The Adventures of...

Tomorrow I'll be packing him...

...and heading to our family cabin around the corner from here...

....where we'll ride in our boat up to here...

...and hopefully catch lots of these...


...YES, WE EAT 'EM!

I'll be "unplugged" so check in after August 5th to see the adventures of Flat Joey in the Adirondacks with the Zorbaughs, Stiefs and Fullens!

Can't Wait!

It's epic! Click here to watch!

WhyWhyWhy

Why is it that just when you think you've settled things with God and you've stopped asking all your "Why?" questions and you publish a long post sounding all spiritual like you've "learned it"...that you discover your good friend has a horrible cancer. Why?Why?Why, God!?

And her husband's response is, "Because God is going to use it somehow."

I hope to have that kind of faith...someday.

He Was Right All Along

I have a fabulous Small Group. We began meeting to discuss the "Joy Ride" series and never stopped. God is using this incredible group of women to reveal His truth to me. Every week I have "ah-ha" moments. I wish I had time to share them all.

Here's one that I'm still trying to get my mind around:

We all have those times when we doubt God's plans or His timing: "Why did You do that?" "Why aren't You fixing this NOW?" "Why would You let that happen?" "Why? Why? Why?" Those questions often lead to anger, frustration, impatience and lack of trust in God. And then we enter those times we can hardly even communicate with Him.

But for me, deep within, I know God is...trustworthy, perfect, true, loving, holy, etc. Therefore, I have to conclude that at those times when I'm frustrated with the way He is orchestrating things, that I am the one at fault. Because He, by His very nature, can't be.

It's like trying to believe that ice isn't cold. I can say it isn't cold, but it still is. I can tell others it isn't cold, but it still is. I can even convince myself it isn't cold but it doesn't change the fact that it is still cold. God is constant, true, and unchanging. My unbelief or lack of trust, doesn't change who He is (thank goodness!). He can't be wrong, therefore, I must be.

So God uses people, His Word, and His Spirit to speak to me and change my heart and reveal to me that His ways really are best. And when I finally give up my plans and my agendas and my timings, what do I ultimately end up learning?

• That God is patiently waiting (I'll never understand how He does that!)
• That LPC is a safe place to admit you don't have it all together
• That being disappointed with God is normal and okay to talk about
• That His ways are better than mine (DUH!)
• That His timing is best (and never matches mine)
• That I was wrong (DUH, again!)
• That I learn best the slow, painful, hard way (and, boy, how I hate that!)

This journey continues to be completely unexpected to me. And traveling it with my LP family is an amazing adventure!

Thanks, KB/JB/LB/KS/AK!

Finally Back

I know it has been awhile. I lost my blog for some reason but I finally got it back!

I'll try to catch up. In the meantime, you can read about my latest adventure here! I couldn't have described it better!

New Album

Remember him? Chris Sligh, AI Season 6.
We have matching hair!

Check out his new album... "Running Back to You" and listen to "Empty Me".

Empty me of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to Lord

Empty me of me so I can be filled with You.

"Further Still" by Beth Moore

I can't get enough of this book a friend lent me. I decided to order my own copy because I can't wait to wear it out with highlights and notes. It is a collection of poems and vignettes. Here is one of my current favorites. Please take the time to read it.

"A Healing Captive"

O God, who frees the captive,

Do not liberate this carnal slave for freedom's sake

For I will surely wing my flight to another thorny land.

Break, instead, each evil bond

And rub my swollen wrists,

Then take me prisoner to Your will

Enslaved in Your safekeeping.

O God, Who ushers light into the darkness,

Do not release me to the light

To only see myself.

Cast the light of my liberation upon Your face

And be Thou my vision.

Do not hand me over

To the quest of greater knowledge.

Make Your Word a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path

And lead me to Your dwelling.

O, God, who lifts the grieving head,

Blow away the ashes

But let Your gentle hand upon my brow

Be my only crown of beauty.

Comfort me so deeply,

My Healer,

That I seek no other comfort.

O God, who loves the human soul

Too much to let it go,

So thoroughly impose Yourself

Into the heaps and depths of my life

That nothing remains undisturbed.

Plow this life, Lord,

Until everything You overturn

Becomes fertile soil

Then plant me, O God,

In the vast plain of Your love.

Grow me, strengthen me,

And do not lift Your pressing hand

Until it can boastfully unveil

A display of Your splendor.

Tagged by Amy

Read Amy's blog and you'll find out why you are finding out all this about me!

What were you doing 5 years ago?
1. Working at LifePoint
2. Babysitting Drew on Mondays...sniff, sniff!
3. Designing a phenomenal children's facility
4. Loading up CM every week (glad that's over!)
5. Scheduling four surgeries in 8 months

What are 5 things on your to-do list today?
1. Pay bills
2. Catch up on Admin stuff for Suzie
3. Laundry
4. Make a salad for dinner at the Fullens
5. Catch up on two issues of Real Simple while sitting on the deck!

What are 5 snacks you enjoy? (sorry not much of a snacker...I go for the real stuff)
1. Oreos and milk
2. Pretzels and ice cream

What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Travel
2. Use it to feed starving children
3. Work at LifePoint for no pay (Amy stole mine!)
4. See #3
5. See #3

What are 5 of your bad habits?
1. Never cleaning the shower/tub (I hate it!)
2. Biting my nails
3. Staying up late
4. Watching too much TV
5. Swearing (at least Jason says so)

What are 5 jobs you have had?
1. Magic Years Learning Center
2. Calvary Nursing Center
3. Friendly Restaurant (scooping ice cream)
4. First Grade Teacher
5. Worship Admin Assistant

What are 5 places you have lived?
1. Glens Falls, NY
2. York, PA
3. Chester, PA
4. Lancaster, PA
5. Hampstead, MD

What 5 people do you want to tag?
Most of my blogging circle has been tagged!

Memory Lane

I'm feeling all nostalgic these days so I decided to look for some of the toys I played with as a kid. I know I'm dating myself but do any of these bring back memories?

"Weebles wooble but they don't fall down!"

The pop-up treehouse was waaaay cool!

"Jody" and her barn, country store and kitchen. I still have them! They are set up in my basement for kids (uh-hem) to play with.

Barbie townhouse complete with elevator. Come on...admit it...you had one! My sister and I had an entire Barbie neighborhood in our playroom. We spent countless hours playing with our Barbies and their babies.

We had these adorable tiny twin babies for our Barbies.

Funny...we never had any Kens! I guess they were always at work.

Just an FYI...

...there's a Newcomers' Dessert tomorrow night. I'll try to keep my hands to myself.