Pat's Place of Grace

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T10:01:00.003-05:00

Good Morning:

Hurricane Ike did very little damage here in Wharton, TX. We were on the dry side of the storm and although we got some wind and rain, it has not been bad. We still have electricity which we certainly did not expect.

Looks like Galveston and Houston are in for a long recovery. It's still early, but I'm sure you are also looking at the pictures. What a mess. The storm is huge. I just looked at some satelite pictures and there are still rain bands far out into the Gulf.

We came home from West Texas on Thursday. We were supposed to go to an event for Ed's high school football team on Thursday night and then a special installation of his coach into the "Snyder Hall of Fame." Ed missed his fiftieth class reunion and we really wanted to make this event but the predictions were for Ike to hit further to the west, and if it had, we would be where Houston is now.

Anyway, we decided it was the better part of valor to come home. We stopped in Abilene and bought a generator and some batteries. when we got home, Ed and our neighbor put the thing together while I cleared the back patio of plants. Didn't know I had so many!! One end of the family room is full of plants and a bar-b-que pit. Ed's workroom holds the patio furniture and another bar-b-que pit along with odds and ends. So, if it stops raining--which looks unlikely--we have a job to do putting stuff back in place.

We watched the coverage of Ike until nearly midnight and then decided to get a little sleep before it go bad here. Never happened. Slept all night. there were some good gusts, but only one that was bad enough to wake me. There are a few tree limbs and signs in the street, but it doesn't look as bad as I've seen it after a good thunder storm.

Speaking of thunder. I never heard any! I guess we just were not so far out on the edge that they missed us. Amazing.

Have a great day,

Blessings,

pat

God's Gift of Teachers

2008-09-04T08:35:00.002-05:00

Good morning:

I see from my trips to your blogs that many of us have taken a summer sabbatical. It’s good to be back. I believe this may be the place for the fellowship that I’m missing.

I spent the morning doing some reading in Kluane Spake’s book on wisdom. I have been hearing from the Lord that with knowledge I need to get understanding. I felt led to reread this book and discovered that she covers this very topic. God is good.

I love to read Kluane’s work. You know how you find some folks who are better able to communicate with you than others. She’s one for me. There are many others, but for today, she’s the one. Sometimes I need to read books that help me move beyond where I am in understanding His way. Other times it comes right from reading scripture on my own. But often it is a combination of the two. Thank God for helps! God’s teachers are a gift.

How about this question. How do we relate to someone who lives inside us and is there all the time? I think I heard it on a CD by Graham Cooke. Love that man. He is another of those who help me see beyond where I am and help me move on.

I’m rambling. Guess that’s what you do on a blog. Anyway, it’s good to be back.
Have a great day.
Blessings,
pat

Back to Blogging

2008-09-02T09:31:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone:

I posted this morning on Karen's blog "that I need a place to fellowship and like Karen, am having trouble finding a "church" where I can be and not feel like I'm betraying what God is showing me about what His body is."

It has been over six months since I've written anything. Why? A couple of things come to mind. First, giving up my place on God's Word to Women was hard. I still believe that I did what God desired, but finding what was next has been difficult. I've spent much time reading and seeking direction.

Secondly, family. We had two granddaughters graduate from High School. In May, Jennifer, our son's daughter, played through district and regionals to the state finals in golf with her team from Andrews High School in West Texas. Grandma, was there for parts of it. Then there was her graduation.

Next our granddaughter Brittany, from Snow Lake, Manitoba Canada graduated. We were gone for a couple of weeks on that one.

I said a couple of things, actually ministry does enter in. A friend and I did a biblical womanhood seminar here in Wharton in July. Then we took it to New Mexico and I was gone for a couple of weeks. Great trip, I'll post some pictures. The response was good in New Mexico, almsot non-existant here. In both places it seemed that there were many much more pressing issues--not necessarily Kingdom issues.

Then, Ed and I went to Alaska on a delayed anniversay trip. We did a tour/cruise going from Ankorage to Denali then Fairbanks, Beaver Creek, White Horse and Skagway where we got on the the ship. Got home on Aug 27. Fantastic trip, more about it later.

All this to say, I'm wanting to get back into fellowship. I'll check out some of your blogs and see what's happening with you. Now family calls again, have to go and check on my mother-in-law.

Be blessed,
Pat

Hearing God on Grants

2008-02-20T10:40:00.002-06:00

It’s a good day. I think I already said that Ed gave me a new Mac for our anniversary. Spent yesterday at the Apple Store learning about iMovie and downloading the things remaining on my JVC camera. I had already put them on the PC but they looked tall and thin and I feared the final results. So, now all the stuff is ready to work on. I had one file 0f me teaching in Kenya that was already on the old Mac and had been transferred to the new one. It is huge and I have to export it to QuickTime this morning to get it down to DVD size. More of the wonderful learning curve.

All this to say, this morning an idea came that may be from the Lord. The young man who helped me yesterday is a marathon runner. He reminded me that young people have little time to read but most either exercise or spend time commuting and do have listening time. This brought me back to podcasts.

There are so many wonderful articles that are already written and need only to be read into a podcast and put out there. I know how to do it with an Mac. Bet one of you knows how to do it on a PC. Even books could be done by chapters so they could be downloaded onto iPods and digested.

I had been encouraging an overworked friend to delegate. There is no way for me to begin to do all the things I think of. Do you think if we could get the word out that there are people out there that might be willing to do some recording.

I also thought about grant writing. In many cases large grants are divided into segments. There is a great need to write grants for the folks we met in Kenya. Again, I can’t do it all. If we had clear explanations of the project do you suppose anyone might be willing to help with the writing. I know there are folks here in Wharton where I live who would help with editing and there are probably those who would be willing to write if they were given some direction into how it’s done.

It’s a good day! God loves us. He says we need laborers for the harvest—that’s what sparked the idea. He delegated, so should we.

What do you think? I’d really like to hear your comments.

Discovering Hubs

2008-02-18T14:51:00.001-06:00

Last week was our 50th wedding anniversary—an amazing feat. God does good work!

Today I’ve been learning about hubs. I’m again behind the times. I’ve spent the morning trying to catch up and now it is mid afternoon and there are still many things needing doing that haven’t even been started. Think I’ll just relax and enjoy the day.

My work on hubs came through Kluane Spake’s article on Unveiling Women. If you’d like to read it, go to: http://hubpages.com/hub/pastor I’d recommend it. It is a heartbreaking read, but worth your trouble.

I explored the other hub writings Kluane had up and wanted to share one in particular. Its http://hubpages.com/hub/WAHT-IS-HOLINESS (Not my misspelling, hers) Here’s a teaser:

What is holiness anyway? To tell you that most churches don't generally teach their congregation how to be holy, is stating the obvious. You know that already. They usually educate believers on prayer, giving, authority, and many important subjects. But not holiness. That's a downer. And, if they do try to teach about holiness, they usually hand out some helpful hints that are almost always the same. There's column A- the activities you should never do. That was obviously copied verbatim from your personal list of favorite pastimes. Then, there's column B - the stuff that you can still do. Basically, that second list sounds more like what a caged snail might enjoy doing.

Now I’m going to take some time to explore what you have been saying while I’ve been busy with life. Have a great day!

My Learning Curve

2008-02-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

Time escapes around here. How do those of you who write often and check out everyone else find the time to do it? It’s a beautiful day but I got up way too early. Rare for me not to be able to sleep.

I’m trying to get pictures off my video camera. I have nearly 12 hours worth that need to be edited. Finally got the downloaded but the software that came with the camera won’t work with Vista and I’m having to improvise. I took the picture in wide screen mode and in the editing I’m seeing tall skinny people even when I know we are neither. Anybody know if that will change when I put them on TV?

They look fine on the camera, I’m just wondering if in the process of downloading something has gotten messed up. I need to get a DVD burned and give it a try. Here may be another problem. Our DVD player has been around for a while and would not show the snapshots that I put on a disk. Tried both CD and DVD and it didn’t like either one. So, I may have to get a new DVD player before I can check out the quality of the movies.

It seems God wants me to continue to stretch my brain as I have to learn new software way to often. Prayer appreciated!

Our west Texas grandchildren are playing in a golf tournament in Austin Friday and Saturday so we are going up to watch. Haven’t seen them since September and I am really looking forward to it.

Life stays interesting. Have some stuff to put up from a talk by Graham Cooke. I’ll get it done in the next day or two. Now I’m off to see what the rest of you are doing.

Busy Lives

2008-01-25T10:14:00.000-06:00

It's been over a week since I have even looked at blogs. How do we get so busy? Or is it that we waste precious time. I get convicted by that passage on "redeeming the time. This week was full of “activities.” I’m a hospice volunteer and this was the week for training and TB tests. Wednesday was the Pilot Club Chili supper. I joined Pilot Club last fall and this was my first time through their annual feast--great fun but exhausting. I came home with knees and feet complaining loudly but recovered overnight and all is well.

Yesterday was Share, our local food pantry where I volunteer on Thursdays for four hours. I had written a grant for them and we got back word that it was denied. It was to cover dental expenses to remove abscessed teeth and to pay for prescription drugs for those who could not afford them—also glasses for those needing them.

Share can probably come up with the money for the drug needs, but dental is way out of budget. This morning as I was enjoying some time with the Lord the thought came to me that we should declare (claim) healing for those teeth. I’m still praying about my hearing, but I think it was Him.

I mentioned earlier the section in James 5 on claiming healing as a covenant promise bought for us by the Lord. I think He’s saying, OK, do you believe or not. I know He stopped a cold in its tracks for me when I claimed healing before the Graham Cooke conference. Now, I’m hearing step out in faith when I say so and watch Me work. Catch the “when I say so.” Hearing will be required, but it breaks my heart to send people away who are in terrible pain and even danger from abscessed teeth. So, next week we will see if I’m still hearing the same thing. I’ll let you know.

Today is a wonderful day. I don’t have to do anything but get the TB test read and get some eggs at the store. That means, time for blogs and reading and Him. I love it. Hope you have a great day too.

One Birthday, One Conference

2008-01-16T15:52:00.000-06:00

Today our son is 47. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in others another lifetime. Anyway, I thank God for him and the joy of not only knowing a fine man but getting to enjoy his wife and our fantastic grandchildren.

Last week I went to Convivium, Lora Allison’s conference. Graham Cooke was the main speaker. That guy is so right on and real. He made a statement about the cross that got me to thinking. He said something like, Jesus’ side of the cross was His own—the job that He was sent to accomplish but our side is the other side of the cross. What’s the other side? What does it mean to take up our cross? How about taking up all the things that He purchased for us and walking out our lives in the victory that He won?

The Gift

2008-01-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

New Year’s Eve I was pulling out of my driveway when I noticed a package on the front porch. It was a delightful surprise. Dr. Ann Nyland, who gave us The Source New Testament with Extensive Notes on Greek Word Meanings (I’m advertising, it’s available from Amazon), had sent me a Christmas gift-- a copy of Prayer Mystery Revealed, What the Greek of the New Testament Really Says About Prayer! (also available from Amazon). It’s awesome.

Let me tell you a bit about Ann. She is a Greek scholar who knows and loves our Lord. Her translations use information from the recently discovered papyri which provide meaning to the numerous (about 35%) of the words of the New Testament that were guessed at in previous translations. Now, only a few words (about 5%) are still a mystery. Our English translations are partly based on previous works and are greatly influenced by tradition. I want to know what was REALLY said or REALLY happened and I get this from Ann’s work. Her claim is to be only a translator—thus not influenced by tradition or denominational leanings.

I first met Ann years ago when she sent a paper she had written on the meaning of bia and harpazo used in Matt. 11:12 and translated as violence and violent

“12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matt 11:12 (KJV) or “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. (ASV))."

Now hear what Ann says with her notes.

“12 From the time of John the Baptizer until now, Heaven’s Realm is being used or even robbed by people who have no legal right to it. (1) This stops those who do have a legal right to it from enjoying their own property.(2)”

1. Bia refers to illegal forcible acquisition. The term is a technical legal term referring to the act of hindering an owner or lawful possessor of his/her enjoyment of immovable property. This was technically known as bia in legal terminology. Bia was a term used in public, civil and criminal law, and its most prevalent usage was in criminal law. It was used for different wrongs that entail the use of force. It is important to note that the use of property without the lawful consent of the
owner was considered to be a bia, and the suit prosecuted against the bia did not have to depend on actual force used by the accused. The point was that it was contrary to the legal owner’s rights, and thus was considered to be a forcible act. See lengthy discussion in S.R. Llewelyn, “Forcible Acquisition and the Meaning of Matt. 11.12”, NDIEC 7, 1994, pp. 130-162.

2. harpazo, used of immovable property means to plunder. It was associated with bia as a legal technical term. O. Betz, “Jesu Heiliger Krieg”, NovT 2 (1958), pp. 125ff, idem, “The Eschatological Interpretation of the Sinai-Tradition in Qumran and in the New Testament”, RQ 6 (1967), pp. 99ff; Llewelyn, ibid., p. 154 states, “Sufficient evidence has already been cited above to show that both bi/a (bia) and a9rpa/zw (harpazo), together with their cognates were used in legal terminology with reference to forcible acquisition.” See P.Oxy. XLV 3240 (AD 88/9) for the use of a9rpa/zw, harpazo, for the illegal seizure of land.”

This gives you and idea of why I am so thrilled with my gift. While The Source is pure translation, the book on prayer gives examples from her life and is translation based teaching or commentary. I love it.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)

Now Ann: 14-15 And this is the right of freedom of speech, able to say whatever we like, boldly and openly, that we have toward him - that if we request anything that is in his purpose, we know that he hears us. 15 And since we know that he hears us, we know we have the things asked for that we have asked of him – whatever we ask!

Her notes say “In verse 14, ‘the right of freedom of speech, able to say whatever we like, boldly and openly’ is the important Greek word parresia. It cannot be translated as confidence. Parresia was a right claimed by Athenian citizens as their privilege. It embodied the right to free speech, bold speech, free and bold speech in public, openness and frankness. It encompassed liberty of freedom and speech, with the speaker able to do as they liked.

Actually The Source has even more on parresia, but somehow the separating it out in a book on prayer has made it more meaningful for me. I need to break things down to small bites in order to really digest them. Thanks Lord, for my friend Ann. I pray many will meet her and Your work through her.

There’s more to tell about Ann and my relationship with her, but it’s getting later and the day is full so I’ll stop for now.

Christmas Letter

2007-12-18T07:15:00.000-06:00

I'm posting my Christmas letter since it seems a good way to get to know the everyday part of my life.

Christmas 2007

Dear Friends:

Today it is raining and cold. Seems like a good day to watch football and write this letter. Cindy’s girls are coming on December 15 so I’m trying to get things done and not have my usual last minute rush. I need to be available for shopping. Since they live so far from stores it’s a real treat for them and I have a blast.

This has been a good year. Ed has continued to improve from his hip replacement surgery and is now able to enjoy the plane and get around much better. We started a low carb diet about a year ago and both of us have dropped a bunch of weight. We still need to finish the job, but buying smaller sizes is great fun.

In June, I made a three-week mission trip to Kenya with two other friends. We were invited to come and teach on biblical equality for women, which is amazing since it is totally against their tradition. We chose three from a number of invitations and only later discovered that the towns were within forty miles of each other. You can read about our adventure at www.godswordowomen,org/articles/kenya.htm

Cindy is still in Snow Lake, Manitoba. We went to see her the last of August. I love that place. It had been two years since Ed had been up and it was great to see everyone. We went to their cabin on the lake and helped to finish a deck that Cindy and Katy had put up earlier. Brian showed his multiple talents by building steps and then using his tractor with blade to level the foundation pad and driveway. Brittany is graduating this year and planning on attending the University of Manitoba in the fall, and she has a school trip to Europe over Spring Break. She’s working hard at the local grocery and considering a second job because she wants a car. We’re proud of her. Katy remains a delight. She’s in the eighth grade this year and loving volleyball. Our little girl is becoming a beautiful young lady,

Scott’s big news is the sale of his business in late November. Air Gas gave them an offer too good to refuse. He and his employees will continue working for the new owners. Malayne’s pre-school has grown in size, reputation and hours as they are now open every day and keep the children until 5:00. She amazes me. Scott and Jeff continue to hunt and the den is filling up with their trophies. They do both gun and bow so the season starts early and ends late. The other activity is golf. The Andrews girls golf team won State last year and expect to win again this spring. Jennifer is getting numerous offers from colleges both for her golf and academics. She got her State Champion ring when we were there in September. It is such fun to watch her play. Ed and I have gotten to go to the state meet for the last three years. If Jeff keeps on like he has started, we’ll be going for another four. He is shooting consistently in the 70s and occasionally lower.

Mildred, Ed’s mom, broke her hip in June and is now in a nursing home. She has a nice room and the care is what she needs. Physically she is doing well, but her dementia is sad. We are grateful that she still knows us and speaks often of old friends.

My brother Tom and his wife, Carol, came by last spring on their way to see their son Tom and his family who recently moved to Belton, TX. Tom and Shantelle had a beautiful baby girl, Analiese in August so Tom and Carol came over again to see her and her big brother, Jax. I drove up for a short visit. Dana, my niece, is expecting a baby girl in February—the joy of grandchildren. There is nothing like it! Dana and her husband, Chris, have a little boy, Charlie, and live in Atlanta not too far from Stone Mountain, Tom and Carol’s home

Ed and I celebrate our 50th anniversary in February. Seems impossible. Suddenly we are REALLY senior citizens but thankfully, healthy ones. We miss having the kids close, but our lives are fun and busy. I’m doing some grant writing along with websites. Decided I needed to get out of the house so I’m volunteering at hospice and Share, our local food pantry, and recently joined Pilot Club.

We go to the Rosenberg Opry every month with some wonderful friends. The piano player is fantastic and he recently started giving lessons in Rosenberg. I’ve always wanted to play the piano by ear and decided it was a good time to give it a try. Will let you know next year how it came out. I’m having a blast.

Ed camps out at the airport enjoying the comradery of other pilots and the interesting people who come through. We flew over to Uvalde to visit our friends Joe and Wanda Kosler a few weeks ago. We need to do more flying. Our Opry friends all fly and we are planning to do a trip somewhere for breakfast before long.

Christmas is a special time, a time to remember how much God loves us. Often we think we have to clean up our act or keep it clean for God to love us, but that’s not true. We love our kids even when they mess up. So does God. He is teaching me about the unconditional nature of His love. Like a perfect parent, He knows our failings and cares for us in spite of them. He grieves when we insist on doing things our own way and rejoices when we finally listen. We all need His patient hand to get us to a place where we allow His love and acceptance to make us more like Him.

Darkness is only the absence of light—physically and spiritually. Jesus called his followers the light of the world. What will it take for us to grow up and be that light? Are we willing to ask?

May the joy and peace of His love flood your life,

Ed and Pat

Putting on the New Man

2007-12-13T08:56:00.000-06:00

For years I have wanted people to share with about stuff I read--now I have you. This is great. This morning I was rereading a book call Connecting by Dr. Kluane Spake and this passage really hit home.

"I remember the old days, when we had to put our armor on every morning. I began to wonder, "Well, when did I take it off?" And so it is with the "new man." We don't have to keep "putting on" that same part of the New Man every day like a dirty t-shirt. We just remind ourselves that it is already "PUT ON." The sin nature is crucified at the cross.

Paul told believers to "take off" the old man (stop being carnal). and "put on" the new. This is an exchange of perception. And, keep in mind that we continually recieve further (progressive) revelation that needs to be PUT ON" -- in order to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:28-29).

We obtain the POWER (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit to bring us into dominion and personal WHOLENESS."

Another busy day today. Hope to have time on Friday to check all your sites and find out what’s happening in your lives. Today is Share, our local food pantry and then a Christmas Party at the nursing home where my husband’s mother is a resident. The evening looks like a Texan’s football game and Christmas cards. Life is good!

Love Isn't Exclusive

2007-12-08T09:38:00.000-06:00

This is a quote from Jim Palmer’s book Wide Open Spaces, Beyond Paint by Number Christianity pp 185-86. He puts into words what God spoke to my heart and brought about my resignation from God’s Word to Women.

"Being in loves comes with its own supply of courage and conviction, but people concerned about their reputation need not apply. Love often requires relationships with others, and those “others” might not meet the societal standards of normalcy. . . which can stir up controversy. During my religion days, I essentially classified people into three groups. “Believers” were the in-group of people on the same page with our main beliefs and practices. “Unbelievers” were those we associated with in some way, hoping to convert them. Normally, unbelievers were very similar to me in terms of race, culture, and lifestyle. The third group, “really bad people,” were in a different group altogether. These people’s beliefs or behaviors seemed to epitomize everything we were against or didn’t believe in. The group was mostly comprised of people with erroneous theology and/or politics or grossly immoral behavior. It was not appropriate for believers to hang out with “really bad people.” This is where the religious version of “tough Love” kicked in—withholding love altogether.

Now I see these limitations I placed on love had no basis in the life or teaching of Jesus. Jesus pretty much undid my comfortable theory of love when he said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). This is a reminder that love is the foundation and, as such, a prerequisite for peace. The religious establishment condemned Jesus for hanging out with “sinners.” They had limits on their love; Jesus didn’t.

For many years, following Jesus’ example of love was implausible because my religious logic pitted my belief in God’s “holiness” in conflict with God’s “Love.” At times it made God seem schizophrenic. One minute god was too holy to look upon sinners; the next minute he was hobnobbing with the worst of them. The Christian belief system I constructed rested on the notion that God rejects sinners. Yet Jesus offered unconditional love and acceptance to them (us). Religion often implies one must “clean up your act” before receiving anything from God. Jesus, however had not qualms about leaving open forever the floodgates of God’s favor for people regardless of what condition they were in. Once, when questioned about it, Jesus responded, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17). In fact, I think Jesus never had floodgates to begin with. In him, love flowed continuously and without even a means of restraint."

Change

2007-12-05T08:25:00.000-06:00

For the past year and a half I've been exploring teachings on the Third Day. I've come to believe that God is going to do exactly what He said but not the way I had previously thought. I have always questioned a before trib rapture as I don't see God ever taking people out of situations, just through them.

Now I've come to a place of believing He is not coming back to fix this mess. He has given that assignment to us. Read Psalm 10 very carefully. Are His enemies a footstool for His feet?

What happened in the first century when His disciples turned the world upside down was just a tiny taste of what He plans to do now through those who believe Him and obey His commandment. And that commandment is "to love one another as I have loved you." He has put His life inside us to do greater things because we believe.

Perfect love casts out cowardice. (not fear, according to The Source New Testament by Dr. Ann Nyland--which is an awesome work) In His love I can change and hold radical new thoughts trusting Him to keep me from going in a direction that is not of Him.

This blog is to share those thoughts and ask you to join in exploring that we may know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.

Unexpected Gift

2007-12-04T09:06:00.000-06:00

As I have gotten older, I have bemoaned the loss of future time. So much to experience and not nearly enough time left to get it all done. Then I went to a funeral and my perspective has changed.

The man who died, Dick, was 93. He was the second older friend of my husband to leave in just a few weeks. Both of them lived until they died. Both were pilots but Dick didn't learn to fly until he was 77! He flew until he was 90 and continued to come to the airport and fly with others, occationally taking the controls. The other man, Bob, was a glider pilot who made his last flight a week before his death. They were both fascinated with living and God and people and they will be sorely missed.

However, for me, the point was to quit thinking about time. I know I can't "add to my days," but I can use them to the fullest--redeeming the time." God seems to be saying, you have all the time you need so quit thinking about time and live!

Leadings

2007-12-02T08:09:00.000-06:00

I'm reading Wideopenspaces, Beyond Paint-by Number Christianity by Jim Palmer. In this book, Jim describes many of the things I've been experiencing for the past year or so. What I want to share here is how I got hold of this book.

My friend Karen, has a blog. Not having been into blogs, and deciding I wanted one, I explored hers to see how it worked. I was fascinated by the blog names of her friends. I picked one that I identified with and on it discovered this book. What was said intrigued me and I ordered it.

Is that God's leading? Absolutely. Only He knew I needed to find others who were looking at things so differently from their past beliefs. I love it. Will share some of my favorite quotes, but now it's time to get dressed and go out for breakfast with my husband.

It's a Sunday morning ritual, and one I enjoy. We meet friends and often talk for hours. Today I need to get home. The house is upside down with Christmas stuff out but not in place. Bringing order out of chaos is the business of this day.

Learning

2007-11-30T11:31:00.000-06:00

Amazing! I now have added a list called Links I Like and moved the archives to the bottom of the posts. This could be fun.

Getting Started

2007-11-28T20:20:00.000-06:00

Well, now I have a blog--my first. Filled in the blanks and cropped the picture and now it's time to say something. For years I've found that getting started is the hardest part of writing anything.

Seems like there should be an introduction of some kind. Maybe there needs to be a template for new bloggers--those of us who haven't had blogs or even read many. I started this thing because I have a friend who has a blog and I find it fascinating. I've gotten to know her at a different level through her writing. She has friends made online through this medium. I have friends made over the last few ten years through a website ministry. Now that I am no longer part of that ministry, I want a place to communicate. We'll see if this is it.