Isn't She Lovely

I had a notification from Instagram the other day that I had been tagged in a picture. What picture? I haven't had any pictures taken. I perused Instagram, found the picture, and found my lovely daughter. I let her have red lipstick for Christmas...Here is what it looks like...

Isn't she lovely?

Eureka!

It's time. It starts today. But. I got up this morning still not sure where God was directing me with my fasting and prayer. Well...prayer, yes, I know what to do about that...but fasting...there are so many options. Thankfully, our pastor, carefully and deliberately went over the whys and hows behind the Church and its fast...which I knew, but I had a block for which one I should do...what to fast and for how long. The Lord knows I have so much to change within me...I need a jolly good kick in the derriere. Total fast? (I think I mentioned King Kong Effect or a corpse for this writer) Partial fast? The Daniel fast? That's it! The Daniel Fast! (See verse below)

10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

No bread, no meat, no wine, for me. I can do that except I don't really drink wine. I am what could be called a really really cheap date. Two sips of wine and I am dancing on the table, removing my clothes, and very friendly. So I need to substitute for the wine...chocolate? Tea? Oh dear. Here, we, go, again...I am biting the bullet. Bye Chocolate. And...are you sitting down? You need to sit down for this...I am abstaining my favorite, Mighty Leaf Breakfast tea. Sitting down with a hot cup of this liquid gold is sooo soothing to me...the taste, the smell, the mental vacation...This? This IS a big deal. I mean really big. It is the stuff of Headlines...this is almost as big as me cutting off an appendage...Okay, not quite, but you have to admit I am good at embellishing. (You will notice in the photo below, it is a cup of Jasmine tea. Yeah, I'm not that crazy that I would give up everything...the green tea stays. It's half the caffeine and studies show it is good for you and it doesn't mean as much to me as my breakfast tea. It stays. (I can justify anything)

Are you wondering what I am praying for? So much...the upcoming election, my family, my children's futures, friends, and most of all, being thankful...I am so blessed. I am often in awe of how God has blessed me. When I slow down and meditate on all He has done for me, I am perplexed. Why? I don't deserve it. I mess up a bazillion times every single day...and I am still blessed. If I sit here too long, I may realize that the Daniel Fast is pretty insignificant for all that I have to be thankful for...I may talk myself into a total fast. However, I am not crazy. Mount Kilimanjaro can't be climbed in a day and I should probably start off slow with fasting...me, trying to do a total fast would be like running a Marathon when I can only walk a 5K. Next year, I pray I will be spiritually strong enough to go all in...we will see. I just want to be at a place where I am obedient to do whatever He asks of me. 

Here is the link for today's message from our pastor on fasting. He's a funny guy which I love. I learn so much more when I can laugh...somber sermons make me feel smart but I do not grow much spiritually. I can fake smart. I can't fake spiritual. Watch. I promise you will enjoy it. If not, I'll give you my box of Mighty Leaf Breakfast tea. Seriously!

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-declaration-of-dependence

Indecisive

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting starts at our church tomorrow. It's my opportunity to grow closer in my relationship with God, think of others more than myself, display the fruits of the Holy Spirit, this is a great opportunity..and I still can't figure out what I am going to fast from...The die hards (more disciplined, more self-controlled, more heavenly minded than me, obviously) will actually go 21 Days fasting from food. I would probably resemble King Kong or a corpse if I tried that, so I am stuck, what means a lot to me that would be hard to go without? Nothing. I got nothing. I thought about chocolate...I like chocolate but I am not that attached to it...OH NO...I just realized what it is that I am really really attached to....Mighty Leaf tea. Oh. My stars. There is something...do I feel God calling me to do without it for the next 21 days? Nope. Phew!

Okay, what is there in my life that will help me to focus more on prayer? Hmmm. I got nothing.

Let's think about this...My mind is a blank. Maybe if I pray about it some more. God, what do you want me to give up to focus on my relationship with you? And please, please, don't make it my tea...I'm afraid I won't obey and that would mess the whole purpose of love, discipline, and obedience.

Let's start with prayer, Heavenly Father, please forgive me for being so shallow that I am struck dumb at the idea of finding something to fast...Please inspire me by morning...and Lord, please, please, please. not my tea.

No Allegiance

Clap Clap Clap, We will, We will rock you...The Queen Anthem We are the Champions being played out by the AVHS football team sitting in the Quad, forming a circle of high school studs, during my freshman year of high school was my introduction to football mania. The School's football team was the State Champion and earned the right to celebrate with Queen's song.  (To be honest, I wasn't really into Queen, the only reason I was aware of its existence was because my older brother listened to KLOS and KMET, the "cool" stations of Los Angeles. I missed the Queen/Led Zepplin mania also. I did have an ex-boyfriend who was passionate about them, does that count?)

I live in the SEC part of the world...one would think that I would have a passion for one of the SEC football teams...nope, I cheer for my friends' teams...I cheer for the under-dog, I cheer for whichever AL team is playing. I want to have that passion that has me ornamenting my car, wearing sweatshirts with my team's logo, a great big obnoxious flag in the front yard but I just can't muster up the allegiance to end all allegiances. I have lots of Bama fan friends and lots of Auburn fan friends. I wanted to have their passion for a school they never attended. (I think that is my problem, my brain can't quite wrap around having a passion strong enough to go all out for a school I never attended. I have in my brain that you have to actually attend the school to be so zealous.)

I am passionate about how much I love Fridays and Saturdays in the SEC region of the Country. I love the cars flying flags for their team, I love how almost everyone (except me) wears their team's paraphernalia. I love how "Roll Tide" and "War Eagle" are actual greetings to people...Football is ingrained in their DNA down here. It leaves me feeling like I am missing something.

I once tried "selling" my allegiance on Facebook to anyone with a good offer. The best offer made to me was a box of Lipton tea bags to be a Bama fan. Not good enough...especially since I do have an allegiance to Mighty Leaf Breakfast and Mighty Leaf Jasmine tea. I should be a die hard Bama fan since my best friend actually graduated from the University of Alabama and had a dog, a password, and a daughter who attended Bama...but I'm not quite ready to name a pet "Bama" or to fly the Bama flag in my yard or on my car. After my failure to get a good deal for my faithful allegiance to one school. I went the politically correct route and decided to go all in for Harvard. No one could take offense at a Harvard Fan living in the SEC, right? First, I had to make sure Harvard actually still played football. They do...and they're called the Crimson. Too funny. I named our Rav4, John Harvard, I bought a Harvard sweatshirt online...and when I wear it, people think I'm a Bama fan. Epic fail. I did cheer for Bama last night, I'm quite happy they made the Playoffs, however, I went to bed in the 3rd Quarter so my Manic Fan card did not get punched.

Laugh

I love to laugh...and if I can learn about God and laugh at the same time, so much the better. The reason I love my church so much is it about loving God but also laughing and learning. This video about the 12 Days of Christmas from the Christmas Eve Service had me laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. I just have to share it.

Have you ever thought about what the gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas would actually be like??? Here's a glimpse of what that loving gift might actually look like.


https://www.facebook.com/highlands/videos/10153289814903341/?theater


And because I love you so much...I have to share some beautiful music from the Service also.


https://www.facebook.com/highlands/videos/10153285139253341/?theater

https://www.facebook.com/highlands/videos/10153291783323341/?theater

Lost It

Laundry, drive, feed the masses...that has been my life this past week...I even start my tea water and head to the laundry room to work on laundry while the water heats up...This means I am a little bleary eyed when pulling things out of the wash to put in the dryer...I found my debit card in the washer and was puzzled how my debit card found its way from my wallet to the washer. Slowly, slowly, it came back to me. I took my debit card and Military ID out of my wallet and put it in my pocket at ICE the other day. However, I could not find my ID anywhere! I prayed to the Omniscient God who sees everything to show me where I would find my ID card. Slowly, slowly, my fuzzy brain remembers pulling out my debit card to pay for something and that must have been when I lost the ID card. Great. Just great. I called Opryland and filed a "Lost" claim and was told it would take a week to process. In the meantime, I can't get on the Arsenal to use the Commissary. I don't think I have mentioned how much my kids are eating these days. I need Commissary access.

Loss of Commissary privileges is actually nothing compared to my Social Security, Greg's Social Security, and both of our birth dates are now in someone else's hands. As if the DOD hack wasn't bad enough (The Hackers got the entire family's information and all Greg's Security Clearance Information) and now I have handed strangers our information. I have a feeling I am going to come home one day and a bunch of Russians will have taken over my home and assumed my ID. I am going to end up living in a cardboard box under I565.

Thankfully, the Husband did not yell at me...he took me to get a new ID. I have my commissary privileges back...I will stress every time I use my debit card for fear someone has cleaned out my account.

Lesson learned...carry the heavy purse. Better yet, honor the Husband...this was Karma...for giving into the Kids' desire to see Ice over my husband's desire to never see ICE again...Next year, Cheekwood for the Dickens' Carolers and hot chocolate.

Fingerpainted

Breathtaking...tonight was the third night of beautiful, take your breath away sunset...the swishing and swirling clouds seemed like the great Master had dipped his hands in paint and swoosh...color. I was in absolute awe...I was driving so I asked Hannah to grab my phone and take a picture...she just sat there...I tried to share my enthusiasm for the beauty...no luck, apparently, I was interrupting a group text message about her negligence on "Watpad." What the heck? Wat-what? Take a picture! Let's remember this artwork made just for us to appreciate...Her response..."I'll use my phone, it has a better camera." I hate technology, it has ruined conversations and appreciation for the beauty all around us. Next time, I pull to the side of the road and sit there until both children look up from their devices and are gob smacked by exquisite sunset...or I am slapping them upside the heads and throwing the devices out the window.

How many people can see a Saturn V with this for a background? 

Seeing this coming home from the Rink, made the drive worth 5 hours of sitting through a figure skating lesson and two Stick and Puck Sessions.