Uhm, I think I need a vaction , because I so can identify with the way this little guy feels today! Sometimes, it's just not going to happen and we have got to accept it!

Awesome thought isn't it? Let's start a discussion on how we can love not only in word but in action in truth?

Anytime your ready chime in and leave me a comment! Have a wonderful day!

To me loving in action means to stop! Stop thinking of all the things you'd like to tell or show someone you love and to do them. It also for me means to give the utmost respect to those I come in contact with in our community on a daily basis. You know, the little girl at the grocery store? Yep, the one who smushed your bread?
Did you stop to give her a smile, thank her by name and be kind? I'll give you a hint. Most people wear name tags these days, why not thank your server by name. Also tell them what a great job they are doing, and how much you appreciate them. Can you imagine if we had to go through those automated selfchecker things everytime. What a nightmare. Totally changes the way you think about the person working the checkout line now doesn't it?

Any other ideas?

I am so excited about our series we will be starting this Sunday, "Baggage". I feel like this will really be one of our defining series where we look back at the end of 2006 and say, "wow, God really did alot in me during this one!" I am so ready to lighten my load of baggage right now. Moving up to the next level of growth and maturity in Christ is like getting ready to board a plane. We have to go through the security gate for our protection. The airlines have a limit on the amount of baggage you can take with you. God is like that too, fortunately He doesn't make us go solo, and is patient with us when we go through the process.

See, I have a confession to make. I am a last minute packer. Which also means I am an over packer. I finally realized on our last trip why I do that. Fear- fear is the motivation for me to overpack like a woman going on a trip around the world in 80 days. Fear that it will be too cold, fear that I won't have the appropriate clothes, fear that I'll not bring something I need, on and on it goes.

I hesitate to make decisions on what to take, then at the last minute I become the "mad stuffer". I've been known to throw in 4-5 pairs of shoes at the last minute, a couple dresses, not to mention loads of jewelry and of course if it is a cold climate,I'll stuff in that ratty, bulky old black sweater.It is a mammoth and takes up half of the suitcase. Toenail polish, remover, oh, we might need some alkaseltzer. Tweezers are a must, one or 2 extra books, and on it goes. What this causes though is a huge problem with excess weight overage at the booking counter.
Then the joys of going trough post 9-11 security gates are really fun. You have to do that about every 20 minutes or so. I just wear flipflops now, regardless of the climate I am travelling too.

Once I settle in the plane, I feel secure for about 30 minutes. But suddenly my mind will start working and I realize all the things I forgot to pack! If we have a layover or have to make a connection it is miserable. I can't negotiate through the crowds well. My arms are sore, Joel walks super fast and I keep running into people. It's just totally insane. Not to mention trying to make it into the ladies room. I mean seriously, how do you do that once you have all your bags in the stalls with you? Not humanly possible. Then eating is a deal too, because you have to keep your foot on those bags at all times. See what I mean? By the time we are half way there I wish I wouldn't have brought a thing, and could just go on a shopping spree upon arrival.

That's not the worse part though, because the suitcase is overstuffed I become it's slave. Upon arrival to the hotel, I immediately have to unpack because if I don't I can't find a thing. Then the contents seem to take on a life of their own and consume every spare inch of space in the room. If we go shopping, I seldom get to enjoy myself or make any purchases, because I know there's no room in the suitcase to bring anything back. I can't tell you how many times I've missed a beautiful gift God had for me at a fantastic price because I had no place to bring it home. I've missed unique jewelry, shoes, clothes, more than you can imagine. All because the security blanket of the ratty black sweater had to come along. So loaded up, no room for anything new even though it's more valuable than the junk I've been lugging.
What have you been missing out on due to your baggage? Stop and think about it, listen for His voice. You might be surprised what He is telling you.

Last night we finished up our class on Stewardship at Life University. It's been a great 6 weeks as Joel has really stirred us all up to think about the hard issues we face with when it comes to being faithful with what God has given us. That encompasses so many areas, and touches all our lives. I was reading this morning in Proverbs 8, the wisdom chapter. That is where I found our verse for today.

Proverbs 8:17-18 " I love those who love me, and those who seek me will find me. With me are riches, and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity." I find myself wanting to be sure I am being a faithful steward of what God has given me. Here are some areas I have resolved to be a better steward of:

1. My time! Time is our most precious commodity and we really should be sure we are concious of how we spend it. For me that means, getting more accomplished so I can enjoy family, friends and have more time to dedicate myself to whatever it is that God has for the day. For me that means getting to bed at a reasonable time so I can function the next day! Yikes, that is a really hard one for us.

2. My talents! God has given each and everyone of us talents and giftings. But most of us struggle to ever really determine what those giftings are. Find out what motivates you. You may have to go back to your childhood and look at what you loved as a child. For me it was pen, paper, crayons and drawing-for hours on end. I soon discovered that my talents are artistic and just wanting to be used. Art is a passion for me and I love the creative process. It is up to me how far I advance in using my gifts, but I will be held accountable for them. Remember the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents?

3. My treasure! God gives each of us a certain amount of "treasure", income that we gain through working. I really want to be able to do whatever God asks me to do, so I have to be faithful to administer my finances well. I can do this by several ways, but for me the biggest way to avoid overspending is to practice delayed gratification. That simply means to wait! If I find something I like, but don't need (or am not shopping for) I try hard to make myself wait. I tell myself, if I come back tomorrow and it is still here, then I'll consider making that purchase. But you know what? Most of the time when tomorrow arrives I am not the least bit tempted to go back and make that purchase-because I truly didn't want or need the item I was considering. I have even gone so far as to ask God, if you want me to have this, then it will be here for me tomorrow. Many times, it wasn't there. But just as many times, if I wait, when I go back it will be marked down considerably. I think God appreciates our willingness to deny our flesh and will bless us for it.

I decided it was time for a face lift here on the site. Nothing like a new outfit to make us feel better! That's a chick thing for real. We had a wonderful weekend and have been busy working on the next series. It's still a secret but will be a wonderful one! I am excited about it. Sorry for the lull in posting. We desperately needed some down time as a family so I took a break for a few days. I'll try to keep things more current and up to date.

I found a really interesting site you might enjoy taking a peek at sometime. It's all about home organization, and things that concern those of us who are in charge of keeping a home running smoothly. It's www.creativehomemaking.com
I recieve their newsletter and it has some really neat hints. Here is an excerpt on how to make inexpensive rice pilaf mixes, (you know like those Rice-a-Roni or Uncle Ben's that cost way too much!!!) Since Louisiana is one of the leading exporters of rice, we eat alot of it! Our family eats brown rice, as it has more fiber. I do tend to cheat though and use the instant brown rice. I don't have time to pamper a pot of rice for 45 minutes.

Here is the excerpt about rice mixes!


Rice Mixes You Can Make At Home
by Barbara King

Rice is the staple food of over two thirds of the world. It's
rich in thiamin, niacin and iron, easy to prepare and can be used
in many types of recipes. Use it in soups, stews, main dishes as
well as desserts. Rice is one of the highest quality protein
foods. White rice contains 103 calories per half cup serving,
while brown rice contains 108 calories per half cup serving. Rice
can be used in just about any kind of recipe from gourmet to
frugal and is very nutritious. Use it in soups, stews, main
dishes as well as desserts.

Brown rice contains more fiber than white rice, helping you feel
full with fewer calories, and is rich in vitamin E, an
antioxidant proven to protect cells from damage that can lead to
health problems such as cancer, heart disease and cataracts.
Brown rice takes longer to cook than regular-milled white rice
(45 minutes versus 15 for white rice) since the outer bran layers
act as a barrier to heat and moisture. It also requires a slight
increase in cooking liquid: 2 to 2 1/2 cups liquid is
recommended.

Rice is plentiful in the United States with at least seven states
that grow rice. Arkansas, California, and Louisiana account for
over 80% of the rice production in the United States. Rice is the
most non-allergenic of all grains. It's gluten-free and can be an
important staple in diets of individuals with gluten sensitivity.
Most rice sold in the United State is enriched, meaning that
thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron, and foliates have been
added to replace what was lost during the milling process.
Enriched rice with folic acid is one of the "good" grains that is
a source of the disease fighting nutrient.

Cooking family meals at home that include rice promotes good
health. You can prepare great tasting dishes by preparing you own
rice seasoning mixtures. Here are a few of the many ways that you
can prepare rice:

Nine Flavored Rice Pilaf Mixes

1 cup long-grain, converted rice
Flavor Packet
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups hot water

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the
rice, stirring constantly, until it takes on a translucent
quality; do not let the kernels pop. Slowly stir in the water,
then the Flavor Packet; bring to a full boil; cover and lower
heat. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until nearly all of liquid is
absorbed and the rice looks just a bit too moist to serve. Turn
off heat and let stand for 10 minutes before uncovering and
serving.

Each recipe makes one flavor packet. Also, these recipes are
meant for bouillon cubes that mix with 8 oz. of water. If you
prefer to substitute bouillon cubes that mix with 6 oz. of water,
or powder, you will need to figure the differences accordingly.
Three 8 oz. cubes equal four 6 oz. cubes.

Chicken:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
3 dashes pepper

Beef:
3 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
3 dashes pepper

Onion:
3 onion or beef bouillon cubes, crushed
2 teaspoons dried minced or chopped onion
3 dashes pepper

Mushroom:
3 chicken or beef bouillon cubes, crushed
2 tablespoons dried mushroom slices, in bits
3 dashes pepper

Celery:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
3 tablespoons dried celery flakes
3 dashes pepper

Curry:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 teaspoon curry powder

Saffron:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 pinch saffron
1 pinch turmeric

Oriental:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 onion bouillon cube, crushed
2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
2 teaspoons dried mushroom slices, in bits
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
dash of powdered ginger
add several dashes soy sauce to boiling water

Spanish:
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
2 tablespoons dried green pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
dash of chili powder
add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to boiling water

Good tasting rice dishes do not have to be expensive. Try the
recipes above and get rave reviews from your family!

Brought to you from http://www.Recipe-Cafe.com, a membership site
where you can download thousands of mouth watering recipes and A
Moms Shop ~ Online Shopping Mall - Everything you need for your
home and family http://www.amomsshop.com/

A Valentine From God


My dear children I want you all to know
It is I, God, who created you and I love you so

On Valentine’s Day, I’m sending my love
Flowing down to you from heaven above

I am always near, standing right by your side
Remember, I sent you my son, for you he died

Although It hurt me to see him suffer in pain
I did it for all, so eternal life you would gain

My child, when you are lonely, and in despair
Remember I am standing close, always near

Instead of roses, cards and candy to send
I’m giving you eternal life without any end

Happy Valentine’s Day hugs to all of you
Sending you lots of love that is forever true

God, your heavenly Father

© Copyright Angelamaria
(2004)

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to recap what a wonderful weekend we had! Our family joined the networkers for the feed out on Desiard St. Saturday afternoon. What a humbling experience to be God's hands out stretched to those beautiful people shivering in the cold. We experienced some of the lowest temps this winter on Saturday, so how cool to see that God knew we needed to be out there offering something that not only would warm the body, but change the soul. I know we fed at least 57, possibly more. We were able to encourage and pray for several people as well. Brad came and played some great music. Please join in prayer with us for the ability to reach out to the hurting in our community. Joel and I both believe that nothing would please God more than for us to find a way to shine a permanent light of hope into the despair that envelops the 5-points area. What I am saying is, we would love to find a way to be down there on a more consistent basis. I want to ask you to do 2 things for me, ok?
1. Get involved with Networkers and the community outreaches they do. Just click to learn more about them, or contact Randy or Jayne Lewis.
2. Agree in prayer with us for an open door to do something greater in the 5 Points area.


We also had a fantastic Sunday morning with Luke Walters sharing about hearing God. The Walters are missionaries to Sri Lanka, and surrounding countries. If you weren't there be sure and pick up the CD so you can hear his message. Luke and Sandy are great people, who have a burning passion to reach the lost. We are always inspired and challenged when we can spend time with them. Nothing like being with family.

Our Chick Night was a huge success! We had 28 ladies there, and it was so much fun. Cheryle Lopez did a phenomenal job with Charm and Grace. Not only did we learn alot about etiquette, but we laughed and enjoyed a challenging word that encouraged us to be the very best we can be for Jesus. We should always conduct ourselves in a manner that brings glory to God, and befitting for a godly lady. Thanks, Cheryle for an outstanding job-your word was relevant and presented in a fresh way!

Kyla Hibbard got super blessed by winning 3, yes I said 3! of our really cool doorprizes. Remember, that you get 2 extra tickets for each person you bring next month. We'll announce soon exactly what our next Chick night will be.

We also had a wonderful supper of lasagna, salad, green beans, garlic bread and brownies with icecream for dessert! The food was great, and I think everyone had a great time. I know I can't wait until next month!

Just a quick little post today about remaining. Remember that we must remain in Him to bear fruit. So how can we do that as busy women in today's world?

Here are a few simple suggestions to help you remain in God's presence as you go about your day.

1. Remain God conscious throughout your day.

A simple way to do this is to optimize your awareness of His presence. Cultivate a habit of studying, meditating or memorizing one verse of scripture each day. The easiest way to do this is to write the verse down and post it in several places where you'll see it throughout your day. Bathroom mirror, refrigerator, the car dashboard, your desk at work. As you see the paper, recite the verse and then contemplate how it applies to your life. Get still for a moment and ask God to speak to you. He will! You can even put the verse in your pocket and look at it several times each day.

2. Create an atmosphere for worship.

Saturate your environment with great praise and worship music. Make your travel time a time for renewing your spirit by choosing to listen to music that ministers to your spirit. Invest in good quality CD's if you feel the radio just doesn't play the type of music you prefer to worship by.

3. Cultivate constant communication with God through prayer.

I talk to God throughout my day, about the "seemingly small" details I am faced with on a daily basis. Guess what? God cares about all the little things that can make us crazy!

1 Thessalonians 5: 17 encourages us to "pray continually."

I believe God prefers a heart felt constant communication throughout the day instead of dry,religious,riualistic prayers. If it bores you, it would probably bore God! He wants to develop relationship with you, no detail is too trivial, no hurt too deep.I have experienced God answer swiftly a heart felt prayer that came off my lips in a moment of hurried frenzy, just as much as those moments of deep "closet" prayer.
Make it a habit to practice the "Love you" call with God. I try to make it a point to remember to call Joel sometimes during the week to just say, "Hey, I wanted you to know I don't need anything, but was just thinking of you and wanted to tell you how much I love you!" This kind of prayer towards God draws you into a place of deep intimacy with Him.

4. Choose to be HAPPY!

1 Thessalonians 5: 16 Be joyful always;

Nothing can make you jump out of Jesus faster than allowing yourself to be in a "bad mood". I realized after several years of marriage, that Joel can't make me happy. As a matter of fact, no one can make me happy. Happiness is a choice I choose. If you live your life reacting to people and circumstances around you, you are in for a rollercoaster type Christianity. Up one day, then down the next. Keep your eyes open for this trap that most women fall into, due to the fact that we are very emotional beings.

Yesterday morning Joel told me that I was laughing in my sleep the night before. I did realize that once I woke up I felt very happy. I felt happy until after lunch when we were hit with a series of situations that very quickly turned my joy into a feeling of despair. I felt hurt because of a certain situation, and my mood immediately darkened. By the time I got to church last night, my joy level was pretty low. As a matter of fact, I felt so hurt I had a hard time entering into worship. Sitting in service, I felt God speak to me. I grabbed my pen and quickly wrote down what I recognized to be God's Word for me. This is what I wrote.

" Today I woke up laughing, how can things change so quickly? I refuse to hurt!"

In that moment, I knew God was challenging me to quit allowing other people to steal my joy and to regain it quickly before bitterness tried to gain a foothold.
I'm happy to say , that my happiness meter is off the charts today. Because it doesn't depend on people, it depends on how I remain in Him.

I've got a few more tips for remaining, but I'll have to do finish posting later.
I don't' want to become famous for extremely long posts.

Have a great day, and remain in Him.

Hey everyone,
I've been notified that some of your comments didn't go through. Sorry about that. I had to reset some of the comment moderating controls, but now they are fixed. If you would like to be on the update list, email me. You can leave me a comment by clicking on the number after the post entry title. I want this to be an interactive blog, so you have to interact! =)

Late last night I finally got time to get back into my art studio. Believe it or not, this is the first time in 2006 that I've actually been able to get back in there and get to work many of you know, for the last few weeks I've not felt the best and for one reason or another I found away to put off for another day what so desperately needed to be done. Procrastination gave way to dread and then birthed complacency. And the worst part of it was this is something I love! I have a passion for painting that consumes me, and strikes a chord with the very core of who I am. For me when I paint, it is a time when God and I meet in a special and intimate way. Normally I put on worship music and before long I seem to be painting on "autopilot" and the ability to visit with my Father just begins to flow so naturally, more so than just my regular devotional time. All the things that have had me so hurried, and stressed seem to fade away and everything that was out of focus becomes defined as I hear his voice speak to me. Suddenly I realized that the stresses of this world had been choking out the "best part", and that the thing I had dreaded brought me more peace than I could have imagined. Amazing how we let things build up in our minds isn't it?

A week or so ago, Joel and I found ourselves on the couch watching TV together. Not a past-time we share very often due to our hectic lifestyles. I was surprised as he realized my favorite movie of all times was on, and even more shocked that he sat down and watched it with me.
The movie is "A walk above the clouds"- I warn you, this is a true chick flick. Something in that movie struck a chord within me from the first time I saw it.

The setting is filmed in wine country in the Napa Valley, and the time period is right after WW2. A soldier meets up with a frantic, beautiful Latin girl that is on her way back home from her first experience out into the big world. She finds herself pregnant out of wedlock and terrified of having to return home to face her family. The soldier has just returned back from war and finds himself intrigued by the girl. Together they concoct a plan to deceive the family into thinking he is her husband, and will later abandon her so as to save her from being shamed.

The beautiful part about the movie is he finds himself falling in love with the girl, and is determined to redeem her from her mistake. She however refuses to have anyone suffer the consequences of her sin.

My favorite part of the movie is when the young man tries to win the girl's heart by serenading her. A serenata is a Mexican custom of going late at night to the beloveds window and singing for her until she is persuaded by the expression of love to accept the affection of the singer. If you are successful with your serenata, the light in the bedroom will be turned on.

In the movie, the girl stands by the window in the dark debating whether or not to turn on the light. The soldier sings for what seems like an eternity, but to no avail. He finally decides to leave for good. As he walks down the road into the darkness, he keeps looking back. Finally the light comes on. Instead of feeling rejected, he rejoices and runs back to the farm.

What a beautiful picture of how Jesus waits for us. He is serenading us each day, yet all the while we stand at the window debating whether or not to surrender our wills to his affections. He serenades us with the sun that rises, the birds that sing, the flowers we see each day, the blessings He sends into our lives. Yet so many times I don't stop to listen to the song He sings for me. Either I am distracted or fearful to allow myself to become so vulnerable. I realized last night-how long have you been singing your song to me and I didn't hear it? At that moment, I heard, don't worry- I am still here waiting. And He is, and always will be. But I don't want to break His heart by not turning on the light. My light is on, and I am listening.

I won't tell you how the movie ends, but you might just want to find out yourself. It is a beautiful story about redemption and the choices we make.


Don't forget we have ChickNight this Sunday. Bring a teacup and saucer, because we'll be learning about Charm and Grace. It will be fun, and we are going to have some special surprises. Invite a friend.

I'll see you at church tonight!
Have a great week, and don't forget to stop and listen. You'll hear His love song for you.

I'm facing the same question most of us face on a daily basis. Isn't it incredible how much time and effort we put into the exterior when God is looking at our hearts. He will makes us beautiful on the outside when we allow him to do an extreme makeover on our inside. I felt him whisper to me today, "I'll take care of you today with all your facing, just like I did yesterday and everyday you have ever lived. Stop sweating the small stuff and just let me be in control."

So I just wanted to remind you that God knows your needs and if He took the time to clothe the flowers in such a majestic and beautiful way, how much more will He take care of you- His prized and beloved daughter. You are priceless to His heart and He showed you the immense value you have by giving His only Son. Rejoice in that fact today, and stop for a few minutes to sense Him giving you His nod of approval and a kiss on the forehead before you rush out into the busyiness of this hectic world we live in.

I hope you enjoy the graphics, to view them better just click on the image for it to be enlarged for better viewing.

Hope your day is filled with unexpected expressions of His love for you-keep your eyes open and I am sure you will find them.