Voting

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

He Will Carry You (With Lyrics)

He will Carry You

One of the times that I have always loved the most is the time when I go through a trial. Yes, that's what I said.I love trials, especially when I pass through them and I look back from the other side and know full well Who carried me.. Not a one of us has been through life without experiencing a time that affected us mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is a time when the presence of God is never more real in your life. At least that's how it is for me. I love the times that He puts me down on my rear and I am in the position of knowing without a shadow of doubt that it is He is getting my attention. I can feel Him. I can sense His love and can bask in His glory. When we are at our weakest, He is strong. You know, He's always strong but WE can't always realize that until we "ARE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD." Getting us "still" in this day and time is a tough thing.......not for God, but for us. There is way too much to do and there is never a time when we truly have nothing to do. God's timing and ours certainly doesn't jive. There is not an opportune time to STOP and let God have your full attention. It reminds me of a mother who is trying to get the attention of her child. She takes him with her hands on each side of his face and says, "Listen to me!" I can vividly remember those days. My Mom wasn't a screamer but I am surprised I didn't have bruises on my face when she needed my full, undivided attention. I knew she meant business. That's the wonderful and loving way the Father handles us.
He grasps us with His loving hands, into his loving arms, and wraps us up in the blanket of His love.I hope I always make myself available to His touch. It's always there for the taking.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

But 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. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

MOPS

Notoriously over the years as a homemaker "mops" have been my thorn in the flesh. I hate cleaning the floor. I do it, but I don't like it. I have used every kind of mop you can imagine trying to find just the right one. I have one for hardwoods, one for tiles, and one for waxing. I hate them all. I equate them with really hard, backbreaking work.
Recently, I discovered a mop that I absolutely adore. This mop is a worker itself. This mop is beautiful and really does all the work while I sit back and enjoy it. This mop is a Mother of Preschoolers (MOPS). These MOPS are people....adorable people, I might add. They are all mommies who have children under school age. They get together twice a month for fun, fellowship, inspiration, and food. Because I had been there and done that, when the MOPS group in our county was begun by a team of ladies in our church, I didn't even think that much about it.
I was long past the days of having preschoolers. One day to my surprise the leader of our MOPS called and asked me if I would help establish the MOPS group. She was asking me to be a part of the steering team that would essentially draw from my experiences of long ago when I did have preschoolers. I prayed and said yes. What could be more uplifting than to rub shoulders with these young women? We began meeting and I, who would from now on be referred to as "Mentor Mom", was in on one of the greatest adventures. With God's guidance, MOPS began in Habersham County. We have about 45 members and it has proved to be the most fun and inspiring thing that I have ever done. What a privilege to rub shoulders with 25-35 years younger than I.
The intention was for them to learn from me. AU CONTRAIRE, I say! I have learned more from them about faith, family and community than I ever dreamed. Involvement is the word of the day. They are into everything.
Not only do they manage a family, but they are hard workers in the community and their churches. Some of them, of course, in a group that large are not Christians and maybe haven't had opportunities that others have had.
Many have accepted Christ as their Savior and have learned what it is like to be in service for the King. They have grown in their faith, as a parent and in their whole being. Life now has a purpose and the "family" takes on a whole new meaning. Now they are moms who seek to rear their children using Godly principles and guidance.
MOPS has been a joy for me.I love these women as if they were my very own. Their preschoolers are precious and being a grandmother to all of them has been a delight. If you are reading this and have a desire to visit or join our MOPS group, you can log on to www.habershammops.blogspot.com and find out all about what goes on in MOPS. The adventure is exciting.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Kathy's First Day of Blogging

Writing doesn't come easy for me. I want to try and share over the next few months a little of our life together. Bill and I have been married for almost 38 years. We have known each other forever since we were in all grades together from the first to the twelfth. Now that's amazing in itself. We liked each other off and on all through school. We didn't begin dating until the latter part of our senior year.

Living with Bill has been quite an adventure. I have given him much fodder for his sermons. People love to hear what it has been like over the years in Bill's pastorates. He has been preaching since the age of 16. I have not been the stereotypical pastor's wife (whatever that is). For one thing, I love to laugh, Bill likes to tell stories so I give him plenty of funny things to tell about so everybody can be happy.

One of the latest things to happen in our life is that Bill just had to buy a new car. Now, Bill gets very attached to his cars. He even names those babies. He's had one named "Old Betsy". I thought he was gonna croak when she croaked. He gave her to Good Will. We weren't gonna be home the day they were coming to pick her up, so he left Old Betsy, the title, keys etc. in front of the house and called them and told them that they could come while we were gone to get her. I really don't think he could have stood seeing that Burgundy Betsy drive away. It was like a death in the family when we came home and she was gone.

The latest car that he has been driving is an old, blue Lumina. Her name, of course, is Old Blue. She is the most awful color of blue. Talk about attached........He loves that nasty thing. You see, he drives his cars until the wheels fall off. The seats are coffee stained. He hit a deer near our house recently so the whole front end is dented in. The smell of the deer comes up through the vents when he's riding in it. If he could've found that deer, he would have tongue lashed it for hurting his Old Blue. The mechanic just told him that it was going to cost about $1,500 to fix. The air doesn't work and the mechanic told him "You're just going to be riding down the road and she's gonna quit on you." He ain't gonna have that and he certainly wasn't going to put that much money into a '97 Lumina. So, guess what? Bill bought a new car. Old Blue is still here and he's trying to decide what he wants to do with her. I would just take her to the Junkyard Graveyard. He wants to "do what is right by her". I think he will probably give her to a group that refurbishes cars for missionaries to drive when they are home on stateside assignment.

Bill's new car is so nice. It's a 2003 Saturn (o.k., so it's new to him) It is pewter gray with black leather interior. It has seat warmers, sun roof, A 6CD Changer!!!! and the backseat lets down all the way into the trunk. I am sure that will be my bed on long trips. It is a pretty nice car. The seats are not coffee stainable. It has great air and heat. I think he is set for the next 15 years.
Oh yes, that's probably how long he'll have it. I wonder what her name will be. Yep, it's a "her".
They're all "hers". I hope she has an exotic name like "Old ZSA ZSA." She's elegant!!!