G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E

 My heart is full of praise, of thanks to Him, Who is... 

G od above all gods, the One True God

R edeemer, Restorer, Rock, Refuge

A ll Mighty, All Powerful, Alpha and Omega

T he Beginning and the End

I nfinite in Wisdom

T ranscendant above all

U nderstanding of our humanity, yet without sin

D eliverer

E mmanuel, God with us

#314-323-yellow daffodils with orange centers -birds enjoying the birdbath -squirrels playing in the trees -all of above in view from my home office window -dinner with friends 

-grandkids playing with our friend's pet bunny -youngest daughter sharing her notes* from her internship at International House of Prayer(so helpful and practical!) -baby granddaughter making the sign for "please" and then lifting up her hands every time she sees Papa(Please pick me up Papa!) -the privilege of teaching God's Word -the beauty of where we live 

Right here in my urban neighborhood,  two blocks south of my home, this beautiful older home and red barn 

Beautiful farmland south of our city, with Mt. Hood, just east of our city.

 *(How to Meditate on Scripture:Read It- read the verse several times and note how the construction of the verse may effect what is readWrite It- write the verse exactly as it is written one time. Close your Bible, and set it aside. Once you have the verse you don't want another verse pulling your attention away from this one.Say It- say the verse or phrase out loud. Say it loud enough that your ears can hear it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of GodSing It- Singing it is a means to unlocking the heart. Take your isolated phrase and sing it over and over again. Write out what you sense and perceive.Pray It- Prayer is a divine means of communication with God. When doing this it is best to have a paper divided into sections. Top section with the verse. Large middle section for the meditation. A side column to write down distractions or tasks. Small bottom column for future word studies you would like to do because of this verse.) Thankfully yours,

Mama and me and twenty little piggies...

A few months back big sister, (which is worse, older sister or big sister?), and I took 84 year old mama for a pedicure.  Sister got Mama certificates for two more pedis for Christmas.  This week mama insisted she and I go together and spend those certificates. 

Merry Christmas to me from my big sis!

Mama was worried her pink toes made her look like "a hussy". 

I had to explain to the Vietnamese nail tech what a hussy is.

Mama's gonna be 85 this summer...

my daddy once told me that back in the day 

Mama was known for having nice legs.

And my ten little piggies...all decked out for spring too!

'Bout time to put away the boots and get out the flip flops!

I simply remember my favorite things...Friday favs...I'm Lovin' Spring!

I'm lovin' spring!

I'm lovin' the flowers...

I'm lovin' grandbabies and bunnies...

Join me over at Tidy Mom!

What are you lovin'?

That Beth Moore is a real troublemaker...

This morning I caught up on my homework.  I am participating in the book discussion group for Beth Moore's book, So Long Insecurity.  When I first got the book and read through the first few chapters, I really thought to myself, and actually believed, that I don't have much of a problem with insecurity.  Not that I didn't recognize that I may have had one in the past, but I thought that at this stage of my life, it was no longer an issue.  But since this blog is called Just following Jesus in my REAL life, maybe I should actually be real!

I realized maybe I was still struggling with some insecurity when...

I would waste time changing my blog background, like some women change clothes, only to find most of them too fussy or too cutesy, so I would change it back...but I worried that what my blog looked like it wasn't "cool enough"...

I wondered if my blog should be more devotional and Bible study-ish instead of so me-ish...

I wondered if I should try harder to sound poetic and deep...

I wondered what I could do to make people want to follow my blog more...I wanted to be one of those cool bloggers with hundreds of followers who go to blogger conventions and get asked to write books...

I wondered why I care what people I have never met, out there in blog world, think of me...

I wondered if it is ok that I prefer flowers in a Mason jar or pottery pitcher instead of in a crystal vase or if that meant that I am less than the perfect Fancy Nancy's whose homes look like they should be in a magazine...

I wondered why it has been really bugging me that there are now noticable wrinkles under my eyes and a few extra pounds around my middle...

I wondered how I could even think or care about any or all of the above and think that in the eternal scheme of things they even mattered...

Oh boy, that Beth, she's a trouble maker, she is.

I admit it, God and I still have some work to do, right here, in my REAL life.

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

I'm joining Ann at Holy Experience by sharing how I am preparing for Easter. 

I have been ready for spring since Valentine's Day was over, and so the decorations of spring and Easter came out shortly after.  There in the middle of it all the reason for our hope... CHRIST HAS RISEN! 

When our girls were growing up, on Easter morning we would greet each other with the greeting used by Christians centuries ago, "CHRIST IS RISEN!" and the response, "CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!"

And indeed HE HAS RISEN, but just as the cross was not the end of the story, neither is the resurrection.  "This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up...into heaven, will return the same way." (Acts 1:11)  As I was ready, eager and anticipating the coming of spring, I want my heart to be prepared, to be ready, eager and anticipating to see the One I love, the One who loved me first.  I will see Him, God in the flesh, because He lives, He's coming back, and He shall reign forever and ever. 

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Oh the highs and lows of changes....the past two years have made me a wee bit seasick there have been so many!  The strange thing about change is that even the great high of a happy change carries with it the great low of having to stretch yourself to adapt.  Life, however, is all about changing and adapting.  If I didn't know that I know that GOD NEVER CHANGES I would fall apart, that is for sure!

A wee bit over a year ago, we had the happy change of taking on a second congregation, changing our two separate churches into Truelife church, one church with two locations...one here in Portland and one in Vancouver.  While all of this was going on we had the happy change of baby granddaughter arriving on the scene.  This happened while middle daughter, son-in-law, and oldest granddaughter and only grandson were gone for two months on a missions trip to Ghana.  Happy for them, lonesome for this nana.  Youngest daughter was floundering, not spiritually, but she was not sure of God's will and direction at that time.

Fast forward to now...

Starting from youngest daughter...In the fall, she went to International House of Prayer for a three month commission, hoping to really touch God for herself, and get some direction for her life.  She is now completing her sixth month there, having returned after commission to do an internship for a staff position.  She is now actively seeking financial support, as she will be on staff at I.H.O.P. and be a missionary to the 24/7 prayer and justice movement in our nation's heartland.  My mini-me not near by...a BIG adjustment.

Middle daughter...activiely seeking financial support and making plans for their family to return to Kumasi, Ghana as full time missionaries.  This is her lifelong dream and calling.  This mama/nana soooo wants to see them fulfill God's call and purposes for their lives, but those precious grandbabies so far away.....that is a BIG adjustment that we are having to make in our minds and hearts in preparation for the reality.

Oldest daughter....She and her hubby have been our right hand for the past 11 years in our church in Portland.  About two years ago they felt God speaking to them to plant a church, but then the whole two congregations happened, and they put their plans on hold, waited, prayed...and came to us again right before this past Christmas wondering if it was time yet.  Location? Unknown.  But, it looked as though it would be at least three hours away. And that, my bloggie friends, JUST ABOUT SUNK THIS MAMA/NANA'S BOAT! So I did the only thing I know to do...I prayed and prayed and prayed some more.  I put them on the altar, so to speak.  I surrendered them to God's will.  The next day I would take them off the altar and BEG GOD TO LEAVE ME AT LEAST ONE GRANDBABY NEAR ME!  I'm just being real here.  I even held baby granddaughter's hands and prayed the prayer of agreement about that one.

Church...in the meanwhile, the whole rushing between Portland and Vancouver on Sunday mornings wasn't really working for this pastor and pastor's wife.  We were feeling the heart tug of leaving one congregation at the altar while rushing to a service already half way over to the other congregation.  With our relationally driven ministry, it just wasn't workin' for us.  In the meanwhile, the majority of our congregation had moved to Vancouver due to the much more affordable housing costs.  Merge services with both congregations together were dynamic.  People began to come and ask us why we didn't meet together all of the time.  GOOD QUESTION!

This brings us up to now...Truelife Church is officially merging into one church, one location.  We will officially meet together in Vancouver starting Easter Sunday!  And in approximately a year, oldest daughter and son-in-law, (and baby granddaugher), will be church planting HERE in southeast Portland!!!

CHANGES!  What a wild ride...I think I need some Dramamine!

In the meanwhile, I must get to studying for tomorrow night's Awakened Hearts Bible study done.  But, my desk looks like this...

At least life's not boring!

So thankful...my continuing gratitude list

 " Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God..."

Psalm 50:14

Gratitude list # 302-313


-God's faithful provision


-good friends and Famous Dave's Barbecue


-Grower's Outlet

-a walk with my granddaughter and grandson

-84 year old mama so excited to take a turn at Monday night family dinner for the whole gang. 

She took us out for giant burritos!

-working through a difficult, emotion filled conversation until heart understanding is reached

-snuggling and singing about Jesus with baby granddaughter

-a gift from a friend of the best fresh salsa

-fun times with my little buddy- lunch at McDonald's, a trip to Target,

going over to great grandma's, (my mama), to check on her

-dinner with a girlfriend

-fun phone calls:  "Nana, I lost another tooth!" 

 "Nana, guess what!  I'm at the play of Aladdin, and it's kind of like the movie, but different."

-our much, much loved church family-

especially the faithful ones who have been with us from the beginning,

and who have gone through, and are going through,

changes, changes and more changes,

with such love and grace

To Him Who deserves all of my thanks and praise,