Many of us make big plans at the first of the year. Most of us have probably been asked, "Have you made any New Year's resolutions?” 

The resolutions that I hear the most are:

I want to lose weight.

I want to read the Bible more.

I want to pray more.

I want to travel more. 

Of course the list goes on, but how many of us consult the Lord with our plans?

Isaiah 30:1 in the New Living Bible, says, "You make plans that are contrary to my will. You weave a web of plans that are not from my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. v. 2  For without consulting me you have gone down to Egypt to find help."

Oh wow! How many times have I "gone down to Egypt to find help?" I didn't even have to leave my house to find help, but I went down to Egypt.

I am not saying that God does not want you to lose weight, or pray more, or read your Bible more, or even travel more. It just seems to me that I am constantly making plans without consulting Him. Maybe that is why I sometimes find myself not at peace...or anxious...or fretful. Maybe if I quit trying to figure it out by myself, or quit going down to Egypt to find help, I would find the "peace that passes all understanding."  Philippians 4:7

At the beginning of this new year, I pray that you will make lots of resolutions. I also pray that you would consult the One and the only One who will show you the right path. And please, don't "go down to Egypt.” The answers are right inside you all the time. All you have to do is ask. Then listen. 

So make your plans…

but also consult your Father.

I like to read from different translations of the Bible. I keep the Message Bible, a beautiful new Bible that John boy gave me, and a Bible of my grandson's that we gave him when he was baptized, all together in one spot. I read Cal's Bible most of the time because it makes me feel closer to him. He is in California now, and sadly, I found this Bible among the things he left behind.

This morning I read something that I immediately thought could be the basis for a sermon to people who are going into the ministry. Sadly, again, our Bible colleges aren't turning out many ministers today,

I LOVE this scripture though, and like all scripture, it can apply to anyone who has ears to hear!

Isaiah 21:6 Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, "Put a watchman on the city wall to shout out what he sees, Tell him to sound the alert when he sees chariots drawn by horses and warriors mounted on donkeys and camels." Then the watchman called out, "Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my Lord. Night after night I have remained at my post."

I LOVE that! I believe that God has called all of us to be "watchmen on the city wall." Would that we remain faithful to our post!

A little p.s. to this blog, that is rather funny. In verse 12 of the same chapter it says The Watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but night will soon follow.  If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask." John boy added, "...and may the force be with you!" 

​HA!

The first time we moved to New York City, we subleased an apartment from a girl named Lenora. Once, when the guys were gone for about four days, I fixed a big bowl of pasta and ate it the whole time the guys were gone.  Lenora had a package of pine nuts in her cabinet, so I decided to try them with my pasta. They were SO good, I ate the whole package that week. I had never heard of pine nuts before!

I was so enamored with those pine nuts that I went to the store to get some more. After all, they were Lenora's and I needed to replace them. I was so shocked at how much they cost, but I bought a replacement package for her anyway.

I have never bought pine nuts since.

Most of the time I go blissfully on my way, accepting all the gifts that come to me, and never really stop to consider that someone had to pay for all those gifts,

Lord, make me more grateful.

Many years ago, I worked on playgrounds in the summer.  A couple of times in Knoxville and a couple in Johnson City.  I made the big bucks!  $25 a week in Knoxville and $30 a week in J.C,

The playground I was assigned to in J.C. was across from the old cola plant.  It was a huge area and I was in charge of it.  It was at least 3 city blocks long.  We couldn't wear shorts in those days..only a skirt and a sleeveless blouse.  (Glad it was sleeveless!)

I worked from 8 until 4 and there was very little shade on the playground.  

The Veteran's Hospital was just over the hill,  and often the veterans would come down and sit on the bleachers which were on the end closest to the VA.  Many times they fell asleep!

The bleachers were next to a fence.  It was a chain link fence, just there to catch the balls, since that was also the end where the kids played softball.  The top of the fence had those jagged ends shaped like an X.  Very sharp and very dangerous.

One day a little boy decided to climb the fence.  When he got to the top he got his arm hung on one of those jagged ends and it ripped a huge chunk out of it.  In fact, I had to lift him up in order to get his arm off without ripping it anymore.  

Of course he started screaming his head off and I put him in my car and took him to the hospital.  He never stopped screaming and I couldn't leave him, so went in with him for them to sew it up.  (Where I immediately started to pass out!  The Dr. happened to see me and told me to put my head between my legs!)

I had called his Mother to come to the hospital, but before she got there he just kept screaming.."don't cut my arm off", over and over again!  I tried to reassure him, to no avail.  

Finally his Mother arrived.  She only had one arm.

​Tommy and I got married after I had been teaching for 6 years.  That Christmas (we were married December 22) I worked as usual.  And, as usual, I got sick from the door being open and closed all day.  

After our wedding, we drove away and headed for our new home.  On the way I told Tommy to stop and get me an alka seltzer because I wasn't feeling too well.  We stopped at a convenience market and he went in to get the medicine.  I noticed as he was paying that all the clerks in the store were bent over laughing.  When he came out, I asked him what they were all laughing about.

He said that he told them his wife was sick and he needed some alka seltzer.  They asked him why he was all dressed up.  He said "I just got married."

Need I say more?

After high school I had a tradition of lining up my Christmas job (and my summer job) a year before. The manager at Knox Department Store was a boy (Joe) with whom I was in school all through grade school and high school.  He assured me of a job at Christmas every year.  

I usually worked in the men's department because they liked the way I kept the pant shelves neat.  The only problem with that was, that it was at the back of the store where people came and went through the back door all day.  Almost every year I got sick working at Knox!  I would get warm, then someone would open the door and the cold air would rush in.

After college, I started teaching but also kept my Christmas job.  Joe would let me come to work after I got off school at 3 and I worked until 9 when the store closed.  (stay tuned for part 2 of this story.)

Last night we watched "Oh God!"...a very old movie. It has been years since I saw it!  For the most part it was as good as I remembered.  However, there were some questionable things that I had forgotten!

One thing  stood out to me.  

All through the movie, the main character, (other than God) played by John Denver,  keeps warring with himself over whether or not his encounter with God is real.  When he finally decides that it is indeed real, he has choices to make.  The big choice is whether to do what God tells him or what the world tells him. He ends up listening to God!  It costs him his job but he isn't sad.  In fact he shows more peace and contentment with that decision than he has shown in the whole episode.

I heard recently of a young 14 year old girl in the 1700's who would not disclaim Jesus as her Lord.  Because of this, she was put into a tower with 30 other girls and they stayed there for 38 years.  The tower is still in France and people who visit see one word on the walls.  RESIST.

After we watched the God movie, we listened to John Michael Talbot sing one of our favorite worship songs.  "My Soul Proclaims The Greatness of the Lord."  This song takes us back to our days at Trinity Chapel in Knoxville, during the time Tommy, John boy and Jason were attending UT.  Our dear friend Joe, who is now with the Lord, always shouted Hallelujah at the same place in that song.  We still do it to this day.

At this wonderful Christmas season, I wish to point all of us to our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is worth making the right choices in this life, no matter what we face. He alone is Holy.  He alone is Worthy.  He alone should make us write on the walls of our homes and our hearts...RESIST.

My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord.  (Mary's words in Luke 1)

WINTER
I checked my blog today and saw that  a fall picture was still up.  I texted Jason and said "it's winter and you still have a fall picture up!"  He wrote back "picky picky picky"!  About 10 minutes later this wonderful picture appeared!  I am SO glad Jason hosts my blog!  He finds much neater pictures than I could ever find

Next I looked at the very first blog underneath the picture of the Three Wise Men (and of course we aren't sure there were just three.  We go by the three gifts and ASSUME there were three.)

Anyway back to the first blog.  It was "What would Buffy Do" with a picture of Buffy and a vampire.  I didn't think that went too well with a picture of the wise men, so decided to write another blog.

Winter is here.  I could skip it, except for maybe one good snowfall on Christmas Eve.  (And yet again.)... Jesus was probably born in the spring rather than winter, since I can't really picture the shepherds watching their sheep outside in the cold.  Maybe they did..  I need to study that subject.

When I think of cold winters though, I always go back to when we lived in NYC.  I just thought it got cold in Tennessee.  We almost froze until we got proper clothing.  The Norwegians say "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing".  I tend to agree.  One of the great things about NYC is that you spend very little time indoors, so you should have good clothing, especially in cold weather! ( we had a Norwegian landlady when we lived in New York)

So, cuddle down in front of a fire, if you have one.  Pick up a good book, put on comfy clothing (again..proper attire) and settle in for a "long winter's night."  Maybe I'll see you in the spring.  If you have proper clothing, stop by.  I don't have a fireplace but maybe someday I will!  Happy Winter and a blessed Christmas!

One of our favorite shows was Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  John boy and I started a devotional book once based on the show.  We never finished it, but hope to do so one day.

This morning, Tommy asked me if I wanted to do the exercises we have been doing each morning.  I had kind of a rough day yesterday, so he wondered what I wanted to do.  I said,"let me think about it."

About that time, a card I had taped to the back of the door fell onto the floor.  When Tommy picked it up, it said "WHAT WOULD BUFFY DO?"

I had my answer!