SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - 2010 #2 - Terrorist

It's Sunday so once again I'm participating in Spiritual Sunday. It's always a treat. Go here to read the others. You will be blessed.

WARNING

BEWARE OF TERRORIST GROUPS IN CHURCH

Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bix Missin.

Their leader, Lucifer Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt and destroy.

However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along.

Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.

NO CHURCH IS EXEMPT!

(However, you can spot them if you bin lookin and bin goin.)

Hope you're in this powerul cell group and Bin Prayin!!!!

FIRST THE ICE - THEN THE SNOW

Picture, of our back yard, taken yesterday morning showing everything covered with ice.

Picture taken last evening showing the back yard with 4" of snow covering everything.

Picture taken this morning showing the back yard with a total of 6 1/2" of snow.

Fortunately for us Okie's the temps are suppose to begin rising by tomorrow and in our part of the country this will soon be melted and gone. My hearts go out to all my northern friends who deal with a lot more snow than this for months on end.

For us, since we don't HAVE to go out, it's really rather a fun, relaxing time. I made a big pot of Split Pea Soup yesterday and today making a big pot of Cajun Beans (except I'm leaving the turkey sausage out due to the Daniel fast). We've gotten a lot of "paper work" and files done on The King's Kitchen and Mickey made a lot of phone calls yesterday. As the "once a mother, always a mother" I had to call all my kids last night and be sure all 3 had made it home and were safe & sound!!!!! With the snow, on top of the layer of ice, the driving conditions are horrible and there have been many accidents.

Trust you will have a wonderful day today, we are planning one.

THE "GLOBAL WARMING" ICE JUST ARRIVED IN OUR AREA!!

This is the view out my bedroom window of the ice laden trees in our front yard.

Yes, the cold and ice that has been predicted for our area for days arrived yesterday about noon. We are "suppose" to get snow on top of this today.

We are toasty warm, plenty to eat (doesn't take much when fasting :o) ), plenty of time to do what we love the most: studying God's word, watching great Dvd's by Perry Stone and others, working on The King's Kitchen ministry items (Mickey is working on a presentation he will be making in both church services Sunday and printing out "maps" for the people who will be delivering the meals), writing a Devotion on "Love" that I have been asked to give at the Young at Heart meeting February 15th and working on a script for a drama that our church will be putting on for Easter this year. All fun, exciting stuff and now this gift of extra time to get it done.

Plus looking out our windows at the beauty of the ice coated trees in our yard and Mickey chasing the squirrels off the bird feeders so the birds can get to their seed.. We are hunkered down to enjoy it all and as long as the electricity stays on we are "as snug as two bugs in a rug!

BLESSING & GIVING - 3rd Day Sister's

Our 3rd Day Sister's Bible Study, that meet on Tuesday nights, did not meet for several weeks due to Christmas & New Years. All 8 of us were having withdrawals because we missed our study & each other so much.While in Wal*ly Wor*ld I saw this cute, gold glittery word "Hope" and decided I wanted to get one for each of us for this years word for our group.

Sorry the pictures so bad, but you get the idea.

I typed out and added this verse on the bottom of each of them: "So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this, just keep on doing it." I Thessalonians 5:9 The Message

I added the date so they'd remember when they'd gotten this little token of my love for them.

Toward the end of the meeting Debbie came over and said, "What is the January 29th for?" I said, "Just so you'll know and remember when you got them." Well.....guess what???? It was the 19th not the 29th!!!!!! Oh well, they can also remember how many mistakes I can & do make!!!

We were also blessed with these:

Rapture Road key chain from Anne & Metal-Bead Cross Book Marks from Wantha.

An added blessing on our first meeting in 2010 was Cindy joining us as a new member. Welcome Cindy!!!We didn't actual have a study this first meeting in the New Year but shared all the exciting things that God was doing in our lives and showing us. It was, as always, a wonderful Tuesday Bible Study with lots of laughter, crying & hugs.

I am blessed!!!

3rd BLOG ANNIVERSARY (2 days late)

With all that's going on in our lives right now......ALL good stuff......I missed my own blog anniversary!!!!!

So, to all the wonderful friends I have been blessed to make, since this little blog adventure began for me on January 21, 2007, I say------

Thank you !!!!

A tradition that I started on my 1st blog anniversary was to give two awards each year.

The first

PENLESS WRITER'S 3RD ANNUAL

ANGEL AWARD

January 23, 2008
Kathy of A Field Lilly

Kathy is one of my newer blog friends and I actually "met" her because I became a follower of her wonderful husband's blog, A Bumbling Genius.

Kathy is a wonderful wife and mother to a young son & daughter that she home schools. Kathy is a worshipper, in every sense of the word, and is Worship Leader in their Church. I so appreciate your worshipping heart, Kathy, and I thank God He has made one of those wonderful, deep, Spirit connections between you & I. You so deserve this ANGEL AWARD because you are truly one of God's Angel's in my life.

I have not had the privilege of meeting Kathy in "real" life but it is one of the desires of Mickey & my hearts to sit and visit (and I know it would be for hours!!) with Kathy and Danny.

The Second

PENLESS WRITER'S 3RD ANNUAL

TRUTH TO HIS WORD AWARD

January 23, 2008

Sandra of Sister Faith

I am double blessed to know Sandra in real life and to recently help her set up her blog. Sandra is the Host and Leader of a Tuesday night Bible Study in her home that I am honored to attend.

Although Sandra & I attend the same church, we did not really get to know each other until about a year ago. It was one of those rare God connections of our Spirits.

Sandra deserves this TRUTH TO HIS WORD award because that exemplifies her teaching. She is one of the most studious teachers I've been blessed to sit under and she spends endless hours studying to share her love and knowledge with others. If you are following her blog you already know that.

I am so honored to have these two wonderful, Godly woman bless my life.

THE NAME GAME

I saw this at Brenda's & Pam's and thought it would be fun. If you participate please let me know so I can come read yours.

All of your different names. Try it with your name!

YOUR REAL NAME: Susan Errett Joyce

YOUR GANGSTA NAME(first 3 letters of real name plus - izzle): Susizzle

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color and favorite animal): Bluekitty

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (MIDDLE NAME, AND CURRENT STREET): Errett230th

STAR WARS NAME (The first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of Mom's maiden name): Joysudic

YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Turquoise Coffee

YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (Mother's middle name and fathers middlename): June Harrison

YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets): Black Muffy

THE PEOPLE SPEAK

Scott Brown ran on the slogan, "The People's Seat" and now we see the people speak and take this seat for The People and not for a party.

Brown: Mass. victory sends 'Very powerful message'

Hopefully, this is the turn that has been needed for THE PEOPLE, all across our great Country, to take our freedom back and out of the hands of Politicians and Parties and Lobbiest, and pay attention to the wishes of the people who sent them to office to represent "the people" not special interest & selfish gain.

It is certainly a first answer to prayer for this nation to return to the roots upon which it was founded, Christianity.

We must keep praying and keep working for RIGHT.

I know this is long, and a lot of you don't have time to always read throughly when skimming through blogs but because this is so IMPORTANT and if you believe in PRAYER I ask you please, "Take time to read it".

A Prayer Summons to American Christians! America stands at the crossroads! It is either revival or the dissolving of the church, the home and the government.

History records that in time of crisis in America in the past, God has moved to avert catastrophe overtaking His people. In such crises hours, He has found some who would work with Him in bringing new mercies to His people. In every national crisis in the past God has found some who would stand in the gap and make up the hedge against the adversary. Upon them God has moved by arousing them to a deep sense of need, which in turn has moved them to intercede for His intervention.

The world and the Church are in a mighty conflict. The spiritual warfare is intensifying. The powers of darkness are massing for the last awful struggle. The church has a powerful weapon with which to fight. If she will but take to her knees she will be victorious.

The need is for godly intercessors in every church and in every American home and community. More than any other need is that for men and women of prayer and faith who will stand in the gap and stay the frightful spirits of lawlessness, immorality, infidelity and corruption which are swarming over the land.

"I sought for a man among them, that should stand in the gap before Me, for the land, that I should not destroy it," declares the Lord to Ezekiel, "but I found none" (Ezekiel 22:30).

This was the pitiful condition in Israel. No one could be found to stand in the gap for the land, hence it was destroyed. Can it be in this hour of chaos and crisis more dire, that there is no man or woman in your community or in your church who will stand in the gap? Is there no man or women who, seeing the peril, will give himself or herself continually to wrestling by prayer against principalities, against the rulers of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in high places? (Ephesians 6:12).

The greatest need in every church, in every community, and in every home, is for a prayer leadership that will stir the people of God to prayer. Talking about the conditions, bewailing the need of America for a spiritual awakening is not enough. The most difficult thing to do is to get men and women to pray. This is not a day when people readily pray. Few men and women will actually pray. The greatest spiritual need in America is for a praying leadership who will bring the preachers and the Church back to prayer.

True prayer means the expenditures of serious devotion of time, heart, and soul that the flesh does not like. To get under the burden of prayer is too strenuous a labor for our present-day, pleasure-loving, ease-indulging membership and ministry. Too much hardship is involved. The children of Zion today do not like the "solemn feast garments" of weeping, mourning and fasting that enables Zion to bring forth.

"Woe," pronounced the prophet, "to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).

God help Zion to travail at this crisis end-of-the-age hour! God help us to see the need and necessity of prayer and God help us to meet conditions! The all-important need is for men and women whose hearts are right with God to make prayer a supreme passion of the hour--men and women whose supreme labor for God and country is to cry, "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them" (Joel 2:17).

To pray is the greatest thing we can do to save America and avert national chaos and crisis. There are plenty of preachers and writers who deal eloquently with the need of revival, but not many there are who will at this catastrophic hour give themselves to the necessity of prayer. There is one chief battle ground in the nation today, and that is the battleground of prayer. The prayer forces must be summoned. The Church must mobilize on her knees. Christians everywhere must be put to praying. Revival comes in answer to the heart cries of God's people. The most insistent and urgent pleas, the most fervent exhortations need be sounded forth at this hour to put the saints everywhere to praying.

"Sound an alarm in my holy mountain…for the day of the Lord cometh…Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders…Let the ministers of the Lord weep…then will the Lord pity His people…And He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former and the latter rain in the first month, and the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil, and I will restore…I will pour My Spirit on all flesh...whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:1-32). --Sarah Foulkes Moore (1890-1973)

I do know know the date this was written, but since this dear woman died in 1973, at the age of 83, we know it had to be before then so probably over 40 years ago.

Please join me in praying for our country, our world, and the people of Haiti.

THE KING'S KITCHEN

I've been talking about a new Ministry God had put on Mickey's heart. I am now able to announce it.

Back in November God placed on Mickey's heart to begin feeding the poor. He went to our Pastor and discussed it and got a couple of volunteers and began. The idea was to prepare a noon meal every Tuesday that anyone could come and eat for free. 5 weeks in a row, the meal was prepared and no one came!!!

After much prayer, thought and discussion it was decided that a better need to fill would be taking a hot meal to shut-ins one day a week.

Mickey visited with the Tulsa Meal's on Wheels organization and they were most helpful and informative. He has spent several weeks pulling information and needed items together. He visited last week with an Assisted Living Center near the church. He has checked with the Health Department about Food Handler classes and with the City about Permits. A lot of preparation.

Yesterday afternoon at 4:30 a meeting was called for any one who was interested in helping with this ministry. Several people have come up to Mickey in these ensuing weeks showing interest but we were totally shock when 30 people showed up yesterday!!!

Notice in the yesterday's church bulletin of the meeting. (click to enlarge!)

11 people signed up as cooks, with 2 more as "stand-by" and 7 people signed up to deliver the meals. WOW!!! God is truly at work and speaking to people's hearts.

Mickey will be meeting with all the cooks next Monday evening at 6 and next Thursday night at 6, Stephen, our Associate Pastor who is the staff person over all missionary activities, and Mickey will be meeting with the delivery people to set up the routes.

We will begin by serving 25 hot meals every Tuesday noon. The launch date for the first meals will be mid-February. They will be delivered to our Church body shut-ins and an additional 5 in a local assisted living center in our community. It will be exciting to see where God will take this ministry!!

"Who (with reason) despises the day of small things?" Zechariah 4:10 Amplified Bible

We solicit your prayers and we are not ignorant of satan's devices to try and hinder any and all effort of God's people to be God's hands extended. But with God on our side we KNOW who wins.

I stepped down from working in the Klothes Kloset every Tuesday to join hands with and support and help my husband in The King's Kitchen. Praise God that position has already been filled by Betty, another woman from the Monday Bible Study group. God is faithful!!!

Spiritual Sunday 2010 #1 - HEARTS IN "1" ACCORD

I posted this Friday but wanted to repost it here on Spiritual Sunday for any of you who participate in Spiritual Sunday who might be interested in the type Christian Forum and Prayer Blog offered by Hearts in "1" Accord. I would love for you to join us.

Please go here to read all the other post for Spiritual Sunday. You will be blessed.

In the spring of 2008 the Lord placed on my heart to begin a 24/7 prayer blog. We had our first post on May 8, 2008.

As of the start of this year there were 21 of us who had signed up to participate, plus Mickey & I. As happens many times we had began to lose focus of the original intent.

The Lord began to deal with me about this assignment and the fact there was a needed work to be done and He wanted it continued. I repented, both to God and to the 21, for becoming discouraged when people did not participate as fully as I had envisioned and contacted all 21 to see who wanted to continue. We are "beginning afresh and anew" with 11, plus Mickey & I of course.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 says: "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." KJV

&

"And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. " The Message

That is the purpose of this post: To make clear the Vision of Hearts in "1" Accord and ask those who God places the same vision on their heart to join in with us.

First, this is a private blog.

Second, we ask that you commit to pray each day for at least 15 minutes. Our prayers will be focused on The Body of Christ, Our Nation, Our World, Our Individual Church Body. And for the Peace of Jersulem as we are instructed in The Bible to do.

Third, this is not a 1 man/1 woman show but rather a joint effort, where each person is encouraged to post and share what God is doing in their individual lives. How He is molding and making them. The insights and visions He is giving to them. Devotions that speak to them. Words the Lord is giving them.

Our Nation, our World, and The Church are in the greatest time of need they have probably ever been. God is calling us to join together in one accord to share and encourage one another.

If you are interested in a forum such as this please let me know and I will send you additional information.

Jesus is coming soon.......we must be about Our Fathers business. Please join us.

MEETING A BIG GOAL

I totally forgot to share our meeting a BIG goal God placed before us.

Our Pastor shared with us that a family in our body had pledged to match up to $100,000 toward our church debt of $360,000. This was the amount of debt remaining on our Recreation Outreach Center (ROC). The original loan had been $595,000. This challenge was for 3 months: Oct, Nov & Dec.

EVERYONE in our body went to work and did many different fund raising projects, in addition to reaching deeper into our own pockets and giving more toward this debt.

On the first Sunday, January 3, 2010, it was announced WE MET THE $100,000 GOAL!!!! Our debt balance beginning the new year is down to $115,587.22. That is a decrease of $244,413 in three months. PRAISE GOD. We are believing for the ability to quickly clear this mortgage completely.

The entire motive of clearing this debt, is not so we can be proud that it has been paid off!!! No, it is that our Church Body will have the $10,000 monthly payment amount to use for benevolence in our community to show forth the Love of God.

Our pastor's desire is that our facilities be used each and every day of the week. Not just on Sunday & Wednesday. That we are there to meet the needs of Coweta in each & every way possible.


This is our main sanctuary building. Sorry I don't have a picture of the ROC which sits directly behind this building and is just as large but is a 2 story facility with a separate worship area with stage for the youth, full kitchen, basketball & volleyball court, many class rooms. The Kloset Kloset ministry is on the 2nd floor in 2 separate rooms. There is also a large, enclosed play area for the children with playground equipment between the two buildings.

Our beloved Pastor Gary Rogers and Sister Paula.

I trust that God has placed each and every one of you in a wonderful Church Body that you love and serve in. If not, I encourage you to make finding that Body a primary goal for you and your family in 2010.

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

I don't know about you, but that's surely the way our year is starting off. The starting gun sounded and we were out of the chute!!!!! Here, it is already the 12th & this is only my 5th post.

So very much is happening and it is all GOOD and exciting. I have had a great anticipation for this New Year and this New Decade and what God is doing.

God began dealing with my heart about my Hearts In "1" Prayer Blog and I will be posting about that later on in the week.

As you know Oksana & Aric's great-grandmother, Beryl, was in town and we got to spend a lovely lunch with her, and our son, Marc, and soon to be daughter-in-love, Deann, on Tuesday.

Then from 4 to 6 we went to hear a new minister (to us) that our friend, Carmel, has been supporting. He was in town and a fast meeting was called and held at the Library and we went. His name is Rev. Sherlock Bally. I'm sure you'll be hearing me talk more about him as the year progresses. He was powerful!!!

Wednesday was of course picking up the grands and going to McD's and then church.

Thursday night at 7 Carmel, Wantha Ann & I went to another church to hear Sherlock Bally again. Another powerful, moving service.

Friday night was our at home prayer meeting and we had 2 new woman come who had not been here before. That was a blessing.

Then Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Mickey, Carmel & I went to ORU for a special meeting with Billye Brim. Also in attendance were Sharon Daughterty and Mother Tucker!!!!! So we were triple blessed. This was a special prayer gathering in preparation for an upcoming Empowered21 conference here in Tulsa in April. I will be posting separately about it later.

This meeting was absolutely glorious!!!! I don't think my feet have touched ground since :o) and Mickey keeps telling me he is going to have to put weighs on my feet to hold me down. There is NOTHING like being with a group of Christians who are on fire and who truly love the Lord and are following His leading. That was this meeting. What was really a blessing was seeing all the young people so on fire for God.

Now I'll share my "detail" personality (could be my accounting background). I keep a running inventory, on an excel spread sheet, of all our food items. Every once in awhile I have to take a physical inventory, because sometimes as I'm cooking I'll forget to take items off of the inventory that I'm using, so I spent time doing that big job. Also closing our our accounting records and books for 2009.

I have also been deep cleaning and going through drawers and my messy office. Do the rest of you have trouble keeping your offices clean? The rest of my house is no problem but boy can we (I) pile up the stuff and make a mess of our office.

I had told Mickey at the beginning of December that come January 1st I was not going to spend any money on groceries except for bread, milk, fresh vegetables, etc. To date I have spent $13.12 for a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, broccoli and cauliflower. Of course, being on a 21 day fast is facilitating this greatly!!!!

Last but not least, this is the 12th day of the 21 day fast I committed to and began on January 1st. I did a total fast (water only) for 3 2/3 days (I was trying for 4 but broke down and ate supper on the 4th day). Since then, and for the balance of the 17 days I am eating only 1 meal a day. Actually, after the 3 2/3 days the others have been easy. I immediately lost 9 pounds eating nothing and then during these 8 days since gained 2 of them back and now lost them back, so my total weight loss is 9 lbs. Since I have 33 lbs to lose that leaves me 24 to go.

Got BIG news to tell you about a new ministry Mickey is starting but I'll save that for another post.

We are excited about what God is doing and going to do within His Body this year !!!!

Almost forgot: the 21 day fast I put myself on will end on January 21st. Then Sunday night our Pastor called for a church-wide fast for 21 days beginning on Sunday, January 24th!!!! Haven't decided fully yet what I will fast for those 21 days but I will enjoy January 22nd & 23rd!!!!!! Doesn't God have a great sense of humor? Surely will help me take off more of those 24 lbs.

SHOW & TELL #1 - Meet Great Grandma Beryl

Show & Tell Friday.....such fun!!! Go here , at My Romantic Home, to find out all about it, participate and visit all the posts showing neat things.

Just a few weeks ago I posted about some of the lovely Christmas decorations that grace our home each year and about the wonderful woman , Great Grandma Beryl, who gifted them to us.

Beryl came to town this week and we were blessed Tuesday to meet her, our son, Marc, & his fiancee, Deann at one of our favorite places, Ol*ive Ga*rden.

Mickey, Deann & I
Beryl, Marc, Deann & I

Would you believe that she is 85 years YOUNG? She is, and will be the first to tell you!!! She is in almost perfect health and full of more vim and vigor than almost anyone I know. What a remarkable woman she is and how blessed we are to have her as part of OUR family.

She was suppose to be in town the week before, but had to cancel due to the rare blizzard we had here Christmas eve. When she arrived and called she said, "I have a little something for you."

I should have known right then that "little something" in Beryls vocabulary is something BIG and GRAND because that's the way she is.

Just look at this wonderful, beautiful, stunning wreath she made for us!!!!! The picture does NOT even begin to do it justice as it glistens like rubies and pearls & gold.

Thank you so much, Beryl. You are the real JEWEL that shines and blesses each & every body you know.

Here I have just opened this beautiful wreath.

ARE WE BECOMING?

It's not what we have Accomplished, but what we have BECOME!!!!

I just read this statement this morning. How profound!!!! This truly is what we, The Body of Christ, need to hear and realize. Sadly, so very much of The Body is all caught up in WORKS, and what they are accomplishing, and never BECOMING what God intends each and every one of us to become.

God will mold and make us exactly into what He has in mind for us individually if we will but yield to Him. His word is FULL of "being conformed" - "a new creation in Christ Jesus", etc. Oh, but there is that pesty bit about "dying to self"!!! That's so hard, that hurts so much, and oh, how our flesh rebels against that discomfort.

It is so much easier to just be "doing things" that look good, and get attention and acclaim, rather than truly listening to God, hearing HIS voice, and doing what HE is leading and telling us to do.

The really hard thing is we never "get there" and we keep having to fight that "good fight of faith" day in and day out. BUT, His word is true and sure and if we keep pressing on, sometimes even "having done all, stand", we will BECOME as He is "for we will see Him as He is" .

Oh, that's what I want for 2010.........How about you?

Footnote: If any of you, who belong to the Hearts in 1 Accord prayer blog, are reading this blog please check in on the prayer blog and let me know you are still reading it. Thanks!

GOALS

At the beginning of a new year I try and set some goals for myself.

1. To begin the new year with a 21 day fast. I will begin with a total (water only) fast for the first 4 days and then switch to fasting 2 meals a day. This is my 4th and last day of the total fast.

2. After I complete this 21 day fast I will fast one day a week for the 52 weeks. Haven't decided which day to choose for that yet.

3. To lose weight!!! This has been on my goal list year, after year, after year but they say you haven't lost the battle until you quit and I'm not a quitter so here goes again. My goal is 150 lbs and that will be a weight loss of 33 lbs.

4. For the month of January to not spend any money on groceries except for bread, milk, and fresh fruits & vegetables. I have a vast "store" of food on hand and know I can feed us from what is on my shelves and in our freezer and still not harm the supply I have put back for any emergency. Last year I worked very hard on putting back a lot of items.

5. I kept track of how my monthly spending each month on food and eating out compared to last year for that month and I plan to do the same this year. I will endeavor to reduce the amounts, or at least keep them the same. That may be hard with prices rising like they are.

6. To make an extra payment or two on the principal on our house mortgage. We currently owe only 1 year & 8 months and I'd sure like to get this house totally paid off and clear. I was able to make 3 extra payments in 2009.

7. My main goal for 2010 is to hear God's voice and be lead by His Spirit about each and every area of my life and then be obedient to do what He shows me.

I'd be interested to hear what your goals for 2010 are.

A NEW YEAR -2010

I love a new year.

I love knowing that God is giving me 365 blank pages for this New Year. I am keenly aware of the challenge and responsibility that places on me to choose, each and every day, what I write on that page. I am aware that I cannot turn back the hands of time or have "do overs" for that day.

Most of what I write on that page is totally under my control with the choices and decisions I make. Events can and do happen some days, of which I have no control, BUT I have the choice as to how I react to those events; so in the final analysis I do the writing on my page.

I can also do a good job of messing up someone else's clean page, depending on these very choices I make. The privilege of these clean pages do come with responsibility not only for myself but for others. That is something I must be keenly aware of each and every minute for this page.

I have been blessed to have a lot of these blank pages over my long life and some of them I have messed up terribly, but Praise God I have also written good things on a lot of them. Knowing all this, I take very seriously these precious new 365 pages that I am getting for 2010.

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

31 December 2009 Blue Moon with partial lunar eclipse (from Wikipedia).

Recent popular usage defined a blue moon as the second full moon in a calendar month, stemming from an interpretation error made in 1946 that was discovered in 1999. For example, December 31, 2009 was a blue moon according to this usage.


From our front door looking East

One of our favorite things to do on New Years Eve is invite friends in for a time of fellowship, and of course eating.

Since our home is small we are limited to the # of guests we can have which always makes it difficult because there are so many I want to include. We invited 16. The phone began to ring at 1:45 with one's saying they couldn't make it :o( So we ended up with 8 of us.

Carmel, Don, Barbara, Mickey & I began at 8 by sitting down to a meal of Pasole (I made enough at Christmas for this party, too) and Don brought his delicious chili. I also prepared a large dish of fresh vegetables, a cheese ball, onion dip, and an assortment of chips, crackers, olives (green & caramada), roasted red peppers, pickled onions. Sparking white grape juice to drink.


Mickey joining Jack, and Karen & Jim, who arrived later, enjoying their time at the meal. Carmel, Don & Barbara visiting and me taking the pictures.

We put on a pot of de-caf coffee and shared in the butterscotch chip and oatmeal date cookies and the fudge I had made earlier in the week.

Jack, & Karen & Jim, all left about 11:30. At midnight Carmel, Don, Barbara, Mickey & I had communion and then a time of prayer and worship. It was a wonderful way to welcome in this New Year of 2010. They left about 1 a.m. and Mickey & I went to bed!!! We didn't even clean up and do the dishes. Something we never do!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!