Getting to Know Your Friends 2008 Condensed Version

My cousin Rebecca sent this to me. I thought I'd share (& request!) what I found to be the most interesting of the batch, considering the answers I received back. Unfortinunately, you only get mine - until you share yours!

When you have the time, copy/paste in comments then change all the answers so that they apply to you.
Have fun and be truthful!

1. What is your occupation right now? Executive (that means I do the paperwork) wife & homeschooling mother, volunteer church librarian and home school support group leader

2. What was the last thing that you ate? oatmeal pancakes & sausage for supper

3. Can you drive a stick shift? No. Stan tried to teach me on his truck. Before the lesson I asked him if, aside from wrecking, it would be possible for me to do anything that would break his truck. He looked at me as if I were CRAZY and said "No." When I pressed all three pedals at the same time attempting to keep from rolling backwards into someone as I left an intersection with a stop sign and blew the muffler off, he told me I could never drive his truck again. I laughed all the way home. If you'd seen his face, you would have too.

4. What is the last movie you watched? X Men 3 (housefull of boys!)
Last at theatre: Expelled http://37blessings.blogspot.com/2008/05/expelled-no-intelligence-allowed.html & WallE (cute)

5. What was your favorite toy as a child? bike, pink stuffed tiger

6. What books are you reading now? Bible, just started Ted Dekkers Lost Books series>>available for check-out soon!, just finished "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" which I was reading & discussing with Caleb & Andrew (it's much slower that way), doing a little study with Rachel using "The Princess & the Kiss"

7. What is your dream vacation? Europe, China, Australia, Hawaii, Alaska, Trip up the east coast of USA, Grand Canyon, Oh wait - was I only supposed to pick one? :-)

8. What is your favorite childhood memory? The last Christmas we went to TN when I was 11 & got to read the Christmas story aloud for the family party.

9. What is on the floor of your closet? A pair of shorts & jeans, Shoes, table holding little chest of drawers, cubical shelving unit for clothes, leaning in the back corner are decorative frames shelves & pictures that I've never hung on the walls.

10. What did you do last night? Went to horseback with Caleb & Rachel, cooked supper (pancakes & sausage), caught up on email, discussed TN trip with Stan & Jacob, discussed proposing & engagement rings with Jacob (no, he has NOT)

11. What are you most afraid of? My kids making bad choices = serious, longlasting consequences.

12. Favorite dog breed? house broken, good mannered, short haired. No yappy rat dogs need apply.

13. How many states/countries have you lived in? 6 = W. Germany, TN, WY, AL, TX, FL
Does "state of confusion" apply?

Big Creek Mission

I just listened to my cousin preach in a worship service at Big Creek Mission in KY on this site.
http://www.bigcreekmissions.com/

Last time I saw him, he was so excited about the prospects for this ministry. Looking around in the site, I can see plans are coming to fruition. PTL for working here in one of the poorest places in the USA.

I'm hoping a group from my church gets out there in the near future.

Bargan Friends

Rummage Sale today! Woohoo!

Rachel & I had a blast sorting through the racks & tables, holding up clothing items, trying on shoes, tossing things to each other - some we pack into our paper bag, some we add back to the piles on the tables.
"Do ya like this one? "
"Hay, I think this T will fit Maryn!"
"Let's pick out some ties for the guys."

Rachel still likes to look through the toys. She found some things to add to her hamster cages today awa a CD holder for Andrew & a strangely colored stuffed rabbit. I think it was fuzzy tie-dyed. Bright blue, green & white. He better be fast because he sure can't HIDE in the garden.

I found a sweater that can be kept in the library for chilled church members to borrow.

Rachel & I looked for clothes for her new little cousins - kinda difficult since we have no idea what sizes they wear! LOL. If they don't fit - just pass them on.

At this $1/bag price we are willing to try things that we would never invest even 25 cents into, but not those shiny black plastic pants. No. I don't care that they might fit. Get. Them. Away. From. Me.

Look at all the CUTE SOCKS! I found some for Rachel that have fake fur around the top. For me? Knee highs with big flowers running from the ankles to the top. How fun!

There is value in the merchandise we purchased, certainly greater than what we paid, but my greatest pleasure? Seeing some friends also shopping there who we hadn't seen in awhile. We got to grab a hug & catch up.

Fellowship? Priceless.

Blue Spots

When Rachel & I painted my blue wall in the dining room








just a few days before painting the foyer (right before Christmas - maybe you noticed?),









Rachel decided that she wanted to paint her room also. Blue.

Her room is small so we agreed that painting one wall would work better than all four. I told her that if she wanted it done, the only time we'd have to work on it would be during the summer.

She knew that in order to paint we'd have to be able to move furniture around in her room. Something for you to realize is that following in sacred family tradition, my daughter is a true packrat. In order to MOVE the furniture, we'd first have to FIND the furniture so I told her she needed to clean her room first.

The summer arrived then sauntered by. Sped. Flew. Passed.

A couple of days ago I realized that I'd been going about this all wrong. Instead of "cleaning" her room, I told her to "pack" and provided boxes. And she got busy.

Yesterday she kept coming to me with progress reports:
She: "I moved my bed"
Me: "And the boxes of hand-me-downs & winter clothes stored underneath?"
She: "Yes, Ma'am!"

She: "Could you help me move my dresser?"
Me: "Just a minute."
She, a few minutes later: "That's okay. Jacob helped me."
>Now isn't that a girl after your own heart, getting one of those big, strong guys in her life to help move furniture? :-)

I helped her move a bookcase then surveyed the room. It was almost time! We discussed what needed to happen next then she was off: laying down the newspaper on the floor, taping off the floor molding, bringing inside the needed tools, stirring the paint.

We were finished painting the wall before 3 p.m. Woohoo!

At horseback, Rachel again rode Callaghan (aka Arnold Horse-enegger) - no wild ride this time, he was a well behaved gent.

She & I showed off the blue paint spotting our arms & legs:
"This is the new color of Rachel's wall."

After supper, her brothers helped move her furniture back into place.
Today, she unpacks.

There's Within My Heart a Melody...

I sometimes wonder if singing in the church choir is building up any treasure in Heaven because it is so FUN.

I realize that choir is a ministry requiring the work of learning (try sitting in front of the booming basses - some even hitting their correct notes & trying to find the alto part), memorizing and practicing songs (even some you don't like); a service to the church body by leading in worship (the church tags along for our singing to our Audience of One); a sacrifice of time, energy, and emotion plus commitment to be in place every Sunday if possible. As Bro. Scott says, we have a ministry of "being there".

And it is a blessing to be able to be there!

We even have fun practicing. Last night, Big O was subbing for Bro. Scott (on vacation - who said he could go anywhere? :-) ) and reminded us about staggered breathing - not taking a breath when your neighbor breathes, or as I like to define it, "don't breath until you stagger". Then someone on the front row volunteered for a new choir position: the designated "breather". Big O had fun with that one. "What is wrong with the choir? Everyone looks bad except for that one woman. OOOOHHH. She's the designated breather!" LOL!

Song titles can be funny:
"It is Finished" Sunday a.m.
"God is Here" Sunday p.m.
"It's All About the Blood" on Sunday morning
"The Lamb has Overcome" Sunday night

Since we have 2 morning services and sing in both every other Sunday, we are regularly reminded to "be here for the 8:30 service at 9:15".

Fellowship. Song. Laughter. Worshipping the Lord. Hugs.
We share prayer requests and praises then pray for each other.
It's a treasure to me here on earth.

Rachel's Wild Ride

When we arrived at horseback Monday, Ms. Cindy told Rachel that she had a new, supposed-to-be-well-trained horse for Rachel to ride to see what he could do, a big, beautiful quarter horse gelding. Callaghan did well as he was groomed and saddled. Ms. Robin & I admired his rippling muscles and sleek coat. Ms. Cindy wanted Rachel to ride in her "arena" so that's where she mounted up. Callaghan started at a walk but his long legs moved quicker and quicker then he broke into a fast gallop. Ms. Cindy said she thinks he went around at least 10 times, dodging barrels, leaning through the corners, seeming to contemplate jumping the fence at a certain spot every go-round. Rachel held on for the ride of her life. We whooped & clapped when Callaghan slowed and stopped at Ms. Cindy in the center of the ring.

I am so proud that Rachel stayed on even though she was scared & didn't bawl like a baby when the ride was over.

After this wild ride, Ms. Cindy found out that Callaghan used to work as a pony horse, accompanying race horses at the track. He also has been used to herd cattle so can stop and change directions quickly.

Caleb likes to ride this ex-race horse thoroughbred named Count.
For a long time, Count was the only horse that Caleb could ride and not look like his boots were almost dragging the ground.
Rachel favorite horse to ride these days is this petite Arabian named Jazz. Here she is bareback to work on proper leg placement and balance.

The Making of an Ogre

Where would you look to discover how to make an ogre?

Why would you even be looking for that?!

I wasn't looking - it just jumped out at me, sorta like the tattooed ogre did at the Bookmine Thursday.

On Thursday, while Jan & I were scanning in the "Christian book section" seeking items on our "most wanted" library list calling out titles back & forth, I could hear the voice of a father instructing his son, "Books were taken out of the Bible so we have to find them... It is important to search for knowledge because no one will find it for you... We know these "lost books" are true because they are so old."

I tried not to listen but prayed for the young man & for an opportunity to speak on the accuracy of the Word.

I didn't know the trap was set. His unsettling view was the bait.

"Have you read..." he inquired about several classic Christian books, initiating conversation with a stranger - ME. I didn't even hear the trap spring.

Then conversation turned (I didn't do that!) to organized religion (aha! His true motivation!) and the many evils found therein.

He quoted scripture. "You must worship God in spirit and in truth and not in temples made with hands."

As did I. "Do not neglect the fellowshipping of the saints."

I did manage to tell him (did he really not know?) that false prophets have been around for ages including during the time of the early church & that being old & written down does not make something TRUE or Divinely inspired. He tried to give me his Bible conspiracy theory.

As I left the area, he condemned me for choosing man over God (for me it's a big G - not sure for him). I told him, "I choose Jesus!" I was sorry I didn't give my personal testimony and the gospel presentation. It just didn't occur to me in the midst of the ambush. (May I be prepared with that answer & not sidetracked by the worshipping in Jerusalem vs. this Samaritan mountain argument next time, Lord!)

I wasn't looking for how to make an ogre but found out this a.m. (I woke up with Stan's alarm so it's REALLY a.m. > wake up the rooster a.m.)

Remember, I'm reading about Spiritual Disciplines with Andrew & Caleb? Check this out:

But without true fellowship, even the Christian who is ardently practicing the Spiritual Disciplines will not develop in a spiritually balanced way... Hebrews 3:13 warns, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." ...When we are outside the spiritual protection God intends for us to get from fellowship, it is much easier to be deceived by sin. Some of the most sin-deceived people rigidly practice many of the Disciplines... Without the tempering (iron sharpens iron) influence of believers with differing gifts, they confidently asserted twisted views of Scripture, delivered "words from God" for everybody, and were able to justify even gross sin because of their supposed spirituality.

How do you make an ogre? In this case, keep him out of church, out of fellowship!

My SS class actually discussed someting about this yesterday - not in my words but in some similar to these of Whitney's:

Just as we need to experience the discipline of modeling and talking of Christ with unbelievers, so we have need for a similar discipline with believers... J.I Packer defines fellowship as "seeking to share in what God has made known of Himself to others, as a means to finding strength, refreshment, and instruction for one's own soul." ...As we live like Christ when together, we encourage each other in Christian living. As we talk like Christ and about spiritual matters, we also stimulate each other toward Godliness.

Put directly, as each believer disciplines himself ..., his or her individual spiritual growth helps to build up the local body of believers when that believer is in fellowship with them. As that body of Christians is built up collectively, the increased strength of this fellowship contributes to the spiritual growth of the individual and encourages his or her pursuit of Godliness.

There was a question in SS: How is the class enabling/encouraging us to grow to be more like Christ? Because of the smallness of the group, we are able to share more of our lives with each other, getting past the "How are you? Fine." mentality that is prevalent most places to the nitty-gritty, real-life "How are you really?" soul-searching that we need to do.

An applied blessing from a SS testimony yesterday: "You can have as much of God as you want."
This statement caused me to examine my life and ask myself: "How much of Him do I want?" Do I truly invite Him to reign over every area of my life, filling this temple with His glory Eze 44:4? I should.
Can I really have as much of Him as I want?
Do I choose to feast upon this relationship?
"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8

Back to preventing ogerness:
[There is a] common Christian failure to distinguish between socializing and fellowship... Socializing involves the sharing of human and earthly life. Christian fellowship, New Testament koinonia, involves the sharing of spiritual life. Don't misunderstand--socializing is a valuable asset to the church and necessary for a balanced life, but we have gone beyond giving socializing the place it deserves; we have become willing to accept it as a substitute for fellowship, almost cheating ourselves of the Christian birthright of true fellowship altogether.

It looks like this: two or more Christians can sit together for hours, talking only of the news, weather and sports while completely ignoring their need to discuss directly spiritual matters... they are so independent in their practice of the spiritual disciplines that they almost never talk about such things on a heart level, and without personal interaction about the mutual interests, problems, and aspirations of discipleship, our spiritual lives are impoverished. ...Only Christians can have the rich banquet of koinonia, but too often we settle for little more than the fast-food kind of socializing that even the world can experience.

So, there you have it. Feast vs. junk food vs. famine.

I encourage you to find a body of believers with whom you can have true fellowship= koinonia.

Don't become an ogre.