Day 3 Morning Challenge...

This morning hurt more than normal. Dh left early at 4:00 a.m. I saw him off, made him coffee and sandwiches for the trip... he won't be back til Sunday late. *WAH* I know, I know... I'm a huge wuss... but I miss him when he's gone.

This is also Reformation Day for those of us in the Lutheran Christian tradition. What a tremendous change to Christianity... Martin Luther is one of those people who proves that a single man or person can change the world. "Here I stand I can do no other! God help me." If you have the opportunity... check out Luther online.

Ah... quiet time. This morning, like I said, I decided to focus on the thoughts... wanting to get a clearer picture of what was going on in my head. I did a search using Bible Gateway for the word, "thoughts". Oh my! It turned up lots of references!

Psalm 13: 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Over and over again, the Psalms alone point up how our thoughts can and do direct us. We are in a battle with our own nature. With our own thoughts... If we are to take all thoughts captive as 2nd Corinthians 10 exhorts us to... we must first be conscious and aware of what we think.

We must also be concious and aware of what we put in our heads... the old principle... Garbage In Garbage Out applies to computers and to that most advanced computer in our heads.

May the Lord be with you! and Happy Reformation Day!

Day 2 of the Morning Challenge!

This morning was early!! I wanted to get up before I had to wake ds. He had to be up at 6:15 a.m. As a result, my alarm went off... *beep* *beep* *beep* at 5:45 a.m. Can I just say, "OWIE?" If you think that means it hurt... well, it did.

Dh gave me a lovely warm soft robe last year for Christmas, so I snuggled into that and padded downstairs to start the morning offering of coffee... I hope it was a sweet fragrance for the Lord. It was the elixir of life for me.

I don't know how it is for anyone else... but as soon as I sat down with my Bible, and asked the Lord to bless my reading... suddenly, I was distracted. There were a million thoughts in my head. Oh, I should do this... and that... and the other 20 things that suddenly seem incredibly urgent. Just as I was getting up... I had words pop into my head... "For we take all thoughts captive..." Wow!

Thank you, Lord. What a great reminder... we take all thoughts captive because we have to!! I brought my focus back to Him and studied that passage... 2 Corinthians 10:5 and then the whole of 2nd Corinthians 10. I understand this so much better now. Our obedience is necessary, and we cannot be obedient if we let our thoughts go wherever they will...

I think tomorrow my quiet time will focus on going deeper about what the Lord tells us about our thoughts. I'm looking forward to growing more concious about what I am doing in my head. I also will be better on guard against the attack... I know, I know... some may think I'm being overly dramatic... but attack it was... to keep me from spending time with Him.

Thank you, Lord for a glorious morning... for time to spend with You and for what you are revealing to me. Amen.

May the Lord be with you!

Quiet Time with God!

Psalm 5:3 My voice thou shalt hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and look up...

This and countless other verses express the importance of daily prayer time and time with the word. Recently reading Laine's Letters, I was reminded and convinced anew of the importance of having this time with Him. More than that, I've begun to be convinced that the morning is precisely the right time to spend with Him.

Sure, part of it is because He created coffee and the smell of the roasted bean offering must be pleasing to Him, right? Part of it is because I read over and over again the exhortation to spend time in the morning. Part of it is because Jesus stole away to pray. How many times do we read the Lord's prayer but forget to follow His example and pray in the morning?

Now, is morning the only time... certainly not! We are told to "pray without ceasing" but we are also told to take time alone and pray. Personally, I think I do better trying to pray without ceasing every day if I take the time to get alone with Him in the morning.

My challenge to myself and anyone else who wants to join me... let's spend time in prayer in the a.m. I'll post daily what time... and what I read or learned... as a form of accountability.

If you're with me... let me know!

Pumpkin Stakes Tournament!

Ah... fall! Crisp days, crisp leaves, the plethora of autumn harvest gourds available and the sight of high school students dressed in competition wear. Yep, suits and ties. The debate season is upon us again.


I'm caught up in remembering my own former glory days. It doesn't seem that long ago, really!? And yet, it's been approximately 15 years. Now, I can see the look of happiness and joy on my son's face. He's in debate.

A parent always wants to leave a legacy. Always wants their children to carry on in their place, right? At least a little bit!! So this morning, I stepped into my father's shoes... I got up at 4:30 a.m. and got my son up so he could be ready to catch the bus. He got up and headed for the shower. I heated oil for hashbrowns.


This is how he looked after breakfast... and before the competition.

So, I confess, I thought about him off and on... wished him well. Prayed for his safety on the trip, and also prayed for his ability to speak clearly and concisely. Then, I frankly, went about my day.

At 6:30 p.m. tonight... this is how he looked...

Yep... that mug says, Superior Discussion! And the pumpkin is a festive autumn harvest trophy of his success also. That does mean, he got PERFECT SCORES ... just in case anyone missed that...

PERFECT SCORES in each round of the four he competed in. He's been bitten by the bug and bad. Of course, of the things your son could obsess over-- debate and individual speaking events, aren't really too bad, are they?

Best of all, part of the reason he got PERFECT SCORES is because he invited other students who were nervous and afraid to get involved in the conversation. He won by being nice. Now, nice may not be enough to win rounds from my recollection, but mean is enough to lose them.

I'm so proud of him!

May the Lord be with you!

Morning Musings!

There's something about a sunrise that just makes you feel close to God, you know? How could something so beautiful, so awe-inspiring NOT have a creator? It speaks to me. I'm reminded of the words of Fernando Ortega every time I see one...

This Good Day
Morning sun and morning glories
Pouring down the hill,
Through my window
I can feel the ocean breeze.
Noisy sparrows fill the oak trees
Swallows can't stay still,
And in the glad commotion
Lord, You speak to me

Chorus:
If the rain clouds come
Or the cold winds blow,
You're the one who goes before me
And in my heart I know
That this goody day
It is a gift from You.
The world is turning in its placebecause You made it to.
I lift my voice
To sing a song of praise
On this good day.

I will walk to Woodman's Cove,
The fishing boats are leaving
,Seagulls follow just above the water.
I will wait until the sunset
Brings them home again,
Rigging lines and anchors in the harbor.
Repeat Chorus

This is one of my favorite songs to listen to in the morning. It sends me off to my day reminded of all His gifts and benefits. I try to make it a part of my morning routine because I really do, like all of us, need the reminder... that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

And it does. It really does.

So that said... May the Lord be with You throughout your day!

Can I just say...

When will the madness that is daylight savings time end? It is insane to be sending kids off to school while it is still dark! How is that a good thing AT ALL? I live near an elementary school and am so worried for the kiddos.

Let's face it, winter clothes, especially coats do tend to be somewhat dark colored. It's a good thing in a lot of ways. It helps retain heat, etc. It also means, though, that kids wearing these are less visible to drivers in the dark.

I know, I know... allegedly it will save money on energy. Somehow... I'm not convinced. Just seems that we've shifted the energy usage from one time of day to another. We're not going to see it end until November 4 this year...

Simple Pleasures!

We all have them. The little things in life that make us happy. Mine for today:

1) A friend's good news...

2) A hot cup of tea

3) The love of my hubby

4) A warm blanket

5) Happy children... er, teens that is! The one above is Alex looking a bit pensive at breakfast in Denny's the other day. He's probably thinking up a new introduction for his oratory.

Mommy Bragging time!

Yep... it's time to brag... I have a great dd and she is exceptionally talented. I mean, exceptionally talented... she's a great dancer and a wonderful lighthearted spirit besides.



This is her dance group performing their dance Nothing Without You..

I am a doting mama, but it does hit a standard of excellence I think. The girls work really hard on these dances. I've noticed how much more gracefully she moves since she joined in 6th grade. She's got a more feminine style.

I give you the girl closest to the baptismal font!