We're Ba-ack!

We finally got out of town around 1pm Tuesday, and after 2 gas/potty stops, 1 fast-food drive-thru, a detour on I-4 for a FLAMING 18-wheeler, and a torrential downpour-in the dark-through the Jacksonville construction nightmare, we safely arrived in Orlando after a mere 9 and a half hours. With perfect internet directions to the hotel. Yay!

It was so late when we checked in that most of the rooms were full. So the king sized bed we requested was replaced with 2 shoeboxes. Oh, wait. I meant double beds. The remote only worked occasionally, the toilet didn't flush well, and the maids kept leaving decaf coffee in our room.

But it really wasn't that bad! The shoeboxes were comfy and the room didn't smell like smoke-covered-in-air-freshener.

I was in awe of the conference center. I truly think it was bigger than my hometown! There were shuttles running between the buildings, and if you decided to walk, there were moving sidewalks to speed up your commute. The food was outrageously expensive, but pretty tasty. The classes were great and informative. And the exhibits were out of this world! Photos weren't allowed in the exhibit hall, so I don't have any pics to share. Sorry :-(

We met some old friends and had lunch one day. Jeff and I were even spies for them and went to hear the sales pitch of their competitors! All's fair in love and business, right?

We really did have a good time, although the only places we saw were the convention center, IHOP, the hotel restaurant, and some other eating establishment on Valentines Day. We were pretty pooped at days' end.

Saturday we sat through one last class, waited 50 minutes for the every-20-minute shuttle, and made 2 neat contacts. One was a builder from the Cayman Islands, whose wife does builder websites and search engine optimization. The other was the president of a large homebuilders association.

We had almost skipped out on the final day, but decided to go. That's when we met this guy. I think it was a divine appointment, personally. Jeff got a call from a customer while riding the shuttle, and this guy overheard the conversation. He could have just sat there quietly and went on about his day, but he didn't. He immediately struck up a conversation with Jeff and starting giving him advice. Jeff finally met the mentor he has so desperately needed.

We even got some ideas for our future church building! So, all in all, it was a really good show. Shoot, I came out wanting to build a house! And I'm not even a builder!

I tell you, both of our minds were whirling with ideas on the ride home. I think we might have some hope for this year, even though the real estate stinks right now. Thanks for sticking around after the silence around here! I think I might have some other news this week, so come back and check in!!

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Road Trip!

Yes, I know I haven't been here lately. I had to work this weekend, and have been getting adjusted to having a new pet around. That would be Fuzzy the hamster. More on him later.

And today, I'm waiting for my dear husband to finish packing so we can leave. We're driving to Orlando for a big builder's show. Many, many hours in the van. Without the kids, at least.

I have no idea what the computer/internet situation will be in our hotel, so it may be quiet here a bit longer. Regardless, I ask for your prayers today for a good, safe trip, that my kids behave for their "gramma," and that we come away from from this conference with some really good, useful information.

And maybe a tan. :-)

So Selfish!

Yep. That's me! Selfish. I always have been. I was a surprise baby, born so much later than my siblings that essentially, I was an only child. And I was spoiled rotten. I always got what I wanted, and I only had to share with my friends. Usually, that was fine. But I still thought it was all about me.

But now I'm older, and I'm still selfish. If you called me that as a little girl I probably would have stuck my tongue out at you. But now? I'm sticking it out at myself. Pbbbbt.



I don't want to be selfish. I want to be more Christlike. I don't want it to all be about me, because it isn't!

At least I have made the first step: I recognize my problem. And I want to change!

So, "God, change me" has become a prayer of mine. I even wrote it in my prayer journal. And how I love it when He answers!

I know that I have a purpose, God-breathed and designed just for me. And, you guessed it, and can get pretty selfish, even with that. "But why can't you give the kids a bath? Clean up the kitchen? I worked hard all day and now I have to write! I have important stuff to do!"

Ick. It's sickening to witness in print, and even more when I catch myself saying or thinking things like that. I can take my "purpose," writing as a ministry, and make it all about me. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

And what about my family? God has plans for them, too. But I easily forget that. When you're always thinking of yourself, that happens.

Yesterday morning, my devotional calendar was reminding me of the fact that God did prepare me to do His work. I struggle lately with actually doing what I know God has asked, so that spoke right to my heart.

This line was front and center on the page: "He desires to transform your sin nature into the very nature of Christ Jesus." Echoing my prayer. "God, change me." Yes, Lord. I hear You.

My morning reading was about the fruit of the Spirit, coming from Galatians 5. I just have to share the thoughts:

"Ask most believers if they would like to accomplish what the Lord has planned for them to do with their life, and they will say, 'Yes!' To be the person He calls each one of us to be, we must surrender our will to His. That means telling God that we are willing for Him to do whatever He must to drive selfishness out of our life."

I hear You, Lord! I was excited to keep reading...

"Surrendering our will to God's better plan clears off the throne of our life, enabling the Holy Spirit to take His rightful place there....we are transformed from the inside out. First, we begin to recognize when God's hand is at work. Second, we experience freedom from selfish pursuits or earthly attachments...In serving the Lord, we gain a confidence that we never had while serving self."

I am just beginning, but if I keep asking, I know God will answer. We are promised that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, when we desire what He desires, it will be given to us. (Psalm 37:4)

I know God wants me to surrender to His will, instead of trying to live by my own. So I will excitedly and expectantly wait to see how God wants to change me...

Just a Tad Bit Silly...

Ok. I'm still blaming this on the cold medicines...

I'm finally trying to read the Bible in a year. I know there's tons of good stuff in there that I've just never laid eyes on. And I must say, I haven't found it in Leviticus just yet. One more chapter about sacrificing animals because you have a heat rash and I was going to lose it. Seriously. I mean, did acne-prone teenage Israelites get quarantined for a week every time they had a breakout? And then have to sacrifice livestock to get to rejoin the family? And we think our teens are stressed!



Photo courtesy of Dubuque Community Schools

I finally got to verses that had nothing to do with sacrificing anything. Here's where we're told to respect our elders, and even get a glimpse about God's view on immigration. Really.

Fortunately, this little chapter caught my attention today, just in the nick of time. Either that, or right after I went over the edge. Not sure yet.

So Leviticus 19:28 says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

Did you get that? "No tattoos. God said so." Well, I never seriously considered getting a tattoo, and it seems that's a good thing. I just never realized that the Bible actually talked about tattoos.

But this next one was the kicker. Leviticus 19:27 (I know it came first!) says, "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

So I'm going to tell you the first thing that popped into my head when I read that. Try not to laugh. Well, I can't hear you through my blog anyway, so go ahead. I did.

I read that and thought, "No mullets. God said."



Maybe Leviticus isn't so bad after all...

And the winner is...

JewelsHud! Congrats!

I was so blessed by all your comments. Thanks for your honesty -- I wish I had a prize for each of you!

For those of you having a good prayer life, I pray that it continues, only gets even stronger as time goes on, and that you may be a light to others who need it most.

For those of you who struggle in your prayer life, like me, I pray that God will provide the means for us to find time to be still before Him; that He will help us overcome our fears and distractions; that we will feel fulfilled when we do , and most of all, that He will be glorified!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. You will all be prayed for by name. I hope you stumbled across something you liked here and will visit again. You will always be welcome!

Say hello to my little friends...

Sorry I haven't been around the blog much. Between moderating all the comments from my contest (you guys ROCK!) and spending time with my new BFF's pictured above, there's just not been much time to write.

I plan to remedy that real soon...

Here's wishing you a crud-free weekend!