Contest Winners, Mom Moments and the Eclipse

Good morning. Hope you are having a great week. We’re dealing with colds, so this post might be short and all over the place. So, to keep me on track, here’s what I plan to write about today.

1. Announcement of the winner’s of last week’s contest
2. A mom moment because my oldest is now 12 years old
3. A thought or 2 on yesterday’s solar eclipse

Congratulations to Lucy Reynolds and Carolyn Holtz, winners of the giveaway I did last week. It was great having Heather Day Gilbert here, and I know you ladies are going to enjoy “Miranda Warning”. Check your email, because we need your addresses to mail you the books. Thank you all for reading and commenting, and I hope you’ll stick around. :)

Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? One minute you’re busy changing diapers, and the next, you’re telling them not to wear such a low cut shirt. LOL Twelve! I’m stunned. Where has time gone? I remember holding her for the first time at a few minutes after 6 AM 12 years ago, and now, she’s going shopping with my Mom with money of her own in her purse. She helped decorate the cookies I made yesterday for our eclipse/birthday party, arranged the table and chairs outside for our guests, still sits on my lap and tells me she loves me, loves to decorate, loves to paint, sings so pretty when she thinks no one is listening and reminds me everyday what it’s like to be young. :)

Saw a post on Facebook a few minutes ago that disturbs me. It said something like, “God speaks profoundly through the signs of heaven.” I didn’t read it all, but what disturbs me is that no one mentioned God speaking through His Word, only signs in the heavens, signs they can see. Seems to me that Jesus had something to say about this in Matthew 16:4. “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them, and departed.” In order to understand the sign of the prophet Jonah, we have to look into the Old Testament, which, BTW is the Word.

Now, I’m not saying God doesn’t speak to us through the signs of the heavens. He can and does. After all, Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Therefore, we must take the eclipse yesterday for what it is—the glory and wisdom of God on display. He’s got the whole world (universe, galaxies, everything you see in the night sky) in His hands, and the best way to get to know what He is saying to us as a people and as individuals is to get into His Word. He will give us wisdom and understanding, if we simply ask Him.

So thankful for His healing power. I felt pretty rough when I began writing this. Feeling much better as I finish. If you enjoyed the interview last week and want more of them, drop me a comment and let me know. Love hearing from my readers. The birthday girl and the youngest aren’t doing school today, so I’m praying for inspiration to write on one of my works in progress. Here’s praying you have a fantabulous week. Catch you here next Tuesday.

Blessings.

Lil Bit of Wisdom

Tuesday again, and I find myself unable to concentrate on a subject to write about. I thought of telling you about my vacation last week, but we didn’t do anything terribly exciting. I wanted to come up with some biblical wisdom, but all that is running through my mind is God’s goodness and grace. Certainly he is enough, so maybe I’ll talk about that.

While scrubbing my bathtub earlier, I had this profound thought: I have to put some muscle into ridding my tub of grime, but the Lord washes me clean with only one drop of Jesus blood. How awesome is that? Seems like we try and try to better ourselves, knowing all along we can not do anything to fix ourselves. Only His blood makes us clean. It isn’t even hard for Him.

I’ve also been thinking of organization. I have none, BTW, at least, none that would make sense to anyone else. My oldest daughter, however, is organizing the bowls that we keep seashells in. She wants to make them look pretty. Me, I'd just dump them in there and call it a job well done. She is taking her time, making sure each one fits the best. Guess maybe she’s doing something the Lord does all the time: putting us where we will look and work out the best. We fight Him, sometimes. We don’t like this particular job or situation. We’d rather do this or that, but He knows best how and where we will fit to make His plan what He knows it can be. Lord, let me be a little seashell in your hand, so you can put me where you want me.

Spent all week during my vacation thinking of my characters, Mercy and Gabriel. Had a brainstorming session with my friend and couldn’t wait to get home where I was sure inspiration would flood my mind like a…well, a flood. Hahaha! But, last night, I clearly heard conversation in my mind that is intended strictly for another manuscript. Wow, haven’t thought of that one in a month or more. So, before my cleaning spree today, I sat down and worked a bit on it.

Well, think I’m about out of words for now, so even though this was short, praying y’all have a safe week. Remember, I’m doing an interview and a giveaway. Two weeks from now on August 15. I’ll be creating an event on my FB page, so come on over and check it out. The address to the FB page is facebook.com/sjwellsauthor/

Blessings to you all.

4th of July Miracle

I’m a day late, but if you will bare with me, faithful readers, I have a story to tell. It’s a story of family togetherness, improvisation and simple blessings. Read on, because today I’m talking about 4th of July miracles.

Once upon a time, there was a mom who was blind who felt sad that she could not drive her daughters to see the 4th of July fireworks. Knowing from previous experience, sighted drivers are few and far between, she prayed for help from the Lord.

Around 9:45 pm on July 2, she was in her daughters’ bedroom hearing their prayers and hugging and kissing them goodnight, when there came a pop from outside. “Was that fireworks?” She asked.

“Yes,” her daughters said, glancing out their bedroom window into the backyard.

“Let’s go out and watch,” said Mom.

So, there on the steps to the back porch, Mom and girls sat. The girls kept their faces turned toward the night sky, ooing and awing over each burst of color. “I can feel it in my chest,” the oldest said.

“I want to sneak and watch the neighbors,” the youngest said.

For fifteen minutes, laughter bubbled up, and a closeness, warm and peaceful settled over the backyard, as each firework lit up the dark sky, outlining the steeple of the church one street over. When the display ended and Mom and girls were walking back inside, the girls exclaimed over the fireworks that they had been able to watch for free and without any of the crowds found in the city. Mom rejoiced over the simple, straight forward way that God had answered her prayer.

Two nights later on the 4th, Mom was once again telling her daughters goodnight, when that all-to-familiar popping was heard again. Out the door they went, Mom’s ears pricked and girls eyes wide open. After a few minutes, the youngest got bored and went back inside, but the oldest girl stayed outside, describing each firework to her mom who could not see. Thirty minutes later, the night around them quieted, and both Mom and daughter joined the youngest inside where they hugged, kissed and said their prayers. Another night of firework watching was behind them that did not include searching for a driver nor dealing with crowds. God had answered twice. I suppose you could call it a double blessing, a 4th of July miracle.

When I was growing up, several elderly folks tried to discourage me from getting my hopes up about marriage and children. How could I change a diaper? How would I manage if my house caught on fire? How would I know what my children needed? What would I do about going places? These were questions that haunted me at first, but they also fueled my determination to prove them all wrong. I could get married and have children, and I could do it as well as anybody else.

I don’t know who was putting off the big fireworks over the weekend, but I hope they know how thankful I am for them. Those fireworks went off practically over my backyard; my girls saw them with no difficulty. I had been feeling a little down that I didn’t have a ride to the fireworks displays in the area. However, nothing could have been better than the ones my girls and I were part of both Sunday and Tuesday nights. We laughed and teased each other, sat close together on my back steps and just enjoyed our time together. Money can’t buy that kind of happiness. After all, it isn’t the quantity of time, money or material things that is important, it is the quality of time, the realization that money isn’t important and the absence of material things that puts us in a position to hear from our Creator. Remember that the next time this world and its cares start to choke out your relationship with your heavenly Father.

So, what did you think of the story? Would love to hear from you, and be sure to follow the blog. Lots of exciting things coming up.

Until next time, be safe, remember to smile and hold your love ones a little tighter.

Blessings.

Advice From Master Yoda

Disclaimer: The quotes in this post may not be completely accurate.

I had a rough day. Stressed because I’m always stressed when the teacher reviews my girls’ homeschool portfolios, I did not sleep well last night. Nervous, I couldn’t eat much except a peanut butter and jelly sandwich this morning. We were getting the books put into the waiting bag, when my oldest spills water on her science notebook, pretty much ruining it. Then, I cut my finger on the end of my mandolin string while hurrying to put it back in its case. Wrapping a bandaid around it, I hurried to grab my bags, when my aunt says, “Aren’t you going to change your shirt?” It is certain I would have walked right out that door with a stained up shirt, if she had not stopped me. The first book the teacher opens shows correct answers but no proof that those answers were not obtained by cheating. My youngest was put on the spot, something that freezes her up. All was cleared up, yet, I knew, somehow, I had failed. Afterward, I thought to buy milkshakes to celebrate finishing the school year. But, since I didn’t buy what my oldest wanted from the place she wanted it from, she wouldn’t take anything from anyone or from anywhere. Once again, I failed. We came home and began clearing out the cabinet where I keep school supplies, only to realize we can’t find the book I purchased a month ago. Failed, again. I despaired that this day would ever be redeemed.

During supper and subsequent dish washing, Star Wars played on the TV. I prayed, kept reminding myself it would all be OK, and sat down with a second glass of sweet tea. Then, I turned my attention to the current movie and found some encouragement.

I am not an avid fan, and I don’t have the script memorized, but what I heard was this…if I remember correctly.

Luke Skywalker says, “Well, I’ll try.”

Yoda replies, “No. Do. There is no try.”

A conversation takes place where Luke says it’s too big of a job, and Yoda says something about size having nothing to do with it. Then, Yoda raises the spaceship out of the water. I know this, because I asked my husband what happened. LOL Anyway, at the end, Luke says, “I can’t believe it.” Whereupon Yoda replies, “That is why you fail.”

Suddenly, it hit me. Exactly who is living in me, seeing as how I call myself a Christian? If the force within me is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, BTW has no dark side, then why am I calling myself a failure? I had just been telling myself during dish washing that I would try to do better next year. But, according to Master Yoda, “There is no try.” And, the reason I fail is because of unbelief.

I will not try to do better next time. I will do better, because I know how to fix this year’s mistakes. I will not fail, because I am not trying to make my kids perfect students. I will succeed, because I am teaching them how to be lifelong learners. Besides, the Lord didn’t tell me to make my children happy or make them smart or even make them good at a particular subject. Nope. He told me to teach them. He told me to present the gospel to them. He told me to love them. As long as I do that, I am a success.

On this day twenty years ago, I donned a cap and gown and walked across a stage to receive my high school diploma. I was salutatorian, which is a fancy way of saying my grade point average was the second highest in my class. I had to give a speech, I remember, and it’s topic was success. Yeah, like I knew anything at eighteen, but still… LOL I can’t help but look back over the years and wonder at how far I’ve come. Part of me wants to smack that girl up side the head for being so arrogant. Then, I turn around, look at my own two girls and think, “Wow, how can I be the best mom to them?” Once again, Master Yoda’s words come back to me. “There is no try.” So, here’s to Yoda, my merciful heavenly Father and a good batch of homemade pizza cooked by my amazing husband. I’m going to be all right.

Tomorrow, I’m going to pick up that mandolin and work on those tremolos. I’m going to work on the fiction story I started a few months ago and the nonfiction story I started a few weeks ago. I’m going to love my family, come up with an inexpensive way to have a good supper when my man comes home, and I’m going to work on the blog post for my other blog. BTW, if you want to read it, you can find it at adkinsandwells.blogspot.com.

So, until next time, keep on keeping on, and when life gets tough, eat some pizza and watch a Star Wars movie. :)

You Got to Give Them A Turn

Today, while sitting in a Wendy's parking lot, my mom slid her key into the ignition and tried to start the car. Once, twice, three times and nothing happened. The key would not turn. We made sure doors were shut, the trunk and gas cap were shut. We each took turns trying, thinking that surely one of us had to be doing it wrong. Not knowing what else to do, I called my husband who is a parts manager at a Mitsubishi dealership.

"Is the car in park? he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"What about the brake?"

Being blind, I thought, well, good grief what's that got to do with it, but repeated what my mom said about how it wouldn't move very much.

"What about the steering wheel?" my husband asked, next.

"It's not straight," I said.

"Ok," he told me, "you got to put some muscle into turning the wheel and turning the key at the same time."

I tucked the phone against my shoulder, grabbed the steering wheel with my left hand and gripped the key in between my right thumb and first finger and gave them both a turn. With little effort at all, both the wheel and key turned, and we were able to leave the Wendy's.

It's a little sad how proud of myself I was. But, then I got to thinking, that life is kind of like that. We can try to steer all we want, but if the key to life hasn't been engaged, we are going nowhere. We can engage the keys to life, but if we never use the steering wheel, there will be no control. Until we put both hands into it and give both a turn, we will be forever sitting in the parking lot, watching others come and go.

It's been a long day. Took my girls to a museum, shopping, out for lunch and then came home to gather up some things to give to a friend. My man brought pizza home for supper, the girls went to Vacation Bible School, and I talked on the phone a bit then washed up the dishes. I'm tired and so ready for bed. Then, I remembered my blog. :)

So, is there a Bible lesson here? Sure. But, it's up to you to find it, this time and let me know what you come up with. The brain stopped working a while ago.

However, before I go, I just want to let y'all know I am coming up with a post to let you in on what's happening around here. Got a presentation coming up in September, a couple new books on the horizon, and who knows what else. Good stuff that I am excited about. So,, stay tuned. That post will most likely be up in a couple of weeks. Next Tuesday is portfolio review day, so I'll be running around like a crazy person until then. :)

Take care, sorry this post is so late, and keep the faith.

Note to Self

“Note to self…” You’ve heard that saying before, I’m sure. Probably even said it, yourself. That’s part of what I’m going to talk about today. So, with that in mind, let’s jump in and start each of the next few paragraphs with the phrase “Note to self”.

If it seems too good to be true, then chances are it is too good to be true. A publishing company who will edit, format, distribute, sell and promote your book all for $999 is quite possibly trying to rip you off. After getting scammed by a publishing company back in 2009 and then self publishing three books with the help of a friend, I think I’d rather go with my gut here.

If you spend a lot of time talking to folks about their lives so you can write their story, chances are you will think about them all night long. This is not a hardship, BTW. It’s a great opportunity to pray. However, when you start talking about them all the time, then it’s probably best to back off so they won’t think you are a stalker. :)

If you drink caffeinated beverages all day, then you’re going to be awake most of the night, unable to shut off your brain.

If you don’t turn on the dryer, the clothes will remain wet. I know this is like duh, but I just thought I’d add it here.

If you want to feel God’s Holy Spirit moving, then open your mouth and praise Him. He is worthy to be praised. Amen?

If you don’t turn on the crockpot, your food will not get cooked. Again, I hear you saying “well, duh”, but stick with me; I do have a point to all this.

Talking about doing something is all fine and good, but it won’t amount to anything if I don’t get my hands in there and do it. We’re having homemade soup for dinner, hopefully. I cut up the potato, opened a couple of cans and mixed it all up with the left over roast we had Sunday. But, if I had sat on my couch and talked about it without doing anything, we would be hungry come dinnertime.

The same goes with doing laundry or writing a book. Talking about writing is easy. Writing the words down, now that takes some effort. Sometimes, I wish the words would go from my brain right to the page, but it never happens. I actually have to put my fingers on the keyboard and type out words. *gasp* LOL

Even after the words are on the page, most of the time they need edited. I misspell them, get them backward and often just plain get them wrong. But, thankfully there is a delete button.

Sometimes in life, there is no delete button. In fact, we only get one life to live. No do-overs. We can go back and apologize for hurtful words, we can ask the Lord to forgive us, and He will, but we can never go back and redo the past. Hindsight might be 20/20, but the future is uncharted territory, and our only guide is the one who is, who was and who is to come.

So, keep making those notes to yourself, don’t forget where you came from, but, more important, don’t be afraid to grab hold of God’s big, warm hand and step out into the future. It might be scary, but He has more out there for you than you have ever dreamed of.

Thanks for being with me today. I would love to hear from you, so drop me a comment. Y’all take care and remember to pray for each other.

Taking Out the Garbage

Last Tuesday I talked about the results of binge reading. Today, I’m going to talk about ways I get rid of the extra garbage in my brain after one of those reading binges.

Seeing as how we serve a mighty God who already has the answers to everything, I thought it best to look into the Word, first. Here’s what I found.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” Psalms 119:9 KJV

After reading 7 books pretty much back to back, I can tell you there is a need for cleansing. According to the psalmist, taking heed to God’s Word is the answer. Yep, more reading, but this time, it’s the kind of reading that satisfies my soul. :)

Another way I expel the extras in my brain is to write about them. I keep a personal journal, in which I allow myself to say anything. Doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not, doesn’t matter if it matters or not. I let myself say whatever is on my mind. So, I write about the characters or how the story made me feel. I quote a passage from the book that either bothers me or sticks with me for some other reason. I make up my own version of the story, which, BTW, can lead to some very bad stories that I can’t bring myself to delete. LOL The key here is to give myself a chance to talk about what I’ve read to someone. It just happens, that someone is me and my heavenly Father. No use keeping secrets from Him, anyway. He knows all, sees all and still loves me, even when I’m being stupid.

Sometimes, if the books that I have devoured are especially clingy after reading, I stop reading completely. Except for my Bible, I don’t read anyone else’s work but my own. I listen to music or play music or crochet or knit or bake. I have gone months without reading any fiction but my own, which is probably why I go on a reading binge to start with. LOL

Books, especially the good ones with real characters and unpredictable endings are more than just something to read when I’m bored; they become part of me. I know that sounds loony, but characters stick inside my mind like real people. Usually, the only way to quiet them down is to write them out. So, as an author, understanding what makes real characters has become important to me. If an author can make a character pop off the page, then it doesn’t matter whether that character is male or female, werewolf, vampire, smoke jumper, doctor, ghost, shapeshifter, cowboy, gunfighter, beautician, soldier, police officer, preacher, time traveler, slave, pirate, Martian or whatever. Just make them real.

To add some humor and show you how my mind works, here are some story ideas from some reading binges from the past. Keep in mind, many of these  are too bad to share.

Young lady sets out on the Oregon Trail with her family and falls for the mysterious mountain man who is guiding the wagon train. (I did start this one, but can't seem to finish it.)

In 2117, a woman is given the task of teaching a man from Mars how to live on Earth and falls for him.

A blind woman’s werewolf husband changes to become her guide dog whenever she goes anywhere, scaring off anyone who would try to approach her. (This would actually come in handy) LOL

A woman travels back in time and finds not only the man of her dreams but her faith in God. (Oh, wait a minute, that one turned into a book, "A Moment in Time")

A young woman is on the run from the law and is captured by the one man who can teach her about God’s forgiveness. (Oh, wait, that turned into a book, too, "Wild Heart")

Female physician takes in a man wanted by the law and falls for him, all the while praying for his salvation. (Ok, that one is a book, too, "To Tame A Heart")

A wounded soldier comes home to heal and finds a book about her ancestors who fought in the Civil War. (Oh, dear, I think I’m starting a trend, because that one is turning into a book that hopefully will be published this year.)

To sum it all up, my way of taking out the trash in my head is to write it out. Some of these story ideas are just plain silly, but some of them work. The only way to know is to write them and see.

Thanks for spending your Tuesday with me. I hope you’ll come back often. Be blessed and remember God loves you.

Binge Reading

Binge: (according to dictionary.com) a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.

The results of an eating spree would include the following:

an overload of food in my body,

a feeling of discomfort and sluggishness, especially if that food was full of carbs and sugar,

my system would take a long time to digest said food,

I would gain weight,

and last but not least,

I would be out of food.

If I over indulged in alcoholic beverages, some of the results might include the following:

a lot of liquid in my system,

impaired brain function do to the alcoholic content in said beverages,

a need to expel that liquid in my system,

and, if I went way too far,

death.

There was a time in my life when I would have said, the above speculation and facts had nothing to do with my excessive reading habits. Now that I have some experience behind me, I know that the above speculation and facts have a lot to do with it. Notice, faithful readers, I did not say I was wiser than before, just experienced. Wiser would imply that I do not make mistakes in this area. Alas, I do make these kinds of mistakes. Ergo, last week’s reading binge.

It started out innocently enough. Early on a Monday, I remembered a book I had started but hadn’t finished. Wanting to finish it, I downloaded it and started listening. I finished it, and found another that sounded good. And, another, and another, and… By the time Friday evening rolled around, I had listened to 5 audio books, which seriously depleted my credits on audible.com. A friend asked if I had got my fill. I told her yes, but then yesterday, I downloaded 2 more and finished them this afternoon.

Results of binge reading may include the following:

too many characters yapping inside my head,

too much information vying for space inside my head,

unfinished house and school work,

Manuscripts of mine still waiting around to be worked on,

Sleepless nights,

a feeling of disconnect with the outside world,

hearing my thoughts in the voice of the narrator of those audio books,

no blog post last Tuesday

less time spent in prayer,

less time reading God’s Word,

and, last but not least,

A sense of emptiness, because the books I read, while funny and full of action and good characters, cannot satisfy my soul.

To use the words of king Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

My conclusion, therefore, is this: just as binge eating has consequences, so does binge reading, and it’s going to take a while for my brain to expel the garbage of my over indulgence. As for what you can take away from this post, remember that little song from Sunday School? “Oh, be careful little ears what you hear. Oh, be careful little ears what you hear. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little ears what you hear.”

What goes in the ear most times comes out the mouth, so let’s sing another verse. “Oh, be careful little mouth what you say. Oh, be careful little mouth what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little mouth what you say.”

Thanks for being with me today. Come back next Tuesday, when, Lord willing, I’ll talk about just how I usually expel garbage from my brain. No need for paper towels, either; this mess is usually harmless.

Be blessed, and pray for me. :)

And God Said...

Remember the account of creation in Genesis? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” verse 1 says. Verses 2 and 3 go on to say, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

If you keep on reading that chapter, you will find that God said a lot of things. He spoke light into existence, He spoke and dry land appeared. He spoke and the water brought forth living creatures after its kind, and so on.

Why do I bring this up? Do I not know that many disagree? I bring it up, because it reminds me, I do have something to blog about. I do have something to say.

Ever had one of those days? Y’all know I homeschool. Well, today was one of those days. Struggled to get the girls out of bed, struggled to get them to get finished with breakfast and brush their teeth. Swam upstream just to get them to pay attention during Bible reading. Threatened to keep their electronics unless they worked to complete the math assignment. No, I wouldn’t let them do language arts in their dad’s recliner. Yes, handwriting matters. Yes, you have to take a shower, whether you go to youth tonight or not. Talk about an uphill battle. With all that going on, plus writing on my book and obsessing over how my document looks, I kept thinking, “What on earth do I have to blog about? I might be passionate about writing, reading and homeschooling, but I felt empty. How can I entertain or inspire you, when I need inspired?

Then, the Lord reminded me how He spoke and light was created. Reading His word speaks life into me. All I need to do is be a vessel He can work through.

My children managed to get themselves ready for youth this evening. The laundry is all done and put away. The 11-year-old washed the dishes without complaining. The school day is over, and we manage to keep from yelling at one another. The man of the house came home early from work and said he would cook the dinner. To all this I have only one thing to say: “The Lord is good. His mercy endureth for ever and ever through all generations. So, I will stand up and sing praise hallelujah, for I know the Lord is good.”

Okay, so it was more than one thing, but this day was successful, because He spoke life into it. Miracles still happen, and I am living proof.

Next time you start thinking you have nothing you could possibly give, remember how the first day of creation began. God said, “Let there be light.” And, there was light. Amen?

Did you know I am on Facebook? Yep. Come on over to facebook.com/sjwellsauthor and like my page.

God bless, and be sure to come back, as I try and post once a week. See you next time. Same bat time, same bat channel. LOL 

Keep On

Pressing my palms deep into the ball of dough on my kitchen table, I thought for sure that I had messed up somewhere along the way. My dough felt floury in some spots and too sticky in others. How long would I have to knead until it was smooth and elastic? My friend and instructor who taught me to make bread had said I couldn't knead too much, so only choice I had was to keep going.

Push down, spread it out, fold it over. Press down, spread out, and fold it over. Again and again I worked that lump on my table. All the while, my 9-month-old daughter wandered around the kitchen in her walker, exploring the contents of my towel drawer and cabinets. Just when I thought I would never have a workable lump of dough, it smoothed out. I was amazed. I placed it in a well-oiled bowl and covered it. I set it aside to rise, and an hour or so later, it had doubled. I baked it, and my husband and I ate homemade bread that evening. "I thought for sure I was doing something wrong," I told him, "but all I needed to do was keep kneading."

Jump forward ten years. There I was walking and slugging down bottle after bottle of water. Sure didn't seem like I was losing weight. Then, one day, the scales gave me a reading I hadn't expected. All I had to do was keep walking. Some days during our homeschool, I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Will spending this much time on math pay off? Will they ever get this particular concept? Will I ever see results? That is when a still, small voice whispers, "Remember the bread. remember the walking. Keep kneading. Keep walking. At a time when you least expect it, you will see results."

This advice isn't something I remember all the time. Often I get bogged down and forget it. I need reminding, just like everyone else. Whenever the dough feels to floury, the walking seems to hard, the math so difficult, the mountain too steep, just keep pushing.

Maybe, you didn't need this message today, but I sure do. Life can be rough, situations can get so out of hand that I think I can't deal with it unless I have a bowl of ice cream to hand. That, my friend is when I need reminding just who I'm living for. The Bible says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 KJV. It doesn't mean I can do most things, or things folks expect. It doesn't mean only things a blind person can do. Nope, it says all things and means all things. And, God's Word is what I base my life on.

So, with all that said, here I go. Time to figure out what's for supper. Time to leave today and it's trials in the hands of my Lord and trust that He will work all things out for my good. Y'all be blessed, and remember God's love for you is deeper than the oceans, higher than the skies, brighter than the sun, sweeter than honey, as wide as the East is from the West and better than anything you can imagine.