I’m moving………..

When I won the CWO Challenge a few weeks back, Darleneemailed me and said that the blog design was only for blogspot, what would I like to do?

Well – my answer was a resounding — -”I don’t mind MOVING!!!!”  Please go here and check out the new Ponderings of The Heart.   I will post on my beautiful new blog from now on!

Be sure you tell Darlene what a GREAT job she did!!!!

Tuesday’s In Other Words

“When God is involved, anything can happen. Be open and stay that way. God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken chords.”~ Chuck Swindoll~

Wow what a quote. This is a loaded one for me!  I TOTALLY get it that “With God ANYTHING is possible.” I totally get it for other people, that is.  I don’t have difficulty believing that if a friend of mine is sick that God will heal them.  I know there is power in the prayers of the faithful.  I FULLY believe that God will heal our friend Heather!  There are so many of you wonderful people out there praying for her.   The trouble is – I can believe and have faith that the Almighty will do it for others……….

………..I just have a VERY hard time believing it for myself.  I’m not sure why really.  Maybe because I know the ugliness that dwells in my heart and mind in ANY given moment.  There is a part of me that wonders why would HE ever want to heal me or DO anything for me.  I don’t have any qualms at all about the first and last parts of this quote . “When God is involved anything can happen” – I know this the bible says “anything is possible with God.”  And the last part “God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations  out of broken chords” – In Romans we are told that we know that all things work together for good for those called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). 

The part I seem to have trouble with is the middle part – “Be open and stay that way”. 

I try to be open.

I WANT to be open.

I don’t know that I stay that way.  I suppose that I feel that anytime I have a moment where trust is an issue for me then I must not be open any more.  Anyone know what I mean?  I have been having some health issues as of late – NOTHING compared to lots of our friends and I have been trying to believe that I am going to be healed.  Doesn’t the Bible say that if we ask and BELIEVE that we will receive?  I’m trying to do that.   And I know that believing is a choice that I just have to make each and every day……

BUT then comes the nagging — and it know that a lot of it is that old cunning serpent trying to get at me…….saying “BUT is healing you really in HIS will?”
“Why would God want to heal you? You aren’t worth it”.

Know what I mean?
ANYBODY? 
Come on Girls,  - don’t leave me hanging…….let me hear from you all on this. 

I wrote this quote on a post-it note and I plan to do some praying and pondering on it!  Help me, won’t you?

If you want to add your own thoughts to today’s In Other Words, go on over to Joy in the Morning and add yours.  Or just go to see what others said about this quote!

In HIM – Mindy

 

It’s just a feeling I get…..

Girls, I’m in need of some discernment here.  As well and guidance, advice and bible verses to apply here, too!

Are you an intuitive person?  I tend to see myself as a very intuitive person which – if I’m honest -can lead to paranoia if left unchecked. But – I have been told by many (some of which were professionals) that I am intuitive so I don’t think it is just me “puttin’ on airs” as the saying goes. Whenever  I get these “feelings” I try to pray about them and see what God is saying and where HE is leading but it is sometimes difficult to figure out.

Well, since I moved to this place almost 10 months ago, I’ve had this feeling about two different people.  With both of them the feeling hit me as soon as I met them and they are people that I come into contact with at least once a week – if not more.  It is that feeling that something is just not right.  That this person isn’t what he/she seems to be.  And I have to say that one of them has proven true – this person IS a “snake in the grass”.  Always manipulating things to appear a way that they aren’t.  The feelings continue………even now – 10 months later, I still have this “Something just isn’t good here” feeling whenever I am around these people. That “I should be leery of him/her” feeling. 

SO , here is what I need help with because while I am intuitive an get “feelings” about things – I cannot seem to figure it out. 

SO – girls – let’s hear it — your opinions please.  I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET!!! So, please pass this on and ask all of your friends out there in blogland to send me their opinions….I will be praying this day that they LORD will use you all to speak HIS truth to me in this situation.

Is this intuition at all?  It is from God?  Is the Holy Spirit warning me about these people?  OR is it just me –reading whatever I will into these people?

UGGHHHH!  Can I tell you all this is driving me kind of crazy.  So, I am desperately looking forward to some answers.

I will be praying!

In HIM -

Mindy

Mother’s Day Contest

Janice and Susan at 5 Miutes for Momsare giving away some awesome things for Mother’s day.  So far there are two contests – one for a *pink* or silver ipod and CHOCOLATE and the other is for an awesome baby carrier.

Go on over and check it out!  They promise to have more contests to come! Aren’t they awesome?!!?

My inner color

I found this on Aimee’s blog.  It is a test to find your inner color.  Mine turned out to be blue.  And it is remarkably accurate……… check it out for yourself and see what your color is!

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Your Inner Color is Blue


Your Personality: Your natural warmth and intuition nurtures those around you. You are accepting and always follow your heart.

You in Love: Relationships are your top priority, and this includes love. You are most happy when you are serious with someone.

Your Career: You need to help others in your job to feel satistifed. You would be a great nurse, psychologist, or counselor.

What’s Your Inner Color?

Tasty Thursday – Potato Pancakes

HI everyone!  This week for Tasty Thursday I am sharing a recipe for Potato Pancakes.  It isn’t the most healthy  thing for you to eat but if you love all things potato as I do – you will love them!

Potato Pancakes

4 c. shredded peeled potatoes

1 egg lightly beaten

3 T. all purpose flour

1 T. grated onion

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Cooking oil

Rinse potatoes in cold water; drain well. Place in a large bowl.  Add egg, flour, onion, salt and pepper. Mix well. In a skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls into hot oil.  Flatten to form a pancake. Fry until golden brown; turn and brown other side. Drain on wire rack. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings.

If you want to join in the fun of Tasty Thursday go on over to Trista’s Pumpkin Patch! ( or just go and check out all of the other recipes).

Have a great Thursday everyone!

In Him -

Mindy

I AM – Lesson 4 – NLIP!

Praise be to the Father in Heaven because this study is sooooo speaking to my situation in life right now.  If you missed my answers to last weeks questions, and are interested in the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say go here. A few weeks ago now, in my prayer time, God gave me Hebrews 11 to think on.  As Lisa mentions this is the “Hall of Faith”.  I have do doubt that my faith is being built in these days! I thank you Lord for allowing Lisa to speak to me as she is!  And I thank you Lisa, The Preacher’s Wife, for your willingness to spend 10 hours putting these lessons out there for us! =)

SO – without further ado here are my answers to this weeks questions! 

1. I am going to present to you a little acrostic to begin our discussion today. What is your latest NLIP? (Not Like I Planned?)There are quite a few things in life that are “Not Like I Planned”.  The most basic of my life is that I once announced outloud and often that I would NEVER – EVER marry a preacher……..yeah, I think God was totally laughing at me and thinking “If you only knew the plans I have for you!”  Second, and most presently is the situation in our church. We never dreamed that moving to this place would start out with such struggles right off the bat!  Things just aren’t what we planned…..but then it seems they never are…..We seem to have, like Moses, left our nice comfortable lives behind for uncertainty – to lead people that aren’t sure they want to be led…..I am hoping against all hope that like Moses one day when I get to heaven, hubby and I can be added to the Hall of Faith from Hebrews that we “By Faith………….”do all that God is calling us to do in this place.

2. How did you react to your NLIP? Are you still upset about it? Happy about it? Baffled by it? Explain.  I have reacted in a myriad of different ways.  I have had my hissy fits, stomped, screamed and cried out to the Lord and who ever else would listen to my complaining………(my poor husband who tends to be much more optimistic gets really tired of my pessimism um – REALISM!) I have been upset and am STILL baffled by it in some ways……happy about it —definitely NOT…..trying to turn it all over to God and trust HIM and live by faith……….that is where we are.

3. Have you ever attempted to step into an area of ministry and found your desire rejected? Did this cause you to question God and yourself? Perhaps distrust what you perceived to be your calling?  Girls – let me tell I question my Lord more often than I’d like to admit about being in the ministry of being a “preacher’s wife”……I often tell Him how unqualified I am for the job.  I tend to care a little too much about clothes and having a house that reflects my decorating style and being gracious to people who aren’t so gracious to me…..God has blessed me in some of that by giving me a mother who enjoys giving my daugther’s clothing for their birthday’s and Christmas and just about all other holidays.  ON the house side – parsonage living isn’t my idea of fun……I often look around and wonder just where are the 80 year old people who live here and why am I in their living room?   Being gracious outwardly is easier than the thoughts that are often swirling in my head. Thinking that is becoming of a preacher’s wife? I think not.  SO – yes – I wonder about this calling………AND I do believe it is a calling.

4. Do you harbor any bitterness towards any individual or situation which you believe waylaid your best laid plans?I suppose – in a word – yes.  I hate to admit it, but as I mentioned about being GRACIOUS isn’t a gift that I have.  I have tp continually turn those people and situations over to God and ask HIM to help me through them!

5. Have you had a life experience or trial that left you with a shaken faith because it ended in an NLIP? Please share if you feel free.   OH my.  There are huge experiences in my life that have left my ability to trust almost non existent.  I was sexually abused as a child and I cannot put into words what that does to a child’s trust…..And then something else that happened in my life that affected my trust was when my parents got divorced after almost 25 years of marriage.  I think it affected my trust so much because I never expected it to happen. Both of these things really have had a huge impact on my ability to trust people and God in life.

5. Based on Moses’ response of faith to his own rejection, how will you re-evaluate your own experiences or look at future ones differently if a NLIP presents itself?I believe with everything in me that God presented me with the Hall of Faith in Hebrew 11 and this study in order that I can re-evaluate my NLIP experiences.  In order that I can learn how the people God used in the bible – like Moses – were able to stand the trials and STILL have faith in God.  My Father is teaching me a guiding me through my NLIP life. I think God presented me with Hebrews 11 as encouragement – that if these normal – sinners like me – can have faith in HIM then I can use them as my example to do the same.

Thanks Lisa for this study — I continue to grow and stretch each week.  I have shared a lot of personal things today, but I have learned that honestly sharing things is how working through  things really begins.  If anything I say can help ONE person even slightly then I don’t mind sharing my life experiences.

God bless each and every one of you ladies who is blessing me through this study! Because when I read your responses – YOU are!

In HIM -

Mindy 

 

Prayers for Heather

Kelli, at Living In Grace is asking for prayer for Heather, who will have brain surgery this Thursday.

If you are willing to join in, go on over to Living In Grace and sign your name for a time to pray for Heather and her family!

Let’s cover her with prayer so much that God is continually hearing Heather and her family being brought to his feet!!

In His Love -

Mindy

Handbag tag

I was tagged for this meme by Lisa, The Preachers Wife.  I debated on doing this at all seeing as my pocket book holds everything but the kitchen sink — but then I thought this is a great way to clean out my purse – so thanks a bunch!

 Here is a picture of my pocket book……..It is  a Vera Bradley elephant print (her new breast cancer awareness print). It was a valentine’s day present from hubby.  He said go get that purse if you want it and I RAN, ran ,ran before he changed his mind. It is also BIG. I like big.  I have 3 little girls who give me everything under the sun to carry and then I usually have various and  a sundry things of my own that have to be toted.  I like BIG!

BIG does pose problems though —- tends to lend itself to carrying lots of unnecessary things. 

Here is what the inside of my bag looked like to start with -  Doesn’t look too bad but remember it’s big – check out this pictures of the stuff I took out of it to make it “presentable”.

 Lots of receipts, hair-bows my daughters take out of their hair, Maalox and allergy medicine – I have allergies AND indigestion!……Lots of other just plain ole trash!

Here is the pictures of what went back into it:

What is all that?  Well there is:

A makeup bag – full of lip-gloss – gotta have lots of shades to choose from, wallet, fabric swatches because I am desperately trying to find all the fabric I need to have bedding made for my girls and you never know when you’ll need to match colors. There’s sunglasses, business cards, hand sanitizer and hand lotion.  There’s my matching umbrella and tickets (YES – we had to buy TICKETS) to our daughters’ dance recital  ( I’m not bitter or anything…….well maybe just a little)coming up in a few weeks.  There’s pens and a calculator, gum and peppermints….. that’s about it!

I think I have covered it all except for tagging a few more folks so here goes:

Tara at Destiny Driven

Cyndi at One Day More

Jennifer at A Day in the Life of the Deatons

Join in the fun girls!  And Lisa, my purse was DEFINITELY worse than your =)

In Him -

Mindy

Happy Weekend!!

Hubby and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary on Sunday so we are headed out of town today. We are going to Virginia…….from there no body knows (yes – I’ve got some planning still to do =0))

Anyways – hope everyone has a happy and fully blessed weekend!

in HIM -

Mindy