Chris Sligh

I have an on-again off-again addiction to American Idol. I will watch it one season and then not watch it the next. The season (6) that Chris Sligh was a finalist I didn't watch. I saw him on some special singing with Amy Grant but didn't really pay attention then either. I was driving home from work and heard "Empty Me" by Chris and I was like "whoa....where did I miss this guy?". Bought his new cd and I'm very well pleased with the $10 I spent. He has an incredible voice and I love the fact that he writes his own music. I just really admire a singer that can write his own stuff. Just seems more genuine to me. My favorite song besides "Empty Me" is "Are you pleased".

Just read the lyrics:

Can you see through all these filthy rags
That I like to call my good
And see the mirror of my heart reflecting you
I know you listen to me, but what do you hear
Am I lovely to your ear?
All I want is to hear you say “well done”
Are you pleased with me?
Am I everything you want for me to be?
Are you pleased?
I know that I am nothing
Outside of who you are
And it’s you I should be striving to become
I know you’re watching over me, but what do
you see
Am I moving towards the grace that covers me?

Are you pleased with me?
Am I everything you want for me to be?
Am I drawing closer to you?
Is my heart deciding you are all I need?
Are you pleased?
Oh, I know I could never do enough on my own
But still you see me through the precious blood
Oh, it’s only the blood of Jesus…
All I want is to hear you say “well done”

Wow....what a beautiful song. Go check him out.

Thing to do #5

I wanted to take a photography class but with my work schedule (I change shifts every 4 weeks) I can't commit to being in a class. Online classes to the rescue! I live near Wake Technical Community College and they offer lots of continuing education classes. Therefore, I looked and yep they have online photography classes. I was skeptical at first about how much I would learn by just reading lessons on the computer but I took the plunge. Glad I did. This class was very informative and worked well with my life. It was 6 weeks long but you have 8 weeks to finish the course. Lessons were posted on Wednesday and Friday with quizzes for each lesson. There were assignments to do although none were graded. The only grade was the final exam. I only missed one....was even bummed about that though! I will be using my new found knowledge and hopefully start taking some amazing pictures. Here my certificate....
(yes I have a last name ;) )

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in
the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand
in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of
the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Have you ever noticed the progression in this Psalm? First you WALK with the wicked, then STAND with the sinners and lastly you SIT with the mockers. I know we are all sinners but this psalm speaks of so much more. Have you ever found yourself deep in some sinful behavior and thought "how in the world did I end up here"? The majority of people do not jump straight in....they walk, stand and then sit making themselves right at home in the wicked behavior. I speak from experience here....this is exactly how satan grabs you and when you finally "wake up" you are mortified at how you just went right along for the ride.

Today I pray that I will walk with the Lord, stand in His presence and sit at His feet. Only then can I overcome with His help the wicked of this world trying to pull me down. I pray the same for whoever reads this today. We are to meditate on His laws and Him night and day. May the troubles, cares, worries and distractions in your life subside and may you focus on Jesus today.

Have a great day!!!

6 years

I went to Hawaii in 2002. I bought 3 plumeria plants. I killed 2 of them because I watered them too often. I have managed to keep one of them alive. I called the florist several times to inquire about how to care for the plant. I was told to water it once a month and keep in full sun (inside...it gets too cold here). I was also told that it would take about 1 year before the plant would bloom. Each year new leaves sprout and then when the weather changes the leaves fall off. This has been happening since 2002. No blooms at all. I just figured I would have a green plumeria plant. I went on vacation last week and when I arrived home this is what I saw.....






It took my plant 6 years to bloom!!! I was most excited!!!

Favorite Psalm

Going with the favorite theme for now...my favorite Psalm is Psalm 91. Not sure when this became my favorite but I quote it often. I have been working on memorizing it. I am halfway there. It just bring me comfort knowing that God watches over me. I pray it also for those I love. Brian and I sent Scott's platoon a box of bandannas with this Psalm printed on it. Read it below and enjoy. Make the Most High your shelter!

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Happy 4th!

Just wanted to wish everyone a great July 4th. I will be cleaning my house (we haven't had water in a week so now I get to wash clothes and such)....it is all good though. Enjoy your day and say a prayer for someone I love dearly.....

My favorite Third Day song

On the third day of each month there will now be a blog about Third Day (my favorite band)...why? Because Mark Lee said so.... :) Here are my marching orders.

This month I will tell you my favorite Third Day song. It is called "Give" off their cd "Time" which is still my favorite cd. Here are the lyrics:

You said all that follow You may find
Comfort and pain, blessings in hard times
Were I to leave, where else would I go?
The words of life and of truth You hold

All I want is love
I confess to this
I will take it, Lord
All You have to give

how great the love lavished on us all
that we can be the children of God

All I want is love
I confess to this
I will take it, Lord
All You have to give

Here is why this song is my favorite. In 1998 Brian and I started trying to have a baby. Well a year later there was still no baby. I was rather depressed and upset about it. I figured everything would work out and getting pregnant would be no issue. Not so.

Well Third Day's new cd "Time" came out that following year (1999). I loved the cd (still do!) but I remember like it was yesterday when "Give" touched my heart. I was washing my car and had the music playing. The song came on and it was as if God stopped the world and said to me "What do you really want in life? Do you have to have a child to be happy or do you need Me?" I realized then that what I needed most in my life was God's love and I already had it. Then the song says "I will take it Lord, all You have to give". I decided right then that I would take the life God gives me (child or no child) and be content with Him. That was almost 10 years ago. I still do not have a child (that I have given birth to...I claim my step-son as mine!)but I am very content. My life has been unbelievable and I am blessed beyond belief. I try to live my life according to what God asked me....all I need is Him. In fact that is also where I got the name for my blog "Taking all He gives".

I really want this song to be part of the set list (hint hint!). I did get to hear it on November 17 2006 in Columbia SC (read Mark's blog about it here).

I will upload the video once I get home and edit the post.