Too Busy?

Have you ever thought that you just couldn't do it all? That you can't add one more thing to your to-do list? Do you spend the day running from one thing to the next? Are you in charge of too many projects already? Are you doing too many projects already?

And then someone asks you to do another.

It's a good thing - teach at Vacation Bible School, make a meal for a sick church member, work at Field Day at your child's school, be the secretary for PTA, clean up a sick lady's yard. But can you add anything else? You start to think that you can handle it. You would even be really good at it. You may be the best at it.

Today Randy Harris told a funny joke in our Sunday School class. He stated that it was told to him by a hermit - and you always listen when a hermit tells a joke.

A man went every month to see his spiritual mentor and get guidance. It was a regular appointment but this day the man was just too busy! There were lots of wonderful things that the man just had to do! How could he make time to talk about his spiritual life?! So, the man decided to make it a quick visit - get in, get out.

The man went to see his mentor and the mentor asked how it was going. Fine, great said the man. Nothing to talk about today. Hmmmm. The mentor was somewhat surprised but accepted the man's explanation. Whew! The man knew he would have time to get to his next task, meeting, job.... Oh, but he did want his Bible verses - his mentor always gave him verses to meditate on for the coming month. The mentor gave him just one verse. Just one? This was unusual but the man had to go!

In his car, he wanted to know what the verse was. Of course, his dome light was out, but he needed to know that verse! So the man got out of the car to read it using his headlights:

Are you the Messiah or should we look for another?

Alta Mesa Pics

Here are some pictures from our Alta Mesa Ladies Retreat. The decorations were so much fun. The Super 7 did a great job of planning and decorating!
Here is the goody basket that they put together for us! It was filled with awesome goodies, but the best part were the personalized notes to each of us from each woman on the planning team. It was such a blessing to have each note.

Here were just some of the drawing give aways for the ladies who came to the retreat. There were so many fun baskets and bags.





Here is one of the ladies who helped with the registration table. Her daughter, Diane, is a good friend of ours in Abilene.

This is my cousin's wife Karise. She was given a sweet gift from her friends and church family. Her husband (my cool cuz) took a job at a different congregation. I know that they loved their time with Alta Mesa and it was a very hard decision to move. Karise had quite a few surgeries this last year and I know that her church sisters ministered to her in so many ways. (Karise's doctor told her she no longer had any optional parts inside of her anymore, everything was a must keep)


This was a fun game. Each table had to come up with a "coffee themed" sentence. The best table won a prize.

Here are some of the Coffee Group. The top picture is of one of our friends' mom with Donna, "Anne's Mom", Sarah and Judy.

We had a great time with our sisters at Alta Mesa. One of the main messages that we try and impart is that we are all human, we all make mistakes, we all need each other. The importance of being real with our community of believers is part of the New Testament Church. Mourning and rejoicing with those who we walk along side during this time on earth is part of what we are called in to as followers of Jesus. Satan would have us just be too busy to stop and find a friend, and if we do find a friend, he would try and keep us quiet and not bare each others burdens. Don't fall for Satan's trap of loneliness, seek and pray for a godly friend.

Where Is That From?

Well, I'm finally on the Coffee Group blog! I finally feel like I've got something to say....

While at the Alta Mesa retreat I mentioned a favorite quote from an old Acappella CD (cassette tape really.) On the CD a voice says,

"I have come that you might have life and you might have it more abundantly!"

And then it goes into a song. At the retreat Donna thought it might be Marshall Keebler, a rather famous African-American preacher. I decided to ask a, hopefully, trustworthy source -George Pendergrass.

George was singing with Acappella at the time and I thought he might know where it came from. When asked who had said it George told me Jesus Christ. Duh. Another smarty-pants in my life! I knew Jesus said it, George! (John 10:10) George told me that it was his voice on the recording and they had great fun doing it.

Just wanted to set that straight. We had a great time working with George yesterday painting a little lady's house. It would appear that singing isn't his only talent!

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Tammy reads this as part of her talk at almost every Coffee Group speaking engagement! And you will see why it strikes such a cord with people. She gets frequent requests for it to be printed, etc., so we are simply putting it one more place for people to see. Be blessed:

"I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!

-Found among the papers of a young Zimbabwe pastor after he was martyred

Heading East...

This Friday we are headed to Alta Mesa Church of Christ to do a ladies retreat for them. It's been very odd -- every time we mention at church that we are headed to Alta Mesa, we hear, "Oh, really? My (aunt/ sister/ sister-in-law/ dear friend/ mom/ obscure relative or friend) goes there! I think she said she was going to go to the retreat!" So, we can't wait to meet more of our family! Very exciting! (Check out their logo and video on that page!! I LOVE to see what all people do with their theme! Creativity -- as I've mentioned -- not my gift!)

As always, getting out of town is tough! Businesses and work loom over us about what all MUST be done before we leave, and if not before we leave, then before we return (which, in essence...) Families need to be squared away and daddies that don't usually do the 'cruise directing' are left in charge of shuttling and managing. Ministries are left to shuffle around and replace us. Just lots of life going on.

Say a prayer for us, as we get all of our lives settled and set in motion, while potentially hearing a word from the Lord that He would like us to pass on to the wonderful ladies of Alta Mesa. Kind of seems like a tall order, doesn't it? It is! Pray also for the ladies of Alta Mesa, some of whom are working so hard to prepare for this event so that those ladies may hear words from the Lord, as well as draw closer to each other.

As much as it is on our 'to-do list', it's always a little like Christmas: we KNOW the Lord will show up, and we can't wait to see what He will do with our time! You know we'll tell you all about it here!

A&M Church of Christ Ladies Retreat

A week ago today the Coffee Group almost to the minute the Coffee Group was meeting to leave town to head to College Station. After we all gathered together, we realized that 4 out of 5 of us had not eaten anything that day, so we headed to Rosa's for a quick lunch. After a 90 second drive we all piled out of the car. Not even a 2 minute drive from our meeting place and we were already stopping. There is nothing worse than 4 starving and cranky women in a car together for hours, so you just gotta do what you just gotta do.

On our way to College Station we laughed and talked. God has blessed us with friends who embrace each of our similarities and love our differences, so there is always plenty of fun to be had. I don't know how Schwann's came up but it did, and Donna mentioned that her families favorite cold treat was a minty, chocolatey bar. Someone said, wouldn't it be cool if we saw a Schwann's truck in the next town. We stopped at a gas station/convenience mart to use the facilities and wouldn't you know it that a Schwann's truck pulled up as we were all getting back into the van. So Judy hopped right out and bought a box of frozen treats. There were 20 frozen treats in the box. There were 5 of us gals. Now although we all like us some chocolate, and those treats were ONLY 60 calories each, we couldn't even come close to finishing the box. We kept our eyes open as to who might like some frozen treats, after all it was a warm day and the sun was shining...who wouldn't want a frozen treat? Fort Hood jumped right out at us, and after asking Denise to turn the car around we headed into the driveway of Fort Hood. The security men asked us for our identification and instead we gave him ice cream. They were VERY excited. After they x-rayed the treats I am sure they ate every last bit. That was so much fun.


Then we arrived at our hotel and in our rooms were hospitality gifts from the church and a nice note to welcome us to College Station.



We went to the A&M Church that night to see where we would be speaking that next day, go over our seating and familiarize ourselves with sound and microphones. The place was full of hustle and bustle with women of the church getting the Aggies For Christ Gym set up for all the ladies the next day.



Here are some pictures of the Retreat Day.



Here is Donna, Essie Childers (one of the co-coordinators of the retreat) and Sarah. One of the ladies of the church embroidered aprons with the theme of the day for all the coordinators.



Here is Donna standing next to Yogi Bear on the way home.


This is a beautiful church that we have driven past to go to a couple of retreats. Each time we drive by Denise and I comment how beautiful it is. This time Denise stopped so I could take a picture.


Praise God for his faithfulness and blessings over the weekend of travelling and showing up BIG for the retreat.

College Station

We returned last night about 10 p.m. from a wonderful day in College Station with the ladies at the A&M Church of Christ. What a precious and fun group of women! AND -- oh, my stars, the decorations! I love to see it when people are gifted with creativity in that way because it is SO not my gift! I could go on and on about the women we met and the connections we made or re-made as God had us forge new paths and cross old paths with women.

I'll be perfectly honest -- this schedule is hard on my body. I spent the last 7 days going to bed about 11 and getting up at 4:30 or 5 and on Saturday and Sunday I was blessed to sleep all the way to 6. I'm sure for some of you that's a vacation, but I can't keep that up for too terribly long. So, very soon I will be in my pajamas under the covers recuperating from the last week. And, yes, I am forsaking baby showers and gatherings to do that, which is very unlike me. But before I crawl under the covers, I will kneel in gratitude. I still can't believe that the Lord is using me to speak His word, tell His story, and witness His healing in women's lives again and again. I will give up all manner of sleep (for as long as I physically can) to be able to join in His work -- and then I will pray to be physically strengthened so that I may still continue.

To the ladies at A&M: thank you for allowing us as a group to join you in your day. Thank you for sharing your tears and laughter with us. Thank you for showing us a group of women who love big and loud with each other.

And: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen the ladies of A&M church with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in all of your hearts through faith. And I pray that the ladies of A&M church, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that each of you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Adapted from Ephesians 3:14-21