Update to Randomized???

Tina has decided to withdraw and not participate at this time. I thought her e-mail to me was so sweet and said so much I asked her permission to share it with you. Here it is:

Hi Susan,

I am sorry but I won't be able to answer your questions. I have had so much fun meeting all the people I have through my blog, but now I have let it get to the point where I am spending too much time online. I have a husband and 5 children, and I homeschool. They are sometimes neglected because I am online. (in small ways) God has called me to this great task and I take it seriously. If I really want to be all those things I wrote in my real mum meme, I need to stay off this thing!!! My family IS my ministry. So I am going no internet for a week starting tonight before bed. And after that I will see, but at any rate, it will be very limited.
I am sorry... May God bless you!
Love,
Tina

Is this God Speaking?

How does God speak to you? I know He speaks to us first by His word----that goes without saying, but God also speaks to me a lot in everyday things.

I had a good example of that this morning. I got up early, I always get up early! I wanted to make some brownies before going to church. I read the directions and proceeded to mix the brownie mix. Well, the mixture looked dry to me so "I" decided to add a little more water. Just a tab! They still looked dry so I added a little more. Put them in the greased pan and into the oven they go. Set the timer, came back and began reading blogs.

When the timer goes off I go to check and see if they are done. Water is bubbling on the top!!!! I re-set the timer. Go back. Still water floating on the top. I pour out as much of the water as I can without dumping the brownies into the sink! Back into the over. Re-set timer. Go back. Pour off more water. Back into the oven. Finally decide that it's as good as it's going to get and set them out to cool.

I now have a nice pan of brownies that are hard as a rock, totally unfit to eat and going into the garbage.

Now, "what does this have to do with God speaking?" you are probably asking. The first time the timer went off and I saw the water bubbling on the top I thought, "Yah, Susan, you think you know better than the instructions". My second move was "I'll fix it the way I think it should be fixed because it doesn't look right to me." The third step is "Well, it's a mess but let me see if I can salvage it". And finally realizing "I've just made a mess of this and it really isn't even salvageable".

Now, isn't that the way we do with God? God used this silly little incident to speak to me loud and clear, for the upteenth time!: "Do it My way"; "Quit thinking you know better than what the instructions (Bible) said because of the way things look." You know the "circumstances" as we see them. And finally we realize the mess we've made by not doing what God said in the first place. Then we repent and start all over again.

Excuse me while I go into the kitchen and make another pan of brownies that my family can enjoy with dinner today. Because His "goodness and mercy that follows me all the days of my life" Psalms 23:6 I just happen to have an extra box of mix!