Margeaux Sophie!!!!!

      Lauren, Joel and Margeaux  on July 13th (3 days old)
                                      Mike is lovin' this!  It's his birthday!!!                             Mike's first grandchild!   (3 days old)
                              Muffy, Grand Pah' pa, and Margeaux
               After lunch on Sat., Aug. 15th, 2009   (5 weeks old)
                                     Auntie M and Margeaux
                        The princess has her first wave!
                                        5 weeks old
                                  Such the punkin'doodle!
                       Why do you take my picture so many times??!!!

2009 LPM Siesta Scripturepalooza!

The perfect place to leave my index cards
Close-up of Aug. 1-15 verse         Isaiah 55:10-11

The following is a list of my memory verses for the 2009 LPM Siesta  Scripture memorization deal (a "palooza" of sorts) that is going down as we speak in order to foster accountability as we deliberately saturate our minds with God's Word!  The following are a list of the verses I have chosen to memorize.  

Jan. 1-15           Isaiah 33:6 NIV  

"He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure."

Jan. 15-31         2 Corinthians 9:8NIV

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Feb. 1-15           Romans 15:4 NIV

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Feb. 15-28         Malachi 3:16 NIV

"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard.  A scroll of remembrance  was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored His Name."

March 1-15         Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,  you will receive what He has promised."

March 15-31        1 Peter 3:9  NIV

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

April 1-15            Psalm 36:507a  The MSG

"God's love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic.  Yet in His largeness no thing gets lost; not a man, not a mouse slips through the cracks.  How exquisite Your love, O God!"

April 15-30         1 Corinthians 7:29-31 NIV

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.  From now  on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of this  world, as if not engrossed in them.  For this world in its present form is passing away." 

May 1-15              Matthew 7:24-25 NIV

"Therefore, everyone who  hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet is did not fall because it had its foundation on the Rock."

May 15-31            Psalm 33:22 NIV

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

June 1-15             Psalm 112:1-8 NIV

"Praise the LORD.  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands.  His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be  blesses.  Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.  Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.  Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. 

Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.  He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His hears is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes."

July 1-15           Ephesians  4:22-24 NIV

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

July 15-31        Romans 16:17-18 NIV

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.  Keep away from them.  For such people are not serving our LORD Christ, but their own appetites.  By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people."

August 1-15       Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that is yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is MY Word that goes out from My mouth.  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  

August 15-31     2 Kings 18:31a

"Don't listen to Hezekiah-- he doesn't know what he's talking about.  Listen to the king of Assyria--deal with me and live the good life."

(classic lie of the enemy!)

September 1-15   1 Samuel 15:22 NIV

But Samuel replied:  "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

September 15-30   Revelation 17:14 NIV

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is the Lord of lords and King of kings--and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers."

Oct. 1-15      John 14:21 NIV

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.  He who loves Me will be loved by My father and I too will love him and show Myself to him."

Oct. 15-31   Psalm 91:1-16

 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  

 2  I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."

3  Surely, He will save you from the fowlers snare and from the deadly pestilence.  

4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most Hight your dwelling--event the LORD, who is my refuge--

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves Me," says the LORD., "I will rescue him' I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.

15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Nov. 1-15  Ephesians 5:15-16 HCSB  Lifeway Women's Ministry National Leadership Forum 

"Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise-- making the most of the time, because the days are evil."

Nov. 15-30    Galatians 3:11

"The righteous will live by faith."  (NIV)

"The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him."  (MSG)

Dec. 1-15   John 1:34  (NIV)

"I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Dec. 15-31   Psalm 27:4  (NIV)

"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple."

Crossing the Jordan River

I love the visual map of thinking of my spiritual  journey to the Promised Land  as a trip that began when I left Egypt(salvation) and trekked across the desert.  I am going to skip the trip details for now and concentrate on my journey just across the Jordan.  Yes, how I got to that point is just as important but the decision to let God take me across that river into my earthly Promised Land is what I have been thinking a lot about lately.  On February 3, 2004 (2/3/04) Mike and I flew home from Naples, Florida.  On that flight we both signed a statement of resolve or a covenant if you will that basically said, "LORD, we promise to lay down alcohol for the rest of our lives on this earth.  We know that this will be difficult but we know You are calling us to this.  We will definitely need You to help us.  We can not do this on our own.  We sign this today not knowing what life will look like from here but we believe that you will guide us down this road."  And we signed it.  It was difficult to do and much thought and wrestling went into the decision.  It was by far the scariest thing we had done to date with our God.  All I can say five years later is that I have NO REGRETS WHATSOEVER.  I know we have seen the favor of God in this new "land" and He has been undeniably gracious and generous.  I truly believe that had we not "crossed over" we would have the love of God but not the favor and opportunities He has blessed us with.  It seems to me that most likely in every one's life they will come to this river and decide if they will indeed allow God to usher them over.  I think that it is a very difficult thing for each individual to exercise their faith at this place.  I know it was for us.  We actually wrestled for over two years from the first time I heard God calling me to lay the thing down.  I was in Cincinnati with Mike's office staff along with some friends who were at the Living Proof Live Event with Beth Moore at the US Bank Arena in July 2002.  At the beginning of the conference she talked about how God would have us "lay some things down."  I KNEW He was speaking to me about alcohol.  I also had just read how George W. Bush quit drinking on his 40th birthday.  I was just about to turn 40.  I whined in my Spirit about how I thought God was calling me to do the same at age 40.  Yeeesh!  Not what I wanted to hear at all.  Mike and I cut way back after all of this and by Christmas of 2003 we didn't drink at all.  However, we reserved the right to drink on very special occasions.  We basically did what God wanted with some strings attached.  But on our trip to the Ritz Carlton in Naples at the end of Jan., 2004, we had some wine with dinner.  And God began to speak.  Through food cooked in a clay pot (Lev 6:28), dolphins that came to within 5 feet of the shore, a mysterious fog that came out of nowhere as we walked on the beach.  And an awful "oppression" that set in to the point that I knew something was not right.  We made the connection and on our last night there and we did not drink.  I was so stinkin' mad and in a horrible mood at dinner.  The next day on our flight home is when we signed the deal with God.  There is some kind of accountability factor when you make a promise or vow to God and then sign a statement of resolve to not drink EVER again in this lifetime.  Literally, a reverence, respect and healthy fear of the LORD serves as a reminder of just Who you are dealing with.  Enough said.  We were motivated because we had signed on the dotted line.  Very scary.  The first year was the most difficult but we did it.  Two months after our commitment we went to an AAOS meeting in San Francisco but not without traveling first to one of my favorite places on the planet--Carmel, as in Pebble Beach Golf, as in Spanish Bay Resort.  I was concerned if we could resist out in Cali but we did it!  On our one year anniversary of not drinking,  God blessed us with a painting for our bedroom.  I had seen this painting several months before at an art show in Central Park.  But Mike was out of town and I didn't want to buy it without his opinion.  Just so happened, God timed it so we would buy it and pick it up on the one year anniversary.  And it just so happened to look like Naples, FL, but with a river which I am calling the "Jordan River" to symbolize our crossing.  (No Transjordanian holding  back here!) He is so into dates and anniversaries and "showing up" to reveal His love to us.  Looking back, I know it was important for us to stop drinking alcohol.  When Jason died in Feb. 2006, God was our sustainer.  I know we would have headed straight for the wine upon hearing the news of his  tragic death but it wasn't to be because GOD was all we needed!!!  Psalm 4:7 says, "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound."  This, my friend, is soooo true!!