For His Service

We finished the study, Not a Fan.   (See  www.http://notafan.com/ ) for more info).  I think if I had to sum up the book in one sentence,  or answer the question...."in what way would a sheep vs a goat (few vs many) be made"    ...it would be this.   A follower is known for TRUE love... truly loving his neighbor and loving his God, motivated by God's love for us.   I pray that I will be remember that way, loving others well.  I hope I will be remember as "not a fan"..but a follower of Jesus. I saw this in today's news.   Why would a person so long ago carry a cross on  a box?  One of my friends said , "a cross around your neck is like wearing an electric chair around your neck"..  She is right.  Jesus loved us so much that He willingly paid the penalty for our sin.  His love took Him to the cross...so it is more of a reminder of His love...than a symbol of His death.  It is hope for the future...

This is what Pinterest says it is about: Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite . I say it is great for finding new ideas.  It is great to see what you COULD make.  It is great to get your imagination flowing.   It is my latest way to decompress... or just waste time. LOL...  See what you think...

Well, Russell has taken me swimming with dolphins ...and he has taken me to ride horses up and down mountains... Could this be the next thing?  I DO love birds... my very favorite animal...next to dogs of course...  So, what do you say, Russ?  (Anyone who knows him...knows what he says.. ..but this is a Christian blog...so I don't think I should type that...LOL......)

Well, if you have read my blog, you know that I am not a "regular" doctor knocker...but I do believe they are the LAST resort.  I believe our bodies have an incredible capability to heal and be healthy IF we feed it well (and stay away from things that aren't a good match for some...like gluten).....and if we exercise our bodies enough.   That said... I do think there are times to go to a regular doctor.  I do NOT think getting the flu shot is one of them.    My husband would say that he is a bit of a worry wart when it comes to the flu, so he and my oldest son... got the flu shot.  Well, my husband hasn't had a fever blister in 3 years (since he stopped eating wheat)... .. three days after the shot... he has a fever blister.  My 13 year old...?? He has had a low grade fever and hasn't felt great the last few days.  I think the shot isn't worth the possible protection.  It has been in the news this week that the flu shot isn't tha...

One of my good friends took John-Michael to a pumpkin patch... he picked out this pumpkin... He just couldn't wait to put a face on it...so at 7:00 Sunday morning...before church... we were putting his face on. :)

 Russell at Sunny Farm in Dahlonega, GA Today Russ took me horseback riding.   I am amazed to how powerful these animals are..yet so gentle to us, newbie riders!  We rode for an hour on a mountain trail.   I will never forget this day...what a blessing!...   Thank you so very much, Russ!  What a way to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. If you want to check out this place, I can assure you the horses are very well cared for... http://www.sunnyfarmsnorth.com/    We were quite pleased with our entire experience! Thanks, Kathy Lee and Kim for watching our house, dogs...and our kids. :)

I haven't ever spoken in tongues... but when I hear this song... I can almost feel it coming on.. :)  LOVE THIS  SONG!  March on, my soul; be strong!   (Judges 5:21)

He treats his wife (most days.. :)  LOL.... like a wife should be treated.   He is kind and encouraging.  He loves the LORD and leads by his own example.  He teaches our children about the fruit of the spirit.  He teaches them God's word and lives it.  He has a great sense of humor and puts up with my disorganization and ADD ways.  He allows me to have the dogs  that I love (him... love the dogs???not so much)...    He works hard to provide for us and has a great perspective on "stuff"...  I am  so glad "stuff"  isn't important to him.   He makes me laugh and keeps me interested in who he is.... even 22 years later.  Russell, I love you! Mark 10:6-9 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God ...

Our front door - I cut the canna lilies and sunflowers to make a fall bundle for our front door (see Dirk looking out the window). We still have lots of flowers blooming a still have humming birds here and there.. Fall and spring are my favorite seasons in Georgia. I cut the ornamental grass from the pond and my fall bundles for the bench swing in the back yard. Even the waterfall and pond still look nice!

We enjoy watching Diners, Dives, and drive ins... Once we see a recipe that looks delicious...we google the recipe and try it out.   You can do the same here.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/recipes/index.html After watching the show last night, we bought the stuff for one of the recipes..and  just cooked the best Puerto rican Bistec Sandwich:thinly sliced, grilled rib-eye with Swiss cheese, avocado, grilled onions, garlic, adobo seasoning and tiny amount of mayo..on gluten-free bread... Panini press...YUM! Here is another one we like to make every couple of weeks... ENJOY! Chicken Tamarillo Recipe courtesy Michael Young, chef at Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk, CT. Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Episode: Something from Everywhere Rated 5 stars out of 5    Level: Easy  Chicken Tamarillo Ingredients 1 (4-pound) chicken 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 Spanish onions, julienne 1 red bell pepper, julienne 1 green bell peppe...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/ http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/14/princess-bride-oral-history/ "As you wish".... has a life of its own if you have ever watched this movie. .. As do, Hello," he said. "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.",......"--true love is the greatest thing in the world, except for a nice MLT. Mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich; when the mutton is really lean."...."Bye bye boys.""Have fun storming the castle."(Aside) "Think it'll work?"  "It'll take a miracle."

Olivie' sleeps easily.  The noise of having three kids running around, shouting, stomping, launching toys,..etc.. doesn't both her one bit.  That is one of the good things of her deafness.  Here she is laid out ..over the couch while the kids are playing and Russell and are are lifting weights.   I think she is totally relaxed in our chaotic house.  Would you say so? If you haven't seen this video, watch it.  The story of Christian the lion is true.  The fact that a year after they released him... the lion didn't eat the people...True...  This video makes me cry  every time.   I will always fight for those who can not stand up for themselves:  Children and animals...  If you haven't read about Christian, you can here... http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/christian.asp If you haven't watched this video before...you can here.  Grab a tissue and your favorite pet.. :)

We have had Olivie' for almost a year.  When we figured out she was deaf, we tried to quickly figure out how to train her/ love her/ befriend her.   So, we took her to a local dog trainer..who told us many things ...such as how to teach her to ring a bell to alert us to when she needs to go outside to potty.  Well, after 9 or more times of her ringing that stupid bell at 4 am...... 2 am...  3 am...etc..., I am just not sure that was oh, so wise....          I think this guy has a more  suitable idea.... Perhaps, I should teach Dirk  (our schnoodle)  how to "tell" Olivie..."Go back to bed...the sun isn't up!"                               LOL... you can ready about Olivie' here.     http://inhonoroftheking.blogspot.com/2011...

Tim Hawkins...one of my favorites... Tim Hawkins.... to make you laugh... laughter goes a long way in healing.... Enjoy... http://www.timhawkins.net/   to see more by Tim Hawkins...

Servant- does a job....slave ...is owned... Which statement seems more tolerable to you: “have it your way” or “ deny yourself ?”   What if your church stopped  giving sermons on “12 ways to improve   your ____ (marriage, parenting, etc)..and started teaching on denying yourself, become a slave for Christ ?” How do you think that would go over? We all know what Christ asked His followers to do: to serve others.....be servants to others…... But are you ready to hear what “serve” or “servant” actually means in the Bible?   The term “servant” as used by Paul in Romans 1:1 is more properly translated as “bond slave.” Other translations use the Greek origin “doulas” which also means slave. Yes,  slave ! The calling is not to be a servant...  but to be a slave. We are ½ way through the book, Not a Fan…. It says…. “You can’t call Jesus Lord without declaring yourself his slave.”            ...

Today, Noah got his orange belt and we are so proud of the young man he is becoming.   Not long ago, he started training to earn his black belt.  Today, he graduated to his orange belt.  We like the training of his karate program...to instill courage and discipline.  (The karate belts in order... White,  Orange, Gold (Yellow),Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Red, , 1st- 5th Degree Black).   We are so glad for the path he is on. On that note, my husband and I went to a movie today, Courageous... We really enjoyed it.  It was a great reminder of the important things...    This is the blurb from the movies' website:   Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Protecting the streets is second nature. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous. This is the trailer to the movie... I do think ...

John-Michael, Madeline, and Rebecca John-Michael with the mules Goliath the Chihuahua Diesel the horse Grandma the horse a mustang Mini- dwarf horses

Today we took the kids on a field trip, to a horse rescue center just 20 minutes from my house..but a place I had not heard of..and obviously..hadn't visited.  Today, after being there for 2 hours, I can't wait to go back and volunteer with my 3 kids (yes, I mean mucking stalls, grooming horses, etc)...  You can read about this place at their website  www.savethehorses.org    Here is ONE story from their center: Trudy  From their website:  "Trudy is a sweet Appaloosa mare. She was rescued by a veterinarian in North Georgia in the mid 90’s. She's lived at the rescue facility since 1996. Trudy’s history includes the most physical and mental abuse of any horse on the farm. She was bound in barbed wire, then dragged behind a tractor. Trudy has much fear of humans and deservedly so. Her safest place is surrounded by horses, because she trusts them. She does not kick or strike, even though she can easily get revenge for her horror a...