Beginning is Half Done~Paralysis of Analysis~Don't Despise Small Beginnings

Small beginnings....

We planted a garden on Sunday.....well...actually the Amazing Mr. Brintnall planted it....I stood by and cheered him on!

We planted lettuce seeds....they were so, so small....

Yesterday....only 4 days after being put in the soil, a few of those seeds turned into green spots in the dirt...they were only green spots, but hey....they were green....and they weren't there the day before! If you look closely, you can see them.....

The appearance of those tiny green spots made me think of these words~~~

Do not despise small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. 

~Zechariah 4:10 NLT

We rejoice when the work is done, but the Lord rejoices to see the work begin! 

Begin!

I remember hearing Robert Schuller (remember him---He was like the John Maxwell before John Maxwell?) say this years ago and it really stuck with me~

Beginning is half done.

What ideas and projects do you have on the inside of you that you haven't begun?
Maybe you've been putting off beginning because the tasks seem monumental....out of your league....too long term....just plain complicated?

It's good to always be able to see the BIG PICTURE---the END GOAL---and have the VISION---but sometimes the size of the PICTURE, GOAL, and VISION stops us in our tracks. Yes, Visualize what you want to accomplish......but don't get frozen in the PARALYSIS of ANALYSIS. 

You can sit and think and figure and graph and plot and chart and think some more and think some more and think some more until you finally think yourself right out of doing anything!

My father, who started a thriving business in the 1940's, and is one of the smartest men I know (along with the Amazing Mr. Brintnall) once told me ~ "There will never be a good time to do ANYTHING."

What he meant was that the conditions will NEVER BE PERFECT.

If you are looking for the perfect conditions, you'll never find them...

There's never a good time to have a baby...you could always have a bigger house, a nicer car, more money in the bank....

There's never a good time to start a business....you could always have more capital, more clients, more connections....

There's never a good time to make that move to another city or state.....there's always one more relative alive who is depending on you, one more holiday you want to spend with the family, one more vacation you want to take in that part of the country....

There's never a good time to change careers.....there's that seniority you've finally achieved,  the familiarity you already have at the office, and the bad situation in your current job that you're aware of...you figure is better than a bad situation you're not aware of....

Sometimes you just have to DO IT.  TAKE A STEP AND BEGIN!  Here's a plan that's pretty simple~

• Pray 
• Educate yourself about the endeavor
• Write a plan
• Make a list of resources needed
• Communicate with people who can contribute to the project
• Track your progress
• Take a step
• Take another step
• Take another step
• Repeat the last three steps

Our lettuce seeds have grown OVERNIGHT from just a few tiny spots to a whole lot of tiny spots...

But if we hadn't gotten the soil ready, bought the seeds, put them in the ground, and watered them, we wouldn't have any tiny green spots today.....soon we'll have lettuce....but we had to begin the process!

Don't despise small beginnings....just begin. 

If you were encouraged by this blog, please share it!

I'll blog you next week, and in the meantime...do something today to fulfill your purpose!

 

Memorial Stones-Trippin on the Past?

Today.....

Is my BIRTHDAY!!!!!  Birthdays, holidays, weddings and funerals are times when people reminisce....

Those special events serve as a place at which we stop, pause, and recall where we've come from....

You know...with my odd life...I've come from a lot of places.....

Portage Lakes, Ohio-Scottsdale, AZ-Tempe, AZ-Farmington Hills, MI-Mesa, AZ-Novi, Michigan-Lubbock, TX-Round Rock, TX-Dallas, TX- and NOW.....Lafayette, LA!

Lots of places....lots of people....lots of experiences....some great.....some good....some really bad!

Today's Old Testament section of my "through the Bible in a year plan" included Joshua chapter 4....there God tells Joshua how the Israelites are to cross the Jordan river:

After everyone had crossed, one man from each of the twelve tribes was to go back into the river bed and remove a large stone.

Those stones were to be a memorial for their children....so they would ask, "Ughhhh.....I just ran into that stone again......What is this stone doing here?"  That would begin a discussion with the elders, who would tell of the miracle of God's provision in the crossing of the Jordan and settling in the Promised Land.

Those stones were seen (and possibly tripped on) regularly. 
Everyone knew where their tribe's stone was placed! They had a common reference point regarding their history......

A common reference point regarding their history.......

One of my friends from high school just reconnected with me because she is beginning to plan our 40th Reunion.....she's set up a Facebook page for our classmates....there are some photos on the page of a gathering of the ladies who graduated with me....(by the way, Redcoat ladies....you all look fabulous!)

I have to admit, when I looked at the photo, some of these thoughts ran through my mind....

They all still live in the same area.  

They haven't moved an average of every 27 months for the past 16 years. 

They recognize each other, and possibly run into one another when at the mall or the grocery store....

Their kids probably go to some of the same schools together.

They have common memorial stones around which they can regularly gather.......

My stone, on the other hand....has rocked and rolled....to say the least.... 

As a mother, that can be the source of some good old fashioned "motherly guilt." Come on, moms....you know what I mean....

When my daughter got married last year, I realized she didn't have a "home"city.....she had to decide between Phoenix, Detroit, Dallas, and Round Rock.... (We love the people of Round Rock who treated her like family and helped make her wedding wonderful!)

My granddaughters are learning U.S. geography by keeping track of where GG lives.

When people ask me, "Where are you from?" I have to ask, "Do you mean recently?"

Yet every year, wherever I was, I had a birthday on March 19.  My birthday is one of my memorial stones....March 19 always came after March 18, and right before March 20....ALWAYS!

My memorial stones aren't at the weekly high school football game or Scottsdale Fashion Square where I can see familiar faces......
It's not a house, or a church building, or a familiar intersection....

My memorial stones are in my heart.......Here's one of my memorial stones....a rock that my son gave me when he was about twelve years old........

If you're not careful, you can trip on memorial stones......

Memorial stones aren't for trippin'.....

Someone who has lived in the same area for many years could get too comfortable and trip on the boredom of familiarity......

I could trip on.....alot of things in my past.....a....lot....of....things.....

But I am thankful that I get to see another March 19....and look back at this memorial and see what God has done in my life.......

• First, I'm still alive!!!  My body is strong!!! My spirit is strong!!!   

• I am married to the Amazing Mr. Brintnall. He is the smartest man I know. He can fix anything...really....ANYTHING....He can play the guitar....and He is a sincere believer in Jesus. He is good and kind and thoughtful. He is a hard worker and a righteous man. He also knows how to use a semi-colon properly!

• My son is married to a wonderful Godly woman. He is a highly anointed pastor of a growing congregation in Dallas. They have three amazingly beautiful and healthy daughters. They love God, love each other, and love me! 

• My daughter is married to a  wonderful Godly man. She is full of life. She's an extremely talented and anointed worship leader, youth minister, and Social Media guru. She has weathered things that most people twice her age would have fallen apart over. She is beautiful, funny, and strong. 

Those are my memorial stones.....what are some of yours?

Don't trip on your past....find things to look back on with gratitude....give thanks...and continue to move forward!

Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— (Psalm 105:1-6 Message Bible)

Well....the Amazing Mr. Brintnall is taking me out for my birthday.....so I'll blog ya next week!
Please share this blog....and remember to do something today to fulfill your purpose!

Are You Confusing Humility with Fear?

Today.....

I'm dealing with humility....and honesty.....and following God.....

No big deal......just the very core of who I am, what God has called me to do, and how I conduct myself.....and sure...why not just share it with the whole world?  Isn't that what everyone does?

Humility is an odd thing....if you think you're being humble....are you then actually not being humble?

My son received the "character award" at his Christian high school for having the most humble spirit....being the kind of mother that I was, I told him he had to give it back...yep....I really did......

He knew I was joking...we still laugh about "Winning the award for humility...."

True Biblical humility is not thinking of yourself as a worthless slug....as a continual sinner.....or of less value than others.....

C. S Lewis said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less." 

Yes, putting the needs of other people before your own is a way to live humbly....

But it has occurred to me recently that one of the keys to living humbly is just keeping your mouth shut! I don't know who said this, but I love this quote-
"The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it."

Keeping your mouth shut is not an easy thing for someone who is anointed to talk......like........preachers....
And in case you didn't know....I am one!

Talking is what I do....I came out of the womb talking....Out of 8 children in my family, I was known as the family "newspaper."  My dad would get home from work, and I would run into his arms, giving him the details of every little thing that happened that day....yeah....my brothers loved that....NOT!

My teachers saw it in me....when I memorized a poem in first grade, they paraded around that little Catholic school....classroom to classroom....to perform....those precious nuns were so proud of my ability to stand in front an audience and speak dramatically....no wonder those kids didn't like me!!!

I entered speech tournaments in high school.... if I wasn't so concerned about being humble right now, I'd tell you how I did in them......  :-)

Shutting up is not in my DNA.........But it has become an acquired skill..... one that I am continuing to develop........

So....when other preachers tell me about their ministry engagements or their travels with well known, "Rock star" preachers.....I want to compete!  I want to get in the game.......I mean, I can drop some names and places too, ya know........."Yea....well I....." 
Then I hear that little voice (aka Holy Spirit) inside of me say, "SHUT UP....NOW!" 

When I listen to that voice I walk away knowing I won the battle of humility....this time....Yeah....stay humble....stay in the background.....stay in your house in the sugar cane fields of south Louisiana.....You, Gloria Brintnall, have just won the award for humility...... 

OR am I just using humility as an excuse to hide in the sugar cane fields of southern Louisiana??????

I recently heard a very successful pastor say, "We tend to confuse humility with fear." UGH....WHY....DID....HE....HAVE....TO....SAY....THAT? 
I thought I had this humility thing all figured out.....Thanks a lot!!!

As an itinerant minister, you have to put yourself out there....to even call a pastor and say, "Hey I'll be in your area next month. Is there any way I can help you? Can I come and preach for you?"  When you do that, you are opening yourself to rejection....a lot....so....I've had to ask myself.....

Is it just more palatable to say that I am staying humble.....by not "promoting myself"....and thus not opening myself to rejection?

You might be in a similar predicament.....

Do you have a product to sell....but you are afraid that the customer won't buy? So....you reason...."I'm staying humble by letting the other sales people get the sale?"

Has God give you a vision for a business....but you think you're not qualified? So...you think..."I don't know....that business might draw me away from God" 

Do you want to begin to invest so that you can increase financially....but you don't want to deal with possible risks? So...you say...."Rich people are never humble."

Is there a relationship you need to establish....but you think you might be rejected? So...you shy away and hide yourself under the guise of humility....because....you're not good enough?

Don't let fear disguise itself as humility in your life.....

God created you to do something great....something that is specific to YOU!
You CAN do great things....AND STILL BE HUMBLE....
Don't let fear of failure or fear of rejection to keep you from doing what God has called you to do.

There may be moments of failure; there will likely be rejection....but if God called you to do it, He will see you through it....

True humility is obeying God.  It is doing what He said to do, whether it is comfortable or not. It is casting all your care on Him because He cares for you. It is giving Him the glory for any and all success....

So after your success....you don't have to shut up about it....BUT YOU DO HAVE TO GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD....

AND.......ENCOURAGE OTHERS THAT GOD IS NO REPSECTER OF PERSONS....IF HE DID IT FOR YOU....HE WILL DO IT FOR THEM!

Now THAT'S deserving of an award for humility..... :-)

Humility and fear of the Lord bring wealth, and honor, and life.....Proverbs 22:4 NIV

If you know someone who would benefit from this blog, please share it....
I'll blog ya next week....and in the meantime....do something today to fulfill your purpose!

Live Life Out Loud...Draw... don't Withdaw.....

Today.....I'm going to begin by telling you about last night....

I'm not normally a American Idol follower....but last night I got a phone call from my daughter telling me she had been to the live taping of the show in Detroit...A friend of her best friend was competing....she said I should watch it because she was right up front....moving and grooving....and smiling....and clapping....and the camera found her a few times.....

She couldn't talk long....because she was also invited to the after party with all of the AI contestants...and local celebs.....

We were able to catch AI...and....sure enough...there she was....the Amazing Mr. Brintnall and I just laughed.....my dear daughter....she lives life out loud!  It makes us joyful to see her living life out loud!!!!

Life is meant to be lived out loud.....

Believers in Jesus should be heard and seen.  Christ followers should be influencing society....yes..... in weighty things like politics and business and families.....but also in culture, in social media, in the arts....

Jesus told His followers to be "salt" and "light".....

Remember that song you sang as a kid in church....or maybe at summer camp....."This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine....."  God made you a light....but.... He never used the adjective "little" to describe you.......

Jesus said we should like an entire "city on a hill" that could be seen for miles.....that is no "little" light.....

Living life out loud is being that city on a hill....full of light.....

Light draws people to it....your eyes automatically connect with light....

People are starving for light and life....the world is a very dark place....downright frightening...and.....just...plain.....dark.....

Each one of us can be the light...As I watch my daughter live her life out loud, I am faced with asking myself these questions......

"How am I doing with that?  Am I living life out loud or am I staying silent?  When I enter a room, do I withdraw into the corner or are people drawn to me?"

When you live life out loud, you will DRAW not WITHDRAW..... when you walk into a room....people will be drawn to you....they will want to be around you....and they will always feel better after having been around you than they felt before.....

That doesn't mean that you have to be the "life of the party" or some obnoxiously loud individual....

To draw people to you.....just care....it starts with a smile....a genuine handshake....looking them in the eyes....and asking them about themselves......and don't be afraid to get excited about what they have to say....about the possibilities for their lives....about how much God really does care for them.....

People are drawn to enthusiasm.....some call it "positive energy"

.....actually enthusiasm is from a Latin word which came from the Greek....it's a combination of two words....theos....which means God.....and en.....which is a preposition....meaning within.....

Enthusiasm means God within.

God is not timid.

God is not fearful.

God is not rude.

God is not self centered.

God is not cold.

God is not......boring!

Your enthusiasm...God in you....is not timid, or fearful, or rude, or self centered, or cold, or boring.... THAT is what draws people.... AND THAT is how you LIVE LIFE OUT LOUD!

Live Life Out Loud....Be enthusiastic.....Care about people.....Believe in them..... Hope with them.....Dream with them....and don't be afraid to tell them....You will be that city on a hill.....

If this blog made you think...or made you smile...or made you wonder.....please share it with someone else...that's one simple way to live life out loud today!

Until next week, dear reader....God bless....and do something today to fulfill your purpose.....

He Who Sings Scares Away His Woes

Today.........

Have you listened to any music?  Have you sung a song or hummed a tune? You really should....

I didn't post a blog last Thursday....

You were on my mind, dear reader....but I had a MAJOR performance.....my first BIG SINGING GIG in a VERY LONG TIME.....I got to sing with THE MOST AMAZING TENOR  EVER....No....not Placido Domingo.....but Bill Junker.....You haven't heard of him?

Bill Junker is the man who taught me to sing through life!
He's my dad....now 91 years of age....and he can still sing!

I don't remember much about my childhood....do you?

I do remember that my dad was always singing....He often sang hymns....and to this day I don't know how he knew them....he sang Protestant hymns like How Great Thou Art and Just a Closer Walk with Thee. We didn't sing those at Mass on Sundays.....

He sang Show Tunes....like....You'll Never Walk Alone  and Climb Every Mountain.....

There were 8 children in my family....it was always noisy....and music seemed to be coming from some corner of the house throughout the day....Everyone played at least one instrument....During the 60's all of the kids and my parents would often gather in our LARGE living room to have a hootenanny.....Does anyone even know what that word means today?????

Instead of watching TV or playing video games....we sat together and sang--accompanied by the elder sisters on piano, guitar, banjo, and ukelele.....folk songs, mostly....

Singing was a usual form of expression and communication for me....doesn't everyone sing....every day....all the time????

It is COMPLETELY normal for me to burst into song in the middle of a sentence....Some of my colleagues in the ministry have deemed me The Singing Preacher.....not because I sing a song before I preach (like most NORMAL preachers who sing)....I burst into songs as I preach....

Music is a form of praise......God likes us to sing to Him....and to sing about Him....Psalm 69:30 says I will praise the name of God with a song.....

I have sung myself through life....Singing praise to God.....and singing the songs of life.....

Songs of life....I sang songs to put my kids to bed, to wake them, to ride in the car....I wrote songs for them to memorize Scriptures....I even wrote a song for one of them to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution!

Music made learning easier....
It made dealing with the problems of life easier too........when I have needed to "buck up"  and deal with difficulties, I have often found myself singing songs in the shower that I learned from my dad.....

You'll Never Walk Alone (From Carousel)
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.

I've burst into tears more than once while singing "You'll Never Walk Alone"......but it always encourages me....that God is with me and I will make it through whatever storm I may be facing....

When I was facing insurmountable odds....I would sing Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music....It would inspire me to push forward....keep moving....don't stop...don't look back.... Here's a clip of my dad and me singing that very song last week at the Care Facility....(I only wish I could've sung those high notes more pianissimo.....I'm out of practice!)

There are lots of psychological studies that prove the power of music....it affects your mind...your emotions....your soul......

I encourage you, dear reader....to sing!!!!  Sing songs of praise to God....and sing the songs of life!!

Your emotions will calm, you soul will be encouraged, and your mind will be sharpened!

Music will empower and embolden you to do things that you never thought you could do!

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra said, “He who sings scares away his woes.”  

I concur. 

This Valentine's Day....Just do it!

Today......

So....what are you doing for Valentine's Day?  If you are single, you may think this blog isn't for you....but take heart....I haven't forgotten what it's like.....

Been there......February 14 without that special someone to flatter, flirt and focus on you alone!

All your married friends are planning dinners, surprises, and "nights away" (you know what that means!) but you..... you're looking forward to getting your dog groomed (with the red bows, of course) for the holiday!

Your employees and co-workers are asking to take the day off or to be released a little early so they can surprise their loved one....you, of course, can cover for them..because....well....YOU certainly don't have any plans!

Yep....been there.....How do you deal with all that mushy gushy stuff when you don't have anyone to mush and gush over?

I read that Valentine's Day is one of the most popular holidays in America....62% of Americans celebrate it....and they spend an average of $130/person on it.....hmmmm....

Singles aren't alone in their dismay with Valentine's Day.....Married folk can also be less than enthralled with the "holiday"......If you are married to a romantically challenged spouse....you may have expectations set that he/she will never attain.....

Do you know what I mean, wife?  You expect roses, jewelry (or lingerie), a candle lit dinner, and words reminiscent of Cyrano De Bergerac written in a card along with deep and soul stirring conversation.....

Instead......you get a box of ammo.....and an evening of John Wayne movies!

I couldn't find any stats on how many couples get in arguments on Valentine's Day because of unmet expectations......Anyone care to comment out there????  :-)

So.....I guess I'd better figure out what I will do to express my undying love to the Amazing Mr. Brintnall.....

He likes boats........ Not in the budget this year.....

And dogs....I'm not ready for the commitment....

And power tools.....I think he has them all.....

The Amazing Mr. Brintnall may have to deal with some unmet expectations......unless I figure something out pretty fast......

Whether single, in a relationship, or married......

YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER THIS YEAR!!!!!  Here's how.....

Make the main thing the main thing.......Instead of LOOKING for expressions of LOVE from someone else....why not just DO IT?

Just....do.....love! (Dear reader, you'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking.....)

I mean LOVE....REAL LOVE.....

LOVE is much bigger than a Hallmark card, a bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates, or EVEN a piece of jewelry! REAL LOVE is more than sexual attraction or flowery words..........

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love is not rude.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects.
Love always trusts.
Love always hopes.
Love always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Doing that should keep you busy enough....so that you won't be bothered by the delivery to your co-worker of the 6 foot teddy bear at the office.....
.....or the requests to cover work responsibilities that day
....or the gift that you wanted.....but didn't get!

My mother always told me that if I kept myself busy taking care of myself....I wouldn't have time to be bothered by what anyone else was doing.....

I'm gonna keep myself busy.....DOING LOVE....and I'm starting to like the idea of a box of ammo and John Wayne movies.....

Be happy on purpose!

I'll blog you next week....in the meantime...do something TODAY to fulfill your purpose.  If you enjoyed this blog....please share it!

My Odd Life-God's amazing pre-vision in Round Rock, Texas!

Today....

I'm in Round Rock, Texas for a Ministerial Leadership Conference.....and I feel like I'm back home....

It's funny how things work out in life....how paths cross....how God directs....

Round Rock, Texas is a happening place these days....a few years ago it was the fastest growing city in America.  There is growth on every corner.....new houses, new restaurants, new stores.....

Twenty five years ago Round Rock, Texas looked like the opening scene on "Green Acres"(If you are too young to remember that show, see if there are recorded for posterity on YouTube....) Readers my age can sing the opening song with me...."Green Acres is the place to be.  Farm living is the life for me.  Land spreading out so far and wide, keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside!"

Hardly anyone had heard of Round Rock, Texas back in 1990....but I had!

Some very good friends of mine had moved from Tempe, AZ to Round Rock, TX with their three adorable children....and I had come to see their home while it was in the process of being built.....

I remember my dear friend describing what each room would be....how the kitchen would be laid out, where her office would be, which bedroom would be the girls' and which would be their son's......but I'm not too good at "seeing" things like that, so I still remember just nodding my head and smiling....."Oh, that's nice..."

Time went by.  They acclimated well as Texans.  Their kids were active in church, school, and athletics.  They got involved in their community....and  I was busy with life in the ministry....in Arizona.....then in Michigan....then in Arizona....then in Michigan...then in west Texas....

We would send occasional Christmas cards, birthday cards, and eventually wedding invitations to one another.....but, you know how things are.....people move on..... I didn't know if I would ever see them again......

It seemed so coincidental......so strange....... so odd......when....in 2008.....my pastor announced he was opening a church....in Round Rock (not Austin)....Round Rock, Texas!  


So....very....odd

I came to the church in Round Rock to sing a few times, and my friends, although they were committed to their own church, attended the service to support me....we reconnected....still....they had their busy lives and I had mine....

Then a crisis hit my life...... I had to pick up the pieces and move with my daughter.....
from west Texas......to Round Rock, Texas.....

I sent my friend a Facebook message....telling her I was moving to Round Rock in a crisis situation....she's too busy to be on Facebook often, so she didn't respond immediately....a day or so before my move, I called her....when she heard about my situation.....she knew what I meant about it being a crisis situation.....(You know, some people consider everything a crisis--this was legit!) 

She and her husband opened their home.....(and I hate to use cliches).....but..... they opened their hearts as well....to a newly single woman going through a monumental challenge and her daughter....who was being forced to move in the middle of her Senior year of high school.....

We spent our first night in Round Rock at that house that I had seen when it was only barely framed....some 20 years earlier!  It was a cold, wet January night when we pulled in...the night of the BCS College championship.....which I fully intended to watch....but out of sheer exhaustion, I fell asleep on the love seat in front of the blazing fire in the fireplace that welcomed us...

Those were difficult days.....very......very difficult....

I remember walking up their staircase one day after trying to decide where to send my daughter to finish her Senior year of high school....I had invested in a Christian education for her for 11 1/2 years....someone said, "Oh, it's just a few months...put her in the public school there..."  I visited the public school....she spent a morning there.....I....JUST....COULDN'T DO IT......there had already been too much upheaval, too much change, too......much......hurt.....

I climbed the stairs of my friend's house that day with extreme effort.... holding in the tears....the sobbing was about to erupt.....I dragged myself into one of those bedrooms my friend had pointed out to me over 20 years earlier...... knelt down.....and cried.....and prayed.....

When the moving truck came with all of my earthly belongings....it was my friends' daughter and son-in-law's missional group from Austin Stone Church that came to help....they spent the entire day helping us move in......they even built a fire in our fireplace for us!

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have THANKED GOD for those young couples!!! 
Moving is stressful...the WORST day is the day the truck brings your stuff...they unload it so fast....and you have to figure out where to put those 350 boxes....along with all of your furniture, clothing, and yard tools!

No one else was there to help us that day....except my one brother who had flown in from Phoenix....and he had recently been injured....so he was basically there for moral support....and to order pizza!  :-) 

Thanksgiving......Christmas.....Birthdays......even my daughter's high school graduation....were all celebrated at that house that I had walked through over 20 years earlier....before it had really taken shape.....

These friends....are no longer friends.....THEY ARE FAMILY!

Who knew.......those twenty some years ago.....when they moved to Round Rock that my daughter and I would need a family......some support.....some encouragement.....some people of faith, hope, and love.....and we would need them in ROUND ROCK, TEXAS!?

God knew.

WOW.  I stand in awe and deep, deep gratitude.

God sees what is ahead of you.  He is the God of pre-vision....and the God of provision.

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand'.... Isaiah 46:9-10


Thank you, dear friends for being the hands and the heart of my Father God.

Thank you, dear God, for my dear, dear friends....and for moving them to Round Rock, Texas....those many years ago!

Trust God, dear reader.  Trust God.

I'll blog ya next week...in the meantime, do something today to fulfill your purpose.....

If this blog blessed you...please share it!