Howdy, it has been harder and harder to post while helping to prepare for out annual Ladies Retreat with the church. I am so thankful that God has given me the oppurtunity to help this year as previous years my back was a very big issue. I am so excited about what God is doing in the lives of not only those of us getting it all together but for the ladies that have signed up as well. I wish everyone could come. I would like to ask any of you that might read this to pray fervently that those attending will "See the glory" by the end of the retreat. I would ask that you pray for the ones that are scared, going through difficult times, those who are possibly thinking this might be the last thread of hope for a marital situation and for those who will be speaking, that God will give them peace and use their message to touch someone who needs to open their heart for Him. If you find it hard to pray, please use mine.

Father God, I sit here tonight, with an open heart. I ask that you would guide me and direct my words so that they might honor you. Father, thank you for the gift you have given me; giving me the opportunity to help serve so that others might come to see you through different eyes, eyes that will learn to see you in everything they see and do. Lord, thank you for my family, Thank you for Paul, Father, for giving him the heart to allow me to follow mine. Father, I would ask that you touch his heart that he might see that service is a wonderful way to move closer to you. Father, I thank you for my friends and church family. Lord, thank you for the women that have sacrificed their time, energy and many sleepless nights preparing for the retreat to spend time with you. Father God, I would ask that you bless each one of them and place a special place for them in your heart, give them peace and direct them where they can serve you best. Lord, I pray with all my heart that the women that will attend will draw something from the weekend that will help them in their daily walk, that will give them a reason to seek you out each day and that they will come to see you in all the obvious things as well as the ones that are not so easy to see. Father, I pray that you will find the right words, the right music, the right person sitting next to, and so forth for the women who are truly at their wits end as well as the ones who just want to be closer to you. Father God, I ask you to show yourself to us at the retreat, that YOUR GLORY will be so evident that no one can mistake the love and passion we have to serve you. Father, I pray that the women attending will leave the retreat with a fire and a passion to serve you more openly and willingly and that they will be excited when they see you in all of your creations. Father, I ask that you keep me directed, keep me excited, keep me driven to serve and to become a bible that others can read. I pray that you will be so abundantly present at the retreat that all will feel you and know that you ARE the Glory!

Father, I pray as did Moses;
Father, show me your glory...

Father God, I come to you thanking you for your son, and it is in his name I pray,
Amen

One afternoon while creating some new business cards ( I do this for a living- but do not get alot of orders.....hint...hint), I came up with this little poem to print out at the bottom of the card. It is like a daily prayer or mantra that I can repeat each and every time I realize that I really do need Him. Every time now that I think of it, it makes me smile and makes me wonder if others ever see Jesus in me? Am I portraying a person Jesus would be proud of? Can I make it through a day alone without Him? Can I pray all day long asking for guidance or directions or where to find the keys that I have missplaced? Will He really see me through the trials?

The answer is a resounding YES!!!

So, when you read this, think of how others see you from day to day and think about how Jesus sees you as well.

God, keep me accountable for my actions,
Correct my path when I stray.
Hold me in my darkest hours,
Stand beside me every day.

Subject: fluent English

If you ever feel stupid, then just read on. If you've learned to speak fluent English, you must be a genius! Thislittle treatise on the lovely language we share is only for the brave. Pursue at your leisure, English lovers. Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France (Surprise!). Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat...
Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea or is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.
That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

and lastly - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

Yesterday I collapsed from stress, exhaustion, and pain. Well, not really collapsed but gave in to all of the above and was rendered useless from that point on. I became depressed, and could not stop tearing up over the fact that my husband (of almost 19 years) was having to do all the painting, repairs and such that have to be done when you want to sell your home. I couldn't help at all. I put some new cabinet knobs on and peeled old shelf liner paper off of some shelves (which by the way, when you purchase REMOVABLE adhesive shelf paper........don't wait 14 years to remove it!.....Just a word to the wise!!!!) and that was about it. I did make the trips to Lowes and Walmart for additional supplies, paint and such that we kept running out of. I began to have such bad pain in my neck (no pun intended) that I actually was rendered unable to turn my head at all in either direction. I called my mom and dad (thank you God for them!!!) and they came and picked up Kaylee for the night. I began to cry out to God to "at least" remove the pain so that I could continue to help my husband who was working so hard to accomplish all of the many things that need to be done. God answered! WOW! Did He ever! I was not wanting to bother anyone! I figured everybody has their own stuff to worry about and I, having just recently re-entered this thing called life from (still) recovering from surgeries, didn't think any one would have time to share with us.
People, let me tell you that God is working wonders in our lives. Sometimes you can't see it, sometimes you don't even know it is happening but it is!!! Amen! My church, The Pointe, is doing a series special called, "Living Beyond Myself". This is a church wide study and all the small groups (aka home teams) are doing the same study as well as the Sunday lessons are an integral part of the series.
Ok, I digress. God began to talk to me last night. I am not the one that needed help, Paul was. I sometimes feel that over the past year, I have used up some of my friendships due to being so needy all the time. I missed almost 9 months of my home team and lost touch (the Godly touch) with alot of the members of my group. Sorry, did it again. I began to see that Paul was not really complaining but that I felt bad that he was working all alone and trying to do so much by himself. Immediately, God placed my dear and sweet friend Laurie on my heart. I forgot about the lack of time spent with them, I forgot all about the thank yous I may have forgotten to say and all of that. She was so gracious and being herself, immediately began to help me. I felt better just talking to her. I knew that even if no one were able to help, God had let me see something fresh and wonderful through the knowledge that a servants attitude will prevail. God showed me that you really do have to ask for help sometimes and even if help is not available at the precise moment you ask, God will take care of it.

Did you get that last line? GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF IT!

Man oh man, was I siked when the phone rang this morning (Godly timing) just as Paul was about to leave and our home team leader and dear friend, Tony says, "I'm looking for some work, got any thing you need help with?"

Now, I knew that he knew we needed help (cuz I'd just talked to Laurie) but it was still the greatest thing in the world to share with Paul that God will help him too, not just me, not just those recovering, not just those healing, not just those who are down and out, not just the depressed and so on, but anyone who will allow the Holy Spirit to intercede and send help through His servants.

I know this is not reading exactly how I am feeling it and trying to write it but if I don't hurry up and get over there, I may have to call for more help! heehee, like marriage counseling! haha Just kidding..........

Blessings and hugs,
Colleen