Joy comes in the morning!

Onto the next post and an experience I want my family to remember. I ended Thanksgiving weekend with another terrible nightmare which evidently I carried into the next near sleepless night.  The nightmare stemmed from the painful season I'm in and the enemy decided to not let me rest.  It was shear torment! Much of the second night I spent praying and a breakthrough came when the Lord said "Psalm 30" out of the blue.  I knew it was my answer and I am telling you, it was like the words of the page were fresh like I've had never seen them before and they answered every prayer and question I had been wrestling with that night.  I write this today as a record for the future. Here is Psalm 30:

¹ I will exalt you, LORD, 

   for you lifted me out of the depths 

   and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 

² LORD my God, I called to you for help, 

   and you healed me. 

³ You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; 

   you spared me from going down to the pit.

 ⁴ Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; 

   praise his holy name. 

⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, 

   but his favor lasts a lifetime; 

weeping may stay for the night, 

   but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 ⁶ When I felt secure, I said, 

   “I will never be shaken.” 

⁷ LORD, when you favored me, 

   you made my royal mountain stand firm; 

but when you hid your face, 

   I was dismayed.

 ⁸ To you, LORD, I called; 

   to the Lord I cried for mercy: 

⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced, 

   if I go down to the pit? 

Will the dust praise you? 

   Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 

¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; 

   LORD, be my help.”

 ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; 

   you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 

¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. 

   LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

To be totally candid - It's really, really hard to give a sacrifice of praise when it involves music now. I don't touch the piano or pursue being a part of any music ministry, let alone sing unless it is in church. Even then, I can't get through it without tears. I know, I know...worship is not just singing.  I've just allowed the worship (that easily flowed from this type of expression from a lifetime of expressing it this way) to be silent.  I needed to hear that the Lord would "remove my sackcloth and clothe me with joy" so I can sing to Him again.  I can't do this and so the Lord will have to help me get there. This past Sunday, I heard a very meaningful choir song to me (during worship) and just totally broke down, making a spectacle out of myself.  I can't "lose my praise" as one wise woman reminded me a couple months back.

One of our pastors made this statement a couple weeks back - "Take hold of what God has for you, stretching out with your all, out of your comfort zone.  Where there is stretching (like the man with the withered hand that was healed), God will not be held back by anything. Barriers are breaking and God will break the limitations of your life. Satan does not want you to know that if you stretch you can have what God has for you.  Time to start walking and talking and stop complaining to get out of the wilderness and inherit all that God has for you.  No weapon formed against you will prosper." And this passage in Isaiah 54:2-3   "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities."

Update

Just a week after my last post, I had great news so I'll start with that but may need to post twice to catch up on a few things.  I walked into the neuro-surgeon's office to hear his first words be "you have absolutely nothing to worry about."  He didn't feel that the venous angioma was a threat.  He did go on to say that my symptoms of pain, that have increased tremendously, is probably due to trouble with my neck's herniated discs.  I'll take that over brain surgery and seizures and all!  I thank the Lord I am okay.  God gave me such a peace during it even though I did have one alone-time crying about the possible implications of this.  I wasn't ready to have my life shortened and I really did walk out of that doctor's office with a new dose of thankfulness for each new day!  

This past week, Lauren did a major project on Benjamin Franklin. Helping her with such things has peeked my interest in history along with having a Pastor that is a history expert.  I was thinking about the history of the hymns and how the rich words many of the words can be because they are birthed out of tragedy or triumph. While I was busy in the kitchen today, I had the hymn "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" run through my head.  Come to find out that the author wrote it after her husband drowned to death.  Here are the words:

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

      

(1) 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at his word,

Just to rest upon His promise,

Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

CHORUS:

 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more.

      

(2) How I love to trust in Jesus,

Just to trust His cleansing blood,

Just in simply faith to plunge me

'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

      

(3) Yes, I've learned to trust in Jesus,

And from sin and self to cease.

Now from Jesus simply taking

Life and rest and joy and peace.

      

(4) I'm so glad I learned to trust Him,

precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that He is with me,

He'll be with me to the end.

Now that is trust!! What hits me most is the statement in the last stanza "I'm so glad I learned to trust Him." May that become my song!!

Perfect Love Drives Out Fear

It's funny that I hesitate to write a blog entry when I feel all I have to record is how life is "slapping me upside the head." Many of the Christian blogs I've stumbled on seem to be started during or after a trial.  How can we look back and see all God has done without documenting the "pit" God pulls us from?  So I share this new depth of the pit today but before I do, I will share how God is taking care of me.  Forgive all the details.  They are not to display a "pity party" but to get the facts down so that we can rejoice together and fully understand the depths God pulls me from!

Back a month ago...There was a coffee for women at church and an invitation to come join a mentorship.  I really hesitated.  After all, is this really going to be where God has us for the rest of our lives - Chino?  And part of the worst thing about our new existence was having almost all of our friends and "how we knew life" stripped away from us.  It's almost like I've never lived in Chino before or spent so much time here because we are really starting all over.  Sorry, I digress.  Well, I signed up to check out this woman to woman mentoring thing and couldn't believe the varied ages of the ladies, from high school on up.  I almost left because I didn't think I could share what I'm going through because who would understand.  I didn't leave and was encouraged to stay.  They promised to take our information cards and pray over them so the Lord would choose the perfect mentor for us.  I found that God did exactly that and a week later I met a dear lady.  A widow of a pastor that had been ministering for almost 30 years and deeply hurt in the end of ministry.  We just looked at each other, with tears in our eyes, and agreed that God had put us together for the next six months.  I thank the Lord that I'm in the right place!  We started reading a book and dealing with the topic of fear.  It's what I needed especially in my physical state.  

I am sick of doctor's offices, co-pays and medicine!  It's almost to the point I feel like a picture from the medical dictionary under "patient."  Whether it's herniated disc in my neck from sneezing to finding out I carry a cancer gene to fibromyalgia and most recently, diabetes - I'm just so tired of it!  I've been putting off a routine eye exam that most diabetics have to have every year.  My first time but I didn't think anything of it, besides maybe it's time to get a new pair of glasses.  The doctor spent a lot of time looking into my left eye and ended the visit with a strong prompting to move quickly to a blood test and MRI because the back of eye was swollen (edema).  I didn't quite understand she meant this was an emergency until I was tested by people that said the doctor wanted the answer right away!  Later I read scary things like tumors can cause this and people can go blind.  Oh, isn't the internet such the comfort at our fingertips!  

Fast forward to the results.  The MRI showed that there is something on my brain!  It is called venous angioma and its on the parietal lobe in the back of my head.  It's not known if this is even the reason for the edema in the eye or my migraines.  The doctor called with the news yesterday, Nov. 11th.  The doctor promised to get me into the neuro-surgeon in two days.  One of the first things we find out about this is most cases aren't found until an autopsy!  I am very lucky they found it.  It can be the cause of my shoulder pain, migraines, dizziness, forgetfulness, etc.  Get this - one internet site said one of the symptoms was LAZINESS!!  Don't ask my husband if he agrees!  People with this can experience major strokes, black outs, seizures and even death.  One person with this made a comment on a website that they felt like they had a "ticking time bomb in their head."  So I don't know if there will be a cure, medication or surgery yet.  Most don't get surgery unless they can get to the exact spot and do radiation that won't hurt the rest of the brain.  Only meeting with the surgeon will give me more answers.  Most Christians can and hopefully rest in that fact that we know the great surgeon and that the healer will have the final say!  Am I one of the ones that can REST in that though?  I can be so fearful!!!  Even after my Mom was just healed of Ovarian cancer!  It's sounds to me like I will need the same kind of miracles!

Now your probably wondering why I titled this "perfect love drives out fear."  Well, my mentor and I have been reading a book together.  That was the verse that stuck out to me the day before this news.  I have really never understood how this can be possible and I don't know if I've truly experienced God's love driving out my fear completely!  I think I'm about to experience it though.  If this scripture could be translated by how I lived my life it would probably say perfect UNDERSTANDING drives out fear!  It's easier for us to trust God when we can see the purpose of our trials but that's not how He works.  I don't understand so much of what is happening to my family but maybe that's why God gave us our promise the week after He sent us off in a new direction.  Our book also said that God has in mind our ultimate good and not just our present comfort.  What I'm beginning to really understand is that GOD is that perfect love and the more I dwell in Him, read His Word and hear His voice then that is when fear is replaced with peace.  I think I'm beginning to understand and will some day look back and see the "ultimate good."  Haggai 2:9 says, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

I was listening to a sermon that had the best illustration about fear and that image has been a constant reminder to me that God is holding my hand through it all!  God's main goal is to make you and I into people of faith!  If you have time, take a listen to it:

10.17.10 - Making Sense of Your Life

Pastor Jim Cymbala

http://brooklyntabernacle.lightcastmedia.com/console_multi.php?u=3055&c=1027302573

If you are reading this, thank you!  I need your prayers too.  Thank you!

Heart full of thankfulness for...

Friends
"Among Life's precious jewels,  

Genuine and rare,  

The one that we call friendship  

Has worth beyond compare." 

~ author unknown

Watercolor of some of the beautiful flowers I received. 

Our time to enjoy fresh flowers is short and just like the time
we may have our friends around us, the memories are like these
picture that never fades when our time together has past. 

I've been blessed - thank you for your friendship!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDXS_s1BCUA

The Song Stuck in my Head

They Can't Take That Away From Me

You know God knows our hearts desires - whether big or small.  I was headed home from taking the kids to school this morning and listening to my usual Christian music station.  I don't change the channel much except to listen to Focus on the Family or other such programs.  Today I did and came across fun and light music I haven't really heard in years because I have been in the Christian music world.  As though I was hoping out-loud, I had a deep desire and moment of grief all wrapped up into one.  With no money for frills but a love for music that I can't be a part of now, I wanted some way to enjoy it again.  Welcome to the 21st Century - blogs can have music, fun and free music for me or others to listen to - right on my blog page!!!  What an enjoyable discovery and a moment of realizing (as I start to cry writing this) that God knows my most intimate desires!!  It may not mean much to explain this desire to anyone else but God understood and gave me a ray of sunshine today.  I've barely touched a piano in months and grew my nails out even for fun!  A little awkward doing gardening with nails!  Only this week have I listened to my favorite choir music, Brooklyn Tabernacle.  Little by little, I see that God knows my heart and what I love and in due time, He has a plan for me to enjoy it again.  Reminds me of a song and they...."Can't Take That Away From Me."  If you have time, take a listen to the musical gift God gave me today - my blog music player on the side-bar, handpicked and created with a handful of music that brings me such joy to hear today (all for free).  God knows the hearts desires that bring you joy too!  Be encouraged!

Busssssttttttterrrrrrrr!!!

Back when I was approaching getting married and becoming a "Brown", my high school students made us a chair with the name "Buster" on it as a shower gift!  Well, it was intended for our first child and the suggested name was "Buster Brown."  Well, we got our "Buster" this year but he is a energetic Golden Lab!

Our family started a healthy and much needed project - a family garden!  We needed the family time and a way of supplying our needs during slim times.  The only way to grow this garden was to make sure we mixed the right type of soil (expensive way I might add) and then make sure the garden was fed with proper water, sunlight and attention.  The kids each have their own container garden and it's been fun!

The only problem with this type of project not working seemed to be the dogs so Daddy and little Jerry put up a fence to keep the dogs out.  The latch was left open a couple times in the beginning and Buster got curious, even making his paw prints in the soil or tearing up the weed cloth in places.  Eventually, Buster and Sweetie Pie (our Cocker Spaniel) understood the boundary or so we thought!  This last week, the fence latch somehow got open and good old "Buster Brown" must have led a doggie field day!  Check it out...

Why is this scarecrow still smiling?

My Aunt Nanny had, from what I recall, something like a black lab and his name was "Satan."  Yes, that was his name!  I hadn't thought about that dog forever until this past weekend!  I think Buster was our little Satan in our garden!  You see, this whole garden thing has been teaching me something lately.  I looked into it further as I remembered the Song of Solomon verse (2:15) that said, 'Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes'."  One commentary I read talked about it this way: http://www.biblicalexaminer.org/m19990523.htm

The times that I have doubts or even leave a"fence latch" open to Satan can be the times when the "fruits" of my spiritual walk can be hindered or either destroyed.  It's more important than ever that we (our family) remain in God's word and faithful in prayer so we can grow and not leave room for the enemy to distract or destroy the garden of our lives!  I'm not a preacher but wow, no wonder Jesus used the garden in different illustrations - it's real and speaks to where I'm at today!  Like this parable from Mark 4:4-8:

"And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

God is really dealing with me about having hope lately.  Probably because I have been in such a place as to really giving up and losing it.  In the middle of it, I have found God to be close and that He really is near to the brokenhearted.  While I was blogging this (is that correct grammar?) I listened to a sermon and determined to click on the most recent one from Brooklyn Tabernacle.  After all this time, only today I discovered that I could hear Jim Cymbala preach online!  Anyways, wouldn't you know that the first sermon on the list was about HOPE!  My previous post was about the same topic so you know God is really dealing with me on it!  Even had someone call me to talk about it!  I offer you a link and also my paraphrase below.  "May the God of all HOPE fill YOU with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13.  I also offer you congratulations and thanks because if you read all this long blog today - you are amazing!

"Don't Lose Hope" by Pastor Jim Cymbala of Brooklyn Tabernacle  (9-21-10) Psalm 25:1-5, 21

"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

 in you I trust, O my God.

 Do not let me be put to shame, 

nor let my enemies triumph over me.  

No one whose hope is in you

 will ever be put to shame, 

but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

  Show me your ways, O LORD, 

teach me your paths; 

guide me in your truth and teach me,

 for you are God my Savior, 

and my hope is in you all day long."

http://brooklyntabernacle.lightcastmedia.com/console_multi.php?u=3055&c=1027302573

No one who puts their hope in God will ever be put to shame (or disappointed)!  Satan knows this and will overwhelm you in an area and try to kill your hope!  If you have no hope in an area - it will lead to you not praying, losing your joy, you won't believe, you start losing your praise....You are in a bad state when you lose your hope!  Have faith and put your trust in God - sometimes the answer doesn't come right when we want it.  What it comes down to is the question: Will you still put your hope in God?  Then maybe what you prayed about gets worse and voices tell you to give up?  The Bible says that is the battle of faith!  The hardest part of hope is the waiting!  God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not ours.  Our job is to wait on God and hope. The test of our faith (relationship with the Lord) is how well we HOPE!  Check out George Muller - his ability to wait for God on behalf of the orphans he took care of...  Gathered children into the dining room when there was no food.  Prayed for the food when there was no food.  God answered and food came to the door!  Your promise - not one person who waits for Him will be disappointed! Keep a spirit of expectancy and not get angry or bitter!  Psalm 25:21 - "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you." Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are my Savior and my hope is in You all day long!   You are my Savior and who is do I have but you.  Army chasing him so David waited for God to pull him through!  You think God will fail any of us when we are busy reminding God of His promises and putting our hope in Him?  Sometimes we give up and move on and end up missing the blessing that was coming if we had just waited!  The hardest part of waiting is the "last half hour."  No one at the end of life has ever said "I put my hope in God and man what a mess my life was."  When you lose your hope, your flesh always tries to reassert itself so many tragic things happen.  God's way and timing is the best!  They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength!  When you put your faith in the Lord - He will renew you when you are waiting on Him!  God will strengthen your hope!  No one has ever put their hope in God, waited all day long and seen God fail!  It can't happen!  AMEN!

I Never Lost My Praise - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Tonight - a reminder that God is thinking of me and He is faithful when I am so low.  I am thanking the Lord tonight for a special, dear friend calling to remind me of the song I taught the choir and for me to not lose my hope or my praise!

Tried by fire

August 1, 2010 changed the direction our family was headed and a week later we heard this from the Lord -  "You have done things for the Lord and seen God move/miracles.  You are now dry like dust.  If you seek after me with all your heart - I will amaze you." (paraphrase)

So what does God have for us now?  We aren't sure but we do know that trials test our faith and it's the only way to grow in Christ!  I want to grow! I thought of this verse today and being "tried by fire."  "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 

The other night, I needed a reminder that God is still working in my life and I need to stop hanging on to the past and move forward to all God has in store.  The words I heard the pastor say rang so true as tied to what God first spoke to us at the start of this new direction.  I couldn't write fast enough to catch it all but place it hear as a marker for us and encouragement for others.


"Not that I already have obtained all this, or have already been made perfect but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to in the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." 
Philippians 3:12-14

• When you can't forgive yourself, you can't move on.  Let go of the past - forgiving what is behind.
• Paul (great man of God) saying he hasn't arrived. You need to know God is working in you and not done. Forget past accomplishments and head to future!
• Our spirits have been born again but we need the renewal of our minds. Do you want things to be the same or to grow in all that is possible.
• Surrendering is just the beginning. Believers in Bible were added DAILY because they were in the Word, praying and worshipping daily. It is a discipline!
• People will let you down but Jesus never leaves you. Your time with the Lord is your strength!

Our Mindset

• If all you think of is what God did in the past, you are stuck.... you are dry...  "However, as it is written: no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."  1 Corinthians 2:9
• Speak to God about the new levels you want to go - have a positive confession. What are you saying about your situation?  God has more for you than you can even imagine!
• Grace and the love of God will bring healing to you.  "If God is for you than who can be against you!"
• We don't go anywhere when we just cut the past.  It doesn't matter where you are now or who you are - this does not determine what God has for you! God is not a respecter of persons - you just have to want to commit!  (read book "God's Generals")
• Your latter days will be greater than your former!  Ask God for more of Him!  God is the same as He was in the Bible.
• It's time to stop playing church and have the "upper room" here!

Servant's Heart

• Jesus, God Almighty, humbled Himself when He came here to us. We received His righteousness at the cross so we can BOLDY receive what He has for us!  It's by His blood and not our performance!
• Spurgeon said the Christians motto should be "I do" but we don't earn it by our works.  Our motto should be - "it was done" on the cross.
• Too much fake humility in the church.  Be careful - God is the only one that can see the heart. 
• If you see a wild stallion in the wild - he is out of control.  If a wild stallion is domesticated - it is then "power in control"  This is humility.
• Jesus on leadership: He didn't come to create power of a team but to show us love.
• The higher the power, the more humble we should be. Our Savior came to represent a greater kingdom.
• Do you have a servant's heart, not just for show?  There is only one person to "impress" and that is God.

Praise

• Job's example: "Though He slay me yet I will trust Him." The Lord gives and the Lord takes away!
• Praise your way through and the walls come down! Praise Him in the good and in the bad. 
• He is the Alpha and Omega! It ain't over until God says it's over!! 
• Rejoice always! Things seen are temporal... what matters is the unseen.
• Going through potholes?  We won't have enough room to contain what God is going to do.  After all you've done - STAND and you will STAND if you faint not! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
• Make a declaration with your mouth for your heart!
• Don't have a job?  You do: Your mouth is important - look beyond the hardship!
• Paul was in prison.  It advanced the gospel Paul said. He knew God was with him even in prison, no complaining. Praising God in jail saved lives!
• Let your trial kick you forward. "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity." Proverbs 24:16  Get up and PRAISE!
• God loves you and you are the apple of His eye!
• Are you tired of going backwards and staying the same?  You need to say "I'm coming to receive today!"
• Why don't we receive?  We aren't BELIEVING! "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him." Mark 11:23
• How big is your BUT? (new sermon title)  Have an expectant heart!  Start thanking Him for what He is going to do! God thought different!
• God can make a position for you at work in the middle of devils just because He can!
• Practice right thinking - thinking from a Biblical perspective. "For as he thinks within himself, so he is." Proverbs 23:7
• God is for me and not against me! He will do "exceedingly and abundantly MORE." We are supposed to be "believers" and not "doubters."
• (This point is for all my single sisters) Start thanking God for your "man of God."  Start "seeing your rib!"
• No condemnation - God didn't spare you just to let you fall down! You are special people!
• If you do this, your attitude will change.  The bad thing that happened to you won't destroy you but the attitude will!
• Be an excited Christian!  As you think determines your heart determines your destiny!
• Why aren't we fired up now?  New attitudes will take you to new levels!

God's Reminders

Time marches on and even though further away from the event that has left me feeling pretty beat, I know God is still in charge.  One of my friends shared part of this hymn and so I looked up the rest today.  Very meaningful to me today.  For the first time in thirteen years, I am not working and the quietness of having two kids away at school can add to the struggle of this new adjustment.  Also posting the song, "Still" as my reminder today.


"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hillsongs - Still with lyrics

Do the Puyallup....I mean OC Fair!

We enjoyed the Orange County Fair for free!  I have some neat memories of going to the fair up in Washington State every year but up there we called it, "doin' the Puyallup (that's pronounced pee-you-al-up).  I still remember the jingle from the commercials every year!  Don't you wish you could hear me share it with you right now?!  Here are the lyrics at least..."You can do it with at a trot, you can do it with a gallup, you can do it real slow so your heart won't pal-i-pi-tate....just don't be late, do the Puyallup! Here is an old version like I remember, complete with several verses:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo6PKrdNfYQ  This link isn't quite what I remember but you'll see they still use the same song: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NIo-4PPlGg

The one thing I can't understand about fairs here in California is why they don't sell hot, fresh buttered scones with fresh raspberry jam!!  That's the whole reason we went to the fair growing up and why we stood in huge lines!  There is nothing like it.  And here is what the line looks like to get the scones...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmT6sVRk52Q   Yes, I have digressed a bit.  Guess I'm a little home sick.  No, in California we have things like chocolate covered bacon and deep fried twinkies or oreos!  No, we didn't try any of it!  It was good to smell that "fair smell" again, well with the exception of the animal stalls!

Happy to be just "Mom" again!

The kids loved it and especially loved the gardens and animals.  They just couldn't get over that their cotton shirts came from a cotton plant!  It was fun and a good way to start finally getting some family time after three years of hard work.  Enjoy the pictures!

New Season

Well, I'm sure this isn't the only blog that was ever started with - I never thought I would blog but....  You see, I am starting this blog as the "fourbrownbees" start a new chapter in their life together.  why the four brown bees?  Well, Jerry and I started out our marriage in 1997 as the "twojaybees" for our initials, JB.  Since then, God gave us the most precious kids we could have ever hoped for - Lauren and Jerry III.

We create this with a greater purpose today - as a reminder for us, our children and the generations to come that God is faithful and "that they may set their hope in God and would not forget His deeds," Psalm 78:7.  My prayer is that I will continually have HIS praise on my lips during this new season.  Nine years ago, I started writing to our daughter, Lauren, in her baby book and continued this with our son Jerry.  But even before then, I started a journal.  A different kind and even though the entries have sometimes had as much as two years between them, it will some day show our children that God has been faithful and heard our prayers.  Many of our struggles and miracles, including our kids, are written there as a testimony for us now and in the future.  This time is filled with sadness for us as we leave our church family but GOD will bring good out of it! The joy of the Lord is our strength!

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  Genesis 50:20

May this be a place where we share the journey that this new season has brought us and the victories God has in store for our future so that others will set their hope in God!  Welcome to the fourbrownbees blogspot!