FITNESS CRUSADE 2012

If you know me on Facebook, then you know about the track.

I thought you might want to see it.

Yeppers.....that's it.

Cut right in the middle of hayfield.

Why, Rhonda?

Why not just walk the neighborhood?

Reason #1

He has been lying in a mud puddle.

Add 2 more dogs to him,

 and 2 men children who are all over the road,

and you see why.

Here is another look at the track.

It had to be extra wide because

all the aforementioned dogs

and children like to walk right beside me.

Anyway, there it is.

Now you have a frame of reference.

HH made the comment yesterday that I was serious about it this time.

Of course, there is a promised trip to Hawaii on the line.

Next summer....next summer.

But there is also being around for my kids,

and just liking the way I look.

I cringe when people tag me in pictures on Facebook.

But you know what?

I can choose different.

I can choose to surrender this area, again,

and again if need be,

to the Lord and change.

So....

I choose.

RANDOM PHONE PHOTOS

MC 2 got stung by something and felt the need to document to event.

HH cooked for his dad's birthday party.

Farm that we keep for the little cousins.
 MC 2 has played with it since we got it out last week.

Tractors in a row

MY LITTLE RED NOTEBOOK...

of which you will apparently see no pictures because my laptop is, once again, playing hard to get with my phone and ignoring it, is where I take notes from TV sermons I see. It is mainly my notes from Wednesdays with Beth on Life Today, but there are also notes from sermons by Brian Houston of Hillsong and James Robison of Life Today.
I don't know about you, but I have been know to take notes and then never look at them again. Much like some of my students. I mean I am great in moment. I have bold prints and arrows and bullets, and then I close my little red book and never look at it again. I did the same with my sermon notes for a bit, until I decided I needed to be a better student.
I decided last week I wanted to read back over my notes in the red book. I have 2 years worth of notes to look through. I ran across one over desire and desperation and felt the highlights were worth sharing. This material is from Beth Moore. Not Rhonda. This is Rhonda.

• What is it you feel you lack that would make you complete?
• wealth, fame, husband, kids, great friends, that particular friend, skinny thighs...
• Because right there is the place you are vulnerable.
• oh man.....
• Guard that area! That is where the heavenly war is raged.
• be diligent!
• John 1:38
• What seek ye? What do you want?
• Genesis 30:1
• What do you think you will just die if you don't have? (See bullet #1)
• My enemy is watching over my desire.
• IF UNGUARDED, MY DESIRE TURNS INTO DESPERATION.
• Get completion in God first
• Don't make decisions out of desperation.

That last line makes me think of those Direct TV commercials, especially the one with Charlie Sheen.


I don't need to give you a list of the examples we all see of desire becoming desperation in our very own lives, much less the ones played out on a national forum.
Eating disorders, money stealers, adultery, jealousy, lust,  murder...we can list all the examples we want.
Since reading this last week, I have been looking at my own life and found a few places where the wave of desire is trying to turn into a tsunami of desperation. Let's surrender those areas to Jesus. It won't be easy. Our flesh so wants what it wants, and sometimes it wants good things, but even our desire for good things can turn into a not so good desperation.
With Christ Jesus, though, we can choose.
Choose today.

BECAUSE IT'S THURSDAY....

We are about like this today.

A FINANCIAL PEACE UPDATE....CRITICAL CONDITION

I felt you deserved an update about our Financial Peace journey. (I actually wrote on my "blog ideas" notes list - a Dave Ramsey update - an honest one). I think this scripture hits the very small nail on the head.....

Matthew 7:14 (NKJV)

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I really hope that is not sacrilegious. But if you have been on the Dave Ramsey road, you know it is a narrow one, with steep slopes on each side that you can easily fall off. Especially when not walking completely in step. Either of you. Read that again.....EITHER OF YOU.
Please be clear, there is no finger pointing here. HH and I have both taken missteps and fallen off the path. However, we do get back up and start walking again.
Dave told us the first month wouldn't work perfectly.
He was right.
June was the first month I could devote my full attention to the budgeting process. The paper work looked good. Tight but good. The manifestation was a bit of a mess.  And that frustrates me. I tend to be of the mindset that IF I CAN'T DO IT PERFECTLY, JUST FORGET IT!
Steep slope right there, and I tumbled right down.
Here is July, so we get back up, and start walking again.
If you have traveled this narrow road, and have encouragement for us, well, I'll be honest, I could use it:)
In the mean time, I will be choosing to be diligent and get back at it.

THIS TUESDAY...

Discussing Saul and Ananias today.

WHERE YOUR RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD...

Her husband has decided to be an atheist.
He just got back from a mission trip and fears the sting of what he saw will fade.
She was sick for 2 years.
Her man was deployed for a year.
They lost a child hours after he was born.
Her mind has become a battlefield.

As we sat in class discussing how we get through the dark times, I heard or thought about these stories I knew to be true. The answer was the same - you stay in the body of Christ, you focus on what you know to be true, you get deep in scripture. You choose.
As I sat there listening, I couldn't help think of how we, sometimes, can make it sound like an easy choice, like if you're a good Christian it should not be difficult, and how unfair that is of us. We make newbies think they are failing if they struggle with it. We make older Christians want to hide their struggles because they should be better and be stronger by now.
It is not always the easy choice. It takes work. It takes being intentional and deliberate.
As I said to one, do not let anyone condemn you for being afraid, or for crying, or for being upset. You need to shed those tears and you need to be honest in those fears. However, in the midst of all that is where your rubber meets the road. At the bottom of all those emotions and vain imaginations and hurts, you must make the choice to believe Jesus or not. We all have to make that choice. And it's usually not a one time decision. You may have to choose every day, you may have to choose it every hour, or you may have to choose it with every thought.
And only you can make it.
We can believe Jesus for you.
We can pray and intercede for you.
We can encourage you.
But we can not choose for you.
You choose.
And you can not choose for me.
I choose.

Today, if the darkness is trying to overtake, if the tears come up like a fresh hit oil well, if the fears try to cripple your every muscle, you take every bit of that before God. You be honest and you pour it all before the feet of Jesus. Don't try to hide it. Don't try to act like a good Christian who has it all under control. You lay it all out. If need be, you lay it all before a trusted brother or sister in Christ as well. You unload all your baggage you have been carrying on your walk, and then you let that rubber hit the road. You choose. One foot in front of the other in steps surrendered to Jesus Christ. You stay in the body, you restate over and over what you know to be true about the heart and character of God, and you dig up Scripture.

Each step will become more sure.
Each mile walked will be with more confidence.
Not in you but in Him.
Your knees will steady, your back will straighten, and your head will look up.
Soon you will see that on this narrow road, you do not walk alone.
He chooses to walk with you.

Psalm 9:9-10 (NKJV)

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.