daughter and her husband are on their way to visit. So, I'm cleaning and dusting and doing floors. I want it to be nice and neat when they walk in.



Yeah, so, actually, I'm sitting at the computer blogging. It is a stress relief!



In the middle of cleaning and blogging, I'm also packing. I'm trying to pack everything for an eight day visit into a carry on bag. My husband would be proud! He always wants me to pack light. This time because I'm traveling alone to visit my parents, I'm packing light.



Since I've moved out west, it has become more and more important that I visit home. Funny how that works. When we lived in the same state, we had a hard time making the 3 hour trip to visit parents. Now, that we are 18 hours away driving - the desire has become more intense.



My sister stayed 2 weeks with my parents, now my sister-in-law is there for a week until I get there on Tuesday. I get to be there with them for a week.



There is a lot going on in their lives. They are transitioning into a different stage. God has been good to them and they have been healthy and in their right minds most of their lives. Mama is 85 and showing signs of remembering more of her childhood than her present days. She is lots of fun and has a wonderful sense of humor.



Daddy has been wonderful in taking care of her and watching after her. He had to have surgery and put it off as long as he could because he was more worried about her than himself. He has been her strong tower of protection and care for a few years. She depends on him for everything.


Theirs is a love story of over 65 years. God's blessing has been on them and they have a heritage and linage that glorifies God. It is being passed down to the 2nd and 3rd and even 4th generation already!


I'm thankful for them.