Read the Directions

Fixing a frozen pizza is normally a pretty uneventful task. Pre-heat the oven, insert pizza, take out when done - easy enough, right? Just what I needed for a quick supper the other night.

The pizza looked done enough so I placed it on a cookie sheet and rolled out the pizza cutter. Hmm, it didn't seem to be cutting well. It seemed a bit 'mushy', so I decided to toss it back in the still-warm oven for another minute or two.


Take it out again - same results. Now this is a fairly new oven and I've not had problems with the thermostat before, so I was baffled. I slid two slices onto my plate and lo, what do I see? The cardboard beneath the pizza that I had neglected to remove before baking!


I have no idea the number of times I've baked a frozen pizza in my time, but not once have I forgotten the cardboard. In fact, I've often smiled at the comments on the box that remind you to remove it, much like I've never been able to understand how someone could cook a turkey without checking for whatever 'innards' may be inside.

The fact is, I was too sure of myself and didn't feel like I needed to stop and read the directions. I'd read them probably dozens of times before and like I said, getting a simple pizza from freezer to table is normally pretty easy.

Staying in God's word is much the same. Sure, we've all read the Bible here and there and could probably quote scripture with the best of them. But do you make it a part of your routine, before you go about the tasks of the day?

I've lived a good part of my life without God in it and obviously survived to tell about it, but it would have been so much easier if I had paused to 'read the directions' on a daily basis. No matter if I had been through the same things before, there have been times where I have made the same mistakes over and again. I could certainly have used a reminder on just how things should be done according to The Manufacturer. His directions were right there for me, but I chose to ignore them.

Yes, things turned out 'ok', just like my pizza that was edible, but they could have been so much better if I had not done things my own way because I thought I knew what I was doing.

Does reading the directions guarantee that things will always turn out perfect? No! But His directions come with an eternal guarantee.

Read The Directions

Talking to God - Thank You, Bettie ...

A sweet lady in NC named Bettie brought me to the Lord several years ago, and since that time has become a very dear friend - my 'big sister'.




Bettie's daughter, Amy, is married to SSgt Jay Allen, USMC. Jay is currently stationed on Okinawa, Japan and Amy and their two toddlers, Haley and Emma, have accompanied him on this assignment.



Today I'd like to share an example of how Bettie continues to inspire me, from an email she sent a while back:

I was sitting here talking to the Lord about how I missed Amy/Jay/Haley/Emma phone call last night and seeing them on the webcam while I was at Church. Every day I look forward to hearing from them and hearing all about what is going on. I look forward to seeing them on the computer. I want to talk to them and see them every single day and hear what is going on in their lives. It is almost as if my day is not complete without talking to them and seeing them. I get so much pleasure and joy from their phone calls and seeing them on the computer.

That is the way our Lord is. Daily He waits for us to talk to Him. He gets so much pleasure when we call Him and talk to Him. He gets so much pleasure when we long to see Him. He wants a daily personal relationship with each one of us.

Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand). (Amplified Version)

Jeremiah 33:3 - Ask Me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here. (Life Application Study Bible)

God assured Jeremiah that he had only to ask God and God would answer. God is ready to answer our prayers, but we must ask for His assistance. Surely God could take care of our needs without our asking. But when we ask, we are acknowledging that He alone is God and that we cannot accomplish in our own strength all that is His domain to do. When we ask, we must humble ourselves, lay aside our willingness and worry, and determine to obey Him.

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Bettie recently had back surgery and Amy came home to help during her recovery, and is right now on a plane back to Okinawa to reunite with Jay and their girls. It will be a long, 24 hour journey. Both Bettie and Amy are having a tough time with the separation, and long for the day when the extended family can be together again.


I ask you to remember this family in your prayers - traveling mercies for Amy on this long trip - peace for Bettie, Larry, Amy, Jay and the girls until they can all be reunited again - for all of our men and women serving around the world and here at home. I ask for special prayers that God's purpose for Amy on Okinawa be revealed to her, that the people she encounters are touched by her witness.

God bless you, my friend ... Semper Fidelis

Update:

At the very time I was writing this, Amy was witnessing to a family at the airport while waiting for her flight. The husband/father is a soldier who was having a bit of difficulty dealing with recent changes in his career.

God didn't wait for her to get back to Okinawa, He used her on the very first leg of the journey!

Home, Home On the Range ...

Things are finally starting to move forward on the house. The contractor is going to make the necessary repairs and I'll pay for the supplies up front, and can settle the rest of the bill at or immediately following closing. What a relief that is.

He should get going on it this week, but the structural engineer needs to see everything again after the joists are repaired and before the subfloor is put in, and then after everything is done the VA appraiser still has to give his ok. I'm not sure how long it will take for the various parties to come together on all of that, but it seems the ball is rolling now.

In the meantime, I look at this picture and pretend that I'm looking out the living room window of my new home with the cozy warm wood stove.

View from living room window across the county road

God willing, it won't be long before it's a reality ...

It's Been a While...

I've been busy writing on my other blogs, but have neglected this one terribly so I believe it's time for a resurrection.

We survived the ice storm here in south/central Ohio, losing power for a full 2 days. We have a small generator, but I was reluctant to leave the space heaters on overnight, so it got down to 44 and 41 degrees in here. Not fun to wake up to! Even with just two small rooms open and two space heaters running all day, I don't think I ever got the temp in the house up past 62 or so.

Even with that, I am ever so thankful that we were as fortunate as we were, as so many others were far worse off; in fact, there are still thousands without power in Kentucky. My prayers are with everyone affected by the devastating conditions that have been abundant this winter season.

So, what's been going on in Marie Anne's life? Pretty much the same as it's been. I'm still waiting on issues with the house I'm trying to buy. It took an unusually long time for the VA appraiser to get out there, and then he insisted on an inspection by a licensed structural engineer. That report is in with issues that we were already aware of, and it cost me $350 to have someone with fancy letters behind his name put it in writing. I guess that's all part of the game. I'm waiting on a bid from the contractor for the repairs, and my agent is going to work on the seller's bank to see if they will agree to foot part of the bill. That should be interesting.

(click photo to enlarge)

I've been busy crocheting and have written up a new scarf pattern which you can find on my blog at Every Day Crochet. My links are being listed on other free crochet pattern sites, so I'm seeing a good number of hits daily, which I'm very thankful for. I need to get busy and list some of my things on etsy to see if I can get them sold. They're doing me no good sitting here!

I've also started blogging about some of my money making opportunities at Turning Pennies Into Dollars and will try to keep that updated with what works, what to stay away from, proof of my earnings, etc. I'll not get rich with my online endeavors, but if you're like me and are thankful for every dollar brought in, you might find some things of interest there.

That's it for this trip. God blessings to all ...