Going...going...gone!

It's called favor!
I signed a contract today! My house is selling! We're waiting on all of the technical stuff now, inspections and loan approval ect. But it's going!
My agent was surprised at how quickly it sold considering our current market in this area.
And do you know when we are closing? June 20th,- the buyer's request.
I leave for Michigan on the 21st. It could not be more perfect!
It's a God thing.

Again?

So I was sitting with Adam at Padget Station today, just sipping frappe and enjoying his company when he drops this bombshell: "Hey, did you ever meet my friend Domonique? You know she's friends with me and Leon and MK... Well she just moved to Mozambique to work with Heidi Baker in Iris Ministries... You should get in touch with her while you're there."
What?!!!!!! AGAIN this this Lord?
Iris Ministries is in Maputo, and an awesome ministry. check it out online www.irismin.org
So this will be #3...

Lord, what are you up to?

I love watching things unfold. Like a complex movie with twists and turns, and I sit in anticipation growing always more excited as the plot is revieled.
I think the Lord is up to something, I just can't figure it out yet.
Swaziland is a tiny country. No one even knows where it is. But I keep finding out about people who are going there for various reasons.
For example, after decided to go with Children's Cup, I talked to a missionary couple at my church. "Oh yeah, we were in Swaziland a while ago. Our friends do ministry there."
Yeah, turns out this couple who lives just a few miles down the road here in NC is returning soon, and will be teaching at the local bible college in Manzini. I had breakfast with them one morning at Cracker Barrel and we shared our ministry visions.
So then tonight I was at a missions meeting at newhope, and Leah turns to me and says, "Oh my friend just got back from Swaziland, and she's going to build an orphanage there..."
She's going to get us in touch with one another before I head out.
I know networking is always good,but I don't think this is just networking. What are you up to Lord? This is interesting to see how it 's all going to unfold. I can't wait.

Here's the dress

Wow! You really CAN find anything online. This is the exact dress I was imagining,- just with a wrong color belt. SO I need this dress to go with my shoes. Anyone up for an early b-day present? It's only (snicker) $360.
Now I know the description doesn't say it, but with a price tag like that, I can tell, this must be a magic dress. Or maybe it's made out of gold, or comes with a plane ticket to Africa. Yes it has to be one of those. So see it's a bargin.

All the cool kids are doing it

Okay...so Rachel found out about some payless shoes called the "rae." At first it didn't bother me. Until, she found some called "casey" for Casey. That made me crazy jealous! I want a cute shoe to be named after me!
So I started looking on line, and this is what I found...







I WANT them! How cute are they? And RED! Red is MY color. I look fabulous in red, but more fabulous in red SHOES. I'm not even a shoe kinda gal, but these are my shoes. They have my name and everything.
I need them for Africa. I do. I need them and a white strapless eyelette dress that comes just below the knee. Make it an
A-line with a red belt! I could wear them to Africa-church. Yes,- these are proper ministry shoes.

And check out "Elaine"...






What's-his-name use to buy me shoes when we were dating... Where did I put his phone number?....

Yea!

I have good days and bad days. Some days it's everything I can do to keep from crying.
Fund raising stinks.
On one hand I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But then I think it's something everyone should do at least once in their lives. It's hard. It's humbling. And it has built my faith in God's provision more than anything else I've ever done.
It has stripped me bare,- to nothing,- and had built me up again.
I stand before God knowing there is absolutely nothing I can do. He has to do it or it won't get done.
And in spite of all of the frustration, He speaks his encouragment to me. I woke up from a nap today (big surprise huh?) About to jump out of my skin. I'm going to Swaziland! I'm so excited! I can hardly sit still!
There is nothing in the natural to cause it, but God is speaking to my heart that he is making everything fall into place.
And it's these more frequently occuring instances that assure me that it really is happening! I really am going to make it to Swaziland!

And the Award for longest friendship goes to...

Better than Bert and Ernie. Better than Oprah and Gail. Even better than Jim and Pam. Yes, me and Kristin. I got to chat with her on the phone today and no matter how long between our chats, it seems we never miss a beat.
She is my oldest friend.
21 years and counting. That's longer than most marriages.
We've been through a lot over the years.
Late night slumber parties with visits from the police.
Barbie dolls.
Puberty, make-up, pimples, crimped hair, tall bangs, guess jeans.
A 17+ years battle with cancer.
Rock band fads.
Parent's divorce
First dates, last dates, prom, graduation, college roomates from hell.
Loss of a dad.
Crazy neighbors listening to "Cat scratch fever" and crashing valentine's day dinners
Pet centpedes and riots during finals week.
Party nights ending when neither of us could quite fit the key into the whole.
Engagements, broken engagements, weddings, pregnancies, births, and deaths.
Midnight service on Christmas eve.
Jobs, jobs, and more jobs.
Laughing. Lots and lots of Laughing
750 miles of seperation.

I no longer feel like she is my friend as much as a family member now. I love her dearly. I owe a lot to her.

She is the one who convinced me to take trigonomotry in high school. She believed I was too good for Hugh Quigley, until I could believe it too. She influenced me into going to college. She sprayed my with lysol when I was sick, but also got me juice and soup. She hated Jason for me when he left, and force fed me in the days that followed. She bought me a waffle iron on my first Valentine's alone. She secretly let me borrow her boyfriend's car. She got me a Viagra t-shirt when she worked at Pfizer, and she made my dad corned beef sandwiches on new years day. She has always been a friend to me, even when I couldn't be a friend back.
I love you Kristin.

Bloodline

Check out this video:

http://mediastorm.org/0012.htm

It's called Bloodline: AIDS and Family. It made me cry, and that's unusual for me. Most media stories make me sad, or inspire me to pray, but I usually don't cry. So that says a lot

Teaching 1st grade has trained me well...

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it

In good company

I read this last night:

Then others began coming – men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented – until David was the leader of about four hundred men. 1Sam 22:2

Did you catch who was coming to David? Men with problems, debt,-those who were struggling. But he saw value in them and invested his time and energy into them. He saw their potential even in the mist of all their mess. And do you know who these men became? His Mighty Men described a few chapters later.
I remember 5 years ago when my pastor invited me to be part of a church leadership program called SALT. I was honored that he saw potential in me. While I still had some issues to work out with the LORD, I took it seriously because someone I respected as much as he was willing to take a chance on me.
As a result of this class, I am stronger in the body and a more productive leader. Probably not quite "Might Man" status, but hey…
Thanks Benji, for investing in me. I hope you feel you are getting a good return. ;0)

Happy Mother's Day

I love my mom. She's the greatest mom in the world.
I love that she accepts and supports me unconditionally, yet put boundaries on me to keep me safe.
I love that she laughs all the time at the most rediculous things,- just like me.
I love that she thinks Pizza Hut is a fancy mother's day dinner, and tries to pay for it.
I love that she raised me with the concept of grace. She always told me, "I might not love the things you do, but I will always
love you. " Ahhhh. The Gospel in action.
I love that she still gives me Easter baskets.
I love that I see so much of myself in her.

What? Me Stressed?

I've been so stressed lately. It seems everything his at once. Maybe not in reality but I feel the pressure of life pushing in on all areas.
It's so unlike me, but I've been totally high strung lately. I can almost feel the gray hairs growing. It took all of my human strength no to go off on some middle school students today. I almost snapped.
I realized this morning, after a late night without sleep, and that reaccuring anxiousness in my stomach when I awoke, that I can't go on like this. I have circles under my eyes, I'm irritable, and just always feeling like I'm behind.
Sigh.
I know I need to fight to get my peace back. Yes there are major issues looming around me. I'm selling my house, I'm selling off all of my worldly possessions, and not to mention the fact I'm severly lacking in my monthly support for Africa, which I need before I buy a quickly evaporating ticket.
Sigh
But I know those things aren't necessary to have peace. Because He is peace, not objects of events
I prayed, "Lord send me some pledges."
He sent me a check for $1,000.
Not funny Lord.
He's messing with me.
I couldn't help but laugh along with Him. I love his sense of humor.

So my friend heard for me "Be still and know that I am Lord" Psalm 46:11
Funny, that's the same verse He gave me a year ago. It spoke to me then and it still speaks to me today. It was written during the same time as 2 Chronicles, 20:12 which has always been my life verse.
The battle's on. Only it's not me who has to fight this time. :0)