Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What does the color dark green make you think of? It makes me think of the Ochlockonee River State Park that we used to camp at when I was a child. I remember all the trees and palmettos being so beautiful this time of year.

Soup: How many cousins do you have? 6 and that is only listing 1st cousins.

Salad: On a scale to 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you? I'm a honest person except when it comes to telling someone the truth to keep from hurting their feelings. So with that said, I'd say an eight.

Main Course: Name something that is truly free. Salvation. It is a gift of God.

Dessert: Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence. Soft pattering rain invites new growth.

Know & Tell # 11

1. Do you color your hair (give me some background info on this one)? Yes, in fact I just colored it this week. The first time I colored my hair was when I was 17 years old. I wanted it frosted but didn't want to spend a lot of money to have it done. My mom and I bought the frosting kit and she frosted it. Somewhere along the way we did something wrong because when we were finished I was a bleached blonde. It was awful, but hair grows out and it can be cut.
2. What is one thing that you do with your family (or by yourself) to celebrate Easter? As long as I can remember we have always gone to church on Easter to celebrate Christ's resurrection. When the kids were younger they each got a basket and after lunch we would hide the easter eggs with family or with friends.
   
3. How old was your oldest living relative (still living or in the past)? I am terrible about remembering ages but I recall having a great aunt that lived to be somewhere in her 90's.
4. What is one thing that can be a "time waster" to you? Sadly, the computer.
5. Most annoying bug? Living in South Georgia. . . gnats! I detest those little bugs.

Bonus Question:

1. What does Easter mean to you? Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all that believe in Him. Without the resurrection, Jesus would have just been thought to be another teacher or Rabbi. His resurrection changed that and gave final and irrefutable proof that He was really the Son of God and that He had conquered death once and for all. "I declare unto you the gospel . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? I prefer to live in the country. That's the one thing I miss about not living in Georgia. We always lived 2 - 5 miles from town.

Soup: Who is the cutest kid you know? I know many cute kids. They are all cute in their own way.

Salad: Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________. I couldn't believe it when I heard my mom had passed away on Sunday morning and at times it still seems like it is a dream.

Main Course:If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise? I would stink at starring in commercials of any kind so I have no clue.

Dessert: What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis? Currently I haven't been taking anything but I've been thinking about starting to take Geritol.

Sweetly Resting

On Sunday, March 16 at 3:30 a.m. my mom saw the glorious face of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our family has been deeply touched by the love and kindness shown to us during this time of sorrow. Although we grieve our loss here on earth, we rejoice that mom is now singing praises and sitting at her Father's feet.

The memorial service this afternoon was beautiful. Pastor Bob preached just as she had requested several years ago by not glorifying her life but telling of the wonderful Savior she had served and worshiped for more than half her life. As Pastor Bob reminded us this afternoon from Psalm 17:15, she has seen the likeness of her Savior's face.

It is a comfort to know that she no longer struggles when she takes a breath and that all the things of this world for her has now passed away. She has seen his glory and is sweetly resting in the home that God prepared for her.

Know & Tell # 10

1. What can you draw well? I draw a pretty good looking stick man, but aside from that my artistic abilities are lacking.
2. Name a TV show (at any period in your life) that you watched that you were probably a little too old to watch. I'm probably too old now to be watching Gilmore Girls but occasionally I will watch it with Angela. Some of the situations on there make for some good conversation with her.
3. What is the dominant color in your wardrobe? Black. Once I found out black makes you look slimmer I bought a lot of black. However, I do have some bright colors in my wardrobe as well.
4. Favorite donut? Krispy Kreme although I we don't have a Krispy Kreme in town.
5. Wear painful shoes because they are cute? Of course, a girl has to be cute doesn't she?

Bonus Questions:

1. Is there anything that you believe you don't believe God about? I'm not sure I understand this question, but if I'm interpreting it correctly I would have to say that although I believe God's Word is truth I struggle to live my life as I believe. Such as we are commanded not to worry, but yet I find myself worrying instead of praying about it and waiting for God to answer the prayer.
   
2. In general, do you think it is okay to be frustrated with people. To say I don't get frustrated with people would be lying. Is it okay? Depends on how I react to that frustration. If I don't use self-control and act in a way that is not glorifying to God then it's wrong. Instead of focusing on what frustrated with an individual I should examine my heart to see where I'm at fault. Also instead of blowing up I should pray for the person that has frustrated me, I've found that when I pray for someone it's hard to be upset with them. With all that said, I should practice what I just typed.

Prayer Request

Please pray for my mom. She has been in the hospital for the past two weeks with fluid on her lungs. Previous to this she had a mini-stroke and was hospitalized for 3 weeks. She has been in and out of the hospital for the past month. Last night she couldn't breathe and her blood pressure got really high. They transferred her to ICU where as of last night they have her stabilized.

I am leaving this morning to go up to see her. Pray that I have safe travels and that she will remain in stable condition. Also, pray for my dad and the rest of our family.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: On a scale of 1 - 10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting? My handwriting isn't too bad, but I've seen much better so I'll say a 5.

Soup: Do you prefer showers or a baths? Either one is fine as long as they are done on Saturday. I take one then whether I need it or not.

Salad: What was the last bad movie you watched? Evening with Meryl Streep, Vanessa Redgrave, and Glenn Close. I was expecting much more from these ladies and was very disappointed.

Main Course: Name something you are addicted to and how it affects your life. My biggest addiction is cigarettes. It has caused me to have a raspy voice (had a cyst removed from my throat almost 4 years ago) and everybody is always telling me I need to quit.

Dessert: Which instrument is your favorite to listen to? I love to listen to the guitar.

Holding Hands Holding Hearts

I am convinced this is the best book I have read on Christian dating for adults that I've read so far. It takes Biblical principles of a healthy marriage and work backwards to a healthy Biblical dating relationship. The foundations for a healthy, godly marriage begin while dating. Here are some points I gleamed from this book:

• The intimacy of romance - both physical and emotional intimacy - is one that binds two people tightly together. If we don't treat our own and other's hearts carefully, there will be a lot of pain and bleeding. A broken heart is no small matter, as so many of us know from experience. This is the cause of untold pain in our world today, and Christians need to respond to affairs of the heart with respect, with care, and with the wisdom that God is able to give. According to the Bible's perspective, if you are dating you are not just holding hands, you are holding hearts. (14 &15)
  
• Godly friends on both sides should be aware of the relationship to give counsel, to pray for blessing, and to provide accountability. If the woman is living near her parents, it would be even better for a man to approach her father first, or if that is not possible, to approach his or her pastor for godly counsel and support. The point is that when a man is out with a Christian woman, he must remember that she is someone who belongs in a community, a family, and a church (117).
• Here's another question related to first dates: "Is it okay for a man and woman to hang out together a lot when they have no romantic interest in one another?" First of all, if you are part of a nonromantic male-female couple, who enjoy each other's company and are emotionally connected, and yet neither of you has romantic aspirations for the relationship, you are the first one of these we have ever encountered in years of experience with Christian singles. For this reason and others, we recommend against the practice of adult men and women "just hanging out together." (121 & 122)
• Jealousy, in proper proportions, is a biblically approved attitude toward one's potential spouse, and in the real world the casual guy or gal friend is no help to a healthy romance (122).

The authors, Rick and Sharon Phillips, also include some specific suggestions for how Christian men can put the principles of Ephesians 5:22-28 and 1 Peter 3:1-7 into action in a dating relationship (77 &78):

• Commit to take the lead in the godliness of your relationship. Take the lead in establishing boundaries that will keep you from sexual sin. Treat her as the precious sister in Christ that she is.
• Decide in advance whether or not you are willing to love a woman in the self-sacrificing, nurturing way the Bible describes. Until you are ready to faithfully hold a woman's heart in your hand, do not enter into a dating relationship.
• Ask her the kinds of things she likes to do and be eager to spend time doing them.
• Be willing to talk about the relationship. Initiate honest dialogue about how you feel. Do not resent her desire to have the relationship defined, but protect her heart by making clear the appropriate kind of intimacy to go along with that commitment.
• Pay attention to her heart. Ask her about her burdens and cares. Seek ways to minister to her and to make her cares your own. Instead of being critical of her, speak words of encouragement and support.
• Do not be shy in administering the Word of God to her.
  
• If something about her bothers you, think about how you can encourage her in that area.

The authors also give suggestions as to how submission and respect look in dating relationship for a woman (85-87):

• A woman should allow the man to initiate the relationship. This doesn't mean she does nothing. She helps! She makes herself accessible to him and helps him to make conversation, putting him at ease and encouraging him as opportunities arise.
• A godly woman should speak positively and respectfully about her boyfriend, both when with him and when apart.
• She should give honest attention to his interests and respond to his attention and care by opening up her heart.
• She should recognize the sexual temptations with which a single man will normally struggle. She will dress attractively but modestly, and will avoid potentially compromising situations. She must resist temptation to encourage sexual liberties as a way to win his heart.
• The Christian woman should build up the man with God's Word and give encouragement to godly leadership. She should allow and seek biblical encouragement from the man she is dating.
• She should make "helping" and "respecting" the watchwords of her behavior toward a man.
  
• She must remember that this is a brother in the Lord. She should not be afraid to end an unhealthy relationship, but should seek to do so with charity and grace. Should the relationship not continue forward, the godly woman will ensure that her time with a man will have left him spiritually blessed.
  

This is For the Translator

Last week in my post "Know & Tell # 9" I answered a question about speaking a foreign language. In that post I commented that I took French in high school, but couldn't speak any French today and that my French teacher had signed my yearbook in French and I couldn't read it. An anonymous commenter left a comment saying if I would post it they would be happy to translate it for me. Well, I've dug out the yearbook from 25 years ago and decided to post what the French teacher wrote in it. So, here you go anonymous. . .

C'est en plaisir de vous avoir dans un cours de francais.
J'espere vous voir l ammee prochaine!

Proposals

If you know me, you know that I am intrigued by relationships. If I've known you for any length of time and you are married I eventually ask "how did the two of you meet?" I'm clueless as to why stuff like that intrigues me, but it does. The only thing I can think of is that I'm a romantic at heart. Over the years I have heard many different stories about how my friends met their spouses.

For example, one couple I know both turned down scholarships at different universities and ended up going to the same universities where they met each other and ended up falling in love and getting married. No doubt, it was God's providence that they ended up at that particular university. Another couple I know had grown up together, but the guy married her best friend (she was in their wedding). Later, her (now) husband divorced and they are now married. The list could go on and on, but these things just intrigue me.

All that to tell you how a girl who used to babysit David and Angela came to be engaged. Her finance proposed to her on Christmas Eve. I thought it was so cute I just had to share their proposal story. Here is their story in her words. . .

We were spending Christmas Eve Day together, and decided that before going to his family's house for dinner; we would open one of each other's presents. I gave Andrew a hat that he’s liked for a while now (which looks great on him, by the way) and he gave me this really creative puzzle that’s actually a collage of pictures of the two of us! It has smaller pictures all around the border, and then in the middle it has a larger picture of us and it says Merry Christmas 2007 down at the bottom. We started putting the puzzle together, but ended up leaving part of the way through to spend the evening with his family.

The night was perfect. It was my first Christmas away from my family, and that night his relatives made me feel so at home. I had no idea that he was planning on proposing later that evening, but his parents and brother knew the entire time! His dad actually wanted to tell everyone the news before Andrew actually proposed, but Andrew forbade him to do so. =) As we were leaving his Cousin David’s house, he told me that he really wanted to go home and finish the puzzle, so we did. He made hot apple cider, and we just sat there talking and putting the puzzle pieces together. Near the end of our ‘completion,’ I realized that we were missing quite a few pieces to this puzzle. I told Andrew that it didn’t look like we had enough, and he quickly assured me that he put the puzzle together a few days before when he got it in the mail just to make sure that everything was a-okay. Lo and behold, we finished the puzzle and it was missing about 15 pieces, right where the Merry Christmas 2007 was supposed to be. I was a little concerned that they might have accidentally been vacuumed up, but he said they might just be in his room and that we could look for them later.

We sat on the couch talking for a little while, and then I asked him if he wanted to open his second present. Well, he did, and he loved the customized Steelers gift that I had bought for him (yes, it has his name on it and everything, very nifty). After that, he asked me if I wanted MY second gift, and I said something along the lines of ‘absolutely!’ He went over to the tree and after a minute or so of the ‘Oh no, I think I lost your present’ game, he brought me over a box that said To: Dani From: Santa (it even had a life-like stick figure drawing of the jolly ole’ fellow!). When I opened the box, all I saw was bubble wrap. As much as I love popping bubbles (who doesn’t?!?), at that point I was beginning to get a little suspicious, but of course didn’t say anything… And then I saw it.

At the bottom of the box were the missing puzzle pieces, all put together perfectly, and in place of the Merry Christmas 2007 were the words “Dani, Will You Marry Me?” =) I looked up at him (and just about knocked him over I hugged him so hard) as he told me that he wants to spend all of his Christmases with me and told me that he loves me. Well OF COURSE I said yes and in a few months I’m marrying the love of my life! We’re so incredibly happy and can’t wait to share this amazing time with all of you.

I pray God will bless Dani and Andrew as they begin this journey of marriage.

Sweet and Encouraging Article

I just finished reading a sweet and encouraging article in today's Washington Post Magazine. The story is about Dave and Diana Kendall, who have been married for over 30 years. Diana was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease ten years ago and since then the wedding vows of "in sickness and in health" have been tested. The article tells of how Dave has been her primary caretaker the past 10 years and his desire to continue in that role. As I read the article I was impressed how the author, Liza Mundy, did not dismiss or gloss over the Kendall's religious commitment that is at the core of their marriage. Here is what Dave has to say about the controversial Ephesians 5 passage about marriage as it relates to him at this time in his life:

In thinking about love, Dave thought a lot about marriage. For years, he had studied Ephesians, in which Paul somewhat problematically describes marriage, saying, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." His sisters found this directive sexist, but Dave argued that it does not, in fact, give the man the upper hand.

"I think people misinterpret it," he says. "It talks about the woman being submissive to the man, but it also talks about the husband loving his wife as much as Christ loves the church. The man should give his life for his wife. It talks about how you should leave your mom and dad and cleave to your spouse." It is this idea, of marriage as a mutual cleaving, that sustains him.

"If I didn't have that as a core value, I don't know what would keep me fighting the battle. Without something that gives me some higher reason, I would probably lose a lot of the strength that I have."

Love alone, he thinks, wouldn't be enough to keep him committed to Diana. He likes to argue this point with their daughter, who feels that she's witnessing a different, more transcendental love. "Being a woman," she says, "you think of your knight in shining armor, and you think of all these dreamy metaphors growing up. But you start to learn a different principle of love when you see this -- that marriage goes beyond fairy tale love."

The article "The Vow" is a beautiful, grace filled example of how God intends for a marriage to be.

Our Newest Family Member

As of yesterday we have a new family member. Angela is now the proud momma of Bay-Leigh. She's a Ratshi Terrier (that's a rat terrier and shih-tzu mixed). She is adorable and has been a good girl since we brought her home.

Know & Tell #9

I normally post Know & Tell on Saturday, but I will not be near a computer tomorrow until late in the evening. We are camping out at the Fairgrounds tonight and participating in Relay for Life. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

1. What made you start blogging? My friend, Lori, introduced me to the world of blogging in 2005. I began blogging after Hurricane Wilma hit and have been blogging ever since.
2. Do you speak a foreign language? If so why or how did you learn it? I actually took French as a senior in high school, but can't speak a word of it today. In fact, my French teacher signed my yearbook in French and I have no clue what it says.
3. Morning person or night owl (or somewhere in between)? I'm neither a morning person nor a night owl. I'd say I'm more of a daytime person. Not that I go to bed early but I can't stay up as late as I used to.
4. Do you exercise on a regular basis? No and you can tell it in many different ways. I am however about to purchase a bicycle and start riding every night.

Bonus Questions

1. If money were not an object what is one thing you would like to do for another person? If I could afford it I would love to adopt or be a foster parent to children. I've said many times that if I could afford to adopt some of my children's friends I would in a heart beat.
   
2. What is one of your favorite attributes of God? He has so many wonderful attributes that it's hard to narrow it down to just one. One is his sovereignty over all things. It amazes me to think he holds all things in the palm of his hand and it's a comfort to know he controls all things. Another would be his mercy and grace that has been poured out into my life. I shudder to think of where I would be if he had not called me to himself.
   
3. Have you ever thought about adoption or foster care? Yes, see question about money not being an object.
   

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be? I wouldn't want to be a celebrity for one day much less one whole week.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone? 6, but I can remember a time when I would have said 10. I guess as I've gotten older the less I like to be on the phone. That doesn't mean I talk less, just that I'd rather talk in person.

Salad: Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to). St. Jude's, American Cancer Society and others.

Main Course: What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month? There isn't any one food that I could eat every day for a month. It would get old eating the same thing every day.

Dessert: Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year? We have been blessed that the flu has so far passed us by this year.