My Partner Moves On...

"May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed."

Psalm 20:4

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Today my partner and friend, for the last 7 years, leaves to pursue her dream. Tricia will start the completion of her nursing degree. She now has to be a full-time student which means she has to leave us at the office. Tricia has become a dear friend, a prized sounding board, and companion on the journey. Tricia and I work as a team. We always know what has to be done and we do it. It is the kind of teamwork that requires no "assigned jobs". It just got done. I will soooooo miss that.

<*>

Tricia is a gifted and talented young lady with tremendous potential. She is a loving mother whose sons one day will know and realize her devotion to them. She is a wife who knows the value of compromise. All this and more, she knows and values the presence of God in her life.

<*>

And so it is with mixed feelings, Tricia, that I wish you success and know we will be seeing each other soon over breakfast to share our friendship.

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Finally, I think this best describes Tricia and me.

Laughter.
The joy of sharing
the same sense of humor.
***
Knowledge.
Separate and shared.
Yours, mine, ours.
***
Support.
Always there when needed
to back each other up.
***
Friendship.
One of God's best gifts.

(Conover)

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Thanks Be to God!

Humility

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7

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This verse struck me this morning as most personal. You see because of my "being" I am a worrier. I want all to be the best. I don't want unfairness. I don't want hurt or pain to inflict itself on my family and friends. Yet even KNOWING and understanding that I should give them over to God and offer up my concerns I still cling to them. I am a mother, wife, daughter, and friend who cherishes those He has given me. I want everything to be perfect! NOW.

Yes, perfection comes from years of living this life and is the reward attained by loving and living in the here and now. In turn it is gained as our heavenly reward. So I pray that the Good Lord will lift from me today those things that cause me to be anxious. And I will give my worries to him, for I know he has the strength to bear them.

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And I sincerely say, Thanks be to God.

Treasure Found!

A Kitchen Prayer

May your kitchen be
warm and happy
with the lilt
of Irish laughter.
And God bless you
every day in
every way
and forever
and ever after!

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I found this recipe when I finally got around to cleaning off my desk today. The Scones are very good and hope you will try them.

Irish Buttermilk Scones

8 oz. self-rising four
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
5 oz. buttermilk
1 oz butter or margarine
milk to glaze

(The secret: Don't overmix and be sure the oven is hot! Serves 8)

***

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Sift flour with salt and using your fingers incorporate the butter or margarine until it resembles small crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in beaten egg and buttermilk. Mix to form a soft dough, adding a little extra buttermilk if necessary. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Brush with milk and place on a floured baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until light brown.

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Enjoy!!!!

And thanks be to God.

A Day At the Races

"Them Boys"
Nashville, TN 2007

Yesterday was the Toyota Tundra 200 in Nashville, TN and the boys had a grand time. Jimmy came with a friend from Atlanta, Wes came from INDY and the Ackeman boys brought a friend, too. It has been said that if not for the steady wind the day would have been miserable. All in all a fun day was had by all so I am told.

As for me...I had a quiet morning and I spent the evening with Laura and Kelly. I had to get a new printer/scanner/copier so we went shopping at Best Buy. Quite a bargain I might not have found if I had gone alone. This is my test run with the scanner. What do you think. I'm having fun and we had fun last night.

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Thanks be to God!!

Dreams

I read an interesting reflection today by Amy Welborn regarding the verse from Numbers 12:6:

And he said, "Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams."

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Amy said,

"I envy people who have peaceful, soothing dreams. I don't think I've ever had a dream like that in my life. The dreams I remember are full of anxiety, usually centered on the theme of having to be somewhere or do something, with countless obstacles along the way.

Don't tell me God doesn't speak through dreams anymore. I think I can learn a lot about my own life, in reflecting on my dreams.

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You see I can identify with this. I don't remember dreams...I know I have them occasionally but I can never remember them. However, there are times I know I have been spoken to by God in dreams. Most of the time I'm sure this is the only way He can get a word in...When I am asleep. You see for a number of years I had prayed for Wes' healing of his diabetes. I prayed diligently and with persistence, just as we are asked to. Well, in the middle of the night I was awakened by a dream when He said to me, "If I heal him he will die." And indeed that would be true. Don't know why I didn't see it before. Surely, if Wes were healed we wouldn't know it. He would continue to take his insulin and eventually take an overdose and die. This called me to pray for Wes in a different way. Yes, it truly came in a dream...when I would listen!!! I'm just as certain that He will come to me again when I am ready to listen.

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For these times I say,

"Thanks be to God!!"