The In-Laws & Older People in General

Okay, so I'm not married, but we all know the stereotypical views of "in-laws." I personally hate them. Right now I have great in-laws (bro-in-law & sis-in-law). We'll see how that ends up working out when I do get married, but for now, I still hate the stereotype.

As you know, I'm reading through the Bible in a year. This morning I read a selection from Exodus 17 & 18 that really impressed me. It had to do with in-laws. Moses, the great leader of the children of Israel, every day was taking on the great task of sitting down while the people brought concerns/arguments/squabbles, whatever. He probably heard silly squabbles over whose basket belonged to who and maybe even judged a few life & death issues.

Then, one day, Father-In-Law Jethro comes along. Ol' Jeb is spending the day with Moses and he, too, has to sit through the boring dragging task of doing the judging. He looks and thinks, this is ridiculous! So, he tells Moses. Now Moses at this point has 2 options.

1) Get offended because the father-in-law is basically saying that he isn't doing a good enough job at judging, interefering with Moses' business, and just being downright mean. He can storm off. He can not speak to the father-in-law. This would prove pointless. Miriam would be upset with him FOREVER, Jethro wouldn't be too happy, and Marge & Sally wouldn't know whose bowl actually belonged to whom once it fell over the property line.

2) Listen to Jethro. Jethro is an older man. Believe it or not, this old guy's got some wisdom. And it's good, too!

Thankfully, Moses takes the high road and listens to old Daddy-Jeb. He sets up a judicial system (the first of its kind probably!). Leaders of 50, 100, 1000, and so on. The hard cases got brought to Moses but the ones over baskets and property lines went to the smaller judges.

I guess my point is, every older person has wisdom. Maybe they can't give you good advice as to what to do, but they can give you advice as to what not to do. Listen to them. See if what they say is worth it. Moses did and look, where it got him!

Stoked...

So, I'm pretty stoked about this- prayer partner for an orphan in this orphanage...

Soon I'll be receiving a picture and a biographical sketch of my little friend. Can't wait!

My Favorite Things

Lee Bezotte, over at www.leebezotte.com, inspired this blog. I've really been looking at life and what's important these past couple of days. I'm still figuring everything out, but it's nice to know the things you love. Here are a few of my favorite things (These, of course, all come 2nd to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ).




1) Learning about nature- somehow it just reminds me that God really is evident in all of creation.



2) Laughing - I like to laugh. I like making people laugh, hearing people laugh, seeing people laugh. I just like everything there is about laughing.




3) Chick-Fil-A. I think God served Chick-Fil-A as manna to the children of Israel. I could eat there for every meal all the time (except Sundays, of course).



4) Children - I love children. I think they hold such a sweet spot in God's heart. I really believe they are a forgotten people group that God has called us to reach. I think reaching children for the Gospel could save the whole world from a lot of future problems and the church from a lot of inefficient attempts to save a dying humanity.





5) My Small Group - I wish everyone had a small group like mine. We argue, we fight, we disagree, we cry together, we laugh a lot, we get mad at each other, we learn about forgiveness, we pray for each other, we do ministry together, and we genuinely like each other. They have been the reason I've kept it together over the past ten years. I love this group of people, and I hope that everyone has a group of people around them just like it.

143000000

This video has been part of a scripture that has changed my life.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

What are we doing for the 143000000?

Forgiveness

What is the basis of Christianity? Ask people that question and you'll get a bunch of different answers. I have my own personal answer : forgiveness.

I've been reading through the Bible in a year with You Version or whatever the App is on my ipod touch. To be honest with you, I'm a little behind. I'm not fretting, though. I'll catch up or just not worry about it. So what if I read the Bible in a year and 3 days? Who made those rules up anyway?

I read over a story, though, very quickly that I couldn't get away from. It's the story of two brothers: Esau, a hairy older brother who sold his whole birthright for a measly pot of stew and then got angry because he was "cheated" out of his birthright, and Jacob, a liar and trickster who swindled anyone he could come in contact with until he eventually became the victim of someone else's swindling. These brothers had a hate-hate relationship. Esau vowed that after the death of his father he would kill Jacob. Jacob ran away to his Uncle and vowed not to return. This is where God comes in. God tells Jacob, after much (literally) wrestling, to return to his homeland. Knowing that Esau is waiting with baited breath, Jacob devises a plan. He's going to bribe his elder brother with gifts, put others between them, and hide in the background, just in case he's still hot about the whole stealing his birthright and his blessing thing.

Well, as you can see with the picture above, their meeting was a little different than Jacob imagined. I can just see the terror in his eyes as they met the love in Esau's. What a moment! Hugs and affection and reconciliation. It really is beautiful.

I was kind of thinking this through, and I just really had a frying pan moment with God. You know, one of those moments where God subtly speaks to you, you have this thought, and it's like DUH! (like somebody hit you with a frying pan). Forgiveness is like the whole basis of Christianity.

So, here's my thinking. God forgives us. He forgives us of all of our sins - our bad things. When we walk in his forgiveness, we are walking in the power of overcoming all the bad habits and sins that we struggle with. But His forgiveness is two-fold. He forgives us and we must forgive others. You can't have one without the other. When we don't forgive others, we can't walk in the freedom from sin. We continue to struggle with those sins. But when we walk, forgiven by Him, and forgiving others, this beautiful freedom comes where we are walking in the power of His freedom from sin and giving it and showing it to others. It really is a beautiful picture.

I know that seems kind of elementary in Christianity. It was just one of those moments where what has been in my head as knowledge for so long sunk into my heart as revelation.

My prayer now is "God, I want to forgive others, so you can forgive me. I want to be free by freeing others." And the amazing thing is, He does.

Loving this life in Him!
~ Sam

A Day off & A Recipe

So, today, most of our county was shut down by impending inclement weather. This had the hopes of snow, and it did snow some early this morning. However, it has just turned into a bunch of ice. I would have taken pictures, however, this morning I woke up with the worst headache I have ever had. I didn't want to eat, open my eyes, anything. I took four sinus medicines and four ibuprofen! Talk about a heavy dose! The headache did ease off after a hot shower with sniffing steam (a great help to anyone with sinus issues). After 11 am, I was able to get up and start working on my to do list.



I know it is past Christmas, but I love this movie, so we watched it today. Jimmy Stewart is my idea of a dream boat. Great movie with a great message.



Tonight for dinner I made this recipe. It's an Asian Chicken & Rice Bake. It was actually really good. Click here for the recipe. I would just suggest cooking it longer than suggested. I served it with stir fry and Oriental Low Mein hard noodles. It was delicious! Next time I will put the stir fry vegetables in the dish. I think they would be an extra bonus! It's weird for me to be recommending a recipe. I am by no means a cook, but I think it's time to learn!

Also, I'm starting school this week! Crazy I know! I'm taking 2 classes that are prerequisites to getting into the MBA program at our local university. I'm pretty nervous about starting school all over again, but I've prayed over this and I really have a peace with it. Wish me the best!

Off to finish more on my to do list...

Work...Music...and Chicken!

So, a couple of things I'm thinking about tonight:

1) My Resolutions for the new year are no longer resolutions - they are now life goals. I tend to get over zealous on those things. J counseled me that I should kind of have these goals and work on them one day, one task at a time. So I'm trying that. For example, today, I came home and made sure that I emptied the dish washer, swept the floors, vacuumed, went through our huge mail pile. I also spent some time de-decorating our kitchen. Christmas is slowly going away - I will miss it - but I'm looking forward to opening up some cluttered space :-).


2) WORK WAS CRAZY TODAY!! I absolutely love my job. Today, though, was just one of those days I wish I could be about 5 different people.


3) One of the things I'm looking forward to at this time of year is bringing back my normal music and movies. Our family goes all Christmas in November and December with music & movies. I haven't updated my ipod yet, but I do have some money from an Itunes Gift card. Any suggestions on Christian music that you like that I may not have? Would love to hear it!


Ooo..another thing - I'm super excited - tomorrow morning I get to try the new Spicy Chicken Biscuit from Chick-Fil-A for free. I'll have to let everyone know how it is! Your experience?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wow! 1-1-11! This is crazy! I'm very excited about this new year! I feel like it is going to be amazing. I wanted to take some time to reflect and get a purpose and just see where God wants me to focus for the year. Just something I like to do. I had some time to think about it. I got a call around 2:10am this morning from my mom. She called to let me know my little bro L had called the ambulance to pick him up. She had to go to work at 5:00 am, so she was trying to get someone to cover for her. My dad is on a camping trip with my little sister. So, my mom called me to go to the hospital with my brother. The hospital is about forty-five minutes to an hour away from my house. So I left my party peeps (I was just going to get in bed) and headed here:



Thank goodness it wasn't anything serious. He has plueracy, which is just inflammation basically. I took him home. Then drove home. I got home at 5:30 am. Thank the Lord for safe driving. Anyways, I had a lot of time to think about the new year and goals and such. So, I thought I would post my goals for the year.

Now, granted, I know I may not reach all of them, but it's a good guide map to start walking with. My #1 thing is to be a completely different person this time next year. I would really like that. So, here we go!

1)Consistently follow hard after Christ.

2) Read through the Bible in a year (I've got the plan going!)

3) TALK MORE - I don't talk about my feelings enough with the people that should hear that. I bottle up a lot, and then explode later.

4) Write more - blogging, journaling, experimenting with writing...

5) Use means of communication more effectively - facebook, twitter, this blog - I deleted a bunch of "friends" from facebook - mostly married men and people that are on there that aren't really friends - just faces I may have met once or twice. I'd like to use means of communication to really build relationship and/or point people to Christ.

6) Become more domestic - I'd like to cook more and maybe even start some sewing or something - I don't know - use this as a way not to waste time - I'm a big time waster - maybe doing some of these will help me with that.

7) Love God & Love People More than Myself - basically, putting others before me. I'm super selfish. I love me. I only do what I want to do when I want to do it and how I want to do it. I'd like to get beyond that. This will probably be the hardest.
8) Orphans - I don't really know what this enta
ils. I just have such a heart for the orphans of the world. Maybe something locally? Maybe just praying & giving? I don't really know.

Like I said - it's a dream list, but it's a good place to get started. Hope your New's Year Day is as relaxing as mine! May this new year be the best of our lives!

HAPPY 2011!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Okay, so tonight I brought in the new year with some of my closest friends and communion.

Here's how I threw a great party:

1) Great Christmas Music


2) Clean the House


3) Set up Bathroom Kits for Guests




4) Encouraging Notes for Guests (and myself!)





5) Tablescapes


6) Decorations (KEEP IT SIMPLE)


7) Food (KEEP IT SIMPLE)


8) Great Friends






9) Reflection/Thought on the New Year



10) Bringing in the New Year with Communion (THE RIGHT WAY!)



It was a great night....more pictures/posts to come from this night..

New Year Plans?

Well, it's that time again. At the end of every year, I think about a couple of things.

1. My parent's anniversary. I was born before they were married, so I kind of give credit to myself for getting them together (ha!). They were married on December 30th, so I will be wishing them 23 looong years and many more to come!

2. New Year's Eve plans. This year I am getting together with my closest friends to celebrate. We are just going to hang out and spend some quality time together. I hope that we can talk about what the new year will hold in place and goals and such. That is my hope. Along with a lot of laughter.

3. Old Year Reflections - where was I this time last year. Have I gone backwards, forwards, still in the same place? Did I reach my goals? Did my predictions come true. This year I can say I think I've moved backwards in many areas of my life, especially my relationship with God. I didn't reach my goals. I don't know that I ever do. None of my predictions came true. They involved babies, love, and something bad happening (none of which involved me). None of them came true.

4. Old Year Pictures. I usually like to review the year through pictures. I am currently in the process of putting all my 2010 pictures on a jump drive to display on a digital frame through the new year. Can be a fun and a not so fun experience, but the memories are really good.

5. New Year Goals. This is what I want to accomplish in the new year. These are my "resolutions" so to speak. I am still formulating mine for 2011.

6. New Year Predictions. I don't usually predict for myself. My predictions will probably be very similar to what they were last year. I just think they have more of a chance of happening this year.


What about you? Do you do anything with the old year? What are your plans for bringing in the new? Any resolutions? I want to hear them!

Hoarders & Intervention

So, I've been watching a couple of shows lately that seem to stick out to me. They've either been about hoarders or addictions and they always end up in intervention. I was watching this one show and watched this man and woman living in the woman's hoarding chaos. I looked at the man and with my kindest intention thought, "Ugh! Who in their right mind would live with that? LEAVE BROTHER!" The intervention shows talk about this. They talk about enablers, people who may not add to the addiction of people, but in the name of "helping" them, enable them to be addicted. Of course, I judged them, too (being the good Christian person that I am - haha).

I watched the intervention and it just kind of blew me away. Not being an ex-druggy, I've never experienced anything like that. The people get together when someone is pretty much at rock bottom, tell them how they've been affected, and then present the person with options. And it kind of hit me.

1. Why do we wait until people hit rock bottom to have an intervention?
2. Why do we only do intervention for drugs/alcohol? Why not do intervention for a different kind of hoarding - unforgiveness - or people who are harboring anger. I don't know, just a thought.
3. What am I enabling? in other people? in myself? What piles of junk am I just looking over, passing up, etc? Why don't I just look at myself and say, "MOVE OUT, SISTER!"
4. What hoarders are we judging? Everyone has a little bit of a hoarder/addict in them. Just different things.
5. Does intervention really help? It requires someone to care about people. Is it effective?


Just some thoughts. Would love to hear yours!

Week Off

So, I have the week off. The only thing I have to do for work is check email today and tomorrow (for payment deadline purposes - it's a long story). Today is Monday. There are a couple of things running through my head.

1) Holy Cow - I didn't get anything accomplished today. I did straighten up pillows in the living room, empty and fill the dishwasher in the kitchen, sweep the middle of every floor in the house to appear that I cleaned, pay a bill, drove to our Chick-Fil-A for my Fix, and cleaned out my purse. Sure that sounds like a lot, but compare it to the number of hours in the day and the amount that my roomie who had the day off got done, and you'll see - I got nothing accomplished today.

2) I have a whole list of TO DO! My to do lists get pretty ridiculous, actually. I don't know if you could accomplish them in a year. Yet, there are some items that are doable and I want to finish them. They bounce around in my head like a game of Pong. This list is the reason for feeling #1.

3) Why do I have to do the to do list? Don't I deserve some time off? This is like a sick cycle I put myself through. I have a lot to do, I need to do it, I don't do it because I feel obligated to give myself time to not do it, and then I feel guilty for not doing it. It's a sick cycle. I know.

Does anyone else face this cycle? What do you do with the battle of lazy time and productivity that should occur? And don't tell me to take me time - I take plenty of me time - hence the reason my to do list is so long. I don't do it! HA!

Any thoughts?

Snow!

Yes, Virginia, there is a weather man! We had snow in Myrtle Beach! I know - it's hard to believe. I feel like the Meiser brothers made some wicked deal to help Santa get his little Vixen back or something. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, watch Year Without A Santa Claus. I actually went out and played in the snow today. Super fun! It was a White Christmas after all.

And yes, we didn't go to church today? Why? Because in the South - we can't drive. Second of all, we can't drive in precipitation, especially not snow. So I stayed home all day. It was wonderful! Look at some of the pictures:

Experience

"He told me that it had all happened one winter day, as he was looking at a barren tree. Although the tree's leaves were indeed gone, he knew that they would soon reappear, followed by blossomsm and then fruit. This gave hima profound impression of God's providence and power, which never left him. [He] still maintains that this impression detached him entirely from the world and gave him such a great love for God that it hasn't changed in all of the forty years he has been walking with Him."
(Practicing the Presence of God pg. 11)

"And then at night, Jesus Christ Himself came. He came to me and that was real. That was not a dream. That was not a vision. It was real. It was after midnight. I was alone in that room - in the hospital. The whole room was glittered in light. There was - There was Jesus Christ, and He was real. He was there. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. He was there. Jesus was there. He was real, and He talked to me. He said, "Yes, I am the one to give you a new life. Glory to You Jesus. He said to me, yes, I am the one to give you a new life."
(Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Tamrat Layne)

"And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"...."Then Saul arose from the ground and when his eyes were opened he saw no one."
(Acts 9:3-8)


"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead."
(Revelation 1:17)

Tonight I'm just thinking about my whole experience with Jesus. I have come across these experiences with Him in the past couple of days. These people were completely changed after their encounters with the Son of God. My first encounter with God was a young child in the back of a car looking out the window with tears rolling down my cheeks trying to figure out how a God that could make such beautiful stars could die for a child as bad as I was. Later, I encountered Him again at a worship night in a youth group. I heard Him speak that night. I would again encounter Him in my bedroom after I told the people I lived with that I was moving out to walk away from God and run after the world as hard as I could.

Every experience I have had with Jesus has been life changing. As I look at this life and the journey I have been on, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Of course it hasn't been easy. Of course I have fallen. Who hasn't? But every time, there is Jesus with His hands wide open, catching me and holding me up.

Oh, friend, if you are reading this, I pray you know the same Christ that so many have experienced. I pray that He changes your life and fills you with the same love and acceptance that He has offered so many. And just like with the Prime Minister, Jesus is waiting to give you a new life. I hope you will live it.

Holding On

Was in prayer tonight, just kind of talking to Jesus about my incessant drawing towards the world and away from Him. The song that was playing mentioned something about "teach me how to cling to You?" That rolled around in my head over and over again. Teach me how to cling to You. And I started thinking about a story I once heard.

There was a guy named Jacob. He was one of the best deceivers I've ever heard about (besides myself when I am not walking with Jesus..haha). Well, he deceived his brother out of his very own birthright. This, of course, means nothing to us as today our words and vows and birthrights are of no value. Back then, though, they were a huge deal. Well, needless to say, the brother was pretty ticked. Well Jacob was on his way back to the land of his brother, 2 wives, eleven sons, and deceitful repayments later. He just knew his brother was ticked. I honestly think, he kind of knew who he was. He knew everything he had done. He knew what was going down. He just knew that things weren't good.

Well, he comes to this place and somehow ends up alone. I love the Bible's wording; it just says, "Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day." Jacob was wrestling throughout the night. Whether it was Jesus or God or an angel, I don't care - stronger than me. I can almost see Jacob saying, I don't care - I'm not letting go until you tell me everything is going to be okay. It took strength and power. And tonight, I thought about it, that Man wasn't running or pushing away. He was engaging in that wrestling match.

And something hit me. You know, lately, I've been talking about my constant drawing to the world. Tonight I was praying for a drawing to the Lord. And it was like this new fight just rose up within me. It was like I took the Spirit of God and put Him in a headlock (as reverently and fearful as possible of course) and said, I'm not going to let You go until my life is so evidently changed that there is a physical difference in my everyday life. And it's almost like I could hear Jesus laughing because I don't have to wrestle to get that. He wants to be a part of life and passion with me even more than I want it! He is holding me anyway. He isn't running and trying to hide for me to find. He's just there, waiting for me to realize it.

This fight is a good thing. I guess that's an important part. If I can just get the fight inside of me to have a desire to only want Christ and nothing else, the other stuff will happen. Like the theme verse of my life right now. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto You." (Matt 6:33)

So, what do you need to wrestle with God about? Know this - he isn't running away. He wants to engage with you in life more than you want it. Tell me some things that you wrestle with and what it means to wrestle with God in those situations.

The Happy Fast (Again)

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto You." (Matthew 6:33)

I have a very bad habit. I will drive down the road and consistently look at the same exact signs, the same exact advertisements, the same words every time I drive by. It's like my eyes are drawn by a magnet to these things. I read them over and over and over again. What probably makes it even more annoying to those around me is that I will then make it my point to read the words every time I see them.

I have realized that I have that bad habit in more than just the area of signs and words. It's true in life. For the past 10 years of walking with (and running away from) God, I have revisited the same issues over and over and over and over again. What makes that even more annoying is that I consistently hurt the same people in the process.

Lately, I've just been thinking about my walk with God and this bad cycle I have of spiritual highs and lows. I have come to realize that part of the reason I consistently look away from the One who is set before me is that I like the other stuff I am looking at it. I am drawn to it. There is some magnetic force that is pulling my eyes away from the path before me. The bad thing about that is that it usually ends up in a crash, and people get hurt.

I've been looking at my Christian life and realizing that I have enjoyed the world and its ways. Yet, in my mind, I know that "friendship with the world is enmity with God" (somewhere in the Bible). I also know that this friendship with the world is the cause of those spiritual highs and lows. I am trying to find fulfillment in something that is empty and void itself. I am seeking happiness in somewhere else besides "the Kingdom of God and His righteousness."

So, I find myself in a new take on my what seems like "Happy Fast." Hence, the new desire to start writing again. I'm looking in all the wrong places to keep me happy. Really, I should just be looking to Jesus and falling in love with Him. So, here's to a brand new start and a journey before me that I don't think even I know where it will take me.

Suffering?

"Dear God, how could they hurt me?" "Dear God, how could they do this to me?" "Dear God, I am so ____(fill in the blank)___!" "Dear God, why won't you ___(fill in the blank)___?"

Ever had those thoughts? Nah, me either. Ha! Yeah right! Maybe the real answer should be, has anyone not had those thoughts? Suffering is a big part of life. Unfortunately, suffering happens: people hurt us, the devil steals things/people away from us, the economy goes bad, oil spills in the Gulf Coast, fingernails break, and someone steals your bike. These things happen! Don't they stink? Gosh, I hate when stuff happens to me. I hate being hurt and vulnerable. Yet, I seem to hold on to the suffering. I might beat myself up. I might stay mad at someone forever (and you haven't seen that until you know me and how long I can hold a grudge - it's ridiculous!).

I read about suffering this morning. It's in a part of scripture that I just can't seem to get away from - James 5:13-20. James 5:13 says, "Is anyone among you suffering, let him pray."

It is such a simple verse. Yet, upon doing a Greek word study of the verse, I saw things in a new light. The word suffering, akin to afflicted, means afflicted. Isn't that surprising? Haha! It actually hints at some sort of enemy or opponent. Then there is the word, pray. What is so interesting about this Greek word is that it is composed of a word just meaning to talk to God and another root word that is directional; and not just directional, but a directional meant for a change.

Why is that so important? What do you do when you are suffering? I usually sit in my pity party or squander in misery in a circle of questions and tears. That's not hte answer, though. The answer is to turn towards God, direct your suffering towards Him, releasing your hold on it, and looking for a change.

That's really small, but it helps me move on to the next part of the verse about being cheerful & singing! God cares for the small things - when you are suffering, talk to Him, give Him your suffering and expect things to change. That's what the verse is there for.

Interesting Commercials

I saw both of these videos recently. I thought they were worth posting. The first one is hilarious! The second one just really makes you think, especially if you are a woman. Take a look and let me know what you think.






I told you it would make you think.

He Knows Me

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5a NKJV).

Have you ever met a celebrity? I'm not talking about a local weather man (although in the town I live in, the local weather man's social standing is equal to that of any celebrity you may see on People Magazine or interviewing on Oprah) or a local small-town athlete. I am talking about a real celebrity. You know, someone whose in multiple movies, who owns a multi-million dollar home, and who gets into and miraculously gets out of scandalous occurrences only enjoyable to the rich and famous! Have you ever met one? No, I haven't either.

The closest I ever got was in Walt Disney World. I saw a man coming out of the Crystal Palace restaurant who looked rather familiar. I soon recognized him to be Brad Garrett. You know, the big kind of dead-pan guy from "Everybody Loves Raymond." Well, to be honest, I was too scared to go talk to him. Now, he isn't like my favorite celebrity or anything. He's just someone that I know has been in movies. My best friend's mom finally decided to speak up, and so we met him and shared a few jokes. So, Brad Garrett met Samantha. Amazing, right? Wrong. At no time after our meeting did he ever go around and say, "Hey, I know Samantha." Yeah, I can say that I met him, but can I say that we know each other? No, I really can't.

I am obviously no celebrity. I have never been in any movie besides the ones made at home, I don't even own a $2 home, and my idea of a scandal is getting caught driving with my knees instead of my hands. I do know Someone who is "kind of a big deal," though. You know the amazing thing. He would say that He knows me, too. Want to be even more amazed? He knew me before we even met? Isn't it funny that although I can meet a semi-celebrity, I wouldn't say that I knew him, yet, God knew and knows me even before we met?

God formed me. Those three words blow my mind. They render me speechless. What makes it even better is that God formed me and knew me. He knew before I was even born all my little quirks and faults and oddities. Yet, He still formed me. That is the basis of all that my life is. I am just a woman who is walking this life out with the realization that God formed me for a purpose and that I get to live that purpose out, knowing Him. I pray that my journey thus far can point you into the place where you know God. Like I said before, "He's kind of a big deal."

Sam

AAHH!

For today to be my day off, I wasn't off. I slept in a little late (8:05am to be exact). I woke up and my day and my mind began running. I must say I got a lot done today. I kind of felt like this day is a whir.

Unfortunately, I did base the value of my day on how much I checked off my to do list. I do that a lot. You can pray for me in that area. Although I did A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF (including making Pasta Salad for a party tomorrow night, laundry, cleaning the house, organizing my checkbook, paying some bills, contacting parents for our middle school group, addressing and sending off letters raising money for a prolife campaign, etc.), I still feel like I failed because I can think of at least one thing I didn't do today. Isn't that crazy?!?

Why is it that we are such a task-oriented society? Why is it that if I'm not super lazy, I'm super task-oriented? Why can't I just accept that what I get done is good enough for the day, as long as that time was spent doing God's agenda for my day?!?

That's the key - God's agenda needs to be my agenda. Lord, help us line up our lives with Your agenda.

Sam