thehereandafter

I want to respond to the post my good friend Jan wrote yesterday, November 16, 2005. If you haven't already read it please do so. The topic she posted on is about "speaking", the connection between sin and the spoken word. Our good friend Bomba in a post he wrote entitled "Personalities" brought up this subject and in the comments we had lots to say (check it out). Again, I have lots to say…no surprise there. This is something close to my heart and as it seems close to the hearts of many other Christians! In Jan's post, I recognized a woman who has such a deep love for her Father that she looks deep within herself, yearning to be the best child she can be to her heavenly Father. She might not know the chapter and verse but she understands that God calls us to examine ourselves...2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, test yourselves." This to me is a pretty positive sign that she IS growing deeper and deeper...

Well, I hope you have read 1 Chronicles 16:23-32. I have taken just a portion of this psalm of thanks from David. Most of us know that we are to give God our thanks and praise but I find myself, too often, saying the same words over and over....kind of stuck in a praise routine. Oh, my praise is from the heart and is meant in all sincerity, but for me, right now it is rather stale! Your thanksgiving might be fresh and if it is great...for me, He showed me ten steps to "freshen up" my praise using verses 23-31. I will list the steps, which for the most part coincidence with the verses then end with some praise using the steps. Just sit back and enjoy what God showed me.... 1. Proclaim his salvation day after day 2. Declare his glory 3. Declare his marvelous deeds 4. Praise his greatness 5. Refer to his glory and strength 6. Refer to the glory due to him, God Almighty 7. Bring him an offering..."I offer you my love, my heart, commitment..." 8. Say "the L...

Surprise, surprise, surprise......I'm back and so very blessed to know I was thought of!!! I have a lot of catching up to do....How is the move going Jan? Every day ya'll are getting closer and closer to the wonderful blessing God has provided for you...honestly, I have thought of you every day as I have Bomba! So Bomba, how was the vacation...are you rested? Did you get quality time with family and friends?...I was suppose to be your way this weekend...visiting my brother and his family over the weekend in Fitzpatric and Mongomery, but had to cancel the trip. How about the game on Saturday...Auburn squeaked it out in the last minute....my family VERY upset over their Georgia loss but I’m sure all of Alabama rejoicing....great game though! And to Betty M., thanks for being soooo faithful and now you have a chance to practice your comment making (you know that makes my day), and remember practice makes perfect. Sissy, I have missed your comments, just consider myself lucky that ...

Right off the top I want to express my humble thanks for the prayers, support, kindness, caring and love shown to me by my blogger friends. God has truly enriched my life by bringing us together in word and spirit and I am grateful for ya'll. As corny as it may sound, I really could feel your prayers, caring and love.....and Bomba, you said it...I WAS LIFTED UP! Ya'll have a gift for making people feel loved and important, and I know that comes from the deep love and understanding of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and out of a personal relationship with him, our Father. "In all my prayers for all of you, I always prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1: 4-6 A quick report.....the knot in my stomach on the right side is nothing at all to be concerned about and the tenderness on the left sid...

I believe so strongly in the power of prayer...my belief is that God rejoices in a family of his coming together to lay their requests at his feet. In my heart I understand that in this life we are very limited in what we know and understand....we have just a droplet in the bucket of what our Lord knows and wills. Yet, without knowing even a reasonable part of the picture we are to walk through out each day with faith in our Father, that the things that befall us in this life have a purpose, meaning and are for our good and complete the "big" picture. The only problem is someone forgot to tell my emotions about all of this! I have been struggling with a migraine since Sunday....I have taken all the medicine allowed, which also worries me since I am not one to take medicine. The last week has been an exhausting week...waiting on results of my brother-in-law's CAT scan, all the talk about our family friend Theresa and her death and to top it all off this nagging migraine ...

There has been a lot going on around here....happenings that cause you to stop dead in your tracks and reflect on your life, the life of others and ponder the question of God and his will. If any of you read my sister's posts over the weekend, you already aware that someone my family knows died in her sleep Saturday night. This woman, who was around the age of forty, left a husband, ten children (five months old to a senior in high school), family and lots of friends. This is just another happening that is hard to comprehend. The list in the last six months is lengthy and unsettling....Katrina, the earthquake, my brother-in-law's cancer, and now this! Is there more death, despair, tragedy and death this year, the last five years, this last decade... or am I just getting older and more aware of man's mortality? Is it that, as a country, we have become so civilized, so sophisticated, so knowledgeable, so scientific, so confident that we have forgotten that we are not in co...

Most of you have heard that a family in Oregon has a winning lottery ticket worth 340 million dollars!! My husband and I don't play the lottery....we don't have anything against it, we just have never gotten into that sort of thing. But we have had those discussions about what if..? Of course, our first thought is of our children....build them each a nice house out here on property adjacent to us...buy them the safest cars on the market....set them up in their own businesses...take a family vacation to somewhere they have always wanted to go. Then our thoughts and dreams have run down the list of family starting with my mom and dad.....hire them a full-time chauffeur so mom doesn't have to drive...move them out here to the country with us (this is where they were going to retire before daddy lost his eyesight).....provide the means for them to go on as many missions trips as they could possibly fit into their lives. We have entertained ideas about what to do for our sibling...

Our family received some bad news last night. My brother-in-law Jonathan, my oldest sister's husband, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is in his early 50's and in great shape...he is a southern Baptist preacher, a father of four...he is a husband, a son-in-law, brother and brother-in-law. The news came over the telephone, to him, and today they will be going to see the doctor to find out their options. This news fills you up with every kind of emotion, fear, sadness, panic, loss....the word cancer is just plain scary! I talked with my sister last night in an attempt to "be there" for her. I was at a loss as to what to say to Jonathan. She has already has some panic and fear but seems to think that after they talk to the doctor they will all feel better. Having a plan of some sort is better that just trying to deal with the unknown. She will be calling today after the visit with the doctor to tell us more. This is a family of deep and strong faith. They ...

The weather is changing. The temperature last night was in the low 40's out here in the country. That wasn't my only indictor though. My warm weather son, Russell, coming into my room this morning in his Northface long sleeved shirt, looking a little blue around the lips and asking if we could close all the windows was the best clue. Yes, it is fall and time for me to do my "seasonal thing". This week the house will be decorated with plump pumpkins, scarecrows, pots full of mums, and anything in the colors of red, yellow, orange, and brown. My fall quilts will be brought out, the summer dishes will be replaced with fall dishes, and my work center will be covered in stamps of acorns, leaves and sunflowers and papers of varying shades of browns, reds and golds. This seasonal phenomenon has always puzzled my men..."So, honey...have you been shopping? Didn't know so much dinner could fit on a leaf shaped plate....what happened to my trout coffee mug?...no, oh n...

Yesterday, while cleaning the house, I received a phone call. The voice on the other end identified himself as my husband and he sounded like my husband, but WAS it MY husband?! "Hey honey, a friend told me about a little place downtown. Every Tuesday night they have an Irish band that plays...how about the two of us going down there, having a good cold Irish beer and listening to the music for awhile...just the two of us?" My first thought was who was this person and what have they done with my husband? So, using the detective skills that I have honed while raising my family, I was going to get to the bottom of this..."Excuse me, what exactly did you say?" Okay, so I need some more honing on those detective skills....yes, it was my husband's voice but I was sure, like in one of those old 1970's sci-fi movies, that someone or something had overtaken him. You see, in the here , dates were putting the children to bed and watching a good movie on cable while ...

This weekend, as we were driving home from our camping trip, my son and I were discussing what he did not like about the mountains. He loves the fishing, the camping, the changing leaves but he does not like that the sun is not bright and visible. That is the problem with the "Smokey Mountains". There is always a haze, a grayness, filtered light...not the bright shinning sun like at the beach and he loves the beach especially the bright sunlight. I could not help, as he talked, of listing in my mind some of the adjectives used in conjunction with the "sun" and how these describe my "son". The first one that comes to mind is "bright"...my son is very smart and not only is he smart but he picks up on things very quickly. He pays attention and listens, files it away, and brings it back when needed. He is able to teach himself, he, if interested, and is eager to learn. Put these together and I think that qualifies him as "bright". As t...

Here lately I have been very convicted about how "blessed" I am! God loves me and I feel that love...I really feel it. There are a lot of reasons, but one is that I have people in my life that have been encouraging me. Not a lot of people...but people I value, people of like-mindedness, people who care about me, people that have been chosen by God to do His work. "Let us hold unswerving to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25. In life, for most of us, it is hard to be unswerving. We have a process; we have to grow in our faith. For some it comes easier than others, some aren't called on as often as others...I have never lost a child or been abused or had an unfaithful husband. But, even though I...

We are back and it was a great trip! We pulled out of home pretty much on schedule, my son driving and my husband riding shotgun, with the back of the van loaded with all the essentials...and the back seat…where I sat loaded with all the necessary traveling paraphernalia. You know…"Irish Cream" flavored coffee, gourmet trail mix, a comfortable quilt, a good book, and my pillow. I am always the navigator (do they really think I do a good job or do they just feel sorry for me in the back?), so I have to keep my mind on the trip and pay attention to road signs. We decided to go all state highways versus the interstate and it was a wonderful drive. The scenery was great, always something to look at, and a lot of little towns along the way which are always interesting to me. About halfway, my husband changed seats with me, and thanks to my pillow he had a good nap, while mother and son successfully made our way to the Davidson River. When we pulled into the guard hut the campgro...

It is that time! Friday we depart on our annual camping and fly-fishing trip to the Davison River, in the Pisgah National Forest ("Land of the Waterfalls"), in the Great Smokey Mountains, part of the Appalachian Trail. The agenda for the weekend is... man vs. woman...woman vs. campfire smoke blowing in your face...man vs. the chase of the trout...woman vs. cooking over campfire...man vs. the swift natural flow of the river...woman vs. no coffee maker...man vs. the art of the perfect cast of the fly rod...woman vs. hard, cold ground...man vs. beast...woman vs. weird sounds all night...man vs. invigorating, robust, outdoor temperatures...woman vs. layers of clothing and somehow keeping a resemblance of womanhood...man vs. "back to nature" side...woman vs. primitive camping!!! All that said, I do really look forward to these trips. My husband's enthusiasm is off the charts...he looks forward to these trips all year. Fall is his favorite time of year...everything ...

Sweet Jesus, This is what it means to me to know you... I can believe in what I cannot see. I see light even thought there is darkness. I can feel strong even when I am weak. I can feel comfort even when I look at your bloodied, tortured, body upon a wooden cross. I can find acceptance even when being judged. I am loved even at my worst. I can be hopeful even when others tell me there is no hope. I have someone to trust even when everyone around me disappoints me. I can find joy in the everyday, mundane things in life. I know I will live for an eternity, even though some think our days are numbered. I know forgiveness even when I can't forgive. You in your mercy, grace and love have taught me this and more...that is why I will forever praise you and glorify your holy name to all..generation to generation. Humbly in your precious name, Trina *Please, as a comment, add to this list for His honor and glory....

Take a minute and, just for yourselves, take a little survey for me. For you out there that don't work outside the home, how many days during the week do you not go anywhere all day (excluding carpool drop-off and pick -ups if you just go there and back)? If you work outside the home, how many evenings a week do you find yourself not going straight home...you find yourself at Target, Wal-Mart or anywhere else other than home? How many times a week do you eat dinner out? How many Saturdays are spent at home? How many Saturdays are spent doing an activity as a family..a picnic, fall festivals, yard work, visiting Grandma? When you call it a day on Sundays, do you feel like you have had a day of rest? In relationship to the time spent shopping (exclude grocery shopping), eating out, going to the movies, on the computer...things that are not necessary for the running of daily life...how much time is spent just being quiet , still and in the presence of our Lord!? These are question...

Enough is enough....I have had enough. I feel like I am on overload. Here it is.. another hurricane, catastrophic, devastating, the biggest storm Texas has seen in 100 years. These are the headlines. It is written about in the newspaper, reported on televisions news, discussed on talk radio, and blogged about in post after post. We can debate all we want about our level of concern, and when and how it turns to anxiety and fear. For you, your concern might stay within the boundaries of offering up prayers, and doing something for the needy...donations or opening your home. But for me and many of others anxiety seems to creep in through a very small window attempting to find the hallway to our souls. Be of no mistake, the name of that anxiety and fear is "Satan". "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour ." (1 Peter 5:8). In this world we are faced with real and present world problems…9/11...

I have had three to six bright green, tree frogs stuck to my kitchen window every evening for the last week. Those little fellas brought to mind a prank my husband used to play on unsuspecting young fireman when they came to his fire station. During his service, he was stationed at a firehouse closer to the country than the city. Their usual routine after supper was to mop the floors in the kitchen. They kept the mops outside the building and apparently to tree frogs, the strings of the mops made for a good home. On any given evening you could, upon mop retrieval, shake out a good dozen frogs from each mop. Here is where the prank plays in.... instruct the new guy, after dinner and dishes, to fetch the mop so that the floors can be cleaned. It is of utmost importance in the scheme of the prank to give him careful instructions to spray the mop head with a good, strong, steady stream of hot water. While the unsuspecting poor guy is turning on the water and retrieving the mop, the guys ha...

This morning is a new beginning. To me, every morning is a new beginning. I jump out of bed feeling like I can conqueror the world, that God has given me another morning, a new day, a clean slate to try again, to do it better, to surrender myself to Him once again, to change things that are not pleasing to Him. For me, it is not based on how much sleep I have gotten or it being a Monday morning or it being a Friday morning, it is something in me, that is, because God called me in righteousness. My Lord had the perfect plan and the perfect time for giving me a lifelong task. The time he chose to unveil his task was the first time my eyes fell on my first baby. I was overcome with feelings of humbleness....gratefulness...the immenseness of God that those feelings opened my heart fully, laid it wide open and supple. Oh, I didn't feel anymore than most moms in that birthing room but God chose that moment to plant a seed in the tenderness of my heart. He also took a moment to whisper i...