Two Scoops of Grace - Book Review and Giveaway!

When I first met Jeanette Levellie, I'd already known her for years. We first became friends after she commented on my post and then I commented on hers and then emails followed as kindred spirits knit together. Finally  last August, we met in person at the Philly Writers Conference. Smiles and hugs abounded. I'm so happy to announce that Jen's dream has come true. Her first book is published!

Now you can share with me the delight in reading Jen's words. Her warmth, wit, and wisdom radiate through these pages. Jen puts a comical and spiritual spin on stories and events from everyday life. You'll smile, sob, laugh, cry, and draw closer the One who scripts our lives.

Here's the official blurb about Jeanette, the book, and her awesome giveaway. The contests ends at midnight May 10, 2012:


About the Book
What do drive-by diaper stores and God have in common? When is blabbing an acceptable habit? Why should you beware of moths and sligs? In her entertaining, uplifting style, award-winning author and humorist Jeanette Levellie weaves 72 amusing stories with affirming Biblical truths. These soul-nourishing examples of God’s favor and grace will help you:

• Laugh when you find cow patties in your field instead of daisies
• Discover the bottomless heart of God
• Grow in your acceptance of yourself and others

Welcome a vacation from stress as you discover the sweetness of Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top.

You can buy the book here.




About the Author
A spunky pastor’s wife of thirty-plus years, Jeanette Levellie authors a bi-weekly humor/inspirational column, God is Bigger, a popular feature in the Paris Beacon News since 2001. She has published stories in Guideposts anthologies, stories in Love is a Verb Devotional with Gary Chapman, articles in Christian and secular magazines, greeting card verses, and poems for calendars.  She is also a prolific  speaker for both Christian and secular groups, and loves to make people laugh while sharing her love for God and life.

Jeanette is the mother of two grown children, three grandchildren, and servant to four cats. She lives in Paris (not the French one), IL. with her husband, Kevin. Her hobbies include dining out, talking baby talk to her cats, avoiding housework, reading, and watching old classic movies.

Visit Jeanette on her blog, On Wings of Mirth and Worth, at www.jeanettelevellie.com.




Jeanette’s Giveaways
You can win one of ten free downloads of my debut humor devotional, Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top for your eReader. Here are the very simple rules:

For each share of this post link on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog, you will receive one entry.

For each like on Jeanette’s Author Page or my Two Scoops Book Page on Facebook, or follow on my Twitter page or this blog, you will receive one entry. If you already like and/or follow me, mention that and I will count it.

Please send me ONE comment to tell me how many times you shared, liked, or followed, so I can give you the correct amount of entries. I reserve the right to verify all information given me, and disqualify anyone from the drawing who falsifies information. (Do not leave comments here to be entered, you MUST go to Jeanette’s blog post for the giveaway.)

Contest starts today and ends midnight, May 10, 2012. Jeanette will announce the winners in a blog post Sunday, May 13, 2012.

….and a $100 Gift Card Drawing~~~WOWZA!!!

After you have read/reviewed Two Scoops, check out my blog at www.jeanettelevellie.com for a contest to win a $100 gift card by answering ten easy questions about the book! After I receive your entry, your name will go into the hat for a $100 gift card to one of the following places (your choice): Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A, Wal-Mart, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or Ruby Tuesday. This giveaway will run until August 10, 2012 so there is PLENTY of time for you to enter!

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"The Help" Isn't Just A Movie

In August, a family vacation took us to Washington DC at the end of our week. On Sunday, we visited National Community Church that meets in a movie theater.

The movie The Help was showing in the theater where the service was held. Entering the door below the sign, I laughed out loud.
I was going there to encounter God - now He's really the Help!

Just a few "helpful" verses to bless your day:

• My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
• Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4
• Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18
• So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Hebrews 13:6
• Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews. 4:16

How has God helped you?

Tell Me About Yourself

Thanks Jeanette Levellie for sharing this award with me. Jeanette is a gifted writer whose humor devotional book is coming out in April 2012. Look for "Mirth and Worth in the Real Lane" for a certain blessing.

Here's the rules of the award - I need to share 7 things about me, and then pass this award along to 5 other bloggers who will do the same, and so on and so on   ;D

Jeanette's challenge is to share the "messy" and not just "cutesy little tidbits."

So here goes:

1. I don't drink coffee. Gasp! Yes, most unusual I know. Especially since my blog header shows two lovely ladies enjoying their coffee at a place called Eternity Cafe. I do love coffee dates with friends, but I just enjoy some other beverage while I enjoy their company.

2. I may not look it, but I am the pickiest eater alive. For example, I order a Greek salad without cucumbers, onions, or olives. And I can do without the anchovies and peppers, but I am willing to pick those out, whereas the cukes, etc. leave their taste on the lettuce. My mom says I place my food order in a restaurant like this scene in When Harry Met Sally:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnlm2e3EN78

3. I am a procrastinating perfectionist. Mostly procrastinating. I found I can live with clutter or unfinished  projects if I keep the future perfection firmly in my mind. And yet I'm conflicted about this. Hmmm, I might be slightly schizophrenic too. 

4. My favorite ice cream is Haagen-Dazs. I don't eat any other brand of ice cream (see #2), so I buy other brands for my family to enjoy and then I'm not tempted! I don't like anything frozen in my ice cream such as nuts or chips. Must be smooth, and my favorite ice cream flavor is - coffee. Very weird since I don't drink coffee (#1).

5. I'm beginning to think schizophrenic people are very interesting.

6. I am a reformed disco dancer. Now a big fan of classic rock - especially my husband's Solid Rock Band.

7. I love football. Especially the NY Giants! But I'll root for the Jets too. I like the baseball Mets, but I'll root for the Yankees too. Some (like my son) find this impossible to do. It's either one or the other. But I guess it's easy for schizophrenics like me.

8. I would much rather hear about you than talk about me. 

So - would you share with me an interesting tidbit about yourself? I want to know more about you, what you like or dislike, something funny or not. What makes you tick? 

And I'm passing this award on to these 5 excellent bloggers: 

Sonya Lee Thompson

Robin Prater 

Eileen Astels

Susan Reinhardt 

Lynn Mosher 

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Just Too Busy

Just Too Busy is for anyone who is... well, just too busy! And since I don't know anyone who isn't too busy, I guess this book is for you, especially if you are the chief cook, chauffer, maid, nurse, sideline coach, and/or tutor in your household.

For me, this book is more than just a good read. It is the culmination of a dream of a dear friend. Joanne Kraft and I met at my first writers’ conference. We shared a lunch, a prayer, and the beginning of a cherished friendship. At that conference, a master discourager tried to convince Joanne to abandon writing her book, devastating news for any writer. After buckets of tears, hugs, prayers, and a phone call home, wise words from her husband Paul [“Remember Who told you to write this book…”] brought clarity and peace to both of us.

In her ‘day’ job, Joanne is a 911 operator, and she has saved me from disaster on more than one occasion. We may live a continent apart, but when we talk, it’s as if we’re sitting across the table from each other.

And when you read her book, it’s as if she’s sitting across the table from you, sharing her personal experience of her family’s victory over busyness. Joanne speaks and writes with sidesplitting humor. She’ll make you laugh, and make you cry, but mostly laugh.

Here’s the official blurb about her book:

• Just Too Busy is the true story of the Kraft family’s head-on collision with busyness and the twelve-month experiment that changed their lives. When their children could recite the dollar value meals at McDonalds faster than their times-tables, they knew something was very wrong. So, instead of continuing their bad habits and fitting more into their schedules, they took a year off from all activities and learned how to be a family again. 
• In this book, readers will laugh their way to learning the ten tell-tale signs that they are too busy and discover the symptoms for a common disorder known to moms today: A.D.D. (Activity Denial Disorder). Families will find simple ways to guard themselves from the temptation of constant distraction.

Even though my children are young adults now, I found myself relating to the busyness that Joanne describes. Overcommitment is something that I regularly have to guard against. In the first chapter, Joanne says, “even the good things in life can become the enemy of the best things in life.”

To combat what she calls the “captivity of activity,” Joanne and her family took a year-long “radical sabbatical.” They stopped almost all extracurricular activity and learned what it means to spend time together as a family. Just Too Busy takes us through their experiences, high and low, and provides insight and advice to anyone looking to simplify life. You don’t need to go on a radical sabbatical yourself to enjoy and apply the principles in this book.

Because I know you’ll love it, I’m giving away a copy of Just Too Busy! To enter the drawing, share a comment with me – either here on the blog, on facebook, or in an email reply. Let me know why you’d like to read it or share your funniest busy story.

  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFO3DUeiReU&feature=youtu.be

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Is Jesus in the attic?

Since the snow in the Northeast began on Dec. 26th, we haven’t seen lawns; Christmas decorations are still out; and the roadways have had fewer clear days than treacherous ones. Central Park in NYC had a record 53 days of snow-covered grass.
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I have to admit that our own nativity display is still out. We haven't been able to get to it due to the amount of snow and ice covering it. After it was buried with the first snowfall, more and more just piled on top of it. Our other decorations were stored away, but we just couldn't put Jesus back in the attic.

And maybe that's why sometimes things just keep piling up in our lives -- so that we don't put Jesus away. We have a sorry tendency to tuck Jesus away in a corner when things are going well, but when there's tribulation, we call out to Him in greater measure. I've heard it said - nothing improves your prayer life better than big trouble.

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I think with this weekend’s warmer weather, we may be able to finally put away our nativity set. We’ll put away the plastic Jesus, but not His presence.
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"You have made known to me the paths of life;

You will fill me with joy in Your presence."

Acts. 2:28.

Jersey? Sure!

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I am a real housewife of NJ.
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First let me say that I have never seen Jersey Shore or Real Housewives of NJ or any of the other rubbish supposedly depicting my state. But I have seen enough on the news or the internet to know that these programs do not represent where I live and work and raise my family. Although I spent my early years in NY state, I’m a Jersey Girl through and through.
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I love the beaches, the mountains, the 4 seasons, the diversity of ethnic foods and cultures, the 24 hour diners and convenience stores, cheap gas prices and I don't have to pump it, and of course, the people.
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NJ is called the Garden State because its rich soil grows the best and most abundant tomatoes, eggplants, corn, cranberries and blueberries. There's nothing so sweet as blueberries in June or a fresh Jersey tomato in September.
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I love being near NYC and Philadelphia, yet being able to go home to my quiet little abode by a lake.  It's easy to take a plane, train, bus, cab, truck, or boat to just about anywhere on earth. Sure there's traffic, but lots of places have traffic, don’t they? Some say they don’t like NJ because of the NJ Turnpike, in particular the northern industrial end. I say comparing the state of NJ to the NJ Turnpike is like comparing the state of NY to the Cross Bronx Expressway. It’s just a few miles of industry providing jobs to many people.
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As a college freshman, my daughter had to give a persuasive speech. Her topic? Why New Jersey is the best state. When she finished, her teacher said, “Now I don’t feel so bad about paying my taxes.”
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I know people love to mock New Jersey, but too often people mock what they don't know, so I thought I'd share a little taste of my state:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9gpyms1OUc&feature=player_embedded

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ps- click here to check out why I don't live in Florida!

i am a ... sister!

....I interrupt my previously scheduled “i am …” series to bring you the first of two highlights from our church’s family retreat last weekend.



.....#1:


Today is a video of a comical skit performed by my friends and me. Enjoy! After you watch it, I’ll share the secret of how it all developed.
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....




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In case your email doesn't contain the video, here's the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxFsZDdEWA8

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Now what’s really funny to me is how God can take a complete lack of talent and an abundance of fears and transform them into a joyfilled experience.

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You see, on our annual church retreats, we have “Share Your Gifts” nights, my contribution usually being an appreciative audience member. This year I wondered what, if anything, I could do. Alas, I cannot sing a single note on key. But, secretly I can lip-sync with the best of them. Then again, I’m way too scared to do anything by myself. Yet I was also a little afraid to ask anyone to join me in such a ridiculous endeavor. Would they laugh at me? Or just think I’m bizarre?
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The small group I attend is studying “authentic relationships,” so I bared my soul and popped the question to my posse. A movement was born! Patty dreamed up costumes. Diane suggested my daughter choreograph our moves, which she did (that was my Lauren dancing in the audience after she successfully led us through our routine!) Even funnier than our performance were our practices. If laughing were an Olympic sport, we won 7 gold medals.
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This just shows how God can use us despite our weaknesses, or in this case, because of them.
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I usually focus on what I lack.
I usually succumb to my fears.
This time, I took a chance and ended up with a memory of a lifetime.
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Whoever said that it isn't fun to be a Christian - isn't hanging around with the right Christians!

 

  

Happy Birthdays!!

I'm a neglectful mother. I thought about it, but I just didn't do it. I didn't write special birthday posts for my darling children who celebrated their special days on the 22nd and 27th. But fortunately, their creativity and love for each other provided just the material for you to catch a glimpse into our crazy family. On an ordinary day, I am the proudest mama going, but after seeing their greetings to each other, I'm not quite sure about that anymore! 


Here is the poem that Lauren wrote for her beloved brother:

yo bro

its your birfday and im here to give you a rhyme

i know it wont be long so im sure you got the time

living with you all my life has been kinda crazy

you sweat, eat a lot and sometimes you get lazy

but youre way too cool and smart and really funny

so ill never kick you out even though you like chubby bunnies

the way you sing, smile and fart 

is only just the start

youre more than a brother

youre my best friend

i just freakin love you

THE END

And his greeting to her is the following YouTube video. 

Out of necessity, I'm posting the words first! 

you wrote me a rhyme that was truly sublime

but it will not stand the test of time

because im back with a whole new swagger

my lyrics and moves are makin e'erbody stagger

i got the flow of the century and im here to let you know

it got the biggest baddest happy birthday rap fo sho

you see im singin to the the most beautiful head of curls

whose life of BEIN LOVE inspires so many girls

paper pages in her pocket are the deepest root

because the bible is the key to life's eternal fruit

if you ask her bout the truth she is compelled to say

that jesus christ is all the love and life and the way

god has blessed her with lifesong always on her lips

lives a life of dance god's glory moves her hips

the proclamation of salvation grips her tongue

showin love to e'erbody big and small old and young

twenty two years of her life is written on this day

to my sister

how i've missed her

HAPPY BIRTH-A-DAY!!

So do you wanna laugh or cry? I'm doing both! 

Help Wanted

When job-hunting, it is always important to research the long and short-term benefits: health and life insurance, retirement plan, vacation, stock ownership. Working for the King of Kings is no exception. What might a Help Wanted ad for a servant in God’s kingdom look like?

• Lifetime, full time position (part time is not an option) available to anyone who applies. No prior experience or skills necessary. Training period offered for all candidates includes working alongside the Employer who takes an individual interest in each of His subjects. Each employee must get to know the Employer personally. The retirement and insurance plans provide coverage for eternity. There are no vacation days, no monetary salary, and no guarantee against hardship or adversity, but endless comfort is available from the Employer and is to be shared with others. Opportunity for advancement: Being faithful in a few things will result in being put in charge of many things and sharing the Employer’s happiness. Ownership sharing plan bestows a royal inheritance as a joint heir with the Employer.

Forget not all His benefits (Ps. 103:2)

Need a new job? Care to apply?

ps - This is a snippet from my chapter titled "i am a servant."

Wrinkled Ladies

Beyonce has nothing on Anita Renfro and us wrinkled ladies!!





I often lament my wrinkles. They started to reveal their ugly selves when I was in my 30's. The only benefit to those additional creeping pounds from my 40's is that my wrinkles smoothed out a bit. I heard somewhere that middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.

My mother-in-law is 92 (don't tell her I told you), but the woman has NO wrinkles. Really!   And don't tell me that worrying give you wrinkles. It's her hobby. She'd win the gold if worrying was an Olympic event, yet her face is as smooth as it was 40 years ago. There oughta be a law!

I, on the other hand, am not a worrier, but have a lovely wrinkle collection! They say wrinkles are just "antique smiles." Who knew I was an antique collector??

Someday though, I'll be wrinkle-free!! Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph. 5:25-28

When I wash stuff, I create wrinkles, but when He does the cleansing, He removes them! Along with all our other imperfections. Can I hear an Amen?

On a weirdly similar theme, the winners of the book giveaway "Who Calls Me Beautiful?—Finding Our True Image in the Mirror of God" are Karen Lange from Write Now, Jeanette Levellie from Audience of One and Cecelia, Quiet Spirit from Following My King. You are each so special and encouraging to me. Thank you!

The Italian Stallion

I wrote this post 2 weeks ago on our return from Florida, but waited for family clearance before publishing it. How funny that my last 2 posts were about that waiting period that God allows us to experience sometimes, and this post chronicles our unexpected and unwelcome delay to begin our trip.


 It all began with a rocky start. Apparently, due to the severe weather on Saturday, JetBlue cancelled our Sunday flight. Just cancelled it. As in, too bad, nothing you can do about it, just cancelled, want your money back? Uh, nooooo, what I want is to fly to Florida! I could share my rant about the 2 hours on hold, the misinformation I repeatedly received, or the rude desk attendant who informed me that the other airlines - who did not cancel flights - fly in different air currents to Florida (air currents? really??), but I'll spare you. (And in the interest of full disclosure, the flight home was excellent and staffed with wonderful attendants.)


Instead, I would like to share a surprising happy experience.


Because we were delayed 24 hours, holed up in a Queens NY hotel, we decided to visit my husband's uncle who rarely gets visitors now that he's in a nursing home following knee surgery. Uncle Joey, my mother-in-law’s favorite brother, is a colorful character, and our hour-long conversation with him was like “The Godfather” meets “Abbott and Costello.”


The Panzica’s (P): Hi, Uncle Joey. So good to see you.


Uncle Joey (J): Yo. How ya doin’?


P: Good, you?


J: Menza, menz. Ey - whatcha gonna do?


J: (to AJ) Yo, you got tall. [at 5’8” AJ is never called tall, so he appreciated that!]


P: What’s new with you?


J: Nuthin’. Hey, he got tall, and I got bald.


P: So, how’s the food here?


J: Stinks! Macalacala! But whatcha gonna do?


The invisible guy in the next bed behind the curtain utters "fkejesjseucksyrdufbe" punctuated by hacking coughs.


J: So how'd ya find this place?


P: We followed the GPS.


J: What? (to AJ) Kid, you work for UPS?


AJP: No, we followed the GPS to get here. You know, satellites and maps giving directions....

 J: So, you like working for UPS? Ay - he got tall. So is she.
(She being Lauren who is 5'2"!)


We call my mother-in-law so Uncle Joey can talk to her.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have her hearing aids in.


P: Hey, ma! We’re here with Uncle Joey. I’ll put him on.


J: Yo, Nina! Gravatsa! …. Wha'? - ya don't understand me? …. Mercy mercy, mercy.


- "fkejesjseucksyrdufbe"


J: You gotta make the woochies!
(woochies are Italian fig cookies that take 2 days to make)


P: Uncle Joey, we’re gonna make woochies soon. We’ll bring you some.


J: Yeah, I want woochies. Ay - he got tall.


- “fkejesjseucksyrdufbe"


P: So, is there a good pizza place around here?


J: I dunno. Angelo opened up a place in Queens. On the highway. Ant'ny, you know Angelo?


P: I think so. What's the name of the pizza place?


J: I dunno. It don't have a name. He just opened up a pizza place - down the road - on the highway.


P: Did you ever sell pizza?


J: Oh yeah. Made pizza in my house. But Angelo, he opened up a pizza place - down the road - on the highway.


P: What else did you do?


J: I did everything, you name it. I delivered trees on 72nd to famous people. I sold firecrackers, you know, the good ones (the illegal ones). I worked for Bond Bread. For 40 years, I worked for them.


P: Did they give you a gold watch when you retired?


J: Ya know, they gave me a watch when I retired. Never worked.


P: Well, we gotta go, Uncle Joey.


J: Thanks for comin’. Ay - he got tall.


-"fkejesjseucksyrdufbe




We had been so disappointed about our delay, but because of it, we were able to visit with Uncle Joey which we had long wanted to do, but never found time for. An unexpected blessing that we would have missed if we spent our time griping and focused on our frustrating plight.


And we eventually did get to Florida, had a wonderful time with family and vacationing at the beach, even though it was 72 degrees both in Miami and in NJ!




Susan

Spring Break

The hubby, kids and I will be traveling to Florida next week for Spring Break.

Think - a geriatric version of Where The Boys Are.

I have previously shared with you my trite observations of this lovely southern state when I visited my folks last September - Why I Don't Live In Florida. But with our summer days largely spoken for with mission trips, cross-country camp and dance training, we decided to head south for Spring Break. Frankly, I'm rather honored that my college kids have agreed to spend their spring break with their parents. We're just so cool... 

We're flying out of LaGuardia, and I have been praying nonstop that there would be no geese around when we take off. I honestly have imagined our vacation spent on the wing of a plane floating in the Hudson River. I pray that our pilot is as skillful as Capt. Sully Sullenberger.

Once in sunny (and by sunny, I mean excruciatingly hot and humid) Florida, we'll be spending a few days with my folks and a few days at the beach. Please keep my dad and stepmom in prayer as he has been in and out of the hospital with prostate cancer procedures that have weakened him and stressed her.

And feel free to keep my hair in prayer. As some of you know, I have naturally curly (and by curly, I mean huge, intermittently frizzy) hair that expands with the humidity. I am powerless to fight it. And of  course, I hate the way I look when it's curly. Ladies, why is that???? We straighten our curls, and curl our straights.

But the humidity foils all our efforts. Ahhh - the great mystery - the very same humidity that swells my hair makes another's straight hair flat. Just like the very same boiling water will make an egg hard, but a carrot soft. So we must conclude - it's not the humidity nor the boiling water that is the problem, it is how we react to it! Likewise, a difficult circumstance will reduce one to tears, yet cause another to fortify her reserves. And so we must conclude - it's not the circumstance that is the problem, it is how we react to it. We can't always control the circumstance, but we can control how we react to things. To carry this a little further - When in hot water, we should be more like a coffee bean than the egg or the carrot because the egg and carrot react to the hot water, but the coffee actually changes the hot water. In it's brokenness, it infuses the water with its fragrance and substance and positively affects the situation. It creates an improved environment. I'll need to remember that this week :)

And so, my friends, as we speed along towards spring, may you have a blessed week, and I'll catch up with you on the other side!


Susan
ps - Speaking of mysteries and seasons, here's a favorite - Daniel 2:19-23
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."

Snow and Marriage

I heard today that February set a record for snowfall by 8 inches. That's a  lot of snow. So please allow me one last snow lesson. 



This snow shoveling experience differed from my last one in that my husband was around. He took care of the snow-blower, Praise The Lord! And I helped out with the walkway.


Now let me share a secret with you that I neglected to mention last time.

My husband and I have different ways of doing things. Can you relate?


Perhaps, like me, you've heard that if two people were the same, one of them would be unnecessary. Or that when two people get married, they make up for each other’s weaknesses. Makes sense. Right?

For example, I have a little problem with timeliness. My husband is rarely late. So the conventional wisdom is that God brought us together to help me be on time.


“Two are better than one....” A true statement, to be sure, but it was said by Solomon, the wisest -yet sometimes stupidest- man who ever lived. He had 300 wives, 700 concubines, and lots of marital issues, which led to spiritual issues. Hmmmm - we take marriage advice from this fellow?


You see, when you’re single, no one ever tells you that the areas where you are different are the points of CONFLICT, people. You don’t argue about things you agree on. So I'm throwing the conventional wisdom right out the window on that one.


Well, when it comes to clearing the pathway and front stairs, my husband and I differ. He clears it to make it FUNCTIONAL, shoveling a path 2 feet wide on the 6 foot wide steps. You can make it to the front door. Fine. It works. For him. Not for me. I prefer it to be completely cleared to look ATTRACTIVE. Now since he usually does the work while I’m inside making soup or hot chocolate, I don’t complain about it.


But, when I cleared the stairs myself 2 weeks ago, I did it my way. For days afterward, I was happy as a clam looking at the job I did. Steps completely cleared.

Fast forward to Friday morning. I stood, shovel in hand, ready to tackle the stairs and path. My husband sauntered over. With each step closer, I got a little hotter from the inside out. You know what I'm saying? Have I ever told you that mind-reading is one of my spiritual gifts? Since my husband, like most men (or so I’m told), is a “problem-solver,” he likes to advise me on the proper method of doing just about everything. (Even things I’m fairly proficient at, like cooking.) He just wants to help. I, however, take it as a negative commentary on how I do things. So as he approached me, I prepared my rebuttal, and he hadn’t even said anything yet. Can you relate?


(By the way, can you tell I’ve been watching Beth Moore DVD’s -
“Can anybody relate?”
“Ladies, you with me here?”
“Can I hear an amen?”)

Anyway...


As I waited for his “You should....,” I readied my response:
     “When you do it, you can do it your way.
      When I do it, I’ll do it my way.
      You want me to do something.
      But you want me to do it your way.”


Well, as those last words rumbled through the empty hallways of my brain, I felt that gentle prick of the Holy Spirit.


God wants me to do things for Him.
And He wants me to do them His way.


His ways are not our ways.
They’re better.
Better for Him, better for His kingdom, better for us, and better for me.


"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Is. 55:9

It’s not enough to do what He’s called me to do.
I need to do it His way.
Patiently.
Humbly.
Lovingly.
Joyfully.
Obediently.
Sacrificially.
Without resentment, anger, pride, irritation, complacency or humming "I did it my way."

Can I hear an Amen?

Susan

Yellow Snow

I must confess to you, my friends. I have had this post sitting in my draft folder for over a week. I have mixed feelings about posting it. Usually, my motto is "when in doubt, don't." However, I am conflicted here.

You see, my husband got an email with this 30 second video in it, and it is the video itself that is the inspiration for this post. But truth be told, the video is rather disgusting. Kinda funny disgusting, but gross nevertheless. Yet I find a kernel of truth in it worth sharing.

I included the warning notice, but still, I was in a quandry. Oh, what should I do? So, I consulted with my wise friend, Nancy, who, in essence, said "You're on your own here, girlfriend." Well, that's not exactly her words, but then I thought I'll share this complete disclaimer with you first, and let you decide whether to click on the link to see the video or not. If you take heed of the warning and choose not to view the video, scroll down first to the more palatable verbal description I provided at the end of the post, so you can still retrieve the kernel of truth. How's that for a compromise!

Just please don't judge me....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

WARNING!

In the interest of full disclosure,

the following video is not for

- the squeamish
- the legalistic
or

- the mature.

If your email doesn't have the video, click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtFGT6BKzQ

I warned you.

First, let it be said - I don't drink beer. I think it tastes vile, and don't want to waste my money, my time or my calories on such a product.


That being said, why would I share this video with you?


Well, it's a funny way to bring up my point for today,
and as I said, it is the inspiration for this post:

Things are not always what they seem.

How many times have we looked back on something that, at the time, seemed to be horrible only to realize later that it was exactly the opposite.

But until that realization, we deal with disappointment, anger and frustration.
-Losing that "perfect" guy.
-Not getting that "perfect" job.
-Moving away from that "perfect" home.
-Even if things aren't "perfect," but they're familiar, we have expectations that we've grown accustomed to. And disillusionment sets in when setbacks happen.


Sometimes, I wonder who first looked at a hard, hairy coconut and decided to crack it open for the sweet milk inside. Or who looked at a red, spiny lobster and thought, if I boil that ugly thing, the meat inside will be tasty.


Too often, in our discontent, we miss the blessing hidden inside.


The apostle Paul was imprisoned, yet he was able to see that God was using his chains as a platform to share the good news with the entire palace guard, and furthermore, “Because of my chains,” he said, “most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Paul saw the blessing hidden inside.


My daughter, Lauren, had more struggles than most to pass her audition to the dance department at her college. Although at the time, it was a period of great disappointment, one of her ballet professors (the one we secretly call the “dance nazi”) later told Lauren that she was a much better dancer because of it.


The Lord gave Lauren this verse: “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Phil 1:18-19


When our children are denied dessert until after they eat their broccoli, they’re displeased. My dog doesn’t understand why she needs a leash when we walk outside. They have neither the knowledge or maturity to see what we can.


Is there a hardship that you are facing today that may turn out for your deliverance tomorrow? The struggles we face can be either stumbling blocks or stepping stones to maturity. Perhaps your yellow snow, coconut, lobster, broccoli or leash may be a blessing in disguise.


Susan


ps - My daughter just came in and told me a story from one of her little dance students about what she learned in Hebrew school that week. To her dismay, she found out that "Sacagawea", the Indian guide who led Lewis and Clark across the continent, was not Jewish after all. She always thought that "Sock-a-Jew-ae-ah" was a Jewish name. She was certain of it. But she found out: "things aren't always what they seem."

Video description:
Two men are walking along a snow covered path. They come upon a patch of yellow snow. Ed stoops down to eat it. Shocked, his friend starts to warn against it, but when he spies the source of the yellow, he bends down to partake of the spiked snow himself. The source? A man lugging a leaking keg of beer.