RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

I know...I know...some of you just read the title and said ehhhhh.
Hang in there.
The link, LINK, is to a video on Life Today and it's running time is all of about 29 minutes. The actual meat of the video is only about 16 minutes.
The snippet of discussion that most caught my attention was the freedom of religion versus freedom of worship one.
Are we being duped into believing that allowing us to go into the house of worship of our choice (freedom of worship) is the same as allowing us to take those beliefs from that house and implement them into our every day lives (freedom of religion).
As he states, it is a subtle yet very dangerous change in terminology.
I must tell you, as I am reading the book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Metaxas, the similarities are NOT lost on me and are chilling.
No heads in the sand.
Eyes open.
Wisdom sought.

It is worth the watch.

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.