Hearts in Service

  A running joke Dan has with our congregation is that he keeps telling them he is new and can use that excuse for the next 6 months whenever he makes a mistake.  They laugh and good-naturedly tell him he can't use that too much longer.  But the reality is we are still very new here.  We arrived on December 21st and it's been 6 short months since we moved here.  That is a very short time to be in a tiny community where everyone knows each other.   I struggled for the first few months.  I felt like an outsider.  Because this church is so very different than our last one, I didn't know what role to play.  I had no idea how to take the things people say and do because they were so different than our previous congregation that we came to know intimately.  I lost all connection to my former friends and church family and yet didn't have any connection with my new one.  I felt like I didn't belong anywhere.  Being a pastoral family is difficult at times and unless

  My favorite thing about getting up early is seeing God's creation in all it's glory.  I'm rewarded with  the sun peeking over the church roof.   Winged beauties sing to me each morning.       I love my morning serenades! 

I decided not to do a Frugal Friday post today just because my brain has been unable to think of frugal things this week.  I've been thrifty and I've made my dollars stretch but I'm just not feeling it today.  Though I did have to share how excited I was to find fabric at Walmart on sale for $1 a yard!  I did get 14 yards of various types for $14 which made me very happy.   Okay, on to the post.   First the beautiful.  I don't know if it's because of the long winter we had or just the beauty of this area, but I love the summer here!  It is spectacular and there truly is gorgeous everywhere I look.           But now for the beast. My garden.  I planted on Memorial Day weekend and then I couldn't get out there to pull out the weeds because I had to wait until things came up.  And then it rained every time I wanted to do it or else it was super hot and humid.  To be honest, I the reality is that I procrastinated because I hate weeding. 

Sometimes you just need to unplug.  Can anyone relate to this?  There are days when I just get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information coming my way through facebook, email, blogs, and other media.  It just gets to be way too much. Today is one of those days when it's just overwhelming to me.  I don't want to read "cutesy" stories.  I don't want to hear complaining about politics.  I don't want to read criticism about a variety of things.  So today I'm going to shut down the computer and just focus on my "real life." Our church is hosting a luncheon at the local elementary school in appreciation of the staff there and I have a dish to make for that.  I need to get the bulletins done for tonight's Baccalaureate Service at the high school.  I have a house to take care of and meals to make.  I have a daughter who needs some TLC at the moment over a health issue. I'm off to live life outside of the cyber world.  I'm go

Twenty-Six years ago I was a young, dark-haired woman taking a vow.  I really had no idea what that meant.   I was excited, smiled, spoke the words, "Till death do us part." yet really didn't comprehend the meaning. Yet, as Dan and I celebrate our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary today, we have kept those vows.  Through fun times, through sad times, through mountain peaks, through valleys, through tragedy, through really hard times. I'm so thankful that the Lord put us together.  It isn't always easy.  There are some days when I'm cranky and there are days when he is cranky (though that's very rare for Dan).  We have moments when we get on each other's nerves.  We have moments of tenderness and moments of insensitivity. But I would never change who I married in million years.  The Lord has blended our gifts and talents and personalities together so perfectly.  Someone in both our last church and now in this church, that we really do compliment

I struggle to relax and just enjoy the moment.  I've been like this from a young age.  I think some of it was having the burden of responsibility of my younger brother and sister growing up while my mom was at work.  I honestly feel guilty if I'm not staying busy. Yet, I know that rest is important.  Not just physical rest; but mental rest and yet, that is the hardest thing for me.  My brain never shuts down.  If I wake up in the middle of night, I can't get back to sleep for hours because my brain starts thinking.  This happens almost every single night. Every day is taken up with housework, crafting, cooking, soap making, cleaning or church work.  I always have this heavy feeling of duty and responsibility and it can honestly be a burden.  If I don't fill every single minute with some sort of "work" I feel lazy. But I want to get better at learning to have fun.  I want to be able to relax once in a while.  That is exactly what happened yesterday.  I

(Chive blossoms ready for vinegar) Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. I'm not sure if this was such a stellar week in the frugal department because I didn't follow my own advice.    I ended up having to make some unexpected purchases which I wouldn't have if I had used my head to think.  This is why it is so important to make a list when you go shopping so you are not leaving things to chance.  Being frugal is definitely about planning ahead to avoid impulse buying or having to pick up items at a higher price because the cheaper grocery store is so far away and you forgot it when you were there! I also am annoyed because I threw out a roll of Velcro, thinking I'd never use it.  I had only used it one time in 5 years so it seemed silly to keep it.  Then, of course, not 5 weeks later I got an order for outdoor cushions that required Velcro.  After spending $24 on 6 yards of Velcro, I learned my lesson.  If you have a craft and sewing business don't throw o

Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV) ~ "And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel .' So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, 'Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving to you and fill your stomach with it.' So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth." Did you ever eat a honeycomb?  I was in a local store recently and saw that they sold honeycomb.  It's wonderfully sweet.  I was so tempted to purchase it until I saw the price!  I love the taste of honey and often use it as a sweetener instead of sugar. In this passage in Ezekiel, God is sending Ezekiel to give words of mourning and lament to the Israelites for their disobedience.    However, even though the words were not pleasant to hear or to give, Ezekiel said they tasted like honey in his mouth. When you read God's word, does it leave a sweet taste in your mouth or a bitter one? Can yo

Each Monday afternoon for the past 3 weeks, I've lugged myself to our town farmer's market and set up my wares.  I haven't sold a whole lot, but it's been fun!  It's a way of meeting people in our community and at the same time, trying to make a bit of extra money. Yesterday was certainly one of my more productive days and that made me happy!  I think my new soap display helped.  Packaging and marketing are not my strong points so I'm constantly rearranging and trying new things.  I think having the samples out in front drew a lot more people over than in the past. I did have a coat rack there last week with the aprons hanging off of that, as you can see in this photo.  The only problem I had is that we live in such a windy area with the lake that it actually blew over a couple of times.   This picture was from last week so I obviously made changes which I think were for the better.  Anyway, I'm open to suggestions so feel free to offer some

Sometimes God's word is enough to get the point across! Psalm 103 (CEV)~ With all my heart      I praise the Lord ,      and with all that I am      I praise his holy name! With all my heart      I praise the Lord !      I will never forget      how kind he has been. The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick,      and protects us from death. His kindness and love      are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live,      he provides for our needs      and gives us the strength      of a young eagle. For all who are mistreated,      the Lord brings justice. He taught his Law to Moses      and showed all Israel      what he could do. The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient,      and his love never fails. The Lord won’t always be angry      and point out our sins;        he doesn’t punish us      as our sins deserve. How great is God’s love for all      who worship him?      Greater than the distance      between heaven and earth! How far has t