Voices

I really should come up with a catchy Title for my Friday blogs.  For the past several weeks I've put up a country video and asked a fun question.

I'm TOTALLY open to your ideas on this one!!!

This week I heard this song often.  Probably because I was on the road - A TON!!!

Last Wednesday we drove 6 hours to Texas - so our kids could stay with grandparents while John & I led the Women's Retreat (John was my sound & light crew).

Thursday we drove back to New Orleans.
Friday we drove to the retreat center.
Saturday we drove back to New Orleans.
Sunday we drove to Texas to pick up our kids.
Monday we drove back to New Orleans.

Even with all that driving - I never got tired of hearing this song.



What words of wisdom ring in my ear?

From my Mom:

"Clean as you cook!"  
That way you don't ever have a messy kitchen.

From my Dad:

"Don't quit!"
No matter what I'm doing or have promised to do - I can never just throw in the towel.  I must hang in there to the finish!

From my Lord:

Oh my... which one do I pick?

"For I know the plans I have for you.  Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

It really makes me think about what I say often, and will it ring in my children's ear long after I'm gone?!

What words of wisdom 
(voices, if you will) 
do you hear?

Strong foundations... even in the swamp!

I love having my prayer time in beautiful & peaceful places!  Most days, this is my kitchen, in the still & quiet of the early morning... with a cup of coffee no less!

However, last Saturday morning I was leading a retreat in Loranger, Louisiana (the North Shore for the locals).  I got up early and went to the retreat center lodge and got a vanilla cappuccino then walked down by the lake.  There was still a light fog over the water and a couple of ducks chatting away with one another.

I prayed for a bit... for the ladies in attendance, for the next session of material, for lives to be changed... you know the drill.  Then I opened my Bible - seeking a personal word from the Lord.

I love how He is so faithful to speak to us when we are earnestly available with listening ears & spirits.

I read something from a chapter in the Bible that most could almost quote.  I love reading my One Year Bible and finding new "treasures" that somehow I missed the year before!  Saturday morning the Lord showed me something so very personal and yet generic enough for me to pass it along to you today.

Hebrews 11:10 (ESV)

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God.

This verse is about Abraham and how he was more than likely yearning for the heavenly city, but also how he very obediently, by faith, was traveling to the place that God would show him.

I paused as I read this verse.  

We see a lot of these in New Orleans.

Homes everywhere here are being raised, especially after Hurricane Katrina, even 5 years after the storm.  The history of the place where I live in New Orleans is that it used to be a swamp.  Many many years ago, the swamp was covered and a town was built.  This makes for very bumpy roads, broken sidewalks, and allows for my garage to fill with water with every big rainstorm.

As I read this verse and thought about the city where I live, my mind quickly went to where most of us live  - not literally, but rather spiritually & emotionally.

Do you ever feel like your life is on sinking ground?  

Like you can never quite get your footing?

As long as we live in this fallen world, we're going to have to deal with our own version of personal broken sidewalks, bumpy roads and the flooding of problems.

However, we can "shore up" our lives with the ultimate Builder & Designer of all foundations - GOD.  You may have to still live in the swamp - and the many trials that come with mushy grounds... But I want to encourage you today to let God be the designer & builder of your faith and rest your life on His foundations!

Who is the designer & builder of your home?  

Avoid the floods by allowing Him to shore up your home, bringing a strong foundation to your soul!

If you're here from iFellowship... WELCOME!

I hope you grab a cup of your favorite beverage

and hang out with me a while!

Leave me a comment, so I'll know you came by

and know that I'll be by later to visit you as well!

I want to learn!!!

This past weekend I spoke at a retreat called, "Weekend 31."  It was all based on Proverbs 31.

One of the verses that I covered was, Proverbs 31:19

"She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle."

I've done enough research to know that the distaff and the spindle is close to sewing.  My mind quickly travels back in time to about 1988 - when my Mom tried to convince me that I needed to learn how to sew. That I would be "miles down the road" if I only knew how to sew.  That I needed to know how to hem my future husband's pants.  That I, at the very least, needed to know how to replace a missing button.

But.... unfortunately, I wanted NOTHING to do with this skill.  At 17 years old, I could really care less about my future sewing skills!!  And as a result I disregarded her teaching.

Fast forward to 2005 - when I really started studying Proverbs 31.  Imagine my utter horror when I saw that apparently a Proverbs 31 woman knows how to sew!!!   I was horrified!!!  I thought, "Oh, how I messed up so many years ago!  If only I had learned how to sew when I Mom tried to teach me, then I would be closer to being this iconic woman in scripture!"

I must confess, as a 40 year old woman, I now am at a place in my life, where I want to learn how to sew!  And to be completely honest with you - it has NOTHING to do with wanting to be a Proverbs 31 woman. It's all about hemming my husbands pants, replacing missing buttons, replacing ratted and torn car seat covers, and being impressively crafty at the holidays!

So, in lieu of all of the above, this past week, as we dropped off our kids with my parents for the weekend, I asked my Mom if she had a spare sewing machine.  I am honored to say that I am now in possession of my late paternal grandmother's machine. 

To read the rest of this post come & join me at Seeds of Faith Women!

It's almost here!!!

Wow!  I can't believe it!  Weekend 31 - our Women's Fall Retreat is THIS WEEKEND!!!

Our retreat is sponsored by my church Journey Christian Church and I am honored to be the speaker!

It's all about Proverbs 31.  It's all about living out the woman of God, He created us to be!  And much like a diamond found in the rough... sin has entered my life and covered my beauty, making it hard for the godly characteristics to shine through.  So we must knock off the rough - clean up a bit - in order to see the "more than precious jewel" He created us to be!

Here's a small video that will introduce our retreat!  I thought I might test it out here - among trusted friends - to see what you think!

I hope you like it and I wish you all could come to New Orleans this weekend and join in on the fun!




(I love my friends!!!  I'm working on correcting a couple of typos in the video!)

If you're here from iFellowship... WELCOME!

I hope you grab a cup of your favorite beverage

and hang out with me a while!

Leave me a comment, so I'll know you came by

and know that I'll be by later to visit you as well!

Calling All Warriors!

This weekend I'm speaking at a Women's Retreat.  I'm super excited about the message the Lord has laid on my heart to deliver.

Yesterday & today, I've been studying my material - making sure of two things, 1) that I'm absolutely prepared, and 2) that I'm saying what the Lord wants me to say.

The text for Friday night is Proverbs 31:10:

"An excellent wife, who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels."

Some translations say, "excellent", some say, "virtuous"... but the Hebrew word here is actually valor, strength, mighty as in a warrior, valiant!

I think too often we look at our English words and miss a HUGE message!  Ladies!  Hear me when I say - We, as Moms and Wives are valiant!!!  This job of raising children and submitting to our husbands is not a job for the faint of heart - but rather requires the strength of a warrior.

I think Pat Benatar got it wrong, Love is not our Battlefield - but rather life as a Christian woman, wife and mother in this present world is our battlefield!

Just stop and think of the big and small "battles" you potentially fight every day...

To read the rest of this post & see just how valiant God sees you... come & join me at Seeds of Faith Women!

Just something fun...

This is going to be a crazy week!

I'm speaking at our Women's Fall Retreat this weekend and am just SUPER excited about it!  There will be lots & lots of hustle & bustle as Friday approaches.

I'm not sure how sane my brain will be regarding my blog - but please still stop by - you just never know what you'll find here on any given day!

So just to let you know what Living Above is all about....  see here!  My blog at a glance!

If you'd like to make ones of these for your blog too just visit Wordle!

His Word Sunday

This morning I read a verse from Ezekiel that reminds us all that God is in total control.  Strange how we need to be reminded of this often, isn't it?


This verse spoke to me today and I hope it does the same for you.  I pray that God will use this to either comfort you and bring hope or to bring you back to Him as He wanted to do for the Israelites so many years ago. (notice all the "I" statements at the end of the verse - POWERFUL!)

Ezekiel 17:24 (ESV)

And all the trees of the field 

shall know that I am the LORD; 

I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree,

 dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. 

 I am the LORD; 

I have spoken, and 

I will do it!