100 Days (and a giveaway)!

Do you realize that when midnight strikes, there will be 100 days until the New Year?

I'm not kidding....100 Days!

Why should we wait for January 1st to make those crazy resolutions that we make?

Why not make a sensible resolution right now and follow through for the next 100 days?

What can we do in 100 days?

Read 100 chapters in the Bible (or 50), lose 10 pounds, make amends to a friend, make a plan to sit with your family several times a week to dinner, watch less television, journal daily, have a devotional time with God......

What can you do with these 100 days?

I want to hear from you! In honor of the "Final 100 Days of 2010," I am going to have a giveaway! My first ever!

Post a comment by midnight, Saturday the 25th and let us know what you will be doing with your 100 Days.

I will randomly select a winner of a $25 iTunes gift card and announce the winner Monday the 27th.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. shampoo
2. Tuesday night pizza
3. preaching this coming Sunday
4. Mason jars
5. a good day at work

I'm so in the right place

Our recent move happened very quickly. Within a two week time period, Joe was offered his appointment and we moved. Two weeks!

I never doubted the move, but this weekend I was assured that we were in the right place.

I took the boys and my mother-in-law (Joe was working an Emmaus walk) to the Balloon Regatta at the lake. We got up early, brought along our coffee and donuts and sat and watched the baloons fill up and take off at sunrise. It was astounding!





Where else in the world could this picture be taken?



I also preached for the first time in our new church. I wasn't nervous, and when I looked out at the congregation, I truly felt like I was at home.

We are so blessed.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. online classes
2. new tablecloths
3. folding chairs
4. lake water
5. love

The Gospel According to...

I've joined a new Sunday School class at church. Bible 101. It's great because we break everything down and our teacher (my hubby) gives us some great back ground information (seminary is paying off).

See, I don't have the Sunday School background that many people have. I never went to Sunday School classes. It all came to me late in life, so all of the basics I can put my hands around I truly soak up.

We were talking about why certain books of the Bible were included and others not (i.e. the Apocrypha). Why are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the only Gospels included in the canon of the New Testament?

This is interesting stuff.

Why don't we write our own Gospel? Gospel means "Good News." Aren't we all living out our own Gospel story?

I found this to be an interesting thought that was brought up this morning. We all have a story. We all have a story of how Christ has changed our life. We all have incidents where the Holy Spirit has moved and directed us in ways we never dreamed. Why not write them down? Why not share our Gospel story with our future generations?

I challenge you to write your story. No one else can write it with the passion and truth that you can.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Going to "lunch with the ladies"

2. phone appointments

3. eyeglass cases

4. angels

5. pinecones

A Wonderful Book

I have just finished reading a fantastic book, The Shack, by William P. Young. It's the story of a man, Mack, who endures a tragedy and God appears to him in different human forms representing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

At the retreat I was recently at, I heard some ladies discussing the book as being too new age. They were a little offended at representations of Christ made by Mr. Young.

I didn't see it that way at all. Actually, it helped me to visualize the different forms God takes in our lives. It changed my perspective and really made me think. I mean we don't know what God physically looks like. We have preconceived notions from our Sunday School teachings, books, parents, etc. on what God may or may not look like.

The bottom line is that I know He lives in my heart. I am glad Mr. Young painted this interesting picture of the Trinity for our day and age. The Father wants us to know him deeply, intimately and if developing a picture in our mind helps to further that relationship, I am all for it.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. the cold weather
2. hotel rooms
3. seeing my colleagues from across the country
4. safe travels
5. my husband loving seminary