So, you want to go to Egypt?

(my son Joseph in Egypt!)

 

I  received this picture and note from my son who recently left Thailand to take a new teaching position in Turkey.  He decided to stop off in Egypt on the way to Istanbul. 

Without a doubt, Joseph is my adventurer!  If he had been alive in 1492, I am sure he would have been Christopher Columbus’s first mate onboard the Santa Maria!

Greetings from Egypt!

Hi mom, just want to give you a quick update on how things are going.

Upon arrival in Cairo, I discovered that it was Ramadan, which means almost no one in the entire country eats or drinks from sunrise to sunset. However, when the sun drops below the horizon, everyone flocks to the streets to feast together. After "break-fast" the energy level increases tenfold and the streets are abuzz until early in the morning.

I bought a camera and ventured out to the Pyramids of Giza. I took a camel ride through the desert and around the pyramids. I climbed to the top of one of the smaller ones and descended deep into the burial chamber of another. Inside the pyramid, I laid down in the well that once held the sarcophagus and could literally feel the weight of the massive stones above me. That evening I watched the sun set behind those magnificent ancient wonders. It was truly amazing.

I love you momma, and miss you. Istanbul is next!

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for God’s protection over Joseph as he continues his travels around the world!  I sure miss him!

 

Please join us over at Christy’s Critty Joy for more Word filled posts!  You won’t be disappointed! 

Friday Photo Flashback

I recently stumbled upon this meme and thought I would go find some old pictures of my boys through the years. 

My, my…the years have flown by so quickly!  If you are the mother of young ones now, cherish each and every moment.  Time waits for no one!  I labeled the first one with my son’s names, let’s see if you can figure out who’s who as they are growing up.

 

Easter - 1991

 

Ready for Church…5 years later

 

  

 

My oldest son’s wedding day in the summer of 2003, with all of his brothers.  He left two weeks later for a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan.

 

And this one taken on Easter 2007, right after their annual spring football game.

 

Now finally, I have my granddaughters to add a little pink to the family photos!  I enjoyed raising the boys…..but MY GIRLS are GREAT !!!!

Please join us over at Alicia’s More Than Words for more flashbacks!

Soaring

 

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?

The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.

 While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.

 

The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher.

It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us-and all of us will experience them-we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God.

The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.

God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure, and disappointment in our lives.

We can soar above the storm.

Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.

 

Join us today over at Lori’s All You Have to Give for more inspiring scriptures and graphics today. 

Weighing in…

Hey Ladies,

I didn’t plan on posting today, but someone sent me the funniest email this morning. 

Since crying about my weight doesn’t seem to help, I thought laughing was  therapeutic! 

Hope you have a blessed Labor Day Weekend♥

~My New Diet Plan~

Breakfast
     1 grapefruit
     1 slice whole wheat toast
     1 cup skim milk

Lunch 
     1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
     1 cup spinach
     1 cup herbal tea
     1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Tea

     1 The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
     1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

   Dinner

     2 loaves garlic bread
     1 family size supreme pizza
     3 Snickers Bars

     Late Night Snack

     1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

    Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts!

For more Friday Funnies join Kim at the Homesteaders Heart!

Would you join me in prayer?

 

 

I recently had the honor of stumbling upon a new blog called Bella Mella.  Someone had requested prayer for Andrew, Melanie’s son, who was just diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Now, having walked down that unexpected diagnosis road before, my heart was drawn to this family instantly. 

I thought I would stop by and maybe offer a prayer and some words of encouragement, but what I discovered was so much more. 

As Melanie faced the most dreaded words any mom could ever hear from a doctor, her faith and love for Jesus was simply unshaken.  Her mouth was filled with praises, and even now, she is proclaiming the goodness of God in the midst of this dark storm.

Many of you reading may already know this precious family.  Some may not, but either way please join with me in a time of prayer and fasting for this precious 12-year boy and his family.

In Gal.6:2 Paul said:

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

Let’s bind our hearts together as we come before the throne of God.  If you have not met this family yet, you really should take a moment and check in on them. They are counting on the prayers of the saints, now more then ever.

I’m believing for a miracle, will you join me?

On the road with Jesus…

(Devotion by David Jeremiah)

 

For seasoned travelers, the anticipation of a trip often outstrips the reality. Travel brochures never show the things that can go wrong, like airport delays, long lines, overbooked hotels, pick pockets, rainy weather, or bad food—to name a few.

Paul might have felt that way during his trip to Rome. After all, he was ditched at sea when his ship went down. But as the Book of Acts closes, we see him happily at work, sharing the Gospel with all he met.

When we're traveling with Jesus, we'll never be disappointed.

Cheerfulness keeps breaking in. We have our travel documents in the Bible, and a brochure of the final destination in Revelation 21-22. We have the Holy Spirit as a guide, and a straight and narrow path.

We'll not be disappointed with our accommodations as we abide in Christ.

Nor with our guidebook as we read His Word. Nor with our daily itinerary as we do His will. Nor even with our travel companions as we love His church.

And our final destination? We're heaven-bound pilgrims. We are just going over Jordan. We are just going over home.

 

Father, I thank you for the hope that is found in you.  Help us to remember you are always there, right beside us each step of the road before you.  Let our hearts be always heaven bound, and our joy be found only in you.

Please join us today over at Penny’s for more Word filled posts!

A Sweet Delight!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Beth Moore Satellite Simulcast conference here in my city.  One of my dearest friends, Cyndy, made plans to spend the night and attend the event with me. Over 90,000 people participated, including many from oversees.

Oh, what a refreshing, relaxing and really going deep into the Word time it was! 

I can’t imagine that anyone who attending the event was not changed and challenged by the revelation God used Beth to bring forth.

  I thought I would share the 7 key points that we covered in our study of Psalm 37, and the final commission she gave as we concluded the conference.

 

Key Points from Psalm 37 to meditate upon:

1. Nothing dictates our lives like our desires.
2. Beneath the desires of our heart is the heart of our desires.
3. Delighting in God adapts our desires into inevitabilities.
4. Nothing external can steal our right to delight.
5. To make room for delight we’ve got to commit.
6. Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight.
7. Till faith becomes sight, trust God and do good.

Those concepts are a lot to think about!

And now the commission Beth gave us:

My Dear Sister,

 
God has not overlooked you
He has not ignored you
He hears every petition
And intimately knows
The heart beneath it.

Give Him full access
To all your longings
Pray every single day
To become a person who delights in Him.

When delight seems to disappear remember to check your JAW!

• “J” - Are you jealous?
• “A” - Are you angry?
• “W” - Are you worried?

Roll it all on Jesus
He's strong enough to carry it
Big enough to handle it.
Trust God with all your heart
Now leave this place
And go into the world
And do some GOOD

I was hardly able to utter a word through that commission as tears continuously fell; I was just so choked up!  It was a moment forever sealed in my heart.

What a gift Beth Moore is to the body of Christ!

I'll be starting a Beth Moore series on The Book of Esther later this week with a group of sisters in a daytime study group!  I'm just sooooooooooooo excited! I can hardly wait to get started!