Ask and thou shall receive

Whew! What a day! I can't even believe I can type as much as my hands hurt right now. We are through with the trim and the rest of the tile goes in tomorrow. Scott had a moment today! Someone back into him at Best Buy. What is so wonderful about my son is that he gets it! He found grace when he back into someone about a year ago and today he offered grace to a scared and remorseful sixteen year old! The family was extremely nice and I believe all will be well with that! But please pray! The coolest thing happened while we were at Lowe's (Jeff's favorite place) today. Well first back up about one week ago when I ran into Shelia Tucker at Lowe's. I was coming around the garden section today and thought "how great it would be to see Shelia". I turned the corner and there she was. How wonderful! It made my week. She has alot of stuff going on right now so please pray for my sweet friend. I know my family who reads this crazy thing...prays so please lift them in prayer. Specifically her grandson, Darrin. Darrin burned his hand badly last week. He will require alot of attention in the coming weeks and he is just a little fella! He is precious. Then there is her daughter who is going through so very much. Oh just pray! I miss them terribly. It is like when I see them I just have a gazillion things to talk to them about both little and big. I want to tell her about a great recipe I tried and tell her the latest joke I heard. Gossip (YES GOSSIP) about people we know and talk about our men. I just love being with my friend. Today, it seemed we had a million things to say in about five minutes. God did not give me a sister but He gave me Shelia. Her "sexy man" Tommy was with her. I miss hearing that man sing. To describe Tommy's voice would be a mix between a deep country southern gospel voice and Pavorotti. It is just such a unique superb voice. You match a lifetime of stories and experiences and you have a storyteller as well as an artist. These two also have such insight into this world. Oh I could just go on and on about these two. They just make my world special. To know them truly is to love them and be loved by them. Well I can't feel my fingers so I think I will stop typing until tomorrow. I have alot to blog about tomorrow. So until then!

It is always something.....

Have you ever noticed that when you start a house project, you end up starting more! We were just going to paint...which turned into new tile...which turned into trim....which turned into painting the laundry room...well the laundry room is connected to the kitchen....so.... I told Jeff tonight painting that when this was all said and done that the "old" kitchen furniture would not look good with the new surrounding. He just laughed! But it is true when you spruce up your home you want to change it totally, well, maybe that is just me. On a less painful note, I ran into an old friend today or I should say a sister in Christ. I love me some Cathy Matheson. She looked like a million bucks and is living her dream. When Cathy gave her life to Christ...she gave her dreams to Him as well. Most of go to school to get the "status" job, money, fame and fortune. Cathy needed an education in order to do what God had already trained her to do in both life experiences and compassion...counseling! She is just one of those people who make you feel so loved just being around her. Cathy can just look at you and read your mind. No wonder God called her into this line of work....she is perfect at it. Well, I have to go back and paint some more. Only a few more days and we will be through. I can see the final product coming together! I can't wait!!!

The beauty of silence

Here I am again on Saturday Morning. Everyone still asleep and the house is quiet. I literally have something planned for every moment from when I wake this crew up till Monday night. Each and every moment will be amazing! At first I was paralyzed by my thoughts of all I had to do and then God reminded me to look deeper. Today, I will eat lunch with a friend of mine and her daughter. My daughter's best friend. This family has been family to me. Then I will have a date night with the most incredible, sexy, compassionate, did I say sexy, man on earth! Tomorrow WORSHIP then I will have a "double" date with my daughter. More on that later. I can't tell you how excited I am over that one and why we are doing it. God is so good. Then my entire family will get together for a cookout, horseshoes, frisbee and my Mom able to eat and play outside. God is so good! Then.....Monday we will get together with Jeff's family to say goodbye to Shana, Steve, Savanna and Eyasu (aka Josh) as they are transferred down to the coast. This family is amazing. Steve's parents are missionaries in Africa. They adopted Josh from Ethiopia. He is an incredible, funny kid. I will miss our cousins but so glad they are headed to the place they prayed they would be stationed. Well I hear one stirring already! Here we go.......................

In everything praise the Lord

What a wonderful week! I am tired and can not bend over, stand up to get up and walk without saying OOOOOOWWW but that is o.k. Why? Because when Jeff, Scott, Megan and I are done this weekend I will have a kitchen/dining room/laundry room stylish enough for a magazine! I can't wait to finally eat off of real dishes and put pictures back on the walls.

Well, as you can tell a busy weekend ahead of us. I am glad David Cook won AI. That should shut all the critics up. It is just like the elections, "the media" will lead you think someone already has it wrapped up when it is final tally that counts. I do believe David Archuletta has skill and will do just fine but David Cook was the most deserved winner.

In other news, I am just heartbroken for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. His daughter is resting, laughing, whole and complete with our Lord. However, on earth there is a devastated family including a young man who will never be the same. He will need love, forgiveness, acceptance, HELP like never before. Someone said something to me yesterday that really really disturbed me. And the comment made me go "deeper" into my own thoughts on what can be a "gray" subject where you can be right AND wrong. When I tell you what my friend said you are going to think she is so heartless. She is not. She did not mean anything so callous or harsh. She was saying she wished NOW he would just quit being a celebrity and just be a Dad to his family that obviously God was slowing him down. She didn't want to see him "write" a song over this or use this for a book etc. And she couldn't believe they were advertising their adoption program over this. I truly want your opinions on this. I have always had a problem perhaps legalistic in nature with people using the Lord's name to make money...not just sustaining money but riches because my Lord on earth was so financially poor. Now don't get wrong I know I am blessed to live in 2008 where I can worship to some of the most amazing music and attend some of the most jaw dropping worship performances only made possible with money. Christian artists deserves money for his talent just as much as a secular artist in order to make their bills. So the older I get and more pursuant of my relationship with my Lord I get less "legal" and more grace filled over this subject. Now, back to this grieving family over what amounts to nothing less than horror. I know it will take them a long time to even function and even longer to get their son to a place he can be free of self induced guilt. However, for me to say that the Chapmans should not use this to bring glory to their Lord and to use this to speak of the gospel, forgiveness, freedom, restoration of our Lord would be so hypocritical. Do I not use the platform of 'cancer" every chance I get to bring up my Lord? How about my Mom? Do you think my Lord would bring home a beautiful much loved 5 year old and literally submerge a family into grieve that would take your breath away to bring others to a relationship with Him and bring glory to His kingdom? Yes! For those who don't know Him and will comment to me that a loving God would not do this. I must admit there are times I do question the vehicle only to be reassured by a loving Father that He drives the vehicle. We live a fallen busy world that yes can get us distracted. My husband's best friend died in a tragic fall. Others die in tragic car accidents going too fast or forgetting to take that one more look. Life can sometimes be out of control. But even in the most horrific situations my Lord can be, MUST be glorified. Unfortunately and tragically, this family will be villianized by the demonic media and possibly by their own Christian family. But how many of us actually have our eye on our children at all times. It was an accident pure and simple that has transformed their lives forever. And when they can actually breathe, when the tears are not all day long, and their strength has somehow returned they should praise HIM through every source they have, to bring glory to the One who gave them that precious girl if even just for a season. By the way, isn't that what are scriptures tell us to do. Joy in the morning, laughter in the middle of pain, reassurance in death because He has already conquered the grave. I do pray for this family. Not a celebrity. A Mom and a Dad, sisters and brothers who must bury their child and sister tomorrow. Thank you Father that I hear my two in the back of the house laughing and listening to music. For now, for today, for this season, for always You are Lord!

Has it only been one day?

Whew....this has been a marathon day! I am not sure where it began and I KNOW it has not ended yet but what a day! My mind is going 150 gazillion mph. Here are my crazy thoughts about my day in no particular order.
1. David Cook is the next American Idol. However, I kind of hope he comes in second where he can record a CD like HE wants to.
2. Tomorrow my baby will attend her last day in middle school.
3. I now have a freshmen in High School and a junior in college aka my kids.
4. I can barely feel my hands after painting two nights straight but oooh it is so pretty.
5. Tile goes in tomorrow and it will look so beautiful.
6. Our air is broke.
7. Our air won't be fixed till Friday.
8. I do not do well hot.
9. Broken air +painting+broken air = me grouchy!
10. Our dog is selfishly laying in front of the strongest fan...air hog!
11. Move over dog!
12. We had a cook out for the entire plant today and I laughed my head off!
What good people.
13. My Mom leaves the funniest voice messages.
14. Since my kitchen is ALL messed up during the renovation I decided to get sonic hamburgers for dinner. Today is Tuesday....so the burgers are 5 for 5.95 after 5:00. I pushed the button to order at 4:59 and ordered. The girl on the other end said "I am sorry we can't sell you the "deal" until 5:00 p.m." NO KIDDING! I said o.k........what time do you have now?
15. Everyone thinks my husband is very shy and quiet......if they only knew!

And finally the funny thing....today at work several of my coworkers were talking about graduation....one of the ladies said "do you remember about 2 years ago when that boy in Munford wouldn't take Jesus out of his speech.....After she went on for a few minutes she said "Theresa do you know what I am talking about?" When I told them THAT WAS MY SON, I got to testify and talk about my son and my Jesus for a long time. What a good day! Well it is late and I am speckled (is that a word) with paint in my hair and on my hands and arms so it is off to the shower!
Hopefully tomorrow will be just as fun!

Today

Today was a very productive and fun filled day.
Today, Jeff and Scott ripped up all the linoleum from my kitchen and laundry room preparing to put down gorgeous tile.
Today, I realized Jeff was working on this project till his back ached for me. Jeff is such an amazing man!
Today, I watched a good movie that made me smile. I loved the concept and the music.
Today, I looked at bride dresses with my future daughter in law. She is going to be a beautiful bride! We will have so much fun planning for their big day. She is strong and knows what she wants and doesn't! She will be a great business woman!
Today, I thought of someone who will be buried tomorrow. What a remarkable woman. I thought about how her funeral tomorrow will be a huge reunion of sorts and more than likely just the way she would want it.
Today, I ran into someone whom I love and miss so much. It seems life keeps us on the run and not seeing alot of each other. But when I see her everything is just normal.
Today, I laughed till my side hurt around the whole family.
Today, another friend of mine is going through so much trouble at her work. It broke my heart. She told me of her stomach hurting on Sunday night knowing Monday was coming. She told me of disrespect and unreasonable work load. I tried to testify to the fact that "leaving" is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and your health!
Today, I heard a great sermon about abandonment. How in one way it can hurt to the core whether abandoned by a spouse, father or mother, friends but also abandoning yourself. Letting go of everything that is hindering an intimate relationship with our Lord. He talked about stripping away all the ugliness and finding the beauty. It is like Jeff and Scott and that floor! It is completely ugly right now. It is stripped down to the concrete. The kitchen furniture is spread all over the house. It is ugly. But with some work, teamwork and a beautiful plan, something gorgeous will be built right before my eyes.
Today, I go to sleep content, happy, tired, and blessed!

Ebony and Ivory

Today, was one of those "school" days. You know the days I am talking about. You are the student of the Lord God Almighty. I must admit I never would of thought lessons would come in the form of rodents and moving offices but oh it did! My company decided to give me a couple of months to "adapt" to my new work environment before moving all of HR into my office. I guess they thought I had graduated and today was the day. I had the option of arranging my office any way I wanted. Several new pieces of furniture were moved in and several moved out. I didn't know how to fix it up so Jeff (trained architect of the family) drew my office "to scale" with moveable paper furniture to play with and design. It was so cute. I called it "little O" (office). The company allowed two men to be at my disposable to move all this furniture. As you can tell by my title one was black and the other white. What would that have to do with anything? These two men are very comfortable around each other and the very best of friends. They do not wear the color of their skin whether black or white so close to the surface as to easily get offended. Trust me I didn't come up with the Ebony and Ivory that was what THEY called each other. There is something so freeing and refreshing to see two friends of opposite race so comfortable in the their skin and not afraid to befriend another even if he is different. As these two men worked for hours in my office, I couldn't help but become involved in their conversations. They are not only friends in the plant but friends off the clock. Their children play ball together, the wives hang out, they have barbecues etc. They have great respect for one another. I couldn't have asked for nicer gentlemen. Well...about 5 seconds after they moved the first piece of furniture everyone realized (well everyone realized except for me) that I had a little friend living in my office. Anyone who knows me KNOWS I hate mice. I don't care that God created them to be food for someone on the food chain. I think they are a waste of perfectly good space and air in this world. They are so twitchy, nasty and gross. Ebony and Ivory couldn't stop laughing at the fact that I now could "feel" that mouse everywhere on me. It grossed me out completely. To make matter worse and even more gross, I saw a black 3 x 3 disc sitting in the corner. I thought it was the "base" of something that we had moved and decided to pick it up. It was a mouse trap! All the "inners" feel out all over my hands and down my jeans onto the floor. I thought they were going to lose their lunch they were laughing so loud. Need less to say the first thing I did when I got home was shower. YUCK! Why mice? Well after I went into the restroom and washed my hands 35 gazillion times I came out to two very proud men. They had found my little friend stuck in another trap and all was better in my world. I must admit I did not shed one tear that 'twitchy" was dead. As a matter of fact I applauded. So thank you Ebony and Ivory for all the hard work, laughter and mice hunting and for a lesson of unconditional love and respect for a friend regardless of your differences. What a cool day! Oh and rest in peace Twitchy!

Make the check out to......

Well here it is Monday again. I don't know about you but today has been about 44 hours long. Nothing bad really just busy. And the night is still young. I got the most interesting call today regarding a check Jeff and I wrote. I just had to blog about this incredibly bizarre event. When Jeff and I started looking for another church we still wanted to make sure to be obedient to God's command of tithing. (see blog # 145) just kidding...but seriously..it was something we wanted to do. Well, we wrote three checks to three different locations. Do you know all three checks have not cleared yet? I don't know when the church became such a business. It seems you can't just send money to a church any more. They wanted to know are you members, prospective members, stalkers, lunatics or did you accidentally write it to a church and not to your local Kroger. Please forgive my sarcasm but I really didn't expect all the hoopla over writing a check. If I am writing you a check from several states away, there is a pretty good chance I am not a member or a prospective member nor am I stalker. I even had to speak to the treasurer of one of the churches to let her know how I wanted the check handled. No seriously! There were 5 different ways my offering could be handled Now I know all you accountants who are reading this are using bad language towards me saying to yourself "they are just trying to get their books correct." I just didn't know how difficult it would be giving money to a church I do not belong. URRRGGGH So if you are reading this and I sent you a check...I am not a stalker...if I live in Tennessee and you don't......I just want to be obedient to my Lord is that too much to ask? he he he he.....I love my life!

Happy Mother's Day

My son just asked.."so has it been a good Mother's Day?" I can not think of a better one to tell you the truth. I think the older I get the more I appreciate the simplicity of life. It will sound like bragging but I really set out to make sure the mothers in my life got something that they actually wanted or could use. Both of my mothers thoroughly enjoyed their presents and their time with us. That is a success to me. I truly understand why the Lord loves a cheerful giver. I completely love giving presents. I go a bit crazy about it. Just ask my husband. But I will travel all over town making sure the people I love get exactly what they want for the occasion. So, I guess that is what made my Mother's Day so special for me personally is that my husband and children did the exact thing for me. How incredible is that? They knew exactly what I wanted....not just in a present but in the time I wanted with them and how I pictured the day would be...and gave me just that. How beautiful. Tonight God just got creative....the temperature is perfect, our yard has never looked more lovely. Megan is outside laying down reading a book, Scott is recreating his "apartment" in our home. And Jeff and I enjoyed a walk and talk around our yard. And I was taken back to a moment when my Mom was sitting on our front porch watching all my brothers, my Dad and myself playing ball one warm day. I distinctly remember looking back at her and she had this very contented smile. It didn't matter at the moment how much we had in the bank, what we were going to grow up to be or what even tomorrow would hold, she was just content in the moment. That is exactly how I felt tonight so very content. So to my precious children and husband thank you for making this the most memorable Mother's Day. Thank you for loving me enough to personally create a Mother's Day just for me. I love you.

Psalms 56:3

The blog post below this one was written last night after midnight. I wake up at 4:45 every morning now, so as you can imagine something was bothering me. I blogged with emotion, hit post and went to sleep. I immediately awoke this morning met with my Lord and felt this overwhelming urge to change it. See, at the bottom of this great post about my family, more specifically, my precious children, I was ranting about an incident that had just happened while at the grocery store. To me, what I did was the equivalent of having a great meal and then throwing it up at the end. I know....not the best metaphor for first thing in the morning. I was hurt, I had felt the sting of someone who had no idea what she was saying and/or why. She just trusted her sources and trampled! So, this morning my Lord took me to Psalms the 56 chapter. At a very early age I learned Psalms 56:3 by heart. My version was "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." See, I was definitely afraid as a child of anything that was loud. Loud dogs, loud thunderstorms, people yelling, anything LOUD. (I grew to love dogs, thunderstorms, I talk loud AND I love loud music..go figure). But as a child I was tough to deal with when storms would approach. So my Mom would hold me tight, and remind me that God actually controlled the storms and that I needed to look at them like great masterpieces. Whew, I am crying typing this. And then she said....HE EVEN GAVE ME A VERSE...JUST FOR ME FOR ANYTIME I AM AFRAID. So I would lay in my bed, with the covers drawn up over my eyes....What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee, What time I afraid I will trust in Thee over and over again. Fast forward to this morning, and I am reading this beautiful chapter once again, reminded of the past and all God has brought me through even when I was weak, distrusting and afraid. And then it truly dawned on me what that chapter ALSO says. I implore you to read the whole chapter today. But here are some beautiful snippets... (Thank you Momma for pointing me to the One who controls the storms)

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me
all day long an attacker oppresses me
my enemies trample on me all day long
for many attack me proudly
When I am afraid
I put my trust in You (NIV version)
In God whose word I praise
In God I trust
I shall not be afraid
What can flesh do to me?

It goes on to say...and I LOVE THIS

You have kept count of my tossings
put my tears in your bottle
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call
This I KNOW that God is for me
In God, whose word I praise
In the Lord whose word I praise
in God I trust, I shall not be afraid
What can man do to me?

My Week In Review

This week has been an eventful week. It is kind of a mid week review, because truly we haven't stopped since last week. Scott came home! Yeah! He is settled back in and already dropping his socks in all the usual places, leaving tokens of empty containers for me and loads of laundry. But I am not complaining...because he is home and Megan hasn't been happier. They are very close to be 6 years apart. She thinks he hung the moon and he thinks she is the coolest sister. This weekend my parents and brother came over. She looks so good! Her hair is growing back in and it looks like she purposely got it cut "punk rock". It really looks good and makes her feel more like the lady she is not having to hide the baldness of cancer. My mother is a gardener. I did not get her green thumb but I love to try. I have planted everything from annuals to tomatoes all around my yard. She was impressed...I have arrived! The funniest thing about this weekend was listening to my parents laugh at "Chaotic Harmony." This would be the name of the Balentine rockband! It is Meg on drums, Jeff on base, Scott on lead guitar and normally I am lead vocals on the video game ROCKBAND. However, you could tell my brother wanted to give it a shot! He said very humbly "I will embarrass myself"...pssshhh.. yeah right...he tore it up! He sang so good! It was fun watching my Mom crying from laughing. That was a good day. Every night this week we have some sort of banquet to attend. Three of these will be to honor our daughter. From athletics, band and academics, she received numerous awards this week. It is so wonderful to hear teachers speak of her in a way that you know they know her. And furthermore, that she is behaving how you want her to away from home. That makes a Momma proud! Go Meg!! God has revealed a lot to me this week. Of course, almost in the forefront, I am blessed beyond measure. Way to go our sweet daughter! Keep looking at the finish line and do not distracted by the dogs nipping at your ankles!

The power of laughter

As you can tell last night I was pretty bummed...what a difference sleep makes. I have had a pretty overloaded week. Next week will be just as crazy. Literally every night one of us has something to do. I am very encouraged in my career lately. A lot of new stuff just around the corner and training on systems that I have always wanted to learn. It is pretty amazing. After a night of thinking way too much over things I just need to let go...it was nice to walk into work today being Friday. Friday brings a pretty fun atmosphere to the office. I laughed until my side hurt today. One of which was at the expense of one of my friends (she laughed too) and another time was a total ditsy Theresa moment. Friday is jean day. I decide to dress up my jeans a little bit with some heels. Heels, hands completely full and trying to use your foot to open a door only equals to one thing......a fall straight on your bohunkus! That is what you get for laughing at someone else. Ooow! Then, tonight my baby girl has one of her best friends over. They have their own language. For the past hour they have tried to plural words that were never meant to be. I love to hear their side splitting laughter. You can't help but laugh with them. And finally my son is coming home!!! YES!! Tomorrow he will be home for the Summer. I have cleaned out and cleaned up his room in preparation for his return and all his stuff. While cleaning out it was a walk down memory lane to go through the stuff he has kept. He was an early 90's kid....turtle ninjas (Michaelangelo was his favorite or was it Shredder), Denver the dinosaur, Go Go Power Rangers! Of course, with every item came a wonderful memory. "Look Momma I am Tommy the White Ranger" He had it all...the interlocking dinosaurs, the white gloves that made 40 gazillion sounds, the sword that my friend Kim and I went to 6 different Walmarts in Tennessee and Mississippi to find and fought some very mean woman for. Oh yea, those were the days! Well, my grown man returns tomorrow and then the laughter in the Balentine household goes to a whole different level. Nothing makes this woman happier than a full house!

Somewhere in the middle

I am not sure why some people tune in to this thing but tonight I just need to type. It will be from my mind out loud and some instances my heart. But some things will only make sense to me and my Lord and that is o.k. too. First a funny note...we have new neighbors. Now I am sure the super spiritual NEVER do this but each of the Balentines would open the blinds to try to get a glimpse of who they are. I wanted older. Jeff wants somewhere in the middle and Megan wants a good looking teenage boy or a teenage girl to be a new friend. Well so far I have won. We haven't seen the wife or kids. Actually we want to be good neighbors and hope they or he or ?? will be too. Actually I would just settle for someone who doesn't get drunk every weekend and accidentally move down my hedges. I know what some of you are thinking "just go introduce yourself". That will come in time but the I have a little more compassion than to interrupt on moving in day. Now back to my life, I wish I could open the blinds and get a little glimpse of where I will final settle. I don't know why but God has had me thinking about David the cave dweller. Not the boy with a slingshot or the mighty King. Not the fallen one on the balcony or the murderer. David, the one after God's own heart, who has been stripped down of everything that he thought he knew, possess or desired and running for his life. The psalmist who pinned some of our most beautiful songs. The grit, blood, filth turned into rock, fortitude and ambition now to do what is pleasing to God. Here is what I was thinking today, this didn't happen to the shepherd boy or the King it happen to the cave dweller later in his life. Where is all this going? I am not the teenage doey eyed with the misconception that Jesus, Loves Me and everything will now be perfect. I am not the twenty something that came crawling back for forgiveness to the Jesus who loves me but I am so ashamed to accept your love. I am not the thirty something, legalistic....Jesus Loves me only if I follow the rules and never let Him down and the rest of the family must follow the same legalistic rules!! I am the forty year old kid who knows Jesus loves me blemishes, pain, failures, loves, hates, grudges, horrible thoughts and bad habits. I don't have to slay the giants or think somehow this Queen Christian deserves more. I just want to authenticate, accept and share this wonderful real relationship in my life. It is simply enough to be loved by Him but not enough not to want to share what He has given me. It is just like when I see friends or coworkers either cheating on their spouses or thinking about it. I want to shake them and tell them about this wonderful relationship I have with my husband. It is not that we are immune to failure but there is something so beautiful to fight for and a great reward keeping it pure. It is work but it is worth the effort. That is why I want to share my relationship with my Lord. Without Him, you simply can not make it whole and complete in this world period. I want more than anything to be real and never allow fakeness or game playing to enter in my worship ever again. And the fact of the matter is I have more real, genuine, life applying worship away from church than I do in. And there it is back to the subject of church again. This is where I am just wandering through my own feelings. I am desperately trying to convince a teenager why we should attend church. It is hard to convince her when every invitation we receive from friends attending church starts with come visit with us....we just got a big split. Hey, visit our church....we are in the process of finding a new Pastor. I know the super spiritual is saying focus on Jesus not on man. Then the spiritual hypocrites are smiling that I perplexed by this. But the fact of the matter is I would rather keep searching than go back to game playing and fakeness. But until then I pray God will keep allowing me to question, struggle, pray and contemplate. Because at the end of all this struggle and questioning..the real answers will be even sweeter because I will wiser for the lesson.