Save the date!

Friday December 3rd is going to be loads of fun!  Not only because it's my birthday ;) but because I'll be hosting a guest blog for author Aaron Reynolds and illustrator Neil Numberman to help promote their new book, "Joey Fly, Private Eye in Big Hairy Drama"!!


  Aaron and Neil will be telling us all about their new book AND there will be a comment contest with  giveaways.  Neil has graciously offered to do a bug-caricature for ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN COMMENTS chosen randomly. It's gonna be a Fabulous Friday this week - remember to stop by, check it out, and leave a comment for your chance to win an illustrated giveaway by Neil!  See you soon!

investing....

I knew I was in trouble when the assistant at the lingerie store who was helping me with my fitting said, "Well, you know, when you're paying like $40 for one of these, what can you expect?"  Forty dollars?  And she was using that as a cheap example?  I was accustomed to paying about $12.99 at Kmart, and that was when I was feeling wealthy. 

Since I was on the other side of the dressing room door, she couldn't see my jaw dropping.  Sounding nonchalant, I asked, "And how much do these from your store cost?" 

I was able to purchase two that day, but those are going to have to last me most of the rest of my life.

But I learned a valuable lesson - yes, from undergarments- about quality vs. quantity.  I could either invest in something that was going to hold up (and hold me up) longer, or go the other route and end up possibly spending more money in replacement costs over and over and over.

Life is like that.  We often dole out quantity without much quality involved.  Quality takes more from us- it costs us something, thereby becoming more of an investment in what we're doing.  Quality demands a slower pace; it requires time, thought, and effort. Quantity can be thrown out over and over and over and not necessarily get us anywhere.

So I would challenge you and me today- what are we already doing that  perhaps could use a little quality?  Is there a place, a person, a need that should be getting more of you; an investment?

Hold that up in prayer.

nothing

I've got nothing.

No words of wisdom, no spiritual parallels to draw, no wit to share.

Some times are just like that.

The winds and storms that have blown through my life have left me feeling dry, empty and numb in more than a few places. 

When times like that come and linger, I find it difficult to find anything to write about - except the hard times.  And I figure no one really likes to hear about my doom and gloom.

Recently I've stumbled upon posts and writings about abiding.  I'm definitely in an abiding time right now.  I heard a friend talk about a difficult time in her life, and she stated, " It was easy to run to the Lord when things were so bad...because there was simply nowhere else to go but to Him."  Amen.  Things can get so messy and so complicated and so bigger than I am, that the answer is stunningly clear - run to God.  He's the only one Who could know how to work this all out.

So I run to Him and grab tight.  And on those days when I get to the end of my rope, I make a knot and hold on some more.

Abiding.

There's a deep sense of quieting in my soul.  There's an uncanny sense of peace.  His character of care and love comes through.  He asks me to end my frenzy of trying to tie all the loose ends together and instead, give it to Him.

Gladly.

veggies


This morning I had a piece of carrot cake for breakfast.

And while that's hardly the breakfast of champions, a friend of mine pointed out that it did have carrots in it.

Then I thought back to the yogurt covered raisins I had prior to the carrot cake.

And I got to feeling pretty darned good about myself.

So far today, I'm a vegetarian.

How's your Monday going?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...



....especially over at (in)courage where they are having a Christmas Card drive of epic proportions!

If you'd like to brighten a child's Christmas in Ecuador this year by simply designing a Christmas card for them at a nominal price through Dayspring cards, click here to go to (in)courage's post about what to do and how to do it, and the impact it will make.  I plan to join in the fun and reach across the miles to a child who needs a smile this Christmas Day.  I hope you will too!

a quail and manna life

2010 has been a rough year for our family.

I say that because it started tough, and it's finishing tough.  Certainly there have been blessings and good times and victories along the way, but there's also been a lot of dark storm clouds that seem to blow to the side for just a bit before they come back and whip up another hurricane.

In an especially difficult time in one of my adult children's lives, they recently told me- "God gives me enough provision (aka hope, relief, sanity) to get me through one day.  No more, no less."  In thinking about that,  I realized my child is living a quail and manna life- having just what they need for the 24 hours ahead of them, and knowing that it won't be enough to get them through tomorrow.

God knows what you need for today - how much and how little.  God has enough for you for tomorrow, too.  Trust Him to provide the quail and the manna.