Thursday, April 28, 2011
Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...
Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...: "4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and hav..."
And in Alabama..the world stood still...
4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and have never seen one...until yesterday. I watched as my dad's hometown was torn apart via the web. The college, the dorms, the hospital...nothing was untouched..nothing. It was as if the hand of some monster reached out of the sky and wiped a slate clean. I cried. The house my grandmother was born in..located in Moores Bridge..gone. Fear for friends and family clenching my heart...I finally heard from the last of them this morning and Praise God they are safe. It is not so for others as the death toll rises. Even the news casters seemed lost for words as the watched the destruction on screen.
Now its time to pick up the pieces..
If you are able..volunteer..if you arent..donate something..money, food, clothes. Do what God expects us to do when disaster strikes..pull together!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Tree that Changed the World
It is not stated in the Bible what kind of tree the Cross our Savior hung from was crafted from...it has been said Olive because of the size of the tree and because it populated the region at the time.
Another school of thought states that it was the dogwood tree..
In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so
Slender & twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."
As you can see...A poem was even written about it.
However, Since Easter has passed, that particular tree has been on my mind. It doesnt matter what type of wood the Cross was made of..it was the destiny of the tree itself that intrigues me.
In a copse of mighty trees stood a tiny sapling, striving towards the sun like a holy man reaching for heaven.
For all intents and purposes, it was just an ordinary little tree. It had bark, like other trees. It had roots and leaves. It had branches and twigs and needed sunlight and water to survive. See? Just like every other tree. When the Angels brought " GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY," announcing the birth of our Lord in the form of a babe in a manger..the little tree stood...still firmly rooted. As he grew and performed miracles ..the tree grew and the branches reached ever higher. Before long men came and and chopped down the tree..It was soon nailed into a cross shape...it gave its existence to become a crucifix for our Savior. As judgement was passed on our Lord , the tree waited in its cross form. As jesus was made to carry it to His place of sacrifice it became saturated in his blood. It shook as the spikes were driven into Jesus's hands and feet and it stood tall as our Messiah hung on its wood, sacrificing himself for our sins and waiting to die. Such a small thing...yet so great a symbol. The little sapling never knew it would play a part in shaping our world, our belief, or show us how GREAT the love God had for us..by giving his only son.
How wonderful that we can now say..." Why do you look for the living among the dead?! He is not here! He is RISEN!"
Another school of thought states that it was the dogwood tree..
In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew To a stately size and a lovely hue.
'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so
Slender & twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."
As you can see...A poem was even written about it.
However, Since Easter has passed, that particular tree has been on my mind. It doesnt matter what type of wood the Cross was made of..it was the destiny of the tree itself that intrigues me.
For all intents and purposes, it was just an ordinary little tree. It had bark, like other trees. It had roots and leaves. It had branches and twigs and needed sunlight and water to survive. See? Just like every other tree. When the Angels brought " GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY," announcing the birth of our Lord in the form of a babe in a manger..the little tree stood...still firmly rooted. As he grew and performed miracles ..the tree grew and the branches reached ever higher. Before long men came and and chopped down the tree..It was soon nailed into a cross shape...it gave its existence to become a crucifix for our Savior. As judgement was passed on our Lord , the tree waited in its cross form. As jesus was made to carry it to His place of sacrifice it became saturated in his blood. It shook as the spikes were driven into Jesus's hands and feet and it stood tall as our Messiah hung on its wood, sacrificing himself for our sins and waiting to die. Such a small thing...yet so great a symbol. The little sapling never knew it would play a part in shaping our world, our belief, or show us how GREAT the love God had for us..by giving his only son.
How wonderful that we can now say..." Why do you look for the living among the dead?! He is not here! He is RISEN!"
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??
Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??: "The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad? [Alice checks Hatter's temperature] Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll t..."
Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....
Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....: "Its hard to pick just one thing about my church that I like....So I'm gonna share my church experience with you. The first thing you see as ..."
Have I gone mad??
The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
[Alice checks Hatter's temperature]
Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are
( Johny Depp is still hot even like this)
Count me among the best...in fact..count most moms among the best. We are a fab group of completely crazy, insane, and bonkers women. How else (other then the Grace of God) do we make it through the daily grind of motherhood? How many times have we felt like this....
Oh come on...you know you have looked like this before. Unless you are one of those June Cleaver, always have supper on the table, pto, perfectly coifed mothers..
(If this is you...well...I hate you )
But that sterotype hopefully died out with the feminist movement. Hot damn we can vote!
Motherhood is not perfect. It is raw, real, messy, hurtful...just like birth. And just like birth it has another side...it is love, fierceness, laughter, hope, and happiness. When God made women it was because HE KNEW that it takes the kind of courage, tenderness, and yes madness that only women can posess.
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh
:The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it. ~From the television show THE GOLDEN GIRLS
God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb
So I ask you... Am I bonkers? Off my rocker? Completely gone around the bend?
Am I mad?!
I tell you..Yes my dear, but I shall let all of you in on a little secret....All the best people are.
Now bring on the Jabberwocky :)
[Alice checks Hatter's temperature]
Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are
Count me among the best...in fact..count most moms among the best. We are a fab group of completely crazy, insane, and bonkers women. How else (other then the Grace of God) do we make it through the daily grind of motherhood? How many times have we felt like this....
But that sterotype hopefully died out with the feminist movement. Hot damn we can vote!
Motherhood is not perfect. It is raw, real, messy, hurtful...just like birth. And just like birth it has another side...it is love, fierceness, laughter, hope, and happiness. When God made women it was because HE KNEW that it takes the kind of courage, tenderness, and yes madness that only women can posess.
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh
:The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it. ~From the television show THE GOLDEN GIRLS
God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb
So I ask you... Am I bonkers? Off my rocker? Completely gone around the bend?
Am I mad?!
I tell you..Yes my dear, but I shall let all of you in on a little secret....All the best people are.
Now bring on the Jabberwocky :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
Welcome to my Church....
Its hard to pick just one thing about my church that I like....So I'm gonna share my church experience with you. The first thing you see as you walk to the door is a friendly smiling face belong to a member of our hospitality team who graciously opens the door for you. As you step into the lobby/coffee bar, you are assaulted with the rich aroma of several exotic coffee blends. However this isnt the best thing; that would be walking through the gauntlent of fellow church members waiting to say "Good Morning", ask how you are, or put their arms around you and give you a hug that you didn't even know you needed. I love finding my usual seat..third row from the back...and standing to sing while holding a warm fragrant cup of coffee in my hand.
We have an amazing worship team, with drums, keyboards , guitars and many beautiful voices. Its hard not to feel the spirit of God move as the worship team takes you through some popular new songs and even some old hymnals that we all grew up hearing. Its hard not to raise your hands and sway as you praise the Father of all creation! Then comes the message from our Pastor, who speaks from the heart and treats each one of us as a family member. There is a sense of belonging at Grace Fellowship Atmore, Alabama. If you are ever in the are on a Sunday morning around 10 ...why dont you stop on by? I can promise you will feel God's love from his people by the time you walk back out to get in your car :)
I <3 MY CHURCH
We have an amazing worship team, with drums, keyboards , guitars and many beautiful voices. Its hard not to feel the spirit of God move as the worship team takes you through some popular new songs and even some old hymnals that we all grew up hearing. Its hard not to raise your hands and sway as you praise the Father of all creation! Then comes the message from our Pastor, who speaks from the heart and treats each one of us as a family member. There is a sense of belonging at Grace Fellowship Atmore, Alabama. If you are ever in the are on a Sunday morning around 10 ...why dont you stop on by? I can promise you will feel God's love from his people by the time you walk back out to get in your car :)
I <3 MY CHURCH
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
So....What had happened was.....
I like to think that I can write anything I mean like, "Hello! Its never been hard before! All it takes is an
But lately, my mind has been blank! I mean like hear the crickets chirping and wind blowing empty!
So instead of a flash of brillance...that beautiful wonderful light of inspiration flicking on..its more like this..
IDEA!!!"
But lately, my mind has been blank! I mean like hear the crickets chirping and wind blowing empty!
So instead of a flash of brillance...that beautiful wonderful light of inspiration flicking on..its more like this..
Yeah..just like that except maybe picture a cricket just sitting in there chirping its merrry little heart out...
So does this blog post have anything to say? Any meaningful wisdom to pass on? What can I say to the masses? Well............
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