Seasonings for the Ear

My family and I enjoy watching the Food Network from time to time. The professional chefs always amaze me by their vast understanding of flavors and how they work together. Every once in a while we watch Iron Chef, which is a competition between two different chefs on each episode. As the show begins a secret ingredient is revealed and they have to come up with several recipes, prepare those recipes, and serve them to judges in an hour. I am always surprised at how they just “know” what flavors work together, how they just “know” how to make a dish have the texture they desire, etc.

An Helping Hand

I was so tired. It had been a long day, bedtime had arrived, and my body knew it. It was one of those times I was just too tired to get up and go to my bed. “I’m too tired to go to bed,” I whined.

In a brief moment, there stood my daughter in front of me, smiling with outstretched hand, “Come on, Mommy, I’ll help you up.”

In Just A Moment

Yesterday morning as I drove into work, the blanket of snow was breathtaking in some places. As I came to the end of my little country lane, directly ahead of me God had painted the most beautiful picture.

How's the Battle?

Well, we’re at the halfway point in our first Godsword… and I’m ready to weigh in to my fellow Warrior Princesses.

Here’s my attempt, straight from memory, you can check me on it-

The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Exodus 14:14.


Woo hooo! Do I hear cheering???? Do I see confetti and flashing lights????

Don't Be Hurlin' Insults!

I read a statement yesterday on a blog I visit often, She Cooks, and this statement made me stop and think for a second. The author, LeAnn Rice, was sharing her story about her weight struggles, and then about her struggles with what she sees in the mirror and the imperfections staring back at her. She shared this, among many other things with her readers:

Don't Look At Me Differently

We are entering a new phase of life as parents - our oldest is beginning to mature a bit and her interests are changing. Now - let me throw my "momma warning" out - if you are reading this and you are a family member or close family friend, please don't tease her - lest you experience the wrath of momma bear! I would never want to crush her tender little heart or embarrass her.  She’s becoming more interested in clothes, music, her appearance, her friends, etc. and I am very proud of the beautiful young lady she is becoming.

Come In From the Cold

I wouldn’t describe myself as a winter lover and I wouldn’t go as far to say that I love snow, but every once in a while, I do enjoy a wintry mix. You know, the kind of snow that we get every few years that ushers a stillness into our neighborhoods, forcing us to stay at home with each other for a day or two, that’s the kind of snow I like.

A Happy Day

Once upon a time there was a lovely little girl, we’ll say her name was “Brenna”. She loved to collect treasures which she stashed in her grotto. Her little grotto was situated snuggly in a corner section of her parent’s modest home. The more she collected, the smaller her little hide-a-way seemed to be.

Warrior Princess Wednesday

Ok Warrior Princesses, let's do some Sword Fighting!

Here's my thoughts:

We will have 1 new verse approximately every 2 weeks or so. I will provide a verse for you to memorize, or you can chose one of your own. This is all about accountability, mainly because I don't trust me to stick with it. If I had someone checking in with me every once in a while, I would already have memorized more verses myself, but well - I haven't had someone to check in on me and won't memorize a thing left to my own devices, hence the need for my bloggy Princess friends.

Testify Tuesday

It's time for another Testify Tuesday. I know God is doing amazing things in your lives and we would love to hear about it.

My story for this Tuesday actually comes from one of my readers. Last week after the article Reaching For Grace, a reader posted a comment and after reading it, my heart broke for her at the same time as it rejoiced for her. Upon writing the words of the post, I was thinking of the "ordinary" ways we fall in our everyday lives, but she shared from a very personal place which, after reading her comment, reminded me once again how BIG our God is. How sufficient He is to meet our needs, no matter how great our loss. Thank you, sweet friend for sharing your comment with us. Thank you for reminding me how huge my Abba is.

Post your God story below (in the white box at the bottom of this page)and testify to His goodness today. Your words can be the very ones that God uses to lift someone else from the mire and set them on solid ground.


Today is also the "last call" for anyone wanting to participate in Scripture Memory for this year.




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Don't Forget...

Scripture memory is vital to our spiritual lives. Did you realize that verses from God's word are what Jesus Himself used to chase away the enemy when He was tempted? Secondly, did you realize that out of all the pieces of the Armor of God, the Word of God is our only offensive weapon? All of the other pieces are for our protection, but the Ephesians 6 tells us to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God!

Does Anybody See Me?

Do you ever feel overlooked? Overlooked at home, despite the things you do for your family? Overlooked at work, feeling unappreciated for your efforts? Overlooked by friends when you really need a shoulder?

Reaching For Grace

Ok - please tell me I am not the only ungraceful one who sometimes falls. Surely I'm not. When my family gets together for a birthday, my mom and my sisters for some reason do not allow me to transport the cake from the kitchen to the dining room. I cannot understand why. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my falling with the birthday cake on more than one occasion. Don’t you think they’re overreacting just a tad? Smiles.

Time For A Change

Well - ladies - I don't adjust to change well, especially in the "technical world", but change I did, only because I had too! I succomb to the change while dragging my heals! I hope you like the new look.



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Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Remember that guy named Noah I mentioned a few days ago? Remember that phrase I told you about “even though”? Well here’s the “rest of the story” as the famous Paul Harvey would have put it.

Cries of the Longing

As I have already shared with you, my husband recently returned from a mission trip to Haiti. Since today marks the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I thought I would share with you a family experience leading up to his trip.

On the day Todd was to depart, it was sort of sad around our house, I think because of territory we had never experienced. This is the first time he had been on mission trip, much less out of the country, so we were a little unsettled. We, including the girls, prayed many times that day, but I don’t think neither Todd or the girls were prepared for what awaited when we reached at Starfish Orphan Ministry.

Lessons From the Flood: Even Though

After the flood waters receded, Noah waited for God’s instruction to let the animals and his family leave the boat. Once they “disembarked the ship”, not the type of cruise that appeals to me,

Lessons From the Flood: "Exactly"

I mentioned several days ago that I received a One Year Chronological Bible for Christmas. I must be honest with you, although I was very excited to receive this Bible, I was a little less than excited about starting in the very beginning stories. I was afraid the familiarity of the reading would become boring and I feared I would grow weary of it and quit. That has not been the case at all. Before I began reading, I asked God to show me new things in these stories and He has - the pages have seemed to come alive. There are no words to explain how important it is to read His Word and learn from His truth, and I desperately long for each of you to open His Book and go on the adventure with Him.

As I read the familiar story of the Great Flood in Genesis 6-9, there were a couple of things that spoke to my heart that I had never noticed before

Who Told You??

Have you ever known something about someone that you didn’t share with them thinking if you kept it to yourself it might keep your relationship with them from being awkward? Or maybe you kept it to yourself in an effort to protect them? Then all of a sudden they say something that lets you know they are very aware of the situation and you immediately wish they had never known. Our first question is “Who told you?”.

Now I Get It!

I love water, bodies of water. Whenever I am near a lake, a stream, an ocean, I feel closer to God. It has always been that way for me. I remember, even as a child, a sense of peace when we would be in or near a creek playing. Many times I have wondered why I feel that way. Some of you may feel closer to God when you are near water, so I just had to share.

Why does being around water draw my mind to God?

I have thought maybe it was because Jesus is Living Water…..

Because He made the water….

Because the water cleanses us ….

All of these are wonderful reasons, but I never felt like they were just THE answer to my pondering, but today, I GET IT!

Genesis 1

God created the heavens and the earth, which was formless, empty and covered with deep waters. He created the light and separated it from the darkness, and then in verse 6 (NLT) He says, “Let there be space between the waters, to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space ‘sky’.”

My heart leapt – That’s it! I thought. Now I get it. I feel close to Him when I am around water because of this verse. If the sky is the only thing separating the waters of the earth from the waters of Heaven, I feel like Heaven is closer because there are no “objects” separating the water from Heaven. It’s just sky as far as I can see, nothing in the way, and just on the other side of that sky is where my Living Water resides. Just beyond that sky is where my Creator sits, reigning from His throne.

Probably makes no sense to you, but somehow this explains to me why He leadeth me beside still waters.

He draws me to it and He leads my spirit while I am there.

Come on vacation season, lead me to some water!




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And That Is What Happened

As I recently read the story of creation, there were a couple of phrases that I noticed which repeated several times.

The first phrase was “God said….”.

The second phrase was “And that is what happened.”

These phrases occurred in conjunction with each other six times in the short segment I was reading, I think He wanted us to get the concept from the get go that His words happen.

Whatever God says, whether it be “Let there be light” or “It is Finished”, cannot be wrong. It cannot be wrong because of the nature of who He is. He is 100% complete, 100% pure, 100% truth, 100% holy, therefore, there is no way that error can come from His mouth. There is no way that what He says won’t happen.

Do you get how astounding that is?

We all have rubbed shoulders with people who say one thing and do another. For example, you have been planning a party for a few weeks and are inviting several friends who have told you they will be there, but when the day arrives, most of them cancel. Or you’ve taken on a big project and people have told you they will help you, only to find 3 people to actually execute the task – me, myself, and I. Many times the situation can’t be helped, and many times it can. Sometimes the value of our word has “lost its value” because what we have said never came to fruition.

It can NEVER be that way with God.

Here’s a familiar scripture, but read it with fresh eyes -

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT

Matthew 25:35 says this about His words:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” NASB

Shall not – not might not, not probably won’t. Shall not. His words will never be sent out in vain, His words will never disappear. His word accomplishes things and they are forever. Which is why we need to know those words. Don’t forget to let me know if you are interested in the scripture memorization. We will start soon!

Father, I pray for a hunger and thirst to know your word and hide it in my heart like never before. May my appetite for your instruction be ravenous and make my mind and spirit like a sponge to absorb them. Father, I pray that the words are living in me, not mere knowledge, words that I will use every day of my life to live according to your will and to rest in your power and not my own abilities.



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PS:  My friend, Whitt Madden, of Be The Domino Ministries, has a great website bethedomino.org.  He has many resources, devotionals, and ideas on how to have a domino effect on the life of someone else for the Kingdom outlined on his site.  Whitt is featuring a story about Beyond Sunday Morning today, and I know he would love for you to jump over to his site for a visit and look around.  Ladies, I highly recommend you show his website to your husbands as a place to go for daily encouragement and direction.  I would be honored for you to read about Beyond Sunday Morning while you are there.

Testify Tuesday

It's Testify Tuesday again! Testify Tuesday is a chance for you to share with us where you have seen God in action lately. I'm excited to hear your stories.

Speaking of stories, I have a Testify Tuesday story to share with you. As many of you know, my husband has been gone to some of the most devastated parts of Haiti on a mission trip. One night while he was away, the girls and I were praying for him and for the rest of the mission team. We prayed for the people of Haiti that they would encounter, we prayed for divine protection, health, and safety for the team, but we specifically prayed something about my husband, Todd.

We prayed that God would show them His love and use Todd to do it.

And He did.

The next day Todd traveled with the mission team to a village where people live in tents. They took household supplies, etc to the people in the village and a crowd began to form. The mission leader noticed the crowd and asked Todd to give a message to the people. For those of you who don't know my husband, he is very much a planner, so preaching a message without a moment's notice was challenge for him.

A challenge with reward beyond measure.

Todd is in the red hat standing on the back of the truck.

As my husband told me this story in tears, I asked him, "Well, what did you tell them?"

"I told them how much God loves them, and that He hadn't forgotten them. It was an amazing opportunity."

Remember that prayer we prayed?

What an answer!

That's my Testify Tuesday - what's yours?




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PS - Did I mention how proud I am of him?

The Measures He Will Go To

As I write today’s post, it is New Years day. My husband bought me a new Bible for Christmas. It is the One Year Chronological Bible and I have been looking forward to getting into this one because of how it is arranged. Yes, you read through the Bible in a year, so it won’t replace my study Bible, however, the scriptures are arranged chronologically in the order that they were written making it easier to see it all how it happened. Since it is New Year’s Day, it was time to start reading and I was excited to dig in and learn something new from God’s word.

Let me set the scene for you. It’s a Saturday morning, the house was miraculously quiet. I’m sitting in my favorite corner of the couch with my knees all bent up. My Diet Dr Pepper sitting on the table next to me. My journal, my Bible, and my pen are all sprawled out, the Bible on the arm of the couch and my journal and pen on my lap. Then to make things more perfect, the fireplace kicks on making it all the more cozy. I was just about to settle in for a feast from the Father……..

And I was interrupted.

Not by the kids.

Not by the telephone.

No – interrupted by my dog.

No, she wasn’t barking. She wasn’t whining. She didn’t need to go out. Just seconds earlier she had been snoozing over on her favorite spot on the couch, then, as if cued from some where, she gets up and moseys in my direction. I had just began my reading in my Bible as she steps up onto my leg, turns a few circles, as making a nest, and lays down. Yes – lays down, head and all, - right on top of my pen and journal just like they weren’t there. Now let me make something clear, not tooo many days ago my precious pooch was having some arthritis problems and wouldn’t even walk, much less climb upon my lap to lay uncomfortably upon my journal and pen. Now, I’m not saying my pooch was possessed by the enemy but I thought…..

The measures the devil will go to keep us from studying God’s word.

Ugggh!

I gently, yet with pursed lips, moved my pooch from her perch and pressed on, as my oldest child cracked up, laughing hysterically at what had just happened.

The enemy does not want us to study God’s word, much less apply it, and will do whatever he can to keep us from knowing it, which fuels my fire to know it more. I believe God’s word is still alive and active and it is important that we know it, which brings me to my next topic –

Is anyone up for memorizing a few verses this year? I know I am. I was thinking on memorizing 2 per month, so that we can really learn them, not just cram them in only to forget them later like a high school history test!

If you are interested in memorizing a few scriptures with me to add to your arsenal against the enemy, please post a comment to let me know, or you can email me at beyondsundaymornings@gmail.com .

Looking forward to LOTS of responses!

Happy New Year!




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