more Christmas activities

Not the prettiest picture....but oh so good. We made oreo balls on Christmas Eve. If you have never had oreo balls or some call them oreo truffles...you simply have to make them. They are super easy. My friend Dinah taught me how to make these.....and she is so much better at making them pretty. All you do is put a whole pack of oreos in a food processor and grind them up finely. Then add a block of cream cheese to it and pulse it. It will be a real thick batter....scoop them into balls. Sometimes I put in the freezer to let the dough harden first. Then roll into balls. The last thing I do that I am still trying to perfect like my friend Dinah is dip in white almond bark. You can use dark chocolate almond bark too...this is just what I had on hand. Now ladies....there aint nothing low fat about these. They are yummy and rich and go strait to your hips...

Down below are the oldest girls. Such great cookie decorators and good buddies too. Olivia, Lily and Carleigh...cooking cousins













Christmas Morning was so special this year. We got to spend it with my dad (Pop) and his wife Melinda(Mimi) all to ourselves. The kids love their Pop and Mimi. It has been 13 years since I have woken up to have Christmas morning with my dad and I treasure it. Our morning was low key as we exchanged gifts. Lily was so excited to get the IPOD she was really hoping for. Tripp got his Florida Gators Jersey....I can't believe I allowed...FSU fan that I am. They were so happy. Now Santa only brings three gifts to them, since Jesus got three gifts from the wise men.....it has been a great tradition and keeps the unnecessary commercialism at bay.















Here is Lily with her new Purple IPOD Tripp loves his new jersey


My gift this year from Santa was my new Inductive Study Bible and my new mini laptop computer. I wasn't expecting the laptop...but really hoped for my new Bible. My old one that I love, I have worn out. I have had this one since college....it is 21 years old. Man, am I that old? I guess I am. After exchanging gifts, we sat down to a nice breakfast. My kids have enjoyed our traditional Monkey Bread and egg casserole every Christmas morning, so I made that. It was so yummy.

Later, we went over to my sisters for Christmas dinner....more on that on my next post. I hope you all had a wonderful time Christmas morning. For me it is so special to have family around. I would like to say we traditionally do the Christmas story and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I try to do it...but this year, it didn't happen. I know my kids know the real meaning of Christmas, we talked about it a lot. They know the true meaning is that our heavenly father loved us so much, that he came to earth to become like us.....immortal and human....he came as a precious baby to grow up just like we did. He experienced everything we have...he understands our lives...our sufferings, our victories, our weaknesses, or strengths....he relates. He is not unapproachable. Everything we go through, He understands. The difference is that he was sinless....he sacrificed himself for us so that we can dwell with Him and in Him right now. He died on a cross...the most humiliating, shameful, painful death imaginable...for everyone of us....so that if we believe, we will be saved by grace. I am so thankful my Jesus was born. Without Christmas, we would not have redemption.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas

What a wonderful time the Norvell's, Tripp's, and Schultz's have had this Christmas. Family time together is the best part of Christmas to me. We have had so much fun laughing, baking, eating, and just visiting with each other. Family is the best.

Yesterday, My sister and I assisted in the baking and decorating cookies for Santa. It was quite entertaining.......

I have to say, I thought I was patient....but I am not anything like my sister. She is so patient. The kitchen was completely covered in sprinkles......but the kids had so much fun.

In this picture, Lily, Tripp, Carleigh, and Sawyer are decorating away!

I think Sawyer was double dipping a little here.....

......Guilty.....

The kids just went to town on it. They ate lots of frosting and sprinkles. Like I Said, my sister has tons of patience.... more to come....stay tuned....

New Study I finished

Never before in my life have I had the privilege to be in the company of such amazing, Godly, encouraging women. Women whose hearts for God live beyond themselves to reach out and challenge other women in their journey. I don't think that I will be able to clearly explain what this group of women has meant to me or the capacity of how they have challenged me to new depths in my walk with God.

This past fall, I had the privilege of being a part of the Whole Woman Revolution. A study for women led by Denise Hildreth. Denise's' openness, vulnerability, and at times humor, along with the fact that she is an anointed teacher, challenged me to go to new places in my faith walk. Along with the relationships started with other matriarchs in the faith, God began stirring up in me some new things. Toiling my garden, if you will. And my garden needed tilling. Still does. If I go to a place of pride that appears that I never need tilling after this, then somebody stop me!

The theme of this past 10 weeks was The Author. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. We were challenged in so many areas of our lives...each week dissecting a faith giant from the Bible. I think that for me, the week that broke ground and began the tilling process was the week that Denise taught on the Ambandoned Faith and Imposter Faith. I have the CD if anyone wants to listen to it. This woman of abandoned faith was a broken woman before Jesus, and she gave him everything she had! Denise compared her broken spirit and desperation for Jesus with the "Phony" Simon who was the host of the dinner party. He was hypocritical, judgemental, critical. On the outside, everything appeared differently than what was going on in his heart.

At first, I took it like, there are some things I needed to sacrifice like this woman...things I needed to lay down in my sanctification. Like the Woman sacrificing her precious alabaster jar of expensive oil. As I began to allow God to take me deeper in this, I realized that I have been living as a Phony. I dressed myself up to be something I wasn't. Mainly because of a name I have been living all my life. Names are almost prophetic, I think. Jesus, met Peter and immediately said to him that his name would no longer be Simon, but Peter (means rock) because on Peter, he would build his church. I was challenged to ask God, what is my name now. What is that name I have believed about myself...that lie? And then tell me, Lord, what do you call me? Well, I definitely realized my name (several, actually)....a name I partly gave myself, and partly felt was given to me at a young age. I just continued to walk in it and live it. But, I threw it off. I am no longer that name. I am asking him what He calls me now.

Daily, I dressed myself up to be something I wasn't. Hiding it. Whatever it took. I didn't want anyone to see my brokenness. I walked in disappointment, brokenness, and loneliness. I remember loneliness being prophesied over me at a very young age...hence all my life the fear of rejection. So I began very early in my years to become someone people would like....I would make others happy...the people pleaser in me came forth. At a young age it was reinforced in me that brokenness equaled weakness and no one would like me.

Not until this study did I realize it was okay. All my life I strived to be needed, instead of allowing myself to be needy. Because being needy was bad. In fact, the minute I began to struggle with something.....I would begin to back away from friends so they wouldn't see it, because in my mind, they would reject me for not being the "happy shelli"

This is where the "rescuer" in me came from. I would just dive into being "needed" I wanted to pray for people, take meals, visit the sick...whatever I could do to fell needed and fill up that hole. I wanted to love people hard. All that is good stuff...but the heart of it wasn't so good. Deep inside me, I was needing so desperately this for me and covering my brokenness. It is kinda how I dressed myself. But dressing myself up like this all the time can be tiring...and that dress can get dirty, frayed and holey...and that brokenness can seep out. It is alot of work to cover it then.

I learned too, that rescuing people isn't so good....that it may cause the rescuee to not experience Jesus the way they need to if I am always there to rescue.

So when I heard "Abandoned Faith" and began to ask God to show me what this looks like in my life....he sure did that. I walked in a lot of condemnation at first. As I would be revealed places that I needed to allow God to heal....as ugliness was exposed, shame, and condemnation is quick to visit. The great part about it is that I have not had to go this alone. I know, I am never alone. The Holy Spirit is ever present...but, God was so good to me in that he gave me some precious women to speak truth over my weary soul, and encourage me through it. They held me up as I walked it. They didn't try to rescue me, but I knew I had them there when I needed something. This is love.

In all this, and as I still continue to walk on this road, a big truth for me has been that All God requires of me is for this day...All I need is my portion from Him for today. I can't think about yesterday..it is over. No goin back. I can't think on tomorrow, it aint here yet. But I do have this day. He is my portion for today. God wants me to live humbly, act justly, and walk in mercy for today (Michah 6:7-9) Every broken place he will glue back together. His Word is truth and tells me When I am feeling alone that He is my witness, my advocate on high, my intercessor, my friend as my eyes pour out tears to Him (Job 16:9) and that I am worth more to Him that the priceless-ness of "many sparrows: (Luke 12: 6) That is the glue for my broken place in loneliness.

When I come under condemnation and shame, Gods word...the TRUTH...tells me that, There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus ( Romans 8:1). When I am afraid of rejection or feeling rejection.....The TRUTH says, I saw the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand and I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope because YOU will not abandon to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made know the me the paths of life; you will fill me with your joy in your presence. (Acts 2:25-28) and Perfect love casts out all fear...(.1 John 4:18 ) and Isaiah 41:10 says don't fear, for I am with you! When I practice believing these things...my problems don't automatically go away...but, God gives me perfect peace. Kinda like being in the eye of the storm, instead of being all tossed around in the outside part of the eye where the waters are rough. It is my portion.

Through this season and the storms, I have learned that I am redeemed through it. I have learned that I can declare and prophesy over myself! I call it speaking good over myself. Not speaking death over myself. My kids like to remind me when someone speaks death over them....but it is true...our words are life or death.....We speak death over ourselves all the time....It is time for some life. I declare that God is putting me back together HIS way, piece by piece. His glue is His word of life. He is patient and He is merciful. My jar is smashed up good. I declare as he restores me, my jar will have beautifully sealed cracks with His glorious light shining through.

This is only a fraction of what I have learned and tried to apply from this amazing Bible Study, The Whole Woman Revolution. If you live in Franklin, I highly recommend you checking it out. Bible study starts up again in January on Wednesday mornings. I will be there, I hope you will come too.

The Hole

I've been in in a little hole for about 3 weeks. Maybe more come to think of it. My hole was okay though because (like a friend of mine K.A. explained) When we are working on becoming more "whole" in our sanctification and pursuit of "holiness", often times we are leaning on our Master to fill our "holes" and empty places in our heart. We all have those empty places. My places may look different from another's places.

In the midst of my earnest prayers for some people close to me, as I began to press in to God harder and as I prayed, something happened. Well, the first thing that happened was that I got prideful. I lost humility along the way. I thought I was good. I began to see some answers....a good thing, right? Right. But there is a fine line to walk between humility and pride. I crossed it without knowing I crossed it til it was too late. I fell in the hole. I was so ashamed. Condemnation came hard and thick. For some reason, I lost confidence in my prayers. I lost courage. I compared myself to other women and didn't think I was good enough. In my self-absorption, I forgot that he really really still loves me and wants to bless me.

Sometimes, working through our stuff...it is hard. We gotta keep moving. We gotta walk it out. Don't lie down. The 23rd Psalm says, "He maketh me lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul......Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...." So in my understanding, When I am in a valley, a hard time, I need to walk it on out...keep going....listen to wisdom spoken to me...apply it....read the word....walk it out...run to the Father....

When he restores me, then I can lay down and rest. Lay down on that blanket in the yard and rest. That is my rest.

The thing that encouraged me so much today was a phone call. A loved one sharing with me. It blessed me to see just how the Lord is working things out in their lives, all his orchestrating in their situations...To see just how I had been specifically praying over this "thing" and to see just how God was still working it out was overwhelming. I got that choking feeling in my throat, and tears well in my eyes as I can see this situation playing out. Just 4 days before this conversation, I am laying on my yoga mat bawling my eyes out, pleading with God. Asking Him if he wants to answer my prayers, asking him if he wants to bless me? Does he hear me?

Today, He restored my faith. Today, in a simple phone call, He showed me....He is so good. Do I still have holes? Sure, but today, He energized me for tomorrow.

Mighty to Save

I thought of us as we pray for the nation. It is long....from Nehemiah chapter 9. If we could all pray for our country this way. Give the Glory due his name! He is wonderful and mighty to save!

“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Then they prayed:
“May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.
7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.
8 When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.
9 “You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea.[c]
10 You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.
11 You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.
12 You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way. 13 “You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good.
14 You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions. 15 “You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them. 16 “But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands.
17 They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,
18 even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies. 19 “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.
20 You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.
21 For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell! 22 “Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land.[d] They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan.
23 You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors. 24 “They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.
25 Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings. 26 “But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.
27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies. 28 “But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times! 29 “You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen.
30 In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.
31 But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! 32 “And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors—all of your people—from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now.
33 Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved.
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws.
35 Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness

Let us not refuse....Let us pray that we will choose to turn from our wickedness.
He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us 1 John 1:9

A Loving God and a Repenant Heart

Recently, I posted a story on how God teaches me a lot about my relationship with Him by using my relationship with my kids....mainly Lily. She is so much like me that it is scary! Anyone who truly knows me and her can verify that.

Well, this last week, Thursday to be exact, both my children were quite sassy in the car ride home from school. Thursdays have always been our most challenging days with the kids. They are just already worn out from the school week. In the past, this was always the meltdown day. It was like clock work. Lily always had an emotional breakdown over something that may have seemed quite silly to me. Tripp gets exhausted and he begins to get squirmy and runs around like a maniac. He also gets a little emotional....that is when I know we have hit the past of no return for him.......

Anyway, Whatever their sassiness was, Tripp was mouthy, and Lily's was an attitude issue. Tripp was easy to reign in...I just reminded him of the consequences of his rebellion and he shaped up. Lily is a little tougher. Though she didn't say much, it was in her attitude, all over her face, and in her actions. I just said a silent prayer to God for a little help here! We got home, she continued her little passive aggressive behavior. I gave a gentle reminder of what happens when we have a rebellious heart, and went upstairs to do something while she practiced her guitar downstairs.

What I haven't relayed it that I was having quite a day of my own. The day before had been very enlightening for me, I had been convicted, challenged, and encouraged. I have a hard time sometimes letting go of the issues of sin in my life and keep it. I Came under some major condemnation. I was walking in some discouragement over some sin.....even though I knew God had forgiven me.....I just couldn't let it go myself.......I was so truly sorry for the things I had done or hadn't done. For me it was an attitude in my thought life, some pride maybe.
What I knew I couldn't apply and that was that the Bible says, "there is no condemnation" in Christ. Condemnation comes from my enemy...not my God.

Well, not 5 minutes have gone by.....(my eyes well up now as I remember this picture) and Lily comes to me. Her eyes full of tears, yet refusing tolet them spill over onto her face. She is trying hard to keep it together. She says something like this to me, "Mommy, I am sorry for my attitude. " One little tear now trickling down her face. She then, through her quivering voice says, "Thursdays are just such hard days for me and I am sorry for my attitude....." Now she is crying and I immediately pull her lovingly into my lap and hold her. I rock her and smooth her hair and whisper to her how much I love her and forgive her. And she sits their in the comfort of my arms for a long time. I remind her of how much I love her and I just want what I know is best for her. That I love her. That it is over. Not to worry. And eventually, she gets up and wipes her face and tells me she loves me.....goes downstairs to practise her guitar.

Oh, I can't tell you how the Holy Spirit ministered to me at that minute. It was like God was saying, "See???" I immediately got the point, and then released it. My heavenly Father was teaching me in that how much he loves me, He forgives me, and it is over. "Now come into my lap and let me hug and hold you and minister to you. Receive my forgiveness, and now receive my love for you, and remember that I know best for you..."

He does love us, he does forgive. We come to him, rendering our hearts and repentant and he is faithful to us. 1 John 1:9 says 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness.' So shouldn't we forgive ourselves and stop reminding Him of our sin he has already forgiven us of? I pray you receive this and will live joyfully today in your righteousness in Christ. We are co-heirs with him, you know...receive his inheritance today.

Love,

Shelli

Love no matter what.......

People are often unreasonable, illogical

and self-centered;

forgive them anyway.



If you are kind, People may accuse you

of selfish, alterior motives;

Be kind anyway.



If you are successful, you will win some

false friends and some rue enemies;

Succeed anyway



If you are honest and frank,

people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway;



What you spend years building, someone

could destroy overnight;

Build anyway



If you find serenity and happiness,

they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway;



The good you do today,

people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway



Give the world the best you have,

and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway



You see, in the final analysis,

it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.



-Mother Teresa

Question of the Day

What does the word Courage Look like in your life? Courage is one of my favorite words. I was glancing back through a study on Esther that I did last spring and that is one of the things about her that really inspired me. Her Courage. Esther, a Jewish girl raised by her uncle Mordecai in Persia, was taken to "try out" for queen. King Xerxes had banished his first queen because of her refusal to honor his drunken request of parading about in front of all his drunk officials at a party he'd thrown for about 180 days. So, he got rid of her at his officials suggestion, and is now on the lookout for the new queen. So the officials went out in search high and low for young, beautiful, virgins. They were brought to his kingdom, given one year beauty treatments and nutritional (choice) foods to enhance their beauty. After the contest was over......Esther won and was crowned the new queen. Now, Mordecai warned her to keep her Jewish heritage a secret...hence her name Esther....before, her birth name was Hadassah.....a very Jewish name.



So, the courage part comes in when Mordecai warns her that the King has signed a law that will annihilate the Jews forever and that SHE must save her people and go to the king. Law also stated that anyone coming before the king without being invited to do so by him would be executed. It is a fascinating story. Only 10 chapters. I highly recommend you reading it. It took tremendous courage. After 3 days of prayer and fasting, she went before the king. She is reported as saying, "If I die, then I die." What is your "If I___________, then I ________?"

Are you being commissioned for something that will take great courage?



I would love to hear stories from you on Fear and Courage from your own life to encourage others who read this blog.....I know I am just starting out and only have a few followers. But, I would love to make Tuesdays, "Testimony Tuesdays"



If you have a story to share....please post it or email it to me privately and I will post it.





Did you know that the phrase: "Do not be afraid..." is the most frequent command in the Bible....Can we even imagine living without fear?



Psalm 138:8 - 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.



From Beth Moore..." There is no denial in courage! Courage looks at fear flat in the face ad denies its authority over me!"



Guys, take courage today....."you may be one brave decision away from the most important destiny of your life!" (Beth Moore in Esther)




And Please Remember, from 1 John 4:18 "perfect love casts out all fear!"

I had such a great day yesterday! I got to go get my hair spruced up a bit....with a cut and color...I went for a glorious walk on a glorious day, my son played a great baseball game last night and got game ball. Who doesn't love a good baseball game on a wonderful fall night? And the best part..... I have made a new friend....but let me share this story....

As I was waiting for my morning flight to Orlando, about a month back, I noticed a family on my flight. I kept trying to place the mom, but couldn't. So, I landed in New Orleans and had about an hour lay over there and went to get some lunch at Subway (EAT FRESH). This Family was behind me in line. Again, I couldn't place it, but felt immediate kindred spirit when I heard the mom order her girls a plain sub with only ham. Yes! there are other people out there with picky girl eaters. I went on to sit alone and read my awesome new book that I devoured in a day.....it is called The Flies on the Butter by Denise Hildreth. A story about a young woman facing some of her painful childhood memories while on her long drive back home. Great book as I am on my way home....and hey, lets face it....Who DOESN'T have a painful childhood experience or two? Anyway, getting offtrack here.

When I boarded my next plane to Orlando, I saw this family AGAIN on my flight. "Are you going to Disney?" I asked the oldest? She nodded and I said, "OOOOH you are gonna have so much fun!" and then the mom and I agreed with each other that we felt like we knew each other. She said they were from Franklin and we tried to think about it all while I am traveling down the aisle looking for a seat with a bunch of people behind me wishing I would move it along, sister!

Well, that was the last time I saw her. I thought about that family on my way back home to Franklin 5 days later, and wondered if I would ever run into her again? This was on Tuesday night, by the way. Wednesday morning, I went to my Bible study that I am doing at another church. AND LO AND BEHOLD, who do you think came over to me the minute I sat down? It was this mom! We immediately embraced like we were best friends! That, sisters, is the way of it in the South. You know its true too! You may have just met a person and when you leave, you are kissing them on the cheek telling them how much you adore them. Can I get a witness?

Anyway, we chatted a few minutes and then saw each other again the next week. We decided to meet up for coffee to get acquainted with each other since we are already all huggy and all. So, we met for coffee at my favorite coffee spot in Franklin, called the Beanery. It is so cozy and quaint...and quiet! Plus, they have really good food too! Anyway, for the next hour and a half, we got to share with each other parts of our "story" and I can tell you that I just know that I have a new bff! I am so thankful for new friends. If I had never done this Bible Study at another church that is not my own, then I know I may have never been blessed by her. You see, I was all gonna do one at my own church, but didn't really feel a pulling at any of the topics. Then, I found out about the one at the Journey church called The Whole Woman Revolution and I am loving it. It is all on Faith! It has been a very very powerful study!

Actually, I know my God is a much bigger God than that, and we may have met at another time....but I am so glad that I met her now. So, that, my friends, was the cherry on the milkshake (or the fudgy frosting on my cupcake) for my day yesterday! I just had to share it!

I hope you have a cherry on your milkshake kinda day today! Be blessed. I pray God will show you more of himself today in a very special way.



Love,



Shelli

If Only.......

I think that God uses my relationship with my children to teach me a lot of lessons about His love for me. I know it sounds weird, but true......at least for me.

The other day, I was again, frustrated with Lily's attitude. It was getting ready to be her birthday. Her party was a week away. She had NO idea that I had planned for her a big surprise sleep over at a hotel with some of her friends from school. She actually thought she wasn't getting a party at all, because of a previous punishment. For some reason, she was really being a "stink-pot" that particular morning one week before this awesome surprise I had worked up for her. Again, here comes an ungrateful heart, thus a stinkin thinkin attitude with it. AND she's not even in PUBERTY YET. Lord help this mama!

So, I'm in the kitchen makin her lunch and slammin down the bread, and slappin on the peanut butter, and throwing in the juice box and all the time just a rantin (in my head) on and on about "if only you knew the surprise I had in store for you....you wouldn't have such a bad attitude . and if only you knew the things I had planned........"

I stopped right there dead in my lunchbox tantrum of my own in my own stinkin thinkin.....

"Really!? God, Really?! can't I just express myself here first before you jump on in with my thinkin?" UGHHHH....I immediately hear his voice, gently again, remind me of this awesome love he has for me. He appeals to my heart by repeating back the words I was just thinkin about my own child. He says, "Shelli, if only you knew the blessings ahead....my glorious plans for you, my dear child, you wouldn't_______(fill in my yucky things here)________ Plus my ungrateful heart...blah blah blah......

If only......I wouldn't waste so much time on _______________. I would be thankful. I would be content. I would spend more time with you Lord.....

If Only....................

How would we all be different, IF ONLY...........

God is so full of grace and mercy. There is NO other God like this. There is NO OTHER GOD period. When will we embrace this. When will we truly understand it?

God has a glorious plan for our lives. We get sidetracked in our muck, and in our stinkin thinkin. We get off on tangents. Not Him. I want to receive my full purposes, I want to receive all that he has for me. I choose the straight path.....I choose to get off the tracks and back on the road. How about you?

What is your If only????????

Ya know, the sooner we learn about grace....God's grace, I think it would be better for us all. I mean GRACE. Not the, "thank you God for our good food" kinda grace. But Grace. Getting something we don't really deserve at all based on our attitude or actions. If I don't get it...then how are my sweet children gonna get it.

Recently, I was so frustrated with my ______________ attitudes. Fill in the blank with a person or persons of your choice. For me, it was my lovely children. Sound familiar? I was downright mad at their little ungrateful hearts. AND I was also sick and tired of apologies. I wanted RESULTS darnit! I am tired of the eyes rolling. I am tired of the complaining about having to do _______________ or the "I wish I had this new ___________" You get the idea. In my family, the ungrateful heart breeds a terrible attitude.

So, I am sick and tired of this display, and as I am driving down the road, I am just steaming about it. I want results. I am sick and tired of hearing the, "Sawwwwwrrreeeeeee" whine. I am thinking about how the NEXT conversation is about to go down. I am rehearsing how it will play out in my head. I am thinking, "The next time I hear one of you say 'I'm sorry', I'm gonna say back to them, All you ever say is sorry! But you never change, You keep doing the same things.....if you were truly sorry, you would change! You just keep doing the same old things!"

HMFFFFF! I'm driving, I'm fuming......I'm thinking this through some more, and almost immediately I am reminded of my sins and I MEAN IMMEDIATELY, I hear my heavenly father, my Papa, say this back to me. Like, a gentle loving dad. Not the way I sounded in my head ranting at my own children who I dearly love, by the way. He says it softly. Not condemning, but more like me at his lap, saying like my children say to me....."I'm sorry Papa, Daddy, I won't do it again. I am sorry for my unforgiving spirit.....my ungrateful heart, my judgemental heart, my mean words about people in my life who have hurt me. I am sorry God for not doing what I said I was gonna do for you. I am sorry I lost my temper with my kids. I was so busy yesterday, and I am sorry I didn't even talk to you or get in your word. I am sorry I don't see myself the way you see me....that I put myself down. How that must hurt you to hear how harshly I judge myself. Will you forgive me?" "I will try to do better, I promise......."

Can't we hear our children taken back to this with us? How much we love our children. How soft our hearts are for them. This is how our God feels about us.......to the power of about a .......million or so. I know we can get frustrated. I know our children test our patience. So do we test patience and frustrate.

So, I tell God I am sorry, and I am truly grieved at my heart's condition. (kinda like my sweet ones are sorry) "Lord, please forgive me," I beg. "Lord, will you help me in these areas? I want to be better." He says back to me, "Yes my child, I love you, I forgive you." 1 John 1:9 tells me that "If I confess my sin he is faithful and just to forgive it and then (here is the kicker) he cleanse me from all my unrighteousness" My sin is as far as the east is from the west now. I am clean and made righteous again. And his help is there. His help is in his word. His word, the Bible is life. It is full of instructions, right there for me to take in......

So what this teaches me is that while I don't really deserve God's grace here because my heart can be black, He still forgives. I am humbled. I want to show my children a picture of God in me. I want them to see love, patience, and forgiveness. The best picture of God that my children can ever receive is through my relationship with God. My love, patience, forgiveness, gentle instruction, gentle answers, gentle and loving discipline is teaching them more about God than any Bible devotion or lesson we have at the breakfast table.

The minute I understand His Grace and Mercy to me....The minute I choose to receive that Grace, is the minute I can extend it to my own children. I pray you will truly know God's love and grace, and his peace today.

Blessings,

Shelli

My big event Monday is a Dr. appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. Over two years ago, he fixed my feet by taking my bunions away. Now, one of the pins that he put in my bone on my left foot is just coming out to where you can feel it underneath my skin. It is slightly irritating.....and I wasn't in a hurry to get in....but they sure were in a hurry to get me in. So, I am in first thing Monday morning. I am slightly nervous about it.....I mean, like, what does one do in this particular situation? How does he get the pin to go back in? Is he gonna have to cut me open again? I guess I will find out very soon.

I hope that it won't keep me from working out....as I have just gotten back in that saddle. I am LOVING Pilate's at my gym, and YOGA at my church. It is so awesome!

I would appreciate all your prayers. Thanks so much! I will keep ya posted.

Daniel's Prayer from Daniel Chapter 9 is so amazing.

Daniel Begs God in his prayer for his people. Notice how many times he says "we" not they...he takes on the sins of the others as he lives his holy life. That is a true intercessory prayer right there. He steps into the place of others. God has been teaching me so much about that thing right there. Instead of pointing my finger at the sins of others and praying for them.... I need to step into that and assume that responsibility also as I pray forgiveness. Read this, and pray it for our country.

Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer for His People 1 It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians.[a] 2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.[b] 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

Now, fasting doesn't always have to be food ya know.......

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.

Daniel first comes to God in adoration....kinda like the Lords Prayer, when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray.....

5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. 6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land. 7 “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. 8 O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. “So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. 12 You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. 13 Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. 14 Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him. 15 “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. 16 In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.

Does this ring any ALARMS to you....it does to me....how often do I disobey, have evil thoughts, allowed pride into my life and refused to seek mercy, not sought holy guidance in his word or through the wisdom of others? I am so rebellious! I am full of pride and judgement. Good news ahead though...read on......

17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. 18 “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. 19 “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

Daniel says, in verse 19 Lord hear! Lord, forgive! Lord listen! Lord act! and Oh yeah, Lord, can you do it fast? Don't delay.....I love it! Oh, that I can be a Daniel!

And then something amazing happens in the next verse! God hears, he immediately sends Daniel help to minister to him. He is sent to help Daniel to also interpret a dream or vision he had in the previous chapter. How great and faithful is our God. Gabrielle says to Daniel that he is precious to God. Friends, we are all precious to God. That so encourages me.

As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. 23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

Have a beautiful glorious day today. Take time to pray for our country today.

Blessings,

Shelli

The Shrinking Lizard!

So, I know you are all wondering what in the world does a lizard have to do with anything! Well, that is what I thought this morning as I awoke to a very weird and very real dream!

In my dream, I am at a big gathering of people. Some of the people I recognized, and many, I think I knew in my dream, but not in real life. But there were lots of people around. At the party, this lizard came out of nowhere and attacked my foot. It was a big lizard too! Like one of those kimono dragon kinds. Well, this lizard had the mouth of a snake and he was on my foot. It hurt! I was looking around asking people to help me and no one was paying any attention to me at all....just carrying on with their conversations! The lizard continued to get his mouth around more and more of my foot.....kinda like a snake does when it is eating a rodent.....

Well finally, I shook that thing off of me and ran. In my dream, I just ran outside to where the other people were. Well, a moment later, that darn lizard came after me....going for my hand this time. Same thing....I asked for help. No one payed any attention. It was trying to take my whole hand in its mouth again, but I shook him off again and got away.

Well, the lizard came after me a little while later that lizard found me again and it came for my foot, but it was smaller and couldn't get my entire foot. I shook it off, and again it came after me at my hand. Well, finally, this lizard came at me, but it was very small by now, and it could only get my toe. Still, it freaked me out and I kept calling for help from it and no one helped. Then, I finally shook it off of me and then I woke up!

I just laid in bed thinking, "What in the world?"

Well, before I give my interpretation of this dream, I need to reflect on the last few days of my walk.

Just recently, in an effort to carry out what I believe is an assignment from God, I have become burdened like never before, even to the point of feeling that heaviness in my spirit. Some call it oppression....I felt that last night and began talking to Michael about it. I feel like God has gifted me with several passions. One being to pray for others. I feel like He has provided me with many different opportunities to be His hands and feet. A friend gently reminded me this week to be prepared for the enemy to attack. That Satan does not like what is going on with me and that he will try to pull out all the stops to distract me, and to hinder me. I knew he was right. I didn't think it would be in me feeling sooooo burdened last night that it stole my joy. Everything going on in the world right now politically, really got me down. It was such a huge weight and even a fear. Michael reminded me gently. I do believe God wants me to pray over all of it and that is why he gave me the burden. But if I am so focused on the burden in itself......and the negativity of the burden, how can I be effective in being His hands and feet? My eyes are distracted by the burden and I forget about the loving Father's solutions. I forget his Love. I forget his compassion. I forget Him in my efforts to please him......Sometimes, I just need to quiet myself and be still. I am reminded of my once very powerful chain of legalism, and critical spirit, and negativity.

I, once again, need to repent. I let it ever so sneakily slip in. You know, if Satan cant come in the front door, he will try the back. If he can't get in the back door, he will try to find a little crack to sliver in through....and usually, then, we don't even know he has gotten in.....I am so thankful I recognized it before it became comfortable. The distractions are different for each person.

Many things distract me....one being the Internet. I get on and can't get off....It tends to take me in other directions spiraling out and my thoughts and emotions can become critical and negative. I begin to judge. I hate it when that happens. But, thankfully, I was able to pray, repent...receive HIS forgiveness, forgive myself, and "shake it off"

So, my dream came in the early morning hours of my previous revelation. The Devil, he came at me. A giant lizard....trying to impair or even take away my hands and feet. The same hands and feet that I was serving God with. No one could help me. Truly, no one can help me in this kind of spiritual battle. It is between me and God, and me relying on God to help me. That is why no one helped me. That is why I was alone in it. But, I did shake him off. Just like in real life, I shake that enemy off me. Then, when the enemy comes at me again, I am stronger in my faith, I am able to know how to free myself through God's word, and prayer......and again, I shake it off. By now, that Devil gets smaller and smaller. His stronghold in my life gets less and less.

The more experience I have "shakin him off" through my prayer time, and through taking up my sword of the spirit through scripture.....the more victorious I become in getting that evil spirit off of me! Eventually, that stronghold will no longer have ANY power over me! He has shrunken down and is powerless over me! O Happy DAY! I am FREE! Free of critical spirit, judgemental spirit, negativity...... Once we lick that stronghold, the greatest news is that we now have more power and authority when we recognize it and pray over it in other people's lives. That is a Good Word! I want more power and authority over the enemy...that is for sure!

But, I am a realist. I know that Devil is gonna come after me in another way. I have to be on guard. I need to put on my armor. The Full Armor of God! Every day. More on His Armor another time.

I guess the big moral of this story is this. Are you putting on your armor? Do you even know if that lizard has come in to your house? If so, do you wanna get him out? If not, ask God to help you discern the areas in your life that you need to "shake it off" I pray you will. See my other posting on how to pray on the Spiritual Armor of God.

I do hope I get a better night's sleep tonight.

Blessings,

Shelli

Is is okay for siblings to fight?

In our Sunday School Class, our teachers are teaching on "Raising Leaders" and our assignment was to discuss with our spouses and others how we felt about siblings fighting. Is it okay, is it not? It is all based on the story of David from the Bible....

So is fighting okay? If so, to what extent? What do you think?

Here is my take on it...but before I get to it...here is my history...

Now, I am not one who enjoys conflict. I consider myself more of a peace-maker. Growing up, you didn't talk about conflict. There never really was a conflict...it got swept up under our mountain high rug. Instead, my family did what we affectionately call..."Putting someone in the Penalty Box" Hockey enthusiasts know what I mean. If someone hadn't come around for awhile, or hadn't called, then it was probably because they were in the "box" It was a favorite saying of ours. "Oh, he's in the box!" So, unfortunately, to not be in the box, I stuffed my feelings. I never learned how to be a fighter. Now, my sister, she could use those words...she had a sharp tongue. If we ever got "into" it...I never had the last word....hers were always so good. I remember one time being so flustered with her in an argument, that I just stammered about and then yelled, "Well...Well...You NEED the LORD!" This in turn caused my mom and sister to burst out laughing. Then that became the next saying...."Well, she needs the Lord."

All joking aside, I didn't learn how to have healthy conflict. I married a man who definately knew conflict. He and his parents would just spout it all out! It made me very uncomfortable. I felt very unsafe. So after 12 years of marraige, My man and I are doing okay finally on the conflict and resolution. I can fight and stand my ground and be okay with it, And I guess Michael is glad that he can now be more vocal....cuz in the first years, I would just melt down and cry...when he started in. So there has to be a balance right?

Well, my two darlings have had a few good fights lately. I think that is okay. I think my job is to teach them how to be respectful in an argument, and then healthy ways that they can handle their valid angry feelings. Takes lots of time....in fact, Just a week ago, I had to handle them fighting.

It went down like this....Short version....I left the kids in the car in the Publix lot for 5 minutes....Lily was annoyed with Tripp....Tripp was annoying Lily by taking her flip flop....Lily hit Tripp and called him a name....Tripp hit her back with the Flip Flop....both are crying and yelling at eachother by the time I got back in the car...

How would you have handled that? Well, I immediately prayed for wisdom....decided we all needed to cool off. Everyone went to rooms. I prayed more. My deal is this. I don't EVER want to discipline the crime...I want to address the heart. If I can't get to the heart, then discipline to me is pointless. So after lots of individual talks, and Bible verses, and them each writing a heartfelt apology note, I hope that I was able to teach them how to fight. I remind them that its okay to fight...it is normal....but DISRESPECTING eachother is not. If you would not call Jesus a "poopie head" or "idiot" you shouldn't call your brother or sister that either. What I am challenged to teach them is to go to the place of anger and figure out how to deal with it. Is it really important to play with the flip flop? And, so what if he has your flip flop...do you really need it right now? Well, if he wont leave your room, you leave your room.....

You know I am so new at this. I just want to raise good leaders. I want my children to be good problem solvers. To know what conflict is and to know what conflict resolution is too. And, above all, live a life worthy of the King. Jesus said, whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you?

Peace,

Shelli

my first ever blog!

That about sums up the point to my very first ever blog. I really have no idea what I am doing. Many people have encouraged me to blog and I respond back, "but I don't have anything worth sayin." The thing is, when I do have somethin to say, some people in my email loop really don't want to hear it or the reply alls that come forth....so again, I was encouraged to blog. So, here I am peeps.

I mean, I couldn't even think of a "name" for it! I asked God to show me somethin.....and he immediately did....Firefly.....do you know about fireflies?
Fireflies bring the most joy to children! I mean, come on! It is just a bug! What is the big deal.....Seriously....... I never really got that! The thing is, when fireflies are evident, it is in the darkness. I began to think about these ity bities....These little bity bugs light up the back yards in summer, to the delight of younguns and adults. The more out there, the merrier. Children are scramblin' to contain 'em in their mason jars with holes poked in the top. They just gotta have a piece of that light! Well, as I began to think more on that I realized that, well, Can't ya just see God looking among us in this dark and crazy world. Some of us catch a piece of his light, or his presence.....we hear a word, sing a song, get inspired some way or some how...and our joy is bursting out of us!

I wanna be a firefly in this crazy world we live in. I want others to be affected by my joy in the Lord. I know there are other fireflies out there too.....I wanna hear your stories. We can encourage eachother.

So, in a nutshell, that is why I came to Lightinfly for the name, cuz Firefly was already taken, and some people call fireflies lightning bugs, so.....I just came up with Lightinfly.....
There it is my friends.....Welcome to my first ever blog. I hope that there will be days you are inspired. I will get this all figured out in the meantime......like, postin' pictures, and attachin' links, and the like.....until then...

Grace and Peace to you!

Shelli