Hand Made Gifts and Rejection

On this past weekend I attended a baby shower for a precious sister that I've become so fond of since moving to Vancouver. I was a little nervous at first because this would be the first time I fellowshipped with the ladies at church. Our church has 2 campus' and we were joining in with our Portland campus to celebrate the mother and the new life that will be here any day now. Being around people didn't make me nervous, it was my gift.

Most of the gifts I make are handmade aka homemade. I really wasn't sure how my gift would be received. Some people like handmade gifts and some don't. From my experiences in the past, I was nervous though. I felt that there was something much deeper at work here than a "homemade" gift. Once again, it wasn't so much whether or not my gift would be received, but rather would I be rejected because of my gift.

Why in the world would I be rejected because of my gift? Is a question I kept asking myself. Well, if your a person who has dealt with rejection, you know what I'm talking about. Often times when rejection takes it ugly grip on us, we have to continue to fight as we dig up the root that planted itself there.

As I sat there as the gifts were being opened, I made sure I looked around for the nearest EXIT sign in big red letters. Often times when we are faced with rejection, we look for the nearest exit. Sometimes those around us who knows our weakness will push us to the exit sign only to grab us by the arm before walk out the door. It becomes a game they like to play, but there are the only ones having fun.

Then one day you get to that exit door and you walk outside. For the first time in years you smell fresh air and the freedom that comes with it. You turn around and face your rejector and tell them your free. You will no longer play the game. The game is over and you're the winner because standing behind your rejector are those who are exposing their weaknesses in secret.

I was so relieved when my handmade gift was received with great joy by the expecting mom. The gift was a beautiful crib quilt. I look forward to meeting the baby boy that will be added to the church family. But the thing I look forward to the most is bonding with the women at church and being vulnerable to them and not being afraid to expose my weaknesses out of fear of rejection.

I've learned in life that in my weaknesses, God's strength will prevail.

Just Call Me Mom

Everybody has a passion for something. I'm passionate about a couple of things in my life. I'm passionate about God. The One who created me and changed me from the inside out. I'm passionate about being the best help meet that I possibly can to a man that deserves my up most respect. Don is a man full of integrity and lives the life that others just talk about. One of my greatest passions in life is being a mom.

Mom. A simple three letter word that has enough impact to bring real change that we so desperately cry out for. It's me, Sandra, known as "mom" to my children, that's raising up a generation of worldchangers that will shape the future of this nation.

Mom. A simple three letter word that doesn't have BA, MD, PhD or XYZ ect. behind it, but an occupation that existed before the alphabet letters were known. When I became a mom, the only formal education I had was from watching and listening to other moms. But when the alphabets are just a fading memory in my mind, my heart will still smile at the sound of the word "mom"

I encourage all women with children to embrace your calling as a mom. Rock those babys to sleep at night. Be patience with the toddler you're trying to potty train. Answer the "why?" questions because Little Man might have the solution to a cure for cancer. Help your kids find their identities in their tween years. Don't run from your teenagers and tell them you'll be back when their grown. Let them know that the changes that are taking place in their body is normal. Your boys need you to tell them that they are strong and it's okay to be masculine. Your girls need to hear from you that they are pretty and it's okay to be feminine.

Society may tell you that you have so much more to give than just being a mom. You need to tell them because your just a mom, society will have a future they can be proud of.

Words of Love

Many people have asked how are we doing with the transition that took place this summer. I noticed in my response, I would use the word "love" a lot. ex: I "love" our new place, I "love" our new church and I "love" Vancouver, etc. But there is one thing that I received this summer that I "love" a lot. It's an older book titled "Words of Love" It's a small book with various quotes about love. It's a Hallmark Editions book and the quotes were selected by Ben Whitley.

I received this book from my Secret Sister. I want to share some quotes from the book. I hope it blesses you the way that it has blessed me. BTW, I "love" Secret Sisters.

The heart that loves is always young. ~ Greek Proverb

The sea has its pearls, The heaven its stars,
But my heart, my heart, My heart has its love ~ Heinrich Heine

If you wish to be loved, love ~ Seneca

'Tis what I love determines how I love. ~ George Eliot

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind. ~ William Shakespeare

Love is the gentle smile upon the lips of beauty. ~ Kahlil Gibran

A loving heart is the truest wisdom. ~ Charles Dickens

A Sacrifice of Praise

For me going through a trial is easy in the beginning. When I'm faced with a trial the first thing I start to do is listen my praise & worship music. I start to quote Scriptures while I go about my daily rituals. I might even stop in the middle of doing laundry and rejoice by doing a Texas-two step (dance). Why? Because I know that trials don't last forever. But what about the trial that seems to have no end in sight?

During this journey with Christ, I have gone through some trials that were long. It was difficult for me to praise God in the midst of them. Those Scriptures that were being quoted started to cease because my flesh got tired and weary. Then one day it dawned on me that I need to praise no matter what my circumstances were, how much money I had or didn't have in the bank or what my present surroundings looked like. I had to offer up a sacrifice of praise. How do I offer a sacrifice of praise? I couldn't really answer that question until I understood what it meant to offer a sacrifice of praise.

Sacrifice - The act of making an offering to a deity, in worship or atonement. To give up,
yield or relinquish for the sake of something else, as a person, thing, or idea.

Praise - To express adoration of; glorify.

I realized in order to continue offering up an expression of adoration and glorifying my Lord, I had to deal with me first. Praise to God begins with self.

Psalms 103:1-2, Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.

Oh at times how I quickly forgotten all His benefits. Just like an earthly child has benefits from his or her natural father, I have benefits because of my Heavenly Father. The opposite of Praise is forgetfulness. To forget the benefits of the Lord is to disregard His covenant Lordship.

Praise is due to God because He answers prayer!
Praise is due to God because He is the King of Kings!
Praise is due to God because He is the creator of all things!

The commitment to praise the Lord requires a disassociation from dependency on other people. You can't look for man to praise God for you because you're "going through." He's your God. He's your Savior. He's your Deliver. Praise Him because he is worthy!

Psalm 18:3 - I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

The saints from old had a saying that would always get me on the right track. They used to tell me "I dare you to praise God and see won't He come through for you!" Today, I daring you to praise God and see what happens.

A Page From My Journal

I found some old journals and just thought I'd share a page from it. It was written May 16, 2005.

Lord as I sit here in my van waiting for Ruthie to finish her dance class, I feel You. I feel You through the wind. I know it might sound weird to other people, that's why I'm only telling You.

Father I love Your presence. I feel as though Your sitting here with me. Sometimes Lord I dream about running to the mountains just to be alone with You. While we're there You're sharing secrets with me. You're giving me people to pray for. But more than anything else Lord, it's You and me.

I see us walking down a path with beautiful flowers surrounding us.

You know Lord, I feel so safe with You. "Thank You" for protecting me.

I have to come to reality soon. Ruth's dance class is almost over, and back to being a mom. Father my husband and children are such a blessing. "Thank You" for them!

Jesus + Sandra = True Love & Forever Lasting! :)

Quick Greek Pitas

1 pound ground beef
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 can (2 1/2 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large tomato, diced
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 (6-inch) pita bread, warmed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
lettuce

Cook and stir ground stir until crumbly and no longer pink. Drain ground beef. Add spinach, green onions, olives, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and pepper; cook and stir 2 minutes. stir in tomato.

Combine yogurt, mayonnaise and remaining oregano in a small bowl. Split open pita bread; line each with lettuce leaf. Stir cheese into beef mixture and divide among pita pockets. Serve with yogurt sauce.

*These were so yummy and have become a family favorite. I did a couple of things different from the recipe. I did add more seasoning to my ground beef and added a little yogurt & mayo mixture to the to the ground beef.

This is the cookbook I got the recipe from.

Be Careful Little Tongue What You Say

Gossip Corner

by Ellen Bailey

Do you have a gossip corner inside your home A place to spread rumors or create your own A place where prattle can be spread around town A place that allows others to drag someone down Unfounded gossip can travel in many directions Overcoming obstructions and evading correction It can negate happiness and put sorrow in its place It can erase a smile and put tears on someone's face Smearing others and tarnishing their reputations Should be left to those of a younger generation We who are older and are supposed to be mature Should not abet in spreading this kind of manure Quell the gossip that tries to enter into your home Do not give it more legs on which to further roam Replace it with mentions of truly honorable deeds And demonstrate to others your personal integrity

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As keeper of my home, it's my duty to guard what comes into my house. There are so many things that we wouldn't dare allow to come into our house. Some of the obvious are R-rated movies that would cause sleepless nights to our young children and make our teenagers hormones rage off the charts. We wouldn't allow secular music to enter our homes and fill our kids minds with fantasies that are unrealistic and cause us to think about past relationships when "our song" would come on. Especially those slow jams from the 80s. I for one check every piece of garment that my kids buy from the store. There's no room in the drawers and not enough hangers in the closet for immodest clothes and pants that will fall to the ground because the proper size wasn't purchase.

As I keep a watchful eye on what comes into my home, some things come in that I can't see. They travel in through the hearts of those who enter my home. Whether it's someone who lives here or someone else who brings it in. They are invisible and unless I'm God, which I'm not, I can't see them. One of those things is gossip. When we hear the word gossip right away red flags go up and we disassociate ourselves from that word. In reality, who wants to be known as a gossip or even associated with one. No one. But the sad truth is.....we have all been there and done that. Praise God for growth and the truth that resides in His word.

I remember once while teaching Sunday school many years ago, a little boy looked up at me and said, "Sister King you're really nice and I don't know why my mom talks about you."

I would like to caution you to be careful what you say around your children. If they don't repeat what you say about someone, their actions will show towards that adult that you're talking about.

There have been many wonderful children who have walked away from the Lord. Not because of what mom and dad did in the home, but because of what mom and dad said in the home. What they said about other people sitting around the dinner table and on the phone. What's a child to do when parents have another couple over from for coffee and they hear them talk about Brother and Sister John & Jane Doe. Guard your home! Don't allow anything to enter your home that does not glorify God and/or His people.

There are many quotes regarding gossip:

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.
Spanish Proverb

The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.
Will Rogers

Gossip is always a personal confession either of malice or imbecility.
Josiah Gilbert Holland

Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
Will Rogers

Never tell evil of a man, if you do not know it for certainty, and if you know it for a certainty, then ask yourself, 'Why should I tell it?'
Johann K. Lavater

Proverbs 26:20 - Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.