Harlem GlobeTrotters!

The Harlem Globe Trotters will be at the American Airlines Center on Feb. 4, 2006 and I am going to see them. I try to go every year because I absolutely love basketball and these guys make me laugh. I just enjoy the whole show, the little upcoming Globe Trotters, the Acrobats, Globie and everything involved.

Anyways I won't be blogging for about two days, I will at the Boys Ranch, then going to see my mother in Okla. City, so until then.....

Incredible!! Indescribable!

I may look like someone you know. I may act like someone you know. I may sound like someone you know. I may even smell like someone you know, since I normally wear Ralph Lauren Blue for Women and I may even laugh like someone you know, since I am very easily humored. However I am unique. There is no one else in the world like me. There never has been nor will there ever be anyone like me. Out of all the billions of people who have ever lived or died, there has never been a me. Isn't that incredible?

When I think about that, I am awed by how incredible God is. Talk about diversity, creativity and intelligent design. Of course I like the Intelligent part, since I would like to think I have a few brains up in the cranium cavity.

But Wow, when I think of looking up in the sky and seeing the clouds and how the universe expands as far as I can see every which way I look and even far beyond that into the depths of outer space. I mean the DEPTHS, man doesn't even know how far it goes or what is out there. That makes me feel so tiny. I am miniscule. How incredible is our God!!!!! His thoughts are not mine, His ways are not mine. I am limited, He is not, and He created me.

I know He must love to laugh because I do, He must love to dance, because I do, I sometimes overthink things, He is way over the Genius level. I love color, uniqueness, design. All these things came from Him. When I think about it, my mind gets tired, the awesomeness, the incredibility of this magnificent God who loves me, who said in the Psalms, He is a Friend of Mine. All I Can Say is Wow!! Need I say more?

Christian Concert

I'm back and feeling much better. I went to a Christian concert tonight and really enjoyed myself. LaCrae used to be one of our volunteers at the Ranch, he wrote alot of his first Christian raps there and I can remember him asking the boys to pray for him, so he could cut a CD and share his love of the Lord with other youth. He went national this past year and we are so excited about what God is doing in his life.

We took six boys with us, two of which have never gone with us before or allowed us to have anything to do with them at all. So...the neat thing about it was on the way back to drop them off at the Ranch, I was able to share our testimony and why we were there.

The two boys who had never been with us were leaning up on the seat. I could see and tell they were so hungry to hear about this incredible God we serve. When we got to the Ranch I wanted to spend more time and be able to actually present the gospel to them and give them the chance to ask Christ into their hearts, but I had to leave in order to get to work, so I am praying God will give me another opportunity to share with them this Saturday since they both wanted to go to church with us again. So pray for me as I seek the Lord for these two boys and their relationship with him.

Until then...ck our LaCrae's website...

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

Most people I know are seeking the dollar. It's all about how much money they are going to make, how big a house they are going to buy, what big neighborhood they are planning to live in, what is the newest and latest fashion, are they gonna have a blackberry or a Treo, plasma TVs, MP3's and SUVs.

However God doesn't look to our outward appearance. All of these things are going to pass away. Instead of "SHOW ME THE MONEY!," we should be saying, "SHOW ME THE MISSION!" I don't think there is anything wrong with having things, but do things have us, is it our primary focus?

Everyday I look around me and see people who are lost and have no clue. They pass me on the street, I see them in their yards, at work, at the games, in the prisons, they are everywhere.

God please "Show Me the Mission!" The harvest fields are white and the workers are few. What are you doing to share Christ? Do you know someone who is hurting who needs to hear there is a better way? The greatest miracle of all is the miracle of a changed life. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.

Can I Get A Witness?

Proverbs 11:3 the integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

I work in law enforcement and volunteer in a juvenile correctional facility. I live by the words..."I don't hear what you say, but I see what you do."
Actions do speak louder than words. In a courtroom trial, witnesses are frequently called by both sides to testify to what they saw and experienced at the scene of the crime. Prosecuters will tell you that it's often not so much what the witness on the stand actually says as much as his body language and how he says it. Everything from the witnesses appearance, his grooming, speech patterns and mannerisms.

We are judged by our behavior. What we do shows what we truly believe. There is a difference between knowing something and believing it.

Our greatest testimony to our Christian faith is our actions, interactions and satisfactions. The world is watching us and our behavior, our contentments scream to them.

So many times when I first started working at the PD, I had to walk away politely to keep my witness, but now I am left out of those jokes and conversations. God gives me opportunities to share my faith and to pray for my co-workers who are hurting. I am thankful He can use me, I am nobody special, I just want my life to count for Him.

I Have Limitations!

I have pushed myself to the limit and now I am sick. I took off one day of work and one day of church and have forced myself to keep on keeping on, but I have now come to the point of near death. Just kidding, but I have come to a stopping point, I can go no further so I probably won't be blogging for a couple of days until I recover. I am going to go to bed and stay there until I can get back into the battle, so hugs to all of you, have a wonderful weekend!!

Aiden Skylar Thompson

Here's a picture of our new grandbaby.

He arrived 12/16/05. He weighed eight pounds.

Cute, huh?

Inner City Ministry

I have been involved in Inner City Ministry for many years, nine of which are at a Juvenile Correctional Facility. We have forty eight teenage boys ages 13 to 18, who are sentenced to nine months of incarceration. Their crimes range from Unauthorized use of a Motor Vehicle, to Possession, to Burglary of a Habitation, etc. Most have some type of Gang Affiliation.

Our facility is a drug treatment facility, it is also minimum security. The average length of stay is fifteen months. The boys come in and they are street wise and think they can work the system. In this facility you work the program or you stay until you do. By law they could be incarcerated there until they are twenty one years of age.

There are two types of boys I work with. One is the Hard Core, gonna do it my way type kid and the other is the meek mild manipulator who shows you everything you want to see. I have learned the kid who is hard core is normally the one who isn't playing you. They don't put up a front, they are angry, they are lonely and they would give anything for someone to love them for who they are. Believe it or not, this is the kid who usually makes it, they are usually the one who truly wants to change. They usually denounce their gang affiliation and they don't go home.

I share all of this with you to say Inner City Ministry is very tiring. These boys are incredibly easy to reach with the Gospel. They are hungry to learn, to know and to be loved. They hate authority and discipline, so in teaching and discipling them you have to continually teach them about staying under the Authority God has placed over them because this is the place of blessing and protection. When they get out from under that authority is when they start to go back to their old ways. So it is a continual accountablility teaching. If they can manipulate they will, you have to talk to them in the only way they know and that is straight forward and let them know you aren't going to play games. They don't like it, but they respect you for it. So pray for me as I continue to stand fast and watch God take a mess and make a Masterpiece.

What Do You Do?

What do you do when you have asked someone 22,895 times to stop doing something and they continue to do it? You ask yourself, "are they doing this on purpose or is it an honest oversight?" Me? After 22,894 times I tend to think they are doing it on purpose. Patient? Me? Oh yes, I am probably the most patient person in the whole world. Does patience run out? Mine has!!!!

So what do I do when I lose my patience? Do I scream, yell, throw a fit? No. I go to the person who has caused me to feel like going ballistic and walleyed and ask them..."Are you doing this on purpose? Is there something you are trying to tell me that I am not getting? Is there something I am doing that makes you want to do the opposite of what I have asked you hundreds of times not to do?" You are probably laughing now, I am, cause it sounds so ridiculous to me when I think about it, but there are certain things I can't stand that are small things in one way, but then I am reminded of the scripture that says it's the little foxes that spoil the vine.

So what am I talking about? I am talking about things like...Please don't block my car in the driveway at night, cause I go to work at 10pm and I need to be able to get out of the drive without having to come in and get you up, wait for you to get your shoes on and get dressed so I can leave. Then there's the...please don't take a shower late at night cause you use all the hot water. Well, I have a boy in our home who wants to let the water run for an eternity while he shaves and primps, then will stay in the shower until the hot water runs out. I have asked him to take a shower earlier and to not let the water run, but it isn't happening yet. Then there's the.... leaving dirty dishes in the sink night after night, so when I start to cook the next day, I have to wash them before I start cooking. Both boys have short term memory loss from taking drugs, which is about to drive me to taking drugs. However, when is it forgetting and just not caring? I sometimes wonder if I need to put a big sign in the drive that says, this is your parking space, a sign over the sink, that says wash your dishes and a sign in the bathroom that says, don't leave the water running when you aren't in the shower and think of others before you stay in the shower until the hot water runs out. Anyone have any solutions or am I over reacting? Perhaps I need to give Dr. Phil a call, I know he will straighten me out!

Let's Get Serious!!

As you might have noticed the Bible is not a liberal book. While it is full of the merciful acts of God, it also emphasizes that there are serious consequences for wrongdoing. I have thought alot lately about how God views sin. I mean His Son suffered a horrible death for our sins.

I hear people talk about how God has a sense of humor when it comes to justifying their sin. I know God is a loving God, but He is also just. In the Old Testament, God didn't play. Just read Leviticus! He has provided the sacrifice of His Son for sin, but He is still the same God today that He was way back then. He still hates sin! If He didn't view sin as serious, why did He write sixty six books and it sin mentioned in all of them? Why did He continually point to the way we should live.

People talk about how the Old Testament is no longer relevant. What????!!! The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed! I could really get into this, I just believe God is the same yesterday, today and forever and if He hated sin then, He hates it now.

Love motivates Love! He forgave me for much and I want to glorify Him. I refuse to just accept sin, I fight it in my life, I hate sin. I remember when I got saved, I cried and cried over some of the things I had done. My eyes had been opened and I was so sorry for my sins. I had a change of heart, a change of mind and a change of will that day! I am just saying the old is gone and the new has come. Let's let our light shine. I will never be completely sin free, but I am washed in the blood of the Lamb and He brings me into right standing with my Father.

I saw a t shirt the other day that said, "Satan is Bad, Jesus is Good, BE LIKE JESUS!!" So that is really my point. I want to strive to be like Jesus. Yall have a blessed day!!!

He Who Knows He Has Enough is Rich!

Recently I have been reading several books, but one particular one is a book called, "Give It Up!" Mary Carlomagno is the author. She decided each month for one year to give up one of her favorite things or should I say vices. This would be her year to live better with less. Would it be possible to live without designer coffee, Kate Spade bags and the technology that was part of her everyday existence?

A few of the things on her list of items she gave up were Alcohol, Shopping, Elevators, Newspapers, Cell Phones, Dining Out, and Television. It has really been pretty interesting to really stop and think about all the things we do because it is the most up to date item on the market, or the most up to date fashion.

This book has me really thinking what I can give up that I don't really need. Americans are excessive, we are always being bombarded with the latest and greatest item on the market. No matter what car you have there's always a better one out there, new fashions, new restaurants, new cell phones, new this, new that!

So is there anything you outta give up? Do you know when enough is enough? Guess I better start making a list....

Giants

I have discovered recently I had a Giant lurking around in my heart. There was some hurt there that I didn't even realize was there. It flared up recently with some hurtful things my mother said and I know she doesn't mean what she says, she just gives tongue lashings to us periodically, and it just so happened God revealed a Giant in my life that I needed to slay.

So now that I have killed the Giant, I am marching onward to the trenches, preparing for new battles, new wars. I want to be on the frontline and God has taken the sting out of the memory I was holding in my heart. I know when He came into my life and "I Gave It All" to Him, He destroyed the past, all that's left is a memory and sometimes when I look back I think, wow it doesn't hurt anymore, it's like reflecting back on a book I read!

So this year, I will be out killing monsters and slaying giants as they try to enter in and render me disabled. I am excited about what God is doing in my life and the lives of those around me.

I will share with you later this week some pictures from the holidays and catch you up on what has been going on. Thanks to all of you who sent me cards and wrote. I was so blessed!!!

Until then....Hugs, Kisses and Prayers to you and yours!!!