No Such Thing as Little!!!

My friend put this quote as her status today on Facebook and it really made me think.

"Don't cast the first stone, unless you are prepared to have a boulder thrown back."

I loved this quote, because that is the way we has humans/Christians feel so much about sin.  We put sin a category...small sins and big sins.  Christ never labeled sin...sin is sin...big or small.  We all sin everyday, but sometimes we are quicker to point out someone else's sin because we think it is bigger.  Jesus died for all sin...sometimes we forget that sin is just that...SIN...not big, not small...JUST SIN.  Let's all remember this quote before pointing a finger or before talking about what someone else is doing.  I am thankful that on the cross Jesus died for all sin.

What's That Deer????

We had a wonderful sight to greet us while eating breakfast this morning from the sunroom window.  I had never seen them come so close to the house before.  Enjoy the view as we did this morning.

These 3 beautiful deer greeted us Good Morning, and in a flash they were gone.  Glad we got to see them.  They were gorgeous.

Unexpected!!!

I decided to hit a few thrift stores today because I haven't been in a while.  I first hit the library book sale and got three books for .30....can't beat that cheap entertainment.  Then I decided to go over to Goodwill.  I found this unusual basket with thread and needles for $5.  I bought it, and when I got home it had over 21 pairs of vintage knitting needles in it.  Plus some crochet hooks and lots more miscellaneous knitting items.  Let's just say that all that is already on Ebay.  I also found Mark a hawaiian shirt for $1 and me a pair of shorts for $1...they are the perfect fit and cute.

Then it was off to my favorite thrift store...Whispering Pines.  I bought a Disney clock for .50...a great bargain and it looks brand new....Ebay item.

I found scrapbook scissors at .50 each and  bought 3 pair...you never know when you will need these.  I found boxes of nails and screws for .50 to $1 and these are expensive when you go to the home improvement stores.   I found baby vtech cartridges for .35 each...Ebay item.

I also found 2 things that I have been looking for....a white pair of sandals (been too cheap to buy at the store...all the ones I saw were over $20)and I have been wanting the Pampered Chef cheese grater ($19.50).  I got a pair of white Naturalizer sandals for $1 and the brand new in the box Pampered Chef cheese grater for $2.  I was so excited.

This was just a whirlwind trip today....totally unexpected.  Wasn't planned, but I love how God let me get things I needed and wanted at a great price.

Say, Say, Say!!!

I love reading church signs as we travel.  Here are just a few that really stuck with me over the last little bit.  I saw the first one just today as we were traveling.


"Winners make commitments, Losers make promises."

Not sure how spiritual that really is, but it does apply to church life.  I have often heard, "Give the faithful a job, don't give a job to make them faithful."  Kind of on the same wave length. 

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak"

I really like that, because let your prayer life slack off and your judgement is clouded and you can easily be swayed.  I know when I fail to keep the communication line open with the Lord, I can tell a whole attitude change within myself.

"Come on it, the Son is always shining."

Being from the coast, I love this one very much.  There is never a cloudy day with the Son.

"Turn or Burn" and "Smoking or Non-Smoking"

I like these because they make you realize that hell is a real place.  I have never understood why people believe in a heaven, but not hell.  It is just as real as heaven.

 I loved this one, as this is what I wanted to say sometimes as a pastor's wife, but my tongue has the bite marks to prove that I bit my tongue.  I have always loved people who I haven't seen at church in years want to move their membership. These are the people that are always mowing their grass when you get out of church, so you know they are not going somewhere else.  Although they do feel compeled to call the pastor to tell them that they are changing churches...I guess to stop the "We miss you" cards.  LOL

I have seen this a lot lately.  I am guessing because of the economy.  Bad economy is not an excuse to stop tithing, but more like a good excuse to start in my book.

These are just a few that I really like.  This is how I spend a lot of my time while traveling.  I even bought a note book to record the ones that really speak to me in it.  So when you are riding down the road take notice of what the church signs say.

Back in Time!!!

This week Mark shared some fabulous news with me.  Pastor Bays and Ms. Dot are back in NC.  Pastor Bays was my pastor during my teenage years at Forest Hills Baptist Church.  He left and went to Alabama while I was away at school.  Church for me was never the same when I came home.  The excitement had left our church, and church is never the same while you are searching for a pastor.  After all the flock is missing its under shepherd.  I married a preacher and we started our journey in the ministry.  We would go and minister at churches and then leave, and I often wondered what impact that had on some of the people.  I now know, a big impact on some as I have reconnected with members on Facebook.

Not that I worshiped Pastor Bays, but I learned lots of things under his ministry.  He and Ms. Dot had a genuine love for their flock, and it showed.  I felt like I grew under his ministry, after all he is the one who took us to Fruitland for my first glimpse of where the Lord would lead me (also where I met Mark).  He was so passionate about the Lord and his euthesism was catching.  I still have the bible the church gave me for graduation.  I carried it from 1989 until 2002 when the cover came completely off.  I remember the verse written in the front.  It was Joshua 1:8 "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."  I know the church nor the pastor realized just how much I would read and reread this passage of scripture over the years.

Our pastor, Jim Herchenhahn, is doing a revival in Roseboro this week.  Guess where??  At Pastor Bays' church.  I was thrilled when Mark told me this (he is such the little detective).  We made plans to attend on Monday night.  I could not wait!!! Finally after 20 years, I was going to get to see Mr. and Mrs. Bays.  I got my bible and my camera and off to Roseboro we went.

My biggest amazement was that The Bays' looked just like they did at Forest Hills 20 years ago.

I promise you that they looked just like this when I was 16 at Forest Hills Baptist.

After we gabbed and somewhat caught up before the service, we sat with Ms. Dot and waited to hear Pastor Herchenhahn's sermon.  First though, Mr. Bays led the singing before the sermon.  He started out by saying one side was going to sing one thing and the other side was going to sing another phrase.  While singing, I was whisked away to a time in my past.  I was 16 years old sitting beside Ms. Dot at Forest Hills.  It was a flash back into a time that I treasure in my life.  All these memories came back....past sermons, songs, Dexter, outings, homecoming, singings and practical jokes played by none other than the pastor and wife.  It was wonderful seeing them again.  I am so glad that they are close by.

I am totally thrilled to be standing between these two people.  My heart was filled with so much excitement in anticipation of seeing them again.

The icing on the cake was that my current pastor, Pastor Herchenhahn, was there as well.   We just love Pastor Herchenhahn and Ms. Jean so much.  We are growing and learning so much under his ministry. So, I got to be in the same service as my two favorite pastors.  It was a wonderful evening.

Sweet Surprise!!!

Yesterday Mark and I sang at church.  I think this might have been our first time singing here, but I was so nervous....thought I might throw up.  But I got through it, and it wasn't that bad.  After the service, I was surprised with some flowers by Jenny.  It such a sweet gesture.  It really melted my heart.  She will never know how much that simple gesture meant to me.  I love the fact that she thought so much of me to go and pick these for me before coming to church.

Thanks Jenny for the beautiful flowers.

WOW!!!

I saw this saying in a magazine today, and it just struck a chord with me.  I guess I stress so much by trying to have everything perfect in life...I think now I will stop and enjoy my wonderful life.