Procrastination

I have put off writing this post for several weeks but here goes.

The hub and mini-me went to Helen the first weekend of Oktoberfest. We had a great time and had great food. It's a little town in the North GA mountains that stylistically looks German. The buildings are all German-ish in their architecture and there are lots of little shops and even a mid size waterfall you can hike to. It's a little kitsch and touristy but that's okay with me, I'm a tourist LOL!

Here's some fun pics from our mini vacay

My delay in writing this post is due to the men that we saw later in the evening. Things were going fabulous for our family weekend away until I saw them. A small group of men toting Bibles, microphones and signs. The hatred they spewed put a real damper on my mood. I love Jesus and proudly proclaim Him as my Savior and I imagine these boneheads do as well. But the God they claim to love is the not the same one I serve. The God I love and talk to daily is a loving Father who forgives our mistakes so amazingly He actually forgets them. He sacrificed His Son to save these men who infuriated me as well the very people these guys were protesting against.

I hesitate to even post these pictures, because of the hateful message they were touting, but I feel it is important to defend my God and clear His name even though He doesn't need me to. If you know me, you know I talk... a lot... and have no problem with speaking my mind. However, I refrained from engaging these guys in any kind of debate because I knew my blood pressure was up and smoke was almost coming out of my ears as it was and to hear them twist the Word of God would have sent me over the edge.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe homosexuality is a sin, but it is no worse than the many hetero sins people commit every day. And does God still love me even when I sin? Emphatically YES!! Does God still love men and women who choose that lifestyle? Just as emphatically YES!! Does He want us all to turn from our sinful ways and towards Him? Without a doubt YES!! So here are the pictures I snapped from a safe distance without me having to punch someone in the junk (which is what I wanted to do).

You may not agree with me, but I think the Bible clearly states that Jesus loves all people and we are all sinners in His eyes. It is only through the blood of Jesus that we may approach the throne of grace and receive His mercies. As hard as it is for me to do, I pray that the men who made these signs, and possibly turned people off to God in the process, will eventually see His love for what it is. UNCONDITIONAL!

30 DOT Day 16

Someone or something you definitely could not live without.


I absolutely could not live without my husband. He is by far the best man I have ever known. He loves me like no other and is the best friend I could ever have. He supports me in my decisions but still offers wisdom when I need it. He is the embodiment of love presented in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails."


Not to sound overly gushy, but I have the best husband ever and could not live without him. 

30 DOT Day 6

Something you hope you never have to do.


I hope I never have to see my daughter go through what I did as a kid. I will dive deeper into this further down the road; but suffice it to say I want her to have a great childhood, free from abuse and full of the love of God and family. I hope I never have to see the look on her face that I know I had to have as a child. I hope she never wonders about her father's love for her. I hope she never feels the sting of rejection from those who love her. 


A song that can bring me to tears. It encompasses a generational love for mother and child to me. Enjoy!

Lord willin

If you ever met my Nana and spent any length of time talking to her, odds are you would have heard that phrase at least once. I always just thought it was a cute Southern way of saying "Maybe". I'd say "I'll see you for dinner". And her response was "Lord willin". But tonight I had a revelation, where most revelations happen for me... in the bathroom. I decided to begin reading James chapter 4 for next weeks small group discussion. I got all the way to verse 13-16 and BAM! God hit me upside the head (as He has been known to do) with a bit of wisdom from Nana. 

^"13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. "


All those years, Nana would always say "Lord willin" when making plans for dinner, or family functions or even making the next phone call to check on me. For so long I really paid it no attention, But tonight I realized the importance of those two words. It was more than a catch phrase for her. It was a verbal reminder to herself that her life was in God's hands. It was a daily submission to His will for her life. She knew that the One who created her, had ordained all the days of her life and she understood the importance of not allowing her own plans to interfere with that. 


Those two simple words that always flew right under my radar, tonight suddenly had new meaning. I had always known my Nana to be a firm believer in the Lord. I knew that she and Jesus were BFFs. I asked her once what the most important day of her life was, she without hesitation answered "The day I accepted Christ". But I never understood the discipline she had of humbling herself to His will and the dedication that takes. 


My Nana has since passed away. And I haven't been able to hear her say that in over a year. But here's the cool part. Her life left an imprint on mine. And now, even after she has gone home, she is still teaching me to be the woman God wants me to be. She lived her life as an example that I will forever be grateful for. God used her words to lay a seed in my heart that tonight began to bloom. All I had to do was turn to His word. His Living Water sparked growth in that seed she planted that lay dormant until now. She lives on in my memories and Lord willin I will see her again!