Utilization

I'm sitting in a seminar currently talking about blogging - and I've decided I need to utilize mine more!

Transparency

OK- I am not doing well with this blogging thing! I need to make a priority to come and journal everyday here :o) I do enjoy reading a few other blogs and am so glad that they post much more frequently than I do myself.
I have recently become a mentor for crisis pregancy outreach, and I am loving it. I know that God opened my heart to this ministry and it is going so good. I got to meet my girl last week and I feel that we clicked pretty well. We are both talkative, so that is good and we talked about all sorts of things. From real estate to kids to God and so much more! I also attended for the first time the CPO group meeting and got to meet other mentors and many of the young girls and women that are currently invoved with CPO. What an awesome organization and I was so impressed with the strength of the girls. I went with the group that was planning to adopt out their babies and with awe just sat and listened and took in as much as possible. They are giving great gifts to couples that so want children. I am so thankful to God that he gave me a passion for this ministry and I look forward to being a blessing and example of God's great love to these girls. I will definitley post more in detailed as we continue this journey.

Perspective

This entry is hard for me to begin - I can't seem to form the right words. There is the most wonderful child of Christ, that is in the hospital right now in critical condition. She suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. Haley is only twelve years old, but has been given such wisdom and strength from God. She is in a hospital room, suffering from this terrible disease that she so bravely and strongly has fought all of her twelve years of life. But this little girl is a shining beacon for God and continues to shine greatly as she is in physical turmoil. Her family has kept a website going of her condition these past few weeks that she has been in the hospital. You can access her journal at www.caringbridge.org/visit/haleypalmer It has had over 5000 hits and over 400 journal entries. It has been amazing to read thru the entries and see how many people that Haley has touched without ever meeting her. And I am one of them.

Haley played on my nieces soccer team, so I've had an opportunity to see her (and she's an awesome soccer player despite the disease) but I have never had the chance to talk with her. But this little lady has done more in her life and helped more people than most do in a lifetime. Haley and her family are constantly organizing fundraisers to help find a cure for CF and she has helped raise over $100,000 dollars. She has a wonderful outlook on life and everyone writes about how happy, cheerful, and with a smile on her face! We don't know God's plans for her - but I hope her work on this earth isn't finished. She is a great girl and we could all be led closer to God and outreach others by her examples. Her family are believers, and they know the end could be close. But they are asking for prayers of a miracle to save their precious Haley. They need prayers for peace and strength as they continue this fight over this disease. May I be a bright shining star for Jesus as Haley has been and will continue to be! Please take a minute to visit her website and read about Haley and the most recent journal entries - you will be touched.

A test in life - waiting in line

My girls and I just returned from a trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL. We traveled along with my mom, and my brother and his family. It has taken me two days to recuperate from all of the excitement. It's amazing how many people flock to the resort parks everyday, and this is during the fall and not peak summer time. The trip went well and the girls had a great time, especially my youngest daughter who got to ride in the stroller most of the time. I know my feet were really hurting by the end of each day due to the extreme walking and standing in lines. I say that standing in lines for 20 minutes or more with strangers is an ultimate test. Especially if its hot...tempers can flare and comments made because people are tired & stressed but trying to say that they are having a great time at the theme park. I did have to work hard at times to keep a smile on my face, be friendly and not fall into that same frustrated feeling. Because I chose to stay in a positive mood, my trip was great! I studied the "cast members" if the parks (what Disney employees are called) I know that they must go thru some major customer service training. Most of them were positive, had smiles and joked with the crowds. They may have a gift of serving, but even the most social person can go into meltdown when they have to deal with thousands of people each day. And out of the many we were in contact they all had a great attitude.

This made me reflect on how Jesus dealt with the crowds in His day. He was calm, caring, compassionate to all that was surrounding him. He says to us in John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (NLT) I don't want to call myself a Christian and then when put in a position of waiting in the long lines, be grumpy, disrespectful to Disney employees or any others around me. This isn't showing love to others as God has asked. To win others for Christ you have to model yourself as Christ and love all. Stay out of judgement and keep a smile on your face. Trust me, it's great and it makes your vacation or any daily activity much more fun and peaceful for you and your family! Love to the end.

Why fleas?

I love to fly in an airplane. For two reasons: 1) I love to travel and see new places 2) it puts my life into perspective. I believe its very easy to get caught up in our own fishbowl of life where everything is familiar to us. Daily having close to the same routine, driving within a certain distance. It can be easy to feel like a goldfish swimming around in circles in that fishbowl, forgetting about the rest of the world that surrounds the bowl.

As we take of in the plane I look down at the earth, all the little cars on the roads and wonder if its a perspective of how God sees and watches over us. As the plane climbs altitude into and above the clouds I tend to think a lot about creation. The sun is so beautiful, the clouds rise majestically in the sky, the sky is a perfect color of blue. God is so awesome! Our world is so big and perfect and I am just one little speck, but I am still very important to God. Wow - His plans are so definite and complete.

Although this so far is about the beautiful part of creation, I do have to wonder why some things were created, like fleas? God created everything for a purpose - but what is the fleas purpose, except to irritate a dog? hmmm....

I'm sure you might wonder what would make me think about fleas, well I recently had a run in with a lot of them. As a realtor, I was recently showing a house to a client who happens to be a friend as well. My daughter, Paige, had come along with me, my client also brought along his mom, his son and his nephew. So our group looked through the house and proceeded to go to the detached garage that had partially been remodeled into an entertainment room. As we are standing out there admiring, my daughter Paige tells me that there are bugs crawling all over he legs. I tell her to wait a minute and the adults continue to talk for another minute and then we realize - all of us are being covered with fleas! We run out of that garage and are attempting to brush off, shake off, and pick of hundreds of fleas. I have never been so horrified. I'm running into the front yard of the house, pulling my cardigan off and shaking it. I continue to jump up and down and wonder if the neighbors are watching me. I can honestly say we were outside trying to remove fleas for a good fifteen minutes. Then the worst part was having to get into the car to drive away from the house, knowing that fleas would get into the car. When Paige and I got home, I made us go to the back porch, strip to our birthday suits, and make a run for the shower! I wanted to make sure I got rid of all of those fleas. I had to wash our clothes, shoes, and spray flea spray in my car to make sure all the fleas were killed and didn't reproduce in there. So after receiving more than 60 flea bites and being totally disgusted - I say, Lord, why fleas?

Faith prayer

I almost feel that this blog will become an online diary for me! Today I came across a bible study by Beth Moore called Believing God. I had attended this study at my church several years ago. Since it has been so long, I've decided to review it again on my own.

Some of the verses I read today really stood out to me, found in Ephesians 1:18-20, Paul is praying for spiritual wisdom... "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to His people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." (NLT)

It is hard to grasp all the concepts of God. Our simple minds cannot understand fully all that he is, but I have belief in him and recognize his power. I want my heart to be flooded with his light so that I will understand and comprehend that he has promised me a great future.

One of the questions in Beth's study is to list out my biggest challenges I have today, basically putting them in writing for the Lord! I would pray that the Lord help increase my compassion towards others, that I will become a better listener ( I love to talk more than listen :o( ) and that my relationship with Christ will continue to grow stronger every day.

Until tomorrow, love all.

My first Blog!

I am really surprised at myself; that with my lack of technology brain cells - I have created a blog. There may be no one else but myself to read it at this time, but I have confidence it will grow! This is a great outreach opportunity! The reason my blog is called Faith Filled to the brim...hmmm...I learned what true faith was in the year 2005. It took me 27 years to learn how to rely on the Lord and I completely turned my life over to Him. I am so glad that I am His! Don't think that I don't slip up and my cup will turn over and spill out. But thank God for forgiveness and refills!

Last year I felt the Lord leading me into public speaking and teaching. I love to get in front of a group of adults and have the chance to inspire them and tell them about what God has done in my life. But this ministry in the baby steps phase. Step 1: Study, study, study. I feel as if I can't learn enough about my Father. This is a stage I will be in for awhile. Especially with my kids still being small, I want to be with them during this critical stages of their life.

I have really started studying, thinking, and writing about faithfulness. What it means to me, what it means to others, and what it means to God. My prayer is that everyone can experience the same faith filled life!

I finally read "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom, I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read and really makes you think about life, how short it is and how you should use your life wisely. Love!