Wholeheartedly

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Abbie, age 4, is my third niece, and the verse I chose for her seemed to fit her at an early age. Full of joy and personality, she does pretty much everything she does with all of her heart. She loves coming to church and Bible study and was memorizing and spouting off Bible verses almost as soon as she could talk. She goes around the house singing songs of praise to God.

I pray that this joyful spirit will go with her throughout her life, and that her love for God will grow as she does. I hope she will always have a heart for Him and a hunger for His word. God has given her many gifts, and I look forward to seeing how He will use them in her life.

P.S. Click here to see a cute video clip of Abbie.

Things I am Thankful For

For many in our society Thanksgiving has become little more than a kickoff for the Christmas season, but I truly enjoy it for what it should be: an opportunity to gather together with family and/or friends without all the pressures that Christmas brings and also to think about what we are thankful for.

God has blessed me in so many ways. It is hard to narrow them down to a paragraph, but for the sake of blogging, I’ll try. I am thankful for my family, including my husband. I am thankful to live in a country where I have the freedom to worship God, and for the opportunities I have to do that. I have the desire to do this since God forgave my sins and saved me through Jesus’ death on the cross, another gift I am immeasurably thankful for. I am healthy. I have a wonderful group of friends, a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my back, a car to drive, and pets to love. I am not without anything I need, and have a lot of other "stuff" that I just want. God has been so good to me, and I am glad that Thanksgiving is an opportunity to acknowledge that.

I am going to be taking a few days off from blog-writing to spend the holiday with family. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’ll be back soon!

A Little Project

I saw someone do this on Facebook and thought it might be kind of fun:

1. Grab the book nearest you.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Type the 5th full sentence
4. Tell us the name of the book.

Leave your results as a comment. It will be interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

Here’s mine: "It’s still early yet," he said, wanting to offer hope.
From The Longing, by Beverly Lewis

Setting an Example

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." I Timothy 4:12

Last Sunday I blogged about choosing a verse to pray for each of my nieces and my nephew. Hannah, age 6, is my second niece.

Though the middle of 3 sisters (followed by a little brother), Hannah is very much her own self. She is quiet, but she will often surprise me with a great flood of knowledge, particularly about God and His word.

She is very artistic and creative and has a love for God and all of His creatures. Her heart is pure and her faith is deep. At a very young age she revealed to her parents, matter-of-factly, that she had asked Jesus into her heart while she was laying in bed one night.

I can see God working in her life through this verse, as she is already setting an example for all of us in many ways. I believe she will continue to do this as she grows in wisdom and stature, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for her.

Southern Pralines

This is probably my all-time favorite cookbook. Published in 1987, I’m pretty sure it’s out of print now. It is chock-full of good, down-home southern recipes. Calorie counting is not a factor in most of them.

The first time I visited my in-laws, who live in Iowa, I wanted to take something that was a taste of the South, so I chose "Southern Pralines" from this cookbook. They loved them and have asked me to make them every year, so I’m revving up to make them this week.

These are not for the faint of heart. Extremely sweet and rich . . . they are delicious! They’re not too difficult to make, but you do have to follow the directions pretty closely.

Southern Pralines

2 cups sugar
2 cups pecan halves
¾ cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/8 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. baking soda

Combine all ingredients except baking soda in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves. Cover and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes to wash down sugar crystals from sides of pan. Uncover and cook to soft ball stage (235°), stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in soda. Beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to thicken. Working rapidly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased wax paper. Let stand until firm. Yield: 1½ to 2 dozen.

The Evil Media

Don and I watched a Nova special on PBS this week about the Old Testament. We were excited that Nova would cover such a topic, but after we had watched it for a little while, we realized that our joy was futile. They were basically on a quest to convince people that the Bible wasn’t true. It was when they said that the Israelites were really Canaanites, not a separate people as the Bible clearly states, because their pots they used were similar to those used by the Canaanites, that I had had enough and quit watching it. Don lasted a little longer, but he too gave up before it was over.

It makes me mad that the media can say whatever they want to, and people will believe them. They can make up lies about anything and speak them as if they were the truth. PBS, the "educational" channel, is especially bad, for example, about talking about evolution as if it were an established fact.

On Wednesday morning in Bible study we were studying Sodom and Gomorrah and talking about how the media today glorifies sin, i.e. homosexuality, the specific sin the Bible most clearly cites as what was going on in Sodom before God destroyed them. On Wednesday night I was watching a show I like, Bones. We don’t usually get to watch it because of worship team practice at church, but practice got cancelled, so we watched it. In that episode one of the best-liked and most respected characters, Angela, announced matter-of-factly and shamelessly that she is a lesbian. There was no real sense of shock from any of the other characters.

As I have said before, I don’t hate homosexuals as people, but the Bible clearly says homosexuality is wrong. I believe God will judge our society for treating it as if it weren’t.

This is why I almost never watch TV. I can’t control the things they say, but I don’t have to watch it. Why, as Christians, do we allow the values of Hollywood into our homes to pollute our minds and those of our families? There may be a few good things on there, but basically every time I watch it, I am shocked and disappointed.

I think the media is responsible for a good deal of the moral corruption that is prevalent in America today. If we would just turn off the TV, stop watching movies, reading gossip magazines, and giving the media power over us, I think we would all be much better off.

The First Thanksgiving

We all know the story of the Pilgrims coming to the "New World" on the Mayflower and celebrating the first Thanksgiving, but do we know the whole story? I did a little research (and got some info from my history-expert husband) to find out what really happened.

It began in England when Henry VIII, who reigned from 1509-1547, named himself the head of the Church of England, independent from the Roman Catholic Church. Many people were unhappy about this, including a group called "Puritans," who sought to reform the Church of England. They believed a church should be under Christ, not any king or queen and also wanted to purify it by adopting simpler modes of worship. One group of Puritans was called Separatists because they believed in separation from the established church.

When King James assumed the throne in 1603, he vowed to make everyone conform to the Church of England or he would drive them out of the land. This was actually the same King James who ordered the Bible translation we now have.

One group of Separatists from the village of Scrooby escaped to Holland after being denied permission to move by King James, so they could worship as they pleased there. Life in Holland as foreigners was difficult, and they worried that their children were assimilating into the culture there. They decided they wanted to go to a place that was relatively uninhabited and try to begin a life there.

About thirty-five of the Scrooby Separatists went on this voyage to the New World, and for financial reasons, they joined forces with some people from England, for a total of around 102 people. Some of those from England wanted to go for religious freedom ("saints") and others for other reasons ("strangers"). The Mayflower Compact was written as an agreed-upon form of government for these groups. The voyage across the ocean on the Mayflower took two months, and they arrived in America in December 1620.

Obviously, this was not the best time of year to begin a life in an uninhabited place, so the first few months were very hard. Nearly half of them died. In the spring of the following year they met up with two English-speaking Indians, Samoset and Squanto, who taught them how to grow corn and catch fish. They also grew barley and pumpkins and killed turkey and deer for food. That fall, they had a great feast to celebrate their survival and give thanks to God.

There were to be more hard times ahead, but these pilgrims persevered and were joined by thousands of others over the next several years. Their governor, William Bradford, documented much of the history that he lived. Among his writings is this quote: "Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by his hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are, and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise."

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November (later changed to the fourth Thursday) should be set aside as "a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." While we are eating our turkey and dressing this year, let us remember the courage of those who came here for the sake of their faith and thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.

How Pets Improve Your Health

I went for many years without pets (other than hamsters). I was frequently lonely and often afraid at night. Then I got my dog Dasha. She turned my life upside down.
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When you have a pet, especially if you don’t have children, you are fulfilled in having something to take care of, something that needs and depends on you. They build your self-esteem when they joyfully greet you at the door every time you come home and treat you as if you hung the moon. When you sit down to watch TV, you have someone who will curl up in your lap. In the case of dogs, you have a built-in burglar alarm. They bring laughter to your home with their antics. (Our dog Nash is especially full of them.)
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Dasha was a big factor in helping me lose a lot of weight several years ago, and keep it off for the most part, because she needed to be walked every day. I have gotten to know a lot of my neighbors through my dogs too. When people see you walking a dog, most naturally assume you’re a nice person and feel free to start up a conversation with you.
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Studies have shown that pets decrease blood pressure and cholesterol and have other physical health benefits, and I have no trouble believing this.
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Getting a pet is a responsibility not to be taken lightly, but I believe the benefits of owning one far outweigh the disadvantages. I don’t think you should get one if you aren’t prepared to care for it properly, but if you can find room in your home and your heart for one, I think a pet would bring a joy to your life.

A Month of Craziness

We’re about to enter into the crazy season. From Thanksgiving ‘til New Years, the world goes insane. My December calendar is already almost full. Plus I have to shop to buy presents that nobody really needs anyway.

Why do I have to do all this? Because I live in America. I have been trying for years to find a way to avoid it all.

It’s not that I completely hate it, but it just seems to me that if we are going to have a celebration of Jesus’ birth, then that’s what we ought to do. Why does it have to be accompanied by so much stress? It’s very unlikely December 25 is actually Jesus’ birthday anyway. The holiday actually has pagan roots. More on that in a future blog.

If I had my way, I would go to church on Christmas Eve and then spend a cozy Christmas day with my family, maybe exchanging small, heartfelt gifts. We would rejoice together in the Savior God sent into the world. Then life would go on (though I think the celebration of Jesus should last all year).

But I feel like I would be considered a "grinch" if I handled Christmas this way, if I didn’t go to any of the parties I was invited to or didn’t give gifts to the people who gave them to me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy parties; I just wish they didn’t all have to be in December. And it’s not that I don’t like to give presents; I just like to do it when I have a good reason or desire to, not just because it’s Christmas.

And why do we have to eat so much? As most anyone who struggles with their weight will tell you, this is by far the most difficult time of the year to control your food intake.

Sorry to be such a stick in the mud. What are your thoughts? Do you love every minute of it, or if not, how do you handle it all?

Top 10 Websites Where I Can Waste A Lot of Time

Just in case you have too much time on your hands like I do (NOT!), here are some things to keep you busy. Most of these sites can be useful in the right context, but I find I can easily get consumed with them and spend entirely too much time on them.

1. http://www.youtube.com/ (Watch videos of almost anything in the world.)
2. http://www.facebook.com/ (I have found a good percentage of everybody I have known in every phase of my life on here. You must set up an account (free) to use this.)
3. http://www.allrecipes.com/ (Find almost any recipe you could ever want.)
4. http://www.amazon.com/ (Order almost anything you can dream of at very reasonable prices.)
5. http://www.rhapsody.com/ (Listen to all your favorite music (free in limited quantities).)
6. http://hobsvtxie01.nashville.org/Default.asp?br=exp&vr=6 (If you like to snoop, you can find out the value of anybody’s house in Davidson County. If you don’t live in Nashville, your city probably has an equivalent site.)
7. http://www.ebay.com/ (If it’s not on Amazon, it’s almost certainly here, or you may be able to get an even better deal on it here.)
8. http://www.biblegateway.com/ (Find any scripture by reference or key word. More Bible translations than you probably knew existed, including a number of foreign languages.)
9. http://www.wikipedia.org/ (An up-to-the-minute encyclopedia that covers just about every topic in the universe.)
10. http://www.maps.google.com/ (Another good site for snoopers (which is a nice word for "stalkers"). Click on "Satellite" to get an aerial view of anybody’s neighborhood, or zoom in to see their house.)

Growing in Grace

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." II Peter 3:18

I picked a Bible verse to pray each of my nieces and my nephew when they were born and have prayed it for them regularly throughout their lives. I didn’t pick Grace’s verse for any particular reason; I just thought it was a good verse to pray for a child, and since it contained her name, it was all the more appropriate.

She is seven now, and I love seeing God answering my prayer in her life. As I have mentioned before, I am teaching her and Hannah in a Bible study class, and seeing Grace soak up the Scriptures and grow in her love for Christ is such a joy to me. She often has her hand raised to answer questions and asks good questions when she doesn’t know.

I look forward to seeing how God is going to continue to use this verse in Grace’s life as she grows into her teen years and adulthood. He is faithful, and I know He has great things in store for her!

Christmas Card Etiquette, From My Perspective

Even though it’s only mid-November, I’m already hearing people talk about sending out Christmas cards. I was talking to my sister-in-law, Melissa, yesterday about whether we’re going to send them out at all this year. Christmas is such a crazy time which I really don’t like very much anyway (more on that later), and cards are just one more thing to stress about.

In some ways they’re good. It’s a way to keep in touch with people that you may not be in touch with the rest of the year, although you kind of have to wonder about the quality of those relationships if all they consist of is a once-a-year Christmas card. I think it’s acceptable to send them every other year. That way, you get a little less stress one year out of every two.

There are several different options for sending Christmas cards.

The Newsletter. I have done this a number of times, and for the most part my recipients seem to enjoy them. At least they tell me they do. I have heard comments through the years (not directed at me) making fun of those "boring" newsletters, but I don’t think they have to be boring. I always enjoy them most if they are not too long (1 side of 1 page is good), contain interesting highlights and not too many details. Pictures are always a nice touch too, especially if you have kids.

The Photo Card. These can be made very cheaply at Wal-Mart. Just have someone take a family photo, choose your "frame," and they’ll fix you right up. I like receiving these, and it’s even acceptable not to add a personal note. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The Plain Card. No matter how elaborate a design you pick, these are not overly exciting unless they at least have a personal note added. I guess it’s a gesture to let people know you’re thinking of them if you just send a signed one, but not a very heartfelt one. I would maybe send one of these to business acquaintances and others who aren’t personal friends or family.

So, there you have it: my opinion. I think I’ve decided I’m not going to send out cards this year, so if you don’t get one from me, please don’t take it personally. Check back later, and I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas via my blog.

Percy Priest Lake

I love learning about history from people who have lived it. I was recently talking to a friend in her 60’s who has lived in Nashville all her life, and she told me something that surprised me: Percy Priest Lake hasn’t always been there. Maybe this is something that everybody else knew, but I didn’t. It is a man-made lake that grew out of the Stone’s River when the Percy Priest Dam was built between 1963 and 1968. I did a little research of my own and found out the lake covers 14,200 acres in Davidson, Wilson and Rutherford Counties.

Many families had to give up their homes and land so it could be created. Roads that used to go from one place to another were completely covered. I had noticed that Old Hickory Blvd. in Hermitage dead-ends right into the lake. (It would be much easier for me to visit my brother or my mom if it wasn’t there.) There was once a town called Old Jefferson that is now completely submerged. There were a number of cemeteries in the area that had to be moved before the lake was made.

So what was the point? Apparently there had been a lot of flooding in the area anyway, so they decided to put it to good use. The dam helps generate electricity used by local residents. The lake also provides for boating, swimming, fishing, beaches and other water activities.

J. Percy Priest, for whom it is named, was a Tennesseean who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1940-1956. He really had nothing to do with the creation of the lake, but the name was chosen in his honor shortly after he died.

Thanks, Ms. Barbara, for your info!

This picture is from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Digital Visual Library.

Cold Ankles

I am not an unusually tall person (5’6"), but I have very long legs. This presents a problem. I have trouble finding pants that are long enough for me. Fortunately, a lot of women’s pants now come in Petite, Medium and Long lengths, but this is not the case with sweat pants. Even if I buy them so big that I need to wear a belt to hold them up, the length still usually falls roughly two inches above my ankles. This is not only unattractive, but it also leaves me with very cold ankles. The whole point of wearing sweat pants is to be comfortable, and I am not comfortable if I have cold ankles.

I have one pair that I really like. I bought them about ten years ago in the men’s department. They have elastic at the ankles and are so long that the legs balloon at the bottom. I love them. I usually wash them at least once between regular laundry days so I can wear them again. I bought them when I was much heavier than I am now and they are way too big, but they have a drawstring at the top, so that holds them up. I have a big cozy sweatshirt to match.

Since they are ten years old and I wear them pretty much all the time in the winter, they are starting to show a little wear. Now I am on a quest to find another set that I like equally well. Until then, I will continue to wear my oversized and tattered one. At least my ankles will be warm.

Trader Joe's

There is a new store in town: Trader Joe’s. It is in Green Hills, next to Grace’s Plaza, where Wild Oats used to be. They’ve been in business since 1967 and have about 280 stores around the country, but this is the first one to open in Tennessee.
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I stopped by yesterday to check it out. Parking was kind of bad, but that may improve as the newness wears off. The store itself isn’t huge, but it has character. It is a grocery store with a unique selection of products, most of which would be considered healthy, but not in the sense of tofu and carrot juice. They have a nice produce section with lots of good-looking things and various other types of groceries from the U.S. and around the world.
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The prices are not exactly cheap, but I would say that they’re better than those of their neighbor and competitor, Whole Foods (a/k/a "Whole Paycheck").
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This store probably wouldn’t be a very practical place to do your weekly grocery shopping for the family, but if you’re tired of all the same ol’ stuff and are looking for something different, this might be a good place to check out.

Franklin Band Days

I’ve been reminiscing a lot lately about my Franklin High School marching band days, probably because it’s fall and because I’ve been hooking up with a lot of those old friends on Facebook. I played the clarinet then; I was TERRIBLE, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying marching band. It was a lot of hard work and dedication (both on my part and my parents’, having to come pick me up at all hours of the day and night), but I’m glad I did it.
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We had practice every afternoon after school during football season, played at the games every Friday night (many of them out of town) and had contests on Saturdays. Didn’t leave much time for a social life, but most of my closest friends were in the band anyway. I can still remember the thrill of marching out onto the field for a performance, and the even greater thrill of winning. We were state champions my sophomore year. My senior year, we were in the Orange Bowl parade and then stopped by Disney World on the way home.
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Even now, Friday nights in the fall remind me of playing at football games. Sometimes it was FREEZING cold. We sat in the stands and waved Confederate flags as we cheered on our team (now no longer politically correct, but after all, we were the Franklin Rebels). I didn’t know the first thing about football when I started high school, but by the time I graduated, I had learned all the rules and actually enjoyed watching the games.
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Besides learning about football, I also developed a lot of discipline and endurance from being in the band. I learned some things about music and rhythm, though I was a very slow learner on those things. (I still consider myself to be "rhythmically handicapped," even though I have since learned to play the flute moderately well.)
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I think being in the marching band was definitely the highlight of my high school years, and if I had to do those years over, I would do it again.
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But I’m glad I don’t have to.
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Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

I grow jalapeño peppers every year in my garden. I’m never quite sure why I do it; I usually just end up letting them go to waste, but they grow so well, at least it gives me satisfaction to have something so productive.
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This year was different. A lady I know made these appetizers for a dinner I went to, and I have become an addict. Now the jalapeños don’t grow fast enough. These are delicious! The cream cheese cuts down on the hotness of the peppers, but I would recommend wearing rubber gloves or plastic bags on your hands when you are cutting them up. I use an apple corer to remove the membranes from them, which works pretty well.

10 large jalapeño peppers
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
10 bacon strips, halved
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Cut off tops of peppers and cut in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membrane. Spread approx. 2 tsp. cream cheese in each half. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpick. Place on a broiler rack that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is done. Serve warm.
Mine are kind of wimpy because I had to pick a bunch of little ones before the frost got them. Still tasty, though!

Praising God in Hard Times

"I will extol the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 34:1

Some time ago I burned a CD of my favorite songs of praise. I think I was going through a difficult time, and I wanted to take the focus off of me and turn it toward God. I have found this to be a very effective remedy and have been listening to it this week.

We all have our "pity parties," but if you think about it, they generally stem from focusing on ourselves and our problems. If we instead focus on God and His attributes, reading Psalms or singing songs of praise, it become very hard to feel sorry for ourselves.

Many of us have had a hard week this week and are worrying about our future, but I can almost guarantee that praising God will not only help you feel better, but will remind you that He has things under control.

Some of my favorite Psalms of praise are: 19, 30, 33, 93, 100, 103, 105, 150. Of course, there are many others.

Here are a few of my favorite praise songs. You probably have some of your own.

I Will Praise You in the Storm – Casting Crowns
How Can I Keep from Singing – Chris Tomlin
I Will Praise Him Still – Fernando Ortega
Blessed Be Your Name – Newsboys
Praise the Lord – The Imperials

George W. Bush

Poor George Bush is getting a bad rap these days. Well, he really has from the very beginning, but even McCain put him down during his campaign, vowing not to be like him.
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In spite of it all, I still like and respect him. I appreciate that he is a professing Christian, and I think his faith is genuine. I think he probably prayed about the decisions he made and tried to do his job in accordance with God’s standards.
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His main priority during his administration, by default, had to be national security, and I believe he has handled that well. After all, we haven’t had another attack since 9/11. Of course, we don’t know what might have been, but if Bush hadn’t handled it as well as he had, the United States of America may no longer be on the map.
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He has had an immeasurably difficult job that I certainly wouldn’t want. He has made some mistakes and hasn’t given as much attention to some matters as some people would have liked for him to, but we have to give him credit for focusing on what is probably the most important matter of all. After all, we’re still here.

Ellington Agricultural Center

Ellington Agricultural Center is a little-known place that I consider to be one of Nashville’s treasures. Once a private estate, it is now owned by the State of Tennessee and used for government purposes but open to the public. If you take Hogan Road away from Franklin Road, you will run right into it. There is also an entrance on Edmondson Pike.
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We’ve been blessed with a whole week of gorgeous, sunny days with temperatures in the 70’s, so one day I took the dogs and went over there to take some pictures while the leaves were pretty. Before I got married I lived right down the road from it, so Dasha and I went over there often. She LOVED it. I merely had to say, "Do you want to go the Ag Center?" and she would begin dancing in circles. I don’t go nearly as often now since it’s not so close by, but just to test her, I asked her that question. Sure enough, she remembered. Nash joined in the excitement too.
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Up on a hill in front of the main entrance is Brentwood Hall, a home built during the 1920’s by Rogers Caldwell.

Just to your right is a beautiful hill with a gazebo at the foot of it. This is where Don and I got engaged.
The gardens behind the gazebo are planted with various kinds of irises and are a burst of purples, pinks, whites and even yellows in the springtime. The iris is the Tennessee state flower.
There is a museum section consisting of several buildings containing all types of historical artifacts. Admission is free.
Not long after Don and I first started dating, we came for a walk over here and got caught in a rainstorm. We ended up on the porch here talking for probably an hour. (Hmmm . . . I might just like this guy.)
There are all types of trees, now showing off their beautiful fall colors.
A number of gardens can be found, not in full bloom right now, but pretty nonetheless. The tree in the middle of this one is a tulip poplar, the Tennessee state tree.
As I said in an earlier blog, I am fascinated by old cemeteries. Some of the graves in this one pre-date the Civil War.
The horses that live here are used by the Metro Nashville Police’s Mounted Patrol.
There are walking trails that wind around the 207-acre campus where you may get some exercise and enjoy the beauty of it all. There are a few picnic tables scattered about, if you want to take your dinner. This can be a fun, no-cost outing for the whole family.

The Days Ahead

I was thinking recently about the analogy of putting a frog in a pot of lukewarm water. If you slowly heat the water up, the frog won’t notice and will stay there and die. However, if you put him in a pot of boiling water, he will jump out immediately.

We are living in a society where the morals have been declining for many years. Our rights, particularly as Christians, are being taken away, one by one. We may get outraged for a little while at something new that happens, but we soon learn to live with it.

Could it be that Obama will be the pot of boiling water that will get our attention? I’m not out to second-guess what God is doing, but I know that He has a plan in all this. Maybe the prospect of losing so many of our freedoms that we still do have will wake us up and force us to take a stand for what we believe and fight for our rights.

I don’t think it will be an easy ride over the next four years for this country, but we need to be prepared to fight for what we believe and to trust God to take care of us through it all.

Our Ways and God's Ways

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:2-3

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:11

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Well, I am disappointed, and quite frankly, a bit afraid. What is in store for America? I just have to trust that God is handling it, and He has our best interests at heart. What seems right to me is not necessarily what is right to God. Our responsibility is to trust that He has a plan and praise Him for it, even when we don’t understand what He’s doing. The verses above are helping me do that.

Please join me in praying for Obama, that he will know Jesus, if he doesn't, and that he will have wisdom and strength and look to God for guidance in leading our country.

Election Day

Well, election day is here. I have seen far more passion and fervor in this political season than I ever have before. I believe the battle between good and evil in this country is getting stronger and stronger.

I have done everything I can. I have tried to get the word out about what I sincerely believe to be true, that Obama would be a bad choice for us. I have cast my vote. I have prayed, and prayed, and prayed. Now we have come down to what was really true all along: it’s in God’s hands.

It may be that Obama wins. It is still in God’s hands. It may be that the days ahead are going to be much harder than any we have ever known. It is still in God’s hands. If McCain wins, that is in God’s hands too. The truth is that, even if he wins, McCain is not our savior; Jesus is.

Please join me today in praying for our country and that those who cast their votes today will make wise choices, that the votes will be counted fairly and accurately, and that God will have mercy on us all.

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Matthew 6:9b-13

Exercising My Second Amendment Rights

I did something this weekend that I have never done before. Don and I had decided that, in light of current national and world events, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to learn to shoot a gun. He has a .22-caliber rifle, so on Saturday we went out to the shooting range on Hobson Pike in Mt. Juliet, where I had my first lesson.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It was a beautiful day, and I actually had fun! I am sincerely hopeful that I will never have a reason to use this skill for anything other than sport. Still, it never hurts to know how to do it. If it’s good enough for Sarah Palin, it’s good enough for me!

Hymns

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

Old hymns are probably my favorite kind of music. Many churches are now going to more contemporary music, which I believe has its place, but not to the exclusion of hymns. These are songs that have stood the test of time, where gospel truths are spoken well and have been sung for generations, and I believe many of them will be sung in heaven. It would be hard for me to even choose my favorites, because I have so many, but here are a few of them:

Holy, Holy, Holy
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
How Great Thou Art
O Worship the King
Great is Thy Faithfulness
It is Well With My Soul
All Creatures of Our God and King
Amazing Grace
My Jesus, I Love Thee

I could go on and on. Then there are all the Christmas and Easter ones and all the patriotic ones that I love as well.

Hymns are a wonderful legacy that we shouldn’t neglect to pass on to the next generation. What are some of your favorites?

A Useful Cookbook

Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer is a cookbook I got a few months ago that is great for planning ahead. It shows you how to make up meals that keep well in the freezer, so on busy days, all you have to do is thaw one out and pop it in the oven. It tells you how to modify the recipes for various size batches and gives specific directions for preparation day and serving day, as well as giving advice for storing them so all your pans aren’t in the freezer. It has main dishes but also appetizers, side dishes and desserts.
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I think our favorite recipe that we’ve tried so far is the Chicken Enchiladas. We’ve also tried the Continental Beef, Beef Fajitas and the Chicken Lelani, which were all pretty good too.
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I would recommend this book if you, like me, have plenty of time some days and no time on other days. It may just make your life a little easier.