Oh my goodness, the year is one fourth gone already! Is it time to get out the Christmas decorations???

I have been working on trying to get things online that have been in the works for a while and get other things updated. I just looked at my "about Kay" page and it has been three years since I updated it! I had my sons' ages too young by three years!! When time flies, where does it go? I need to go find it and get some back!

As I was updating my information the Lord impressed on my heart to put together some information that pastors and teachers should examine. It's not a "how to teach" but is an awareness warning. If you are interested it is Hints for Pastors, Teachers, and Church Leaders from a God Seeker.

I've also added something new the Lord has told me that just might edify you. It is Great Expectations.

Once again, we had wonderful church services Sunday. Sunday evening was especially powerful. Oh, I thank God that He found us such a great church! Since God had so many things for us on Sunday morning the communion was not given until the evening service. Instead of passing out the communion the regular way our pastor felt God moving in such a way that it was not to be "communion as usual."

We all lined up to go up and get our communion bread and juice instead of waiting until it was passed out. Each and every person was anointed with oil (I found a source for oil that had frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and other Biblical oils in it that came from the Middle East and gave it to our pastor. God's timing was perfect. It was needed that same night!) and prayed over. It was glorious! Communion held an extra special meaning for me last night. I've never felt led to apologize for my part in sending Jesus to the cross. Don't get me wrong, I've asked forgiveness for my sins. This was different.

I doubt that there was anyone that left there last night that wasn't profoundly affected. It was absolutely awesome!

In case I haven't told you, the church we now attend is of the Pentecostal variety and it is not a quiet and solemn manner of praising and worshipping God. I need to find out more about being slain in the Spirit so I can share it with you in case you've not experienced it. It was really something!!

I have a feeling God showed me something new last night that might be hindering my walk with Him. I have a feeling that there are spiritual things that I am repressing and should be letting out. I don't know for sure. I have to seek His face and find out if that was just a thought I had or if it was Him speaking to me in that still, small voice of His.

I do know that I have been shot in the head (figuratively, not literally) for speaking out things I believed were of God. I didn't even realize until I thought about it this morning that this has been going on for a very long time in many ways. Oh, boy, there just might be another BIG spiritual treasure waiting for me to open it! Goody, goody, goody! This is better than opening presents on my birthday!!

Go look at the praising wall! God is worthy of our praises! Let's praise Him!!

Ahhh, my God is GOOD!! Is yours? Wait.... my God IS your God! Silly me!

Do you find that not a day goes by without some annoying thing happening? It could be big, or it could be small, but there is always something that bugs. I have a fairly new umbrella that I paid more for than I had wanted, but I wanted a dependable, large umbrella. This one has a lifetime guarantee. It is designed to even recover from being blown inside out by strong wind. Well, one of the special hinges that allows it to go inside out has lost its pin. I have to find where I put the warranty paper and will have to find out how to get a new one or get it fixed.

I was all done putting together my tax stuff and realized that a form I had received was not for what I thought, but showed some taxable income from canceling a retirement account. My husband didn't cancel any retirement accounts last year! I've spent three days trying to track down someone who can help me.

I could allow these things, as well as all the other irritating things that have happened recently, to drag me down. I could dwell on them and get angry. I could allow them to ruin my day. Or, I can focus on what is truly important. I choose to focus on positive things. I choose to allow God to handle my problems for me. He knows the best way to get things done. Even if I have to spend a lot more time on these things He can provide me the patience and peace that I will need. He can also provide me the love that I need to keep in my heart for other people when I have been on the phone for 45 minutes, just got transferred to another person for the fifth time, and get disconnected and have to start at person "A" because I have no idea where I was supposed to be transferred. Really! He does!! I KNOW!!!

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm going to be 49 years young. I'm going to do something in the morning that I've never done before. Last year on my birthday one of my sons bought me a gift certificate for a facial, a paraffin dip for my hands, and a pedicure. It is three hours of relaxation and massage. I saved it until this year's birthday. I'm really looking forward to it. It sounds marvelous! Then we are going out to dinner.

We went out to dinner with other people from our church after the evening service last night. Then tonight we get to go to dinner to celebrate my youngest son's birthday. We've not had a free evening for two weeks, so had to postpone his birthday dinner. I could get used to this... going out to dinner every night!! Yippee!

Do you spend one on one time with God every day? How about five days out of the week? Two days? One day? Do you have good intentions of spending time with Him and then run out of time each day?

If that is the case then I suggest you make an appointment with Him and keep it. When you make a doctor appointment, job interview appointment, or other appointment do you keep it? Make an appointment with God and then keep it no matter what. If you can tell someone, "I can't do it because I've got a doctor appointment," then you can just as easily keep your appointment with God. Try getting up earlier in the morning. That is the only thing that has worked for me. I set my alarm for at least an hour earlier in the morning and spend time with Him.

It's sad, isn't it, that we can't find time to spend with our Heavenly Father? He should be our number one priority. We should be focusing our attention on Him first, then on everything else. The "world" doesn't understand people who put God first. They think we are crazy. They look at us like we are two steps away from being committed to a mental institution. That's OK. One of my favorite scriptures is 1Peter 2:9, " But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"

I'm peculiar, I'm peculiar, I'm peculiar, I'm peculiar!!!! WHOOPIE!!!

What is your favorite word for describing God? The best one I can think of is AWESOME!

Shame, shame, shame on me! Last week was spring break, a week's vacation from school. My husband is a teacher, so he was on vacation. I didn't have to get up early to fix breakfast or lunch and I didn't have to be a human alarm clock. I didn't set my alarm and I slept in every morning.

During school days I set my alarm an hour earlier so I can go in my prayer closet and spend time with God. During vacation I didn't spend time with God every morning. A few mornings I took my coffee into my prayer closet with me and spent time with Him, but most mornings my intentions went sour. That is exactly what I was talking about last week. It is very important to spend time with Him every single day!

I found myself saying things I shouldn't, having little or no patience, and even found myself glaring at someone who cut in front of me on the road with anger that bordered on hatred! Whoa!!! What was happening???? I was shocked at my behavior and made myself do an evaluation. I had not spent one-on-one time with God for two days in a row!!

I had effortlessly slid right back into my old ways!! I felt so ashamed of myself!! I had to repent for what I had done. I felt like such a buffoon! I had been asking God to use me and to teach me, yet I was distancing myself from Him. Even worse, I was setting an awful example as a Christian!

There is a good side to this, however. My behavior didn't surprise God. He knew what would happen before it even happened! Then, when I told Him I was sorry and asked Him to forgive me, HE DID! As far as He is concerned, it is forgotten. As far as I'm concerned, I learned a lesson. I'm a step behind in my climb into the heavenlies and in my Christian walk. I will be very diligent not to let "vacation" or anything else disrupt my fellowship time with my God!!

I need to continue to meet with Him every morning. I must ask Him to help me with my mouth and my thoughts. I have to ask Him to let me see things through His eyes. I have to ask Him to help me love people with His heart. I have to ask that my opinions become His opinions. I have to give Him my brain, heart, mouth, and body on a daily basis! I have to fully rely on Him EVERY minute of the day!!!

Last week, on my birthday, I got to have that facial and pedicure I told you about. Oh me, oh my, it was wonderful! The facial was so very very relaxing! I've never had any of those things before. I kept thanking my son over and over for such a wonderful gift!

I've never had painted toenails before. I had the lady paint them pink. I like to do pink things every now and then. Since I live in an all-male-but-me home I have to defend my femininity in small ways. I think guys are allergic to pink, so I have to limit any pinkness around here to things they don't have to touch!
;-)

Last week I took a week off from doing the band's scrip (gift certificate) fund raiser. I only have seven more weeks of doing it. Last week I was imagining what it would be like when I no longer had to pick up certain certificates on Monday mornings, open my home every Tuesday to pass out and take in orders, put together and turn in all the orders on Wednesday mornings, make the bank deposit on Wednesdays, and be home every Friday morning waiting for the delivery of the rest of the certificates! Oh, I can hardly wait!!! Two years of this is way too long!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Don't get me wrong. I had prayed about doing this when I was first asked. God gave me the go-ahead. He has enabled me to witness to people. Also, He knew that I would be able to handle it as there was no program that enabled me to keep up with the detailed accounting that is necessary. He knew I would be able to put together spreadsheets and would have the many hours necessary to administrate it.

He showed me the woman who would take it over, too. It isn't easy to find someone that is dedicated, honest, and willing to do it! He has prepared things in a big way for me to pass this thing on. Now there is a simple program that keeps track of everything with minimal effort. With the chart of procedures I have made the job should be much easier than it was when I first took over!! Glory to God!!

I don't usually feel led to ask for prayer, but this morning I do. My mom has a very bad hip and has been told that hip replacement surgery is necessary.

I've been praying that God replace her hip so that surgery wouldn't be necessary. My mom has a lot of other medical problems that would make the surgery and recovery much more difficult. One evening, as I was praying about her hip, I saw a beautiful, new hip socket being held in the Lord's hands. This wasn't a titanium man-made hip socket, it was a human one!

I have been asking God lots of questions about healing. I see examples in the Bible of Him not healing people (I'm thinking of Moses' speech impediment and of Paul's problem with his eyes) so know that healing does not always take place. I keep asking Him how will I know that He is going to heal someone. I keep asking Him what words I should use when I am praying for healing. I have lots of questions and not very many answers.

But, in my mom's case, I SAW the hip He has for her. So, I know He wants to heal her. I am standing in faith that He will give her that new hip so surgery won't be necessary. Would you stand with me?

Oh, if you have any experiences with the gift of healing, would you please email me with as much information as you've learned about it? I want to know MORE MORE MORE!!

I see a lot of examples of people with the gift of healing as well as other gifts and talents given by God and I see very few of them passing on their knowledge in order to teach others how to do the same. I don't know if they feel they have exclusive rights to those things or what, but there are others with those gifts and talents that need instruction and guidance.

There are many things about the Kingdom of God that are not being shared among the Body of Christ. Why? It seems to always fall back on three main things being taught and stressed. People are receiving instruction and assistance on how to evangelize, how to teach, and how to pastor and little else. There are many, many more positions in the Body of Christ that are equally as important!

In my case, I am very grateful for the Internet. It has been through the Internet that I have found other people who have been searching as I have. I may never have identified some of the gifts I've been given by God had it not been for others who had broken ground in those areas and who were willing to share their experiences. I had been trapped in a small box of understanding about God and about His ways. I had been limited to the same size box that my teachers and pastors were in themselves.

I was HUNGRY HUNGRY HUNGRY for more and didn't know there was more. I am still hungry for much much more, but know it is there. I keep seeking and asking, asking and seeking...

I've been sharing with you for all these years... it is your turn to share with me. What are your gifts? What have you learned about using them? Let's network!! Let's share!! Let's teach each other!!! WHOOPIE!!! (You can't tell I'm passionate about this, can you?)

Oh my goodness goodness! My poor body has been mauled! Saturday was an all day fund raiser event for the band. It was a drum line competition. The first group went on at 8:00AM and the last group went on around 10:45PM.

I was on my feet for 90% of that time! I don't want to admit it, but I'm afraid I might be getting a teeny weeny bit too old for that kind of activity! I sure hope the band raked in a HUGE amount of money for as hard as all the parent volunteers worked!

My arms ache, especially my right arm. When I was raising my hands in church yesterday, I could feel pain shooting up through my shoulder. I still had to raise my hands, though. When I feel the urge to raise my hands I need to do it. Maybe that makes it more special to God that I do it even though it hurts.

Then, to top it off, I caught a cold yesterday. I tried to get this Bible study online yesterday but my energy gave out and I didn't want to put out something less than what God intended!

Did you know this is an interactive web site?? You have an opportunity to be a participant! If you have anything to praise God about you can add it to the Praising Wall.

Soon there will be an area where you can share with other people who have the same spiritual gifts as you do. I'm putting together a form you can fill out where you can share how you learned about your gifts. That way people will be able to contact each other and share what God has taught them about their gifts. I know that I was able to identify and release some of the gifts I have after corresponding with someone who had the same gifts. If you want me to email you when the gifts networking area is ready to go then email me.

I've noticed a disturbing trend among parents. Fewer and fewer parents are involved with their children and their children's activities. I am seeing parents stand around watching other parents tend to their children. At the big fund raiser the band held on Saturday I saw parents standing around watching while other parents were working their tails off. I saw parents standing and watching other parents struggling with things.

Even worse, I see fewer and fewer parents attending their children's performances. There are parents that have never seen their son play football. There are parents that have never seen their child perform in a band concert or in a color guard competition.

Do you realize how sad this is? I have noticed that most of the parents that are the hardest workers, have the most compassion for children that aren't their own, and are the most dependable are also strong Christians. Those same parents are usually also involved in other organizations as well as in their churches.

From that observation I conclude that, the farther that people draw away from God, the less they even care about their own children's happiness. I know students who are affected by the fact their parents do not attend their performances. It hurts me to see them hurt. The parents always have a "good" excuse for why they don't attend. Oh, we have come so far from the way God wants us to be!

But, we Christians can make a difference in the lives of those children. We can let them see the love of Jesus in the way we talk to them and in the way we treat them. They will notice, I guarantee you. They need to have someone to model themselves after since their own parents are failing in that task. You just might be that person!

On Saturday, when we had the band fund raiser, the weather was COLD! An icy wind was blowing and we even had hail! Today it is 90 degrees in the shade and a hot wind is blowing. Crazy crazy!

I'm finally on the tail end of my cold! It was getting mighty tiresome! I'm trying not to overdo, but once I start feeling better I start trying to do all the things I got behind on the previous week. I certainly don't want to have a relapse!

I've been struggling with something all day today. God has given me something to do and I really don't want to do it. It's one of those things where it seems it would be better if someone else did it.

It started out with total confusion over what I was seeing, followed by Him telling me what He wanted me to do about it. The hard thing is that He has put me in this position before and what I had to do was not well received. So, I tried to wiggle out of it, but He was pretty darn firm about it.

Actually, He was more than firm about it. He dumped it right in my lap and told me not to hide. Soooooo.... I guess that settles it. When God says jump I had better respond, "How high?" I have to remind myself that I am a God pleaser and not a man pleaser!

Oh dear, the hills around us are taking on their summer color.... brown! The spring's rains had turned them all a beautiful green. I guess that's what we get for living in a desert climate. They don't stay pretty for very long!

I guess it is just as well since the sky is already brown. We live in a type of basin that catches a lot of the Los Angeles smog. The ocean breezes push it off of Los Angeles and onto us. I didn't know that tidbit of information when we bought this house out here. Maybe that is one of the reasons we could afford a house here.

I think I will make my husband take me out to dinner when he gets home. I have a certificate for a free birthday meal at a Mexican restaurant that expires after tonight. I'll use any excuse to eat out and that is one of the better ones, don't you think?