Randomness

I am still away at our newest property getting it ready to be leased. Our dear new neighbor -- somewhere, whom I do not know, is suppling internet. I have kept up with my office computer work and internet is a big help AND I can keep up on my blog reading.

Today, my dear mother-in-law had two stints placed in her heart. She came through the procedure just fine. Last week she stubbed her toe on the step going into her home and fell forward. She hurt her little finger and hit her glasses which caused a very black eye. It really looks bad and her eye is so bloodshot. Bless her. The doctor is releasing her to go home tomorrow. She is at Baptist hospital in OKC. The house we have been getting ready to lease is about a 15 - 20 minute drive from there so it has been very handy for us.

This Friday, our night-time ladies group is having a slumber party. One of the families in our church has a lake home and we will be going there for the overnight fun.

I hope to be finished with the house tomorrow. Maybe all except the final shining of the sinks, sweeping and mopping of the floors. It was is very good condition. I have washed cabinets, doors, drawers, walls, baseboards, ceilings, windows, tubs, showers and painted three entire rooms and two accent walls in the master bedroom. I cleaned carpets as well. I'm sure you get the picture. We like to make them feel as new as possible.

I know it sounds strange to some, but I have really enjoyed it. I put in 15 - 16 hour days and fall into bed feeling productive. A great part of the time I have been here by myself and that is so rare that I get to be alone. I loved it! I and God have had such an awesome time. My sweetheart has had to be at the office and carry out his duties and then came here as often as he could. Basically, he does the outside work and I do the inside. (His is harder and at this time of year, HOTTER!)
He is here with me tonight.

Life at the parsonage ... very quiet and vacant:)

Rewards

HAPPY JUNE EVERYONE!

Can you believe that the year is half gone! This is the time of year that school is out and all the reward ceremonies are over. Those who did well and worked hard to achieve have received a certificate, trophy or whatever.

Time passes so quickly. It makes me think about what the Bible says about life: "its but a vapour". James 4:14 So true, especially when compared with eternity. I ask myself the question, "Have I and am I making it all count for eternity?" I had a lady say to me the other day the she just wanted to make it to Heaven. She wasn't interested in knowing what we will do there or about the rewards. The rewards are great thing because of what they represent; souls for the Kingdom. If we enter Heaven and have earned no rewards, what a loss! The loss being all of those who could be there with us; all of the lives we could have touch in Jesus' name. The rewards represent the results of our labors here on earth.

Dear ones, if we keep eternity in mind, I believe that we will find ourselves with a new drive and determination to allow Jesus shine through us. Someday we will be greatly surprised how just that simple cup of cold water given in His name had a mighty impact on a life. Let's not grow weary on this journey. We have all of Heaven cheering us on. The Reward Ceremony of all ceremonies will soon come and I want to discover that I did well. How about you?

Life at the parsonage ... inspired.

I Found Internet !

I'm still away working on our newest property. I discovered internet today! Apparently one of the neighbors has wireless -- so I linked to it so I could post. Aren't you just thrilled? :)

I lack two walls and a bathroom and then I will be finished with the painting. I painted the dining room Antique Red yesterday. I just love it. This red as some brown in it but it will look just red in the picture. See the pic below.



Breaks over and now I need to get back to business.

Life at the parsonage ... I don't know, I'm still away :)

Charwoman Am I

Charwoman: A woman hired to do general cleaning, esp. in an office or large house.

Well, I don't even rank up there with a charwoman! I will be cleaning for the next few days at one of our properties. And...I am not hired OR paid, but I do it because I love my man and it helps us both. To be really honest, I kind of enjoy seeing the progress made on these projects. I love a clean you can "feel". After I have cleaned the house, my husband will not only tell me that the house looks nice but he will also say that he can "feel" the clean:))

I will be out all week scrubbing, mopping and painting with no internet connection.

Life at the parsonage ... temporarily missing its charwoman:)

Sunday School Chef

I recently took on the responsibility of teaching the Young Adult Sunday class at our church. This class is primarily a video teaching class so that helps since I am married to the Senior Pastor, which in turn, brings other Sunday responsibilities for me. Last October, I was a guest teacher in this same class and taught on the book of Nehemiah. It took three months to complete and just about "ate my lunch" to get through it, but I thoroughly enjoyed teaching it. I would love to present it again since I now have all the notes (I was writing them as I prepared for the class).

Part of the privilege of teaching at our church is that I get to provide Sunday morning refreshments for my class. When you walk down the corridors of our church on Sunday mornings, you are greeted with the aroma of coffee brewing and the sight of plates full of muffins, cookies, brownies, etc. Now.... most of the adult teachers are men and its their WIVES that cook/buy the refreshments, make the coffee and clean up after class. I NEED A WIFE! (Figuratively speaking.) I like to take extra time at home after my husband leaves to spend time alone in prayer before the class begins. That cuts into my food prep time at church! Oh well, I guess I had better work more on my organizational skills so that I can get this new schedule down.

Life at the parsonage ... planning.

Love a Good Sale!

Mother's Day, right after the a.m. service, we left for Branson, MO for a Minister's Retreat. As we usually do, we stayed in a cabin at Big Cedar. It is so relaxing and comfortable. The management spoils you with a newspaper and freshly baked cookies everyday.

The shopping in Branson is awesome. There are always sales going on. I found as much as 70 percent off with an additional 30 percent taken off at the register. In my books, that's a good deal!

My husband's brother and sister-in-law drove up from Alabama to spend four days with us. What fun we had together -- lots of laughs. We saw a some shows and had a great time. Family is a blessing from God!

Life at the parsonage -- grateful.

Yours and Mine

How many times I remember my mother saying that she wished she could take my hurt away or take my place when I was sick. This song by the Isaacs portrays a mother's heart.

My mom has received her eternal reward and is waiting for me to finish my "race" in this life. Even though she is not with me in person, I carry a part of her with me -- in my heart. All the wonderful things she taught me has become a vital part of who I am. She was the one who led me to Christ. I will never forget that day.

Now that I am a mother and grandmother, I, too, want to bear the burdens for my dear ones. Isn't that exactly what Christ wants to do for us? Bring Him your hurts, burdens, heartaches and cares, for He cares for you.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you and your families.

Sherry

Wordless Post

:)

As If You Wanted To Know

This afternoon I ran errands in the "big city" of my state (approx 45 min. drive):

• Return extra Bible study workbooks at Lifeway
• Buy Kindergarten graduation gifts and wrapping (gift bags)
  
• Buy teaching material for my young adult Sunday School class
• Buy smocks for my toddlers class (for finger painting, etc.)
  
• Buy decor for my grandson's nursery (he's schedule to be born June 16)!
• Buy 2 circut cartridges: "Doodlecharms" and "Animal Kingdom" - on sale!
  

Whew! All this after I worked at the office! I'm ready for a relaxing evening of ... laundry!

Life at the parsonage ... busy!
Sherry

It's Raining, It's Pouring ...

It has been a day of RAIN -- ALL DAY -- RAIN! Right before church tonight there was rotation sited over our little town. We were under a tornado WARNING! Fortunately, nothing came of it and everything is now quiet.

In toddler class tonight we worked on Mother's Day cards. They just love to do crafts that involve paint and glue. We use LOTS of wipes in our class! They just LOVE glue!! Did I mention that they LOVE glue? :) Actually, they love anything sticky and gooy!

Breanna comes to my house on Wednesdays. Even though it RAINED, she was still able to play outside on the patio (it's covered -- thank the Lord). She decided that today would be a good day to watch a movie. I agreed. So what did we watch? Her choice was Dr. Seuss' "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"! Christmas . . in May! And . . we watched it THREE TIMES! I love Christmas, but I wait at least until July, for heaven's sake :))

Her daddy, my son, is in Cancun. He left this morning for a short trip with his office staff. Our daughter-in-law was unable to go because she's almost 8 months pregnant and the doctor didn't want her to fly. She's definitely planning to go next year. (Bless her sweet little heart.)

Well, I guess this is enough about a rainy day in the upper south.

Life at the parsonage . . . wet!

Sherry

Rejoice

I love the scripture passage in Zephania 3:17. This is what I picture: This morning before I ever woke up, the God of the universe knelt down beside my bed and sang over me! Does that not thrill you to know that our God delights in us and sings over us?

That's all.

Life at the parsonage . . . rejoicing!

Picture Day

Today was picture day for Breanna. She doesn't like having her picture taken; however, she is much more cooperative than she was a year ago. She is now in the phase of NEEDING to say C-H-E-E-E-E-E-E-S-E in every picture. She has a beautiful smile that will one day make its way into a professional photo . But for now, we have sweet little c-h-e-e-s-y smiles and I love every one of them :))

Oh, by the way,"Happy Cinco de Mayo"!

Sherry

Roadkill got me to think'n...

This morning I was on my way to Wal-Mart to pick up some donuts for my Sunday School class and drove past a opossum lying dead in the road; hence, roadkill. The scripture came to mind that tells us that God sees the sparrow when it falls and He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. Then I thought about God's inventory on the earth. I could just see Him go --one less opossum -- check!

That caused me to think about all He keeps up with. (It amazes me how our thoughts can soar and fly in so many directions in microseconds!) I thought about our lives and all we have to keep up with. It all starts when we're children; we keep up with our toys, school work, etc. As we grow, responsibilities do, too. Eventually we have jobs to take care of, then families. As time rolls on there are grandchildren -- I think you get the picture. We can become overwhelmed with life and all the responsibilities of keeping up with it all.

My thoughts then turned to God and all that He keeps up with! He manages the micro-organisms (is there anything smaller?). Then... all the way up through the animal kingdoms: in the sea, on the earth and in the air. Next, there's mankind. Not just us and our families. not just our city, county, state, country but all on the whole earth. He keeps up with the planets, galaxies and universes. Then, there's Heaven and Hell.... He keeps up with it all. And .. He's never overwhelmed. What a manager!

God knows every time one of His little creatures is born or dies. He cares. How much more, then, does he care for us; the ones He sent His only Son to be the sacrificed Lamb for the sins of all mankind (John 3:16). How, then, can we as believers, not have faith to trust Him -- for everything? He longs for us to trust Him. If we do not trust Him we are saying that He is not trustworthy! God...the one who made and manages everything -- not trustworthy? How it must break His heart to see us struggle and not ask for His help. He wants to be our everything.

"Lord, help me to not withhold anything from you but to give you all of me and trust you with everything within me."

Yep, roadkill got me to think'n . . . . .

Life at the parsonage ... in deep thought.

Sherry

Saturday Slide Show

Sherry

Wordless Post

Kona, HI

Sherry

Remind me, Lord

I like the True Value Hardware commercial. You know, the one where a lady is trying to pick paint and she can't make up her mind. The hardware store employee has a flashback of her own color choice dilemma and recognizes the customers frustration, The camera then shows the customer who looks a little like this:The employee assures the customer that she can help her make a good selection.

There have been times that I felt like the lady in this picture. How about you? Life can come crashing in some days but that's when I try to remember to turn the whole thing -- mess and all-- to God. I'm sure He would REALLY appreciate me turning my day over to Him BEFORE I make a mess of it:)

Today I had a full day with little toddlers. Let me give you two hints of how my day went ... broken glass and an "egg" on the head!! :o

Life at the parsonage ... hang'n loose!

Sherry

The God of all creation . . .

To me, there's not much that can take my breath away any more than God's creation. Especially when looking at beauty of the landscapes of this earth. We spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in Dallas. The trip was planned with friends who wanted us to see the Dallas Arboretum and botanical gardens. We used to live near Dallas (early marriage) and it has been a while since we spent any time there -- more than just passing through -- so the trip brought back a lot of memories of back when ....

Here are some pics from yesterday.

The Texas Lone Star.
They also had a longhorn steer, covered wagon w/horses & a butterfly.

A simple but beautiful little rose.

In the sunken garden.

The bells are so fascinating to me.

There were plenty of these little guys who just love to eat zenia blooms.

This is a great place to bring your children. However, toddlers may be very tempted to pick the flowers (a real "no, no") or run through the flowerbeds (another "no, no"). You can bring a picnic lunch or snacks and sit on the beautiful grass under the huge trees and just rest for a while. These is a petting zoo, homes to tour and much more. We didn't see it all but had a nice time.

Dear sisters in Christ, we serve the God of all creation. To see the delicate flowers and the care in which He made them just reminds me how much more He loves and cares for us. To be His child means that we are heirs which gives us special access to the God of all creation. No matter what your need might be today, the great I AM is there to be more than enough for your situation. More than enough!!

Life at the parsonage . . . feeling in awe of God's greatness!

Sherry

Scrapin'

I just love to scrapbook. I wish I had the space to keep it set up all the time, but the parsonage just isn't big enough. I did set up in the guest room this winter, but had to put it all away -- guests were coming and they needed a place to sleep! :) I had started out organized on two small tables but it grew like fungus to the floor and then to the bed. I do have a lot of stuff!! So, it is now all packed up in my scrapbooking storage drawers, bags and bins in the closet.

I'm a lucky scrapbooker because I got one of these for Christmas.Oh - my - word! I just love my Cricut! I have used it for not only scrapbooking, but for my toddler class crafts, bulletin boards, cards and more. If you scrapbook, you'll love a Cricut. No more needing to buy stickers, letters, etc.

If you have one, do share. What's your favorite cartridge?

Life at the parsonage....creative?

Sherry

A Merry Heart

Last night our church took a bus trip to see Mark Lowry (pictured left) on his "Be the Miracle Tour". He was joined by Stan Whitmire and LordSong. It was very good. Mark is hilarious and so talented!

The Bible tells us that a merry heart (laughter) is like a good medicine, Proverbs 17:22. I would have to say that a large crowd of people overdosed last night! Only God could come up with something like laughter to lift the spirit of man. That in itself is a miracle. His ideas and plans are the best, aren't they?

Life at the parsonage ... still laughing.

Sherry

Wordless Post

(Kona, HI)

Sherry

"Fresh" Salad Anyone?!!!

Look closely at the package. Just below the words "Fresco Lavado"...

Oh! My! Word! Talk about freaking out. That would be me! It is believed that the water the lettuce was washed in contained polliwogs and these became "fresh" new frogs, right in the packages! I guess, as the Cajuns would say, Mexico put a little lagniappe (something extra) in their bags of lettuce!

Life at the parsonage ... avoiding this brand of lettuce!
Sherry

A Day in the Life ...

This morning -- I am sooo sore! I told you in an earlier post that I have been steam cleaning carpets. Over the last 3 days (Sunday not included) I have cleaned carpets at a rental house that we own (pictured below). Note: I have not had the privilege of living in this house. I really love it. It's larger than the parsonage we live in and I just love s-p-a-c-e.


The renters left it in very good condition, but being the daughter of the "Queen of Clean" I had to buff and shine the place myself.

There are new renters moving in May 1 so, yesterday, I went back to finish up (1 hour drive). I vacuumed the clean carpet upstairs, THE stairs and downstairs; ran a broom over it to make it even (I just love a good presentation:)); finished cleaning windows; shined the kitchen; shined the powder room; cleaned front door inside and out; shined the sink in the utility room; and mopped all downstairs floors on the way out the door.

I loaded the pickup truck with all items needed for this cleaning frenzy, swept the garage, and left for the parsonage at 5:20 p.m. (an hour drive back). I had to stop to fill up with gas ($60 -- highway robbery) and since I had not eaten all day, I stopped for a restful hamburger at Sonic.

To make the most of my driving time, I made a few phone calls checking up on some friends. I also called hubby to ask him to call a lady in our church who was hosting a Joy Fellowship meeting at her home at 7:00 p.m! That's right -- I WAS GOING TO BE LATE!

When I got home I asked hubby to unload the pickup truck for me in case it rained, then I changed clothes. My hair and makeup were still intact from the a.m. so not much needed there. I made it to the meeting just in time to e-a-t. I didn't. It was a wonderful evening with some of the sweetest ladies on the face of this earth. The theme for the evening was Living a Life of Balance!!! Needed that! Great job Carolyn!!

Life at the parsonage ... recovery mode!
Sherry

Friends and Food

Last week our Music Pastor, Allison, invited us to a family dinner at her new home. She served the best turkey burgers I have ever tasted. When we walked into the house there was an incredibly delicious aroma. She was cooking the burgers and let me tell you, they tasted just as yummy as they smelled. Here is the recipe:

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey breast

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

course salt, stripped and fine chopped, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 scallion, fine chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 small zucchini, fine chopped (or shredded)

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

4 leaves green leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce

1 vine ripe tomato, sliced

1 cup store bought refrigerated creamy ranch dressing or herb salad dressing

4 crusty roll, split

Directions

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and form into 4 large patties.
2. Brush with olive oil and cook 7 minutes each side over medium high heat in nonstick pan.

3. Serve on split buns with lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing.

(I think she also added a chopped red bell pepper - to taste.)

Also, we had a Strawberry Spinach Salad with homemade dressing. AND.... for dessert, a giant chocolate chip cookie with a cream cheese mixture spread on top, then the whole thing was topped with fresh whole strawberries drizzled with chocolate. I've made this recipe before and it is so yummy!! I will post these recipes another time. But for now ....

Life at the parsonage ... heading out the door to buy some ground turkey!!!

Sherry

I'm Steamn'!

Nope. I'm not angry about anything and I'm not on my soap box -- today. I have been cleaning carpets! Whoo Who! Last Friday I purchased my first steam carpet cleaner. (I no longer will rent the "beast".) After doing some research, I decided on this one:
Good choice. Bissell has obviously been listening to the users' suggestions. This one has the bells and whistles that I wanted and it does a great job. BUT... can you say BLISTER? Maybe someday they'll come up with a way to prevent that??:))

Life at the parsonage.....all bandaged up.

Sherry

Wordless Post

Sherry

What Shoe Are You?

I took the quiz.

You Are Loafers

You are confident, powerful, and successful. Hard working and business like, you always dress and act appropriately. You are consistent and a bit conservative. You aren't really susceptible to trends, although you always dress well. While you tend to be formal, you know how to adapt to your surroundings. So are professional at work... but more laid back when your with your friends. You should live: In a huge city You should work: In a competitive field where you can rise to the top

I'm not so sure I fit the above description, but there's one thing for sure -- I'm a shoe nut! I have way too many for my closet, but it is such fun to have something for every occasion. I buy shoes, t-h-e-n I find an outfit to go with them. How about you? Do you have a fetish for shoes?

Life at the parsonage .... well shod and ready to go!

Sherry

I JUST LOVE THESE! The Mr. Clean Magic Erasers will clean when nothing else will. You should read the instructions, though, because they're not to be used on all surfaces. It is the best soap scrum cleaner ever! I have used them for over 4 years and still do. If you have not yet tried them -- DO! They really work!

Life at the parsonage ... clean!

Sherry

Can He Cut It?

Infomercials have flooded the television over the past several years. If you happen to be up in the very early hours of the morning and turn on the TV, that's pretty much what will be showing.

Today I saw the Gardner Groom Hedge Trimmer. It looks likes this:

I caught myself laughing as I watched them trimming pre-trimmed hedges and shrubs. They were demonstrating how easy, neat and clean it worked but what made me laugh was that when they finally ran the trimmer across a piece of hedge that needed trimming -- it didn't cut! They had to go back over it once or twice! Yeah buddy, it made me what to pick up the phone and order one of those babies! I would have liked to have seen what it would have done on a shrub that really needed trimming. It may be a great product, but I will have to have more proof before I buy. You just never know if the infomercial items for sale are genuinely a good deal. Our local TV news networks review various types of infomercials to reveal if they really work or not. In the case of the trimmer's first try, it couldn't cut it.

It makes me think of Christianity. There are those who wear the "tag" as a form on godliness. Matthew 7:15 tells us to beware of those who come in sheep's clothing but inside are ferocious wolves. They are such a danger to the body of Christ not to mention the baby Christians who are not yet stable in their walk of faith. Thank you Jesus for the Holy Spirit who helps us discern these types of things.

I desire to be genuine in my walk with Christ. I strive to be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16). I want the sword of His spirit (the Word) to cut away anything in my life that does not belong. Can He cut it? Oh, yes he can!

Life at the parsonage .... thinking on the Word.

Sherry

Happy Birthday To My Love!

Today is my honey's birthday. I love birthdays because they are a celebration of a life. I am so thankful for him. He has brought so much joy and fulfillment to my life. I tell him that God made him especially for me.

He is the 5th child of a minister. They were very poor so let's be realistic here. They certainly did not need or plan for # 5 -- probably not even for #4, or #3. Come to think of it, since #2 and #1 came so soon after the marriage I suspect that none of them were planned. That's why I say he was made just for me:)

Our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter met us at The Cheesecake Factory for a b'day dinner. The food and cheesecakes are so scrumptious. We all had something different and sampled each others dish. It's always so nice to spend time with family; especially when the relationships are great!

Life at the Parsonage tonight .... very blessed!

Sherry

Weekend Recap

Breanna turned 4! Here are a few of the MANY pics that I took of the party fun. (She is such a fun girl.)

Blowing out the candles on the pig-nosed Cinderella cake I made. Even though Cinda needed a nose job, she was delicious.
It was a fresh strawberry cake.

Mommy's yummy cupcakes.

Blue ice cream cones. Thank you uncle Billy.
Blue is my favorite color and flavor.

Best bud, Riley. Do they look like partners in crime - uh -mischief or what? These two munchkins play together without conflict! Honest! I caption them as "joined at the hip".
So cute!

Mommy, Daddy and baby brother who will arrive in June.

The gifts!

A bike!

Don't forget the protective gear!
Later she discovered how cool the knee and elbow pads are.

Outdoor fun! (Pa Pa supervising).

Watch out! Here comes a woman driver.
She gave the phrase "cruis'n for a bruis'n " a new meaning;
she crashed him into the swing set!
Actually, he was steering, she was the "girl-power".
The video of this is hilarious. She started pushing the car without him in it. He decided that he wanted a ride, so he ran and caught up with her. She just kept going and he jumped in the car while it was in motion. Thus, his crammed-up position.

Me and one of the loves of my life. What a blessing he is!

Me and two more loves of my life!

The Tods played outside for a long time. After everyone left, I helped DeLayna put the house back in order. They went out to dinner with DeLayna's parents and then took Brea to Chunk E. Cheese to use some tokens she had. We had dinner in town before going home. A great day Sunday topped off the weekend. I, like David, was glad when it was time to "go into the house of the Lord."

Life at the parsonage this weekend .... full of thankful hearts.

Sherry

S-t-r-e-a-k-l-e-s-s

I have found something much better to clean glass and mirrors – streak-free. This may seem strange but Lemon Pine Sol is absolutely wonderful.

Mix water with a small amount of Pine Sol in a cleaning pale. Using a cotton cloth (something that will not leave lint) wet and wring out and wipe mirror or glass. Many times you will not even have to dry it. Do not use paper towels, they will cause streaks. If you need to dry or wipe because of some lint left behind, use a terrycloth hand towel, etc. It is the best thing I have ever used and is so much easier than going over the surface several times trying eliminate the streaks. I have a large mirror that used to give me grief, but it looks great now. Of course, it’s great for cleaning counter tops, mopping floors, and anything else washable. It does not leave a residue. Good stuff!

Life at the parsonage ... shiny!

Sherry

Bippity Boppity Boo

Today was shopping day for our granddaughter's 4^th birthday. I usually have her gift earlier than this but this year she wants a slide that goes round and round – in other words, a turbo tube slide. Therefore, PaPa was in charge of the purchase. Since the tube slides are a minimum of $400 for the slide only – no platform, no ladder, no lumber included – she will be getting a speedwave instead. It mounts about 7 feet high so that should thrill her. Lest you think I’m a careless Grammy for getting something so high up, it has fairly high sides, basically cradles the child and hold up to 270 pounds.

Also, for her birthday, I will be making and decorating her cake (#4). Her first birthday was a duck in a bathtub (orange cake bathtub and lemon pound cake duck). Birthday #2 was Rainbow Bear (chocolate fudge cake). #3 birthday was Strawberry Shortcake (homemade strawberry cake) and this year, #4 is Cinderella, and its another Strawberry cake. It will be Bippity Boppity Boo and all the trimmings !

With the all of this in mind, I had better get busy ready instructions on icing, color and decorating tips.

Life at the parsonage … studious.

Sherry