Sunday, March 23, 2014

Notes from the sermon 3/23/14

Gonna try something new. Gonna try taking sermon notes and posting them. 

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?  Ephesians 3:18 (8-21)

1. God allows us to choose how filled we want to be. 
1a. We want to be filled with something. (Made to Crave)
2. God will fill us with the Spirit when we ask him to.  
3. This should be a normal response to Christian living. (Ephesians 3:16-21)
3a. Lord, please fill me with your presence. 
4. It's an ongoing process not a one time process. We leak.  We're filled with holes, but that's okay, because God has an endless supply to fill us up. 

We should pray ever day "Lord, fill me with your presence." 

And He will. 

Hugs, 
Melinda

Friday, March 21, 2014

FMF - Joy

This post is part of Five Minute Fridays over at Lisa-Jo's.  It's where we get a one word prompt to write for 5 minutes, on Fridays, unedited.  Today's prompt is joy.

GO:

Joy?  Me?  The one who just wrote this big long post about being depressed?  How do I write about joy?  There are some days I don't feel like I know what joy is.

But then I realize, I'm actually defining joy as happiness, and the two are not the same thing.  Related, yes, but not the same.

Happy is being glad that the children emptied the dishwasher.   No, that's not right.  Joy is being satisfied with the little things.  No, that's not right either.

If I had more than 5 minutes, I would sit here and use a dictionary and define them, because that's how I think, how I figure stuff out.

Joy is watching my child who was a reluctant reader pick up a favorite book.  Happiness is ...  I'm not sure I can define either one. 

But a lot of the time, I can be joyful without being "happy."  Little Bit is a happy person.  She's always smiling, always laughing, always singing.  She is a happy person.  And I take joy in that.  I really do.  I am very thankful for my youngest.

STOP

But, I really don't want to stop, because I need definitions.  They make me... happy.  lol
Hugs,
Melinda

 
Full Definition of HAPPY
1
:  favored by luck or fortune :  fortunate 
2
:  notably fitting, effective, or well adapted :  felicitous 
3
a :  enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment 
b :  expressing, reflecting, or suggestive of happiness 
c :  glad, pleased 
d :  having or marked by an atmosphere of good fellowship : friendly 
4
a :  characterized by a dazed irresponsible state 
b :  impulsively or obsessively quick to use or do something
c :  enthusiastic about something to the point of obsession : obsessed 

Full Definition of JOY

1
a :  the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight
b :  the expression or exhibition of such emotion :  gaiety
2
:  a state of happiness or felicity :  bliss
3
:  a source or cause of delight

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Thru the lens Thursday

Today's photo hop is to be a picture of how you are being actively healthy.

Tonight, I ran.  I've been fighting shin splints for almost a year, but I still ran. Not far, not fast, but I did it. 

This is a screen shot of my workout.  I walk/run while my girls have track practice.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Come gather at my table (and a giveaway)

It has often been said that the kitchen is the heart of the home.  I know that is true in my house.  I love my kitchen, with it's bright yellow walls, and green counter tops.  I love making wonderful delicious meals for my family.  (Just don't expect Little Bit to agree with you.)  When you come to my house, I want you to feel like you belong, like you are welcome in my kitchen.

The community of Maubane, South Africa doesn't have a kitchen.  They don't have a stove like we know to cook on.  They cook over an open flame.

3Ci+Maubane009

3Ci+Maubane006

Sometimes it's a struggle coming up with a healthy, delicious meal for my family of 4.  I can't even begin to imagine trying to feed 400.  The community of Maubane is roughly 150 adults, and 250 children.

But I sure would love to hear them singing.

3Ci+Maubane056

Today is the kickoff for Phase 2 of the Maubane Community Center.  Guess what?  Phase 2 is to fund the kitchen, and we're almost funded halfway already!  

The kitchen is a beautiful place.

Today, in sync with the kick off, I am offering two paper pieced wall hangings that I made.  I think they are perfect for someone's kitchen.  The purple one has been hanging in mine for 5 years now.

 I originally made this green one for a dear friend.  I had asked her favorite colors, which were green and orange.  I gave it to her, and it hung in her kitchen for several years.  But then she had to move, and she didn't feel like it matched the new decor.  So she gave it back.  I took the orange binding off and added a new white binding.  I think it looks pretty smart!

Right after I made her green and orange hanging, I made myself this purple one, but I was able to add a strip of white at the top, to give my jars more space.

 The green jars have outlines to make them seem more "jar-like."

The purple one, however, had a few fun details.  At the top, I was able to write "Eat your Veggies!" and I labeled each of the jars.

 This one says peas.  It's at a slant.

And here is a close up of "Veggies!"  It's harder to write with a sewing machine than it looks.

I want to offer you a chance to win one of these two wall hangings.

You don't have to do anything to win, other than leave me a comment.

But if you are able to give just a little bit of yourself, just a little bit of your heart, then you can have another entry.  Can you consider it for this precious face?

3Ci+Maubane022

There is one more thing I would like to tell you about.


Krafty Kash Designs is offering 3 of her very unique necklaces: Love, Home, Mother.  $12 of each sale goes towards the community center.  That's 50% of each sale!  Being a crafter myself, I know a lot of work goes into each piece.  Mother's Day is coming up.  (So is my birthday. Shh!)  Please consider purchasing one of these necklaces for the mother, grandmother, friend in your life.

So here's the deal.  I'm going to try Rafflecopter.  I have NEVER used it before, other than to enter other giveaways.  Please be patient with me.  There are several options available.  I'm going to leave the contest open for 2 weeks.

I also want to encourage you to go to Lisa-Jo's website.  Even if you don't have anything to offer but prayers, she is an amazing writer, and I want you to be as encouraged by her as I have been.

Gather at my table.  Sit, have a cup of coffee.  Be a part of my kitchen, the heart of my home.

Hugs,
Melinda

[update: Apparently, Rafflecopter is too complicated for me to use.  If you want to be entered in the giveaway, please leave me a comment telling me what your favorite part of your kitchen is.  The giveaway will close on March 24.]

Friday, March 07, 2014

FMF - Willing

This post is part of Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog.  We write for five minutes, unedited.  I'll admit, I did a little editing today.

And GO:

Willing.  I have fought writing this post all day, because I haven't been willing.  You have to be willing to write, willing to use your voice, brave even, to have all your words out in the open.

I have fought with myself about how willing I am to follow the will of God.  I have become more convinced that I am to use my voice, my blog as a voice for the voiceless.

And so, for the first time, I'm going to be participating in Compassion Sunday.  It's a Sunday where I (or someone for me) will be explaining about how Compassion International works, and asking people to sponsor a child.  I am also going to be researching Christian Relief Fund.

I'm excited to use my voice.  And I'm scared.  But I'm also learning how to be willing.  I am offering my heart and my voice and my blog to be used for God's work.  Isn't it odd how technology works?  I will probably never meet the people I'm going to try to be an advocate for, but I can still love them and be willing to tell others about them.  I can write about them.

And STOP.


Stage 2 of the community center for Maubane is coming up this next week.  As part of the kickoff, I'm going to have a little giveaway.  Come back on Tuesday to see what it is.

Hugs,
Melinda

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Photo hop

Okay. The Proverbs 31 Bible Study is switching to a photo hop instead of a blog hop. This is a picture of my taking action verse.

I am so often weighed down by "can't" that I forget about "can." 


The bracelet is modeled by my lovely assistant Boo, but we both have one. 
Hugs,
Melinda

Monday, March 03, 2014

A Gift.

Fellow blogger Dalene is giving away a little something on her blog.  Go take a look.  And while you're at it, would you mind saying a little prayer for Maubane this morning?  Thank you.

Hugs,
Melinda

P.S.  Coming up soon, I'm going to have my own little give away.  You won't want to miss it.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

And then this happened...

Courage.  It's something that I don't have a lot of.  I was known as a scaredy cat in elementary school.  But I'm learning how to be brave.  I constantly challenge myself with things I'm not sure about.  Like running.  Or writing.  Or being a part of a massive fundraising effort to help build a community center in South Africa. 

This is all God's work.  I simply acknowledged that He wanted me to have a voice in it, even if it's just a small voice.  It takes a lot of courage to say, "Please help."  As a fellow blogger posted, "Look at what the new brave can do in Him." 

Tuesday, Lisa-Jo posted this on Facebook.
OH MY WORD YOU GUYS!!! YOU GUYS!!! ONE PERSON DONATED $3,000 TODAY AND TOTALLY FUNDED PHASE 5 -- THE PLAYGROUND.

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!
And so yeah... the playground for the community center of Maubane, South Africa, is completely funded, by one generous, courageous, love giving, big hearted person.  Whoever you are, thank you.