Friends! Fun! Food! and Favor!

Can I just tell you?...I have felt the Lord's favor this week. Sweet favor. Undeserved favor.


And it all began Monday.

I love to entertain, love parties, love cooking and boy do I love my sisters-in-Christ! I had the sweet privilege to have my bloggy buddies Jean Stockdale and Fran Thomas for lunch on Monday. We sipped tea, lunched and talked!...(did I say we talked?!). Put three women who love the Lord and have been called to teach together and you'll hear some talking! (none of those awkward silences around here...*grin*).

Jean has taught a Moms group at her church for over 20 years. In fact Fran went to her class many years ago when her children were younger. Well, Jean is just "a tad" bit older than we are...(she's entered that wonderful season of grandbabies.) So you can imagine how Fran and I wanted to hear every word she had to say...Such wisdom. Wisdom that flowed effortlessly from her lips. Later as I reflected on that, it dawned on me that the reason wisdom seemed to drip from her was that...she had actually lived it. She had lived out what she had taught. She and her husband had raised two Godly young men---they didn't just talk about it. And that was the reason she could share wisdom so easily. She is the real deal!



And speaking of real deals...meet my friend Fran. She and I met through this bloggy world and I adore her. She is hip and cool and soooo stinking funny! (Everything I want to be and am not!) And she has a passion for the Lord that is contagious. I can't wait to see where the Lord leads her in using the gifts He has bestowed upon her gorgeous head!

I really didn't want Monday to end...(wow! never wrote that before!). But the Lord had more sweet favor in store for me. This weekend I packed an overnight bag, tossed it in the ole' suv and headed to a wonderful place, filled with some of my most favorite people! YADASISTERHOOD
We laughed, we cried, we took in the Word, we ate and we worshipped!! The speaker was one of my favorites- Lisa Harper. I had the opportunity to visit with her and was truly blessed by her attentiveness and real interest in what was going on with me. She ushers us INTO the Word. And I love that!





Jean and Fran!

Needless to say, I have enjoyed this week immensely! It's not every week that I get to sit, unhurriedly at the feet of such women and be ministered to one-on-one. Thank you, sweet Jesus, thank you so much. I enjoyed every minute.

Praying that I will bless others this week!
Teresa

Company's Coming!

Company's coming! Company's coming!

Polish the silver! check
Set the table! check
Chicken salad made! check
Apricot Tortoni made! check
Almond Lemonade Tea made! check
Stuff all the toys in the closet! check

Can you tell I'm a little excited about some visitors I'm having for lunch tomorrow? Well! I am! Tomorrow morning I am having two bloggy visitors over for lunch and a visit. This is such a joy for me considering I approached this blogging thing quite reluctantly. But oh how I've been blessed. Blessed by other's words, struggles, joys. And these two have most definitely blessed me. And now we get to visit! How cool is that! How cool is it what has brought us together is... our Lord, our love of a Savior, our love of the One and Only.

Acts 2:26b-47
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I think we might just have a little "church" on the front porch tomorrow.... (know what I mean?:)

Check back later in the week and hopefully I'll have pictures!

Blessings,
Teresa

I'm Back...sorta of...

Hello friends!
I have missed you! Not sure how this bloggy break got to be sooo long. But glad to be back.

I have spent a little time in the desert recently..(and not completely out yet..but getting there)...I was trying to discern how I got here...here being-empty, drained, dry, burned-out...you know what I'm talking about. For the past 5 months I have been spent...totally spent...for everyone else. Starting in January there was....

* A major shift in a Bible Study I am involved in with more responsibilities, along with some personnel changes that were both sweet and hard.
* The flu...tough stuff!
*Major trip and training on the end of that flu...
*May! (school activities-need I say more!!)
*Major family events here at our home...(parties for loved ones!)
*Disappointment at the hands of friends...

Whew! I just feel better writing that out! All this to say (and thanks for letting me whine/ I mean share *grin*)...God is good! And while I am empty at the moment...He is in the business of "filling" up! Two more projects on the table and then I'm going in for a full tank refill!!!
I share this to remind YOU...get your tank filled...filled with His Word, His presence..filled with HIM!

Habakkuk 3: 17-18 Though the fig tree do not blossom nor the fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my strength.

Filling up and praising!
Teresa

PS: I would consider your prayers precious...(and if anyone has a quiet, deserted place a worn out gal could use to retreat to..let me know!!:))

Smiling

Things that make me smile.

*A job well done.
*A kind word well-spoken.
*Cooking and entertaining for my friends and family.
*A certain blue-eyed, blond-haired boy's hugs.
*A well-earned nap.
*Seeing God's Word take root in someone's life.
*Positive people.
*Unexpected kindness.
*Planning surprises.

Heavenly Father, How great is Your Name! And how worthy is Your Name! May we praise You this day with all that is within us! Teach us Your ways, give us wisdom and revelation to understand Your Word. And Father may all we do and say bring a smile to Your holy face!
In the saving name of Jesus!
Amen!

What makes you smile?

Smiling and praising!
Teresa

Pleading The Case...

December 19. January 19. March 16.

Three dates on the calendar.

Three Christian friends.

Three set of tears.

Three funerals to plan.

Three widows leaning on their Lord.

....Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17


Do you know a widow?

Pray for her.
Go see her.
Hug her.
Cry with her.
Include her.

Praying,
Teresa

Having Fun!

I had the sweetest morning yesterday.

We are on spring break this week-(which is a little misleading because at the moment it is 31 degrees and sleeting). I took a little time out from the kiddos yesterday morning and got together with one of my mentors from way back that lives in another town. Another one couldn't meet us but we talked on the phone for 30 minutes! These are godly women a little older than me with young adults, (some in college, some out). They have always shared their wisdom (& struggles) with me anytime I needed them. They have prayed with me, over me, listen to me pitch fits and rejoiced with me! I love them bunches!

I just wanted to share a couple of things they reminded me about this job of raising children:

1: Praise them! Praise them!- Praise their character traits, not always their performance. Sometimes this takes intentional means on my part. My 3 children are all very different with different temperaments and personalities they have different strengths and struggles, it is my job as their mom to know those strengths and struggles.
2. Have fun with them!- Now for some of you this may be a no brainer, but for those of us who were born going on 40 (as my daddy used to say about me!) this too takes a little intentional planning on my part. Now, I'm not always a stick-in-the-mud, BUT I like routine, and my quiet time, and reading, etc...you get the picture..:)

SOOOO.....here I sit in a quiet house with 4 precious, sleeping (although loud at 2am) teenage girls among a BIG pile of dirty dishes, clothes thrown everywhere kind of mess...trying to have fun...*grin*...no really it was fun! and I am filled with His joy this morning!

Do any of you have any "fun" ideas that you have done with your children to share?
I would love to hear about them!


Filled with His joy this morning (sleepy joy!)
Teresa

ps: Don't worry about me...the cavalry (that tall handsome hunky husband) arrives at 12:30 to whisk them (and the other 2) off to the movies so I can have the whole afternoon to write next week's teaching!!! YEAH!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

About 3:15 Saturday afternoon, the Lord opened His storehouses of snow on our little corner of West Tennessee and for about 6 hours decorated our world in the most beautiful, breath-taking way. Never mind that I've had buttercups blooming for 2 weeks, this was the prettiest snowfall I can remember. So pure and white, blinding white and sparkling like diamonds! As I wandered around applauding our Lord for His handiwork, my heart felt as though it would pop...

Could it be true? Really true?
Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
Oh Yes! my friend it is true!!! Through the blood of Jesus our sins are washed white as snow!



In just a few short weeks this is where I'll be sitting with a tall glass of tea, studying God's word, and drinking in His sunshine!


And this tree to the right will be covered in dogwood blooms!

In case you can't read that very well it says...12 inches!!!! Yes sir!!!!

Beautiful! Simply Beautiful!!

Now I know for some of you sweet, Northern sisters this is small potatoes; but for us Southern sisters this is a BIG deal!!! I'll try to post more later of the children, but I better take advantage of this quite house and study for Bible Study!

Soaking in His beauty and (washing clothes! good grief, snow produces a lot of laundry!)

love,

Teresa

Hellooo Again!

Sorry, long bloggy break! Let's just say..."Whew!" I couldn't begin to tell you what all has been going on, but I think it's safe to say, the Lord is doing some molding and stretching of this old gal!!

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I am studying and teaching on 1 Samuel. This week we are in Chapter 17...One of the greatest battles ever!! So I've got giants on my mind. Let me share an encounter with one....


On Sunday afternoon October the 3rd 2004 my telephone rang. Chester and I had just returned from a weekend trip to Knoxville to watch a little football..(that was back when there was something to watch:)….after exchanging the usual pleasantries with my mother she said,"they think I have a brain aneurysm and I have to see a neuro-surgeon at 7:30 in the morning…”well people, it is rare that anything good comes out of a 7:30 dr. appt…a giant had just walked into my perfect, well-ordered life…I would like to say I grabbed a stone and sling right then and laid that giant out and that the next morning the dr. found nothing…this was not the case…in fact the giant walked in and stayed a while…in the weeks and months that followed I would watch my 60 year old mother have extensive brain surgery, a stroke and grueling physical therapy…Being the first born child, people pleaser person that I am I just wanted to fix this problem (this giant) myself and move on…You don’t fix giants like that on your own…this battle was to be the LORD’S…was I going to walk in that?
Yes! How did I do that? By reminding myself daily (sometimes hourly) that this was the LORD'S battle, by gathering my stones (scripture)...and then slinging those stones (saying them out loud).

I am sure there are those of you who have faced much bigger giants than a sick mother...but that's just it...the size of the giant doesn't matter, what matters is the size of our God!!!!
So...if you are facing a giant today may I remind you that-
our God is bigger than:
*a lost job
*a shrinking 401K
*a miscarriage
*divorce
*a church split
*a lost dream
*a wayward child
*a mean-spirited spouse

and our God is bigger than-
*death

Rejoicing and slinging stones!
Teresa

...For the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give all of you into our hands. 1 Samuel 17:47

Making Room for More of HIM!

I LOVE studying Old Testament! Just love it! I am studying 1 Samuel right now and it is amazing how much is packed in this book...good stuff...stuff for us today!

1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve Him only....."

Samuel, being the prophet he was, needed to discern if the people Israel were serious about returning to the LORD. So he told them, "Ok, Israel...you serious about this? Then get rid of the idols. Period."

Christian Americans, You serious about national revival...then get rid of the idols...
Teresa, You serious about drawing closer to the LORD...then get rid of the idols...
And serve Him only!

If I am serious about wanting more of Him, then I've got to get serious about removing from my life...idols, false gods...anything that is taking His place in my life.

Our idols may not be made of wood and melted gold, but they are nevertheless idols…pride, money, children’s success, husband’s position at church, the opinion of people, a certain dress size, a bigger Bible, another Bible study, a tidy checked off to-do-list, sleep.

What are the idols you need to rid yourself of today so you can commit yourself to the LORD and serve Him only?

Holy Father, Forgive us for settling for the cheap things this world has to offer. When You are all we need, You are more than enough, You are abundantly more...Father, I pray this day that You would show me the idols that need to be removed. Allow the scales from my eyes to fall so that I'll see with Your eyes those things I need to dismantle. I want to make more room for You. Enable me to do that through Your Holy Spirit. In the precious saving name of Jesus. Amen!


cleaning out and lifting praises up!
Teresa

You Were Created...

I can remember as a child looking intently into the mirror and wondering..."Why in the world was I created?"..."Why am I here?"... I certainly wasn't pretty..stringy hair, braces, glasses...(I'll spare you the pictures..) or rich, or popular....

The answer to that question came many years later. It wasn't until I became a daughter of the King did I understand why He created me....

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

...And so on this day- January 14- my birthday- ....I will do what I was created to do...

PRAISE HIM!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6


Praising Him and wishing you were here to join me,
Teresa

A Nugget or a Rock

I love a good Bible study retreat! Time to get away and listen uninterrupted to the Word of God. And most always I have prayed that God would give me a "nugget", a truth, a Word, something to ponder, a word of encouragement. This weekend was such a time. And I had asked the Lord for a nugget. But this time it wasn't a sweet word of encouragement like I was secretly wanting...it was a rock of conviction.

We heard a gentleman tell a story....He was preaching at an outdoor service and they had predicted rain all week, the morning of the service dawned with pouring rain, the man continued to beg the Lord for the rain to stop, just as he had all week, and while standing on the platform in pouring rain, arms lifted high, angry at the Lord, not understanding why the Lord had withheld this blessing -

the Lord spoke..."you have been more concerned with the absence of rain, than with the presence of Me."

I am still moved to tears as I write those words.


Holy Father, God of the Universe, Maker of heaven and earth,

Forgive me:
forgive me for seeking the praise of men...... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking the lack of problems.... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking blessings..... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking health.... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking to finish my list.... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking comfort ..... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking financial peace.... more than the presence of You
forgive me for seeking this world..... more than the presence of YOU.

Father give me a heart that is unsatisfied with anything but You.
in the saving name of Jesus, Amen

I've got some seeking to go do.
much love,
Teresa

A New Year Means.....

....A new fitness program!! Of course it does! And, yes I've started a new one! One I'm really excited about... AND I need some new MUSIC!

If you have any suggestions I would love to hear from you!

Running, walking, dancing, praising Him!
Teresa

ps: and sore as can be! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just wanted to share one of my favorite quotes...(ever)...

from Oswald Chambers..."Leave the irreparable past in His hands, and step out into the Irresistible future with Him."

Won't you join me?
Blessings!
Teresa