My sister... my best friend...

We are like 2 peas in a pod!


She has always been there, and she has been my best friend since we were kids together.

In our 'grown up' years, she has been like the flip side of myself.

And yet... we are 2 different people, each with their own thoughts and hopes and dreams, , but always on the same page in our hearts...


There is very little in our lives that we have not shared... verbally, emotionally, spiritually and DAILY! Oh the joy of a phone plan that allows limitless talking about everything and nothing!! I know for a fact that both of our husbands are extremely grateful for cell phone free minutes...

She has a heart of gold, an unbeliev-
able spirit of giving, and a loyalty that is unquest-
ionable... always!...

While we were growing up, she was the obedient and 'good' sister... I was the 'independent' and mischievous one, while our brother just tolerated both of us!

There is not anything I can add to what she already means to me...


a sister like mine, is a gift from God. I didn't choose her, I had no choice in the matter, but if I had....

She would be THIS sister, no other!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best sister in the world! (April 1st)

A brand new Christian...

This is CREW, our youngest grandchild. Crew has loved Jesus for a long time, but last night, he accepted Jesus into his heart!

Dedra, his mom, and Tommy, his dad (our son) had the joy of leading him to the Lord...

In an email, later, Dedra said:

"We wanted to let you all know that the BIGGEST BLESSING OF ALL happened tonight! Crew asked Jesus into his heart !!!! He just turned 5 years old February 1st and now he can celebrate his 2nd BIRTHday.Thank you Jesus!!!

Tonight as we were saying bedtime prayers he began again to ask many questions and talk and talk about Jesus in detail.He explained the life and death and resurrection of Jesus and how you ask Him into your heart and WHAT that means in such detail that I told Tommy...." I think he just might become an evangelist!"

He asked if he could ask Jesus into his heart. So Tommy, Crew and I knelt and prayed. He prayed with Tommy and afterwards asked to pray on his own. He said "Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins and thank you that you came into my HEART!"As I tucked him in he said "I am a real Christian now Mommy and I can tell all my Friends about Jesus!"AMEN Crew! AMEN!!!!!"...


Tommy will have the joy of baptizing both Crew and his sister Lainey in a few weeks. Trust me... there WILL be pictures to share!!


What a way to begin the week. Now all 6 grandkids have accepted Christ and are being taught how to follow Jesus.

"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Is.54:13)

Have I told you I am 'almost' a princess?...

My father was born in America, but his heritage was German. His ancesters were born in Germany. His last name was Gesswein. Centuries ago, his family had the name GOSSWEIN, the spelling got changed through the years. There is a small place in Germany named GOSSWEINSTEIN , with a beautiful palace, which was in his family line.

It was the tradition that the oldest son would be the king, and of course his daughter, the princess. That tradition stopped long, long ago, but had it continued... my dad (the oldest son) would have been the king and that would make me (his daughter, as well as my sister)...a princess! (and my brother a prince.)

Here is the brochure from what is today a tourist area in Germany, named GOSSWEINSTEIN. The castle was built in the 1100's, and later given to our ancestors for occupancy.

This place is absolutely beautiful! I don't think I've ever been a drama queen, or princess, but... not sure I couldn't adjust!

I wonder if I visit there one day, if they will treat me as royalty??

It's good to know that Isa. 62:3 tells us..."You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God."

While this is all true and part of my earthly family, the real story is...

There is royal blood in my family line, and it comes from God Himself!! He is my father and I am His heir!

That's all the royalty I will ever need...

a few words on Mediocrity...

We honestly do live in a world that seems to be content with mediocrity... 'Give it a shot', and 'let the chips fall where they may'... I'm not talking about those who sincerely do their best, waking up every morning committed to doing and being all that God wants for them to be... We know those people, they stand out!

The huge crowd that does NOT stand out is the crowd of mediocrity. Mediocrity tells us to 'settle for the average, don't reach higher and demand more of yourself'... mediocrity does not seek first doing it God's way.

These things I know...

... God is not lazy
... God is not careless
... God is not sloppy
... God does not procrastinate
... God doesn't makes excuses...
... God doesn't do a job half-way
... God does not bow to the crowd
... God doesn't alter His words according to who He is with

...You get the idea... our standard as His children is such that the bar can't ever be raised higher than who He is and what He has said. His life is perfect!

In our culture today, excellence is not the bottom line goal. Usually it's about money, or fame, or power. Lots of the heroes that we have elevated are unworthy of the title. Many of them are lost on the inside and riding along on a wave that will crash at some point. UNLESS... their faith is in the God who changes lives.

I'm pretty sure that mediocrity is one of the biggest tools in satan's toolbox... 'Just do the job, it doesn't have to be great, just get through it' ... or 'say just enough in a conversation so you don't ruffle anyone's feathers, especially when you are talking about Jesus.'... or 'get out the magazine you've been eyeballing, you know your quiet time can wait, maybe till later when you're more 'focused'...

Mediocrity is full of excuses! Excellence goes after whatever the task at hand is, wanting it to be your best effort!... HE stopped at nothing, including the cross, to be sure it was all done right. He wants and expects us to give Him our very best.... and He deserves nothing less!

I always cringe at the verse that says "Because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth"... There have been many many times when I know I have deserved to be 'spit out of His mouth!'... I know how easy it is to be lukewarm... mediocre. And NO... I refuse to settle for mediocrity in my life!

When I give Him my best.... not only is He pleased... but I am happy and blessed in my own heart. Obedience to God's standard of excellence brings about the very peace of God that we so desire. He knows we aren't going to be perfect, but He expects us to give Him our best, our willingness, our obedience to do it HIS way... not the way of mediocrity!...

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." (NIV)

"Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work." (Col.3:22-25 MSG)

Spring break... 6 ring circus!...

This is Spring Break, and last night we had all 6 grandkids spend the night at our house!!!

Yep... it was a 6-ring circus! Sleeping bags all over the floor, dolls, cars, footballs and kid 'stuff'...


I don't think it would be possible to love 6 little people anymore than we love these 6!!



We had stories, charades, played American Idol, and the youngest performed JESUS LOVES ME while our daughter was 'Randy" the judge and told Crew ... "Dude... I think you picked the right song, and you're on the right track!"...

They are such a joy! Each child knows Jesus, and knows that they are deeply loved, by their parents, grand parents and by our Lord Jesus!

Makes my heart happy!

Waiting...

The title under this picture is:

"I think I can wait"...

I would have to agree, I think I would also wait...

This lead me to thinking about the times in our lives when we have no choice but to wait. For me, that doesn't come naturally, probably not for most of us.

But, there are many many times in this journey of life, when that is exactly what God asks of us... to wait. It may be for a number of reasons...

... a job that has been lost, while you wait for a new one...(I have a growing number of friends in the midst of this 'waiting room'...)

... a report from the doctor that calls for more tests, and you have to wait it out...(and on this note, if you haven't met her, please go and visit Lisa at Glad Chatter. She is in a waiting mode in the midst of a cancer diagnosis, waiting to hear the next step, and you will visit her blog and leave there both blessed and refreshed... Lisa is trusting God the whole way, as she waits...and somehow I always leave her blog smiling!... and one more, go and meet Witt Harris Lupher, the son and grandson of some precious friends of mine. This little boy will steal your heart! He has spent most of his 16 months in the hospital, with his loving family right beside him, as they have prayed, and claimed God's faithfulness, and ... waited!...)

... a child who is going through some struggles and you are called upon to say less, pray more, and... wait...

... or maybe even a marriage that is strained and needs God's touch of renewal, as you wait...

... it might be that you are in the midst of personal grief, and feel like you can barely hang on, as you wait and pray for the load to be lightened...

... or that you are at a place of change in your own life, and you aren't sure which direction to go...

Whatever it is, it's not new to God! He has both BEEN in those places Himself, as He awaited His own death on the cross for us. and... He has promised to be right there with us as we go through these times. And when the waiting is over... He will once again have proven His faithfulness to us.

Once in awhile I think I just CAN'T do something, like wait, again... and I am reminded that I have no other option. What else would we do?? Who else would we go to?? And in that moment, my heart is filled again with the hope that Jesus has promised... that "He will never leave me or forsake me", and that "He is with me always"... We are NOT without options... ever... we always have a loving Saviour who shares these very 'waiting' places with us, and by his steady hand, He leads us through them.

"I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning." (Psalm 130:5)

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 127:14)

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." (Psalm 5:3)

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Is.40:31)

My favorite 'fish story"...

Many years ago when my dad (the minister) was taking a walk with my then 4 or 5 year old nephew, my dad was telling him the story of Jesus feeding a crowd of thousands of people who had been listening to him preach. The people were hungry, and Jesus asked if anyone had something to eat.

A small boy in the crowd offered Jesus his lunch, a few loaves of bread and some fish...

Dad said, "Mikey, if you had been that boy in the crowd that day... would YOU have given your lunch to Jesus?


Mikey said... "Yeah, I HATE fish!"...


We have laughed at that story 100 times through the years. Sure... we are willing to 'give up' some things with a very sacrificial smile on our face, especially when it's something like 'fish', and we won't miss it!

It's the things that we DO value, and that we would miss, that sometimes we hold onto too tightly... one more time, I'm reminded of what Corrie Ten Boom said... "Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open."...

"Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke
6:38 NLT)

Thy will be done... or my will??...

Oh this cartoon gets a little too personal!

Yes, I am chuckling, but also yes... I can see that stiff demanding posture in her, and it does look a little familiar.

On certain days... I KNOW that person... I don't like that I do!

I want to be completely lead and controlled by Him... it's my prayer. But I know that sometimes... I look like HER!

Thy will ... or my will???

Here are a couple of quotes to think about...

"It is always self who gets irritable and envious and resentful and critical and worried. It is self who is hard and unyielding in its attitudes to others. It is self who is shy and self-conscious and reserved...

Anything that springs from self, however small it may be, is sin. Self-energy or self-complacency in service is sin. Self-pity in trials or difficulties, self-seeking in business or Christian work, self-indulgence in one's spare time, sensitiveness, touchiness, resentment and self-defense when we are hurt or injured by others, self-consciousness, reserve, worry, fear, all spring from self and all are sin."(Roy Hession)

Jesus has some very specific things to say about this:

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?" (Matt.16:24)

Sometimes I'm happily reading along in God's word, and then, BAM! Like today...

A Proverbs 31 woman... that's who I want to look like... not HER!

Thank God that this picture is not the whole story! He is making me into His image, day by day...

From the mouths of 'babes'...

Last week, a good friend of 3 of our grandkids passed away from cancer. He was only 7. Our 3 girls had prayed for him for 4 years, so it was a hard thing for them to deal with. When our daughter told them about Carson and that the healing they had prayed for was complete, and Carson was alive and well in heaven. Cassidy said... "that's not what we meant when we prayed for him to be healed!." .. I had to smile, as that was such a genuine and natural reaction...

Then, a few days later, our daughter was explaining carefully to her youngest, that eternity is forever, a life that never ends, and that this life is like a blink by comparison. Avery said... "mom, it's like earth is a practice for heaven". ..

Sometimes I wonder if the child is the teacher...

Jesus said "suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven"...(Luke 18:16)... the disciples were not always so patient with the children...

"People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." (The Message)

Jesus knew that we need to have faith like a child. It's pure and honest and whole hearted... My own faith is the strongest when I simply trust Him and don't try to 'add anything' to what He says, or get lost in too much rambling thought...

Sometimes I complicate the profound and simple meaning of what God has already said and done... He asks me to just trust Him... that's what He wants from me. The faith of a child, a child who knows that her Heavenly Father is utterly trustworthy...