See? I don't spend too much time on the computer! ;)

Just a Simple Thing

It won't change the world or make it in the Guiness Book of World's Records, but it made a difference to my little princess and so it made a difference to me.

Yesterday in Sunday School, I was her teacher. I had the class make paper bag puppets as a go-along with their lesson on sharing. As the children made their puppets, they were encouraged to kindly share their craft supplies and what a great job they did. And then, just as Whiskers, the Sunday School mouse puppet, told them (via MY vocal chords) his story about sharing his cheese flavored popsicle, the children were told that they should use their puppets to also tell others about how THEY could share...share like the woman in their Bible story who shared her food with the prophet Elijah.

My girl has had so much fun playing with her puppet and continuing to decorate it. Seeing her enjoy something that the world sees as such a simple thing brings a smile to this mom's heart and is just another reason that I'm so blessed to be a parent and glad that God allows me to minister to His little ones through our church.

JOY!

"A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate things that hurt: get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, get rid of insecurity by eliminating risks, get rid of disappointments by depersonalizing your relationships. And then try to lighten the boredom of such a life by buying joy in the form of vacations and entertainment. There isn't a hint of that in Psalm 126."

Eugene Peterson --- A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNER!

Dawn over at http://snakesandsnailsandsugarandspice.blogspot.com/ has won CRIES OF THE HEART by Ravi Zacharias that I am giving away as part of the DOG DAYS OF SUMMER BLOGGY GIVEAWAY. I hope the book blesses her immensely!

Thanks to all of you who took the time to visit my blog, leave comments, and even look around a bit. Hope each of you read or saw something that made you laugh, stirred your heart, informed you about something you needed to know, or gave you some good food for thought. Most of all, I hope that what you saw here reminded you of how good our God is and how much He loves YOU! His grace is AMAZING!!!!

With joy,

Elysa

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Update: I've still not heard from the winner yet. If I'm not able to connect with Dawn by Tuesday morning, I'll do another random drawing for the book.

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And yet ANOTHER Update: I DID hear from my winner, Dawn, and so the prize will soon be making its way across the fruited plains. Thanks again for all of you who participated. :)

A PAIR OF PURSES Yesterday, the Swazi purses I ordered from Children's HopeChest arrived. They are BEAUTIFUL! I am so pleased. These are going to make great Christmas gifts. I wanted to post this photo of my 2 oldest daughters holding them to give you a better idea of the size, detail work, etc. These are big enough to not only make great purses, but would make great tote and diaper bags.

To read the original post about these purses, the African women who make them, and the orphans who benefit from the purchase, please see this post:

http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2007/07/purses-for-purpose-did-you-know-that.html

Today I'm thankful that I know God and have the assurance that He has forgiven my sins and loves me just as I was, just as I am, just as I'll be. What a peace and joy that brings.

"This is the basis of worship. The full assurance of sin put away, ministers, not to a spirit of self-confidence, but to a spirit of praise, thankfulness, and worship. It produces not a spirit of self-complacency but of Christ-complacency, which, blessed be God, is the spirit which shall characterize the redeemed throughout eternity. It does not lead one to think little of sin, but to think much of the grace which has perfectly cancelled it. It is impossible that any one can gaze on the cross-can see the place which Christ took-can meditate upon the sufferings which he endured-can ponder on those three terrible hours of darkness, and at the same time, think lightly of sin. When all these things are entered into, in the power of the Holy Ghost, there are two results which must follow, namely, an abhorrence of sin, in all its forms, and a genuine love to Christ, His people and His cause."

CH McIntosh, Notes on Leviticus, 1860 (Brethren pastor in London)

PURSES for a PURPOSE

Did you know that there is a country in the world

whose orphan population is almost 10% of the total population?

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Did you know that there is a beautiful African nation whose HIV/AIDS rate is so high that the United Nations is

predicting that its people will virtually be extinct

by the year 2050 if the deaths continue at the rate they are occurring at present?

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Did you know that the country that used to be called "The Switzerland of Africa" now has THE highest AIDS/HIV infection rate in the ENTIRE world...some believe as high as 46%? Many of these children?

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Did you know that you can make a difference in the lives of the widows and orphans who are suffering dire consequences of this pandemic?

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There are many ways you can make a difference in the lives of the hurting Swazi people...praying, giving financially, and GOING are some of the ways...but you can also help thru the purchase of a purse.

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That's right...a purse.

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Carepoints have been set up through out the country of Swaziland to provide food and other care for orphans and the people who are trying to care for them. These people are often adults who are themselves suffering the ravages of the disease. Often they are grandmothers doing the best they can to feed scores of community orphans.

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Children's HopeChest is one organization dedicated to showing the love of Jesus to these hurting ones thru both word and deed.

This is Mrs. Ruby.

Children's HopeChest is working to provide food, education, and medicine to the EIGHTY

children she helps.

*

Women like Mrs. Ruby are struggling to care for overwhelming numbers of children who have no parents to love them, feed them, & protect them.

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When you buy a Swazi purse, you aren't

just purchasing any old handbag.

*

You are buying a purse made by a woman like Mrs. Ruby

who is doing all she can each day to just

survive and care for the "least of these" in her life.

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For $15, plus shipping & handling, you can

not only carry around a beautiful, handmade purse, but you

can carry around in your heart the warmth that

will come from knowing that children are being fed because of your purchase.

*

Please contact Dany thru: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2007/07/swazi-purses-ar.html .

*

Thank you.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER BLOGGY GIVEAWAY

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ROCKS IN MY DRYER is hosting a super fun giveaway extravaganza! Hundreds, and I mean literally, HUNDREDS of bloggers are offering free stuff to their visitors. I've already entered drawings for things such as bows, books, chocolate, and even custom-designed blog headers.

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All you have to do is visit a participating blog, leave a comment, and hope you win! :) And the same applies here at my blog.

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I'm giving away a "like new" hardback copy of Ravi Zacharias' book CRIES OF THE HEART. Sorry, but I can only ship to folks living in the USA. If you meet that criteria and would like this book, then just leave a comment and make sure there's contact info included. I'll be closing the contest out Friday night at midnight (eastern time zone) and will make a random drawing on Saturday.

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For more info on the book, visit: http://www.amazon.com/Cries-Heart-Ravi-Zacharias/dp/0849943876/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8581832-6903311?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185314624&sr=1-1

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If you'd like to read more about this giveaway and see the list of the other participating blogs, visit: http://www.rocksinmydryer.net/

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Thanks for visiting my blog and feel free to look around a bit. Hopefully you'll see something that touches your heart and stirs your soul. http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/

WARNING!

Important message for parents and their teenage children:
teenage affluenza is spreading fast! Be a part of the solution.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PICTURES???

In case you don't get it right away, I'll give you a hint. My handsome husband is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and I do NOT let him wear Hawaiian shirts in the cold months!

That's right....a store already has CHRISTMAS posters up in JULY!!!!!! It just ain't right!

Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! My husband will tell you that I can go a little crazy where that season is concerned. I love buying the tree, dropping money in the Salvation Army bucket, listening AND singing the carols, making special food, attending special church services, reading seasonal books, putting out the nativity scene, dressing in red and green, filling up boxes for Operation Shoebox, picking out Christmas cards, looking at the lights, attending parties, buying and giving gifts, and just about anything else related to the celebration that commerates the birthday of my King and Savior.

And I firmly believe that we should rejoice year round the birth and life of Jesus. His coming to earth CHANGED the world and made it possible for someone like me to have eternal peace and daily joy.

But Christmas consumerism in July just seems WRONG! Color me Grinch Green, but as much as I love the Yuletide Season, I'm really not ready to have all the "stuff" being pushed when I've still got red, white, and blue 4th of July decorations hanging from my mantle.

Tis the season to be.....SUMMER!

Yes, let's keep the Christmas message in our hearts all year long, but let's not lose the specialness of Christmas by starting it so soon that we're tired of it by November and then we miss out on the wonder and miracle of the season when it really DOES arrive in December.

BACKWOODS SWIMMING POOL

Around here, we make do with what we've got most of the time. This week, that means the kids have turned our canoe into their very own swimming pool. They've been having a great time splashing around in it...that is when its NOT been lightening and storming. I told them that a metal boat full of water is not the best place to be in a thunderstorm! Of course, when the kids aren't hootin' and hollerin' in the " pool", my duck enjoys lengthy, luxurious swims.

Life sure can be good in the country.

NO MOMMY

Earlier this week, I was visiting an ADVENTURE IN MISSIONS BLOG and this posting caught my eye. It hurt my heart deeply to think of a little girl, just a bit younger than my T and just a bit older than my baby hobbit, not having a mommy and facing life as an orphan in a country ravaged by AIDS/HIV, hunger, crime, and abuse/exploitation of children. With permission, I share this important message with you.



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I've gone into the mission field before and have come away appreciating the things I have at home. Like carpet. I love the soft feel of carpet beneath my feet in the morning when I tromp from my bedroom into the kitchen for my morning cup of coffee. Ohhh, and I love my cozy goose-down comforter! I can crawl into bed and sleep like a baby under that warm comfort! But I can honestly say that I hadn't yet been truly wrecked by the things I have seen. They have come as a shock, no doubt, but I haven't been changed by them. Well, until now...


After debrief ended, our teams were given the reins to find ministry on our own. Our little Media family loved this since we've been separated the majority of the time thus far. Telfer received an email from his Real Life Leader, Cassie Morgan, with an instructional plea to find a little girl named Donzola. Cassie had spent time here in Swazi loving on this particular little girl and wanted us to pick up where she left off. So, we did. Over a week ago, we set out to find this precious little orphan girl. We stopped at a couple of Care Points, but no one had heard of a girl by the name of "Donzola." Then Pastor Walter (the man we're staying with) told us he might know how to find her. He took us to his church the next day and spoke with one of the women who served there. And guess what? She knew Donzi! She told Pastor Walter how to get there, so we piled in the car again and drove to her property.


Donzi has one of the most precious little faces you've ever seen. Her eyes smile whether her mouth is or not and she carries a sense of playfulness in the way she carries herself. That day we first set eyes on her, she walked confidently up to us in her red galoshes and fell into our arms to be loved. This was the little orphan girl that God sent His church to love and care for. This little girl with no mommy and no daddy is being told by the Lord, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Though your mother and father may fail you, I never will." It's not just Donzi; it's all the kids we've held at the care points. I was holding a little 5 year old girl named Daly when one of the Go-gos (Grandmothers) told me that she had no mother.


No mother? I held her close to my body and watched her breathe as she slept with her mouth wide open and drooled a little onto my jacket and thought, " no mommy?" That's when my heart began to break.


I grew up with a beautiful and loving mother. I still remember falling asleep in her arms, rocking in the chair as she sang me to sleep. I remember her love for me and how safe I felt with her. All these memories came to my mind as I held this little girl in the same way, but knowing that she doesn't have a mom to run home to broke my heart. So I did what the Lord was doing and held her and kissed her and told her she was beautiful and loved. I told her she was precious and innocent and free to dance and be loved. I told her what the Lord was telling her. I was His voice, His arms and His heart telling his precious daughter how very much He is in love with her.


My heart felt a multitude of emotions; sad and angry at the injustice of this and filled with an inexplicable and all-consuming love. If I can be the arms of His tenderness and the voice of His compassion so that He can show these precious children the fullness of His love for them, then I will give up everything I can to do so. I have never experienced something more precious and selfless than when He uses me to display His heart to the world. And to think, they are so many more children waiting to be held and waiting to know the Father's heart for them! That's the Great Commission. That's the Heart of God! That's why David danced naked in absolute abandonment and worship. And that's why we give up our lives, take up our crosses and follow Him.



http://www.sethbarnes.com/index.asp?filename=no-mommy+

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I was reminded today of how beautifully simple the security of my relationship is with Jesus.

Jesus loves me this I know,

For the Bible tells me so,

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak but He is strong.

John 3:16 promises me that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son Jesus, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life".

I don't have to follow a set of rules, go through some religious rituals, give away my money, have certain words said over me, wear a certain style of clothes, or memorize a bunch of stuff. I just have to believe and trust in Him for my salvation.

Its not about MY goodness, its about HIS goodness.

But wait...some of you might be saying "can you just sin and be rotten and not change and STILL expect to make it to Heaven and be a Christian?"

And some of you would be missing the point.

The point is that JESUS DID IT ALL!!!! He provided the way for me to be saved from my sins, to enter into a beautiful love-filled relationship with Him, and then to have an incredible life in the here after that will never, ever end.

All the good changes and good actions that someone might see in my life BECAUSE I've decided to follow Jesus, are not what saves me. Those "good things" are a result of HIS goodness dwelling in me because I'm His. When I daily walk in His presence, when I allow His spirit to live within me, when I realize how incredible His love and grace is, then those good things will just be a natural result.

But they are not what saves me. They are not what keep me. They are there because He loves me and I love Him.

His word says that while we were still sinners, He loved us. He chose to call me His own not because I deserved it, but because He loved me. He chose to give me eternal life not because I was good and should be reward thusly, but because He desires to be in fellowship with me.

Do you have that assurance? Do you really and truly know that He loves you no matter what? Are you depending on YOUR ability to make you right with Him? Are you hoping you can be good enough to earn God given rewards?

Dear friend, compared to His perfection, we will always fall short. We can NEVER be good enough. And what an insecure, fear-filled state to live in...to always wonder if you're doing enough to be saved, to not be condemned, to be accepted.

STOP TRYING TO EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN! STOP TRYING TO BE GOOD ENOUGH!

You and I can never, ever be good enough...that's why Jesus and His sacrifice was essential.

"Amazing Grace,

How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost,

But now I'm found,

Was blind but now I see."

On this Thankful Thursday, I am so grateful. I'm grateful for His love, His peace, His provision, His security, His passion, His goodness, and His amazing grace. I can face my tomorrow's and my eternal life without fear knowing that I'm His...forever and ever and ever, amen.

I'm overcome with grief....

...because my beloved Swaziland is on a path to extinction.

Parents are dying. Babies are dying. The oldest and the youngest. It seems that almost EVERYONE is dying.

And are they dying without hope? Are they dying without knowing love? Are they dying alone?

How many are crying out for help and feeling that they're pleas are going unheard?

How many of us are called to answer their cries?

What would God have me do?

What would God have my family do?

What would God have you do?

Am I willing to abandon it all for the sake of His call?

Matthew 25:31-46

"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'

Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.'

"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because -

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me - you failed to do it to me.'

"Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

The Message

IF WE DON"T SHOW UP... WHO WILL?

Please take the time to watch this soul-stirring video. Its message is crucial.

"The glory of living water (God's grace) is that it quenches thirst. We do not honor the refreshing, self-replenishing, pure water of a mountain spring by lugging buckets of water up the path to make our contributions from the ponds below. We honor the spring by feeling thirsty, getting down on our knees, and drinking with joy. Then we say, 'Ahhhh' (that's worship!), and we go on our journey in the strength of the fountain (that's service). The mountain spring is glorified most when we are most satisfied with its water."

John Piper

http://www.desiringgod.org/

TUESDAY'S QUOTE from TRAVIS

T informed me today that "I got eaten by a hyote (coyote), but I'm still alive". Now THAT'S one tough little boy!

GOD STICKS WITH US

"When the Bible says that God sticks with us, the emphasis is on this dependable personal relationship, that he is always there for us.that he 'sticks with us' is the reason Christians can look back over a long life crisscrossed with cruelties, unannounced tragedies, unexpected setbacks, sufferings, disappointments, depressions-look back across all that and see it as a road of blessing, and make a song out of what we see. ..God sticks to his relationship. He establishes a personal relationship with us and stays with it. The central reality for Christians is the personal, unalterable, persevering commitment God makes to us. Perseverance is not the result of our determination, it is the result of God's faithfulness. We survive in the way of faith not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous, because God sticks with us. Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more attention to God's righteousness and less and less attention to our own."

Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Mangled Menu

On the way home from church today, 5 year old LG asked me what I was fixing for lunch. I told her "hashbrowns, cheese grits, and scrambled eggs". We then heard her excitedly recite the menu to her brother, "D! We're having hashbrowns, cheese grits, and spoiled eggs!!!!"

So glad MY description was the accurate one!

Steven Curtis Chapman - More To This Life

Today I watched in silence
As people passed me by.
And I strained to see if
There was something hidden
In their eyes.
But they all looked back
At me as if to say,
"Life just goes on"
The old familiar story,
Told in different ways.
Make the most of your own journey
From the cradle to the grave.
Dream your dreams tomorrow
Because today life must go on.


But there's more to this life
Than livin' and dyin',
More than just tryin'
To make it through the day.
More to this life,
More than these eyes alone can see,
And there's more than this
Life alone can be.


Tonight he lies in silence
Staring into space
And looks for ways to make
Tomorrow better than today.
But in the morning light
It looks the same.
Life just goes on.
He takes care of his family,
He takes care of his work.
And every Sunday morning
He takes his place at the church.
And somehow he still feels
A need to search.
But life just goes on.


But there's more to this life
Than livin' and dyin',
More than just tryin'
To make it through the day.
More to this life,
More than these eyes alone can see,
And there's more than this
Life alone can be.


So where do we start
To find every part
Of what makes this life complete
If we turn our eyes to Jesus we'll find
Life's true beginning is there
At the cross where He died,
He died to bring us

WHAT IF?

"What if all Christ-followers lived the Red Letter words in the Bible---Jesus' words? What if we offered the hungry something to eat, gave one of our many coats to someone who was cold, and truly loved all our neighbors as ourselves? how radically different would our lives be? How different would our world be if Christians were really livings as little Christs?"



Excerpt from RED LETTERS: LIVING A FAITH THAT BLEEDS by Tom Davis

A COLORFUL PORTRAIT of ME!

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My 5 year old LG loves creating artwork. She'll spend huge chunks of time absorbed in her drawings.

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One day, she decided to bless me with a portrait of ME!

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I love the LIPSTICK...

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...and I love my Princess LG.

The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. ~Mother Teresa

Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds

IN OUR FREE TIME

Believe it or not, we DO have free time around here...even Mom and Dad! Here's a glimpse into what we're doing with that precious time:

Super Daddy---J is learning to play the GUITAR! He's been at it for a few months now and is getting quite passionate about it. We even went to the local guitar store on our last date. I can't wait til he can accompany me while I sing in church.

13 year old A---She is also learning to play the guitar, though reading is still her main free time activity. A also enjoys creative writing, listening to Christian rock, and spending time on the Internet. She is volunteering at the local crisis pregnancy center one day a week providing childcare for moms, sorting and folding baby clothes, etc.

11 year old B---Reading, writing, creating, and drawing are big pursuits in her life right now as well as clog dancing, riding her bike, roaming the woods, playing the creek, and spending time with her friends. B is also volunteering at the crisis pregnancy center with big sister A.

10 year old D---He loves reading and gets up at the crack of dawn every morning, all on his own, to read his Bible. He also loves to play gameboy, Internet, and cd rom computer games. Boardgames such as backgammon and Clue are favorites for D in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons. Splashing at the creek is his favorite outdoor activity this summer.

8 year old P---Riding bikes, play fighting, and acting out adventure games outside are things that P often does. He also loves "screen" time whether that be watching TV or playing computer games. As with D and B, he also goes to the creek every chance he gets.

5 year old L---Her number one free time activity is drawing and artwork. For the last several days her art has reflected our weather and so it has been filled with lots of rain and clouds. She also likes watching videos such as Blue's Clues and playing outside with her brothers and sisters as well as picking flowers and working in our vegetable garden.

3 year old T---T loves playing computer games at Nick Jr. and watching videos, especially WonderPets, Larry Boy, and Dora the Explorer. He likes playing with our kittens though his oldest sisters calls it terrorizing the kittens. He likes building Thomas the Tank Engine train track layouts and spending time with his Mommy.

Almost 2 year old M---She, like her sister L, LOVES drawing. Unfortunately, M loves drawing EVERYWHERE and with ANYTHING! UGH!!! Her masterpieces have been found on the fridge door, in storybooks, on walls, on the upholstered furniture, in her siblings school books, and on the netting of her playpen. When she's not drawing, she likes getting dirty outside, swinging, sliding, and being pulled in her wagon. She also LOVES music and is adorable as she dances to Hannah Montana's songs.

And Moi---I love to read and keep piles of books in my room that I intend to get to one of these days. I also like goofing off on the PC, emailing friends, and blogging though lately I've been spending a lot of Internet time reading about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Swaziland and investigating various ministries to the Swazi orphans. I'm hoping that in the not too distant future, some of my free time will find me IN Swaziland ministering to some of those precious little ones.

Monday Musing

Its amazing how frightfully impossible it is to start a lawn mower that has no gas.

NEEDED MESSAGE ...

...for us "burbers". Lisa and Will Samson challenge us ordinary folks to be radicals for Jesus in the places He has placed us.

HOW FUN!!!

One of my "in real life" friends has awarded me with my first ever blog award. Considering how many pals she has in the blogosphere world, I consider that a true compliment.

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Now its my turn to give this award to 5 bloggers:

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SHAUNA at http://shaunarumbling.blogspot.com/ is a gifted blog writer who also strives to encourage other writers as well as promoting her visitors to read more great books. Currently, she's hosting THE CHRISTY CHALLENGE in an effort to expose more folks to high quality Christian fiction. She's also a committed homeschool mom and a beloved part of the FIVE IN A ROW online family.

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ONEY at http://www.oneyjones.blogspot.com/ . Her blog, TEA AT THREE, is always just as friendly and chatty as though I'd dropped by her house for a visit over tea. Oney is another pal I've gotten to know thru FIVE IN A ROW and anyone who knows her will tell you that her witty wisdom and passion for her family makes her a true blessing to know. Oney...you ROCK!

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DREWE LLYN awarded me and her GIRLFRIENDS IN CHRIST devotional postings at http://www.mentor-drewellyn.blogspot.com/ make her a rocker in my book. Okay, okay, to be honest, if you go by outward appearances, Drewe Llyn does not look like a rocker, one of her children would definitely fit that bill, but not her. That is, until you get to know her! She may not be banging her head to screamo music, but she's willing to let her KIDS bang their heads all they want as she strives to give them the freedom to be the unique person God has created them to be. So she's a rocking mom for the grace-filled, freedom-fortified style of parenting she embraces but she also rocks for other reasons. She's loving and supportive of her husband in his call to minister as pastor to their church and she's also a minister right alongside him as she leads worship, answers the phone, teaches Sunday School, scrubs church toilets, writes articles, and a myriad of other tasks. She is also not willing to settle for status quo. Where ever she finds God placing her --- whether its in an Eastern European country as a missionary or a rural community as a homeschool mom and Mrs. to the Reverend --- Drewe Llyn strives to get beyond anything that keeps her from being authentic in her faith. And by her living out the freedom, realness, and grace ofJesus' salvation, God uses her life to shake up people's sometimes "too comfortable" faith. She's a "boat rocker" in the best sense of the world...and she's raising some "boat rockers for Jesus" in the process. Drewe Llyn may look "mild mannered" on the outside, but watch out...this woman's a super hero of the faith...even if she doesn't wear a cape!

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My oldest daughter A is literally a ROCKER! Her blog, http://mylifeinrandomness.blogspot.com/ , is filled to nearly overflowing with Christian rock videos, lyrics, quizzes, concert info, and photos. She loves Christian rock and loves listening to it, reading about it, visiting related websites, going to concerts, dancing to it, and blasting out her own songs. Worshipping God through modern music is one of her favorite parts of our church's life.

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My second daughter B also rocks! You can tell from her blog that while she does like Christian rock music, what she's really passionate about is art and beauty. She finds inspiration in nature, home interior magazines, illustrations from classic books, photography, old movies, and travel. She loves new styles and is rarely afraid to try something new. She rocks her world with her unique outlook on life and the creativity she brings to all she does. This is reflected in her blog, Daydreams, Raindrops, Explorations, and Ponderings ( http://dreamsraindrop.blogspot.com/ ).

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Congratulations to all you ROCKIN' GIRLS! Have fun naming your own award winners. :)