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My Grandmother passed away. Tomorrow we will be celebrating her life, remembering her kind, gentle and humble spirit. Her passing was a blessing after years of illness but it hurts...a lot. However, there is comfort in God and for that I am so thankful. I couldn't think of a better way to honor Nonny and praise God for his promise to us than the Prayer of Saint Francis...

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.**The final years of my Grandparents life were hard on everyone but especially my Mother. Watching her care for sick parents was heart breaking. I am saying a prayer for all of you who are caring for your parents. Judy Goldman wrote a wonderful article in Real Simple that really hit home for me. I recommend reading it....

"Near the end of her life, I could not see beyond my mother’s childlike stare, the confused disorder in her eyes. I could not feel anything but the ache of having to be my mother’s mother. After she died and I had finally shaken off the last shiver of the disease, I was able to remember what she had been like before Alzheimer’s.

I could see her turn her wrist to adjust her watch. There she was, at her dressing table, leaning into the magnifying mirror, plucking her eyebrows. I could see her dipping the tiny wand in the brown Mercurochrome bottle, painting my bruised knee orange. She was the grown-up. And I, again, was the child."

-excerpt "Losing My Mother", full text HERE

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. Psalm 119:32

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do resent his rebuke, because the LORD discipines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:11-12

Katie left this in the comments last week and I thought it was so relevant I had to post it today:

If you merely pretend that you enjoy God or love Him, He knows.
You can’t fool Him; don’t even try. Instead, tell Him how you feel.
Tell Him that He isn’t the most important thing in this life to you,
and that you are sorry for that. Tell Him that you’ve been lukewarm,
that you’ve chosen _____________ over Him time and again.
Tell Him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him.
Tell Him how you want to experience true satisfaction and pleasure and
joy in your relationship with Him. Tell Him you want to love Him more than
anything on this earth. Tell Him you want to experience the kingdom of heaven so much so that you’d willingly sell everything in order to get it.
Tell Him what you like about Him, what you appreciate, what brings you joy.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:18-19

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

I have to be honest, my relationship with the Lord has not been what it should be the last several weeks. It is really bothering me that God has not been a priority in my life. Whenever I am feeling down, knowing God is there and is all that matters in the end is what lifts me back up. However, we are not promised that we will be with God in the end. Just being a good person and showing up to church every week is not the way. We are called to do more and so far I have not done more. I am perfectly content just being and that is scaring me. Does anyone else feel the same way?

My faith is strong and for that I am thankful. However, to say I don't have moments of doubt about my actions and if they are enough would be a lie. To be a believer is more than just going through day to day life, being a good person, it is about being a disciple- and I fail at that constantly. I was reading Livi &B this week and followed Donna's link to this post:

How the Kids & the Neighbor-Next-Door Might Really Become Christians?

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48
This week Quiet Time will be a little different because I need your help. A little background first...Through the amazing wonder of God's plan I came to meet some faithful people doing God's work. I was lucky enough to go with these people before Thanksgiving to Choctaw County, a small place on the Alabama/Mississippi border, to deliver food to families in need that had been donated to this group. We spent the day not only giving food to these people, but also praying with them. They were the poorest of the poor, yet they seemed happier to give thanks to God than to receive food. One family we visited literally only eats what they can kill. They live in a trailer belonging to someone else and have practically nothing. I took this picture in the trailer because I was moved that in this desolate place on the wall hung these two pictures (on either side of the flag)....
I had to include this picture because these faces make my heart melt...
Each and every one of their stories is moving. These people are good people who are trying their best to get out of their current situation. I couldn't believe that this exists here, that people could live without food, clothing, heat, water. In the past Patrick and I had sponsored "angels" and donated to organizations, but to see these places and meet the people first hand was life changing.
This is where I must ask for your help. For Christmas the group has adopted these families but their needs outweigh our means. While ideally the children would all get something special like toys, they need school uniforms, shoes, coats and school supplies desperately. The families need food, money for water tanks, any clothing available-new or used. They were supposed to come to Birmingham (they are 2 hours away) for a Christmas celebration, that has not worked out but we are still trying to do some celebration for them.

First and most importantly we/they need prayers. I know everyone is strapped right now or you have your own charitable cause but prayer is free! And more importantly prayer is far more powerful than anything that can be bought.

Second, if you would like to help in any other way it would be most appreciated. I hate to ask this on the blog, but this an outlet God gave me and I am called to use it. If you think you could help in any way or you would like to have more background information on these families please e-mail me @ mariannestrong@aol.com or you can e-mail Lisa (the organizer) @ LALA2541@aol.com . As always thank you for reading these posts, it means so much to me!

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

I think I have mentioned before that I really like receiving Daily Bible Verses, it is nice to wake up in the morning with a verse. Here are three that have been used recently that have grabbed me.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I hope you all had a fun Halloween! The other day while reading Rita's wonderful blog, A Refocused Life, I came across this picture and post and thought it would be a great Sunday post......

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff--including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Sunrise, sunsetSunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

These lyrics from Fiddler on the Roof seem so fitting this week. It has been such a joyous week with several of our friends giving birth to healthy, beautiful babies. I am so thankful today for the gift of life that God gives us, it is truly a miracle.

On the other hand this week has been a reminder that life is short. A death and the ongoing struggle with watching my Grandmother slowly wither away to nothing is hard. I thank God for the peace he places upon me, the peace that comes with knowing there is a greater plan and we just need to have faith. When I came across this poem today in an old scrap book it seemed so fitting....

"The Plan of the Master Weaver"
Author Unknown

Our lives are but fine weaving
That "God" and we prepare,
Each life becomes a fabric planned
And fashioned in "His" care.

We may not always see just how
The weaving intertwines,
But we must trust the Masters hand
And follow "His" design.

For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side,
While we must look from underneath
And trust in "Him" to guide.

Sometimes a strand of sorrow
Is added to "His" plan,
And though it's difficult for us,
We still must understand.

That it's "He" who fills the shuttle
It's "He" who knows what's best,
So we must weave in patience
And leave to "Him" the rest.

Not till the loom in silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall "God" unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needed
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern "He" has planned.

**Today's post is dedicated to my Mom who for years has quietly carried the burden of caring for my Grandparents and who always comes to mind when I here the words from Fiddler on the Roof.

**Thank you for the comments, we take all the prayers we can get! I realized how I worded the post was confusing though, just to clarify, my Grandmother has not passed way (yet), the death was the loved one of a close friend.

"That is what it means that I do this for Jesus. HE loved me first. I love Him back. And sometimes it hurts. But even then it is pure joy to even be considered worthy to share in His suffering. That is the promise. Not that He is sorry that it hurts. But that He sees. That He knows. That He is here with us. " -Kisses From KatieTuesday we were at Bible study when my dear friend Brooke told us about a blog Kisses From Katie. She warned us to read it only we had time because we would be glued to it and she was right. I came home that night and started reading which I could have done all night if my battery had not died. Kisses From Katie is the journal of this AMAZING person who was called by God to go to Africa and care for the children there. Her faith, her actions, her words, her ability to use scripture to relate to what she is currently going through is beyond words. I highly recommend you take time to read this blog, your faith and heart will be moved.

Brooke wrote about this the other day and include two excepts that I really thought grabbed the essence of this blog so I wanted to share them here too......


"It is my 16th Birthday and I am eating sushi at my favorite restaurant with my parents when I tell them that I would like to explore the possibility of taking a year in between high school and college to do mission work. This is unheard of in my family and they say they are not sure and will think about it. I am nervous, but somehow I know it is right. He changes their hearts.
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I have just turned 18 and find an orphanage online. I beg my parents to let me visit over break, just three weeks. A month later I am on a plane. I am so excited. I am so scared of being, but I know He is going with me. I fall in love.I graduate high school having made the commitment to teach Kindergarten for a year at a school in The Middle of Nowhere, Uganda. In August I get on the plane. I’m apprehensive and I cry most of the way because I miss my Mommy and my boyfriend. I am eager, but so uncertain. I trust Him. I teach 138 children how to speak English and to love Jesus.
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It is October and I am just not sure I can do it anymore. I live in the smallest room I have ever seen in the back of a pastor’s house. I am more uncomfortable than I had bargained for. No one understands, not people here, not people at home. I am tired. But I am prideful and I am not going to quit. I don’t like this. But I know He has a plan. I learn, I grow, He is there.
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It is December and God has spoken very clearly about opening a ministry that sponsors 40 of the orphaned children in the village where I am working. This involves moving into a different house, ALONE. It is big and I cannot imagine how God will fill it up. I am lonely and I am anxious. But I am still trusting. He fills the house, and we now have 400 children sponsored.
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It is January and I am looking at a little girl, crushed under a brick wall with no one to care for her or her younger siblings. I offer to take the three home with me until we find them a better placement. I am not really sure what to do with them, but I know they are God’s children. They stay.It is three days later and the littlest looks at me and calls me mommy. My heart might break in two. Something clicks. I am even more scared than I was the day I stepped on that plane, but I KNOW. Today I have 13.I have to deliver a baby, give a boy stitches, pull a tooth, give and injection. I am petrified. But no one will do it if I do not. He is present, He holds my hand, they are all fine.
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It is August and I must get on a plane back to America to go to college, as I have promised my father. I do not remember how to be a teenager or what it is to be normal Brentwood, Tennessee. I will have to leave my babies. I will have to make new friends. I am sad and I am terrified. He wraps His arms around me. He puts just the right people in just the right places, and they help me and they make me feel at home.
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First semester is over and He speaks clearly to me that I cannot serve two masters. “Go HOME,” He says, “and stay.” I am uncertain, but I want to be obedient. He squeezes tighter. I am thankful.I have to look at my loving parents who have given me everything and tell them that I will not go to college right now, because I feel God wants me to be in Uganda. I know how disappointed and how angry they will be. I am more scared than I was when I got on the plane and more scared than I was when I took my first children. But I know that this IS the Plan. They love me anyway.

It is February and my daughter’s biological father comes to take her away. My heart breaks in half, and I am not sure I will ever be able to get out of my bed again, let alone foster another child. I am more than devastated, but I want what is best for her, what He wants for her. She comes back and her biological father learns about Jesus.

It is March and a lame little girl is brought to my gate. She is undoubtedly mine, but I am still anxious. What if I can’t do it? I don’t know what to do with a special needs child, especially as my 13th child. I am criticized and ridiculed. I wonder. I trust and praise God for her sweet little life. She starts to walk.

I find myself in a village full of starving people that for some reason seem to want to kill me. God says to serve them anyway. I am not sure how it is going to work, or if it is safe. I can’t figure it out, but I know He can. 1,200 Karamajongs, the poorest of Uganda’s poor, are now served hot meals daily.We keep taking in more children until there are 400 in our program. There is no way we will raise enough funds, but by now I have stopped worrying. He has always provided. Blessings rain from the sky, and all 400 children go to school.
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I am 20 years old and have 13 children and 400 more who all depend on me for their care. Who are all learning to love Jesus and be responsible adults and looking up to me. The reality of it all can be a bit overwhelming at times. However, it is always pure joy. There is a common misconception that I am courageous. I will be the first to tell you that this is not actually true. Most of the time, I am not brave. I just believe in a God who will use me even though I am not. Most mornings, before I even get out of bed I am overwhelmed with His goodness, with His plan for my life; I stand in awe of the fact that He could entrust me with so much. Most days, I don’t have much of a plan. I don’t always know where this is going. I can’t see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step. It is about Peter, getting out of the boat. I do not know my five year plan; even tomorrow will probably not go as I have planned. I am thrilled and I am terrified, in a good way. So some call it courage, some call it foolish, I call it Faith. I choose to get out of the boat. To take the next step. Sometimes I walk straight into His arms. More often, I get scared and look down and stumble. Sometimes I almost completely drown. And through it all, He never lets go of my hand.

This one really speaks to me. We are all looking for happiness, to be content in our hearts. We look to things on this earth to make us happy but really it is not this earth that will bring us true peace.
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"... at first glance, it would be easy to feel sorry for these little boys. their clothes are tattered, they sleep on old, dirty mattresses, they walk to school barefoot in the rain. they have no electricity, no running water, and it is raining so hard that the whole compound has become a muddy swamp. but you should not pity these children, in fact, you should envy them. i know i do. at six years old, these children know what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. these children know the Greatness, the Wonder of our God.when was the last time you prayed out loud for 30 minutes? when was the last time you spent as little as half an hour listing to the Lord all the reasons that you love Him, thanked Him for all He has done for you, or even simply marveled at his awesome grace? i've had people ask me why africa is so impoverished, even had people tell me that it is a cursed nation. africa is not impoverished. these children are not poor. we are. we put value in things. these children, having no things, put value in God. we put our trust in relationships, these children, having already seen relationships fail, put their trust in the Lord. this nation is blessed beyond any place, any people i have ever encountered. God has not forgotten these people, in fact, i believe He has loved them just a little bit extra."

We are all called to serve in different ways and I just hope I can serve God like Katie is doing. Her example of selflessness is one we can all follow.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Photo HERE

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

This verse is a great simple daily reminder for me, not only to keep my words pleasing to God but also what is in my heart. The Psalm also reminds of a wonderful group of friends so it is extra special.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

If I focus on the plan of my life, I will ride a rollercoaster of ups & downs as the circumstances change. If however I focus on the purpose of my life then I have an anchor & I'll be grounded, able to ride thru the storms. so what is my purpose? It is to glorify God - and that can be done in ALL circumstances - Anita Bucher.

A little something different today. Watch this video. Just trust me. I know it is long, a little much at times, but it is worth it I promise.



Wow, Laminin, who knew? Gives me chills (in a good way).

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4: 29-32

Photo Here