Thank you all....

I was seriously going to give up the ship on this thing one day, but knowing that I had POSTED preliminary pictures...I forged on! Thank you for your support! SO appreciated!

DONE!!!

Almost done.......

I should finish up tomorrow.....would covet prayers! I had to have a shot of cortisone in my left knee last week...now my left foot is numbing out. Can still use it, but it's like walking on a wooden foot, which makes scaffold and ladders fun. I'm ready to finish this project up! PRONTO!!

Count down....

Update 5/27.....absolute bliss to see him! Standing tall, confident, calm....All is right with the world! He's ours for the weekend :-D

Robert will be home for the weekend! :-D

Yup...pretty much on the mark....

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 79% Classical Liberal 68% Charismatic/Pentecostal 68% Neo orthodox 61% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 57% Modern Liberal 32% Roman Catholic 25% Fundamentalist 21% Reformed Evangelical 18% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Fear

I'm working on this ceiling dome. It has me terrified, actually, and I am not enjoying the process. I hate heights, I've done ceilings before, yet this one is very scary. I don't know why except that I'm older, fatter, and the curve of the thing is disorienting, or whatever.....

I keep praying for the fear to be replaced by just a healthy respect for the height, but to no avail. I'm pressing on....

Update: I went to work today, got some more of the finish done, and finished the background design you see. Had to rework the "iron" design on paper that I've yet to put up there. I sucked it up and went up there and was even more of a wienie! HA! Help me, Jesus!! This is the LAST ceiling I do!

Another Update: OK....I am baring my soul to all of you. What a chicken woman I am! I've reworked my "iron" design and I'm ready to roll...but I found every excuse in the book to NOT go to work today, which means, tomorrow, I'll have to go to work. I'm painting a mural at another place, too. Do you all ever get "stuck" like this and have a major case of the "don't wannas?"

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you Bloggin' Moms!!


It was a great day....got up, had coffee, hubby made me brunch, Robert called me first thing :-D; watched a movie, saw Michael--SO cute, Brandy brought me a Happy Mother's Day cookie, kids gave me a card and did yard work; I trimmed and put out more mulch and some flower pots before and AFTER it poured buckets. Perfect day. Hope yours was, too!

"Having Victory"

An anonymous person left a comment on one of my posts that left me puzzled. It was "that's what's important...'having victory.'" Now, I'm not sure if this was a sincere comment, or a tad bit on the sarcastic side. I mention "having victory" a lot in my blog. It's an important concept to me; in my walk and in my struggles with my health issues. Regardless of the heart of "anonymous," I feel that it's important for us to discuss just what "having victory" means in our lives. Here is my perspective:
We all stumble in life, and we are constantly presented with situations in which we can skillfully screw up. But God doesn't want us to be defeated, He wants us to be victorious. What does that mean, and how can we be victorious? We can "have victory" because Jesus Christ has given us a new life. "Having victory" means doing the right thing, the Jesus thing, the thing that we may or may not want to do to achieve HIS end.
It doesn't mean winning over others.
It doesn't mean fighting until you are "right" or you beat out someone else.
It means doing the thing that is pleasing to Him...and maturing to us.

What do YOU think?

8 random facts....

I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. Here are Karen's facts:

Food: I'm a chocolaholic; allergic to tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, corn, wheat (all my faves!) but I make a killer lasagna.
Family: Married to Glenn for 25 years, sons, Kyle and Grant..20 and 15; Robert, 21 (our "adopted," but loved fully, kid; his wife Brandy and son Michael) my labrador, Gracie; and kitties: Lucy, Lizzie, and Harriet.
Profession: Mural artist; writer of promotional marketing material; & a substitute teacher. Ordained elder, prayer coordinator and contributor on staff of www.godswordtowomen.org.
Obsession: Egalitarianism in the church body; art; my family, books...not necessarily in that order.
Exercise: Walking and Tai Bo.
Faith: Complete and utter Jesus Freak
Ailments: Oy. I prefer not to give them cybertime right now!
Games: I love chess and computer Mah Jong, Tetris, tennis, hockey.

I'll tag in a minute...I have to see who hasn't been tagged of our community!!

Exclusivity--It's for everyone! ;-)

I've been thinking about this post for some time...trying to find the best way to post it, but it's hard. Then, I heard this song today by Casting Crowns:

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You're

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

Yes, we are all His. Indeed! Praise God. We know this in our hearts. But, some feel that only Christians are His. Some feel that only TRUE Christians are His...(whatever that means) and some feel that ALL are His. I'm sort of in the latter frame of mind. I think God our Father loves us all, and that love is going to bail us all out. I can't imagine a mother or a father, one filled with true love that is, turning away a child...even if that child turned away from them. But, that's a debate that will go on and on until we all face our Maker.

What concerns me is not just the separateness of different denominations and religions...but even the exclusive behavior of those that feel that all are redeemed. I did some cruising on the 'net to find out more about human nature and cliques. I didn't find anything interesting, or that we don't all know. Humans just tend to band together, like to like; interest to interest; sort of a strength in numbers gig, with the most rabid of contenders being the toughest to contend with.

There are scriptures that support all opinions. I can give you the ones that support my belief that my sweet Jesus will swoop in and save the day for us all. Oh. He already did that. But, after we pass, He will be there for us all. That's my belief, and you may or may not agree. Doesn't matter--I respect and support your right to your opinion and your position, and I hope you can respect mine. We can even discuss this...but I'd like to keep the debate friendly.

In Christianity, are debates acceptable? Well of course. Are they to be give and take? I think so. Should they be encouraging? I think so. I hope so! Should they be conducted in love? Yes. Should they be argumentative and brash with name-calling? No. I don't think so...otherwise, where's that whole love thing?

Alas, we're human, we have egos, we're imperfect, and we think the other guy is wrong and deserves to know it at all costs. We can be "open-minded" and walking in "freedom" but we'll still shut out anyone who disagrees with us. That's our nature, but it's not really walking around in freedom if we're being all exclusive and stumblin' around with that big ol' log in our own eye. And we all do it. Every single one of us--and that's what gives me my hope.

I believe He's stuck with all of us! :-D

Update: Kansas Bob was reminded of this song--good fit!
Your Beloved
Lord it was You who
Created the heavens
Lord it was Your hand
(That) put the stars in their place
Lord it is Your voice
(That) commands the morning
Even oceans and their waves
Bow at Your feet
Lord who am I
Compared to Your glory, Oh Lord
Lord who am I
Compared to Your majesty
(I) am Your beloved Your creation
And You love me as I am
(You) have called me chosen for Your kingdom
Unashamed to call me Your own
(I) am Your beloved

Our wounded warriors....

I'm looking for ways to help our wounded soldiers and happened upon this site. Haven't checked it out completely, but will........
Wounded Warrior Project
Check it out, we can donate time, money, or both. It breaks my heart that these guys come back to very little media attention, their lives changed forever. They deserve more.

Global warming.....

Before you change those bulbs


This is a difficult subject! Read on!

I guess....just don't ever break the freakin' CFL!! Anyone for candles??