This is my "baby" at the end of 1st grade. 
Wow! I just can't believe it!
Wow! I just can't believe it!Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Beautiful - Week 2 continued
We did it!! Finally the power stayed on last night and we were able to watch our Week 2 DVD. WOOHOO!! What a great message it was, too.
Ephesians 1:4-5 (the message) – “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by His love…(What pleasure He took in planning this!)”
Here are the highlights from the DVD in case you missed it:
The Lord created us with an empty spot inside that only He can fill.
No man can do what the Savior is supposed to do in your life.
You can still be made whole even if your earthly father didn’t give you what he should have
Your children can never fill you up and make you whole.
Girlfriends can’t ever be enough to be the Savior your empty place needs.
New stuff doesn’t eve give you a taste of being filled by God.
The only way is the GOD way!
Thank you, Cindy, for the great music which was perfect for the lesson (More Beautiful You by Johnny Diaz). Let’s all remember that God made us perfect – you could never be more beautiful than the way that God created you. He created you to fill a purpose that only you can do!
Operation Christmas Child
The item for June is electronics (flashlights, calculators, batteries, etc). The item for July is school supplies. Please bring as many of these items as you would like during the month & give them to me, Brandi, or Anna.
Nursery Help Needed
We need more volunteers to help in our nursery on Sunday mornings. If you would be willing to help out, please contact Tina Hogue 764-4736. When several people are in the rotation, you would only need to serve in the nursery once every several weeks.
Meals for the Playls
If you want to take a meal to our pastor, please just let me know so that we don’t have scheduling conflicts. We have a meal planned for Thursday night & Monday night.
Casting Crowns Concert
The Casting Crowns concert is FRIDAY!! I am so excited & can’t wait! The church bus will leave promptly at 5:45 pm so don’t miss the bus! If something comes up & you aren’t able to attend, please let me know because someone else may want to purchase your ticket!
Shannon Playl in Concert
Shannon will be bringing us our message this Sunday through song! Don’t miss it
Fashion Show
Ok – this isn’t church related, but I wanted to invite all of you to a fashion show on Monday night. It is going to be at 6:30pm at the Serendipity Boutique on State Street. We will get a preview of the fall line-up and each person in attendance will receive a discount on purchases made that night. Also – Mary Kay door prizes will be given out!! Let me know if you want to be my guest!!! I would love for every one of you to come with me.
I hope everyone is off to a great week! We begin Week 3 – The Shout—today. Focus on what God is saying to you this week – don’t let distractions get in the way of His voice. Think about times that God has spoken to you & be ready to share those experiences next Tuesday. Also, please make two lists for next week’s discussion (1) things you can do to unclutter your lives and reduce the noise in your lives, (2) things you can do to seek God and hear His voice.
Be sure to memorize our verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9 “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Have a great week!
P.S. – did anyone ever tell you that you are beautiful? Well, you are!!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Your Circle of Influence
Here is a great article that was in my inbox this morning. It's written by Allison LaMarr who is a Mary Kay WonderWoman--so young & so accomplished.
8 Lanes of Living: Social Life
Happy Summer everyone! As you well know by now, we have been Digging Deeper into living a Life of Excellence for the past several weeks. We’ve honestly evaluated what we want our lives to look like in the areas of Spiritual Life, Family Life, Professional Life, Personal Development, Physical Health, and Financial Health. We’re now down to the last 2 lanes: Social Life and Community Involvement. We’re using the analogy of life as a highway, and our goal is to get all 8 lanes of life flowing in the same direction so that we can rise above the status quo and truly experience fulfillment in every area of life. Once we’ve made it through each of the 8 lanes, we’ll bring them all together at the end to create a crystal clear picture of the life we want to live. If you missed any of the first editions, simply click here to access our past Digging Deeper issues.
This week we’re tackling lane 7, Social Life. You’ll be happy to know that this lane allows for much lighter discussion than the previous two brought us. Physical Health and Financial Health are the two lanes where Americans typically struggle the most, so I’m extremely grateful that you were committed enough to stick with me as we addressed them. Now we are on to much easier conversation, so let’s jump in.
When you think of your Social Lane, I want you to think broader than just your “social schedule”. Your friends and social gatherings are certainly a part of this lane, but we’re also going to dig a little deeper than that. I want you to think in terms of your overall circle of influence: who you interact with and how you interact with them. Who influences you, and who do you influence? This particular lane is a t wo-way street: one lane goes in to you, and one lanes flows from you. In my own life, I try to govern this lane with the wisdom of two old proverbs: Guard your heart and guard your tongue. Let’s examine each of these together.
We’ll look at the inbound lane first. We’ve already discussed before that you become who you are by the books you read, the people you associate with, and the arenas in which you invest your time. It’s been said that “As a man thinketh, so is he.&rdquo ; What does that mean? In modern-day terminology, it means that your thoughts literally determine who you are and who you become. How? Because what you think about, you talk about, and what you talk about, you bring about. For those of you who would like a little deeper explanation of this concept, here is the science behind it. Your subconscious mind is a field of consciousness that is thousands of times more powerful than your conscious mind. It continues working day and night, whether you are sleeping or awake, and it literally formulates your belief systems, who you are, based on the information you feed it through your daily experiences. Here is the kicker: Your subconscious mind functions w hether or not you are aware of it or make any effort to influence it. It will not remain idle! If you fail to intentionally give it things to feed on, it will feed upon the thoughts which reach it as the result of your passive neglect. Some of these “impulses” that reach your subconscious mind are negative and some are positive. The key is to help shut off the flow of negative impulses and replace them with healthy impulses. So, take a moment and really ponder this thought: as you go through each day and week, what (or who) are the biggest influences on your mind? What material are you feeding your brain? Think books, radio, and television. Are you feeding yourself trash or healthy, empowering “food” that will support you in becoming who you want to be?
If you have kids, have you given much thought to what and who is influencing them? When we discuss the power of media, our thoughts first jump to television, but what about the radio? The songs they innocently pick up in the car everyday and the songs they hear us singing are penetrating their subconscious mind even more powerfully than if we were purposefully trying to teach them the lyrics. You’ve heard the phrase “music moves the soul”. Well, music also aides in retention, which is why the ABCs and the states of the U.S. are listed in song—to help kids learn them better. Research has proven that people retain information they don’t even want or care about, things they don’t even know they’re learning, simply because it’s set to music. Think of all the commercial jingles you know. You may have heard a Jeff Foxworthy joke on this topic where he says something like, “I’d like to thank Gretchen Wilson. Because of her recent Redneck Woman song, my two year old is hollering “Hell Yeah ” from the back seat.”
Ok...back to us...beyond the media, think in terms of other people. Have you heard that we become the average of the five people with whom we spend the most time? Do a quick mental roll call...do you want to be like those people? Are they big thinkers or small thinkers? Are they scarcity or abundance minded? Are they balcony people or basement people? Balcony people bring you up, and basement people bring you down. Who says they're in your corner, but deep down you know that their presence allows you to settle for less than your best, because they allow you to rationalize your current reality.
Now, how about the outbound lane? How do your words and actions influence others? Are you a balcony or bas ement person to the people with whom you interact? Are you prone to gossip? If we’re saying “I just had to get that off my chest”, or “I don’t mean to gossip, but…” who is it really benefiting? Another wise proverb says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” Are you typically thought of as a negative or positive person? Are you critical or open-minded? Are you an energy giver or an energy sucker? Do you help build character in others or attack the character of others? Are you an example of one who considers others before yourself and strives to love your enemies? To your friends and family, what do you want to be known for? What kind of reputation are you creating for yourself?
As we strive to guard our hearts and guard our tongues, here are a few final things to consider. Do you let other people influence your mood and attitude? Do you have rich relationships that build you up? Is your over-active social life preventing achievement in the other areas of your life? There was a season of my life when I knew that short-term sacrifice in my Social Lane would bring monumental payoff in the long run, but I re ally had to protect my boundaries to reach the next level of living. You may be in a season where you are seeking an increased social life or greater healthy influences on your life. Only you will know the right thing for you in this season of your life. Albert Einstein once said, “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Wherever your spirit is leading you right now, have the guts to step away from the crowd and walk that extra mile—even if it means walking alone.
http://www.allisonlamarronline.com
8 Lanes of Living: Social Life
Happy Summer everyone! As you well know by now, we have been Digging Deeper into living a Life of Excellence for the past several weeks. We’ve honestly evaluated what we want our lives to look like in the areas of Spiritual Life, Family Life, Professional Life, Personal Development, Physical Health, and Financial Health. We’re now down to the last 2 lanes: Social Life and Community Involvement. We’re using the analogy of life as a highway, and our goal is to get all 8 lanes of life flowing in the same direction so that we can rise above the status quo and truly experience fulfillment in every area of life. Once we’ve made it through each of the 8 lanes, we’ll bring them all together at the end to create a crystal clear picture of the life we want to live. If you missed any of the first editions, simply click here to access our past Digging Deeper issues.
This week we’re tackling lane 7, Social Life. You’ll be happy to know that this lane allows for much lighter discussion than the previous two brought us. Physical Health and Financial Health are the two lanes where Americans typically struggle the most, so I’m extremely grateful that you were committed enough to stick with me as we addressed them. Now we are on to much easier conversation, so let’s jump in.
When you think of your Social Lane, I want you to think broader than just your “social schedule”. Your friends and social gatherings are certainly a part of this lane, but we’re also going to dig a little deeper than that. I want you to think in terms of your overall circle of influence: who you interact with and how you interact with them. Who influences you, and who do you influence? This particular lane is a t wo-way street: one lane goes in to you, and one lanes flows from you. In my own life, I try to govern this lane with the wisdom of two old proverbs: Guard your heart and guard your tongue. Let’s examine each of these together.
We’ll look at the inbound lane first. We’ve already discussed before that you become who you are by the books you read, the people you associate with, and the arenas in which you invest your time. It’s been said that “As a man thinketh, so is he.&rdquo ; What does that mean? In modern-day terminology, it means that your thoughts literally determine who you are and who you become. How? Because what you think about, you talk about, and what you talk about, you bring about. For those of you who would like a little deeper explanation of this concept, here is the science behind it. Your subconscious mind is a field of consciousness that is thousands of times more powerful than your conscious mind. It continues working day and night, whether you are sleeping or awake, and it literally formulates your belief systems, who you are, based on the information you feed it through your daily experiences. Here is the kicker: Your subconscious mind functions w hether or not you are aware of it or make any effort to influence it. It will not remain idle! If you fail to intentionally give it things to feed on, it will feed upon the thoughts which reach it as the result of your passive neglect. Some of these “impulses” that reach your subconscious mind are negative and some are positive. The key is to help shut off the flow of negative impulses and replace them with healthy impulses. So, take a moment and really ponder this thought: as you go through each day and week, what (or who) are the biggest influences on your mind? What material are you feeding your brain? Think books, radio, and television. Are you feeding yourself trash or healthy, empowering “food” that will support you in becoming who you want to be?
If you have kids, have you given much thought to what and who is influencing them? When we discuss the power of media, our thoughts first jump to television, but what about the radio? The songs they innocently pick up in the car everyday and the songs they hear us singing are penetrating their subconscious mind even more powerfully than if we were purposefully trying to teach them the lyrics. You’ve heard the phrase “music moves the soul”. Well, music also aides in retention, which is why the ABCs and the states of the U.S. are listed in song—to help kids learn them better. Research has proven that people retain information they don’t even want or care about, things they don’t even know they’re learning, simply because it’s set to music. Think of all the commercial jingles you know. You may have heard a Jeff Foxworthy joke on this topic where he says something like, “I’d like to thank Gretchen Wilson. Because of her recent Redneck Woman song, my two year old is hollering “Hell Yeah ” from the back seat.”
Ok...back to us...beyond the media, think in terms of other people. Have you heard that we become the average of the five people with whom we spend the most time? Do a quick mental roll call...do you want to be like those people? Are they big thinkers or small thinkers? Are they scarcity or abundance minded? Are they balcony people or basement people? Balcony people bring you up, and basement people bring you down. Who says they're in your corner, but deep down you know that their presence allows you to settle for less than your best, because they allow you to rationalize your current reality.
Now, how about the outbound lane? How do your words and actions influence others? Are you a balcony or bas ement person to the people with whom you interact? Are you prone to gossip? If we’re saying “I just had to get that off my chest”, or “I don’t mean to gossip, but…” who is it really benefiting? Another wise proverb says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” Are you typically thought of as a negative or positive person? Are you critical or open-minded? Are you an energy giver or an energy sucker? Do you help build character in others or attack the character of others? Are you an example of one who considers others before yourself and strives to love your enemies? To your friends and family, what do you want to be known for? What kind of reputation are you creating for yourself?
As we strive to guard our hearts and guard our tongues, here are a few final things to consider. Do you let other people influence your mood and attitude? Do you have rich relationships that build you up? Is your over-active social life preventing achievement in the other areas of your life? There was a season of my life when I knew that short-term sacrifice in my Social Lane would bring monumental payoff in the long run, but I re ally had to protect my boundaries to reach the next level of living. You may be in a season where you are seeking an increased social life or greater healthy influences on your life. Only you will know the right thing for you in this season of your life. Albert Einstein once said, “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Wherever your spirit is leading you right now, have the guts to step away from the crowd and walk that extra mile—even if it means walking alone.
http://www.allisonlamarronline.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Baby Fat - Do you Think I'm Beautiful Week 2
I was just looking a baby picture of Emma on my desktop. It was one of our first beach trips after she was born & she was probably about 8-9 months old. She is adorable & looks like a little buddha statue with her little fat belly and the rolls of fat on her arms and legs. We thought she was adorable!! She didn't have a care in the world about how she looked. It's amazing how quickly things change. Now she is always asking me if I think she looks pretty & she will not wear a bikini - and she is only 5!
Just as Scotty & I thought Emma was adorable when she was a fat little baby, God thinks we are all beautiful children no matter our size or the style of our hair or clothes. Afterall, He designed us just the way we are! I agree that we should always try to look our best and take good care of our bodies, but we should also remember that God loves us no matter what!
Psalm 45:11 - "The king is enthralled by your beauty"
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Do You Think I'm Beautiful - Week 1
Memory Verse – we’ll call it the Big Brother (or Big Daddy, I guess) verse. God knows EVERYTHING about you!! Isn’t that WILD! There a billions of people in the universe – and GOD knows YOU – not just in passing, He know EVERYTHING about you.
Psalm 139:1-3 - O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Hey ladies! I am so excited that we have kicked off our new Angela Thomas study. Do You Think I’m Beautiful? WOW! What a great study this is going to be. I anticipate great things happening from it. It was so great to formally get back together last night and it was even better that we had birthday cake!! Happy birthday again, Diana!
Let’s get down to our homework for the week.
Day 1 – TODAY!! Your Story pages 8 – 11. This is a time to reflect over your school years. Was it a great time or a painful time for you? Did you feel beautiful?
Day 2 – Thursday – Groovin’ From the Edge pages 12 – 16. A chance for you to ask God “Do you think I’m beautiful?”
Day 3 – Friday – The Power of the Question pages 16 – 20. God is captivated by your beauty
Day 4 – Monday – Inside His Arms pages 20 – 23. Dancing means being fully alive an in step with the movement and plans of the Father.
Psalm 139:1-3 - O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Hey ladies! I am so excited that we have kicked off our new Angela Thomas study. Do You Think I’m Beautiful? WOW! What a great study this is going to be. I anticipate great things happening from it. It was so great to formally get back together last night and it was even better that we had birthday cake!! Happy birthday again, Diana!
Let’s get down to our homework for the week.
Day 1 – TODAY!! Your Story pages 8 – 11. This is a time to reflect over your school years. Was it a great time or a painful time for you? Did you feel beautiful?
Day 2 – Thursday – Groovin’ From the Edge pages 12 – 16. A chance for you to ask God “Do you think I’m beautiful?”
Day 3 – Friday – The Power of the Question pages 16 – 20. God is captivated by your beauty
Day 4 – Monday – Inside His Arms pages 20 – 23. Dancing means being fully alive an in step with the movement and plans of the Father.
Day 5 – Tuesday – The God Thing pages 23 – 27. God’s amazing, gracious, and completing love is meant for you!
As you read through the material this week, think about this phrase: “Pretty is as pretty does” What does that mean to you?
Also, recall the story of Cinderella. Who did you want to be in the movie? Hopefully we’ll watch a few scenes from the movie next Tuesday and have a change to discuss them.
We’re going to have a lot of discussion next week, we’ll get to burst some balloons, and we’ll watch the DVD that Angela prepared for us.
So excited that we are on this BEAUTIFUL journey together!
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