I need a personal app for patience, and I need it now!

I'd love to know how to be still and leave everything in God's hands.  I tell others to do that, but I can't even do it myself.  I'm impatient.  I fret.  I worry and wonder.

I've sent the first 3 chapters of my book to a publisher knowing their normal response time is 1 month.  I've also entered a humor essay contest.  More waiting there too as the results won't be listed until March!  Still, I check my email inbox so often that my computer mouse instinctively hops over to the "Check Email" button every 2.5 minutes without my prompting.

"Keep writing other projects," my fellow writers urge.  "Keep your creativity flowing," they say.  My creative powers are knee-deep in Mississippi mud, thank you very much.  I really hate how my preoccupied brain gets bogged down with wondering about an editor's response to my work.  Will they like it?  Will they want to see more?  Will I win the essay contest?  Can I even hope to receive as much as an Honorable Mention or will they understand my twisted sense of humor at all?

Only God knows...

I suppose my fellow writers are correct.  I need to jump back in the saddle and continue on with my writing.  I need to train myself to consider the work in God's hands as soon as I hit the Send button.  Besides, what if they really DO like my story and they want to see beyond the 3rd chapter???

Uh-oh, there's panic again.  Maybe I'd better get busy:)

The Joy of Cooking

Some things in life just make my heart sing; those unique, precious moments with my husband, or the witty, unrehearsed laughter with my children. 
I feel my heart sing at times when I'm alone, as well.  When I'm able to catch a few minutes of solitude to hear my own heart beat, to hear God's voice or to simply enjoy some of the pleasures of life.
I'm talking about the pleasure I find in gardening, in writing and in cooking; all of which involve self-expression.  They can be done alone and don't require the input of anyone else's creativity.  I can throw in a dash of red in an all-white flower bed, or an extra adjective in a sentence or even a little wine to a sauce, and it's great fun!
I love experimenting with cooking - but it wasn't always that way.  I thank God for giving me a husband who graciously consumes every creation I put before him; even in the early, deep-fried days of our marriage. 
I came from a family who loved to fry and had no issues with butter, either.  Eggs were cracked in a pool of oil, then my mom would flip the oil over the top to cook the yolk for "sunny-side up," OR they'd sit there and suffer for several minutes, getting flipped and tossed about until they could practically bounce right out of the pan for "over hard."
Now it's a different story.  Thanks to the Food Network and the endless supply of tried-and-true recipes found on the internet, even I can cook!
I've learned not to be afraid or intimidated by a recipe or the desire to change it.  It's not like Martha Stewart is going to come at me with a Santuko knife and demand that I do it her way!  Cooking is one of those open-ended pleasures I don't think will ever become stale because there's always going to be a new recipe to try, a new method, and a new kitchen gadget I just have to have!

Rejoice! ALL things are possible!

I LOVE the fact that ALL, not just some, but ALL things are possible with Jesus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gt9Ig8dpk

A Praying Mom

“In Jesus’ name,” I said with a nod and rose from the bathroom rug. Yes, once again I’d headed to the closest room with a locking door. I’d been there a lot the past few months praying and asking for His protection upon my family.
What an awesome God we serve, I thought; a God who through all that clutters our air waves, all the chaos and all the chatter can hear the most inaudible sigh of our hearts. When I feel like I’m holding onto a kite string with Jesus way up at the top circling high above my family, all the fears, worries and frustrations that come with being a mom become His concern. How awesome that He hears the prayers of a mother who’s willing to hand over those she loves to His capable hands - a mother determined to keep Christ in her home and bind the hands of the enemy.

Lord, I thank you for the gift of my family. Help me to trust in you for their care and protection. Thank you for remaining Lord over my home and over my life. I pray for your guidance as I strive to be the wife and mother you want me to be. Amen.

“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:7 & 8 (NIV)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

With the counter wiped clean and the dishtowel neatly folded, I let the swaying pepper tree branches out the kitchen window capture my thoughts. And for a moment, I was back 12 years ago when my kids were 2 and 4.
We’d just finished watching a Pooh bear movie and we wanted to see how our “just because” party compared to that of the hundred-acre wood. I still remember chocolate pudding smeared across my daughter’s smile and onto her tiny glasses. And the way my son giggled watching our puppy lick apple juice from plastic tea cups.
I wonder if my heavenly father looks back on my tender, early years with a sigh, I thought. Does He smile recalling times when I stumbled and fell, only to pull myself back up on wobbly legs? Does He remember my childhood giggles and my innocence, the difficult lessons learned with adolescence?
How patient He has been with me over the years; through all my mistakes, my careless words, and the times I refused to listen to Him. He was there when my parents divorced, when loved ones passed away and He was still there with arms open and ready to embrace me when I chose to make Him my savior and best friend.
With a grateful heart, I thank you, Lord for being my true Father. Through all the seasons of life, all the lessons learned – you’ve picked me up, dusted me off and embraced me. Thank you for loving me.

The Grove

I must have twisted my ankle a dozen times as we stumbled down a mile of dirt road deeply rutted by erosion, and littered with rocks and pine cones. Normally, I would have punctuated such an event with a few tears and some serious complaining, but there were several relatives joining us on our excursion into bear-infested territory. With so many witnesses, I figured one must take into account the example she wishes to make for her nieces and nephews, lest her childish ways become fodder for discussion at every family gathering forevermore.

As we reached the little pond, I was more than ready to sit. I lowered my sore, sweaty body to a fallen log and smiled at the 6 dancing bobbers across the water; each attached to fishing poles gripped by little hands.

From my perch, I happened to spot a beautiful grove of aspens. Their fluttering leaves caught the summer sun and sparkled like nature’s emeralds.

As I sat there on the log (hoping all neighborhood bears would find it in their hearts to simply ignore the scent of Hershey bars drifting from my backpack), I couldn’t help but notice the grouping of trees with stunning white trunks contrasting against the meadow and shading one end of the pond. They’re certainly the nonconformists of the forest, I thought.

As I watched them, I thought of the similarities between that grove and the strength found in the fellowship and unity of Christian women. Like the aspens, they stand together through the storms. Their branches become heavy laden and sometimes droop, but when a bough does break, they rely on the strength of those who share the grove because their roots run deep and are intertwined. And though they shed their leaves, suffering through seasons of dormancy, and maybe even lose a limb now and then, those that remain not only find the energy to sprout new growth but continue to reach Heavenward.

God alone decides just where these groves will thrive. He hand-picks each one, selecting the perfect mix of traits, personalities and gifts; yet all possess the ability to grow.

YouTube - I Love You --God

YouTube - I Love You --God