Word Weary (WW)

Have you ever felt Word Weary (WW) in your prayers? I have! And, right at the height of one of my prayer seasons of WW, a friend shared a  magazine with me.; “Scientific American Oct. 2012 issue.” The front cover featured article was entitled; “The Language of the Brain, how the world’s most complicated machine processes and communicates information.”

I thought, OK, WW, it’s my brain.  I quickly read the article and realized, no, not my brain. Well, maybe I had some locked cells. Let me test and see, I put on a new outfit for color to see if my eyes might just unlock the brain cells.  NO, I’m still Word Weary!

Let me try a craft with my hands. O, gee, one more useless item to display so I can remind myself to pay off the credit card for the glue and sparkles each time I see it. I’m still WW.

Jump, dart and run because I had ignored my ears. Why of course I got it, Music, order a new CD, play and catapult my emotions right into an ‘orbit frenzy’. This just had to unlock those locked brain cells.  This exercise reminded me I had spent more money and had more clutter to face up to.  I’m still Word Weary.

Feet, I have found my answer.  Buy a new pair of flip-flops, get them all dirty in one day. What a flop, I am WW in all my prayers.

Then, I received a letter from a very special lady outlining what is to be her last few months (unless God intervenes)  on earth and sharing how thankful and grateful she is for all God’s goodness to her by working thru His earth angels. The eyes make a river, the heart expands,  the hands go up, the feet go into help action and the prayers are no longer Word Weary.

My words are now birthed from the Spirit within. Salvation is God’s Gift to the World. It does not come from us earthlings but from Jesus, the Lord who saves. Immanuel, the Lord with us makes me realize I am not salvation to the world. He is!

Sara

Encouragment

The dictionary says: “To encourage is to give active help or to raise confidence to the point where one dares to do what is difficult.” With that being said…..how do we know that our words or actions are; indeed, ENCOURAGING  to someone?

Image

My wonderful husband, Chris and I in Charlotte, NC with our boys. My husband is such an encouragement to me and our boys. He encourages his Mom, Dad and so many others. I am a blessed woman to have my husband in my life as an encourager. I believe he has the gift of ‘encouragement’. And, he uses it well. “If we can encourage others, we should encourage them.” – Romans 12:4-5, 8

As a wife, mother, friend and nurse; do I encourage others in the way our definition gives?  Let’s ‘spy the truth’ and see how we rate! Tammy

Rena’s Notes from Conference

ImageRena Oynes, Mandeville, La, retired elementary school teacher, Mother of two sons with three grands…find me on morning walks near the lake with my pug, JD.
contact me @Rena Oynes-rkoynes@gmail.com
Unglued Women’s Conference with Lysa TerKeurst, Speaker and President of Proverbs 31 
 Session 1
 Unglued: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Raw Emotions
 The Exploder who blames others.
        Learn to attack the issue and not the person
 Scripture:  “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”  Proverbs 10:19
 Exploder who shames themselves.
         We have different reactions with different people.
         Feel they have to move a point
 “A fool shows his annoyance at once but a prudent person overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 12: 16
 Working in the way of the Lord the exploder will be honest
 The Stuffer who builds barriers.  Want to feel safe.  Need to set boundaries not barriers.
“He who conceals his hatred has lying lips…  The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.”  Proverbs 10: 18,21
The Stuffer who collects retaliation rocks.
 “Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”  Proverbs 10:14
 Stuffer operating in the way of the Lord is a peacemaker.
 Soul integrity – honesty and peacemaking
Your feeling are indicators not dictators.
Session 2
Your reaction determines your reach:  The way you react matters
 1.  Remember who you are
 “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord…” 2 Chronicles 20:3
                    (place your name here)
   Do you feel like Jehoshaphat, someone or something is marching against you.  How we react to these situations is critical:
 Call out to Jesus – call out his name over and over and over  John 17:11
  “Lord  come in the midst of all this and be in the center of my life.
 2.  Remember God’ job isn’t your job.
 He said:  “Listen, King Johoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem!  This is what the Lord says to you:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s”  2 Chronicles 20:15
 We feel FEAR and DISCOURAGEMENT when problems – overwhelming come knocking – be obedient to God.  The two remind you that you need to be in God’s WORD.
3.  Remember thanks and praise to God.
We are not to sit and say it’s God’s responsibility.  The King put the choir boys the singers first – strength to God.  Size would not win this battle..  A strategy that man would not have chosen.
“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him or the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”  2 Chronicles 20:  21
4.  Remember reaction determines your reach.
 “The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the country when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace for his God had given him rest on every side.” 2 Chronicles 20:  29-30
God gave the King rest on every side.
The battle belongs to God.
I will position myself in a thankful position in the midst of the battle.
I give thanks for who YOU are..
Lysa told her testimony and how receiving all from the Lord she still had a void.
One day someone called her and asked her to be apart of something they wanted to start on the computer – Proverbs 31
She didn’t even know what Proverbs 31 was – hadn’t even read it.  She said she would work in the background as she was a pretty good in marketing.
Decided she needed to read Proverbs 31 and she has worked with them for 19 years now.  The void has been filled. She said start you day with whispers to God before shouts with the world begin.
 She then gave her testimony –
She said the word Messiah has four letters in the beginning that was her life – a mess.  She said let the messiah touch that mess.  Let the Messiah touch that mess in your life for others as He has done in her liee.
She went on to say – If you are people of faith live a life of faith that desperately needs God.  Get up!! Get Out! and do something!!
She went on to tell the story of Joshua and the wall.   There was a wall between Joshua and the promise.  How did he push through?  Joshua 5: 13 Presence of God is talking with Joshua
Joshua 14  the answer Joshua got from the devine was not what he wanted.  What was wrong.
Joshua had asked the wrong question.    Question:  Am I going with God or not that is how to push through.
Prayer:  Lord I don’t have to have all the answers, but I say YES.  She said as we get out of bed may we say yes to JESUS every day.
Lysa TerKeurst used very real examples from her life – some made you laugh as you could relate.  Others made you cry because of the depth of sorrow and heart ache this life brings.
She is the mother of 5 children.  2 from an orphanage in Africa and three natural children.  (2 as a result to starting her day off with YES to the Lord one morning.)

Sara’s Morning Thoughts

Sara's Morning Thoughts

Our Threads are worn. Our Hearts are warm and our Toes are sore.

Our Minds at best feel like crusty bread. Fingers are stiff while our
Eyes seem so dim.

Lips are lined and our Chins in decline.

Yet, there is something smooth, calm and at peace from deep within.

One sits like a sun-glazed lake with mirrors of reflections that project
pleasure to all that sits within her presences.

Yes, she has a knowing of bliss while acquainted with grief. A hope of
always being while sitting still with a full view that flickers and glistens.

O my Soul is filled with Joy that never has an empty moment because its
Springs are flowing from The Source!

Autumn Sale

Fall is almost here. September 22 signals this season change. As the
season changes, so must the plants in our gardens. Summer’s hot pinks
and refreshing limes wave goodbye as we welcome pumpkin orange, deep
yellows, rusts and burgundy reds. Friendly pansies faces appear on
garden shelves again, intermixed with mounds of mums while plumes of
grasses wave in the wind. Ornamental cabbages and kale will compliment
any fall garden design, then can tough it out during winter months
when few other decorative plants are brave enough to stick their heads
out in the cold. Yes, fall brings change but also a different beauty
to enjoy before winter makes its way onto the scene.

If you are in the Leesburg, Virginia area September 19-21, be sure to
visit the Monroe Technology Center’s Fall Plant Sale. You will find
lots of hardy fall mums, winter pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale
and other plants to make your garden beds, or perhaps just a pot at
your doorstep, welcome this fall season. Debi, PS, be sure to double click photos for beauty
Img 3832
Img 3833
Img 3834
.

Edenton Bible Study

I am excited to share that on Thursday, September 13, 2012, we will have the kickoff, for our local woman’s Bible study, in Edenton, North Carolina. Mrs. Erilynne Barnum, of “Call2Discipleship” Ministries will be here to share God’s Word. She will be sharing in a morning and evening session, like a “mini” retreat! Men are encouraged to join their wives, at the evening session. It is my understanding, from the planning that the decorations may include several tablecloths tied/sown together, leading to the foot of a cross. Signifying that although we come from different churches and all walks of life, the ground is LEVEL, at the foot of the cross! What an exciting time! Won’t you join us?

Where: Edenton Baptist Church Fellowship Hall
200 S Granville St.
Edenton, NC
When: 10am and 7pm

If you would like to come to the 10 am session, there will be a catered lunch, for $10.00, if you would like to have lunch together. Hope to see you there,

Tammy Holton

Baby Dove

Baby Dove

By; Sara
Have you ever found a baby bird lost from their nest? A lovely beautiful Dove Baby Bird. I did this morning. Mother Dove waiting in nest about 14 ft straight up wondering how she is going to retrieve her baby. Two Shelties barking and running around with wonderment trying to retrieve the baby.

My Sheltie, Lily, banging my door, barked in a stressful way until I followed her out to see what the happening was. I found the Baby Dove. My heart broke wondering if the baby had fallen more than 14 ft to a concrete patio and damaged for life. My Shelties, Lily and Shadow and myself went into panic mode. I called my son, Chris, only to find out he was an hour away. I called my other son, Jon, with same result. I called my busy husband and he didn’t have much choice but to come home to help since he didn’t think I was thinking well in my emotional fervor. A Baby Dove escaped from the nest and he must pick it up and help.

I made a call to Debi, another Lily, trying to prepare as a teacher for her second week of school. I tell her I am sending fallen baby bird to her to feed and help. She said, “Me? Why me?” Ok, ok, ok, she said I will find the Vet Tech (VT) teacher and see what she says. Whee, finally, some help. Almost time for school to start. Our time is short. We must act. VT said, Baby Dove is in good shape. Must go back in nest. Here comes Debi. Out comes the folding ladder. Two unskilled ladder techs, Debi and myself. Help someone. OK, we got help. Ladder up. Mother Dove in nest. Now what? Call to VT,  how can we put baby in nest with Mother there. “Go forward,” she says. “Mother will fly away and come back. Just an ‘old wive’s fable that Mother Bird won’t come back to nest if we touch it.’ O, by the way, it took us ten minutes to locate the VT on phone after the bird just left her precious hands. And, that was with the help of other school staff. School went into Vet ER for Baby Dove.

Forward, we went. Into nest went Baby Dove with no Mom. Debi got back to school in the nick of time for students. I waited by window to see if Mother would return. SHE DID! She flew in and out of nest all day with food.

I have been thinking and meditating today how God told us if we are worried about our everyday life-whether we have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear to just pause and take a look at His birds and how He takes care of them.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

Yes, you are!

How’s your Faith?

By Tammy Holton

Edenton, NC
(Luke 7: 36 – 50) “One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!’ Then Jesus answered his thoughts, ‘Simon,’ he said to the Pharisee, ‘I have something to say to you.’ ‘Go ahead, Teacher,’ Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story. ‘A man loaned money to two people–500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?’ Simon answered. ‘I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.’ ‘That’s right,’ Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon. ‘Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You eglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins–and they are many– have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. but a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.’ Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The men at the table said among themselves.’Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins/’ And Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’”

The dictionary defines faith: “1) complete trust or confidence in someone or something. 2) strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”
A portion of the footnotes for Luke 7: 44 says: “Although God’s grace through faith is what saves us, and not acts of love or generosity, this woman’s act demonstrated her true faith, and Jesus honored her.”
The title of this blog asks…”how’s your faith?” On a scale from 1 to 10, (10 = the most faith in Christ), do you think this woman’s score would be a 10? What do you think your score is?